TripCart :: The Travel Blog

Sometimes Sin City is just too far!

In the mood for some sin but just can’t imagine shlepping all the way out to Vegas?
I hear ya; it happens to me all the time.
Which is why, when things get tough and the urge comes on, I head to…

1. Atlantic City - Atlantic City is like Little Vegas. You have your pick of top names and, like in Vegas, if you get to know them and they get to know you, you can get some pretty fantastic deals. What? You want the list? Okay, here are your choices:
• Bally’s Atlantic City (The largest casino in the area)
• Tropicana Casino & Resort (New Jersey’s largest hotel and a true poker palace)
• Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort
• Caesars Atlantic City (Welcome to Rome!)
• Harrah’s Casino Hotel
• Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino
• Showboat Casino-Hotel (What? Mardi Gras? All the time?)
• The Borgata (Wait, maybe this one is the largest…)
• Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort (Play + Arabian Nights = a hell of a good time!)
• Resorts Casino Hotel
2. Mohegan Sun – Five football fields filled with gambling, eating, entertaining, sleeping, a spa, and a planetarium. Yes, even a planetarium (one of the world’s largest, at that!).
3. Foxwoods – The world’s largest casino is in Connecticut, NOT Vegas.
4. Freeport Casino Cruises This is off Long Island, of all places. Poker is always allowed on international waters!
5. Niagara Falls – I like Seneca Niagara Casino best, but if you don’t do well…y’know, just let this trip be about the casinos and skip the Falls, just to be on the safe side.

See how easy it can be to sin? So get in on the action…and let it ride! (Sorry, couldn’t help myself there)

Buffalo Wings

Just like French Fries aren’t actually French, but are fried in a French sort of way, I started to ponder the buffalo wings that I order in every Monday during football season and generally don’t even think twice about before I scarf them all down messily. Maybe buffalo wings aren’t actually from Buffalo, NY, but rather are cooked in a special cooking method that’s unique to Buffaloian cooking culture. Like, could sausages be “buffaloed”? Was it a special New York sauce? (I had already established a few years back that the wings aren’t actually from buffalos.)

And so my research begins. Buffalo wings did in fact originate in Buffalo, NY on October 30, 1964. Teressa Bellissimo, owner of Anchor Bar, had some leftover wings lying around, so she fried them up (maybe in a French sort of way?), dipped them in the special spicy sauce, and became a legend. There are of course variant stories and long-lasting disputes and who and what, but the where (Buffalo) is always the same.

Plan your next trip to Buffalo around July 29th and stay for Chicken Wing Day. Come for Labor Day, and participate in the National Buffalo Wing Festival, a weekend gathering  in downtown Buffalo celebrating the chicken wing in all its glory.

Wing events for wing enthusiasts take place all year all over the country. “The Wing Thing”, a competition for the best wings in Vegas, takes place this year on May 9-10. In April there was the Memphis Hot Wing Contest & Festival, and in February, Bailey Auditorium housed the Chicago Winter WingFest. In Philly every year, you can catch the Wing Bowl (on the Friday morning before the Superbowl), and then of course there’s Wingstock in September at First Energy Park in Lakewood, NJ.

Here you can learn how to make buffalo wings yourself!

While you’re in the Western New York region, I suggest making a trip up to Niagara Falls for some spectacular, mind-altering falls. Get some wings for lunch (I’m sure you can find them up there somewhere) and then take the Maid of the Mist Boat Tour.

P.S. The windshield wiper was invented in Buffalo, and Buffalo was the first city in the U.S. to have electric street-lights (for more see Fun-Facts on Mid Atlantic region).

DOH!

Do your part to promote beer literacy by learning the art of beer tasting. The AHA (American Homebrewers Association) invites YOU to join the ranks of the few, the proud, and the lucky men and women of America who are trained with discriminating abilities to drink beer. YOU can become a beer judge, too, and travel around the U.S. chillaxing and drinking. I’m thisclose to quitting my day job… Every year over 100 beer judges judge 2,300 beers at Denver, Colorado’s Great American Beer Festival. For three days straight at the beginning of October, these guys get to drink beers and give out medals to their favorites. In 2007, 25,000 gallons of beer “flowed.” (And it would be a huge shame to go all the way to Denver and not check out the Coors Brewery, the world’s largest brewery on a single site.) The Madison Homebrewers & Tasters Guild sponsors the Big & Huge Homebrew Competition in April (we just missed it). Wisconsin is home to great breweries, including Miller Brewing Company, Sprecher Brewing Company, Lakefront Brewery, Capital Brewing Company, and more! The Oregon Brewers Festival is in July at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland. Drink and listen to great music for four days straight. And east of Portland, in the town of Hood River, you can visit the Full Sail Brewing Company, get a free tour, and relax with some beers out on the brewery deck overlooking the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area — what a life! It’s like Benjamin Franklin said, so many years ago, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Amen, Brothah!

Shopping Malls – a tremendous boost to TripCart.Com

Buying, fashion, holiday, lifestyle, mall, Malls, Outlet, outlets, selling, shop, shopping, Shops, tech, technology, Travel Blog, travel blogs, trip, vacation, weblogs

It's almost 4 months since I've dived into our Web analyst's monthly report. Usually I'm quite satisfied with the improvements in the bottom line numbers. Now, that I was looking at other things of interest I've realized that since our Christmas success we've experienced a continuous traffic growth in the Shopping Centers and Outlet Malls segment of our website.

I've decided it's about time to write another nice post about our joint effort.

From the SW department I've been informed that in few days we're gonna release a completely new SW version that would upgrade the user's experience, especially in the Attraction pages, introducing new planning features. "Good job!!!"

And now for the fun part. Here's the list the most popular Shopping Centers / Outlet Malls as it was ordered by our Web analyst to reflect the number of entries they got between the 1st of January and Ending of April:

1. Broward Mall - Plantation, Florida
2. Roosevelt Field Mall - Long Island, New York
3. Smithhaven Mall - Lake Grove, New York
4. Natick Mall - Massachusetts
5. Prime Outlets Mall - Orlando, Florida
6. Sawgrass Mills Outlet Mall - Sunrise, Florida
7. Southridge Mall - Greendale, Wisconsin
8. The Avenues Mall - Jacksonville, Florida
9. Dolphin Outlet Mall - Miami, Florida
10. Solomon Pond Mall - Marlborough, Massachusetts
11. Del Amo Mall Fashion Center - Torrance, California
12. St. Louis Mills Outlet Mall - Hazelwood, Missouri
13. Katy Mills Outlet Mall - Texas
14. The Galleria Mall - Houston, Texas
15. Dadeland Mall - Miami, Florida
16. Northgate Mall - Seattle, Washington
17. Clackamas Town Center Mall - Portland, Oregon
18. Woodbury Common Premium Outlets Mall - New York
19. Palisades Center Mall - New York
20. Franklin Mills Outlet Mall - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
21. Oakbrook Mall - Oak Brook, Illinois
22. Ontario Mills Outlet Mall - California
23. Colorado Mills Outlet Mall - Lakewood, Colorado
24. Potomac Mills Outlet Mall - Prince William, Virginia
25. Alderwood Mall - Lynnwood, Washington
26. Stoneridge Mall - Pleasanton, California
27. Bellevue Square Mall - Washington
28. Ross Park Mall - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
29. Tysons Corner Center Mall - Virginia
30. Pearlridge Shopping Center - Aiea, Hawaii
31. Cabazon Outlet Mall - California
32. Gravois Bluffs Plaza - Fenton, Missouri
33. Westfield South Shore Mall - Bayshore, New York
34. Westfield Santa Anita Mall - Arcadia, California
35. Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall - Illinois
36. Walden Galleria - Buffalo, New York
37. Washington Square Mall - Portland, Oregon
38. Lloyd Center Mall - Portland, Oregon
39. Colonial Bell Air Mall - Mobile, Alabama
40. Arundel Mills Mall - Hanover, Maryland
41. Mall at Millenia - Orlando, Florida
42. Oxford Valley Mall - Langhorne, Pennsylvania
43. Monmouth Mall - Eatontown, New Jersey
44. The Florida Mall - Orlando, Florida
45. Green Acres Mall - Valley Stream, New York
46. Fashion Valley Mall - San Diego, California
47. The Designer Outlet Gallery - Secaucus, New Jersey
48. The Mall at Stonecrest - Lithonia, Georgia
49. Opry Mills Outlet Mall - Nashville, Tennessee
50. Mayfair Mall - Wisconsin
51. Deerbrook Mall - Humble, Texas
52. Brea Mall - California
53. South Coast Plaza Mall - Costa Mesa, California
54. Willowbrook Mall - Wayne, New Jersey
55. Park City Center Mall - Lancaster, Pennsylvania
56. Memorial City Mall - Houston, Texas
57. Gulf Coast Town Center - Fort Myers, Florida
58. Sunrise Mall - Long Island, New York
59. Cherry Creek Mall - Denver, Colorado
60. Burlington Center Mall - Massachusetts
61. West Town Mall - Knoxville, Tennessee
62. Aventura Mall - Miami, Florida
63. White Marsh Mall - Baltimore, Maryland
64. South Shore Plaza - Braintree, Massachusetts
65. Los Cerritos Center Mall - Cerritos, California
66. Seminole Towne Center Mall - Sanford, Florida
67. Providence Place Mall - Rhode Island
68. Freehold Raceway Mall - New Jersey
69. Ala Moana Center Mall - Honolulu, Hawaii
70. Lakeline Mall - Cedar Park, Texas
71. Fayette Mall - Lexington, Kentucky
72. King of Prussia Mall - Pennsylvania
73. Woodfield Mall - Schaumburg, Illinois
74. Walt Whitman Mall - Huntington Station, New York
75. Staten Island Mall - New York
76. International Plaza Mall - Tampa, Florida
77. Fashion Island Mall - Newport Beach, California
78. Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall - Arizona
79. Mall of Louisiana - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
80. Broadway Mall - Hicksville, New York
81. Tacoma Mall - Washington
82. Ridgedale Center Mall - Minnetonka, Minnesota
83. Victoria Gardens Mall - California
84. Augusta Mall - Georgia
85. Cielo Vista Mall - El Paso, Texas
86. NorthTown Mall - Blaine, Minnesota
87. Glendale Galleria Mall - California
88. Arizona Mills Outlet Mall - Tempe, Arizona
89. Montgomery Mall - North Wales, Pennsylvania
90. Lynnhaven Mall - Virginia Beach, Virginia
91. Highland Mall - Austin, Texas
92. Ingram Park Mall - San Antonio, Texas
93. The Tucson Mall - Arizona
94. Hamilton Place Mall - Chattanooga, Tennessee
95. Fair Oaks Mall - Fairfax, Virginia
96. Westfield Valley Fair Mall - Santa Clara, California
97. Battlefield Mall - Springfield, Missouri
98. Orland Square Mall - Orland Park, Illinois
99. Forum At Olympia Parkway - Selma, Texas
100. Baybrook Mall - Friendswood, Texas
101. University Mall - Tampa, Florida
102. Park Place Mall - Tucson, Arizona
103. Citadel Mall - Charleston, South Carolina
104. WestGate Mall - Spartanburg, South Carolina
105. Tanger Outlet Center - Park City, Utah
106. Southland Mall - Miami, Florida
107. Christiana Mall - Newark, Delaware
108. Springfield Mall - Virginia
109. Dulles Town Center Mall - Virginia
110. Deptford Mall - New Jersey
111. Stanford Shopping Center Mall - Palo Alto, California
112. South Hills Village - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
113. Valley View Mall - Roanoke, Virginia
114. Regency Mall - Racine, Wisconsin
115. Jefferson Mall - Louisville, Kentucky
116. Westfield Topanga Mall - Canoga Park, California
117. Orlando Premium Outlet Mall - Florida
118. Altamonte Mall - Altamonte Springs, Florida
119. Short Pump Town Center Mall - Richmond, Virginia
120. Wrentham Village Premium Outlets - Massachusetts
121. Mall of America - Bloomington, Minnesota
122. Southland Mall - Hayward, California
123. Discover Mills Outlet Mall - Lawrenceville, Georgia
124. The Mall at Robinson - Pennsylvania
125. SuperMall - Auburn, Washington
126. Cumberland Mall - Atlanta, Georgia
127. The Woodlands Mall - Houston, Texas
128. Zion Factory Stores, The Promenade at Red Cliff - St. George, Utah
129. Barton Creek Square Mall - Austin, Texas
130. North Point Mall - Alpharetta, Georgia
131. Perimeter Mall - Atlanta, Georgia
132. Mall of Georgia - Buford, Georgia
133. Golf Mill Mall - Niles, Illinois
134. Fashion Square Mall - Saginaw, Michigan
135. Eastview Mall - Victor, New York

Top Ten Adventure Sites for Kids

My adventuring co-worker drags his 10 year old son with him and his wife to “Adventure Sites” in the United States. He recently wrote up a list of activities that will “turn boys into men and girls into men”—so take that as you will, of course excusing him (as usual) for his overt sexism. He just handed me five post-its with notes about his favorite spots.
Let’s see if I can turn his jumble into eloquent prose:

Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountain range is an ideal spot to jump-start your child’s adventuring education. With 1,200 miles of multi-level trails, thick forests, glistening waterfalls, and wide meadows, your child will experience a head-on collision with American wilderness. Families can rent cabins and spent hours and days exploring the vastness and beauty of Yosemite National Park.
Apparently there was a very stinky new species of orchid discovered at Yosemite National Park. According to msnbc, “park officials said they would not release details about where the plant was found because they were concerned visitors might love it to death.” Is that a typo? Why would people love a stinky flower?

Next on the list is Dinosaur, Colorado, particularly Dinosaur National Monument in Echo Park in the Uinta Mountains. There are dinosaur fossils abound, prehistoric rock art, whitewater rafter, and great hiking. In addition to the fossilized creatures, there is also an array of live wildlife still lurking in the canyons.

Moving right along to Padre Island (Beaches and National Seashore). Padre Island is located at the southernmost tip of Texas and is comprised of beaches, sand dunes, nearly 150,000 acres of land, turtles, pelicans, and excellent water adventures. Beginner surfers can ride the small waves at Padre Island’s Isla Blanca park, as well as try their luck at sailing, kiteboarding, windsurfing, and jetskiing. Boat tours take groups out to see dolphins and whales. And as though that’s not enough, there’s also bike riding, horseback riding, and classes in sand sculpting by sand castle-building experts! Just be wary of college kids during Spring Break who take over Coca Cola beach in South Padre Island.

Fourth on the list is Grand Canyon National Park, and under that he wrote “need I say more?” Didn’t give me much to work with here. I personally remember being too scared to ride a donkey down the canyon when I was a kid, but maybe your kids are braver…

And then there are the lucky kids (a category that my co-worker’s son falls into) who get to go to Haleakala National Park in Maui. Craters, volcanoes, natural pols, waterfalls, and rainforests fill the Haleakala landscape.

Why can’t I be a lucky kid?

So there you have it, the top ten places to bring your burgeoning adventurer, according to a travel expert and his very own burgeoning adventurer.

Top Ten Aquariums for Kids in the US

Some very dedicated mother travels all over the states with her kids while her husband works in what seems to me like a top secret government position. She posted at The Vacationer that she likes taking the kids to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. What Sharon didn’t mention, is that the National Aquarium in Baltimore ranks (just barely) in Parent’s Magazine’s Top Ten Aquariums for Kids in the U.S.

For your trip planning pleasure, here’s the list and their rankings:

1. Monterey Bay Aquarium
2. Georgia Aquarium
3. John G. Shedd Aquarium
4. New England Aquarium
5. The Florida Aquarium
6. Aquarium of the Pacific
7. Atlantis Marine World
8. Oregon Coast Aquarium
9. Sea World in San Antonio, San Diego, and Orlando
10. National Aquarium

This definitely narrows down my way too long zoos & aquariums list from Feb. 17, 2008.

Planning my friend’s trip to St. Louis, while I should be doing my OWN work!

I have a very busy friend who’s going on a business trip to Missouri and is bringing her 2 kids and their au pair who will have a car and liberty to take the kids all over the St. Louis area entertaining, which their mom is working. Since she knows I spend all day online reading and writing, she asked me to come with a list of activities for her family to partake in during their little vacation. And it is true, I enjoy nothing more than planning trips. Anyways, here are my findings, read the reviews, looked at pictures, and they all check out—thought I’d share...

1. The Butterfly House
2. Grant’s Farm
3. Missouri Botanical Gardens
4. Saint Louis Zoo
5. Jamestown Mall

They’ll only be there for 3 days, so I think this should be plenty.

Pismo Beach Disaster Debunked

I was watching the news with my girlfriend and something about Pismo Beach came on. Something totally insignificant, but my girlfriend got all serious and said, "€œWow, that beach looks nice, especially after the Pismo Beach Disaster."€ "€œWhat happened in Pismo Beach?" I asked. "€œWell,"€ she explained, "€œThere was a huge flood, or something, but the Pismo Beach Disaster League pulled through and I guess they'€™re all sorted now."

So I did a little online research and had to carefully break it to my girlfriend that the Pismo Beach Disaster was a creation of Amy Heckerling, the writer of Clueless, which happens to be one of my girlfriend'€™s favorite movies. Anyways, she felt "€œcheated"€ and "€œlied to"€ that Cher had devoted all her extracurricular time to helping in an imaginary cause. She says that people probably gathered some of their precious belongings (like skis and caviar) and sent them off to this fictitious disaster relief fund. And the writers of Clueless are probably laughing as they unwrap new sporting equipment and set out some saumon gravelax to enjoy.

Anyways, Pismo Beach actually seems worth going to, disaster aside, and I plan on dropping by next time MY JOB SENDS ME OUT TO CALIFORNIA... Also, I'€™ve heard good things about these nearby attractions:

• Pinnacles National Monument
• Point Reyes National Seashore
• Hearst Castle
• Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Just a word about Pinnacles. First, there are no disasters to speak of (that I know of), just to dispel any preconceived notions. Second, the National Park Service has put out an advisory warning against ruining the homes of raptors while they try and raise their young. Aren’t raptors dinosaurs? Remember that scene in Jurassic Park when the raptors come into the kitchen and the kids are scrambling around trying to hide in kitchen cabinets? (I still have nightmares.) Well, according to Wikipedia, the raptor is also a modern day bird of prey with a "€œhooked beak, sharp talons, and keen eyesight."€ So yeah, I'€™d stay clear of them, too. Raptor is also a character for G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. And a superhero from MC2 universe in Marvel Comics.

Elliot Spitzer - a TripCart user?

Seems like not all our users are just planning family vacations on TripCart. Some user (who grabbed the user ID - "elliot spitzer") posted a detailed plan of his trip to DC. He called the trip "client-9" and it seems pretty accurate and amusing. It's actually a pretty good trip - some shopping (two women to support) some relevant historical sites (White House Oval Office, Tidal Basin) and even a visit to see where they print  money.

Related travel guides: • Texas family vacation ideas • Hudson Valley Spa • Lake George family vacation ideas • Lake George, New York spa • Long Island cruises • Luxury hotels Chicago Illinois

Pele takes Royal Avenue

Pele, Hawaii's legendary goddess of fire, is sending her lava flows right down the middle of the streets in the Royal Gardens subdivision on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Fortunate visitors to Hawaii have seen the lava flowing on the slopes of Kilauea, in Volcanoes National Park since 1986. I managed to melt my rubber soles in 1989 and again in 2005. Both times I was rewarded with one of the most amazing sites in nature - red hot lava oozing out of the earth. And me standing 3 feet away. The hard part was the 4 hour round trip hike in the blazing sun (and on the hot black lava surface) without really knowing where to go.

Well,  it just got a lot easier and even more amazing.  Lava is now flowing through the lava tubes from the remote eruption site, right through the Royal Gardens subdivision and pouring into the sea. Its just a little over an hour from Hilo, near Puna. Drive southwest along the coast till the end of the road. Then follow the masses of people on the newly laid out trails. Check for latest reports - a new trail was opened yesterday at 2pm and closed 30 minutes later when the lava flow covered it.

I hope to report firsthand - but the video will have to do.

Follow this link for another video of Lava Enters the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii

See my old trip i called: Family Adventure Travel in Hawaii: Hot Lava

For near by Tourist Attractions:

• Punaluu Black Sand Beach
• Big Island Candies
• Mauna Loa (Macadamia Nuts)
• Pacific Tsunami Museum
• Hilo Arboretum - Hawaii
• Kilauea Caldera - Hawaii
• Rainbow Falls - Big Island, Hawaii
• Thurston Lava
• Mauna Loa
• Panaewa Rainforest Zoo - Hilo, Hawaii

Zoos, Aquariums and Botanical Gardens

We at TripCart had realized that we need to simplify the access to our content. Positioning ourselves as "The Travel Site" when it comes to planning your trip around Tourist Attractions we've realized we need to restructure the site exactly in that domain. Our Design and R&D teams had gathered in a brainstorm and now all the company is in that turmoil.

On the other hand our content team is catching up on uncovered topics. The Content Manager together with our Web Analyst, had collected a list of major Zoos, Aquariums and Botanical Gardens to be completed by the end of the month. Working fast, the writers and editors finished the task 2 weeks in advance.

We at TripCart had realized that we need to simplify the access to our content. Positioning ourselves as "The Travel Site" when it comes to planning your trip around Tourist Attractions we've realized we need to restructure the site exactly in that domain. Our Design and R&D teams had gathered in a brainstorm and now all the company is in that turmoil.

On the other hand our content team is catching up on uncovered topics. The Content Manager together with our Web Analyst, had collected a list of major Zoos, Aquariums and Botanical Gardens to be completed by the end of the month. Working fast, the writers and editors finished the task 2 weeks in advance.

Outdoors - Nature Parks

For the coming spring we, at TripCart, had worked out a list of tourist attractions and highlights for Outdoors Recreation. It includes major State Parks and National Parks including National Forests. Our writers team was given the mission to write useful tourist information for those of our users who plan their vacation Outdoors. Now, that the mission is completed, we're ready to make the announcement...

BTW, the list was way too long to be fully mentioned here, so I've chosen a small percentage to be featured. If you think we've excluded an important site, please let us know - maybe I just did not mention it while choosing this featured list:

• Denali National Park & Preserve - Alaska
• Grand Canyon National Park - North Rim, Arizona
• Grand Canyon National Park - South Rim, Arizona
• Red Rock State Park - Sedona, Arizona
• Saguaro National Park - Arizona
• Tonto National Forest - Arizona
• Tonto Natural Bridge State Park - Arizona
• Crater of Diamonds State Park - Murfreesboro, Arkansas
• Angeles National Forest - California
• Avenue of the Giants - California
• Cleveland National Forest - California
• Death Valley National Park - California
• Joshua Tree National Park - California
• Kings Canyon National Park - California
• Lake Shasta - California
• Lassen Volcanic National Park - California
• Mount Whitney - California
• Point Reyes National Seashore - California
• Praire Creek Redwoods State Park - California
• Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks - Three Rivers, California
• Yosemite National Park - California
• Colorado National Monument - Grand Junction, Colorado
• Dinosaur National Monument - Colorado
• Mesa Verde National Park - Colorado
• Rocky Mountain National Park - Estes Park, Colorado
• Rock Creek Park - Washington, DC
• Biscayne National Park - Florida
• Everglades National Park - Homestead, Florida
• John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park - Florida
• Ocala National Forest - Florida
• Stone Mountain Park - Atlanta, Georgia
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - Big Island
• Rainbow Falls - Big Island, Hawaii
• Harriman State Park - Idaho
• Indiana Dunes State Park and National Lakeshore
• Mammoth Cave National Park - Kentucky
• Acadia National Park - Bar Harbor, Maine
• Baxter State Park - Maine
• Moosehead Lake - Maine
• Cape Cod National Seashore - Massachusetts
• Itasca State Park - Minnesota
• Glacier National Park - Montana
• Red Rock Canyon - Las Vegas, Nevada
• The Lakes Region - New Hampshire
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park - New Mexico
• White Sands National Monument - New Mexico
• Letchworth State Park - New York
• Niagara Falls - New York / Ontario, Canada
• Blue Ridge Parkway - North Carolina / Virginia
• Pisgah National Forest - North Carolina
• Crater Lake National Park - Oregon
• Golden and Silver Falls State Park - Oregon
• Silver Falls State Park - Oregon
• Badlands National Park - South Dakota
• Custer State Park - South Dakota
• Big South Fork National River - Kentucky / Tennessee
• Fall Creek Falls State Park - Tennessee
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Tennessee
• Big Bend National Park - Texas
• Brazos Bend State Park - Texas
• Arches National Park - Moab, Utah
• Bryce Canyon National Park - Utah
• Canyonlands National Park - Utah
• Capitol Reef National Park - Utah
• Zion National Park - Springdale, Utah
• Mount Mansfield - Vermont
• Shenandoah National Park - Luray, Virginia
• Mount Rainier National Park - Washington
• North Cascades National Park - Washington
• Olympic National Forest - Washington
• Olympic National Park - Washington
• Grand Teton National Park - Wyoming
• Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming

Travel Planning Websites

Compete.Com has published an article named "Group Travel Planning Websites: A Leader Emerging?" on January 14th, 2008. The article compares the traffic details of 8 websites in the field of "Travel Planning" including ours (i.e. TripCart) and focusing on an "Emerging" site called ImIn. We were surprised and amazed by the traffic growth of the somehow competitor of ours. How did these smart guys find the formula that we've been struggling to find?

It was not stressing for us, but rather challenging. It signaled us that we have to work even harder, and that's exactly what we did. For the past month, we've been putting more effort on driving traffic to our site through organic channels. We've been patiently waiting for Compete.Com to release their January data and when it did we've immediately compared our performance vs. the "Emerging Leader". See http://siteanalytics.compete.com/imin.com+tripcart.com/. Here's the a snapshot of their graph in a lower resolution:

I can tell you that in our case, the exact numbers are much higher, but the trend is quite the same. Unfortunately, the exact numbers of both sites is considered confidential. To summarize, I'm bound to rely on the public data at Compete.Com. It claims there, that our monthly growth on Jan was 38.3% and that we had a yearly growth of 680.8%. We can proudly say we're on the right track. let's wait and see what February brings...

Shopping Malls – a Traffic report that amazed our Web Analyst

Our Web analyst has released his monthly report last week covering the various page categories of our site, and the traffic channels in general that played a major role on our site's December traffic. In our Shopping Malls / Outlet Malls category, we’ve expected to see some spike of traffic around Christmas but we've never thought it could be that high. The amazing thing about it is the fact that the traffic for this category does not decay, and his January predictions are even slightly higher.

BTW, the bad news here (according to his study), is that visitors to these pages are more likely to leave our site – if you have any ideas on the causes for such behavior, please share them with us.

They asked me not to expose our actual numbers, but I couldn’t resist exposing the highlight shopping mall page among the few hundreds that we currently cover – it was viewed 845 times during the month of December. It’s the first on my following list that is ordered by TripCart’s popularity ranking report.

1. Smithhaven Mall - Lake Grove, New York
2. Willowbrook Mall - Wayne, New Jersey
3. Roosevelt Field Mall - Long Island, New York
4. Broward Mall - Plantation, Florida
5. Gravois Bluffs Plaza - Fenton, Missouri
6. Fayette Mall - Lexington, Kentucky
7. Colonial Bell Air Mall - Mobile, Alabama
8. Southridge Mall - Greendale, Wisconsin
9. Memorial City Mall - Houston, Texas
10. Sunrise Mall - Long Island, New York
11. Westfield South Shore Mall - Bayshore, New York
12. Ala Moana Center Mall - Honolulu, Hawaii
13. Lenox Square Mall - Atlanta, Georgia
14. Walt Whitman Mall - Huntington Station, New York
15. Clackamas Town Center Mall - Portland, Oregon
16. Tysons Corner Center Mall - Virginia
17. St. Louis Mills Outlet Mall - Hazelwood, Missouri
18. Citadel Mall - Charleston, South Carolina
19. Walden Galleria - Buffalo, New York
20. Deerbrook Mall - Humble, Texas
21. Sawgrass Mills Outlet Mall - Sunrise, Florida
22. Baybrook Mall - Friendswood, Texas
23. The Designer Outlet Gallery - Secaucus, New Jersey
24. Augusta Mall - Georgia
25. Pearlridge Shopping Center - Aiea, Hawaii
26. Montgomery Mall - North Wales, Pennsylvania
27. Palisades Center Mall - New York
28. Natick Mall - Massachusetts
29. Green Acres Mall - Valley Stream, New York
30. Regency Mall - Racine, Wisconsin
31. Broadway Mall - Hicksville, New York
32. Massaponax Factory Outlet Stores - Fredericksburg, Virginia
33. Prime Outlets Mall - Orlando, Florida
34. Lloyd Center Mall - Portland, Oregon
35. Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall - Illinois
36. The Galleria Mall - Houston, Texas
37. Staten Island Mall - New York
38. Ontario Mills Outlet Mall - California
39. Mayfair Mall - Wisconsin
40. Discover Mills Outlet Mall - Lawrenceville, Georgia
41. Lynnhaven Mall - Virginia Beach, Virginia
42. Dolphin Outlet Mall - Miami, Florida
43. Mall of Louisiana - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
44. Ridgedale Center Mall - Minnetonka, Minnesota
45. The Woodlands Mall - Houston, Texas
46. Cabazon Outlet Mall - California
47. Aventura Mall - Miami, Florida
48. Washington Square Mall - Portland, Oregon
49. Oxford Valley Mall - Langhorne, Pennsylvania
50. Glendale Galleria Mall - California
51. Katy Mills Outlet Mall - Texas
52. University Mall - Tampa, Florida
53. Jefferson Mall - Louisville, Kentucky
54. Freehold Raceway Mall - New Jersey
55. Southland Mall - Miami, Florida
56. Lakeline Mall - Cedar Park, Texas
57. Dulles Town Center Mall - Virginia
58. Alderwood Mall - Lynnwood, Washington
59. Tacoma Mall - Washington
60. Deptford Mall - New Jersey
61. The Florida Mall - Orlando, Florida
62. The Mall at Stonecrest - Lithonia, Georgia
63. Highland Mall - Austin, Texas
64. Franklin Mills Outlet Mall - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
65. Woodfield Mall - Schaumburg, Illinois
66. Mall of America - Bloomington, Minnesota
67. Burlington Center Mall - Massachusetts
68. The Tucson Mall - Arizona
69. Monmouth Mall - Eatontown, New Jersey
70. Ross Park Mall - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
71. Brea Mall - California
72. Dadeland Mall - Miami, Florida
73. Opry Mills Outlet Mall - Nashville, Tennessee
74. Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall - Arizona
75. Christiana Mall - Newark, Delaware
76. West Town Mall - Knoxville, Tennessee
77. Willowbrook Mall - Houston, Texas
78. Stanford Shopping Center Mall - Palo Alto, California
79. Fair Oaks Mall - Fairfax, Virginia
80. Del Amo Mall Fashion Center - Torrance, California
81. Perimeter Mall - Atlanta, Georgia
82. Mall at Millenia - Orlando, Florida
83. Fashion Valley Mall - San Diego, California
84. Cumberland Mall - Atlanta, Georgia
85. Stoneridge Mall - Pleasanton, California
86. Hamilton Place Mall - Chattanooga, Tennessee
87. Springfield Mall - Virginia
88. Mall of Georgia - Buford, Georgia
89. Fashion Island Mall - Newport Beach, California
90. Valley View Mall - Roanoke, Virginia
91. South Coast Plaza Mall - Costa Mesa, California
92. Park Place Mall - Tucson, Arizona
93. Bellevue Square Mall - Washington
94. Southland Mall - Hayward, California
95. Victoria Gardens Mall - California
96. Arundel Mills Mall - Hanover, Maryland
97. North Point Mall - Alpharetta, Georgia
98. Colorado Mills Outlet Mall - Lakewood, Colorado
99. Woodbury Common Premium Outlets Mall - New York
100. Solomon Pond Mall - Marlborough, Massachusetts
101. South Shore Plaza - Braintree, Massachusetts
102. The Avenues Mall - Jacksonville, Florida
103. Westfield Valley Fair Mall - Santa Clara, California
104. Arizona Mills Outlet Mall - Tempe, Arizona
105. King of Prussia Mall - Pennsylvania
106. Altamonte Mall - Altamonte Springs, Florida
107. Potomac Mills Outlet Mall - Prince William, Virginia
108. Providence Place Mall - Rhode Island
109. NorthTown Mall - Blaine, Minnesota
110. Park City Center Mall - Lancaster, Pennsylvania
111. Cherry Creek Mall - Denver, Colorado
112. WestGate Mall - Spartanburg, South Carolina
113. Northgate Mall - Seattle, Washington
114. The Citadel - Colorado Springs, Colorado
115. The Mall at Robinson - Pennsylvania
116. Oakbrook Mall - Oak Brook, Illinois
117. Zion Factory Stores, The Promenade at Red Cliff - St. George, Utah
118. International Plaza Mall - Tampa, Florida
119. Westfield Santa Anita Mall - Arcadia, California
120. Los Cerritos Center Mall - Cerritos, California
121. White Marsh Mall - Baltimore, Maryland

"Over The River": Christo and Jeanne-Claude in Colorado

Sometimes, we see things while covering them up. That’s what the legendary couple of artists, Christo and Jeanne- Claude, propose with their work over the decades: finding iconic urban places, such as the Reichstag in Berlin, or impressive natural landscapes, like Little Bay in Australia, and wrapping them up. So we can’t see them anymore. But we see them more than ever; we see things about them that we never saw before. Curiosity and art, and the act of revealing: the three things that keep the work of the two artists still alive.

Their new project "Over The River", is about covering up with fabric the Arkansas River, in the state of Colorado. The search for this river took them years: they started in 1992, walking through the Rocky Mountains, where most of the rivers in the United States are born, and after coming back every year, they selected the Arkansas River in 1996. After that, they have been working with their collaborators in life-size prototypes, in order to make this project come to life. The work will take them at least three years: they will begin installing anchors in 2010, for finally having it covered up with fabric for two weeks in 2012.

There is no such thing as small scale for Christo and Jeanne-Claude. We will be able to see this project from many points of view: from above by car, from behind by kayak, or walking. People will actually be part of this work, in this fusion between art and nature, two words that should be heard more often.

Highest Rated Ski Resorts by Google

Our management had decided that our site should include "good original content on the most important ski resorts in the States". In our meetings we tried to figure out what does it mean "The most important", and came to the understanding that for us (being a website) it means the one and only Google would be the judge.
It came to me, that in many ways Google is "The Lord" of the internet. It decides which site would flourish and which would be forgotten. It has a set of 10 commandments of what is considered "Positive White Karma" / "Kosher" ways to promote your site in terms of SEO and on the other hand the classification of "Black hat SEO magicians". It has its secret knowledge and many seekers and followers who perform various kinds of meditations and prayers in order to collect hints on that knowledge, and predict their future. And of course the gurus and priests...

Picture from Crystal Cove State Park

Absolute stunner of Catalina Island from Crystal Cove State Park in Orange County, CA.

(thanks Automania)

Picture of the Day (10/07/07) - From TripCart

Three jelly fish on the beach near Bay Head, New Jersey.

(thanks lakewentworth)

Picture of Sawyer Pond in New Hampshire

Sawyer Pond in New Hampshire with Mount Tremont in the background.

(thanks cruadinx)

Picture of a Comet over Washington State at dusk

Comet McNaught over the Olympic Mountains in Washington State at dusk.

(thanks again Dean Forbes)

Picture of a Swimming Pool in Delaware

Swimming in Delaware.

(thanks wiseacre photo)

Picture of Nighttime in Santa Barbara, California

Nighttime in Santa Barbara, California.

(thanks again BURИBLUE)

Picture of the Day (09/15/07) - From TripCart

From San Francisco, California.

(thanks again Thomas Hawk)

Related posts: Biking Like a Dork in San Francisco • Forests are Forever • Central California Coast is on the Map! • Picture of the Day (05/29/07) • Picture of the Day (04/27/07) • Eccentric America

Related travel guides: San Francisco Bay Area Scenery • San Francisco Bay Area Tourist Information • Tourist Attractions around San Francisco Bay Area • Fun Things to Do around the San Francisco Bay Area

Recommended Tourist Attractions in San Francisco: San Francisco's Golden Gate Park • Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf • Lombard Street • The Golden Gate Bridge • San Francisco's Chinatown

Picture of Sunrise in Marblehead, Massachusetts

Sunrise in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

(thanks snowriderguy)

Picture of NYC on September 11

(thanks larimdame)

Budget Airline Perks

The Onion made a funny with this Infographic about budget airlines around the US.  Click through for a higher resolution version.  We think Midwest Airlines definitely has the right idea.

Picture of the Day (09/09/07) - From TripCart

An umiak boat at the Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union in Seattle.

(thanks again Dean Forbes)

Best of the Best Amusement Parks and Rides

Last week the Golden Ticket awards were released announcing the "Best of the Best" for the year throughout the amusement industry.  The awards are now in their tenth year.  Below are some of the highlights from this year's contest-

• Best Amusement Park - Cedar Point, Ohio
• Best Waterpark - Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, Texas
• Best Children's Park - Legoland California, California
• Best Marine Life Park - SeaWorld Orlando, Florida
• Best Seaside Park - Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, California

• Best Wooden Coaster - The Voyage at Holiday World, Indiana
• Best Steel Coaster - Superman Ride of Steel - Six Flags New England, Massachusetts
• Best Kids' Area - King Island, Ohio
• Friendliest Staff - Holiday World, Indiana
• Cleanest Park - Holiday World, Indiana

Holiday World rocked it this year and Disney just managed to scrounge up a single award for best night show.

Picture of the Day (09/05/07) - From TripCart

On the streets of DC.

(thanks wageslaves)

Don't Take Flight 1659 From Newark To Chicago

American Airlines flight 1659 from Newark Liberty International to Chicago has the dubious distinction of being the most chronically delayed of all flights in the U.S.  You are pretty much guaranteed not to get to Chciago on time, in fact, it was at least 15 minutes late almost 85% of the time in the past year.  On the days it was late it was usually about an hour and a half late, about the same amount of time the trip takes.   It's not just American Airlines though, there are over 100 flights that are at least 15 minutes late 70% of the time.  The New York Times has a great interactive graphic showing the offending flights - basically, you should avoid Newark like the plague.

(thanks nyt)