Evelyn Kanter Eco Report » Family Travel

Five Best Travel Apps for Labor Day Weekend

Evelyn Kanter — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:03:32 +0000

There is a mind-boggling number of iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry applications on the market to download to help make your driving and travel experience more user friendly. So which ones are best?

Here are five of the best travel apps ones for Labor Day weekend family reunions, backyard barbecues and last of the summer escapes to the beach:

1. Weatherbug – This app combines the simplicity of Apple’s Weather app with a few extras for your phone. It’s the largest network of professional weather stations in the US and the only source for truly live, local weather wherever you are or want to go. That’s important anytime, but especially when there’s a hurricane like Earl messing up travel plans along the East Coast.

Related Article — Why you need travel insurance

2. BePut - This App lets you share your whereabouts with people you want to find you, like the cousin you are trying to hook up with in Disneyland, or the friend who might be waiting for you at the wrong airport baggage carousel or highway rest stop. With the touch of a button, you can send an email or text message to your cousin or buddy with your exact location, and the recipient gets a special, secure FindMe Key. Saves time and stress from all those “where are you now” texts and phone calls.

3. Trapster — Useful for anytime you are driving, Labor Day or not, this App tells you about police speed traps. It’s counter-intuitive, but Trapster is becoming a favorite tool of police. They want you to know where the speed traps are, so you slow down. Trapster actually encourages its 6.4 million downloaders to slow down and drive more safely. That makes it a true safe driving.

Fall Travel Deals to Caribbean Include Free Airfare to Bahamas

Evelyn Kanter — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:44:37 +0000

Aerial view of Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort, now offering free airfare

The peak summer travel season ends on Labor Day, and that’s when the fall travel bargain season begins. Here are three dynamite travel deals and discounts, including free airfare and kids stay free –

Bahamas – Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort

Jamaica – Royal Plantation Ocho Rios

Anguilla – Anacona Beach Resort

Where to Visit Around Rhinebeck Chelsea Clinton Wedding Site

Evelyn Kanter — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 15:17:03 +0000

Chelsea Clinton wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in historic Rhinebeck, NY (c) Getty Images photo

The former Astor estate in where the Chelsea Clinton wedding took place, is just one of the fabulous millionaire mansions in the Hudson Valley around Rhinebeck, which was founded in 1686 by Dutch settlers. Mansions and smaller estates built or owned by familes named Vanderbilt, Roosevelt, the artists who founded the Hudson River School of painting, and signers of the Declaration of Independence are nearby and open for touring.

So you didn’t get an invitation to this wedding of the year, maybe even the wedding of the decade. There are plenty of historic and romantic spots to visit around Rhinebeck , also with picture postcard views overlooking the Hudson River:

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Home, Library and Museum — FDR’s forbears moved to the Hyde Park area in the early 1800s, and he was born here and grew up in this house. FDR did his famous World War II ‘Fireside Chats’ from his study here. The late president and his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, are buried in the Rose Garden. There are lovely walkways and paths to enjoy, along with the 40,000 book library and family artifacts. Nearby is Val-Kill Cottage, the only National Historic site dedicated to a First Lady. Eleanor Roosevelt spent her last years here, when she was “First Lady of the World”, and where she hosted celebrities and politicians, including future president John F. Kennedy.

Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, near Rhinebeck site of Chelsea Clinton wedding, is one of many historic estates to visit in Hudson Valley

Vanderbilt Mansion Naitonal Historic Site – In the days before air conditioning, wealthy New Yorkers escaped to the Hudson Valley in summer for cooler temperatures. That’s what Frederick and Louise Vanderbilt did, rather than building in Newport, Rhode Island, where his Vanderbilt relatives went. This 54-room Beaux Arts beauty, dating from 1895, features Mrs. Vanderbilt’s gilt and gold bedroom that will make you think of Marie Antoinette’s boudoir in Versailles. Yes, it is that opulent. Over the top, actually. The Vanderbilt mansion is immediately next door to the FDR site, and if you plan well, you can visit both in one afternoon.

The FDR and Vanderbilt sites are a few miles south of Rhinebeck. Clermont and Olana are must-see historic sites a few miles to the north.

Visiting Rhinebeck, NY After the Chelsea Clinton Wedding

Evelyn Kanter — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:26:22 +0000

Visit Rhinebeck, NY historic mansions, restaurants and antique shops after the Chelsea Clinton wedding

It will take a while for Rhinebeck, New York, to return to normal, now that it’s been in the world spotlight for the wedding of Chelsea Clinton to Mark Mezvinsky. But Rhinebeck has been around since the 1600s, and it will survive, and will return to being a charming, tranquil place that welcomes visitors. Rhinebeck’s location less than two hours from New York City makes it a popular weekend getaway. There’s something for everybody, from history to food and wine, outdoor activities and, of course, shopping.

Before the Clintons, Rhinebeck’s most famous guest was George Washington, who visited Revolutionary War volunteer soldiers training on the field next to The Beekman Arms, the white clapboard building you saw behind so many TV reporters covering the Chelsea Clinton Wedding . The inn opened in 1766, and claims to be the oldest continuously operating inn in America.

Even if you don’t stay here overnight, it’s worth wandering around the lobby to check out the historic documents that decorate the walls. My own favorite is a page from an 1876 guest registration, when the room rate was two dollars a night. George Washington slept here. So did Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose home, in nearby Hyde Park, is, of course, the FDR Home, Library and Museum, operated by the National Park Service.

Another must-see in Rhinebeck is Wilderstein Preservation, one of the great Hudson Valley mansions that make this area a fascinating place to visit. Three generations of the Suckley family lived here for more than 100 years. Interiors were designed by Joseph Burr Tiffany, who included some stained glass windows made by his cousin, Louis Comfort Tiffany. The gardens were designed by Calvert Vaux, who also landscaped Central Park in New York City. The Suckley family was distant cousins of the Roosevelts.

Travel Bargains of the Week: Airfare and Getting to the Airport

Evelyn Kanter — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 10:10:46 +0000

The end of July is packed with travel bargains. In addition to airfare bargains, there are some discount deals to get you between the airport and home or downtown. Grab these great green travel deals before they disappear.

Delta Airlines has launched a global sale on both domestic and international flights. You have to book by [...]

Best Websites to Save Money on Your Car

Evelyn Kanter — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:23:34 +0000

Gas prices are down substantially from last year, and you can buy great new car for under $20,000, but owning and maintaining a vehicle is still expensive. These websites will help you save green — dollars, that is — with whatever you drive.

Repairs — Check Repairpal.com to find out what the job should cost. This website [...]

Best Green Hotels in USA: W San Francisco

Evelyn Kanter — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:54:04 +0000

The W San Francisco makes history by earning the first LEED certification for an existing building belonging to a major hotel chain, and only the seventh hotel in the United States to earn the LEED Silver rating. The W San Francisco is also certified by the state of California as a green business. This is all [...]

Travel Advisory: US Passport Fees Going Up

Evelyn Kanter — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:48:43 +0000

US Passport fees increase substantially on July 13, 2010

If you have been planning to get a U.S. Passport, or renew one, act fast. U.S. Passport fees increase dramatically on July 13, 2010. The cost of a new passport jumps from $100 to $135. Renewing your existing passport will rocket from $75 to $110, a 47 percent increase. Charges for a minor to age 16 increase from $85 to $105. Even the cost of a Passport Card, for land crossings into Canada and Mexico is going up from $45 to $55. These represent the third increase in the last five years.

And the feds are adding an entirely new passport fee, too. If you are a frequent traveler who needs to add additional pages to an existing passport, that will cost $82 after July 13, 2010. Right now it is free.

So, if you think you’ll need a passport in the next few years, if your existing passport is expiring in the new couple of years, or if you think you’ll run out of pages soon, the apply, renew or expand now, before the price goes up on July 13,2010. You can apply at many US Postal Service branches, by mail, or in person at a passport office.

Airline Travel Deals to Save Your Green

Evelyn Kanter — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:21:12 +0000

There are discounts galore from airlines and hotels. Act fast, since these travel bargains don’t last forever.

AirTran Airways has a getaway sale valid for travel on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. You have to book your flights by July 8, 2010, but you can travel through November 16, 2010. Sample fares are $114 each way between [...]

Five Best Pet Friendly Budget Hotels in USA

Evelyn Kanter — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:38:16 +0000

Dog ramp leads to 2010 Honda Element

Summer vacations with Fido, Fluffy and maybe the kids, too, can stress out the budget. There’s a growing list of pet friendly hotels, especially in the budget category that will help stretch your travel dollars. These five top pet-friendly hotel chains are from Petside, the pet-friendly website that [...]