Category Archives: Travel Tips
101 of the WORST Places NOT To Travel To!
People these days have a “bucket list”. Everyone says, “There are a lot of things I need to do and see before I die.” Walk into any bookstore and see a shelf’s worth of guides listing things to accomplish—from 100 Things To See In Your Lifetime to 101 Things To Do Before You’re Old And Boring. I appreciate the idea behind Patricia Schultz’s 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List , the inspiration for this genre of books.
So I decided to create an antidote—a list of places and experiences that you don’t need to worry about missing out on. I called upon travel-loving friends, family and, in some cases, complete strangers, to tell me about overhyped tourist sites, boring museums, stupid historical attractions and circumstances that can make even worthwhile destinations miserable.
Some entries on the list are unquestionably unappealing, like a field strewn with decomposing bodies, or fan hours at the Las Vegas porn convention. Some depend on context—Pamplona’s a very different city from the perspective of a bull. Some are just good stories, albeit ones that are more fun to read about than to experience firsthand.
As I gathered suggestions, I came across a characteristic common among frequent travelers: a reluctance to define anything as bad. “I have a soft spot for underdog places and a perverse need to find even the worse stuff a source of delight and titillation,” wrote one friend about her inability to hate on Uzbekistan or, for that matter, Detroit. She’s right, of course—the worse something is in the moment, the better the story when you get home. So for those people who look at a warehouse full of rotting human sewage and see an interesting way to spend an afternoon, I also included some places that would be impossible to visit even if you were intent on finding the bright side in everything, like the Yucatan Peninsula 65 million years ago, or the bottom of the Kola Superdeep Borehole. It might seem pointless to say that you shouldn’t go to a place like Io, Jupiter’s least hospitable moon—but look at it this way: when someone publishes 1,001 Places In Space To See Before You Die, the pressure will be off.
No matter what type of traveler you are, I invite you to take a break from your other to-do lists and spend a moment being grateful for some of the things you’re not doing. Then, when you’re ready to hit the road, leave behind your list of 1,001 Places You Must Pee,* and give yourself a chance to come up with some experiences of your own.
Travel should be an adventure, not an assignment—and if you spend your vacations armed with too many checklists, you’re missing the point of leaving home.
101 Places Not to See Before You Die
PLAN AHEAD for Travel and Save
PLAN AHEAD!
BOOK EARLY!
How many times have you heard that?
Why do people wait to the last minute?
The holidays are here and hopefully you have your reservations!
Just last week, there was a chance I was leaving town on a business trip without much notice. I called 3 weeks out, and the airfare was $260. The company I was making plans to visit, did not confirm until 13 days out. When I checked the airfare again it had went up $340. Almost $100 increase, to be in that same plane, same flight, I had previously checked.
This is a screen shot from CNBC that showed the Airlines business and gave an example of what is called REVENUE MANAGEMENT and BUCKETS (same system applies for many hotels). Depending on the time, season and how in advance you book or purchase your ticket, the price can vary greatly.
For the same AA flight 2412 passengers seating in the same cabin with exactly the same service paid from $50 up to over $700. The same is true with hotels. The same room, on the same day can be from $50 – $500.
ALWAYS try to book at least 14 days out, to get the best price. It is rare, but it can happen, that airlines give deals in the those final 14 days. Some people say that in the final 7 days, you can find deals. Just don’t plan on it!
AIR TRAN has a sweet deal right now – special fares are available for purchase through November 9, 2010, and are good for travel from November 5, 2010, through February 9, 2011. Super off-peak sale fares are valid for travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Off-peak sale fares are valid for travel on Mondays and Thursdays and peak sale fares are valid for travel daily. Like all AirTran Airways fares, prices included in this sale are available for one-way travel and do not require a roundtrip purchase or an overnight stay. These sale fares require a 10-day advance purchase.
It’s usually cheaper to fly in and out on a Saturday. The most expensive days for travel are, of course, the busiest, which are Friday and Sunday. Days in the middle of the week (Monday though Thursday) are also cheaper, although Saturday remains the best day to travel. Juggle different days, if possible. For example, see if you can leave one day before or one day after you planned.
Hundreds of thousands of airfare-price changes flow into the system each and every day — just once on weekends, but up to three times a day on weekdays — at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. After the new fares are loaded into the system, it takes about two to four hours to show up on the search engines.
More tips and tricks to saving at MSNBC
Gay Travel and Gay Christmas Tips with John Waters
You wouldn’t expect
the legendary creator
of such subversive films as
“Pink Flamingos” and “Female Trouble”
to be a fan of Christmas!
(John Waters Collection #3:
Pink Flamingos/ Female Trouble )
Halloween, yes!
Christmas? Really?!
But of course, John Waters defies expectations.
“I really do love Christmas, without irony,” the 63-year-old filmmaker says, “But I understand that a lot of people hate it, so I’m trying to give advice to every single person as to how to survive Christmas.”
Waters has performed his one man spoken-word lecture entitled “This Filthy World ” to sold-out audiences around the world; (DVD John Waters: This Filthy World is avavilable, if you missed it).
In 2004, his cynical and hilarious CD “A John Waters Christmas“ was released, featuring an outlandish compilation of musical obscurities chosen by Waters himself, including songs by Tiny Tim, Fat Daddy and the Chipmunks!
With all of the traveling John does, who better to give some Travel Tips and Advice?!
He tells PASSPORT Magazine , “The worst possible thing in the world is to be trapped on an airplane without a book, and mine will put you in a good mood even if you’re delayed, your luggage is lost, or flight is canceled,” he shares. “And if anyone’s nosy and reads it over your shoulder you can open the chapter about outsider pornographers and then they won’t talk to you, which is also nice on an airplane.”
He also says, “I always have toiletries with me, and a hanger bag with something to wear in case my suitcase is lost, because I’m usually going to be on stage so I carry one outfit with me. [Also] books, there’s nothing worse than being stuck on an airplane without a book. I always have way too many books with me.
AND ABOVE ALL – Be early! Get the first plane in the morning—the pilots are always there, the plane is there, and there aren’t many thunderstorms at 6 A.M. The later you wait in the day, the bigger the chance of you getting screwed up.”
READ MORE from John Waters and Traveling at Passport .
The Best Gay Travel Guide
LGBTQ2 Transgender Travel Information and Tips
It was brought to my attention the other day that we never address the transgender community here on this Gay Travel site. So we wanted to include some resources and tips –
Transgender people have as much right to travel as anyone else and we have a right to express any gender we want, any way we want while traveling (with the exception of some head and face coverings). However, recent heightened airport security has meant increased scrutiny, harassment, and discrimination against trans people who fly. NCTE hopes this document will help make your air travel experience smoother. This document for transgendered travel is little dated, but provides some useful guidelines.
In 2009, 2009-The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rolled out a new phase of their Secure Flight program over the weekend. Passengers will now be required to provide their birth date and gender when they book an airline ticket as part of a move to help distinguish passengers from those on the government’s “watch list” (often called the “no-fly” list). NCTE issued a SECURE FLIGHT document with details and tips .
You should always submit the name, date of birth, and gender as it appears on the form of identification you intend to use at the airport. If you have different names on different documents, you should ensure that the document you intend to use at the airport reflects the name you listed when booking your flight.
International Travelers: The Immigration Equality blog has this excellent post about international travel for GLBT people, including information on HIV positive travelers. Of note: The government has LOTS of authority to go through your belongings when you travel. Be prepared.
TRANSEXUAL (TS) ROAD MAP is another good source for information.
Trans Travel is another source.
As we find more useful resources and interesting information, we will be happy to share them!
Being Smart With Your Phone Traveling Overseas
Last year we did an article about traveling with our iPhone . Common sense told me that international roaming rates would be outrageous – so I barely made any calls. Only 2. To my mother and my mother in law! Roughly $2.30 per minute. A 15 minute call was $35! Ouch! I should have sent postcards!
I guess I am naive…or stupid…I really didn’t think about roaming charges being applied to texts and that data usage could be an issue.
The iPhone, with all it’s delicious apps and bells and whistles – SUCKS DATA. Most domestic plans here in the US have unlimited data, so few users, like me, bother to track the amount I send and receive. Shame on me.
When you travel to overseas, AT & T offers a pricey a la carte menu which is almost impossible for the simple mind like mine, to decipher. I don’t know how many bytes of this and that I am going to need to read emails! How is that even calculated? I flunked Algebra!
And every country has different rates. I was told I should have gotten a $24.99 Global Add-On plan, which would have given me 20 megabytes of data at $1.25 per megabyte – instead of the nearly $20 PER MEGABYTE they charged me!
I discovered it’s best to SHUT OFF your DATA ROAMING, under Settings, General, and Network. And also , in your email settings, turn off the FETCH option, so you don’t automatically download new emails randomly, as they pour into your in box.
If you go somewhere that has FREE WI-FI – like some hotel lobbies, you can check your emails there, without the hefty AT&T international charges. Just make sure you can connect to WI-FI network. This way you can avoid many data charges. Be selective when and where you want to check emails.
Aside from keeping your phone off or at home, being prepared is the best way to prevent unnecessary charges, you may try using Skype or Google Voice to communicate overseas. Both services can be used for discounted or free rates, depending on the country. Google Voice charges anywhere from 2 cents a minute in China to 98 cents a minute in Cuba. Skype to Skype calls are free, and calling a landline or mobile can cost as little as 2 cents a minute.
CNN suggests a subscription to global wireless network Boingo, which offers more than 100,000 Wi-Fi hot spots all over the world for $7.95 per month.
AT & T has a few options for traveling abroad, depending on where you are going. Be aware most come with a discount for your calls but also a 3 month minimum. AT & T claims you have to pay for 3 months to make sure that can catch all of the calls. Yeah, right.
It’s also a good idea to reset your usage statistics when you travel, so you can track how close you are to your limits. This is under Settings, then General, then Usage.
Check with your carrier BEFORE you leave town!
Florida Giving Updates on Effects of BP Oil Spill
VISIT FLORIDA, the official tourism marketing organization for the state of Florida, announces the release of its latest television ad aimed at helping visitors make well-informed summer travel planning decisions in light of the BP Gulf oil spill situation.
The new ad, titled “More Than Enough,” recognizes that travelers have legitimate questions about current beach conditions in the Sunshine State and explains that, with more than 825 miles of beaches and 1,260 miles of Florida coastline, the Florida Live feature on VISITFLORIDA.com will allow them to see for themselves exactly what’s happening at destinations all across the state.
We focused our ‘Need to Know’ ad on the oil-impacted counties of Northwest Florida,” said Chris Thompson, VISIT FLORIDA President and CEO. “This new ads focuses on the rest of the state, which, although physically not impacted by oil, faces significant financial loss due to consumer skepticism coupled with misinformation.”
If you’re thinking about a Florida, stop by Visit Florida . Beside the cool cam shots, they issue updates – today it says, “ Dime to five inch-sized tar balls continue to be found in widely scattered areas of Northwest Florida. There have been no reports of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill-related oil products reaching the shore beyond the Northwest Florida region. There is no indication that the rest of the state will have impacts from weathered oil products within the next 72 hours. At this time, there continue to be no beach closures and the majority of Florida’s state waters remain open to recreational fishing.”
Travel Tips Anyone Can Use to Save Money
CBS Travel News Expert
Peter Greenberg recently shared
10 Money Saving Travel Tips.
Among those I found most interesting were –
Book by Phone – Not online. People think shopping online, they find the best deals. Not so. Peter says a travel agent still has access to more inventory and might know of things you would not discover on your own.
Know when to buy: Airlines often announce airfare sales on Friday night, so all the matching/cross-cutting happens over the weekend, Greenberg says. But this is actually the worst time to buy your tickets, because everybody else is looking then as well. Instead, he suggests, try booking after midnight on Monday night/Tuesday morning: “All the tickets that were booked but not purchased on Monday come flooding back into the airlines computer system at the discount fare.”
Argentina is still a fantastic deal (and very gay!) : The Argentine peso is still in decline. On a recent trip, Greenberg says, he picked up the tab for six people at a fancy Buenos Aires restaurant — ordering appetizers, side dishes, entres, dessert, and after-dinner drink. “Including tip, the bill came to $134 U.S.” — about $22 a person. WOW! I checked rates for AXEL Hotel Buenos Aires for next month, they are still running $100-$270 US – not a huge bargain, but still cheaper than New York City hotels.
He also claims the best time of year to travel – Travel right after Thanksgiving: The absolute best time to go anywhere — is the week after Thanksgiving. Why? Because most Americans are recovering from Thanksgiving holiday – no one really travels that 7-8 days after Thanksgiving.
Read the rest of his tips online at Money Watch .
Flying Coach is A Pain in My Back!
Flying coach
for 10 hours
to Europe, can be a real pain in the back – unless you are fortunate enough to fly first class. Hell, last week I flew coach 3 hours to Dallas and my pain started bothering me half way into the flight. Some of these planes have no arm or leg room, plus mishapen seats and seats with no padding.
Traveling in an airplane no longer has to be painful or uncomfortable. According to Esther Gokhale, creator of the renowned Gokhale Method for pain-free living and author of 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back: Natural Posture Solutions for Pain in the Back, Neck, Shoulder, Hip, Knee, and Foot (Remember When It Didn’t Hurt) , while all airplane seats has a curvature that forces the spine into an uncomfortable C-shape, there are steps one can take for a pain-free ride.
These simple tips protect the spine and reduce muscle tension during an airplane flight:
· Fill the C: The concave shape of airline seats puts pressure on the spinal discs and is the starting point for muscle tension. Fill the lower part of your seat with pillows, blankets, sweaters, or a Stretchsitcushion to create a flat plane along which you can lengthen your spine.
· Hiphinge Forward: You can avoid the C-shape altogether by hiphinging forward. Use your hands to support your head with your elbows resting on the open tray. You can adjust the placement and height of your hands to provide a gentle stretch in the neck.
· Support Your Head: One of the best ways to rest or sleep on a flight is to lengthen your spine and support your head against the seat in front of you. If you are lucky enough to be in a window seat, you can find even more support in the corner between the seat in front of you and the wall of the airplane. Be sure to use a Stretchsit cushion, blanket, pillow or sweater to cushion your head.
*Esther Gokhale , pain specialist and author , and creator of the popular Gokhale Method, which takes an anthropological approach to pain free living by getting to the root cause of the pain, which involves how we sit, sleep and walk. Without anti-inflammatory medication, muscle relaxants, physical therapy or surgery, the Gokhale Method can relieve back pain and other forms of pain immediately – and for life.
LGBT Travel – What’s Hot? and What’s Not? in Gay and Lesbian Tourism
Top Ten Findings
from CMI’s 14th Annual
Gay & Lesbian Tourism Survey
For the past 14 years, Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI) has been conducting its Annual Gay & Lesbian Tourism Study, the most comprehensive and longest-running such survey in the LGBT marketplace.
Many of the questions are asked in consistent ways to a similar study panel, in order to identify LGBT travel trends and changes over time. The following “top ten” list presents findings that the CMI research team views as important changes or observations from the past year. For those new to CMI’s research, all the questions provide important insight into the travel motivations, preferences and interests of gay men and lesbians.
1) Gay Men and Lesbian Booking Patterns
Gays and lesbians are primarily booking their travel directly via airline and hotel websites (56%) or through online travel agencies such as Travelocity or Orbitz (34%). Direct booking is significantly more important than web-based travel services, so for travel suppliers, developing relationships with the gay and lesbian community to encourage direct booking through your own website is extremely important.
2) For the First Time in 15 years of sampling — A Decrease in LGBT Travel
For the first time since our first study in 1994, CMI has seen a decrease in LGBT travel due to the deep and wide-reaching recession. In the 2009 survey, nearly all travel categories saw some loss (except for regional travel). Business travel and cruise travel were the hardest-hit categories. That said, far more LGBT travelers took cruises in the past year than their mainstream counterparts (as in previous years), indicating that LGBT travelers are a viable cruise market even in down economies.
3) Recession-Influenced Travel Decreases Affecting Small and Medium-Sized Markets Worse than Big Markets
Every major city in North America except for Washington DC (perhaps an Obama effect) saw a decrease in gay and lesbian travel over the past 12 months. That decrease affected cities very differently. Major markets, including New York City, San Francisco and Las Vegas saw only small leisure travel decreases, usually less than 5%, while medium sized cities, destinations that are geographically isolated, and some resort towns saw more significant decreases over 10%, and for some, over 20%.
4) Staycations
Staycations were the only travel category to see an increase in 2009. When asked to specify how many regional drive vacations (i.e. including at least one night in a hotel) were taken, 66% indicated taking a longer regional drive vacation of more than two hours; 42% took a regional drive vacation where the drive was two hours or less; 14% took a trip where they stayed in a hotel in their own city. This trend should benefit some metropolitan markets. Cities such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC, which are all close to each other, will probably “trade” stays among LGBT residents.
5) How to Reach the LGBT Community
CMI has been tracking advertising trends for LGBT travel marketing for over a decade. In general, the survey shows substantive increases in the influence of traveler reviews on travel websites and blogs, a softening of the influence of banner ads on mainstream and LGBT websites, and a remarkable resilience of the influence of travel articles in LGBT and mainstream print publications.
6) Interest in Health and Fitness While Traveling is Down
CMI has seen a trend over the past few years showing that health and fitness while traveling are becoming less important to the LGBT community. In this survey, when given a long list of potential motivators, health and fitness-related responses were near the bottom of the motivators, and often last on the lists. From hotel gyms to health and fitness vacations, they all scored poorly. This is not to say that health and fitness are not important in the day-to-day lives of gay men and lesbians, but bringing these healthy habits with them on leisure or business travel has shown less importance over time. It could also indicate that with tightening budgets, LGBT travelers prefer to spend more time enjoying the sights and experiences of the destination, rather than spend limited time in a gym.
7) Pride Events are Important
Unaffected by recessionary influences, nearly a quarter of the respondents reported traveling to another city and spending at least one night in a hotel to attend a Pride event; same as previous years. Nationally, Pride events continue to move millions of hotel nights in the Unites States, and Pride remains an important motivator for LGBT travelers under 35.
8) Strength of Local Neighborhoods
Further confirming other recent research conducted by CMI, gays and lesbians tend to be especially interested in visiting city neighborhoods and experiencing local, non-chain restaurants. In fact, going to neighborhood restaurants and visiting the gay neighborhood were the top activities enjoyed by gays and lesbians when visiting a destination.
9) Top Travel Brands
As an unaided question, survey participants were asked to fill in a blank for in the destination, hotel brand, and airline that they felt had done the best job in outreaching to the LGBT community.
Of the total sample, 3,800 responded to the destination question. The top destinations indicated were: Las Vegas: 11%, San Francisco: 10%, Fort Lauderdale: 7%, Philadelphia: 6%, Provincetown: 5%, and London: 5%.
Of the total sample, 2,800 responded to the hotel question. The top hotel brands indicated were: W Hotels: 11%, Kimpton Hotels: 11%, Hilton: 9%, Hyatt: 8%, and Marriott: 7%.
Of the total sample, 3,287 responded to the airline question. The top airlines indicated were: American Airlines: 38%, Southwest: 15%, Delta: 11% and Virgin: 3%.
10) Top Destinations
CMI’s list of top destinations remains amazingly consistent from year to year (based on the question of where did you travel in the past 12 months, and spend at least one night in a hotel). The following lists are reflective of the 4,726 American LGBT survey takers, who traveled to the city in the past 12 months and spent at least one night in a hotel:
Top US Destinations for American LGBT Travelers, with percentage who visited and spent a nigt in a hotel (as Combined Leisure & Business Travel Ranking)
1) New York City: 32%
2) San Francisco: 27%
3) Las Vegas: 26%
4) Chicago: 25%
5) Los Angeles / West Hollywood: 24%
6) Washington, DC: 23%
7) Fort Lauderdale: 17%
8) San Diego: 15%
9) Orlando: 14%
9) Seattle: 14%
11) Boston: 13%
Community Marketing, Inc., the world’s #1 resource
for gay and lesbian market research, strategic consulting, and dedicated marketing and communications services.
New Gay Travel Guide and Best Gay Cities
Timeshare Relief Helps Timeshare Owners Get Out of Timeshare
The economy has affected everyone in the last few years, and timeshare owners are no exception. To buy a timeshare was once a novel concept – it was an exclusive form of vacation ownership.
But with a glut of resorts, soaring maintenance fees, no timeshare resale market, a hard to sell timeshare, the idea of fractional ownership was no longer appealing. A timeshare’s value is tied to travel habits and location. And, when owners’ circumstances change, they can sour on their properties and look to resell.
Timeshare Relief, Inc.™ was started in January 2004 by two former timeshare owners: Cindy Martin MacMillan and David MacMillan.
Cindy and David bought their timeshare in 1999 and quickly found out that a timeshare contract stopped making sense! They tried using their timeshare by following the rules and making an effort to make their reservations in advance, however with their busy schedules and four children, it proved to be difficult to find a week where they wanted to go, when they wanted to go.
Also, the maintenance fees were unexpectedly increasing, and that was something they did not anticipate. Their troubles were compounded when they tried to sell their timeshare through a well-known “listing company” but received no offers or buyers, despite paying a hefty advertising fee twice. They couldn’t get rid of their timeshare.
After speaking with other timeshare owners, Cindy and David realized that their experiences were all too common. That is why Timeshare Relief, Inc.™ was started: To provide RELIEF to dissatisfied timeshare owners. Not only do their clients NEVER receive another timeshare assessment or timeshare maintenance fee billing, they are also provided with a financial solution that saves them money. This Guaranteed Timeshare Relief Solution© will completely and permanently terminate their client’s entire ownership of their timeshare(s), and terminate all future financial responsibilities regarding their timeshare(s). Title transfers are handled by professionally licensed, bonded, and insured title agencies.
It’s hardly paradise for people selling their timeshares as complaints about resale companies are increasing. If you have tried tosell your timeshare through a listing company with no luck, your Timeshare Relief, Inc.™ Team is ready to help you. Your timeshare must be paid in full and your current Maintenance Fees and Special Assessments up to date. Timeshare Relief DOES NOT charge a Listing Fee, Advertising Fee or Appraisal Fee promising to transfer the property once a “phantom” buyer is secured. The transfers are handled by the undisputed industry leader in freeing families of the obligation of their Timeshare contracts.
TRUST – Timeshare Relief has gotten the stamp of approval from many organizations including The Los Angeles Business Journal, D&B, American Resort Development Association and the Better Business Bureau. Plus, hundreds of happy clients !
“We are so grateful to have the opportunity to introduce ourselves and our company Timeshare Relief, Inc.™
We started our company in January 2004 after our personal experience was not the slice of paradise we thought it would be. Our story began in 1999 when we took our four kids on a family vacation to Las Vegas. We were promised gifts if we attended a 90-minute presentation. Despite our mutual agreement not to buy “anything,” we walked away from the tour as owners of a $17,000 timeshare. Our family tried using the timeshare many times, but with a list of rules and restrictions, it proved to be impossible to schedule a reservation.
The maintenance fees kept increasing and our frustration was mounting. We tried to sell the timeshare, and even tried giving it away and many other unsuccessful attempts to get rid of it with no results. We started researching and realized that many families were having the same experience. We opened up our doors to Timeshare Relief, Inc.™ in 2004 and now have helped over 38,000 timeshare owners providing guaranteed financial relief and peace of mind. We invite you to call us at 800-588-1582 to discover about our Guaranteed Timeshare Relief Solution ©.
Best Wishes,
David and Cindy MacMillan
New Gay Travel Guide
Gay Travel and Deep-Vein Thrombosis DVT Awareness Month
March
is Deep-Vein Thrombosis Awareness Month, which is a concern for many travelers and, as you may remember, the condition that took the life of NBC-TV correspondent, David Bloom, life while he was covering the war in Iraq.
This year, the Coalition to Prevent DVT has created an educational program focusing on preventative care through simple movements that can be done anywhere and anytime mobility is restricted. As part of DVT Awareness In Motion, David Bloom’s widow, Melanie Bloom, has partnering with Mary Ann Wilson, R.N., founder and host of the PBS broadcast, “Sit and Be Fit,” on an educational video that features movements that may help reduce the risk of DVT by encouraging blood circulation. The program goes beyond building traditional awareness of the signs and symptoms of DVT by emphasizing the importance of preventative care in during long distance travel.
There are few public health problems as serious as DVT and its related complication, pulmonary embolism (PE), yet these conditions receive little attention. In fact:
Up to 2 million Americans are affected by DVT each year, and approximately 300,000 Americans die each year from PE.
Complications from DVT claim the lives of more Americans than breast cancer and AIDS combined.
DVT-related PE is the leading cause of preventable hospital death in U.S. hospitals, but the risk of DVT can be reduced if healthcare professionals and consumers recognize risk factors, warning signs and symptoms so that appropriate preventative measures can be taken.
At the DVT Website, check out the Awareness in Motion link and you can view some exercises and see some of the video.
New Gay Travel Guide
Is Your Carry-On Bag Safe While You Are Sleeping?! No, Just Ask Cybill Shepherd’s Son Cyrus
CAN YOU IMAGINE?! That takes some big balls. You close your eyes for a little nap and some crack head is going through your stuff!
Cyrus Shepherd-Oppenheim, a University of Pennsylvania student, took a Canon digital camera, leather make-up case and cash from the bags of people aboard a United Airlines flight from San Francisco, according to police.
He was taken into custody after the flight landed at Philadelphia International Airport.
Police say witnesses identified Shepherd-Oppenheim, who is known as Zach – short for his middle name Zacariah – as the person who took their belongings during the six-hour flight.
He will have a court appearance next month, for the charges.
As for Cybill, she recently attended Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center’s “An Evening With Women” in support of gay and lesbian marriage rights. In California’s last election, it is said that Proposition 8 was passed which resulted in gay and lesbian rights to be nullified.
Her passion is to keep fighting for their rights which she believed to have derived from Martin Luther King’s assassination.
She has actually been very busy lately. She appeared on several episodes of EASTWICK, and has 5 movies coming out!
Gosh, mugshots are never pretty….
I HateTaxis.com An International Travelers’ Transportation Guide
Several pages of scribbled notes were drawn up on the idea to an ongoing problem and possible solution that travelers (namely themselves) faced in their various global travel pursuits – GROUND TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS.
Sure one can book their plane ticket, hotel room, car rental, and even attractions online but something very important was amiss in the new age of travel e-convenience. Simply put, how does one get from the airport to their desired destination and where does one find all of these ground transportation options in a centralized website location?
Like most travelers out there, both brothers have individually and collectively experienced the shark tank feeding frenzy of extortion at various airports as soon as one clears customs with your luggage. Looking dumbfounded, not knowing the going rates of services, and being hassled after a long flight most often leaves you in a state of complete vulnerability.
The common resultant outcome is that you end up paying a ridiculous amount of money to get to your hotel and sometimes this unfortunately shapes your first impression of the city or country you are in. The name of this website is thus a half jocular expression of this frustration.
The website concept then expanded to include information about country profiles (including cultural tips), medical information, electrical information, visas, lost luggage, currency conversion and the list keeps expanding. This was done to avoid surfing several different other websites for this information or shelling out a small fortune for a country guide book every time you step on a plane. Guide books can also become out of date relatively quickly.
“Our primary goal is to provide a FREE centralized & constantly updated global ground transportation repository so that travelers like ourselves are empowered upon arrival. We do make recommendations based on our research and if you do not agree with our thoughts please let us know why. If several individuals are not happy with a particular airport shuttle service in Miami, for example, then we will seriously look at revising our recommendation. “
Check it out I HATE TAXIS!
The Best Gay Travel Guide
A Traveler’s Guide To Online Gay Dating
Gay dating online and traveling both let you explore what you want, when you want. And, should you find someone or somewhere interesting, you can stay for as long as you want in order to enjoy getting all you can out of the experience.
Travelers speak their own language, and the gay men and lesbian women you find on gay dating sites online do too. If you’re thinking of signing up to an online gay dating site like www.pridedating.com let other singles know you’re an experienced traveler.
Finding the right gay or lesbian match by using your common experiences and leisure pursuits will make for a stronger bond between the two of you. Searching for a special homosexual partner means you’ve got to do a lot of roaming through personals though.
However; when you find a gay or lesbian partner who can relate to your interests and experiences, you’ll be well on your way to sharing a familiar and intimate relationship. Don’t give up, keep searching those personals and find your match today!
About the only dissimilarity between traveling and gay dating online would be that to find a match, you don’t have to leave your home. But, just like traveling, gay dating online is full of all the adventure and fun you’ve been searching for!
Great iPhone Travel Apps for Any Traveler
A while back we discussed some neat
iPhone apps for the gay traveler.
But there are hundreds of useful apps for just about ALL travelers.
Here are some more of my favorites…
Traveling by car maybe this holiday season? You might want Trapster. Get alerts you as you approach police speed traps! What a concept.
Since you are driving by car you may also want CHEAP GAS. Find the cheapest gasoline nearest to where you are, then map a route to where the cheap gas is.
Maybe you are flying – and woke up late! That’s a nightmare to be in! NEXT FLIGHT ($2.99) Next Flight tracks scheduled departures from more than 4,200 airports.
Traveling International? How many pounds = $100? Get CURRENCY. provides up-to-date exchange rate information for over 90 currencies and 100 countries! Great for traveling when you need to get the latest exchange rates.
HEAR PLANET delivers location information that really speaks to you. It’s like having a professional tour guide always by your side. Leave those bulky tour books behind and let HearPlanet show you the way.
Sit or Squat! Now this can be very useful! Especially if you’re out shopping and that fresh fish you had for lunch wasn’t so fresh! Find a toilet anywhere in the world.
Start searching for a public toilet. Just enter an address, zipcode, city, or interesection in the search bar and you’ll be on your way to finding your next pit stop!
PLUS it tells you whether or not that place is worth even sitting or squatting (or standing) at.
UrbanSpoon is the gold standard in the U.S., London, Melbourne, and Sydney: Shake your phone, watch the dials spin like an old-school slot machine, and up comes the best guide to local restaurants yet.
Where shows you what’s around you, from Starbucks to movie theaters and show times. Everything from local weather, news, entertainment, restaurant reviews, gas prices, and Yellow Pages listings near your current location. Using GPS and cell-tower triangulation, WHERE can determine your position and displays all relevant information for that area.
There is a popular saying in Florida…lyrics from an Alan Jackson song….It’s 5:00 somewhere..it’s time for a drink! With Happy Houred find out where the booze is at! Available for about a dozen big cities right now, you have access to every happy hour in their national database. And, to make sure all of the happy hours we offer are as up to date as possible, we let you tell us where to find the cheapest beers, tastiest half priced burgers, and craziest shot specials in your city.
Everytime I go to New York City, I am overwhelmed by their subway system and scared I am going to end up in Hoboken! KICK MAP was designed to get more people to ride New York City’s subway system. Created with clarity and ease of use, it allows riders to navigate this vast system easily and without uncertainty. The subway map is the key to understanding this most complex subway in the world, which has 26 separate lines and 468 stations.
Know of a must-have app we missed? Tell us about it!
New Gay Travel Guide
What Color is Your Brain? Travel Smarter, Stress Less, Pack Better, Enjoy More!
Are your traveling companions soap opera divas or members of The Joint Chiefs of Staff?
Is preparing for your vacation like baking an old family recipe or reading directions for a computer program?
You will wonder no longer, when our guest blogger, Sheila Glazov, offers you tips, from her latest book, What Color Is Your Brain: A Fun and Fascinating Approach to Understanding Yourself and Others.
Sheila’s book and personality profile simplifies the complex nature of your character traits and talents, and explains why your perspectives differ from the viewpoints of others.
Understanding the people you are related to or must relate to when you travel, will be a “No Brainer.”
Glazov’s theory is: Everyone is a blend of the four “Brain Colors.”
Her research shows that, of the American adult population:
· 35 to 40% are “Yellow Brain” Responsible Planners
· 35 to 40% are “Blue Brain” Flexible Helpers
· 10 to 15% are “Green Brain” Logical Problem solvers
· 10 to 15% are “Orange Brain” Fun-Loving Risk-Takers
Yellow Brainers: Save their money for a well-planned vacation. They prepare their clothing, organize their equipment and pack their suitcases in advance for their excursion. They value all-inclusive destinations or tours that have structured and scheduled activities.
Blue Brainers: Consider the people, not the price tag of trip. They enjoy helping everyone gather their belongings for a family vacation. They love picturesque destinations, with a homey atmosphere, where they can later capture their memories in a scrapbook.
Green Brainers: Develop a precise travel budget. They utilize an “only the essentials” packing system. Their preference is traveling alone or with a small group on historical or educational tours. They reserve accommodations that offer privacy and technology.
Orange Brainers: Splurge on and during their vacations. They pack at the last minute for their spur of the moment getaways that offer adventure and a variety of activities. Their accommodations do not have to be fancy, but must provide entertainment and fun.
Additional information:
· To learn more about Sheila, her workshops, books and blog SHEILA GLAZOV.
· Sheila Glazov is an award winning and internationally recognized author, personality type expert, professional speaker and educator.
· 10% of the royalties from the sale of Sheila’s books is allocated to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).
The iPhone and Gay Travel and What NOT To Do!
I just got an iPhone about a year ago and have never traveled out of the country with it, till last month, when I went to London, Prague and France.
I am thinking, this will be cool, to try all these great apps for gay travel, text some friends back home and send them some photos, and check my email from my phone, instead of waiting to use the one PC in the hotel lobby! How cool!
NOT!
Common sense told me that international roaming rates would be outrageous – so I barely made any calls. Only 2. To my mother and my mother in law! Roughly $2.30 per minute. A 15 minute call was $35! Ouch! I should have sent postcards!
I guess I am naive…or stupid…I really didn’t think about roaming charges being applied to texts and that data usage could be an issue.
The iPhone, with all it’s delicious apps and bells and whistles – SUCKS DATA. Most domestic plans here in the US have unlimited data, so few users, like me, bother to track the amount I send and receive. Shame on me.
When you travel to a foreign country, AT & T offers a pricey a la carte menu which is almost impossible for the simple mind like mine, to decipher. I don’t know how many bytes of this and that I am going to need to read emails! How is that even calculated? I flunked Algebra!
And every country has different rates. I was told I should have gotten a $24.99 Global Add-On plan, which would have given me 20 megabytes of data at $1.25 per megabyte – instead of the nearly $20 PER MEGABYTE they charged me!
So, fast forward, I get home to a bill for $600. My bill is normally $100.
I found out, the hard way, there are some steps you can take to maintain some of the luxuries of the iPhone without getting slapped with a HUGE bill.
I discovered it’s best to SHUT OFF your DATA ROAMING, under Settings, General, and Network. And also , in your email settings, turn off the FETCH option, so you don’t automatically download new emails randomly, as they pour into your in box.
If you go somewhere that has FREE WI-FI – like some hotel lobbies, you can check your emails there, without the hefty AT&T international charges. Just make sure you can connect to WI-FI network. This way you can avoid many data charges. Be selective when and where you want to check emails.
AT & T has a few options for traveling abroad, depending on where you are going. Be aware most come with a discount for your calls but also a 3 month minimum. AT & T claims you have to pay for 3 months to make sure that can catch all of the calls. Yeah, right.
It’s also a good idea to reset your usage statistics when you travel, so you can track how close you are to your limits. This is under Settings, then General, then Usage.
AT & T is changing the game all the time. Check with them BEFORE you leave town!
NEW GAY TRAVEL GUIDE
Gay Couple From Toronto Detained in DUBAI For a Month!
Rocky Sharma and Stephen Macleod, who have been together for 10 years, were stopped upon arrival in Dubai on Aug 2, where they planned to spend the day before returning to Toronto from a vacation in India.
Macleod had a bottle of the prescription arthritis medication Celebrex in his suitcase. They were told Celebrex is a controlled substance in UAE and, even though they did not present themselves to border officials as a couple, both partners were detained.
“I think they thought we were gay and we would have some party drugs with us,” says Sharma, who is now safely back at home with his partner. “They were definitely targeting people who are young, from the western world and nicely dressed, like they are going to party.”
The UAE has very tough drug laws. Even over-the-counter medications that include traces of codeine are restricted. Possession can result in lengthy jail sentences, heavy fines or the death penalty, according to an advisory issued by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT).
They were not given an opportunity to contact a lawyer or consular officials but Sharma managed to contact friends at home on his Blackberry, which he had on him at the time of his arrest. Those friends gave him the emergency contact number of the Canadian embassy in Abu Dhabi, which Sharma called before his Blackberry was confiscated. Sharma’s family also contacted DFAIT in Canada but their efforts were stymied by the long weekend.
“When I sent the message, we were thinking we were going back home,” says Sharma. “That’s when I took it out of my bag and sent the SOS message. They were taking us toward the airport, but I’m glad I sent it because they were taking us to the detention centre. We were very lucky about that.”
Sharma and Macleod were forced by their captors to submit urine samples for drug testing. Sharma says they were told they were being held pending the results of the urine tests. They were kept in a filthy prison cell with eight other prisoners for 10 days before they were sent to separate prisons.
“If you get a blanket and a pillow you’re very lucky,” he says. “For the first few days we slept on the floor. The bathroom conditions were just a hole in the ground for 200 people. Food was just rice with some kind of sauce on it three times a day.”
For the next 18 days, Sharma and Macleod could only communicate with each other via the case worker provided by the Canadian consulate.
“That was one of the worst parts, because I had no idea how he was doing, he had no idea how I was doing,” says Sharma. “We were told by the embassy not to even hint that we were a couple, to act like we were only friends, and that’s what we did.”
Homosexuality is punishable by death in UAE.
Even when the couple was formally declared innocent by the Dubai prosecution on Aug 18, they were kept another 11 days while their paperwork was processed.
DFAIT currently advises travellers to the UAE to “exercise high degree of caution” but does not issue an official warning against travel. Anyone carrying personal medication is advised to consult the UAE Ministry of Health Drug Control Department before travelling to confirm that the medication is allowed in the country.
Sharma says he and his partner will never return to the Emirates after their experience.
Montreal Offers Gay Tour Guides – Plus, BBCM Hot & Dry Party May 14th
Love it or leave it, “the circuit” has become a mainstream global phenomenon, and Montréal is a much-loved destination on the tour.
May 14-18 brings the beloved annual Hot & Dry party. The event is hosted by the Bad Boys Club de Montréal (BBCM), a volunteer-based non-profit gay organization that gives financial support to groups providing direct care to people living with HIV/AIDS, and to gay & lesbian community groups. To date the BBCM has given out $1,250,000. Hot & Dry is the second-biggest event on the BBCM calendar after the infamous Black & Blue (October 7-13, 2009).
This year’s theme is “Fresh!”, which celebrates the arrival of summer. And after the winters that we get, nobody appreciates the changing of seasons more than a Montréaler.
This year’s talent includes DJ Maüs aka Louise Gauvreau (Montréal), the world renowned DJ/producer Chris Cox (Los Angeles), and DJ Scotty Thompson (New York).
Tickets for the main event are $35.
For details on Hot & Dry and the other events held throughout the weekend visit BBCM.
WHEN IT COMES TO TRAVEL –
What better advice than from a local?!
Tourisme Montreal just launched their new “Insider” program, with a Montréaler who will show visitors what’s hot and happening in the city’s gay life. Finding gay-specific information about a particular destination isn’t always easy, but Daniel Baylis, of course, always has the inside scoop to gay Montreal.
Many cities offer similar types of programs for tourists – but this is the FIRST I have heard of, specifically geared towards LGBT travelers!
Over the years, the city has seen the forging of a special spirit of openness and acceptance between the general public and the city’s gay community.
Montréal is one of the oldest cities in the New World, as well as one the most cosmopolitan. Visitors often describe it as having the best of North American modernity and friendliness as well as the architectural beauty and sophistication of Europe.
The largest French-speaking city in the world after Paris, and Canada’s second-biggest metropolis, the vast majority of its citizens speak both English and French, and often other languages. Montréal’s 3.6 million inhabitants live around the base of a mountain forest in cozy neighbourhoods, rich with artists and famous for winding, outdoor staircases.
Daniel is one of five Montréal “Insiders” who show visitors what’s hot and happening throughout the city in the world of arts and culture, epicurean life, gay life, nightlife and girls’ getaways. Recruitment of the five “Insiders” began early in 2009 and the selection criterion was rigorous and focused on integrity. Each had to be a Montréaler and possess a thorough knowledge of the destination, specifically in their area of insider expertise. Social media savvy was also a must, balanced by an embracing of Web 2.0 values including: transparency, humility, honesty, authenticity, innovation, listening and credibility. They are top-notch communicators, real and representative of the city’s underlying multicultural fabric.
Visit Daniel’s blog Follow Daniel on Twitter Be Daniels Friend on FaceBook
Visit Tourisme Montreal !
The Best Gay Cities and the New Gay Travel Guides
Flight Tracking Service – Arrived OK
Travelling by air is full of uncertainties, from delays to cancellations to lost bags. Savvy travellers can already use Delaycast to assess their chances of having to wait longer than they’d planned, and now another brand-new service helps them notify the people who matter to them once they finally land safely on the ground.
ArrivedOK, a new service from Texas-based Eyeline Communications, lets air travellers automatically alert others that they’ve arrived at their destination.
You know the scene…the plane lands…and what happens? Everyone grabs a cell phone to call or send an arrival message to somebody — mother or father, wife or husband, girlfriend or boyfriend, colleague or boss, or maybe even a trick!
“ArrivedOK performs your Personal Arrival Tracking rather then just flight tracking. We track your cell phone in the visiting mobile network when you switch it on upon your arrival. Then we send ‘Arrived OK’ SMS message to the list of your recipients.”
Not only you can keep your friends and family up to date about your traveling around the globe, with ArrivedOK you can save your money on international roaming charges.
Try it out for free! ARRIVED OK
New Gay Travel Guide and Best Gay Cities
