I scour the travel feeds all week so you don’t have to!  And while I can’t possibly include all of the great blog posts from this week, I offer up this assortment of information and adventure to keep you entertained.  Grab a cup of coffee and settle in, and if you enjoy any of these posts, please let them know that you heard about it at Flyaway Cafe.
Consumer Traveler thinks that when it comes to tarmac delays that we want to have our cake and eat it, too.  See what you think.
West Seattle Blog gives us a peek at …read more

I had lots of time for travel reading this week, finding great destination suggestions, tips, and following current events in the industry.  There’s a lot of great topics and writing, and I invite you to visit these blogs and bloggers who caught my eye.  Leave them a comment, and tell them that Flyaway Cafe sent you!
iTravelnet writes about ActionAid Australia’s TOTO project.  They’re looking for an outreach blogger to write about poverty.  Deadline to apply is August 30th, so if you’re interested move quickly.
My Bella Vita explains how a simple geography question about how many continents there are can fuel …read more

There has been lots of travel reading this week, and much of has surrounded the Air France disaster.  It’s easy to get caught up in the negative and the fear of travel at times like this.  As someone who works in the industry, though, I think it’s just as important to remember the joy of travel, and the celebration of discovering new lands, new people, and new experiences.
Gadling – 10 passengers we love to hate, the baggage claim vulture.  It would be funny if it weren’t so true.
The Amsterdam Guide – Coffee shops and hash houses.  It’s what we …read more

About ten minutes east of downtown Denver are 23 acres of gardens and plants that will make you feel like your much further away from the concrete of the city.  The Denver Botanic Gardens (1005 York Street, Denver) contain 45 gardens and over 32,000 plants.  (I discovered the York Street gardens while on a shopping expedition; they are very near the Cherry Creek Mall.)
The gardens represent a wide range of gardening styles and plant collections, covering diverse parts of the world.  It’s an interesting blend or culture with flora and fauna.  And, because this is the mile high …read more

Kauai is the oldest of the main Hawaii Islands, and is the fourth largest of the islands, and is about a 100 miles from Oahu.
Often referred to as the “Garden Isle,” Kauai is one of the wettest spot in the world, with an annual rainfall of 460 inches. 
I’m most familiar with the town of Lihue, on the southeast coast of Kauai.   Most visitors, however, may be more familiar with Waimea, once the capital of the island, and the first place in Hawaii visited by Captain James Cook. 
While there’s still beaches and sand, the lushness of Kauai lends …read more

Head to Las Vegas with all the “cool kids” of blogging for the 2008 BlogWorld & New Media Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center on September 20th-21st.  An exclusive “Executive & Entrepreneur” conference will be held the day before on September 19th.
Now in its second year, the only industry-wide trade show, conference, and media event promotes blogging and new media with its seminars, panel discussions, keynotes, and exhibitor booths.  Not only that, it’s a heck of a lot of fun!
If you are already a blogger, vlogger, or podcaster, or maybe you just want to know more about them …read more

Q.  Do you eat local food when you travel, or do you try to stick with “safe” American food?
A.  I try to eat local whenever I can, and enjoy experimenting with the various cuisine where I am traveling.  While you won’t find dining on fried worms, or sauteed insects, I generally prefer to sample some of the local dishes.  Why eat American food, since I can get it  any time when I’m at home.
I try to use common sense, and refrain from unsanitary street vendors, but all in all I’ve had good experiences with small, out-of-the-way cafes.

I much prefer …read more

When we travel we often forget that things are not always as they are back “home.”  Here’s one difference that international visitors may find when they visit the United States:
Unlike many countries, the United States has no national sales tax that is comparable to the GST (goods and services tax) or the VAT (value added tax) that is found in many other countries.  Instead, each state, county and/or municipality sets their own tax rate.
This means that what you pay in tax in one location may be different from what you’d pay in another location.
Additionally, in some locations certain goods …read more

No, it’s not Venice.  It’s the Gondola ride at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Okay, it’s a little touristy, and it’s definitely NOT Venice, but it’s still a bit of romantic fun away from the flashing lights and noise of the casinos.  You need to take a break from the fast paced action some time, and this isn’t a bad choice.
The gondolas have been fashioned after authentic Venetian ones, each seating four, and operate rides both indoors and out.  If your party doesn’t fill the gondola, you’ll likely be paired up with others.
The indoor gondolas float their way …read more

Today’s matchbook of Bateaux Parisiens comes from Jon at Travel Photo Daily.  He said that he just came across it, but that is was at least five or more years old.  It brought back lots of great memories of my trip to Paris last fall, so a very big THANKS for the contribution.
Bateaux Parisiens is a cruise company that conducts sightseeing, lunch, and dinner cruises on the Seine, along with operating a river-boat shuttle called Batobus.
I opted for an evening sightseeing cruise, and for an hour we cruised the Seine while the hostess pointed out a number of attractions.  …read more