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“Accidental” Flight on United a Pleasant Surprise

Feb 23rd, 2010
by WanderingJustin.
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If you’re flying out of Phoenix, your two biggest airline choices are Southwest Airlines or US Airways.
You know Southwest: It’s a perky, courteous brand with few frills – but not a lot of hidden costs. US Airways gets unfairly demonized. I’ve flown it many times, and had only one hiccup over the years. It’s not great, but it’s not the flying snake pit it’s made out to be.
Still, I didn’t want to fly either for a recent trip to Denver for skiing. Why?

Air Miles – I’m starting to collect a good number on my Continental OnePass account. That’s also the one that has the most potential value for international flights.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s Terminal Four – T4 is the lunatic asylum from which Southwest and US Airways fly. Parking is awful, which drives us over to East Long-Term Parking, which requires a bus ride. It’s laid out awkwardly, and security lines are frequently a mixed martial arts cage fight.

Continental, on the other hand, flies out of the sedate, compact Terminal 2. Is it old and outdated? Yes to the former, no to the latter. Unless you think it’s not cool to be able to walk from long-term parking to check-in within moments.
My wife booked the flights through Continental.com (CO 6498, an Airbus A319, and CO6491, an A320), and soon discovered a surprise: The flight was a code share, and we’d actually fly on United Airlines (one of Continental’s partners in the Star Alliance, along with Air New Zealand!). I [...]

Active Volcano Tops My Destination of the Year List

Jan 28th, 2010
by WanderingJustin.
5 comments

In the middle of a never-ending, steep, dismal scree slope, I paused to catch my breath. Just a few hundred feet more, I thought. That wouldn’t get me to the top. That would just get me to a collection of rocks where I hoped I could actually get some footing. I was burning tons of energy as my heart hammered and my legs burned. All for seemingly nothing, as I seemed to lose half the distance I’d gained with each step. I kept my eyes locked on the ground in front of me, because a glance in any other direction would reveal how far away I was from solid ground, how far I’d already climbed, and how far I still had to go – all before descending and hiking another eight miles or so.
Some people might want this day to end, and to never have to think about it again. But me … I think about climbing New Zealand’s Mt. Ngauruhoe every single day. There are three photos of it in my cubicle at work. It’s my Twitter page background. I would climb it every week if I could.
Mt. Ngauruhoe, and the Tongariro National Park surrounding it, is nothing less than completely bewitching, and they are the combined winner of my 2009 Destination of the Year Award.
I’ve given you practical tips for climbing Mt. Ngauruhoe in this blog before. I’ve fustigated National Geographic for bungling a story about Tongariro. But this time, I’m just offering a homage to a fantastic [...]

Going to Costa Rica? 9 Tips to Help

Jan 23rd, 2010
by WanderingJustin.
2 comments

Costa Rica is not showing any signs of slowing as a popular destination for Americans. And for good reason. Find out why right here!

5 Things to Do in 48 Hours – San Diego Edition

Dec 30th, 2009
by WanderingJustin.
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There’s no shortage of stuff to do in Southern California. Any visit will keep you occupied. But there’s more to San Diego than a zoo and Sea World. I didn’t get too far off the beaten path on my recent visit, but I dug up a few fun things with a minimum of repetition from previous trips. You can even think about skipping the hotels and just camping in San Diego – for real! Give these options a shot, and you’ll have some genuine fun.
Visit the Port Brewing/Lost Abbey Tasting Room – If you’re used to the mass-produced, watered-down swill that we often call “beer,” the offerings from Port Brewing/Lost Abbey tasting room will set you on the right path. All these beverages pack serious and distinctive tastes. The Port selections are more American-style, with big, hoppy India Pale Ales taking center stage. The Lost Abbey lineup features Belgian-style ales. The best way to get started is with a flight – one flight will set you back $4-$7, depending on the staff’s mood, I guess. Either way, you’ll get a super taste of craft brew goodness. Pick up a shirt while you’re there! Oh, and try the Angel’s Share even if it’s not on tap. It’s nothing less than spectacular. If you’re not already indoctrinated, it will change everything you thought you knew about beer.
Go to the San Diego Wildlife Park – Admission to the San Diego Wildlife Park is $37, which is steep. But it’s also a bit outside [...]

Thoughts on the Demise of National Geo Adventure

Dec 3rd, 2009
by WanderingJustin.
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After more than 10 years, National Geographic Adventure is going to stop publishing.
As an adventurous sort of cat, how should I feel about this? The truth is, aside for the people losing their jobs, I just don’t really care. I picked up many editions of the magazine whenever I’d spy something interesting on the cover. But I never pulled a single interesting and useful tidbit out of it.
Did the editorial staff really think it was serving the bulk of its readership by telling us about 16-day, $7,000 adventures in Africa? Or by giving us a list of 10 Bikes You Must Buy This Year? I found every issue to be thin on practical advice, and far too heavy on “well, maybe if I win the lottery” fare.
Obviously, the magazine was trying to appeal to its advertisers. But from where I sit, it grubbed so much for advertising dollars that it lost sight of serving its readers. I suppose there may be a few people out there lounging on their yachts who picked up an issue and splashed down for a two-week guided tour starting in Timbuktu - but I’ll be there are a lot more like that who just wondered where they might be able to see a wild cassowary in Queensland. Would that story attract as many advertising bucks? Probably not. But it’s actually something more of its readership could afford.
I’m hoping for the rise of a magazine for travelers who are on real budgets, but have a desire to push [...]

Hotel Review – InnSuites Tucson Foothills

Dec 1st, 2009
by WanderingJustin.
3 comments

Living in Phoenix in the fall and winter is pretty sweet. I’m just now starting to forget four months of scorching, unrelenting summer heat. I can go outside without fear of dehydration!
But still, I needed a change of scenery. That lead Sarah and me to Tucson to hike a bit and check out the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum (a post on that is coming up soon). We wanted to spend the night, and I got online to find a decent place the morning we left – the day after Thanksgiving, no less!
I quickly found the InnSuites Tucson Foothills, which is owned by Best Western. The often-handy (but sometimes maddening) GoogleEarth helped me find it. I wanted a place a little farther from the University of Arizona, and a little closer to hiking trails. Here are some bits you need to know about this hotel:
1. Hiking trails are about 10 minutes away. Not bad! And it’s actually a really good system. The Pima Canyon trail can keep you occupied all day. The scenery is striking and varied.
2. The rooms all seem to have comfortable beds and decent lighting. They all appeared to be clean and well-maintained. Each room had its own region-inspired name, which was kind of funny. Ours was the Show Low Suite, or something like that.
3. Try to get a room on the second floor. The tiled floors downstairs make a racket in the morning once all the housekeeping carts depart for their rounds.
Now, this last one is the big [...]

Air Travel Smackdown – OneWorld Versus Star Alliance!

Nov 16th, 2009
by WanderingJustin.
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Because I fly out of Phoenix Sky Harbor, I’ve collected the majority of my air miles on US Airways. I’ve also scooped up decent amounts from Continental and American. All of these are members of either oneworld or Star Alliance – you know, those associations of various airlines that seem to have no real benefit aside from making it easier to collect air miles.
I thought it might be interesting to see how their Web sites do at picking decent routes to cool places. My predictions were that oneworld airlines would add significant times since AA hubs are at Chicago and Dallas. I tested both Web sites using destinations such as Tokyo Narita, Singapore, Buenos Aires, Reykjavik, Auckland, Sydney, Lima, Honolulu and Hanoi. Let’s check out how they scored!
oneworld
At the oneworld Web site, a pop-up window appears with your results. And it seems to work really quickly. There’s a drop-down menu for dates, which is really nice. The fonts are a bit small, but that’s not too big a quibble. It also lacks an autocomplete for city and airport names. That’s a bummer for when you’re not certain of the city, just the country or state.
But let’s talk about getting a traveler from the fifth most-populous city in the United States to some fun destinations. Let’s start with Honolulu, Hawaii. Oneworld can’t get me from Phoenix to Honolulu on Feb. 17, nor back on the 27th? Some people should be hanging their heads over this farce. Of course oneworld airlines go to Honolulu. Problem is, Phoenix isn’t a [...]

5 Places to See the Northern Lights

Sep 9th, 2009
by WanderingJustin.
3 comments

I’ve just made a decision: I need to see the Northern Lights. You know … the aurora borealis. Can you imagine how cool it must be to see that dark sky above you light up with multicolored swirls of electrons? The jury is still out and whether you can actually hear the aurora; it occurs about 60 miles into the sky, where the air is very thin for the passage of sound waves. But scientists still don’t discount the possibility that there might be some aural aspect to the aurora.
So here’s the downside: It’s best to see them in winter at high altitudes. And it’s gotta be dark out. That means that, if I want to see it, I’ll have to be fully prepared to freeze my goolies off. So, then, where I should I go to get a glimpse of the lights?
Here are some good candidates:
Jukkasjarvi, Sweden – It’s far north. It’s so secluded that you have to take a dogsled to reach it from Kiruna, the nearest city. It’s also home to the ICEHOTEL. That adds up to a safe bet to check out some serious aurora viewing. And maybe I could schedule a visit when Hammerfall is in action.
Oulu, Finland – The Northern Lights are such an attraction in Oulu that many hotels offer wake-up calls when they’re active. It’s not quite as secluded as some places, offering a lively night scene and lots of museums. Apparently, the light pollution isn’t enough to put a damper on [...]

5 Places That Will Make You Happy to Be Alive

Sep 8th, 2009
by WanderingJustin.
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A friend of mine recently got back from Hawaii. I commented in his blog that Hawaii has a vibe that makes you feel lighter. It’s like the drag of gravity abates. You breathe easier. Your shoulders relax, moving away from your ears. The air smells better, and food tastes better.
“It makes you happy to be alive,” he replied to my message. Yes, it sure does.
That inspired me to make a list of some places that will make you happy to be alive. Feel free to add yours in the comments
Cairns, Australia – I was shocked when I arrived in Cairns. It’s far smaller than I expected, with a laid-back attitude (even the airport rental car agents are friendly). It seemed to be all beaches flanked by mountains jutting out of the coastline. It’s also a great starting point to visit a lot of cool areas, like Port Douglas and the Atherton Tablelands. Like coffee? This is the gateway to Australia’s coffee plantations. Also, there’s lots of good hiking. And some thing called the Great Barrier Reef – you may have heard of it.
Waitomo, New Zealand – This is just hours from Auckland. It’s very small and very rural – and so relaxing that you can slip into a coma. Which is what you’ll be ready for if you choose to hit the multitude of limestone caves in the area, where you can scope out the famous glow worms. When you can hear sheep and pigs outside your hotel, you know [...]

Localyte.com – Local Know-how, or Just Pushing Products?

Sep 2nd, 2009
by WanderingJustin.
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There’s nothing like expert advice from a friendly person in the know who lives at your destination. The guys at Localyte.com seem to have created their site intending to connect travelers with exactly that sort of local expert.
I’d never heard of the site until one of its creators contacted me, hoping I’d put a widget for the site here on WanderingJustin.com.
Right now, I’m performing my due diligence. I take a lot of pride in the fact that praise on this site is not for sale. If I say I like something, it’s because I really do. I’ll never knowingly steer someone in any direction because I have a commercial interest in doing so.
Before I slap a widget here, I intend to make sure that’s also true of Localyte.com. One of the things that currently pokes at me about the site is that a lot of the “local experts” have a vested commercial interest in giving you advice. There are concierges and tour companies. I’ve seen some of what I’d consider genuine local people who just want you to have fun in their home because, well, that’s a cool thing to do. But so far, I can’t say they’re the majority.
I’ve spent a little time trying it out. It seems the site is in its infancy – not many questions, not many experts, and some huge destinations missing (Cairns, Australia and Queenstown, NZ, being two notables). So far,  think it could benefit from a better selection process for experts, and more [...]

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