Try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing for free on Winter Trails Day

by Alison Brick on

Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to learn a snow sport?

You might get encouragement from friends who are whizzes on the trails, but the thought of keeping up with them can be intimidating. Start thinking about all of the fees, and you might not get much farther than that fireside couch in the lodge.

Winter Trails Day makes it easy to follow through on those resolutions. The one-day event on January 10th lets you try out cross-country skiing or snowshoeing for free. Resorts across the US are waiving the costs for newbies–on everything from equipment rentals to trail passes. Depending on which of the 100 locations in 22 states you go to, you could also hit up mini-lessons and product demos to make the transition a bit easier.

It’s true that cross-country skiing is just like walking (but even better because you get to glide!). Give those skinny skis a whirl, and see what you think. I just might have to test-run some snowshoes, myself. See ya out on the white stuff?

Where To Go In 2009?

by Kraig Becker on

Have you been wondering, like I have, where to travel to in 2009? Well thankfully, The Guardian has some suggestions for us on the top trips for 2009.

Their suggestions are broken down into different categories, such as “Beach”, “Adventure”, and “Family” which offer a little something for every style of traveler. For instance, those wanting to head to the beach will find suggestions for kayaking in Brazil or surfing in Mexico. The adventure crowd has hiking in Greenland and trekking in Taiwan. And for the truly bold, how about a visit to Angola, a country that has been ravaged by war for years, but the first tour operators are now beginning to set up operations.

Besides this wide array of trips, they also offer up some unique hotels to stay in on your travels, such as a newly remodeled villa in Cairo or a spa in Sweden that offers six specialty pools, and a private beach. Not one for staying in hotels? How about luxury camping in Madagascar instead?

Now that we’re nearly through the holidays, and the new year is just about upon us, many of us will begin planning 2009 adventures. This article is a great place to start if you haven’t yet settled on a destination and are looking for some new suggestions. Personally, I think the new year is going to bring some excellent travel deals, and you just might have the opportunity to go on your dream trip for less money than you ever imagined.

Going to see Obama? No photos, please

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You just can’t wait for the inauguration to happen. You need your dose of hope, change and belief now. So, you get on a plane for Chicago and navigate your way to Hyde Park. According to the NY Times, you won’t be able to take any pictures of our next president’s Greenwood Avenue home. Fortunately, there’s a bit more to do in Chicago than try to catch a glimpse of the man who will be our 44th president. Skip his place and check out the Robie House, for which Frank Lloyd Wright is responsible. Trek around 10 blocks north, and you can visit another home … belonging to Louis Farrakhan.

While in town, you can live like a future president, spending $21 on a haircut at Hyde Park Hair Salon and picking up breakfast at the Valois Cafeteria (get the scrambled eggs, hash browns and sausage and be just like the future #44!). In fact, drop in on any of these spots starting in February, and you can do what the president can’t: get what you want without crowds creating a scene.

[Via NY Times]

Woolworth’s, the famous shopping icon, is closing its doors in the U.K.

by Jamie Rhein on

“My cousin said that all the Woolworth’s in Britain are closing starting tomorrow,” my mother-in-law said today as she was driving me to run an errand outside of Cleveland where we’re visiting for a few days. “He’s very upset.”

Her cousin, who we visited a few years ago, lives in Cornwall. The economic downturn has meant curtains to this bargain shopping icon that was still making a go of it in Great Britain after the U.S. stores closed.

I remember going to the Woolworth’s in State College, Pennsylvania with my best friend when we were in the 5th grade. Those were in the days when it was considered safe for kids to ride their bicycles all over town. Our mission, mostly, was to get a Coke at the lunch counter and take our pictures in the automatic photo booth, the kind that spits out a long vertical strip of four.

When F. W. Woolworth, the company that was created in the U.S. in 1879, closed its doors in the U.S., I must have been living overseas because I only have a vague recollection of the news.

Now, that the 807 stores are closing across Great Britain starting tomorrow, including the one in the photo taken by Redvers in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, I feel a whiff of nostalgic sadness. Folks in Great Britain, according to this article posted at TwinCities.com, feel the same.

Woolworths are friendlier than mega stores like Wal-mart and Target. The lunch counters say stay awhile. The goods always seemed like just the right amount of choices. Sure, it’s great to load up a cart at a big store, but the choices can be too many, and the cart can easily be overloaded with things we really don’t need by the time we reach the checkout counter.

Woolworth’s stores seem to evoke literary themes found in novels like To Kill a Mockingbird–the small town “How de dos.” Walmart greeters sure have a lot of pressure to make us feel welcome in the rush to find a bargain. Although Grant recently wrote about London not being as expensive as a place to buy gifts as he thought it would be, the options are decreasing. Too bad.

Thanks for the memories Woolworth’s.

‘Jumbo’ hostel opens for business at Stockholm airport

by Jeffrey White on

Earlier this fall, Scott posted about a unique hostel option at Stockholm-Arlanda airport.

There, a rich businessman has bought an old Boeing 747 jumbo jet and refurbished it. Now it is a hostel, offering accommodation for 85 people, and it is finally open for business at the entrance of the airport.

While this is undeniably an interesting place to stay, it’s perhaps a little too early to say whether this concept will connect with travelers. For one thing, the Jumbo Hostel is decidedly more expensive than a normal hostel — EUR 110 per night for basic accommodation — even in somewhat pricey Stockholm.

Then again, the hostel is obviously convenient to the airport, and there are short stay options for around EUR 25 that are perfect for people connecting through Stockholm on long haul flights and are looking for a little rest.

Those looking to splurge can get rooms in the upper deck, or opt for the cockpit suite for around EUR 500 a night.