Inauguration package to Washington D.C.: Ballroom, hotel room, parade, bling and more

by Jamie Rhein on

With Barack Obama’s election win finalized, here’s one subject to consider. How does a person snag a place at the inauguration festivities? Cinderella needed a fairy godmother to get her to the prince’s ball. Although you don’t necessarily need a fairy godmother, it could help if you want to go high end. Consider this option.

For $50,000, the “politically correct” inauguration package at the Ritz Carlton can be yours. What will this cool cash get you–never mind that you might have seen more than that disappear from your financial portfolio, if you have one, in the last months?

You can get:

  • a 4-night hotel stay at the Ritz Carlton (duh) during the inauguration festivities
  • two front row seats to the Inaugural parade
  • two tickets to one of the official Inaugural balls
  • a “Heart of the Nation” pendant made of white gold, diamonds, rubies and blue sapphires
  • a 24-hour on call driver who’ll tootle you around town in a hybrid car
  • a fancy dinner
  • clothes from Saks Fifth Avenue.

Hmm. politically correct? In this economy? Part of the price tag cost is donated to charity. Oh, in that case. . .

(Deal found in this article in the Wall Street Journal. The Ritz Carlton website doesn’t list the package, but here are more details at Elite Traveler. The photo is from glass)

Photo of the Day (11.04.08)

by Grant Martin on

With everyone getting all riled up about the elections and all today, I thought that I would pick a more gentile subject for the photo of the day: delicious, delicious treats. This photo of a row of candied and chocolate covered apples was taken by uncorneredmarket among the myriad Christmas Markets in Germany, several of which I was supposed to make it to this year. We’ll see if I have the time.

There. Now don’t you feel better about the outcome of the election?

Have any cool photos you’d like to share with the world? Add them to the Gadling Pool on Flickr, and it might be chosen as our Photo of the Day.

German tour bus catches fire, 20 feared dead

by Justin Glow on

Up to 20 people are feared dead after a tourist bus caught fire near Hannover, Germany today. It was headed for Berlin. Reuters reports,

“The bus caught fire near the northern city of Hanover as it headed toward Berlin, forcing the driver to pull over. Some passengers were not able to get off in time but about 10 people escaped, a police spokesman said.”

Some reports are claiming “it was not a traffic accident but a technical fault that had started the fire,” according to The Australian.

Meanwhile, Twitter is abuzz with reaction amidst the U.S. election coverage.

We’ll bring you more news as we hear it.

Travelchic.com brings you some chic and some ridiculous accessories

by Annie Scott on

Travelchic.com makes unusual luggage tags, handle wraps, tassels, and key chains, all desgined to make your luggage stand out on the carousel and to show your unique style and flair.

My verdict? Hit or miss. Some of these items are totally hot, and some of them are absolutely ridiculous. If I were chatting you up on the airplane and then saw you claim a bag with a giant furry handle-wrap on it? I would judge you. I’m just that shallow.

The Orange Synthetic Leather Luggage Tag and Reversible Orange Faux Fur/Orange Synthetic Leather Handle Wrap with Travel Chic Airplane Keychain Set for $26.99 (at right) is reasonably priced insanity. ‘A’ for effort, ‘F’ for execution.

Affort Fexecution.

The kids’ collection is cute, though I wonder how long those puppy and monkey faces last with the wear and tear of travel, and of course, the sticky hands of the little ones.

I don’t mean to be mean. Below, witness the gallery of five totally awesome items from Travelchic.com. They really do make some nice stuff at great prices!
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The traveler’s plea to the next U.S. president

by Jamie Rhein on

If you’ve followed Gadling for any length of time, you’ve probably caught on that topics range from the serious to the not so serious–from the straight-forward to the downright loopy. Throughout the bounty are our thoughts and interpretations of what it means to be a traveler in the world. It doesn’t matter if you’re heading just a few blocks from where you live to the farthest corners from where you were born. The point is movement outwards.

In this past year, there have been oodles of stories of travelers’ woes and concerns, many that have moved our readers to add comments. Problems with TSA, high gas prices that created a nose dive to vacation plans, shifting airline regulations, airline shutdowns, and reduced amenities on certain flights have lengthened the list of issues that might make a traveler say, “I have a bone to pick with somebody.”

Christopher Elliot who gave us tongue-in-cheek, but kind of serious, ideas for items a plane might ditch has been thinking again. In his essay, “Dear Mr. President” in this month’s issue of National Geographic Traveler he outlines the bones to pick issues–the ones that he would like to take up with the next U.S. president. As Elliot sees it travel related concerns can be divided into the following categories and have relevance to the bigger picture concerns of economics and freedom of movement.

Here they are:

  • Gas prices: High gas prices kept many people staying closer to home or not traveling at all. High fuel prices wrecked havoc on airlines.
  • A weak dollar: This made travel to Europe and other popular vacation hot spots incredibly expensive, thus many didn’t go there.
  • Struggling airlines: Airlines struggling to keep afloat have not been a picnic when it comes to flying.
  • Security hassles: Passport regulations, border issues, and TSA lines to name some have enticed people to just stay home.
  • Travel Restrictions: How about loosening those travel restrictions to Cuba for starters?

In conjunction with Elliot’s essay, and with the U.S. election today, Intelligent Travel is asking readers to present their own ideas on what the next president should consider when it comes to those issues that affect travelers. Here’s today’s section, and here’s yesterday’s where you can comment away. Or comment here, and we’ll pass on the message. [photo by d.c. John]