Still Have Unused Vacation Days? Fall Is A Great Time To Use Them

by Jessica Festa on

According to the most recent American Express Spending & Saving Tracker, U.S. employees have an average of eight unused vacation days this fall. Not only that, but 38% of workers are expected to lose them completely. While some people don’t know they can use them this late in the year, others are stressed out with work and don’t know if they can take the time away from the office.

“Many workers get caught up in their busy schedules, and before they know it, the year is winding down and they think it’s too late to use their vacation days. The truth is, it’s not too late,” Lesley Trudelle of American Express Travel explained to Gadling. “Others can feel they have too much going on to allow themselves a vacation away from work and everyday life, but it is so important to allow time away from your desk to de-stress.”

In fact, a study done earlier this year showed nearly 60% of workers said losing paid vacation time decreased their well being. Additionally, subjects reported feeling revitalized, energetic and more productive after using their vacation days. If you still have some left, know autumn is a great time to use these unused vacation days.

Why Use Them Now?

Because fall is shoulder season in most places and there are fewer crowds, travelers can take advantage of more deals. It also tends to be less expensive, allowing you to take advantage of luxurious amenities for a discounted price. Weather can be more reliable, with less rain, lower temperatures and less humidity. Although November is still fall, in many places it’s not even considered shoulder season but off-season. This means you’ll enjoy quick service, quieter sightseeing and cheaper travel, many times by hundreds of dollars.How To Make The Most Of Unused Vacation Days

There are a few ways people can really make the most of their unused vacation days. For one, do a bit of research and look for promotions. Generally, the Caribbean is popular due to its reliable more mild weather and sunny days. It’s also much more private during this time, which can be great if you’re looking for a romantic getaway.

Says Trudelle, “The kids are back in school so the beaches are less crowded for fall travelers, plus resorts are offering amazing savings.”

In Europe, places such as Austria and Scotland are also popular for fall, as these two usually expensive destinations drop dramatically in price.

It can also help to be flexible with your travel dates. Of course, depending on your job you may only have a certain amount of leeway. However, if you have the ability to be flexible, check airfare a few days before and after your expected travel dates. Sites like Kayak and Spirit Airlines even show you calendars so you can see how airfare prices differ from day to day. Changing your booking by one day could potentially save you $100 or more.

Additionally, if you’re really stressed and don’t want to leave the office for too long, think about taking a long weekend. You would only have to use two vacation days, and could go to a nearby destination without feeling rushed. For example, if you live on the east coast on the United States, taking a trip to eastern Canada or the Caribbean is quick and easy.

Where To Go?

The study also looked at the most popular destinations for fall travel. While 37% will be traveling domestically, 7% are planning to go abroad. For those traveling internationally, 32% are headed to Europe, while 29% will be heading to the Caribbean. So, where how should you use your unused vacation days?

“A great fall destination can be different for everyone, as a traveler’s individual personality is more apt in determining the experience they are seeking than anything else,” explains Trudelle. “That being said, I’d say if you can find great deals, exciting events and festivals, activities to enjoy the outdoors, or something to see or do that is exclusive to this season, then you’ve found yourself a great spot for a fall getaway.”

Along with the Caribbean and Europe, one popular option is South America, as fall in the United States is summer over there. You can head to the beach in Brazil, enjoy up to 16 hours of daylight in Patagonia or sunny days with no humidity in northern Chile. South Africa also experiences opposite seasons, with their summer running from mid-October to mid-February, although you’ll usually still end up paying less than you would on flights June through August in November. Experience whale season, go turtle tracking, take part in a safari, hike through Table Mountain National Park or just relax at one of the many spas. And for those looking to get away from the warmth and enjoy crisp weather, head to Utah or Colorado for their ski season openings.

If you want to do something fall-inspired, there are a few domestic destinations for U.S. travelers. Head to Napa Valley and experience the tail end of their fall harvest. There are still various events happening in the upcoming weeks, like Flavor! Napa Valley, B Cellars: Harvest Celebration and the Napa Valley Film Festival with wine and food tasting.

In Arizona, the weather cools down dramatically in November but still ranges from around 49 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, depending where you are and what time it is. It’s a great time to explore the Grand Canyon, Oak Green Canyon, Saguaro National Park and other places of natural beauty while not having to deal with unbearable heat. There are also numerous festivals at that time, including the American Heritage Festival, American Indian Heritage Festival, Arizona Wine Growers Festival at The Farm, ArtFest of Scottsdale and more. Click here for a full listing.

And, if you want to get really festive, head to birthplace of Thanksgiving, Plymouth, Massachusetts. You’ll be able to catch the end of the cranberry harvest season and tour some local farms. Additionally, the area is home to many scenic spots like Ellisville Harbor State Park, Pilgrim Memorial State Park and the nearby Ames Nowell State Park. Those interested in history will have much to discover. You can visit The Jabez Howland House, an original 17th-century two-story house where pilgrims once lived, the 1749 Court House and Museum, which is the oldest wooden courthouse and longest used municipal building in America and the Alden House Museum, where you can learn about John Alden and Priscilla Mullins who arrived on the “Mayflower” in 1620. Event-wise, Plymouth has much to offer in November, like all-day tours and tastings at the Mayflower Brewing Company, a delicious journey into the past at Harvest Dinner with the Pilgrims, a deeper look at local production with the Cranberry Bog Tour and a parade and feast at America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration.

[Images via Shutterstock]

Grounded Cruise Ship Trial Begins With Black Box Evidence

by Chris Owen on

The grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia may not be on trial itself but court proceedings began this week, looking for answers to what happened. More than 100 lawyers representing survivors and the families of passengers and crew members who died in the January event are on hand to plead their case.

The proceedings will be based on evidence from the ship’s black box recordings, navigational details and conversations recorded on the bridge of the ship. Making up part of the 270 pages of documents before the court is Captain Francesco Schettino’s testimony that his ship was not too close to the island of Gigio. Schettino maintains that he was simply following company policy to “salute” the island.

Thirty-two people died after Schettino allegedly took the ship off course and dangerously close to the Tuscan island of Giglio on the night of January 13. The ship then ran aground and capsized. Hearings this week will help decide whether to put Schettino on trial for manslaughter among other charges.

“We want to look him in the eye to see how he will react to the accusations,” German survivor Michael Liessen, 50, who was attending with his wife said in a ClarionLedger report.



Totnes: South Devon’s Alternative Village

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Totnes, an Elizabethan town in the South West English county of Devon, isn’t your average West Country village. Totnes is what is increasingly known as a Transition Town – in fact, it is a model Transition Town.

What is a Transition Town, you ask? A Transition Town is a municipality focused on sustainable local economic growth by encouraging the use of local resources and local businesses. One expression of this philosophy is the circulation of a superlocal currency, the Totnes Pound, which is accepted by scores of shops in Totnes. This currency is an impressive innovation for a town of just 8,000 residents.

Not surprisingly, Totnes can be said to possess a definite crunchiness, especially in the form of new age shops and the Friday and Saturday markets at the town’s Civic Hall Square. But if visitors come expecting Santa Cruz in the English countryside, they’ll be terribly disappointed. Totnes feels like a typical English market town, albeit one with a particularly dynamic local retail environment.

There are many ways to gauge this retail dynamism. The sheer range of shops and relative lack of empty storefronts is one. Here’s another: Aromatika, a highly respected, organic, vegan-friendly skin care products company, is headquartered in Totnes. Clearly, the town is a good motor for at least some sorts of entrepreneurial activity.

It is the plethora of small shops selling crafts, niche products and home furnishings that really help the town make a claim to retail excitement. Several home furnishings shops sell a range of well-curated products, both new and vintage. My favorite of these is a place called Inspired Buys (see above), whimsically stocked with a number of beautifully upcycled items, including old maps, hand-painted posters and signage. During my visit last week I fell in love with an old vintage canvas school map of Britain on sale there, the chalk markings of a teacher still visible. At £40 ($64) the map might not have been cheap, but it is also easy to imagine the vast mark-up that the map would command at a big city hipster design den.

There are other reasons to visit Totnes: the magnificent East Gate Arch on Fore Street, which makes the town feel cozy and contained, its 16th-century wooden houses, Totnes Castle, its rambling lanes, its many cafes (of which the best is probably The Curator Cafe and Store), and the South Devon countryside all around. But the retail is a serious draw, and not just for people who like to shop. Totnes is trailblazing a kind of economic future for towns focused on nurturing small local businesses.

Totnes is three hours from London by train. The least expensive advance roundtrip fare found during recent research: £43.50 ($70).

[Images: Alex Robertson Textor]

Apple’s Passbook Gives Us A Glimpse Of The Future Of Air Travel

by Kraig Becker on

A few weeks back, to much fanfare, Apple released a new version of their popular iPhone and an updated version of iOS, the operating system that powers the device. Dubbed iOS 6, the latest edition of the software as been a bit of a mixed bag for most iPhone users, who now enjoy improved social networking integration, better messaging and a smarter Siri, but have been cursed with Apple’s new sub-par maps app.

Lost in the hype of the shiny new device and the kerfuffle that has been the maps fiasco, was the inclusion of a new app called Passbook. The app promises to be an electronic wallet for all of your digital coupons, membership and gift cards, movie tickets and boarding passes. Passbook collects those items from other apps, emails or direct download through the Safari browser and conveniently keeps them all well organized in a single place. When it comes time to use one of your coupons or tickets, you simply have the cashier scan a bar code on the screen of your phone and you’re on your way.

That’s not all Passbook can do, however, as it is also time and location aware. That means that it will automatically display relevant passes on your phone’s lock screen based on where you are. So if you walk into a Starbucks it will automatically display any active gift cards and as you arrive at the airport, the app is already placing the relevant boarding pass on your screen. It will even alert you of any changes to your flight time or departure gate, helping to ensure you don’t miss it.Digital boarding passes are not really all that new or innovative, as a number of airlines have been using them for a few years now. But Passbook makes it a breeze to collect and keep track of those passes and its inclusion as a pre-installed app on all iPhones means that more people will start using it on a regular basis. We all know that once a technology gains more mass market appeal, more companies will support it, which means Apple’s Passbook will probably be a gateway to better paperless options when traveling in the future.

The app is already supported by United and American Airlines, and we’re told that Delta will jump on the bandwagon soon too. But airlines aren’t the only ones that are quickly adding support for the new system. Major League Baseball now offers Passbook-based tickets for games and online movie ticketing service Fandango sends its passes to the app as well. The best part is, most businesses are already equipped to scan Passbook entries, which isn’t the case with similar services on other phones that employ Near-Field Communications technology for their approach to the digital wallet.

As technology evolves, there may soon come a day when you won’t need to leave home with anything other than your smartphone. That day probably isn’t as far off as we think either.

Video Of The Day: TJ Elevator Fan At Hampton Hotels

by Elizabeth Seward on

I’m not usually impressed by corporate videos, but sometimes a corporation gets behind a story in a video that is unshakably touching. When I caught wind of this video made by the Hampton Hotels’ Asheville branch, I wanted to check it out for myself. Featuring a boy named TJ who is better known as TJ Elevator Fan, this hotel went above and beyond to make TJ feel welcome when he visited their location. TJ has Cerebral Palsy, so everyday situations aren’t always as easy for him as they would be for you or me, but this Asheville hotel went way out of their way to make sure TJ’s stay was as easy and special as possible. Check it out.