10 Waterside seafood destinations in the U.S. and Canada

by Chris Owen on

With the Independence Day holiday coming up this week, many Americans will be hitting the beaches to celebrate the nation’s birthday. What’s on the menu will definitely be on the list of things to plan. So Cheapflights.com made up a list to feature the best of the best locations for lobster, crab, oysters and other melt-in-your-mouth delicacies with its list of Top Ten Seafood Destinations.

Georgetown, Maine

Maine is synonymous with lobster – and for good reason. Long before the clawed crustacean ascended from being considered fit only for a state prisoner to a delicacy paid for at a premium by the pound, hearty lobstermen were plying their trade along the rocky coast. No place represents this history better than Georgetown’s Five Islands Lobster Co., a simple clapboard structure without indoor seating. This place is pure Maine: beautiful views of the forested shoreline and no-frills ingredients picked straight from the saltwater tank and consumed on the dock.

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston offers the best of South Carolina in one coastal town: Historical homes with sweeping verandas and rocking chairs, an indulgently slower pace of life – and delectable Atlantic shrimp. Hank’s Seafood Restaurant carries on that tradition with pride. Named the Charleston City Paper’s Best Seafood Restaurant 12 years running, Hank’s serves up a mean take on classic shrimp and grits, with Andouille sausage stewed with tomatoes, garlic and white wine. Sit back, relax and enjoy: You’re not going anywhere for a little while, and that’s the point.

San Diego, California

Southern California presents plenty of excuses for Americans looking for a Latin vacation to stay north of the Mexican border. Top on that list is the food, and there’s no better city to discover its caliber than enchanting San Diego. Spend afternoons on miles of pristine beaches and nights exploring the So-Cal-Mex offerings. The place to go is El Indio, a small fan favorite that serves up the best fish tacos around. Family owned and operated since 1940, El Indio tops corn tortillas and white fish with an addictive tartar sauce, cabbage and tomatoes – better known as West Coast seafood done extremely right.

Prince Edward Island, Canada

Though you’ll spot Prince Edward Island mussels on menus up and down the coast, there’s nothing like trying the bite-sized shellfish on their home turf. If you can pry yourself away from the Prince Edward Island Potato Museum (it’s real, we swear!), then head on over to Lobster on the Wharf, disregard the name, and dive into bowl of the famous Island Blue Mussels or the mussels of the day. Then you can – of course – indulge in one of the many lobster dishes, fresh from the Atlantic.

Boston, Massachusetts

Whether you’re visiting outlying beach towns on the Cape, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket – or the city itself – Boston is the East Coast destination for fresh-shucked oysters. Take a break from duck tours and overcrowded Faneuil Hall and venture to the South End, where B&G Oysters plates the finest oysters in New England. The raw bar changes daily to feature more than a dozen types of briny treats from both coasts. Hesitant to go raw? Mediterranean seafood dishes and meaty lobster rolls will satiate any appetite. Not to mention B&G’s signature clam chowder, prepared with bacon lardons and spicy croutons. Remember when ordering that you’re in New England; it’s pronounced “chowda”.

Key West, Florida

Florida’s hippie haven serves up much more than just Caribbean vibes and turquoise seas – not that you need more than that for an idyllic vacation. Local, straightforward ingredients abound at eateries across the island. Stop by Half Shell Raw Bar between snorkeling and sunbathing for quintessential Key West aesthetics and grub. Conch, the island’s seafood specialty, is prepared both as fritters and ceviche at the neighborhood favorite, offering guests the opportunity to try both recipes done right. The southernmost point of Florida offers endless excuses for visitors to do nothing but soak up rays and cocktails completely guilt free.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

All the biking and walking you’ll be doing in Nova Scotia is bound to leave you hungry for delicious meals. You’re in luck – the tiny Canadian province is renowned for its top-notch food from the sea. After exploring the working lighthouse and views of Peggy’s Cove – situated just over 20 miles southwest of Halifax – stop in Shaw’s Landing for out-of-this-world fish and chips, seafood chowder or lobster jambalaya. The restaurant, run by a seasoned chef and retired lobster fisherman, serves up the freshest catches of the day against views of operating wharves. Needless to say, it’s authentic Nova Scotia.

Chesapeake Bay, Maryland

Each summer the Eastern Shore of Maryland draws thousands of tourists nostalgically eager to swim, sail, kayak and – possibly most important – eat. Crab houses line the shores of the Chesapeake, offering East Coasters a chance to crack and pick at the freshest crabs in the country. At neighborhood favorites like Waterman’s Crab House in Rock Hall, brown paper-covered tables set the scene for sun-kissed families to maneuver mallets and crackers to get to the good stuff. Those less enthused about manual labor should stick to the award-winning crab cakes – broiled or fried – prepared with lump crab meat and intricate spice.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Between swamp tours of the Bayou and Saturday morning visits to the Red Stick Famers Market, visitors to Louisiana’s capital indulge in the city’s culinary claim to fame: crawfish. The freshwater crustacean is traditionally prepared down south in a crawfish boil, combined with potatoes, corn on the cob, garlic, sausage and cayenne pepper. It’s the crawfish étouffée though – similar to a gumbo – that lures visitors 40 minutes west of the city to Joe’s Dreyfus Store Restaurant in Livonia for a taste of the best.

Seattle, Washington

Way before Starbucks staked its claim, Seattle was known for seafood. And though some tourists visit solely for the caffeine, the Northwest hub continues to reel up and serve some of the finest filets in the world. More than 10 million people annually visit Pike Place Market, a massive public market that’s satisfied locals for more than 100 years. Bring your camera and capture the excitement of merchants tossing the latest catch among the countless stalls before placing orders for fresh salmon, Dungeness crab and other shell fish.

[Photo: Five Islands Lobster Company. hajime7/Flickr]

Why Plymouth Rock Is New England’s Biggest Tourist Trap

by Paul Brady on


Have you ever been to a tourist trap? A scam of a site, something over-hyped and talked about until it can’t possibly be worth it? The sort of thing you walk up to, snap a photo of and curse as you walk back to your car?

I saw one just the other day. It was Plymouth Rock, the lump of granite that supposedly marks the spot where a ragged band of English religious refugees washed up on Massachusetts’ shores.

It was such an awful disappointment, and here’s why.

There’s just nothing to it. You know why they call it Plymouth Rock? Because that’s all it is. A rock, covered by a little pavilion, guarded by a small rail. The day I visited, a historian was standing nearby, not doing much of anything.

Tourists, including me, would walk up, take a look, take a photo… and then shrug. There it is, I thought, if that’s actually the rock. Questions of authenticity were not assuaged, at least for me, by the fact that 1620 has been stamped into the stone and the sandy footing on which it rests has been manicured like a Japanese rock garden.

It reminded me of other totems to which we travel, only to tick them off our list. Old Faithful is one, the Statue of Liberty is another. You’ve heard so much about them, had them drilled into your head as an essential piece of American lore, heard grandiose promises about the meaning they hold. And yet nobody seems to actually enjoy them. When you visit, you visit to click the camera shutter and to say, “Oh yeah, I went there on vacation and saw it. Great time!” when you’re at a backyard barbecue with those neighbors you don’t really like. That’ll show ’em.

Was it totally the worst thing ever to go see Plymouth Rock? Of course not. I’m sort of humble-bragging about it with this post! But there was so little happening aside from the rock itself-a few ice cream shops, a couple of t-shirt stands-there seemed little reason to visit Plymouth but to see the disappointing rock.

I could be wrong about that last bit. But I didn’t leave time to explore Plymouth. I was just there to see its Rock.

New study finds national parks at risk

by Kraig Becker on

The National Parks Conservation Association released a comprehensive report yesterday that paints a grim picture for the future of the national parks in the U.S. The report, which is entitled “The State of America’s National Parks,” examines a number of economic and environmental threats to the parks and is the result of more than a decade of research. The non-profit NPCA also calls on the Obama Administration to address those threats while developing a comprehensive plan for the future, ahead of the 2016 centennial of the National Park Service.

The report, which can be read in it’s entirety here, identifies a number of challenges to the future of America’s national parks. The threats, which are both old and new, include pollution, invasive species, climate change, and continued funding shortfalls, amongst others. The NPCA goes on to say that many of these threats are already having a real and dramatic impact on the parks. During their research they found that 63% of the parks surveyed had issues with air quality to some degree or another. Others were found to have poor water quality as well, while a staggering 95% of the parks assessed had lost at least one plant or animal species over the course of the past ten years.

According to the NPCA, the largest threats to the parks, and their natural resources, stem from two sources – human activity and climate change. In the case of the former, the development of lands surrounding the park is changing the natural habitats of wildlife and contaminating both the air and the water. It may be the latter that has the most lasting effect however, as the report cites threats to everything from the redwoods of Sequoia National Park in California to the coastlines of Katmai in Alaska, as being dramatically impacted by the changing climate.It isn’t all doom and gloom however, as the report also spotlights success stories in several parks as well. For instance, a comprehensive effort to remove non-native species, including horses, rats, and pigs, from the Channel Islands has helped the native fox species there to bounce back in numbers. Similarly, a “vessel management plan” in Glacier Bay National Park has been very successful in protecting the marine mammals that live there as well. The NPCA says that these examples show that when “National Park Service staff have sufficient financial support, up-to-date scientific information, and adequate training,” they can do positive things.

In order to protect these vital natural resources, the NPCA is calling upon the Obama Administration to create a plan for the long term management of the parks. That plan, they contend, must address the threats to the parks and create a system for monitoring the quality of the air and water found within their boundaries. The organization is also asking the President to issue an Executive Order that will commit federal resources to preparing the parks for their second one hundred years and beyond. The NPCA believes that can only be achieved by fully funding the Park Service to equip them with all the tools necessary to address these threats properly.

Considering the attendance numbers over the past few years, it is evident that Americans recognize and appreciate the value of their national parks. Hopefully this report will send the wake-up call that is necessary to ensure that those amazing natural spaces will be around in another hundred years so that new generations of Americans can enjoy them too.

[Photo credit: National Parks Conservation Association]

Win free travel on Social Media Day

by Chris Owen on

The second annual Social Media Day is tomorrow. A worldwide celebration of the revolution of media becoming social, meetings are scheduled around the world. It’s all about sharing, engaging and interacting and some hotels and resorts are offering deals, amenities, free nights, and even trip giveaways through different social media interactions.

Here’s how it works. Check each one of the properties listed below. Each has a different offer, done a different way. Some require simply visiting the properties Facebook page and liking them, others require a tweet or that you pay attention to their Twitter feed for special offers throughout the day. Setting up a special list on Twitter (I have one called “deals”) then adding a Tweetdeck column or simply paying attention to email alerts can give you a heads up for what to do or say. There are usually a few surprises mixed in these things so take a look at six reasons to stay wired on this day:

1) Sandpearl Resort / www.facebook.com/ClearwaterFlorida
Facebook users who “like” Sandpearl and post a photo of themselves on property (tagging Sandpearl Resort in their photo), receive 25% off an Ice Cream pedicure at the Spa. (must be booked on Social Media Day, but can be redeemed on a future date)

2) San Juan Marriott / www.facebook.com/sanjuanmarriott / @sanjuanmarriott
Keep an eye on the San Juan Marriott’s Facebook page and Twitter feed for offers throughout the day. The resort will be posting and sharing special “Social Media Day Only” offers such as free upgrades, complimentary drinks and value-added amenities.

3) Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino / @arubamarriott
Follow @ArubaMarriott on Twitter and on June 30, tweet the message: “Tweet me with a trip to @ArubaMarriott #SMDay” for an entry in to a drawing for a 3 night/4 day stay for two.

4) Marriott Costa Rica Collection / www.facebook.com/marriottcostarica
Post a photo of something you find beautiful in Costa Rica (for example, a sunset, a tonka tree, a scarlet macaw, ziplining, etc.) Then get your friends to “like” your photo and the photo with the most likes at the end of the day (midnight, EST) will win a free night at choice of any of the four Costa Rica Resorts.

5) St. Kitts Marriott Resort / www.facebook.com/stkittsmarriott
On June 30, visit St. Kitts Marriott’s Facebook page where you can answer the question posted in their status: “Which one of your friends is the most glued to his/her social networks?” Submit your answer on the resort’s Facebook wall and tag your socially addicted friend to receive a voucher for a 40% discount off a spa treatment at the Emerald Mist Spa.

6) JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa / www.facebook.com/JWMarriottCancun
CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort / www.facebook.com/casamagnacancun
Facebook users who tag themselves in a specified property photo (which will be announced on the resorts’ Facebook pages) on Social Media Day, will be entered to win a three night stay at the resort. Winners will be drawn at random.

Flickr photo by jmenard48

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The Ten Most “Thrilling” Airports

by McLean Robbins on


One of our favorite travel sites, Airfarewatchdog, today released their list of the world’s ten most “thrilling” airports. From hairpin turns to to landings over sunbathers to runways accessible only at low tide, these landings and takeoffs aren’t for the faint of heart.

“Globe-trotting frequent flyers probably have their own favorite ‘thrilling’ airports that might not be on this list. Anyone who once flew into the old Hong Kong airport remembers literally being able to see what people in adjacent apartment buildings were watching on their TV sets. And let’s not forget the amusement park ride that is St. Barts’ tiny airport. How fun is that!” Airfarewatchdog president George Hobica said.

The picks include:

  • Toncontin International Airport, Tegucigalpa, Honduras: To line up with the runway, planes must make a last-second 45-degree turn.
  • Princess Juliana International Airport, Philipsburg, St. Maarten: Planes fly mere feet over sunbathers.
  • Queenstown Airport, Queenstown, New Zealand: On descent, passengers may feel a sudden drop in altitude caused by downdrafts.
  • Gustaf III Airport, St. Jean, St. Barts: “Small airports, short runways, and terrain are the three whammies of flying,” says Pilot Anonymous. Gustaf III Airport has all three.
  • Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport, Sitka, Alaska: Unpredictable weather means that pilots need to take caution of boulders and other debris that can wash onto the runway.
  • Courcheval Airport, Courcheval, France: A short 1,722-foot runway, and Courcheval has a steep incline (which slows planes down on landing and speeds them up on takeoff).
  • Catalina Airport (Airport in the Sky), Avalon, California: The sole runway is raised in the middle, so much so that pilots can’t see where it ends.
  • LaGuardia Airport, New York, New York: Before landing, pilots make a number of white-knuckle turns, one of which is 180-degrees around Citi Field.
  • Tenzing-Hillary Airport (Lukla Airport), Lukla, Nepal: This is 9,000 feet high in the Himalayas, and pilots have one shot to land, as the terrain rules out a fly-around.
  • Barra Airport, Barra, Scotland: It’s always a beach landing, and runways form when the tide goes out.

    • But we want to hear from you – what did they miss?

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