Hotels in the U.S. Virgin Islands offer 25 cent nightly rate

by Katie Hammel on

The U.S. Virgin Islands are going to be featured on a newly designed quarter and to celebrate, hotels around the islands are offering up rooms at 25 cents – yes, just 25 cents! – per night.

Of course, there is some fine print to the offer. Guests will still be responsible for taxes of 7%, resort fees, and government taxes of 8%, so the total ends up being a litte more than the 75 cents you might immediately assume when learning of the offer (packages I checked totaled around $100 in taxes and fees). Nine different hotels are participating in the promotion, including the Bolongo Bay Beach Resort and the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort and Spa.

The offer is valid for travel now through December 15, though each resort may have its own blackout dates. There is a three night limit for the 25 cent rate and air-inclusive packages must be booked through the BookIt website. Guests who book the package do get a few perks – they’ll receive a $25 activities credit, $25 dining credit and a commemorative quarter.

The other caveat: you’ve got to act fast. There are a limited number of rooms available and you must book by November 2.

[via Budget Travel]

Escape from Chicago with low Fall rates at The Abbey

by Katie Hammel on

Several weeks ago, I had the chance to check out The Abbey Resort and Spa on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin. 80 miles from Chicago and even less from Milwaukee, it’s the perfect Fall escape from either city. Chicago residents don’t even need a car to get there; the Metra train runs from downtown Chicago to the Harvard stop, where a resort shuttle bus will pick guests up. Relaxing on the train as the colorful Autumn leaves go by sounds like a great way to get into “vacation mode:”

Fall rates normally start at $216 per night, but for select weekends throughout the next two weeks, The Abbey is offering a special promotion for its Twitter followers and pricing rooms at just $79 per night. The deal is valid on October 7, 11, 12, 13 and 14 with limited availability.

Covered in the rate is daily admission to the spa, which includes use of the locker room, pool, sauna, steam, whirlpool, and all group fitness classes. The resort also offers plenty of Autumn activities onsite and nearby, like games, fall foliage drives, wine-tasting, and you-pick farm stands.

To snag the deal, follow The Abbey on Twitter, and book online using the promo code: TWEET.

Steal Boingo wireless by clearing your cookies

by Grant Martin on

If you’ve got time to kill at the airport, wireless can be a life saver. In most terminals, however, wireless isn’t free, and three out of four of the available providers charge an arm and a leg for service. So what’s a cheapskate to do to access his Facebook account without paying through the nose?

Steal wireless, of course. Most people know that if they stand with the proximity of an airline lounge, many of the clubs have unsecured wireless networks. Other open signals can proliferate through the terminal as well, and its not uncommon to see people wandering around the empty halls, holding up notebooks to the sky.

Another way that one can score free wireless comes by using a loophole in the Boingo “sponsored ad” service. Many (not all) Boingo hotspots offer a few minutes free for those willing to jump through a hoop or watch an ad or try out a free service. In JFK’s terminal 8, one can get 20 minutes of free service by trying out Microsoft’s substandard search engine, Bing.

Boingo and your web browser calculate this time using what’s called a cookie, a small thread of data that’s stored on your computer. And cookies, like all security tidbits, are removable. All that you have to do is clear your cookies, reload the Boingo page a few times and reclick the free service ad. In Firefox, it goes like this:

  • Connect to the Boingo hotspot.
  • If you don’t immediately see an ad for sponsored service, reload the page or navigate around a bit on the Boingo website. It’s possible that this market doesn’t have a sponsor, so don’t be disappointed if nothing pops up.
  • Jump through the hoops for free service.
  • Update your Facebook status, Tweet what underpants you’re wearing and stalk your new love interest online.
  • When you run out of time, click Edit|Preferences|Privacy|Show Cookies
  • Ignoring all of your embarassing stored cookies, navigate down to “boingo.aero” or anything with boingo in it.
  • Click “Remove Cookies”
  • Reload the Boingo connection page. If necessary, disconnect from the wifi network and reconnect.
  • Repeat

Easy as pie, and before you know it, it’ll be boarding time. Happy browsing!

Save time at checkin with elite status

by Grant Martin on

At 6PM on a Friday afternoon, New York‘s JFK airport is hopping. Part of it is, rather, just the check-in counter. The everyday, economy check-in counter, to be specific. Scores of passengers-to-be swarm the kiosks, some swiping credit cards, some punching buttions, some pulling their hair in distress. Those that successfully navigate the digital mayhem are funnelled into the luggage line, a mess of carts, passengers and boarding passes waiting to be processed by the half dozen, red jacketed agents at the far end of the hall.

Contrast. Thirty meters away from the economy check-in, the business/first/elite station is a sea of tranquility. Three rows of details, the first, a line of leather chairs where waiting travelers pick at their newspapers and wait for God knows what to happen. The second, a sea of poles and cords, a maze of manmade rows designed to channel customers into specific lines. Three passengers wait for their turn. The third: a long row of ticket agents and customer service representatives, silently working, waving new customers out of line. It’s nearly relaxing.

And it’s a good illustration of the massive gap between the everyday customer and the revered “elite” or business passenger that the airlines so desire. My trip through the elite line? Six minutes, four of which I spent repacking my bag.

Do yourself a favor this year and hit that elite status tier with your favorite airline — usually you need to fly 25k miles to reach that point, but there are tons of specials out there right now that will save you time and money. Hit that threshold and you’re on easy street through 2011, as you enjoy faster checkin, upgrades to first class and a hefty baggage allowance. You’ll love it — we promise.

The Poconos pair autumn foliage with a wide-range of lodging options

by Jamie Rhein on

Located in northeastern Pennsylvania, the Poconos Mountains have been a haven for people looking to escape the bustle of city life ever since Buck Hill Falls Inn and The Inn at Pocono Manor resorts opened in 1901 and 1902. With its reputation as a perfect getaway location, the Poconos has continued to be developed with things-to-do offerings and options for places to stay. In the fall, the more than 100 types of trees become a palate of color brilliance.

With a bit of planning, you can time your visit to hit the foliage at its peak and settle in for a night at one of the Pocono’s lodgings whether you prefer a vacation rental tucked in the woods, or a Poconos resort like the Inn at Pocono Manor that includes a golf course, horseback riding and a spa. Because eighty percent of Pennsylvania’s resorts are located here, there are plenty of choices. The Buck Hill Falls Inn, however, is no longer open. It is for sale, though. Annie also suggests Rentalo.com for seeking out lodging deals. She found a Poconos hotel for $75 per night. There are even less expensive digs listed here. If you’re interested in a couple’s only retreat, the Caesar’s Paradise Stream may be the answer.

To help you decide where and when to go and the best route to take for the best fall foliage here are 8 suggestions:

  • Ricketts Glen State Park–Considered the most scenic part of Pennsylvania, this park has more than 20 waterfalls, a gorge and old growth timber. Some trees are 500 years old. The area not to miss here is Glens Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark.
  • Lehigh Gorge State Park–Great place to see wildlife because the gorge’s river serves as a transportation corridor. A unique way to visit the area is by taking an Audubon Auto Tour.
  • Hickory Run State Park –Has scenic overlooks, hiking trails and trout streams. The park’s Boulder Field, is also a National Natural Landmark. An Audubon Auto Tour is also available for this park.
  • Big Pocono State Park–From the summit of Camelback Mountain the view includes part of New Jersey and New York. There’s a paved scenic drive, so you can get the view without hoofing it.
  • Lacawac Sanctuary–This historic nature preserve is a place to pair foliage with wildlife viewing thanks to folks who treasure the environment and share. In October there are fall foliage walking tours.
  • World’s End State Park–If you go here, head to Canyon Vista.
  • Beltzville State Park–The park’s 949-acre lake is a stopping place for migrating birds and if you walk along Saw Mill Trail you’ll pass through remnants of area history going back to the 1700s.
  • Delaware River Gap National Recreation Area–Why not see fall foliage from the water? Adventure Sports offers canoe, kayaking and rafting trips through the end of October.

    To help plan a scenic drive, here’s an excellent resource I found. This page on TripCart outlines specific driving routes and highlights places to look for and things to do along the way.

    Call the Pocono Mountain Fall Foliage hot line at (570)421-5565 for an up to date report on what colors can be seen where and when. Included in the recording are the types of trees that show such glory. I just called and can vouch for this resource. It’s terrific. Here is an on-line version.