The Busiest Labor Day Destinations

by Justin Glow on

Where is everyone traveling to this Labor Day? Orbitz.com has compiled a list of the 10 busiest Labor Day destinations based on booking trends. Here’s what they found:

  • Busiest U.S. airport: Chicago O’Hare (Last year: No. 3)
  • Busiest International Airport: London Heathrow (Last year: No. 2)
  • Busiest U.S. City: New York, NY (No. 2: Chicago)
  • Busiest International City: London (No. 2: San Juan, Puerto Rico)

If you plan on traveling through O’Hare this weekend, give yourself plenty of time before your flight to battle the crowds. It may not be too bad, however, because for the third year in a row, O’Hare was ranked by Global Traveler as the best airport [PDF] in North America. I was there briefly this year and was really impressed at the speed in which I made it through security. Plus it’s so damned big, I can’t imagine it ever filling up beyond capacity!

Safe traveling this weekend!

[via]

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Tours on the Run

by Catherine Bodry on

One of my favorite ways experience a new place is by going for a jog. I love not having a map or a plan, just tying on my shoes and meandering along. I’ve had memorable runs in Tuscany as well as Ireland and France. Suffering from annoying jet lag in Asia motivated me to get out at dawn in China, Vietnam and Thailand. Asia is buzzing at first light, and in Shenzhen as well as Hanoi people gathered in parks for exercise routines that ranged from flag dancing to tai chi to something that seriously resembled jazzercise. These runs always felt a little bit magical, like I was privy to sights other tourists didn’t get to see. I also never felt like the usual conspicuous tourist, but just seemed to melt into the landscape with all the other early-rising exercisers.

I love running as a way to get to know a place so much that I’ve been planning to write a post about it for a while now. And then today I came across the website for City Running Tours, which offers guided jogs in New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C. Personalized tours are led by a guide who takes you on a nice long run and points things out along the way. Runs start at $60 for the first 6 miles, and are $6 per person per mile after that. Besides the guided tour, you also get a t-shirt and a souvenir photo.

I’m not a huge fan of guided activities, but this is the type of tour I would totally take part in. I have to try really hard to get all my exercise in while on the road (especially in countries where transportation is cheap and the air quality bad, like India), and an early morning jog with other travelers seems like a great way to wake up, burn some calories, and do some sightseeing.

[via]

Find free booze on your travels

by Martha Edwards on

When travelling, I’ve been known to enjoy a drink or two (or ten) — I find the pub is usually the best place to meet locals and fellow travellers, to swap stories and tips and Email addresses. I’m typically a backpacker when it comes to exploring the world. Translation: I’m on a budget, and the cheaper the better, if you ask me.

Which is why I wish I’d come across this website sooner. It’s called My Open Bar and it gives you insider info as to where you can find free beer while travelling. And you don’t even have to crash any parties or weddings (though you can if you want to, I suppose) — the listings are for actual restaurants and bars offering drink specials.

Right now, they only have listings for NYC, San Francisco, LA and Chicago, but Boston and Washington DC are slated to go live soon. I hope they do ones for cities in Europe too — London particularly, where finding a cheap (or free) drink can be a bit difficult.

(via Fly Away Cafe)

Gigapixel Photographs by Scott Howard

by Justin Glow on

Scott Howard spent two days in 2005 taking almost 200 photos from an area near the Adler Planetarium to create this gigantic image of the Chicago skyline at night. Using a piece of software called Zoomify, the images were then stitched together and packaged in a Flash project that allows you to zoom in — waaaaaaay in — on any part of the image.

He used the same technique on two more stunning locations: Sydney, Australia, and Machu Picchu in Peru. Impressive! [via]

Chi-Town New Year’s Eve Recommendations

by Adrienne Wilson on

Earlier this year when I cried for travel help while venturing through the areas of Olney and Salem, Illinois I received few responses. As a matter of fact I think there was only one reader that offered any suggestions. Tomorrow I’m heading back to the fine Mid-West state where I will spend New Years in Chicago and hang around two weeks for work. My past travels through Chicagoland have always been brief and I’ve never been a big run all over on NYE type of person, but this year I’m turning the beat around. I’ve surfed the web and seen several almost enticing opportunities (CenterStage features several goodies) to while the last night of 2006 away, but I’m not sold on any yet. So I’m crying out again and I’m expecting a whole lot of help this time! AND just so I’m not left hanging out bare-naked in the cold I’m going to offer a few clues to what I’m looking for. Those who wish to persuade otherwise are welcome to join in too.

For starters a simple ball drop type of deal will do. Is there some place Chicago natives go (perhaps families) to count the clock’s tick-tock to midnight that doesn’t cost an arm-and-a-leg? I’m going to be flexible here and allow good lounge rec’s as well, but I’m looking for simple, slightly dressy, and cheap. So what’s the word?