Memorial Day travel surge to be followed by silence

by Tom Johansmeyer on

So, there are two visions of the near future: one immediate, the other a bit further out. For Memorial Day, expect to see plenty of traffic, thanks to a drop in gas prices, according to AAA. More than 10 percent of the country’s population – north of 32 million people – is expected to ht the road (though some will take planes). This stands in stark contrast to last year, when it cost $4 to put a gallon of gas in your car.

But, the fun will end when the summer starts.

An estimated 20 million fewer trips will be taken this summer compared to last year – which translates to $43 billion less in travel spending. According to a recent poll by AP-GfK, a third of Americans have already canceled at least one trip this year as a result of the ongoing financial calamity. Only 42 percent of us are going to take a leisure trip this year, down from 49 percent in a similar poll conducted in May 2005.

Apparently … brace yourself … income is a factor. Two-thirds of people making more than $100,000 a year are expected to take some kind of recreational trip this summer. If you make $50,000 to $100,000, the chances are around 50-50. Only a third of people making less than $50,000 a year are likely to hit the road (all incomes based on family, rather than individual).

Grim? It gets worse.

Twelve percent of those traveling are staying in their home states, with 67 percent venturing across state lines and only 19 percent leaving the country. Twenty percent are staying close to home for financial reasons, and 23 percent will save a few bucks by staying with friends or family.

Memorial Day 2009 airfare deals — it’s not too late!

by Grant Martin on

Memorial Day is right around the corner. Have you got plans yet? Forget the fact that we’re under three weeks away, the economy is flailing and that your job is on the brink. If you factor a little bit of flexibility (read: sick day) into the equation there are still a ton of great deals on flights around the hemisphere. To help you out, we’ve compiled our top favorite deal from every large city in the US to give you some inspiration. Starting today, we’ll be updating the post every day to keep the best deals on the radar, all of the way up to May 22nd. So keep coming back and you just might find a good excuse to get the heck out of dodge.

Check out your city below to find our favorite deals. Got one of your own or found an expired fare? Leave your findings in the comments below and we’ll update the post!

For each of the fares below, run your search on Kayak.com. No hoops to jump through or tricks required!
Atlanta: Frankfurt — $430
Delta and KLM have crazy cheap prices to Frankfurt, Germany right now. Search for Thursday or Friday departures with returns on Monday or Tuesday to get the best price. (updated May 8, 1000)

Boston: San Pedro Sula, Honduras (pictured) — $294
Book tickets from BOS – SAP from Friday night to Tuesday afternoon on American. Use the flex search if you want greater availability. (updated May 8, 1005)

Chicago: Guadalajara, Mexico — $280
Prices are $15 more expensive to depart on Friday instead of Thursday, with returns on either Monday or Tuesday. Fly Delta jets, and don’t worry about the swine flu. (updated May 6, 2220)

Detroit: San Pedro Sula, Honduras — $296
Take Monday off and you can get away with a super cheap fare to SAP, just a hop skip and a jump away from the gorgeous Caribbean coast. (updated May 6, 2220)

Dallas: Monterrey, Mexico — $285
It’s less than three hundred bucks to get to Baja, Mexico on Continental Airlines. Stock up on tequilla, Kahlua and Vicodin to make it worth you dollar. (updated May 6, 2220)

Los Angeles, California: New York City — $267
There’s nothing between Los Angeles and New York anyway, right? Why not take advantage of the current fare wars, book a ticket on any number of available carriers and dates and visit your brothers and sisters on the right coast. We still have our Christmas trees up! (updated May 8, 1009)

Miami: Central America: <$250
Hey Miami: You have no excuse to be staying home this Memorial Day. Nearly every Central American city is in sale from your airport this May, all at excellent prices. Throw a dart into a map and you’ll find a good price. We promise.

Minneapolis: Panama City, Panama (pictured) — $324
While Honduras is still a great bargain at just over $300, we’re going to go ahead and recommend Panama City, Panama as an interesting alternative. Because you’re cooler than Detroit or Boston anyway, aren’t you? Depart on Thursday or Friday and return on Monday or Tuesday. (updated May 8, 2220)

New York City: San Salvador, El Salvador — $251
San Salvador, El Salvador to Central America is the Greenpoint to New York City. Best to get down there while us mouth breathers haven’t figured it out yet. The schedule is wide open on Delta. (updated May 6, 2220)

San Francisco: San Jose, Costa Rica — $462
Why not visit the cool San Jose and stop by Costa Rica for the weekend? You can book tickets on United and Frontier Airlines for travel between Friday and Tuesday. Too expensive? Join the other Californians and fly to the east coast for around $250 (updated May 8, 1015)

Seattle: Juneau, Alaska — $396
Visit your neighbors up north before the pesky tourists destroy all of the fun. You can fly on Alaska Airlines on an open schedule and even get double miles! (updated May 6, 2250)

Washington DC: San Pedro Sula — $231
Once again, Honduras brings in a ringer with sub $250 fares from the nation’s capital on Taca airlines. Depart on Friday afternoon and return on either Monday or Tuesday to get the best price. (updated May 8, 1015)

Not happy with your candidate? Try mixing your former city pair with a latter destination. Chances are, that city is on sale for a reason and it’ll be a similar price from your home town.

Happy hunting!

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Changing of the Guard

by Jamie Rhein on

At 3:00 p.m. today, there is a supposed to be a moment of silence to honor those who have died in war. I’m not usually one to be moved by pomp and circumstance, although, during high school graduations, the song “Pomp and Circumstance” played by a high school band does tear me up. Even though this is how I am, the “Changing of the Guard” at the Tomb of the Unknowns, another name for the memorial in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., is an experience I’ve never forgotten. There is something tender and honorable in the gesture of remembrance. So, here is my 3:00 p.m. EST offering.

The laying of a wreath at the tomb is one in which the public can participate. Here are four middle schoolers doing just that. Ignore the kid at the end of the video. The person who shot the tape was not too pleased, but in a way, that’s how life is. As we travel about, those we come in contact with don’t necessarily see life–or memorials, the way we do.

Tips for taking photos of memorials on Memorial Day

by Jamie Rhein on

Perhaps you’ve been one of the people jockeying for position to snap a photo of a memorial that other people are also trying to capture. Getting a photo that looks different than what the person standing next to you has taken can be a challenge. Plus, memorials are inanimate objects that might not look all that interesting in those vacation photos after all.

I came across these photo tips for taking photos of memorials from Rambling Traveler . Each are simple to follow and effective. The focus of her shots are memorials in Washington, D.C., but would work anywhere you happen to be.

One of the tips I particularly like is to take photos with people in them. Notice that these are natural shots. There are none of those types where family and friends are looking at the camera.

If you want shots of people reading quotes, don’t think it’s cheating to move someone reading a quote to get a better angle and tell them to stay still while you’re focusing. You’re creating a composition. Sometimes this is necessary to make sure a person isn’t hidden in a shadow, or that the quote is visible. Take more than one shot to make sure you get one that you like.

This photo by David Paul Ohmer on Flickr of the Vietnam War Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery the National Mall has the added detail of the wreath and the small flag. The white hat and the raised arm with the pen pointing at a name also add visual interest. If you look at the larger version, you’ll see reflections of other people. Well done!

Civil War bus tour in Washington, D.C.

by Jamie Rhein on

Jeffrey recently wrote a post about the Gettysburg electric map that depicts this battle in different colored electric lights. The map may become no more, but here is a new opportunity to learn about the Civil War. In Washington, D.C., starting Memorial Day weekend, the bus tour “Civil War Washington: Soldiers and Citizens” will be taking people to several sites important to the time period.

On the list of stops:

  • Lincoln Cottage on the grounds of the U.S. Armed Forces Retirement Home. This is where Abe Lincoln went to as a summer retreat.
  • Fort Stevens which was attacked during the Civil War
  • The African American Civil War Memorial
  • Peterson House where Lincoln died. He was taken to this house from the Ford Theater where he was shot.

As with any bus tour worth the money, this tour gives insider type information like how Matthew Brady, a Civil War photographer attempted to get his shots. For information about the tour, click here.