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McCool Travel wants to be your number one source for learning how to save money on travel.
To celebrate–whether you are a long time follower and first time visitor–McCool Travel is giving away up to five prizes.
To be eligible to win a prize, simply leave a comment to this post. This is the only place where you can enter this contest.
The prizes are five separate travel luggage tags. One each from Maui, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines and two from JetBlue.
McCool Travel Contest - Giveaway
Rules:
- prizes will only be mailed to US addresses
- one entry (please) and prize per person
- one prize will be given for every 25 entries
- winners will be selected at random on June 5, 2011
- winners will be contacted at the email address listed on the comment entry
- Good luck!
Charles McCool is an independent consumer travel advocate.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool
Memorial Day weekend, starting this afternoon, marks the unofficial beginning of summer in much of the United States. The roads and the air will be packed with people traveling. Many travelers will be visiting a beach for the first time this year.
Are you going to a beach this weekend? What is your favorite beach?
Anna Maria Island beach
If you are traveling this weekend, have a memorable and safe journey.
Charles McCool is an independent consumer travel advocate.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool
Once upon a time cemeteries creeped me out. Since I caught the genealogy bug about 15 years ago, I love visiting cemeteries. Cemeteries are a wonderful source of history, are often very scenic, and usually great for walks.
Last month, I visited the Key West Cemetery and found this memorial in one family’s plot.
I will cover visiting cemeteries on trips in future posts. Send pictures and specific cemetery recommendations to me by email (CharlesMcCool -at- gmail -dot- com).
Charles McCool is an independent consumer travel advocate.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool
In yesterday’s post, I talked about the song from The Police with “alabaster” (Wrapped Around Your Finger) in my head for a day.
Do you ever get an annoying catch phrase or song snippet cycling through your head? Over and over and over. Well, that was me with, “I will turn your face to alabaster…”
Good thing, I knew how to replace it with another song. Still in Marrakech, I wanted to visit the kasbah.
Walking there from my hotel, walking around the kasbah, walking back to the hotel, for most of the day, the new song in my head was Rock the Casbah by The Clash. This song is more political than the other two I mentioned. Well, just the tagline rolled around my head. Again, for hours–rock the casbah, rock the casbah.
Kasbah, by the way, is a walled, fort area, usually with a medina (oh, yeah, the 4th Song of Morocco would be Funky Cold Medina–you will be quizzed!).
The Marrakesh kasbah has several entrances but none is grander than the Bab Agnaou.
The 12th century walls have countless holes that are homes for pigeons. The tops of the walls have huge African stork nests.
Life inside the kasbah is more relaxed than in the Djemaa el Fna medina. There are vendors, stores, and hustlers–just not the overwhelming amount as in the very touristy Djemaa.
The kasbah is a bit off the beaten path but still visited by westerners. In fact, I saw two different large buses stop there during my visit but no other solo tourists. Once I got off the one or two main paths where the tours visited, I really enjoyed the authenticity of the kasbah.
Here is a typical residential courtyard.
This door must be at least as old as the 12th century walls.
Charles McCool is an independent consumer travel advocate.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool
Thank you for visiting McCool Travel.
Did you miss anything this past week on McCool Travel? Topics included debunking one cheap airfare myth, travel souvenirs, and much more.
The blog posts from McCool Travel this week:
May 16: Congratulations to Donna Hull, a McCool Travel Profile Subject
May 17: Travel Souvenirs
May 18: Cheap Airfare Myth: Never Buy on the Weekend
May 19: Songs of Morocco, Part 1
May 20: Songs of Morocco, Part 2
Have a fantastic week. You can contact me directly by email (CharlesMcCool -at- gmail -dot- com).
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool
In yesterday’s post, I talked about the song Marrakesh Express flowing through my brain as I waited for the train.
The following day, my first full day in Marrakech, I took a private tour into the Ourika Valley. The highlight of the tour was a two hour hike to view the seven waterfalls from the village of Setti Fatma.
The tour starts by crossing the Ourika River on a rickety bridge. I was there in March, so the water level was low. I was told that the water level is much higher in the summer.
After crossing the river, the guide lead me through the small village, including many vendor tables.
My guide spoke a little bit of English but more French and Spanish. My French and Spanish are much less than passable but we tried to communicate. He kept saying that the vendors, I mean artists, made trinkets, I mean crafts, out of alabaster. Well, alabaster made my think of that song by The Police (Wrapped Around Your Finger). Unfortunately, I don’t really like the song and it stuck in my head for the entire hike and the rest of the day.
After a couple of vendors, I told him I was not going to buy anything and we do not have to stop at any tables. I did not count the waterfalls but it was a wonderful hike.
Lest you think I did not actually go on the hike, here I am at the last waterfall (the turn-around spot).
The scenery was spectacular along the entire hike but I loved seeing this remote, ancient village nestled in the Atlas Mountains. The only way in and out is by foot or “donkey path” as my guide said. In fact, you can see a couple of people walking into the village.
But I kept humming and saying that alabaster line in my head for hours–the rest of the hike, the rest of the tour, and most of the day and night.
That is, until I encountered the third song of Morocco. Can you guess it?
Charles McCool is an independent consumer travel advocate.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool
About 24 hours after landing in Casablanca, I bought a train ticket to Marrakesh.
Waiting for the incoming train before boarding, the melody of the song Marrakesh Express naturally flowed through my brain.
The train ride to Marrakesh is about three and half hours. Lucky for me, our train was luxurious. The first class compartment had nice single seats in an open car, versus the six cramped seats in a compartment (as on the return trip).
The first class fare was 140 Dirhams, which was less than $20. In between talking to people and walking around the train, I listened to songs on my iPod Shuffle. I did not have Marrakesh Express in my library but I did have other CSN songs. Anyway, Marrakesh Express stayed in my head until the following day.
Charles McCool is an independent consumer travel advocate.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool
Many travel experts preach to never buy airline tickets on weekends.
I am here to tell you that it is a myth.
Why is it a myth?
To disprove a “never” statement, all I have to do is find one instance where an airfare is lower on the weekend.
“… but,” the experts say (in the above case, it is a WSJ article), “the average airfare is higher on weekend days.” Well, then, do not say NEVER buy airfares on the weekend. Say that airfare average prices or that most airfares are higher on weekends.
Silly me, people will not read an article unless it has an overblown, exaggerated title.
Examples
I bought an airline ticket this past Sunday. GASP.
On Sunday, the person I bought the ticket for was ready to buy. I had tracked the fare for a few days so I knew what the cheapest flight would cost.
It was the same price on Sunday. Not higher.
Another example. Last week, airlines came out with some great airfares to Hawaii. On Thursday, DC to Honolulu was $475.
On Saturday, it was $456. The weekend price was LOWER.
Should I say ONLY buy on the weekend?
McCool Travel Cheap Airfare Rule: Buy Your Airfare When It Is a Good Deal
The cheapest airfare might be on a weekday. The cheapest airfare might be on the weekend. Perhaps both.
Never say never. “Never buy airfares on the weekend” is a myth.
Use common sense. Do simple research, track airfares, and buy when you are ready and it is a cheap fare.
It could be a weekday, weekend, or holiday. Any day can be a great day for a cheap airfare.
Charles McCool is an independent consumer travel advocate.
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool
Yesterday, Marianne Schwab (of BestTravelDealsTips.com) asked on Facebook about favorite travel souvenirs.
As most, I have favorite souvenir items–like a boomerang from Australia and a stein from Germany. Really, though, it made me think of collections of souvenirs–things I like to buy in most places I visit.
I have gone through phases of collecting travel souvenirs. I collected post cards, t-shirts, shot glasses, stickers and stamps, and magnets.
As a family, we collected some snow globes. Many years ago, when TSA (“here for your convenience”) confiscated the water from our Ireland snow globe we had to switch allegiances. Interestingly, the snow globe was not a security risk between Ireland and the US; only between Philadelphia and Virginia. Another rant for another time. Besides, it partially led to the creation of some great iPhone apps: Snow Globe Maker.
Anyway, a few years ago we started buying decks of playing cards. Now, in most places we visit, I buy a deck of playing cards.
Playing cards are great!
First of all, playing cards are functional. If a flight is delayed, or you are on a long train ride, you can play solitaire or gin rummy with a travel partner–or make a new friend.
Second, TSA is not (yet) confiscating playing cards. Decks of playing cards are easy to carry, do not take up much room, and are not fragile.
Third, playing cards are visually appealing. I have decks with the Jamaican flag, Route 66 sign, flamenco dancers, Caribbean treasure maps, and sunsets.
Are playing cards the perfect travel souvenir?
What are some of your favorite travel souvenirs? Do you have collections?
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
© 2011, Charles McCool. All rights reserved.
Two weeks ago, I published a McCool Travel Q&A profile interview with Donna Hull. Last week, she appeared in a CNN article. CNN even used the same picture that I did.
Donna Hull, Nalychevo Nature Park, Siberia
The McCool Travel 5 Minute With series shares travel tips, stories, and experiences from travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons. Previous interview subjects have included Samantha Brown, Johnny Jet, and Pauline Frommer.
I would like to say that McCool Travel is the launching pad for travel experts. Would you like to be next? Do you want to appear in a future 5 Minute With post? Contact me directly by email (CharlesMcCool -at- gmail -dot- com).
For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool).
