TripCart's US Travel Blog

Fall Foliage Cruises

TripCart — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:19:51 +0000

If you’ve got the money and you’ve got the time, then there’s no better way to welcome the autumn season than with a cruise that focuses on the beautiful, changing colors of fall. Fall foliage cruises are relaxing, you don’t need to worry about getting a sunburn out on the deck, and you get to sit back and revel at some of the year’s most spectacular scenery.

Fall foliage cruises and tours are gaining popularity and sometimes you need to book a spot well in advance. So here’s a sneak peek at some of the best foliage cruises in the U.S. this coming fall:

American Cruise Lines is your ticket to New York State fall foliage. The cruises take you through NY ports to see breathtaking Catskills and Hudson Valley fall foliage, as well fall foliage with a city backdrop along the island of Manhattan. NY foliage is some of the best, especially once you get out of the city and remember that there’s so much more to NY State than just the Big Apple!
Board the Lady Katharine and cruise down the Connecticut River for Lunch and Sunday Brunch Fall Foliage Cruises. You’ll see some of the best fall foliage in New England as you enjoy a classic Sunday brunch.
The Isles of Shoals Fall Sightseeing Cruises highlight the best of the best of New Hampshire fall foliage. This is sort of a three-in-one cruise that also shows off New Hampshire’s stunning islands and historic lighthouses.
Get up close and personal with Maine fall foliage with the Maine Windjammer Association Fall Cruises. Unlike most other fall foliage cruises which offer one day excursions, the Maine Windjammer Cruises, aboard historic ships, offer four day trips in September and October.
New England’s not the only place where you can cruise for views! In fact, you’ll be wowed by colorful aspens and maples along the Rocky Mountains. Early October is peak viewing time for fall foliage in Colorado, so you better act quick before the snow start pouring down on the Rocky Mountain area and it’s too late to enjoy the Colorado fall colors!
You can experience Virginia and Maryland fall foliage by cruising through the Chesapeake Bay with American Cruise Lines (same fleet as number one). You’ll also see lighthouses along the way.

Book your fall foliage cruise soon and you’ll be well on your way to experiencing first hand what makes the United States so special in the fall.

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Black History Sites continued

TripCart — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:22:40 +0000

In celebration of Black History Month, the TripCart crew is campaigning to promote travel sites in the US that explore and educate about the struggles and successes of the African American community, from slavery, through the civil rights movement, until today.

Check out our last post for a list of museums and memorials in the northeast, and read on for the continuation of sites in the rest of the country that celebrate African American history and culture.

Further Reading:

Black History Sites (Northeast USA)

TripCart — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 13:54:57 +0000

February is Black History Month, and we at TripCart have done all the work for you and compiled a list of sites in the U.S. that are dedicated to the history and culture of the African American community. (You can thank us later.) So now that you don’t have to even do the research, you have no excuse not to visit one of these museums or historic monuments during the month.

From fantastic exhibits of slavery in America at the United States National Slavery Museum to a survey of African art at the Museum for African Art to a memorial honoring a historic black leader at the Booker T. Washington National Monument, you’ll learn more this month throughout your travels than you learned during all those years at grade school.

Got the kids with you? They’ll particularly like Oran Z’s Pan African Black Facts and Wax Museum, the African American Firefighters Museum, and the Bronzeville Children’s Museum (located at the Plaza Shopping Center in Evergreen Park, Illinois), the only children’s museum in the country dedicated African American history and culture.

The list is a bit long, so for today we’ll share all the sites in the northeast (down to Virginia), and next post will continue with the rest of the country. Enjoy!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

TripCart — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 11:40:31 +0000

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! This is a day where we in the travel world take a step back and are able to see the wide influence that Dr. King has had on our nation. Some of the most popular historic sites are dedicated to the memory of the man who changed the face of race relations and civil rights forever.

A man who believed in equality and in peace, the day commemorating the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. is a day to reflect on the principles he stood for – human rights, racial equality, and believing in your dreams.

It’s also a great time to visit some of the sites where Dr. King spoke, taught, and spread his influence. Below is a list of great spots where you can learn more and appreciate more this great man:

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site – Atlanta Georgia
Ebenezer Baptist Church – Atlanta, Georgia – Three generations of Kings preached at this church and on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day there’s a special service.
Sweet Auburn Historic District – Atlanta, Georgia – This is the neighborhood where MLK grew up.
Washington National Cathedral – Washington, D.C. – Dr. King delivered his final Sunday sermon here, just days before his assassination. His memorial service was held here as well.
Abraham Lincoln Memorial – Washington, D.C. – MLK delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963.
National Portrait Gallery – Washington, D.C. – You can see a nice portrait of Dr. King here.

Follow your dreams!

Further Reading:

Support our Nation’s Zoos!

TripCart — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:26:39 +0000

In the midst of a financial meltdown, we’re seeing budget cuts all over the place. Projects are being abandoned, jobs are being lost, houses are not selling…and zoos and aquariums are being neglected. Zoo budgets all across the country are being cut nearly in half in some cases, even more.

What can you do to help? Visit your local zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden! Bring the whole family and make it a fun, not too expensive outing. Don’t take our hardships out on the animals – they need visitors too!

I came across this article on foxnews.com that explains further:

SYRACUSE, New York — Even porcupines could get pink slips in the slumping economy as U.S. states consider cutting or eliminating funding that supports zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens.
As part of his plan to help New York address a potential $15.4 billion budget shortfall, Gov. David Paterson has called for cutting funding for the Zoo, Botanical Garden and Aquarium Program from $9 million to $4 million in the state’s 2009 budget and for eliminating funding in 2010.
“We can’t fire our bears or furlough our sea lions,” said John Calvelli, executive vice president of public affairs for the Wildlife Conservation Society, which operates the Central Park and Bronx zoos and the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn, among others.
New York isn’t the only place where hard financial times threaten government support for zoos, aquariums and gardens — known collectively as “living museums.”
In California, city council members ordered work halted late last year on a new $42 million elephant exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo because of the city’s fiscal woes. In North Carolina, state lawmakers recently told the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro it won’t get $4 million for repairs and new exhibits because of a budget shortfall.
Last year, city leaders slashed the Kansas City Zoo‘s budget by 20 percent, while The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore closed four weeks early this winter to save money and offset budget cuts from the state Legislature. In Florida, state lawmakers cut $2 million for manatee hospitals at Lowry Park Zoo, SeaWorld and the Miami Seaquarium.

Click to read the entire article on FoxNews…

Further Reading:

Recovery Spas

TripCart — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:30:58 +0000

There are not, to my knowledge, places actually called “Recovery Spas”, but if you’re like me, you know what it means intuitively. First let me tell you what a recovery spa is not:

A recovery spa probably does not exist in Las Vegas. Or probably not in any other city filled with noise and bright lights.
A recovery spa is probably not a part of a chain with commercial elements to its décor.
A recovery spa is definitely not ugly, noisy, dirty, or any other adjective that elicits stress.

So what is a recovery spa?

A recovery spa is a place where when you walk out the front door, you find yourself still in a place of peace and serenity.
A recovery spa might be privately owned, rustic, quiet, beautiful, and health oriented.
A recovery spa makes sure that guests get the attention they need, while simultaneously giving them space to contemplate, drink tea, relax, and recover from whatever stresses led them to recovery in the first place.

Sound like your cup of tea? With the holiday season already in full action, the idea of “stress” becomes more and more a part of our everyday reality. Who are we going to invite? What are we going to buy? How am I NOT going to gain 10 pounds this month? And lastly, how am I ever going to afford all this stuff? Seems like most of us need a break after winter break.

Believe me, being in the travel industry, we at TripCart know what it feels like to need a vacation from the vacation. So book a day or two at one of these stress-free spas, leave the holidays behind you, and recover. That’s what they’re there for.

Last but not least, try not to let the holidays get you down—it’s supposed to be a joyous and exciting time, not stressful!

Further Reading:

Holiday Shopping – online vs. the mall? Part Two

TripCart — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 23:11:42 +0000

And even more reasons to get up, get dressed, and brave the crowds at your local shopping mall:
6. It’s social. Bring your kids to see Santa and you’ve got a fun afternoon activity during a long activity-less winter break. Bring your BFF and you’ve got hours to catch up on girltalk. Bring your boyfriend and all of a sudden shopping is a date.
7. Movies. Sure you can watch a movie online, but we all know that’s not nearly as much fun as the big screen.
8. See if it works. The last thing you want is to buy an ipod online, get it in the mail a day before Christmas, and then realize that you’ve gotten a dud. You’ll end up running out the mall anyways. Why not just avoid that possibility?
9. Quality. Ever notice how things aren’t their real size online? And that you can’t actually see your product in action? When I was a kid I bought a banana plant online. The picture showed this gigantic banana tree filled with leaves and fruit. When I got it, it was a little shriveled up twig in a pile of frozen dirt.
10. It’s fun. You can test the video game you’re thinking about buying. You get to taste a piece of Godiva chocolate before settling on a gift box. Need I say more?

Remember, outdoors is best for relieving shopping claustrophobia. Here are a few more outdoor malls we like. These are all located on the West Coast. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays from the travel crew at TripCart!

Further Reading:

Holiday Shopping – online vs. the mall?

TripCart — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:32:27 +0000

And the battle begins! Every year you probably debate charging the crowds at your local mall or staying in pjs on the couch and doing your Christmas shopping online. Since we at TripCart always advocate the more active option, we’ve compiled a few reasons why you should get off your butts and head to the shops this holiday season:

It’s good exercise! An hour and a half of shopping can burn 325 calories. Try on lots of clothes and that number goes up. Con: Pig out on mall food and that number will likely sink.
Variety, variety, variety! You want to buy your mom some new lotion – don’t you want to smell all your options before you buy?
What you see is what you get: You’re buying a sweater for your niece – but can you really tell how soft it feels by looking at a picture? Also, does size 6x mean anything to you?
Sales. You may THINK you want to get your boyfriend a new wallet, but when you see that Wilson’s Leather is having a sale, and you can get an awesome jacket for just a wee bit more money, you may change your mind and end up with a better gift and a great deal.
S&H. Who wants to pay for shipping & handling fees? Not us!

Tip: To avoid crowds and get some fresh air along the way, find an outdoor mall in your area and take advantage of its early and extended hours during the holiday season. Here’s a short list of nice outdoor malls we’ve found:

Happy Holiday shopping! Have fun and good luck!

Further Reading:

Virginia is for lovers, and so is D.C., Maryland, and North Carolina!

TripCart — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:32:03 +0000

As we move down the East Coast, our romantic tour intensifies. Enjoy stargazing and camping out, beach bumming and dining out—all in the name of love (cheesy background music starts…).

Welcome to the mid-Atlantic region of love!

Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD Romance – Have a romantic picnic in Washintgon, D.C.’s 70-acre White House President’s Park just outside our nation’s capitol, then get a couple’s massage at the exclusive Mandarin Oriental Spa.
Eastern North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland Romance – Choose a beach area, bring a blanket, and take refuge from the sun under a big beach umbrella with your honey. See the ocean at North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Virginia Beach, or the Assateague Island National Seashore Beach in Maryland. Head back inland a bit and spend some time-for-two at the Kingsmill Resort & Spa near Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia!
Southern Appalachian Mountains Romance – Get some R&R and a much deserved massage at the Homestead Resort & Spa in Hot Springs, Virginia.

Have fun, you lovebirds!

Further Reading:

Largest malls in America

TripCart — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:57:04 +0000

We at tripcart firmly believe in the importance of the shopping experience, which is why we devote so much time to telling you about all the malls in the U.S. Apparently we’re not the only ones who take a vested interest in the subject—I googled “best malls in America” and got over six millions hits. It seems like everyone’s got their opinion on the best place to shop. So I’ve decided to narrow it down to something a bit more objective: the largest malls in America.

Here is a study done by the Shopping Mall and Shopping Center Studies department who knew??) at Eastern Connecticut State University. These large malls are all 2.2 million square feet or larger (of gross leasable area), are in order from largest to smallest, and include the anchor stores. This list was last updated in October 2008, so it’s up-to-date and practical as well! And with Thanksgiving behind us and the holiday season just up ahead, it certainly can’t hurt to start getting acquainted with the world of shopping madness out there. Enjoy! (P.S. The Mall of America is NOT the largest mall in America – though it does have the most stores.)

Eastwood Mall Complex – Youngstown, Ohio
King of Prussia Mall – King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Mall of America – Bloomington, Minnesota
South Coast Plaza – Costa Mesa, California
Millcreek Mall – Erie, Pennsylvania
Grand Canyon Parkway – Las Vegas, Nevada
Roosevelt Field Mall – Long Island, New York
Aventura Mall – Miami, Florida
Sawgrass Mills – Sunrise, Florida
Woodfield Mall – Schaumburg, Illinois
Tysons Corner Center – McLean, Virginia
Palisades Center – West Nyack, New York

Further Reading: