Clark Howard: Travel e-Scapes Newsletter September 15, 2009 on clarkhoward.com

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Clark Howard's Travel e-Scapes - 15 September 2009
Clara Bosonetto Maerz, Editor
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Travel tips, tidbits & trivia

A group of enthusiasts New Zealanders are hard at work creating a trail called Te Araroa, or the Long Pathway, which will run the entire length of the country. The 3,000 kilometer (1,864 miles) track will link Cape Reinga, at the very tip of the North Island, with Bluff, at the bottom of the South Island. The walkway is expected to attract worldwide tourists for the stunning scenery and history. It is not an isolated mountain tramping path, but a town-to-town route linking 76 towns and six cities. The project is fast becoming a reality with the recent opening of the Hawea River Track between Hawea and Albert Town near Otago on the South Island. Only 250 kilometers are left to be constructed. Completion is slated for November, 2010. The pathway will be one of the longest walking trails in the world and will take four months to walk from start to finish.
Disney Cruise Line will add 18 seven-night Alaskan cruises during the summer of 2011. The Disney Wonderwill depart out of Vancouver, B.C. and call at popular ports such as Tracy Arm, Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway. The inaugural cruise will sail May 3 with the final seasonal departure on August 30. Rates for the seven-night Alaskan itinerary start at $939 per person for a standard inside stateroom, double occupancy. Guests can book the Disney Wonder cruises starting September 28.
A public address system aboard an Aer Lingus Dublin-to-Paris flight malfunctioned on August 4 sending passengers into a panic. The PA system on the A320 Airbus flight told passengers in an English-language announcement to prepare for an emergency landing 20 minutes after leaving Dublin. However, the pre-recorded French version said they were about to ditch. The recording indicated the emergency exits and told passengers to await further instructions from the captain. It took a few minutes before the cabin crew realized the error and to make an apology to its passengers.
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HOT domestic & international deals!

The following rates could vanish at any time. HOT deals have no ticket-by date - meaning the airlines can 'pull' the deals when they deem the offer a sell-out or an error. Act fast!

DEAL OF THE DAY! One-way from Atlanta:
$91 each way, Austin, Texas
A 14-day advance purchase required
Travel any available day
Complete travel by August 12, 2010
No blackouts
Valid on American
Inclusive rate: $112.20

One-way from Atlanta:
$144 each, way Bermuda
A 3-day advance purchase required
Travel any available day
Complete travel by August 12, 2010
Blackouts: January 2-4 to Bermuda/to the U.S. December 18-24, 26-28
Valid on American
Inclusive rate: $174.10.
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More great international deals!

The following rates have a ticket-by date which gives you a bit more breathing room on making a purchase. But don't delay as deals can also vanish when the airline deems the offer either a mistake or a sell-out!

One-way from Atlanta:
$174 each way, Ottowa, Ontario or Quebec City, Montreal
$183 each way, Halifax, Nova Scotia
A 14-day advance purchase required
Travel any available day
Complete travel by December 16
No blackouts
Purchase by September 17
Valid on Air Canada, Continental, Delta, United or USAirways
Inclusive rates: $216.73 YOW/YQB; $226.40 YHZ (Halifax)

Round-trip from Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina:
$215 GSP to London
Depart Sunday-Thursday/return Monday-Thursday
Add $20 per direction for other days
Stay a weekend to 90 days
Depart October 25-March 28
Purchase by September 18
Valid on Delta
Inclusive rate: $593.90
Compare to the round-trip rate from Atlanta: $746.40
Note: Travel time by road from ATL is about 2.5 hours (I-85 north to Exit 57)
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Top 10 Off-Season Getaways

It may be time to say good-by to summer, but not to the seaside. Here's a Top 10 list of places to visit during the weeks of autumn or even year-round!
1. Block Island, Rhode Island: Explore 17 miles of public beachfront (protected by lighthouses and spectacular bluffs) or hit the 40 miles of nature trails. Bring along your bike or moped to tour this 3-by-7 mile island. After summer ends, shops only open on weekends and there are just a few open restaurants. The passenger and vehicle ferry runs a few times a day from Point Judith. How can you go wrong here? The Nature Conservancy has designated Block Island as "one of the 12 last great places in the Western Hemisphere."
2. Port Isabel, Texas: Soak up a bit of Rio Grande Valley history on the border with Mexico in the oldest city in south Texas. Visit the Port Isabel Lighthouse and climb 72 steps to the top for sprawling bay views. On November 1, the area will host the World's Championship Shrimp Cook-Off.
3. Pink Sands, Harbour Island, Bahamas: This Out Island resort offers high-end amenities, Caribbean-fusion cuisine and expansive Atlantic views. This award-winning resort reopens October 8 with offers of one-bedroom gardenview cottages from $600 per night on stays through December 18. Accommodations are situated directly on the Bahamas' signature pink sands. A fifth night free offer includes VIP airport transfers upon arrival only and daily continental breakfast for two. Pink Sands is 50 miles east of Nassau; 20 minutes by land or water taxi from the North Eleuthera international airport (ELH).
4. Pacifica, California: The harvest season for Dungeness crab begins in November. Watch the fresh catch come in at the 1,140-foot Pacifica Municipal Pier at Sharp Park Beach (just 15 minutes south of downtown San Francisco). Hike Milagra Ridge, 239 acres of Bay Area open space overlooking the Pacific, where foxes, deer, and even bobcats have been spotted.
5. Sunset Beach, Oahu's North Shore, Hawaii: Of Oahu's more than 125 beaches, this one best captures the attention of both surfers and spectators from November to February. Professional boarders flock to Sunset Beach to catch monster waves that roll in from storms in the north Pacific, thousands of miles away. Go to watch the daredevils along two miles of shorefront. Van's Triple Crown of Surfing runs November 12-December 20. The series features three men's and three women's events with over $800,000 in prize money.
6. Ingonish, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia: A birder and photographer paradise. Start at the Highlands National Park, near Cape Breton. The Lantern Hill & Hollow's oceanfront cottages are just off the Cabot Trail, where bird lovers can view shorebirds and seabirds, including Atlantic puffin and northern gannet. The closest airport is Sydney (one-way Air Canada rates from $360; book by September 17).
7. Virginia Beach boardwalk, Virginia: More than 30 blocks of Virginia Beach's boardwalk light up each evening for the annual Holiday Lights at the Beach, November 20-January 3. This is the only time of year cars are allowed the boardwalk. For six weeks, visitors are treated to more than 250 animated displays, including sailboats, mermaids, colorful fish, and holiday icons. Each vehicle gets a CD of holiday music to listen to on the glowing drive ($10 per car).
8. Sunset Beach, North Carolina: Tee up on Sunset Beach, the southernmost of North Carolina's Brunswick Islands. It's a golfer's dream (only three miles long), with more than 100 courses within 40 miles, and semitropical weather enjoyed year-round (autumn and winter temperatures rarely drop below 50 degrees). Enjoy a two-night "Endless Summer" package at The Winds Resort Beach Club includes accommodations (Camellia Guest Room) with a wet bar, microwave and refrigerator, sitting area and an island view deck; hot Southern breakfast buffet; champagne for a private toast and use of complimentary bikes to explore the island from $199 on Sunday-Thursday arrivals from October 4-29.
9. La Jolla Cove, California: This sheltered and protected marine sanctuary within the San Diego La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve provides some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the area with underwater visibility exceeding 30 feet. Explore a submarine canyon, reefs, and shipwrecks.
10. Long Beach, Long Beach Peninsula, Washington: If you like it stormy, brave the wind and rain on this peninsula approximately 200 miles southwest of Seattle. Photo ops of raw beauty are endless. Visit the boardwalk and the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center - both situated on this stretch of coast known as the "Graveyard of the Pacific."

Source: Coastal Living
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The Strip & southern islands
A new billion dollar resort recently opened its fancy doors on the Vegas Strip. The new 90-acre M Resort Spa & Casino features oversized guestrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, a 42-in. LCD HDTV and a Bose sound system. Resort highlights include indoor and outdoor gambling action, a 100,000-sq.-ft. pool, a grand spa and five bars and lounges. Stay now through December 2 for as low as $63 per midweek night and receive a room upgrade (if available), comp wifi, access to the spa and fitness center and comp shuttle service to/from the airport and Fashion Show Mall. Rates over weekends start from $115. Refer to promo code: T9TICKR.
A "Grand Opening Celebration" package is offered at the Radisson St Martin Resort, Marina & Spa. A deeply discounted rate of 79 euro (about $115) includes a Superior room, comp in-room wifi and children 11 years of age and younger stay free when sharing a room with parents in existing bedding. This rate is valid on stays through December 17. This new 18-acre resort sits long 1,600 feet of protected Caribbean beach (on St. Martin's French side), along the picturesque cove of Anse Marcel, and surrounded by hills on three sides. Highlights include designer rooms with Sleep Number bedding, Le Spa, a market-style bistro, cooking classes, wine and mixology classes, a gourmet French-Caribbean seaside restaurant, galleries, boutiques and opportunities to book diving, kayaking and island excursions. Book this package by September 30.
In south Florida, stay at the Hutchinson Island Marriott Resort now through January 31 (some blackouts apply) from $159 per night and receive overnight accommodations and a $50 daily resort credit. Book your fall escape using code D50. Staying longer? Use promotional code ZZ1 to book a two-night stay, from $169 per night, and get the third night stay free through December 31. This unique resort offers a wide array of activities including The Ocean Club, our 18-hole executive golf course, 13 tennis courts, unspoiled beaches, deep sea fishing and a 77-slip marina - away from the congestion of Miami Beach!
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Travel quote

Few tourists realize the irony that their trip to the Galapagos is putting strain on the very unspoilt beauty they are there to see. / Tom Hall, of the travel guide Lonely Planet, commenting on recent island protests to block flocks of tourists to Easter Island.

Tiny Easter Island, part of Chile and famed for its massive ancient stone statues, has recently been inundated with a population growth of nearly 30% since 2002.

Its residents fear they face an ecological disaster should the flow of tourists not be controlled. Some want a quick resolve with immigration controls that permit a maximum stay of 14 days for a short-term tourist and no longer than six months for others.

Easter Island records that 65,000 visitors arrive by air each year.

The neighboring Galapagos Islands, the Pacific archipelago famous for its huge number of endemic species, saw an increase in the number of visitors from 40,000 in 1990 to more than 170,000 last year.

Two years ago the islands were added to the list of 31 endangered world heritage sites by UNESCO.

Local islander fears have credibility. This summer, British and Ecuadorian scientists discovered that a mosquito carrying avian malaria that threatens the unique ecosystem of the Galapagos islands. The mosquito was brought in by tourists.
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NOTE! Unless otherwise stated above, follow these guidelines when booking special airfares from Clark Howard's e-Scapes newsletter:
No expiration of travel means the rate is valid on trips taken over the next 331 days, or the advance booking window allowed on most airlines.
International rates are based on mid-week travel days, or with most airlines Mon.-Thurs. (one exception is Mon.-Wed. with British Airways).
Economy class airfares to Europe require a minimum stay requirement of a Saturday night and a maximum stay of a month.
Economy class airfare to Asia, Africa, India and the Middle East typically require a 6-day minimum stay; 30-day maximum.
Most domestic coach class airfares, including Canada and Hawaii, are based on mid-week travel.
Weekend travel days are typically $10-$30 higher, per direction, for both domestic and international destinations.
All airfares shown on e-Scapes are exclusive of taxes, fees, unless noted otherwise.
Fuel surcharges on international trips can add from $75-$320, each way, to base rates shown above. Surcharges vary by country/continent.
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Clark Howard's Travel e-Scapes Team reminds you that the information in this newsletter is researched on the same day that you receive it. It can happen that by the time you read your copy a particular airfare may already have expired, especially the "HOT" deals listed. Airlines can publish and then 'pull', or discontinue sales without warning. Timing is everything!

Buy tickets at the offering airline or at your favorite travel Web site.

Get more of Clark's best travel deals Mondays through Fridays Clark's Travel Tips page.

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