USA Travel Guide

How’s this for good timing?

The Inlet Tower Anchorage Hotel & Suites, which I mentioned in last week’s post about the 2009 Iditarod Sled Dog Race, is hosting two Iditarod winners for a Meet & Greet on March 6, the day before the big race kicks off.

Mitch Seavey, who came out on top of the arduous contest back in 2004, will be on hand from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. to greet fans and share stories. A native of Minnesota who was raised in Seward, Alaska (where the true start of the race is held), Mitch Seavey first tackled the Iditarod in 1982 and has been a consistent challenger on the Sled Dog Race circuit ever since. It seems to run in the family, too. Three of his four sons have also competed in the Iditarod. (Learn more about Mitch Seavey).

Starting at 3:00 p.m., Mr. Seavey will bow out for the arrival of celebrated musher Jeff King, four-time winner of the Iditarod since 1993. Along with normal meet and greet fun, Mr. King will be signing copies of his book “Cold Hands, Warm Heart”, a collection of stories from his life with stirring artwork by his wife, Donna Gates King. Mr. King has over 34 years experience as a professional musher. (Learn more about Jeff King).

Here’s maybe the best part: both mushers are bringing their dogs, so don’t miss a chance see to the world’s best sled dogs up close.

Again the Meet & Greet (and Book Signing) with Mitch Seavey and Jeff King will be held at the Inlet Tower Hotel & Suites on Friday, March 6, 2009 starting at 2:00 p.m.

I love it when we recommend a hotel and then see cool, spontaneous stuff like this to back it up.

It hurts me to say it, but I know that some of you aren’t going anywhere for Spring Break 2009. As economic turmoil continues to slog about the country like a drunken gorilla, the staycation grows only more popular. I’ve railed again it in the past, but I must accept reality. The staycation is here to … stay (ba dum pshh).

At least I’ve got a good idea. Many seasonal attractions, especially amusement parks, open for special events the week the local schools celebrate Spring Break. These events often represent the best value-for-money opportunity to visit the park all year because along with free reign of the permanent attractions (rides, exhibits, restaurants), the parks often provide extra entertainment on the top in order to entice that much more business.

The Six Flags chain of amusement parks is a dependable choice in warmer states. A quick glance at their Web site revealed four parks celebrating the season with a special week. Participating parks include Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in San Francisco, Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta, and my beloved Six Flags Over Texas right here in Dallas (technically Arlington).

Six Flags Over Texas will be celebrating the season from March 14-22, 2009 with Spring Break Out. Details remain slim, but we know they’ll be augmenting they’re traditional theme park thrills with live concert stages throughout the park. No word yet on performers, but in the past they’ve featured some respectable acts: Rascal Flats, LeAnn Rimes, and Relient K to name the bigger ones.

Learn more about Spring Break at Six Flags.

This is usually when we recommend a hotel, but this being a staycation article, the hope really is that you won’t need one. If you happen to be traveling in the DFW area around the March 14-22 timeframe, consider the Doubletree Club Dallas – Farmers Branch. It’s a restful kind of place; affordable for business travel but appropriate for families. They’re about 12 miles out from Six Flags Over Texas, but with our highway system you can knock that out pretty quick.

For Spring Break on a budget, just look around your own town and you’ll find loads of fun, inexpensive ideas like these.

Hungry for more Spring Break deals and ideas? Head over to our Spring Break 2009 Ideas Center. We update daily with our latest posts.

There’s nothing quite like getting caught up in the spirit of a culture, especially if that culture is Irish, and double-especially if those Irish are in Washington, D.C. Arguably the most beautiful parade city in the world, D.C. is home to countless crowd-pleasing parades, and every year one of the most popular is the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Don’t miss your chance to visit our Nation’s Capital and witness a sensational event while you’re at it.

The 2009 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Washington, D.C. will be held on Sunday afternoon, March 15, and if you have the opportunity to go, you won’t want to miss it. Part reverence, part spectacle, all good family fun, the parade celebrates Irish American heritage with music, song, dance, floats and more. The two and a half-hour parade features military processions, high school marching bands, ornate floats, esteemed guests, traditional pipe bands, color guard, authentic Irish dancers, drum corps and doubtless a surprise or two.

The Washington, D.C. St Patrick’s Day Parade begins at 12:00 p.m. at Constitution and 7^th, and will proceed down to 17^th. You can view the parade from any point along the way, however for the very best view you’ll want to secure some seats in the Grandstand. Tickets and information are available at the Web site.

Your choice of Washington, D.C. hotel couldn’t be easier. The Phoenix Park Hotel is located just minutes from the beginning of the parade and grandstand, and what’s more, it’s an Irish-inspired hotel and home to D.C.’s most celebrated Irish pub, The Dubliner. Is it all falling together? You can enjoy the parade effortlessly, have a great time sightseeing on Capital Hill, then head to The Dubliner on the 17th for the most sacred of St. Patty’s Day traditions: getting smashed! No need to worry about getting back to the hotel, because you’re already there.

The 2009 St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Phoenix Park Hotel are a match made in shamrock-tinted heaven. Have a great time!

Fun Fact: In 2008, Dublin-based brewing company Guinness & Co. introduced Proposition 3-17, a very real proposition supporting St. Patrick’s Day as an official U.S. holiday. They’re lobbying for one million signatures, and you can join the fight right now. (Over 21 only, please).

Enough family fun! It’s time for bright, beautiful beaches overflowing with babes, bottles, and the occasional bouncy ball. It’s time for real Spring Break!

Being a USA Travel Guide, our knowledge of Mexico hotels is fairly limited, but that doesn’t mean we don’t know a thing or two about hot Spring Break beach vacations. Spring Break college students from all over the world tear up the west coast of the U.S. as well as anywhere, and we’ve got the perfect spot: Santa Monica, California.

Just south of California’s famous Malibu Beach and as close to Beverly Hills and Hollywood as any other coast city, Santa Monica is a happening party spot for anyone who can’t help but get caught up in the spirit. Miles of wide, clean beachfront attracts Spring Breakers by the thousands, not to mention the occasional movie star/pop idol/pro athlete/energy drink mogul.

As with all of our favorite Spring Break spots, it all comes down to options: 

• Santa Monica Beach – You know what you want: sizzling sun, pumping rhythms, and bronzed bodies (after all, they did film “Baywatch” here). You can make it a party every day, and the busier it gets, the more exciting the scene.
• Nightlife – Fun should never stop when the sun goes down. Keep it going at Santa Monica Beach or head back to your room, throw on your best and hit the club scene. There’s dozens to choose from, but for something a little different, check out Zanzibar. Great for music lovers!
• Montana Avenue – What’s a Spring Break vacation without a little shopping? Montana Avenue is the place in Santa Monica to find trendy boutiques and restaurants, and you may even catch a glimpse of a “dressed down” celeb. Look close, and you’ll probably recognize some scenery from your favorite tabloids.
• Santa Monica Pier – The most famous attraction in Santa Monica, the Pier offers a vast selection of things to do, including Pacific Park, the only admission-free amusement park in Los Angeles (that’s admission free, not free free). You can access the Pier straight from the beach whenever you find yourself wanting a change of pace. Learn more.
• Los Angeles – Not only do you have the beach, shops and nightlife of Santa Monica at your fingertips, you’re just a quick trip to endless delights of Los Angeles, including Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Santa Monica Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, and Hollywood. Don’t miss your chance to see it all.

And that only scratches the surface. Spring Break beach vacations in Santa Monica, California are all about good-old-fashioned, not-so-wholesome fun, and they’re a safe and affordable alternative to coastal Mexico. For Spring Break 2009, give this one a try.

For hotels in Santa Monica, you can’t go wrong with Holiday Inn Santa Monica Beach – At the Pier. You’ll enjoy competitive Holiday Inn prices, made even better by splitting the cost with friends, on-site dining and an easy walk to Santa Monica Pier and the beach. Get out there, be safe and have a great time!

Got more ideas for Spring Break beach vacations? Have a favorite nightspot in Santa Monica? Let us know about it in the comments so everyone can check it out. Head over to our Spring Break 2009 Ideas Center for more coverage.

Been there? Done that? Need something new for Spring Break 2009?

Consider the Canyon of the Eagles Lodge & Nature Park in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. This could just be the Texan in me talking, but after months of day-to-day grind, phones ringing, voices grumbling, horns honking and everything else, I’m not headed to an overcrowded beach. I need a little solitude, I need a little nature, I need a little fresh air, I need a real escape.

That’s what Canyon of the Eagles offers. Situated on the shore of Lake Buchanan and 940 acres of earthy Texas Hill Country, the lodge-style resort will inspire your sense of adventure in a way that no beachfront blast ever could. From morning to night, an entire world is at your fingertips, and you have the satisfaction of exploring it your way.

Of course there are plenty of Texas Hill Country resorts and hotels, but we like the Canyon of the Eagles Lodge for the complete customer experience. There’s hours of rugged fun to be had, but also a fine meal waiting for you when you get back. There’s 14 miles of hiking trail to challenge, but also refreshing sightseeing excursions that let you kick back and reflect. There’s fishing and wine tours. Few spring break destinations offer the variety of the Hill Country.

Here’s the best part: the timing is perfect! This is Texas. Texas gets hot, especially during the summer, which makes a cool mid-March to early-April Spring Break vacation the superb opportunity to experience the abundance of the Texas wilderness.

Whether traveling with family or friends (or both), take a chance with Spring Break 2009 at our favorite Texas Hill Country lodging, the Canyon of the Eagles. We think you’ll find that sometimes the most unusual Spring Break destinations are also the most rewarding.

Get out there and have fun!

Looking for more Spring Break ideas, tips and deals, head over to our Spring Break 2009 Ideas Center for links to all of our posts.

One day we’ll have to feature the Art Institute of Chicago in our Pulitzer Prize-winning series “Museums that Matter“*, but today we’re going to focus on a great temporary exhibit they’re running until the last week in April: Becoming Edvard Munch: Influence, Anxiety, and Myth.

One look at Edvard Munch’s most famous work, The Scream (1893), and you can’t help but wonder what the dude was all about. Born in Oslo, Norway in 1863, Munch is seen in the art world as the leading pioneer of the Expressionist Movement of modern art and throughout his career remained one of its most successful contemporaries. A thoroughly mysterious figure, Munch was thought by many mentally ill, terminally morose, and every bit the reality behind his often tortured works.

The exhibit, already enjoying favorable reviews, challenges these notions by delving into Munch the businessman, Munch the romantic, and Munch the figurehead. The exhibit features 150 works by Munch and his contemporaries, split between 75 paintings and 75 pieces on paper. While The Scream remains safely in the Munch Museum in Oslo, the gallery features a lithograph of the famous work along with many noteworthy pieces.

Becoming Edvard Munch: Influence, Anxiety, and Myth will run at the Art Institute of Chicago from February 14 to April 26. For more about it, visit the museum Web site.

It’s been awhile since we’ve mentioned the Silversmith Hotel & Suites, easily a favorite Chicago Loop hotel, and this is the perfect time. The Silversmith is located less than half a mile from the Art Institute, and they’re actually offering a package (for an art exhibit!). Their Art of Edvard Munch Package features two tickets and breakfast.

Get out there and culture yourself, people!

*By “prize-winning”, I mean “prize-eligible”. That’s practically the same thing.

Here at USA Travel Guide we want you to get out there and have a great time for Spring Break, that’s kind of our thing, but we also want you to come back in more or less the same condition. You can have a new tattoo, maybe, and we certainly wouldn’t begrudge you that nice tan, but we don’t want anyone waking up in a bathtub full of ice and missing a kidney. (Just kidding … that hardly ever happens.)

In all seriousness, Spring Break safety is a big deal, especially if you’re one of the lucky college students headed to Mexico, the Caribbean or any other beach destination away from the domineering eyes of “the man”. No matter where your Spring Break vacations take you, please take these Spring Break safety tips to heart.

Before You Leave 

• Pack Smart – Pack light and simple, bringing as few valuables as possible. Nobody in Aruba cares about your Prada flip-flops, so why bring them? Consider packing inexpensive alternatives to your daily items (sunglasses, clothes, jewelry, bags, appliances) so that if you do happen to lose them, it’s no great loss. Must bring items include: cell phone, identification, health insurance information, contact numbers, medication and for Spring Break beach trips, sunscreen (and lots of it). You might also consider packing a simple first aid kit.
• Broadcast Your Whereabouts – Short of implanting a tracking device, you should do as much as you can to let people know where you are at all times. Make sure someone back home has your contact information, contact information for every place your going to be, and as much of your itinerary as you can pre-plan. Also provide contact information for others in your group.
• Money Safety – Preplan your expenses, and don’t bring more than you think you need. Traveler’s checks are smarter than cash, and all plastic should be locked up whenever you don’t plan to use it in the immediate future.
• Customs – If traveling to a foreign country, familiarize yourself with the customs laws, including necessary identification and other border crossing-regulations.
• Home Security – If you’re leaving your home (dorm room, apartment, etc.) completely empty, practice some basic safety. Turn off all appliances, unplug everything (saves you on your electric bill, too), lock it up tight, and only give someone you completely trust the responsibility of feeding Princess Fluffytail.

Health Safety 

• Sunscreen – The sun is an unfeeling monster that knows only suffering. Avoid it with the regular and ample application of sunscreen. This is not an option. SPF 15 is a bare minimum. If swimming, be sure to use water-resistant sun block, reapplied often. Remember that you can get sunburned even while over it’s overcast, so there’s no excuse not to use sunscreen. It’s not just for Spring Break beach vacations either. The sun is everywhere, so lather up before going out.
• Drink Lots of Water – Many Americans, especially those from northern states, tend to underestimate the danger of dehydration, but it can sneak up on you fast as a term paper. Force yourself to hydrate regularly, even when you don’t feel thirsty. By the way, alcohol and carbonated beverages don’t count. You’re not going to fool anyone by calling a line of Jäger shots “hydrating”. Also be sure to…
• …Drink Bottled Water – When traveling out of the country, never drink local water.
• Tattoos – Health standards in some foreign countries are lower than those in the U.S. Statistically, “parlor fear” is a little trumped up, but that wicked tattoo of Eddie Van Halen surfing a skull while flames erupt from his Flying V can wait until next week.
• Take It Slow with the Alcohol – According to a report by the Department of Public Safety, 98% of people injured during Spring Break activities are intoxicated. If you’re of age, then you have every right, but please proceed responsibly for the safety of yourself and others.
• Don’t Do Drugs – Do I really have to say it?
• Carry (and Use) Condoms – There’s one kind of souvenir that nobody wants to bring home, so both men and women should carry condoms at all times.

Behavior 

• Buddy System – I guarantee you’ll see this on every list of Spring Break safety tips, because it is so important: never go anywhere alone. Having an assigned buddy is a great start, someone to keep you in line of sight at all times and instigate a search party whenever something is amiss. Having three or four buddies is even better. Strength in numbers, you know.
• Water Safety – Riptides can condemn you to the briny deep faster than cement shoes, so never swim alone. If possible, only swim when a life guard is on duty. Never swim under the influence of alcohol. Obey all beach advisory warnings. Also, never pilot a boat while intoxicated. Not only is it illegal, it’s really, really stupid.
• Club/Bar Etiquette – Always be aware of your surroundings, police your drink carefully and never accept a drink from a stranger lest there be dragons lurking in the glass. Don’t leave with someone you don’t know, and be mindful of your possessions at all times. Most crimes against young adult Spring Breakers originate at the club.
• Your Room, Your Sanctuary – Don’t invite anyone you don’t know into your room, especially if you are alone. Always have personal belongings locked up unless you are using them at that moment.
• Avoid Reckless Behavior – Climbing things, jumping off things, lighting things on fire, listening to Jack Johnson … you’re just asking for trouble.
• The Airport Rule – Never leave your bags unattended in a public place, and never try to transport something into the country for someone else, whether you think it is illegal or not.
• Have Fun – And that’s not an option!

Follow these Spring Break safety tips and we’re sure you’ll come back home with a full supply of valuable memories and not an insurance claim.

For more Spring Break safety tips, visit the U.S. Department of State Web site here.

Have more Spring Brake safety tips? Let us know in the comments. For more Spring Break 2009 deals, tips and ideas, visit our Spring Break 2009 Ideas Center.

Between today’s featured restaurant and our post last month on Juju Cereal Bar in Los Angeles, it’s clear I’ve got a thing for nostalgic eats. All I need now is a diner specializing in Kraft Mac N Cheese (only the blue box, please) and my life is more or less complete.

The Peanut Butter & Co. Sandwich Shop in New York City, as the name might imply, is dedicated to making one of the world’s greatest foods – the peanut butter sandwich – as good as it can possibly be. No matter how you like it – with bananas, marshmallow fluff, jam, jelly, bacon, chocolate, cold, grilled – this place serves it up fast with a heavy smear of house-made, all-natural peanut butter that’s genuinely to die for.

You can make a peanut butter sandwich at home, you say? Well, of course you can, but what are you going to do with the rest of the jar? No, for that once and awhile craving, I say save your pantry space and head over to Greenwich Village for that sweet salty treat that your tongue never quite forgets.

The menu has an impressive array, but for first-timers it’s got to be “The Elvis”. By some accounts how the King liked his, “The Elvis” piles on the goodness (and the calories) with grilled bread, peanut butter, bananas, honey and, for true fans, bacon. You can also get flavored peanut butter, a multitude of jams, or even a traditional Fluffernutter® (that’s peanut butter and marshmallow fluff for you unfortunate souls who don’t know).

The Peanut Butter & Co. Sandwich Shop is located in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, just a few miles from one of our regular midtown Manhattan hotels: the Crowne Plaza Times Square – Manhattan. We recommend it heartily for any New York vacation.

Tip 1: You don’t have to live in New York City to enjoy the peanut-y pizzazz of the sandwich shop. All of Peanut Butter & Co.’s signature items are sold both online and in most major grocery chains. Find a location or shop online at their Web site here.

Tip 2: Management has notated on the Web site that Peanut Butter & Co. products have not been identified as part of the current peanut butter salmonella scare. Please, eat up in confidence.

Photo by Kmf164 available under Creative Commons ShareAlike 2.5

Looking over last Friday’s piece on Spring Break in San Diego, we realized there was one part of the San Diego family Spring Break scene that we managed to miss completely: cruising. Along with Seattle, Galveston and Miami, San Diego is one of the biggest leisure cruise ports in the country, and every March cruisers roll in by the thousands to enjoy a laidback Spring Break cruise out of the Port of San Diego before the prices spike for the summer.

With most of the nation’s Spring Break only three weeks away, I hope you already have your cruise reservations in order, but there is one more thing to think about: parking! Do you know what you’re going to do yet? Please tell me you’re not paying those trumped up lot prices near the port!

There’s a lot of ways to find a good deal on parking out there, but as hotel enthusiasts, here’s one of our favorites:

Our go-to choice for downtown San Diego hotels near the Port of San Diego, the Holiday Inn San Diego on the Bay, is currently offering a “Snooze N Cruise Package” offering discounted gated parking for the duration of your cruise and complimentary shuttle service to/from the Port of San Diego Cruise Ship Terminal, all for only a single night’s stay. Custom packages are available for almost any length of cruise.

Make it a hybrid Spring Break vacation. If your cruise is five days, make the trip a satisfying seven by spending an extra two days exploring the numerous attractions of San Diego. Again, head here to learn what those might be.

Whenever spending a night before a cruise – no matter where you cruise – take a moment to look around for these packages. They’ve got them around every port, and they tend to be one of the best values a hotel has to offer. Have a great Spring Break and stay safe!

Want more Spring Break 2009 coverage? Head over to our official Spring Break Ideas Center, updated daily with links to all of our posts.

I’ve mentioned shopping in New York City before, and no doubt I will again, but as I was looking for a quick topic to write about I thought of the USA Travel Guide Pledge, specifically the point about doing as the locals do. I got to thinking: do New Yorkers really shop on Fifth Avenue, or is that nothing but tourists?

Of course, the answer is a little from column A and a little from column B, but still I knew there had to be more to it. I did some digging and found out the real answer: savvy New Yorkers don’t shop in New York where the taxes are higher, they hop on over the Hudson River and shop in New Jersey. To be more exact, they go to The Shops at Riverside.

With an impressive collection of 70 upscale retailers, many of the same stores, in fact, that you’d find on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, The Shops at Riverside is a popular destination for Manhattan trendsetters looking to find some New York style at not so New York prices, and no matter where you’re from, you can enjoy the same benefit. The Shops is anchored by Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barnes & Noble, and is also home to fine retailers include Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Hermes, Barney’s Salvatore Ferragamo, The Fountain Spa and so many others.

Beware, shops are closed on Sundays (though the restaurants are still open). For a sneaky New York shopping experience that’s friendly to the current economy, head over to the Shops at Riverside. Learn more.

We don’t expect you to travel to New Jersey just to visit a mall, but as part of a larger New York vacation, why not give it a try? For northern New Jersey hotels only minutes from the Shops and New York City, consider the Crowne Plaza Englewood Hotel.