Browsing CategoryTravel

5 Reasons to Shut Up About the Seating and Fly Southwest

I always used to laugh when I’d reach the end of flights and the flight attendants would thank me for my loyalty. “We know you have a choice when flying, so thanks for choosing [insert name here]”. Hah! Like I really had a choice and like there was much difference between the airlines. I’d always just fly whatever was cheapest, and when I was travelling between Southern California and Colorado, that usually was America West (RIP) and Ted Airlines (also RIP, but was United’s less sucky budget airline). That all changed after I started flying Southwest Airlines a few years ago. Now,…

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Good Food and Ghost Encounters in Mesilla, New Mexico

A fellow travel writer once mentioned how important it is to recognize the “spark” of any given trip, basically that moment that glimmers in your memory long after the trip is over. These moments don’t happen on every trip, but when they do, you know you’ve found a special place worth writing about. This happened to me at the Double Eagle Restaurant in Mesilla, a little historic area within Las Cruses, New Mexico. As soon as we walked in and were escorted to the back room, I fell in love. The old, intricate wooden bar looked like something out of a…

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Meet the Salvage Dawgs in their Native Habitat… Roanoke, VA

Those of you that spend way too much time on the DIY Network or HGTV (who me?) may have come across a certain show called Salvage Dawgs, where two guys go around tearing out anything and everything you can imagine from old houses. Seriously–bathtubs, light fixtures, and even door handles are fair game for these guys, Robert Kulp and Mike Whiteside, who bring it back to their massive 40,000 square-foot shop in Roanoke, Virginia. Black Dog Salvage is one of the coolest stores I’ve ever walked into. It’s the kind of place I would have especially loved as a kid,…

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Best Restaurants & Bars in Portland, Maine

I love both Portlands… Maine and Oregon, that is. I even wrote about them in the same story once! But my heart will always belong to the East Coast sister (the original!). I grew up going to Maine for a few weeks in the summer every other year to visit my grandparents in Harpswell, and we’d always spend at least a few hours in Portland. Even at 8, I fell in love with the cobblestone streets, hard-knock docks, and of course, the Pirate store on Commercial Street. I’ve been back a few times since then, and only get more crazy…

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Best Free Things to Do in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is one of my favorite budget destinations and quick weekend getaway spots. In fact, I really don’t recommend people stay much longer than 48 hours, when the gilded edges of Sin City start to show their wear. That said, it’s well worth visiting over and over again as you can really tailor your trip to any interest, whether it’s spa, or food, or straight-up gambling. I used to go about 4 times a year, just for an overnight stay or quick In-N-Out stop enroute to either California or Colorado, and I never got bored. That said, as a…

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