It’s time to SAVE again! Every Spring, dozens of travel deals are offered to consumers at up to 60 percent off!

Save big on these limited-time travel deals!

The U.S. Travel Association, a national, non-profit organization, has a basic mission: to increase travel to and within the United States. With that aim, the organization is kicking off a 5-week promotion with various travel deals every weekday. Purchase the offers daily starting at 1pm EST Monday-Friday. But the deals sell out fast! Be ready at the computer a few minutes before and refresh the page until you see the purchase option.

This event is a fundraiser with proceeds going to support mission-critical travel advocacy and program initiatives.

Many of the offers are dollars-for-points in the hotel category. Participating are IHG, Best Western, Hilton, Hyatt,Wyndham and Choice Hotel brands among others.

For example, on May 10th for $75, you can get a two-park ticket valid for two (2) visits at any of the following parks: SeaWorld® Orlando, Aquatica® Orlando, Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay or Adventure Island® Tampa Bay.  This is over 50% savings.

For Summer travel, Badger has a great line of hypoallergenic and biodegradable sunscreens made for children but great for adults too!  It smells so delicious that kids will stand still to get this applied!  Click the photo to learn more about or buy this TSA approved size from Amazon!

Another popular deal category seen throughout the campaign is for package stays in Las Vegas and Atlantic City at the most popular properties including The Luxor, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, The Venetian, Caesar's Palace and Bellagio. The offers include show tickets, dining credits and more.

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All that Glistens is Gold! The Splendor of Peterhof Palace and Gardens in St. Petersburg, Russia

Peterhof Palace is a must-see St Petersburg attraction. This majestic series of palaces and gardens just outside of the city are covered in gold and often referred to as the “Russian Versailles.”

We thought we've seen our share of palaces around the world but nothing compares to Peterhof!

Versailles was the inspiration for Peter the Great's desire to build an imperial palace in the suburbs of his new city and, after an aborted attempt at Strelna, Peterhof - which means "Peter's Court" in German - became the site for the Tsar's Monplaisir Palace, and then of the original Grand Palace. The estate was equally popular with Peter's daughter, Empress Elizabeth, who ordered the expansion of the Grand Palace and greatly extended the park and the famous system of fountains, including the truly spectacular Grand Cascade.  Numerous fountains, simple and complex, small and grand, funny and magnificent, are the main attraction of Peterhof.  Once a formal garden built for Peter the Great, this popular park still has more than 80 of the original marble statues and sculptures, many

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Spotlight on St. Petersburg, The Sunshine City and Experience a Hidden Florida Gem

In 2021, Florida's Saint Pete Beach takes not only the title by TripAdvisor of number one beach in the United States, but is also rated fifth in the world. Forget Miami and Orlando and discover a new place when you visit Florida!  For travelers who’d like to avoid some of the most crowded Florida locales, there are plenty of other locations to visit in Sunshine State! 

Discover St. Petersburg, or St. Pete as it is known to locals, is a city undergoing a transformation.

Located on the west side of Tampa, this Florida city is a popular destination for locals and tourists, thanks to the popular beaches in the surrounding area and the vibrant downtown vibe.

St. Petersburg is named after the former capital of Russia which LTD has written about, and is also known as the “sunshine city." thanks in part to a Guinness World Record it holds for logging the longest stretch of sunshine in the country. Starting in 1967, St. Petersburg had 768 consecutive days of sun in the sky.

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Your Guide to Visit One of Our Favorite Cities! New Orleans Louisiana! The Big Easy!

New Orleans, Louisiana is one of the Best Cities in the United States to Visits for Unique Food, Fun, Festivals and Culture!

Here is Your Guide to Planning A Visit to New Orleans, Louisiana!

We should start with our visit to Jackson Square during Mardi Gras in this video:

Festivals Galore and Here are our Favorites:

1. NOLA Jazz and Heritage Festival is the most renowned music festival in NOLA and much more than Jazz alone!
2. Mardi Gras which is a season of parades and other celebrations ending on Fat Tuesday, which is a different date every year, so check the schedule!
3. French Quarter Festival for music and culture which is smaller and more compact than Jazz Fest and showcases Louisiana Music!

If you are planning a visit to The Big Easy, check a calendar for festivals that may be going on in NOLA!

When attending a festival a great Fedora will make you look like a local!  Click the photo below to learn more about our favorite by Bailey of Hollywood available at Amazon:

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Is Your Favorite US Airline Among the Highest Quality In America? Here are the 2019 Rankings!

For The Second Year-in-a-Row, Delta Maintains the Highest Quality Rating by the ARC 2019 scores and American continues to be Among the Lowest.

The Airline Quality Rating (AQR) is the most comprehensive study of performance and quality of the largest airlines in the United States. 

To calculate the rankings for this year's Airline Quality Rating report, researchers at Embry-Riddle looked at four key factors to rank air carriers: On-Time percentage; Denied Boardings; Mishandled Baggage; and Customer Complaints. Each of the categories is also weighted; On-Time performance takes the highest precedence when calculating an airline's score while the volume of customer complaints is the least important factor.  The AQR industry score for 2018 performance shows an industry that improved in overall performance quality over the previous year. Six airlines (Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, and United) showed improvement in AQR scores in 2018. Spirit Airlines had the largest improvement in their AQR score in 2018.

Three airlines (Alaska, American, and Frontier) all had a decline in their 2018 AQR score from the previous year. Frontier Airlines had the largest decline in their AQR score for 2018.  Taking all 9 rated airlines together, the AQR score for the industry improved in 2018, and the 2018 score is the best AQR score in the 29-year history of the rating. The industry AQR score has improved each year for the past four years (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018). Improved performance was seen in three of the four areas tracked.

Here are some of the facts:

The industry mishandled baggage rate was better, decreasing from 2.46 per 1,000 passengers in 2017 to 2.43 per 1,000 passengers in 2018.

Involuntary denied boardings by the industry improved to 0.14 per 10,000 passengers in 2018 from 0.34 per 10,000 passengers in 2017.

The consumer complaint rate across the industry declined to 1.04 per 100,000 passengers in 2017 from 1.35 per 100,000 passengers in 2016.  Of the 8,865 complaints registered with the DOT regarding all U.S. domestic carriers, 72% were for flight problems, baggage problems, reservation, ticketing and boarding issues, or customer service problems. The 23% decrease in the rate of consumer complaints in 2018 suggests that improved performance in areas important to consumers has been noticed by the flying public.

As an industry, the AQR criteria show that on-time arrival percentage was down (80.2% in 2017 compared to 79.6% in 2018).

Where does your favorite airline rank?

Bottom Line:  

This year Delta Air Lines had the best score among all of its peers. The carrier edged out low-cost carrier JetBlue by a narrow margin to take the number one slot after two years in second place behind Alaska Airlines, which dropped to fourth place this year probably reflecting the acquisition of Virgin America. In 2009, Delta was ranked as low as 15th place out of 18 carriers in the study, but over ten years, it has slowly climbed the charts to its current leading position. The carrier also beat its legacy competitors of American and United, which were ranked as 8th and 6th respectively out of 9 carriers surveyed. Only low cost carrier Frontier Airlines was ranked behind American this year which is sad news for the struggling American Airlines.

Compare this Ranking to previous years by clicking here!

When you fly one of the most helpful things to make your flight more comfortable are compression socks. We recommend at least 20-30 mm Hg compression.  For the price, these are a great option with many colors and patterns available.  Click the photo to learn more!

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Deal Alert for Meaningful Travel! 4th graders and their families get FREE access to National Parks!

If you have a 4th grader, get ready to explore some National Parks! 

Families, Friends or Teachers of 4th graders can sign them up too!

The US Department of the Interior’s Every Kid in a Park program offers a fantastic deal to 4th graders and their families or fellow travelers. 

By signing up here, you can have access to every National Park this year! Plan a road trip to explore multiple parks this summer, or find a park close to home. Whichever you choose will be an excellent experience for you and your child, and offer significant savings as well. As LTD has presented in our Five Part Series, outdoor exploration is a healthy, fun activity and a great bonding experience, so take advantage of this deal if you can!  Take advantage of this if you are a parent of a fourth-grader or a teacher of fourth graders!

Official rules

• The pass is for U.S. fourth-grade (or home-school equivalent) students.
• The pass is for the 2018 to 2019 school year. It expires August 31, 2019.
• Students can't transfer the pass to anyone else.
• We can’t accept electronic versions of this paper for access or to exchange for a pass.
• No refunds are given for previously purchased passes, or if you forget your pass when you visit.
• If you lose your pass, get a new one by visiting the website and signing up again.
• Educators can get one paper pass for each of their fourth-grade students.
• This program only provides passes for fourth graders.

How it works

• Show your pass to a ranger when you enter. If there is no ranger, leave it on the dashboard of your car.
• If you visit a site that charges entrance fees per person— The pass admits all children under 16 and up to three adults for free.
• If your group visits a site that charges vehicle entrance fees - The pass admits all children under 16 and all adults in up to one passenger vehicle. Commercial vehicles can't use a pass to get in.
• If you arrive at a site on bicycle— The pass admits all children under 16 and up to three adults on bicycles.
• The pass doesn't cover things like parking fees, camping, boats, and special tours. Also, some sites are managed by private operators. They may not honor the pass. Check with the site ahead of time to find out.
• The pass doesn’t cover fees for local, city, or state parks and recreation areas unless they say that they accept this pass.
• Paper passes can be exchanged for plastic passes at certain sites.

You can sign up at everykidinapark.gov!

Get your favorite child a great pair of water shoes to explore this summer!  These are highly rated and you can get a matching pair for yourself to make your vacation even more special to them!  Click the photo to learn more!

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Enter to Spend A Night With The Woman with The Most Famous Smile in the World!

Who do you think of when you hear "Woman with the Most Famous Smile in the World?"  You may say Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway or another celebrity, but in reality it is the Mona Lisa.

“You’ve probably heard of me. People say I’m mysterious, but the truth is I’m very friendly,” Mona Lisa "introduces" herself at anAirbnb for a contest named "Win a night at the Louvre".

A night in the Museum

For one night only, on April 30, Airbnb and the Louvre are giving a lucky winner and their guest a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see what happens inside the world’s most magical museum when the lights go out. As the sun sets on Paris, the winning duo will make their way to the museum where they will be greeted by an art-historian, who will take them on a bespoke tour, like those previously given to the Obamas, Beyoncé and Jay-Z.  The key to this?  NO CROWDS!

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Make the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum a Destination When You Visit Saguaro National Park and Tucson, Arizona

Whether you are fascinated by the desert or not, don't miss visiting the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum when you are near Tucson, Arizona.

Tucson is a unique city and the surrounding desert is famous for its dramatic beauty.  The dry sunny climate is perfect for people who prefer to see the world on two wheels or just want to experience a true Southwest flair!

As part of a week enjoying a Vermont Bicycle Tour of the Saguaro National Park and the Arizona Sonoran Desert, LTD had the pleasure of visiting the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.  This museum exceeded our expectations. A beautifully laid out complex, which does a wonderful job educating and honoring the Arizona Sonoran desert and surrounding areas. 

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Review of Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort in Tucson, Arizona: Luxury, History and Beauty

LTD had the opportunity to stay at the Hacienda Del Sol at the end of our Vermont Bicycle Tour through the Sonoran Desert and Saguaro National Park.  There is a reason that Hacienda Del Sol is ranked among the top hotels in Tucson.  

Hacienda Del Sol’s story began 90 years ago in 1929 when John and Helen Murphey created this beautiful desert retreat. 

Hacienda Del Sol is included in the National Registry of Historic Places in Arizona and is a member of Historic Hotels of America.  It is one of the Forbes Travel Guide 2019 Star Award Winners and is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. Before the property was one of Arizona’s top guest ranches, it was a prestigious ranch school for the daughters of some of society’s most elite families. Walking through the inner courtyard today, you can still see some of the names of these families forever memorialized above the doors of the historic guestrooms. Some of these well-known names include Pillsbury, Maxwell, Westinghouse and Vanderbilt, to name a few.

To Check other reviews of the Hacienda Del Sol Hotel, rates and book at TripAdvisor Click Here!!

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Review of the Centurion Lounge at La Guardia Airport in New York City. It Needs an Expansion and Relocation!

There is a strong rumor that AMEX will relocate their lounge to the La Guardia arrivals and departures hall once renovations at La Guardia (LGA)are complete. This makes a lot of sense, as the lounge could be easily accessed by passengers that are departing or arriving from either concourse, east and west and because this lounge is in serious need of an expansion and facelift. 

1.  Location

You’ll find the LGA Centurion Lounge pre-security on the 3rd floor between Concourse B and C — if you’re flying from any other terminal, a Route A or B airport shuttle is available on the arrivals level that can take you to this section of the airport. Don’t forget that you’ll still have to clear security after visiting this lounge, so keep an eye on the TV in the dining room to see how long the security line is. The agent will give you advice on how long to give yourself to get to your gate even without asking. 

It is difficult to find this lounge but there are signs telling you where to go and we found anyone working at the airport can tell you directions.  

When you arrive to the entrance you will think you are in the wrong place since it looks like an employee area back hall.  

2.  Checkin

This is no difference from other Centurion Lounges.  Be sure to ask the agent how long it will take you to get through security to your gate, but as we said before, they will most likely tell you without asking.  We have been to this lounge when it is extremely crowded due to weather cancellations, and if you notice it is crowded, ask the agent to help find you a seat.  There are no special services, like manicures or massages at DFW, so there is no need to ask. 

3.  Seating

There are only 110 seats in this small lounge, and as we said, on a busy day of cancellations, between families and luggage, the seats can fill pretty quickly.  On this day, there was plenty of seats though the lunch time hour on a weekday.  There is an area with a few couches, many tables and chairs and a bar.  There are many outlets here, including in the floor if you need them.  A children's play area is near the entrance and a long line of couches with a few televisions along the connecting hall.  

4.  Bar

The usual premium alcohol selections are available at the bar: "Enjoy a cocktail developed by one of the nation's top mixologists, Jim Meehan, or explore wines handpicked by renowned wine authority Anthony Giglio."  We enjoyed champagne and a Bloody Mary.

5.  Food

Although the food was delicious, we found the number of food offerings at this location to not be as plentiful as at other Centurion Lounges.  Food at this lounge is planned by one of Zagat’s top 30 under 30 chefs, Cédric Vongerichten.  The buffet was squeaky clean and service to collect your dishware.  

6. Restrooms

There is no difference here, except the restrooms are small and have the typical L'Occitane products.

7.  Amenities

Not as plentiful as other locations, computers, a printer, newspapers and magazines are available for you should you need them.  These are located near the entrance.  The video screens of security lines near the restrooms are a nice touch.  

Sometimes you are traveling and you cannot watch your things closely.  Of course we think of the Centurion Lounge as a safe zone, that may not always be the case.  We always recommend traveling with a system that you can secure your valuables to a fixed object.  The Triple Security Lock from Lewis & Clark is a great and lightweight way to do that.  Click The Image Below and support our blog with More information at Amazon:

Bottom Line:

Although not the best Centurion Lounge, we still believe the lounges by American Express allow for the best meal experience of all with the exception of the Priority Pass Restaurant offerings of which there are 29 nationwide.  If you want a meal, first check if Priority Pass has a restaurant at your departure or arrival airport, and if not, head to any available Centurion Lounge.  If you just want to relax and have cocktails, the Centurion Lounge is probably your best option.  We certainly hope the rumors that this lounge will be moved and enlarged are true!

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