The world is talking about the swine flu (or H1N1 virus) and it seems to me that the media is blowing it up and really making people paranoid, including all my friends. My phone has been ringing off the hook with friends asking me what they should do about their upcoming travel plans. I keep telling them I can't control their destiny but I definitely wouldn't be changing any of my plans unless I was headed to Mexico City. On the other hand, if I was on my way to the beaches of Mexico, I would possibly wait a day or two to determine if this is all hype like the SARS epidemic or not. My gut tells me it is but it's better to be safe rather than sorry.
Every time I travel I use caution and follow basic health tips, swine flu or not. I wash my hands often and I carry antibacterial wipes and disinfect the area around my plane/bus/train seat (armrest, tray table, entertainment systems, controls ...) And of course, I do the same in the hotel room. I wipe down the switches, remotes, doorknobs, handles and phone. I do the former discreetly so I don't look like a freak -- even though I am one. For more tips, up-to-date news and direct links to all the airlines' swine flu travel policies, check out this swine flu web page I created.
A lot of Americans are looking to stay close to home this summer. I mentioned a few weeks ago that a great family trip would be to our nation's capital. If you’re looking for something that’s far from the madding crowd, then how about taking the family to a dude ranch? My sister took her kids to Montana over the summer and absolutely loved it. A great place to find ranch vacations (besides Johnny Jet's dude ranch resources, of course!) is RanchWeb.com. Users can search 250+ ranches by more than 100 categories. You can't book your trips there as Ranchweb is information only (they answer all your questions) but it will direct you to the ranch for booking.
What took place Monday morning in Lower Manhattan had to be one of the dumbest thing the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has ever approved. Get this: the FAA allowed one of the President's two 747s to circle very low around the Statue of Liberty and the financial capital of the world, while being escorted by two fighter jets for a "photo op". In case you missed it, here's the video from the Wall Street Journal.
I mentioned last week that Travel Goods Show, the world's largest tradeshow for travel goods, sent me a bunch of products to test out. One of them was the Tugo drink holder. It's a simple tool that was made specifically for luggage and people on the move. It fits most luggage handles and it's easy to install and take off. One thing is for sure: there's no more spilling your hot coffee when you’re cruising through the airport to get to the gate before they close the boarding door. Buy it on Amazon.com for $9.95.
