Starling Travel

This old advertisement for Greyhound Bus Lines made me smile.

It reads:

For fun-filled trips to Winter Playgrounds…

This year, take all or part of your vacation in Winter – when you need it most!

We know a man who can show you how to relax in Southern sun at scarcely more cost than staying home! He’s the Greyhound agent in your town – and he’ll arrange your trip in easy-riding, well-warmed coaches, select optional scenic routes and stopovers… he can even make hotel reservations and plan special sightseeing. All this at rates so far elow those of conventional travel that you can spend extra days in the sun.

Your Greyhound agent (man or woman) will explain the advantages of Limited schedules with extra luxury – or Express service, which will take you straight through at no extra fare, often without change of bus or baggage.

Start planning now – and see your Greyhound agent soon – he’ll make your plans come true!

I have always felt like traveling by bus was far too expensive compared to the convenience of flight or driving myself. I checked fares for a Greyhound bus to Las Vegas from Salt Lake City and the prices ranged from $91 to $121. When I checked Expedia for airfare, the prices ranged from $285 to $457. So riding in a bus is FAR cheaper than flying.

But how does it compare to driving?

I can drive to Vegas on two tanks of gas, which is about $80 round trip. So riding with Greyhound is only slightly more expensive than driving myself. When I drive myself, however, I don’t need to rent a car in the town I’m visiting, which saves me a bundle as well.

Maybe when this advertisement was made, traveling with Greyhound was an inexpensive way to go, but now, it just doesn’t compare to driving myself.

Ad via: vintage_ads: Greyhound Bus

As if we didn’t already know that airlines are ruthless with baggage, Dave Carroll lost his $3500 Taylor guitar to rough handling on a United Airlines flight. After a year of trying to work with the airlines for compensation, they denied his claim. Instead of crying, The Sons of Maxwell wrote a song about it. Here is the video:

You can read the whole story here:

• United Breaks Guitars | Dave Carroll Music.com

In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour and my Taylor guitar was witnessed being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. I discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged.

They didn’t deny the experience occurred but for nine months the various people I communicated with put the responsibility for dealing with the damage on everyone other than themselves and finally said they would do nothing to compensate me for my loss.

So I promised the last person to finally say “no” to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world.

After they released this video, United Airlines called him to try to make it right. Honestly, it really shouldn’t take one million views on YouTube to get the service we deserve. Why can’t they realize the power their customers have when we live in the age of online reviews and YouTube videos.

When I was a teenager, my family flew on a trip and one of our suitcases were lost. The airline was just as unhelpful as poor Dave Carroll experienced. Whenever I get my luggage after a flight, I feel like a miracle has happened. The idea of checking a $3500 guitar makes me break out in a sweat for fear of it being lost completely, much less for rough handling.

That’s why Mike and I choose to “go by car” more often than not. Thanks for reminding all of us why, Dave Carroll!

The Library of Congress posted these imaginings of what the future would look like. Here is what they called a shipwreck of the future.

It reads:

A shipwreck of the future, when passengers are carried between Europe and America in the air.

Liner Icarus, in mid-ocean, December 26, 1919, 3:10 pm. By wireless to The Tribune: A disastrous explosion (cause yet unascertained) in our motor room at 5:12 this morning made it necessary to descend. Unfortunately, the waves were running high and our rudder was broken. Wind increased rapidly and our stern was battered till we threatened to sink. Our airships have come to our rescue, as have some submarines and freight steamer Lusitania, formerly used for passengers. All hands will be saved beyond a doubt, except those in the motor room, which is now submerged.

This was published in 1909, so they have set this future in 1919, almost twenty years before the tragic Hindenberg disaster. Unfortunately, the Lusitania didn’t last until 1919 because it sank in 1915. The first solo transatlantic flight didn’t even happen until 1923, thanks to Charles Lindbergh.

I find it fascinating to see how the past viewed the future. Now that we can fly across the ocean whenever we want, it’s hard for me to remember that it used to take MONTHS on the Lusitania.

Kevin has had a frustrating experience with the Virgin America website. He was trying to book a flight, ended up getting charge for TWO flights and they still want to charge him for the extra seat.

• kev/null – Virgin America: How a Bad Website Can Kill Good Will

The most frustrating part of this entire episode is how it feels like we’ve been blamed and then penalized for an error on their part. All the good will garnered through their savvy multi-million dollar marketing, fancy mood lighting and in-air WiFi was washed away because of one website error they wouldn’t take responsibility for.

Virgin is supposed to be the coolest and hippest way to fly with their electrical ports and Internet access, but one bad experience with their buggy reservation website killed all of it.

Bad form, Virgin America, bad form.

I love this photo from 1937 of two men walking on a road.

The bill board reads:

Next time try the train

Relax

Southern Pacific

It’s such a strange dichotomy to see the walkers with their suitcases in contrast to the cartoon man reclining on the billboard. I wonder if those two men would have taken the train if they had a choice…

I LOVED this rap that was done by Dave, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant!

Don’t you wish you had been on that flight?!!

The excellent Aliza Sherman wrote a great article about iPhone applications that are helpful when you’re traveling.

• AK Tech Girl : iPhone Apps for Travelers | adn.com

Here is her list with iTunes links to the applications. Click through to AK Tech Girl for more information.

• Maps – Free application included with iPhone – Use the locate button to find where you are. Type in what you are looking for and it will give you directions.

• Call a Taxi – $1.99 – Instantly find a taxi whenever you need it, wherever you are.

• Currency Converter (by Phlogistic Apps) – $1.99 – Provides up-to-date foreign exchange information for over 150 different currencies and products.

• iCall Free VoIP (by iCall, Inc.) – Free – iCall allows you to make and receive phone calls over WiFi – even when you don’t have a cell signal. Calls don’t count towards your cell calling plan.

• Find My Phone (by CLO Software) – $0.99 – If you lose your phone, those who find it can easily get in touch with you right from the app’s main screen. If your phone is stolen, your phone can email (or call) you when the application is launched.

• Lonely Planet Phrasebooks (by Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd) – $9.99 each – Want to never be at a loss for words, no matter where you are in the world? With your iPhone, and a little help from Lonely Planet, you’ll have the local lingo cracked.

• Travelto (by Molinker, Inc.) – $0.99 each – Offline guidebooks for travelers by travelers in your pocket, anytime, anywhere.

• HearPlanet Free (by HearPlanet) – Free – Use HearPlanet to learn about places you go, as well as what’s around you every day. It’s a great way to learn about your surroundings and you’ll be amazed at what you find.

I had never hear of Call a Taxi, iCall or Find My Phone, so I immediately downloaded all three on Aliza’s recommendations. I can’t wait to play with them!

Our first foray into Yellowstone this spring was greeted with snow and baby buffalo.

With the snow piled higher than our ears, we waited for Old Faithful to erupt.

For more photos:

• Yellowstone Park 04-20-08 on Flickr

I have never been one to pack light. I’m always the one who has aspirin and band-aids in her purse just in case, so you can imagine what I’m like when I pack for a week. Zen Habits, on the other hand is packing light for his trip to Thailand.

• 36 Great Tips for Keeping Travel as Simple as Possible (and Two Poems) | Zen Habits

Here is his list for his backpack:

• Travel docs (passport, credit card, ID)
• deodorant
• 2 pairs of shorts
• 2 T-shirts
• 2 pairs underwear
• swim trunks
• 1 book
• journal and pen
• camera, charger

He says anything else he needs, he’ll buy in Thailand. I really don’t want to have to worry about washing clothes every night after I wear them, so I can’t imagine packing this light.

If all you could bring to your next trip was a small backpack, what would you put in it?

When you go on a road trip, so much of the travel is… well… on the road. Our drive to San Diego from Salt Lake City last month was quite a harrowing experience. Not only did we leave in a horrible snow storm, we took a back route through the mining roads of California. Here is a glimpse of our 14 hour drive.

Download this video for your iPod

When a drive to your destination is as harrowing as this one, it makes you start to wonder if leaving town is really all that worth it. It was sheer stubbornness that drove us to leave that morning with the huge flakes falling. My mom called in a panic when we were on the road, “It’s snowing like crazy here. You’re not really driving out today are you?!” I assured her that we were already on the road and well past the point of the mountain (we weren’t) and that the weather was much better in Provo than in Salt Lake (it WASN’T).

Of course, we’re fools.

If you are planning on leaving town and the snow is as bad as this video, don’t be stupid like us. Call your hotel and see if you can delay your travel for a day without a fee (fat chance, but it can’t hurt to try). A nervous and anxious drive to your vacation is the polar opposite of what a relaxing trip should be.