Tag Archives: airports

Travel Tidbits—Healthy Amusement Parks and Happy Hybrid Owners

When you think of taking a trip to an amusement park what comes to mind? I think of rides and games, but mainly it’s the thought of sinking my teeth into cotton candy, hot dogs, gigantic soft pretzels, slushies, and ice cream that really gets me going. If you are like me and love to gorge on fair food you may want to ponder what some amusement park owners are doing at their sites this summer. They’re going healthy. When Rye Playland in New York opens this week guests will be seeing some drastic changes—the introduction of a healthy menu … Continue reading →

Preparing For Travel Delays–Part 2

In my previous blog: “Preparing For Travel Delays,” I provided tips on how to avoid having to spend the night at the airport because of unexpected delays. To review the first three tips click here. Otherwise, here are a few more ideas that may save you from pulling out your hair when you hear an airline representative repeat (for the 10th time) that your flight is “experiencing a slight delay.” Tip #4–Know Your Options and Act Fast This is a tip I got from watching CBS’ “The Amazing Race” contestants. When the players get to the airport they always make … Continue reading →

Preparing For Travel Delays

The spring storm that delayed our return from Easter vacation last week (we got stuck on the Illinois-Wisconsin border in 9 inches of snow and 45 m.p.h. winds) has finally hit the East Coast. Currently, the area is experiencing vicious winds, heavy snow and large amounts of rain. And, according to meteorologists, it’s only going to get worse. That’s bad news for travelers (the Boston Marathon is tomorrow), especially ones scheduled to return home today (according to news reports, more than 500 flights have already been cancelled). Mother Nature is often the blame for travel delays, and when bad weather … Continue reading →

The Secret Code That Gets You Screened

I’ve wondered, while standing in the airport security check line, what makes them single out a person for a thorough screening. Sometimes, it doesn’t seem to make sense — the harried mom, or the hurried businessperson, or the cute, youngish woman flying alone (that’d be me) gets pulled out of line and searched. It happened to me on a flight from Newark, NJ to Cincinnati, Ohio. I got pulled out of line and had to wait — feeling nervous and awkward — while the security folks pawed through my bag and went over me with that wand thing. At first, … Continue reading →

Hawaii’s All-Inclusive Airport–Deck The Halls With Trees AND Menorahs

Much has been made of the whole Seattle airport/Christmas trees/menorahs brouhaha, but off the the coast of the Evergreen State (about 2,000 miles off the coast) sits a pearl of islands where Chritmas trees and menorahs co-exist in harmony void of controversy. ALOHA! And welcome to paradise. Yes, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, far from the threats of rabbis and 14 plastic Christmas trees– airports throughout the Hawaiian Islands have both Christmas trees and menorahs prominently displayed for tourist of all religious affiliations to admire. “In light of everything that’s going on, we thought it was a good … Continue reading →

Classic Holiday Travel Scenes Immortalized On Film

Are you traveling this holiday weekend? Even if you aren’t, I’m sure you would agree that the combination of traveling and Thanksgiving helps trigger memories of the 1987 comedy cult classic “Trains, Planes and Automobiles?” It does for me anyway. Come on… who can forget Steve Martin’s obscenity-laced tirade at the rental car counter at the airport in St. Louis? It’s a classic all right. That movie got me thinking about other films, which feature some of the most-memorable airport movie scenes. Here are some of my favorites: Airplane–“We’ve got clearance Clarence”, “Roger, Roger”; “What’s Our Vector, Victor?” And of … Continue reading →

Airport Hotels–Vacation Destinations

Have you ever stayed at an airport hotel? You know the ones I am referring to—they line the perimeter of a given airport and are used primarily by business travelers. I have stayed at a few myself, though typically my stays have been brief and complimentary (the result of an airline bumping me off of a regularly scheduled flight). Personally, I have not been traumatized by the experience, but for some reason these properties have gotten a bad rap. But, that could soon change. Airport architects recently announced plans to revamp the design of our nation’s airports and in turn … Continue reading →

Dirty Airports Forced To “Clean Up”

“Clean” and “airport” the two words don’t seem to go hand-in-hand (at least in my experience). In my past life (pre-kids), my job required me to travel quite a bit. Subsequently, I have spent many, many hours in airports from Newark to Honolulu. I can honestly say that none of them would qualify as “clean.” “Tolerable,” perhaps, but definitely not “clean.” I don’t have to tell you how miserable it is to disembark from a six-hour flight and enter a restroom that reeks of vomit. Or what a pain it is to have to not only dodge other passengers on … Continue reading →

Shopping At The Airport… More Than I Bargained For

There’s nothing I dread more than enduring a long flight then having to make a pit stop at the mini-mart on the way home (or to the hotel) to stock up on milk, coffee and diapers. So imagine my surprise when during a conversation with a friend (more complaint session than “conversation”) I found that I could eliminate the stop and purchase my items at the airport. It’s true! In a handful of U.S. airport terminals you can pick up necessities from buttons to baby formula. In 2004, Dallas/Fort Worth became the first U.S. airport to add a convenience store, … Continue reading →