Author Archives: Carmen Shirkey

Make travel a priority in 2011

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My dad likes to golf. My friend likes to buy jewelry (nice, blingy jewelry.) My other friend likes her three-Starbucks-a-day habit.

People always ask me how I can afford to travel so often. I just make it a priority, like golf, jewelry, Starbucks or anything else you spend your money on.

I know money is tight. I know travel seems like it’s a pipe dream. But really, it isn’t. Here’s how you can make it a priority.

  1. The power of one: It costs more for a whole family to travel than just one person. But what’s wrong with a girlfriend getaway? Call up your friends. Head to Vegas. Have some “you” time.
  2. The power of two: Take the kids to the grandparents’ house for a week. Marriages could do with a little more romantic time. A getaway – even for the weekend – can do wonders for a relationship.
  3. Take the kids: Okay, if you just can’t bear to get away, take the kids along. Many resorts discount for children under a certain age, and in some cases, they are free! Ask when you call a resort/hotel for any discounts.
  4. Plan ahead: If you gave up that Starbucks coffee each morning (at nearly $4 a pop) for three months, that’s enough money for a plane ticket. Add three more months, and you’ve got a weekend at a hotel. You get the point. It doesn’t have to cut into your Starbucks craving. It could mean eating at home instead of eating out. Quitting your smoking habit (it’s bad for you anyway). Cutting out McD’s at lunch.
  5. Travel locally: Travel doesn’t have to mean an exotic destination. Consider a short trip to a resort one state over, or two states away.
  6. Get a deal: In my last post, I wrote about how to get the best deal. With a little resourcefulness, you can travel for less than you ever thought possible. For example, know your destination’s “high” season (for example, in winter, everyone flocks to the Caribbean.) Consider a “shoulder” season, when the rates drop, or the “low” season, when the rates drop even more.
  7. Make the resolution, and keep it: What resolutions did you make for the new year? If you want to travel, you need to resolve to do it. “Resolve” implies a tenacity, a stick-to-it-ness. Set a goal, reward yourself along the way, and then head off into the wild blue yonder.

Happy travels in 2011!

Floating Fireworks

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The plane touched down on December 31, 2005 in Sydney, Australia. 22 hours on a plane is a really, really long time. Plus, I’d given up a whole day by crossing the international dateline. Still, it didn’t seem real. I couldn’t believe that I had finally arrived in my dream destination, just in time for the huge New Year’s Eve celebration.

I’ll admit, I checked into my hotel and took a nap first – and it was hard to resist getting to the Harbor. I knew, however, that I’d probably never make it if I kept running on empty.

Once I woke up, I walked the four blocks to the place where music (and fireworks, on NYE)  floats – Sydney Harbor. It was only noon on a very hot, humid day, but crowds had already started to gather and stake out a prime location for the fireworks display that would take place on that evening. New Year’s Eve banners flapped from light posts, traffic signs flashed directions to parking and entrances to the viewing locations, and I snapped photos like a person possessed.

I had decided not to fight the crowds and to grab my front-row seat on a harbor cruise. When it came time to board, I ran on board like a bride-to-be at a half-off wedding gown sale, and staked my claim on the best viewing spot I could get. I’d also arranged in advance – I’d booked this trip a year earlier – with the captain to be allowed on the boat’s bow with my camera and tripod when the fireworks action started.

The theme for Sydney’s New Year’s 2006 celebration was “Heart” and as we passed under the Harbor Bridge just after sunset, I got a glimpse of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, decorated with lights in the shape of a heart, and the lights were “beating” to underscore the theme. It made my own heart skip a beat from the anticipation. Just under the bridge was the Opera House, decked out in its party duds. It glowed purple and blue and white, and seemed to pulse in its own right.

All of the boats in the Harbor participated in a parade, decorated with the theme in mind. As midnight approached, each boat found its spot facing the Bridge, so the effect made the water look like a Christmas tree with heart-shaped ornaments in its reflection.

The boat captain started the countdown, and I joined in with him. 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1. Then, the heart that was beating in me stood still, while the heart that was beating on the bridge did the same – only for a moment. Then, like it had been given new life, it burst into bright lights from the fireworks that originated on each side of the bridge and met in the middle. For the next 10 minutes it sounded like a war zone, as we watched the display that our host city had prepared for us.

It died down for a while, but one of the boat hands said to me, in that soothing Aussie accent, “Mate, that bridge? She’s not even warmed up yet.”

I then watched another fifteen minutes, and after it was all over I joined in with a resounding “Woot!” with the crowd of thousands as we all reacted with a heart-felt round of applause.

That night followed me around Australia for the next two weeks of my country tour, and I was pleasantly surprised to see when I circled back to Sydney that the bridge still bore the heart decor. It was there when I climbed to the tippy-top of it to get the best view of Sydney I’d seen. There couldn’t have been a more perfect theme for my Sydney New Years experience, as my heart fills with joy every year at this time when I remember.

Getting the Deal

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Friends and family (and sometimes complete strangers!) how I find the travel deals that I use. If you were to sit down and really think about it, you’d probably figure it out on your own (eventually) but I don’t mind sharing my secrets to save you the time.

The most important thing to know is how to do your reserach. Would you buy a car without doing your research first? Your destination and deals should be no different.

Find out all you can about the place you want to visit. When are the best times to go? What’s the weather like in the different seasons? When does everyone else want to go? If there’s a high-season, consider booking what they call a “shoulder season” – the time right before or right after the “most happening” time to visit. For example, if you want summer weather, but don’t want to pay summer prices, consider traveling just after summer starts to wind down. You’ll get similar weather for much less money – plus, you can avoid the crowds.

Then – and you should love this part – start shopping! But you should really shop around. Did you find a great deal on one Web site? Check it against another Web site (and another.) Did you find a hotel deal that you think can’t be beat? Think again, and call the hotel directly. Tell the booking agent about the rate you found, and they may meet or exceed it. Never, ever, take the first deal you find, unless it’s free, and even then, I’d look around to see if you could get a spa credit or something thrown in.

You’ll get better deals if you can be flexible. For example, each time I book a trip to Las Vegas, I look at the prices the week I really want to go, and then the week before and the week after. You’d be amazed at the extreme swings between the deals. If it doesn’t matter about the “when” you could find yourself excited about the “how much”.

Las Vegas is one of my favorite destinations, so I have signed up for every email, alert and Tweet I could find for Vegas. Your favorite hotel or airline might give you an incentive to travel with them – exclusive promotions make you feel like a high-roller. And it works for more places than Vegas.

If you’ve done your research, you should be prepared. But just in case, I’ll warn you to be careful when you book in “off” times to save money. If you book a trip to the Caribbean in the U.S. summertime, for example, yes, you’ll save lots of cash because it’s hurricane season. However, you may want to spend a bit of that savings on trip insurance, because the same reason that the trip costs less – the hurricane threat – could cause you to lose your shirt if you’re not covered. Shopping around for insurance, however, is another way to save.

Giving Thanks for Travel

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Yay! It’s time for Thanksgiving. My favorite part is sweet potato casserole. And the turkey. And the food coma. But it’s also time to be grateful and appreciate the good things you have.

This Thanksgiving, as with every thanksgiving, I’m grateful for love, family and friends. I’m grateful for my new husband, our home, and for our happiness.

I also give thanks for travel. Yes, for TRAVEL! I’m blessed to have been where I have been, and to be going wherever I’ll be going next. To head off into the wild blue yonder on a new adventure – for me anyway – is a blessing. To interact with a new culture. To see a new tourist attraction. To check places off of my travel bucket list. These are things I’m so grateful for.

I’m grateful for other things about travel as well. I’m even going to give thanks for the overly invasive screening policies that I’ll have to face as we fly to see the in-laws for the holiday. It may be a complete pain in the patootie, and it may be extremely uncomfortable as someone else feels up my boobs, but I’ll be thankful that we’re (hopefully) safe.

I’m also grateful for those that work in those security lines. I can’t imagine they find their job fun – as they deal with angry travelers on a daily basis. There are days when I resent the security personnel, but in the end, I’m glad they are there to help me stay a little safer.

I’m grateful for my passport – without it I wouldn’t be allowed to leave the U.S. and experience the world outside of its borders. I’m grateful that I was able to get my passport in my new name quickly – and I’ll be grateful for my first stamp on the crisp new pages.

I’m also thankful when I return home, safe and sound, each time I leave. A warm fuzzy from the cat and a nap in my own bed is always better after missing them for a while.

And lastly, I’m grateful for the opportunities to share my travel experiences and thoughts with the Bookend Babes!

Happy Thankgiving and happy travels!

E-reader E-commerce?

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I recently jumped into the world of the e-reader. As a frequent traveler, I feel like I’m weighing myself down carrying around the latest hardcover.

I broke down and bought an iPad. I’m sure you, the fair readers of this blog, can debate with me the pros and cons of the iPad vs. the Kindle vs. the Nook vs. whatever other readers exist. I have a bit of a weakness for Apple products, and the fact that the iPad also had the iBook functionality gave me an excuse to buy it.

So now, after not even being concerned with the price of my iPad e-reader, I’m struggling with the cost of the ebooks themselves. $12.99 for a digital version? Really? Okay, I’m an author, and I have a book on Amazon Kindle, and I know how much it cost me to format it and upload it. Factoring in what the seller and publisher take, at $12.99, there has to be a mega mark-up on these e-books. Plus, I don’t have a physical object in my hand when I’m done (aside from the too-expensive iPad) so I think that’s a little steep.

I think libraries should jump on the digital book revolution. I would gladly pay a small fee to be able to “check out” library books. Maybe an e-book club? I don’t know, but there’s got to be a better way than going broke on books! (I say, as I download the next Sandra Brown book!)