A Traveling Dog, The Travel Blog

Apparently about a quarter of men (British men, anyway) bring a stuffed animal along when they travel. Travelodge, a British hotel chain, surveyed about 6,000 Britons and found that 35% admitted to sleeping with a stuffed animal. Of the men they polled, 25% said they bring along their aminal on business trips, usually because they miss their partners.

I wonder how many people lied on the survey. I bet way more people sleep with a stuffed animal. (I do. He’s a polar bear and his name is Charlie.)

New Mexico features a wealth of things to see when on vacation, and it may be a little hard to delegate time to visit each one of the must see stops this great state holds. One definite stop for the adventurous types should be the Carlsbad Caverns. The main event here is the beautiful rock formations on the walls, ceilings, and floors of the caves. This journey isn’t for the faint of heart, you need to travel nearly 70 stories below the earth’s surface to get there.

Continuing on the the road trip theme, tourist attractions are a staple in Americana and a must-see for anyone traveling highways and byways. We’re not talking about beaches and theme parks either. These places speak to lovers of the strange and bizarre and probably aren’t in your standard travel guide.They’re like America’s deformities:  so weird, we just can’t look away! Here is a list of a few odd U.S. tourist attractions that still attract hundreds of road-trippers every year.

Babyland General Hospital (Cleveland, Georgia):

This  institution is sure to cater to the 8 year-old girl in all of us. It’s the magical place where Cabbage Patch Kids are stuffed and certified. Although the craze for Cabbage Patch Kids has died down since the 80s and 90s, they still have quiet a few visitors in the summer.

Precious Moments Chapel (Carthage, Missouri):

What’s creepier than those popular teary-eyed, angle-winged Precious Moments figurines? A whole chapel adorned with Precious Moments characters painted Sistine Chapel in a Missouri church. Still, this place rakes in the visitors every year.

Prehistoric Forest (Marblehead, Ohio):

Dinosaurs are cool! Dinosaur replicas are less cool. At Prehistoric Forest in Marblehead, you can gaze at dinosaur statues that are set up to look like a less threatening Jurassic Park. The coolest part is the tram ride in which visitors are handed fake M16’s and are told to “kill the monsters”.

There’s nothing more American than a good old-fashioned road-trip.

It’s a great way to travel and explore the country you live in, see the underbelly of areas that you often overlook, and bond with your fellow road-weary traveling partner in the process. A cross-country road trip is on many people’s bucket list, so if you’re looking to cross that off of your’s, National Geographic has what you need to get some inspiration.

On their website they have a really great section profiling the most scenic highways and byways in the US. It separates the suggested routes into regions, so whether you want to head north, south, east, or west, there are plenty of facts and information to get your travel bug going.

One that’s definitely on my list is the Blues Highway drive. Blues Highway, also known as Highway 61, is a route between Memphis and Vicksburg that runs along the mighty Mississippi River. It’s a road trip must-drive for any music lover. On this highway traveled by Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Bessie Smith, and BB King, you’ll find smoky juke joints nestled under pine trees, the sweet sounds of southern gospel music billowing through open church doors, and of course, some famous Memphis BBQ. Memphis is home to Stax Museum of American Soul Music, which is named after the famed Stax records that put out Otis Redding, Issac Hayes and the Staple Singers.

To read more, or find another incredible road trip destination, check out the website.

Travel insurance is a highly debatable commodity in the traveling world. Some people struggle with the decision–to purchase, or not to purchase?

Here are 9 reasons to buy travel insurance according to TODAY, check them out:

Reasons to buy travel insurance
1. Your flight has been cancelled.
2. Your bags are lost and your medication is in it. You need to have an emergency prescription filled.
3. Your passport and wallet are stolen, and you need emergency cash and a replacement passport.
4. You’re involved in an accident and adequate medical treatment is not available. You need medical evacuation.
5. You need to cancel your trip due to illness.
6. Your cruiseairline or tour operator goes bankrupt. You need your non-refundable expenses covered and to get to your destination.
7. You have a medical emergency in a foreign country.
8. A terrorist incident occurs in the city where you’re planning to visit and you want to cancel your trip.
9. A hurricane forces you to evacuate your resort, hotel or cruise.

Procrastination is widely viewed as a bad habit and sure sign of someone who just doesn’t have their stuff together. But sometimes, procrastination pays off.

A few days ago I stumbled upon this great site called Lastminutecruises.com. They offer incredible deals on Caribbean and Mediterranean cruises for the person who just can’t book things in advance. For example, a 3-night cruise from Miami to the Bahamas was $169… that’s nearly 61% off regular ticket price.

In addition to the traditional Carribean cruises that go to Mexico and the Bahamas, there are several different destinations that one could consider if they want something a little different. Other cruise destinations include Alaska, Bermuda, Canada-New England, Hawaii and North Europe–at amazing prices!

Here is a great video from National Geographic, profiling the beautiful and exotic, South Africa.
Check it out!

For a lot of travelers, one of the most daunting aspects of preparing for a trip is packing. We all know we should pack light, but many feel they’d rather bring too much, than not enough. If you’re going on a trip and are a little anxious about packing all of your clothes, here a little advice.

Put everything you want to bring in a pile. Evaluate what you selected and start to take out at least 5 things you KNOW aren’t necessary. What ever is left, pack half of it. This can be especially hard for ladies to do, as it seems perfectly logical to bring 5 different pairs of shoes, but trust me, when you’re carrying around a huge bag, trying to find your hotel in a foreign country, you’re going to wish you lightened up on your load.

Clothes take up the most room in your bag, so be very selective and bring only the essentials. Doing laundry in your room every few days is a lot easier than carrying around a huge, heavy bag.

As far as toiletries go, bring small bottles. These are easily replaceable and you can always take the hotel shampoos and soaps when you run out.

If you’re not familiar with Rick Steves, he basically has the best job in the history of jobs. He’s the host of PBS’ Rick Steves Europe where he travels all over Europe talking about landmarks, food, customs, and people of these various locations and gets it on film, producing a really informative show for the travel curious viewer.
Here are a few helpful tips from his website about how to make the most of the money you bring on your European escapade.
1. Travel Off-season
2. Family run businesses offer the best values
3. Use ATMs rather than Traveler’s Checks
4. Buses are slower, but cheaper than trains
5. When dining out, eat what’s in season
6. Buy your maps in Europe, as they’re half the price you pay in America with a much bigger selection
7. Have a picnic every once in a while, instead of dining in a restaurant
8. Know the rail lines, if you’re traveling a lot, Eurailpasses can offer big savings
9. Avoid touristy signs. Places with “We Speak English” in the window will most likely inflate the prices
10. Look up friends, relative and contacts if possible.

We all want to travel, but time and money are our biggest deterrents from taking that expedition across Europe we’ve been meaning to do. An often overlooked place to visit is Canada. This huge country to the north of us has tons of great offerings for travelers. Here are 5 Canadian Vacation Ideas:

1) Old Quebec:
Between the old cobblestone roads, well-preserved 17th century architecture and French cafes, visiting Quebec is like taking a step back in time, and a step across the ocean.

2) Cape Breton Island:
Cape Breton is an island at the tip of Nova Scotia, famous for its food, music and Celtic heritage. A must visit for any Canadian traveller.

3)Prince Edward Island:
This gorgeous locale is home to the Anne of Green Gables Homestead located in the Prince Edward National Park. The beautiful island features a gorgeous coastal landscape characteristic of the Maritime Plan region.

4)Montreal:
One of the most stylish and exciting cities in North America, Montreal is a must-visit for the art, music, and culture enthusiast. Montreal is known to host tons of festivals, and one of their biggest is the Montreal International Jazz Festival in June/July. It’s free of charge, offers about 500 concerts and features around 2000 musicians from 20 different countries.

5)Toronto:
If you’re looking for a city that is on-par with Chicago and New York in terms of restaurants and shopping, Toronto is your best bet. Toronto is a huge financial capital and boast tons of awe-inspiring sky-scrapers and modern architecture.