Spendthrift Shoestring

European LCCs on Twitter

Check out my airline-by-airline comparison of four big European low-cost carriers on the EuroCheapo blog.

Brooklyn: Fort Greene in up! Magazine

This week my short retail overview of Fort Greene was published in WestJet's up! Magazine online. My musings can be read here.

Barbuda's Beautiful Beaches

I'm just back from four nights on Barbuda. All the buzz about Barbuda's perfect beaches is completely deserved. I was on assignment on the island, and I'll link to the resultant publication as soon as it pops up online. On Barbuda I spent two nights at the charming, quiet Palm Tree Guest House in the town of Codrington, followed by two nights as a guest of the jaw-droppingly beautiful Lighthouse Bay, a flawless resort with nine miles of gorgeous beach at its doorstep.

For now, here are a few shots of Barbuda's amazing beaches.

The route to Two Foot Bay beach. Note skittish donkey in the middle of the road.

Coral Group beach, near Uncle Roddy's Bar & Restaurant.

Sunset at Lighthouse Bay, looking south.

Chicago: Anatomy of a Decadent (Last-Minute) Frequent-Flier Reward Day Trip

I flew to Chicago very early yesterday and returned in the evening. I spent the day with my friend Mike. We ate (Eleven City Diner for breakfast, Muskie’s on Lincoln for lunch, the Publican for dinner), spent time with his dog, caught up, and walked around Andersonville, my favorite Chicago neighborhood.

As much as I travel, such day trips are very rare for me, and in fact, this was my first ever quick day-trip jaunt by air. I ended up booking the day trip after being given a round-trip voucher on Southwest that had to be used very quickly. At first, determined to visit all of the 50 US states, I decided to get to one of the two states I haven't yet seen, namely Oklahoma. I did my research. Last month, on a flight between Oakland and Portland, I polled Southwest flight attendants, one of whom raved about the city's "awesome river walk" and downtown bars. Interesting, though perhaps not really my thing. I turned to Twitter and received an unusual number of extremely helpful tips. The star Oklahoma City tip-giver was travel writer Robert Reid, who grew up in Oklahoma. Reid made me psyched to sample the city's Vietnamese restaurant scene, among other things.

Ultimately, given scheduling and flight times, an Oklahoma City excursion would have meant about 17 overnight hours on the ground, so I passed. Now that I've got some really enticing tips, however, I know I'll visit Oklahoma City relatively soon. 

My day in Chicago was budget-friendly, all things considered. My budget came to $102, as follows:

• $5 Security Fee for use of Southwest round-trip voucher;

• $68 car service to & taxi back from La Guardia, including tip;

• $5 Chicago Transit Authority transit card;

• $5 coffee at Coffee Studio in Andersonville;

• $19 lunch for two at Muskie’s on Lincoln.

Of course, this could have been much cheaper had I been willing to undertake the slow public transportation slog back from La Guardia at night. And it would have been considerably pricier had my friend Mike not treated me to breakfast and dinner.

The experience got me thinking about this sort of scenario, which is no doubt common for those who are strapped for time and money: having a voucher that has to be used quickly and within a tight time frame.

What might make daytrips by air particularly worthwhile?

1. Length of Excursion. Take the first flight out and return on the final flight of the night. To make your day away count, you’ll want to make sure you have as much time as possible in your destination city. Try to get on an early morning flight and return as late as possible. You can catch up on sleep afterward.

2. Proximity of Destination. Your destination should be no more than two hours flying time from your home base. Farther than that and you’ll be spending too much time in the air.

3. Goal of Day Trip. One day does not provide enough time to see a place in a satisfying manner as a tourist, so don't try. Develop a goal that sets the day apart from the general project of tourism: a restaurant to try, a museum to visit, a friend to see.