US Travel Alerts

Winter vacation bargains.

Mike Leco — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:57:00 GMT

With the US dollar at an all-time low against the Euro and other currencies, now is a great time to find vacation bargains in the USA. The USA offers some great destinations for winter vacations and some outstanding bargain shopping opportunities. Why not think about a winter vacation in the sunny climates of Florida or the Southwestern states combined with a shopping expedition?

Florida is one of the most popular winter vacation destinations for many European visitors, and it offers a mild sunny climate during the winter months along with beautiful beaches, golf courses, fishing opportunities and an array of amusement attractions. It also has some great bargain shopping malls especially near Orlando and in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale areas. At this time, the hotel accommodations, the car rentals and the vacation house rentals are priced very competitively.

Las Vegas is one of the most popular winter vacation destinations for US residents. It offers a warm dry desert climate along with fabulous casino-hotels, golf courses, restaurants and hundreds of world-class entertainment venues. Most of the casinos and hotels are now offering some really great bargains on accommodations and on packages including entertainment and dining. There are several large bargain outlet malls in the vicinity.

Phoenix and Tucson in the deserts of southern Arizona are often overlooked by foreign visitors, but are perennial favorite winter vacation destinations for US residents. These cities both offer a diverse array of cultural and sports activities, a myriad of golf courses and lots of shopping opportunities. Accommodations and car rental rates are very reasonable in both locations.

I just returned from a short trip to Las Vegas and Tucson. It was the beginning of November and folks were walking about with short trousers, tee shirts or halter tops during the daytime, and without a jacket at night. Many folks were lounging by the swimming pools basking in the warm sun, and a few were even venturing into the water. In the desert surrounding Tucson, the midday sun was oppressively hot, but the nights were cool and comfortable.

If you want to escape the cold winter weather of the northern climates, and find a few shopping bargains at the same time, why not plan a trip to the southern parts of the USA?

Los Angeles Fires contained

Mike Leco — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:29:00 GMT

The great wildfire, known as the station fire, has burned out of control for nearly a month near Los Angeles. It caused the destruction of many suburban homes and the deterioration of the air quality in Los Angeles. Firefighters have finally prevailed in containing the fire. It is now nearly 98% contained and its effects are greatly diminished. You can now visit Los Angeles without worrying about smoke pollution. Unfortunately, the normal air pollution from autos is still an issue.

California Update

Mike Leco — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:38:00 GMT

The wildfires near Los Angeles have spread across the slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains overlooking the city, They now threaten thousands of suburban homes and spread a pall of smoke and haze across the city. If you are planning on visiting Los Angeles, you should consider delaying your visit for a few weeks. Otherwise, you might find the atmosphere rather unpleasant in most of the city.

Another large wildfire is burning near Yosemite National Park, The flames and smoke have caused the National Park Service to close some of the access roads and to consider evacuation from the town of El Portal near the entrance to the Park. If you are planning a visit to Yosemite in the next few weeks, you should carefully check all of the traffic advisories for that area to see if entry is possible.

California Wildfires

Mike Leco — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:55:00 GMT

Once again, it is the season for wildfires in California. There have already been more than two thousand wildfires in various parts of the state. The most recent ones are located near Santa Clara and the Silicon Valley area just south of San Francisco.

The Coastal Mountains of California are not as high as the grand cordillera of the Sierra Nevada peaks to the east. Along most of the long coastline of the state, they rise like high barren hills covered in grass and low shrubbery with but a few scattered trees. Only the highest peaks and the deep furrows of the canyons receive enough year-round moisture to support forests. Increasingly, they are also adorned with expensive homes built by suburbanites seeking the choice views from the mountaintops or the arboreal splendor of the canyons.

During the winter months when most of the precepitation falls, these coastal hills are green with lush new growth. Every summer, the hills turn brown as the grasses and shrubbery become dormant. During particularly dry periods, the dessicated vegitation turns into dry tinder. A single spark from a discarded cigarette or a careless campfire can create an inferno that races up mountain sides and into the canyons. It wreaks havoc on the expenive homes built there.

Fortunately, these fires seldom affect the cities or the major tourist attractions. It is relatively easy for a visitor to avoid any areas of wildfire. On the other hand, an uncontrolled wildfire can create a pallor of smoke that affects a large area for many miles from the actual fire. They can make your stay at the beach or your visit to an attraction rather unpleasant. If you are planning a trip to California, it is good to check the local news sources for information about wildfires. You may decide to change your itinerary or your route based on the location of wildfires.

New York City Accident

Mike Leco — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:51:00 GMT

This week there was a tragic accident in New York City involving a private airplane and a tour helicopter. The small private airplane had departed from the small Tettersboro Airport in New Jersey and was using the Hudson River corridor on a journey to the New Jersey Shore. The helicopter had just taken off from its tour departure pier on the West Bank of Manhattan Island. The two aircraft collided in midair killing all nine passengers including five Italian tourists.

Such accidents are extremely rare even in the crowded airspace above New York City. This one will surely cause our government safety officials to reconsider the use of this Hudson River corridor for unrestricted air traffic.

Neverland not for Tourists!

Mike Leco — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:19:00 GMT

There have been a number of rumours reported in the news media that indicate the owners of Neverland, Michael Jackson's estate, are considering turning it into a tourist attraction. Some even say that Michael Jackson could eventually be buried there, and the estate turned into a memorial to the Pop Singing Star.

The residents of the secluded Santa Ynes Valley and the town of Los Olivos California have banded together to form a group called "Never". They have vowed to block the development of any tourist attraction at the 1,000 acre ranch owned by Michael Jackson, and will fight against his burial on the property. This secluded area of the California Central Coast Wine Country was chosed by Michael Jackson because of its natural beauty and isolation from commercial development. Local residents say that turning Neverland into a tourist attraction would destroy both.

See our USATourist.com page on Santa Barbara!

Highway Travel Increases in USA

Mike Leco — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:36:00 GMT

After nearly two years of decreased highway travel in the USA, the end of this travel depression may be near. During May of 2009, highway travel increased slightly for the first time in sixteen months. It may be premature to call this a trend, but it certainly looks promising.

Lower gasoline prices and an increasingly optimistic attitude toward future economic improvements have likely encouraged US travelers to go back on the road. This means you can expect slightly higher numbers of tourists on the roads and at the popular tourist destinations this summer.

Statue of Liberty Crown reopens

Mike Leco — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:05:00 GMT

On July 4 2009, the observation platform in the crown of the Statue of Liberty will once again reopen for visitors. It has been closed to the public since November 11 2001 when the entire statue was closed for security reasons. In 2004, Liberty Island and the base of the statue was reopened for visitation with enhanced security screening, but the observation platform in the crown remained closed.

After July 4, small groups of tourists will be escorted up the 168 steps within the Statue of Liberty to the tiny observation platform in the crown. Considering the large numbers of people that visit the statue every day, I don't believe it will be easy to attain this priveleged viewpoint. If you would like to see New York city from the crown, I suggest you go the statue very early in the morning and immediately get in the queue for the climb.

Summer Airfare Bargains

Mike Leco — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:32:00 GMT

The current worldwide financial crisis has had a significant negative impact on all of the US air carriers. Declining numbers of vacation travelers and less business travel have left the airlines with a significant reduction in passengers and increasing revenue losses.

The coming summer travel season is normally the busy time for airlines. It is usually the time when they increase their fares. This summer will be different. Southwest Airlines, the largest discount air carrier in the USA, has published significant fare reductions through the summer travel season. Most other airlines have countered with matching fare reductions. It appears that we can expect an air-fare price war this summer.

This is great news for vacation travelers. It means that bargain air fares are currently available. You can now fly coast-to-coast from New York to Los Angeles for only $120. You can fly from New York to Orlando Florida for less than $100. Even the overseas prices have plummeted during this normally high-priced summer travel season. Air fares to Europe are nearer to $500 or $600 for a round trip instead of the normal $900 to $1000 during the summer.

Mexico Travel Alert

Mike Leco — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:43:00 GMT

The US State Department has issued a travel alert for visitors entering Mexico. Tourists are warned to stay away from the drug and prostitution areas in Mexican border cities. Many cities along the Mexico/USA border such as Tijuana and Nogales have been experiencing escalating drug wars with the use of automatic weapons and grenades becoming common. In 2008, there were over 6,000 drug related killings in Mexico.

Visitors are not prohibited from visiting Mexico, they are just advised to stay within the tourist areas and do not venture into the drug and prostitution related areas.

Body Scanners at Airport Security

Mike Leco — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:11:00 GMT

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that it will begin using body scanners in place of metal detectors for airport screening. Effective immediately, airport security screeners in Tulsa, Oklahoma will begin using these new machines on a test basis. Within a few months, the airport security screeners at San Francisco, Las Vegas, Miami, Albuquerque and Salt Lake City will join the test and also use body scanners.

The new scanners require passengers to stand in the machine and raise their arms. The scanners use micro short-wave radio signals to penetrate clothing and reveal both metalic and non-metallic objects. The process takes about 30 seconds.

Privacy advocates fear that the images are too revealing of personal body parts. The TSA claims that the machines block out passenger faces and reveal only indistinct images of body parts. Anyone that objects to use of these new scanner will be permitted to refuse, but they must then pass through a metal detector and undergo a manual pat down.

The future has arrived! Technological strip searches are becoming part of daily life.

Las Vegas Bargains

Mike Leco — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:24:00 GMT

I just returned from a business trip to Las Vegas. I was suprised by the low number of tourists in Sin City. This economic downturn has had a severe negative impact on las Vegas.

The casinos are offering some really great bargains in order to attract more players. Flamingo, which is a bit older but still located in the heart of the most popular part of the Strip, was offering rooms for as low as $30 per night. Even Mandalay Bay, one of the newer an more expensive hotels, was offering its $250 rooms at a bargain price of $100 per night just to entice more visitors.

The restaurants were half empty. The popular show tickets, that are usually hard to get unless you reserve in advace, were readily available and even discounted in many cases, Taxis were lined up by the hundreds at every casino entrance waiting for the few tourists needing them. Worst of all, for the casinos, the gambling tables were more than half empty.

This is a great time to go to Las Vegas for a bargain vacation. The weather is still a bit cool, but I was able to walk outside in a short-sleeve shirt during the afternoon, although a sweater or jacket was essential after dark. You can easily find hotel rooms at bargain prices. You will have no wait at the top restaurants. You can see the best shows.

Intempéries d' hiver sérieuses et inhabituelles

Carole Duchesne — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:37:00 GMT

Des températures très basses, d' énormes chutes de neige ainsi que des vents forts se sont mélés pour créer un temps désagréable dans toute la partie Nord des USA jusqu' aux états plus au Sud qui ne subissent jamais ces conditions. Toute la partie Nord des USA, à cause des chutes de neiges impressionantes et des vents forts certains états voient des conditions très difficiles et même dangereuses surtout sur les routes. Pour le Montana et les deux états du Dakota ainsi qu' à Chicago c' est normal pour le mois de décembre. Cependant pour Seattle et autres villes maritimes il est rare de voir autant de neige et des températures aussi frigides. Cette semaine la ville de Seattle a été recourverte de 10 cm de neige ou plus aux alentours et a vu des températures basses à casser les records. Ce front froid, accompagné de vent et de neige s' étend jusqu' à la côte Est, Boston et la Nouvelle Angleterre et les états avoisinants. Même Las Vegas, dans la partie basse du désert du Nevada, a vu de la neige, jusqu' à 10 centimètres dans certains endroits. Ces conditions peuvent devenir un vrai cauchemar pour les voyageurs. Les villes qui sont habituées comme Chicago et Boston sont équipées et sont prêtes avec leurs agences et services de nettoyage pour déblayer les routes et les aéroports. Les villes comme Las Vegas et Seattle, qui expériencent rarement telles conditions, sont moins bien équipées et peu de véhicules d' urgence pour maitriser la neige. Seattle ainsi que Las Vegas ont dû fermer leurs aéroports et certaines routes principales et nationales, pendant plusieurs jours tandis qu'ils essayaient de faire face à ce temps peu commun, ils les ont récemment réouverts.

Severe Winter Weather

Mike Leco — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:57:00 GMT

Bitter cold temperatures, heavy snow and high winds have combined to make the winter weather very unpleasant in most of the northern half of the United States and even in some of the southern areas normally immune from such harsh conditions.

All across the northern half of the USA, bitter cold and high winds have combined with snowfall to produce hazardous driving conditions. This is typical December weather for Montana and the Dakotas and is not uncommon in Chicago. It is, however, highly unusual for Seattle and the coastal cities to receive more than a bit of snow or to rarely achieve below-freezing temperatures. This week ,Seattle was blanketed with about 10 cm of snowfall and bitter cold temperatures. This band of cold, windy and snowy weather extends all the way to the East Coast where it plagues Boston and the New England states.

Even Las Vegas, in the low desert of Nevada where snow rarely falls, received more than ten centimeters of snow. Such unusual weather can be a nightmare for drivers. Cities that are acustomed to such weather like Chicago and Boston have adequate equipment and facilities to quickly clear snow from roads and airports. Cities like Las Vegas and Seattle, that seldom experience such conditions, have little snow handling equipment and few emergency vehicles to handle severe winter snowfalls. Both Seattle and Las Vegas were forced to close their airports and major highways for several days while they attempted to cope with this unusual weather, but they are now reopened.

Visa Waiver Travel Extended

Mike Leco — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:40:00 GMT

President Bush recently announced that the visa waiver program, for travel to the USA without a visa, will be extended to seven more countries. There are currently 27 countries in the visa waiver program that allows its residents to visit the USA for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa. By mid November 2008, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, South Korea and Slovakia will join that list.

Residents from these seven countries will be able to visit the USA for up to 90 days without a visa as long as they posess a biometric passport and they register online through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

This new online travel registration system is now fully active, and available for all visa waiver visitors to the USA. So far, it has been a voluntary convenience, but in January of 2009 it will become mandatory for all visa waiver visitors.

You can get information about ESTA in nine languages at this US Customs and Border Patrol webpage.

Or you can register directly on this ESTA webpage.