Chicago Rocks Music Tour

Chicago’s blues and jazz history attracts lots of attention but the Windy City’s extensive rock and punk history often slips through the cracks. Chicago Music Tours remedies that situation with two interactive tours that supply all the little known stories about Chicago rock stars and their music. Read More »

It’s been a busy week in the world of travel and internet musings, how could you possibly follow it all? That’s where we come in. We, meaning the too attractive for radio people at UpTake, collect the links and pitches that fill up our respective inboxes and then we share them with you, the reader. It’s like a service. You’re welcome.

If you would like to have your stories and information included here please email me at the address listed in the sidebar. I’m the editor. You can’t miss it.

And now, for your perusing pleasure, here are some of the headlines and stories from the past week in travel. Enjoy.

What’s happening at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort? (Jackson Hole)

National Geographic waxes fondly about NASA and the shuttle program. (NatGeo)

Like a good garage sale? How about one that is 50 miles long? The Finger Lakes region of New York state has what you need. (Cayuga County)

The Ritz-Carlton in Marana, AZ (where my dad is mayor!) lets you pick your own juice right off the tree. True story. (Ritz-Carlton)

British Airways has a great sale going on — it ends at midnight tomorrow! (BA.com)

It’s not too early to start thinking about Colorado’s fall foliage, and Box Canyon Lodge has some discounts. (Box Canyon Lodge)

Cave of the Mounds just outside of Madison, WI has some great family fun on the horizon! (Cave of the Mounds)

HotelBPM will soon be putting a spin on New York boutique hotels. (HotelBPM)

Going to Chicago? Feeling presidential? The Fairmont knows how to help. (Chicago Fairmont)

Tour the Disney Wonder cruise ship. (510 Families)

What to do on a family vacation to Copenhagen. (RookieMoms)

And there you have it. Travel well, friends.

In my old stomping grounds of Seattle the food truck rage is still catching up to the awesomeness of Portland and New York, but what it lacks in quantity it certainly makes up for in quality. Meet Maximus Minimus, the traveling purveyor of pulled-pork and veggie sandwiches. They used to park every Saturday at a local market, and my kids and I would ride our bikes over (assuming it wasn’t raining) and have a sandwich with the sweet sauce. Sweet, indeed. Also, Coke from Mexico, which, as you probably know, is the best kind — real sugar!

Finding local food trucks on your summer vacation is a great way to venture off the beaten path, meet the locals and get a taste of the area. Go hungry. Take the kids.

This post is part of our Friday Family Series.

Photo: Brian Jala via Flickr

If you are going to be traveling anywhere near Los Angeles this weekend, and by near I mean San Francisco, Las Vegas and Phoenix, then you may want to take some precautions. Things are going down in the city of angels and you do not want anything to do with it.

Seriously.

They are calling it Carmageddon, and it is the closing of the 405 freeway for a 10 mile stretch as of this evening (Friday, July 15), and opening again at 6:00 a.m. on Monday. Basically, the traffic in L.A. is going straight from the frying pan and into the fire. It happens.

Travelers trying to get to Disneyland or the beach for their family summer vacations should allow for long delays (we’re talking HOURS) and avoid the 405, I-10 and 101 (the 405 is closed between the two latter freeways). My advice? If you make it to the Disneyland Resort, just stay there. If you make it to the beach of your choice, find a hotel and ride out the weekend on surf and waves. If you need to access LAX, you are in for a very frustrating weekend. Keep smiling!

This is part of our Friday Family Vacation Series. It’s probably not our best. Hate the message not the messenger.

Photo: Atwater Village Newbie via Flickr