And now it’s time for the ongoing online saga consisting of travel links, tweets and the sweet deals of summer. Can you feel that? That, my friends, is excitement!

Here’s how it works. Over the week my inbox (link in right sidebar) runneth over with travel-related stories and pitches. I look into them and, should they prove interesting, I share them with you, the reader. I also do the Twitter. The jury is still out on Google+.

So with nothing further ado, here is a collection of travel fun from the past week:

Common Sense and Whiskey (not to be confused with my life) by Bill Murray (not that one) offers interesting travel insight and pictures.

510 Families has great no-fly vacation ideas if you’re in the San Fransisco area (or not, but really like driving).

Want to play 18 holes of golf in Hawai’i for under $80? Of course you do.

Palm Beach County, Florida wants you in the deep end. Diver down, people.

Cotton Tree in the Cayman Islands has a great deal going on that is still to expensive for me, but you might like it.

Traveling with kids in Albuquerque? Rookie Moms have things to do!

The Personal Vacation Plan can fill in those blanks in your travel itinerary.

Hotel Tonight is the app you need for same day and last minute hotel reservations and deals.

Rainforest Cafe wants to send you to Walt Disney World. All you need is a frog and a camera.

Tripbase has 15 very magical photos to share.

There you go, folks. Quick and easy. Use the links in the opening paragraph to share your links with the travel crowd via your friends here at UpTake. You’ll be glad you did!

It’s been a long time, Internet, but I’m back with another rousing edition of Travel Around the Internet. Yes, rousing. Below you will find a collection of travel-related links that have been pulled by hand from the worlds of Twitter, search engines and my inbox. I know, it’s all so glamorous. And strangely gratifying.

Here’s the latest in Internet travel news:

More Americans are visiting Cuba (MSNBC)

International toilet etiquette (GloboTreks)

4 Tips for a great family vacation (BabyCenter)

Mating turtles shut down JFK — the airport, not the late president (CNN)

15 homemade meals you can take on an airplane (the Kitchn)

Top things to do in Anaheim instead of/in addition to Disneyland (CBS)

Countdown to meeting the astronauts (Astronaut Scholarship Foundation)

The SoWa Open Market is a great way stop in Boston (SoWa Open Market)

Getting ready for the beach or the 4th of July (JoeShopping)

Meet Mickey Mouse and get some exercise (Disney)

July discounts at GO Airport Express (Go Airport Express)

Tips to survive Carmageddon (Patch)

Top 10 American landmarks (Fodor’s)

Top 10 US boardwalks (National Geographic)

Great deals on Hawaiian airfare (Hawaiian Airlines)

And that’s it for this edition. If you want to be included in a future Travel Around the Internet please send your links to the editor (that’s me) at: vacations.blogeditor@uptake.com or tweet us on the Twitter!

Have a great 4th!

I have a bone to pick with Alaska Airlines, and lucky for me I have the platform to do it. This may or may not be lucky for you. Humor me.

To be fair, I’ve always been a fan of Alaska. Over the past 10 years I’ve spent a lot of time flying in and out of Seattle and often Alaska Airlines has provided the best deal available. I’m budget savvy, what can I say?

In addition to affordable (relative) airfare I’ve also enjoyed their customer service. Just last summer when my family and I were flying to Orlando there was a mix-up with our tickets (between Alaska and a partner airline) which, frankly, freaked us out. The Alaska Airlines rep stayed cool and calm and made everything right. It was the first real moment of relaxation on a great family vacation.

My point? Alaska Airlines has always done right by me. Until now. Read More »

A US Airways Boeing 737-300

I’ve had an iffy relationship with US Airways over the past few years. It all started back in 2007. I was sick with the flu and we were traveling home to Arizona from our vacation in Maine. I’m pretty sure there are no direct flights to and from Maine and Arizona. We always end up in a hub in either Philadelphia or Pittsburgh. We were delayed in leaving Maine (weather issues) and so landed in Philadelphia too late to catch our connecting flight. Unfortunately, it was the last flight headed to Arizona for the night, and the next one wasn’t until the next morning. Because US Airways holds no responsibility for scheduling issues due to weather, we were not provided any sort of recompense or accommodations for the night. In fact, we got no sympathy whatsoever from the US Airways employees, who seemed in quite a hurry to end their workdays and abandon us to the rapidly-emptying terminal.

We were stuck in the terminal all night long. With the glaring lights and the unnaturally loud television and it was freezing cold and did I mention that I had the flu?

I bundled up in a couple of sweatshirts and huddled under the paper-thin airplane blanket that an employee thoughtfully gave me. We tried as best we could to get some sleep and I was getting sicker by the minute. When we finally boarded the plane at 7:00 the next morning (all the way in the back, no reclining seats), the airplane seat seemed almost comfortable in comparison to the benches in the airport. I vowed never to fly US Airways again.

Read More »