Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska

When Nellie and Con Miller arrived in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1949, they didn't have anything with them except for their two children and $1.40. Con became a merchant and fur buyer in the area, but he would also put on an old red Santa suit and entertain the village children; he would do anything to carve out a living for himself in this new frontier and the kids couldn't have been happier to see their first St. Nick.

Only a few years later, the Millers had cobbled together enough money to built a trading post just outside of Fairbanks. They named it the North Pole, but when a young visitor recognized Con and asked if Santa was building a new house, they changed the name of the outpost to the Santa Claus House and decorated as they thought one of St. Nick's home might look.

The Santa Claus House received international recognition and, after newspapers and magazines all over the world wrote about the new trading post, letters from kids started to pour in. The Millers, for decades now, have been returning as many of those letters as they could, sending mail to boys and girls all over the world who think they're corresponding with Santa Claus himself. Over the span of 60 years or so, the Millers sent more than two million personalized letters.

The town of North Pole, Alaska, which has grown up around the Santa Claus House, has the slogan "Where the Spirit of Christmas Lives Year Round." And the Santa Claus House is just one of the ways that spirit lives on. Visitors to the town will be greeted by not just it, but also a 42-foot-tall Fiberglas Santa Claus statue that stands on Richardson Highway. Other Christmas items decorate the town all year-round.

from Atlas Obscura http://atlasobscura.com.feedsportal.com/c/35387/f/665719/s/41c2306e/sc/10/l/0L0Satlasobscura0N0Cplaces0Csanta0Eclaus0Ehouse/story01.htm

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in Haerbin, China

Massive ice sculptures loom over visitors bundled up against the -15 degree Celsius weather, paired with giant snow carvings a few miles away looking down on the festivities of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival.

An annual event, the Festival is one of the world's four largest ice and snow festival, holding the 2007 Guinness Record for largest snow sculpture: a two part piece of Niagra Falls and a Crossing of the Bering Strait (a migration of the First Nations, the population residing in Canada prior to European colonization) that totaled 250 meters long, 8.5 meters high, and composed of over 13,000 cubic meters of snow.

First organized in 1963, the Festival was often interrupted over the years due to the Cultural Revolution. It picked up again, this time as an annual event, in 1985. The official starting date is January 5th, lasting until February 15th, though weather permitting, the exhibitions often open a week earlier and run until March.

Each year has a different 'theme,' past themes including the Beijing Olympics, Chinese tourist sites, 'Prosperous China and High-Flying Longjiang', and 'Friendship between China and Russia.' The Great Wall (doubling as an ice slide), pyramids, sphinxes, terra cotta warriors, a Disney castle, towering pagodas, enormous Buddhas, and gardens are only a handful of the creative sculptures and carvings to have been a part of the Harbin Festival.

It is a competitive event, with teams coming from all over the world-the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, South Africa, France etc. During the nights of the month-long festival, lights from inside and outside of the sculptures brilliantly illuminate a variety of architectural styles, fanciful castles, mythological and historical figures, ice lanterns and slides.

Fireworks light up the sky on various evenings while the dazzling multicolored ice sculptures light up the entire ground. The ice is procured from the surface of the frozen Songhua River, then intricately carved, many of the sculptures receiving a douse of deionized water to produce an entirely transparent look. Swimming in the Songua River, Yabuli alpine skiing, an ice-lantern exhibition, ice golf, and ice archery are just some of the featured activities popular of the Festival.

from Atlas Obscura http://atlasobscura.com.feedsportal.com/c/35387/f/665719/s/41c23058/sc/10/l/0L0Satlasobscura0N0Cplaces0Charbin0Eice0Eand0Esnow0Efestival/story01.htm

Flying Over the Okavango Delta

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is having great holidays! A little mind-bending for the day from Alan Watts And here’s something a little different for you… it’s one of those that’s worth watching full-screen with good sound! Daily Photo – Flying Over the Okavango Delta One day in Botswana, we took a rather incredible helicopter […]



from Stuck in Customs http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2014/12/25/flying-over-the-okavango-delta/

Hey, what’s this “disposition” fee from Hyundai?

from Elliott http://elliott.org/problem-solved/hey-whats-disposition-fee-hyundai/

How Much Influence to Airlines Have Over Restaurant Choices and Other Retail in Their Terminals?

Reader Michael A. asks, I know you have an interest in decent food and that you come through LAX a lot. LAX is getting much better restaurants, and it makes me wonder: Do the airlines have a say in what restaurants come to their terminals? LAX is maybe a bit unusual in having the different […]

The post How Much Influence to Airlines Have Over Restaurant Choices and Other Retail in Their Terminals? appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/12/24/much-influence-airlines-restaurant-choices-retail-terminals/

Candy Cane Lane in Los Angeles, California

Zip-lining Santas and atypical, potentially blasphemous art-mangers. That is Woodland Hills come Christmas time.

Since 1952, these eight square blocks of houses have come into friendly, informal competition with one another over who can create the most extravagant or outlandish Christmas or Hanukkah display. Animatronics, Danish nisse, and giant roof-mounted St. Nick busts are not uncommon sights on these streets.

from Atlas Obscura http://atlasobscura.com.feedsportal.com/c/35387/f/665719/s/41c1a7c8/sc/10/l/0L0Satlasobscura0N0Cplaces0Ccandy0Ecane0Elane/story01.htm

My Christmas Gift: I Pick Up The Cutest Flight Attendant Ever

I don't usually buy duty free items onboard, though I'm a complete sucker for airline related teddy bears. For example, a while back I picked up a Cathay Pacific pilot teddy bear, which was ridiculously adorable.

However, I think Gulf Air takes the cake for the cutest airline teddy bear I've ever seen. Check out this adorable Gulf Air flight attendant teddy bear I picked up on my London to Bahrain flight today.

My only complaint is that they only had one for sale, or else I would have picked up more...

The post My Christmas Gift: I Pick Up The Cutest Flight Attendant Ever appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/24/christmas-gift-pick-cutest-flight-attendant-ever/

How to Outsmart Immigration Screening and Sneak Into Europe, Go to Jail for Changing Seats, and an easyJet Christmas

More great links from around the web: The CIA’s Guide to Dealing With Immigration Screening. More from The Economist. American ended its frequent flyer partnership with El Al November 1. And yet they’re now expanding codesharing between Europe and Tel Aviv. Passenger suing United after she was jailed for attempting to change seats. Self-upgrading has […]

The post How to Outsmart Immigration Screening and Sneak Into Europe, Go to Jail for Changing Seats, and an easyJet Christmas appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/12/24/outsmart-immigration-screening-sneak-europe-go-jail-changing-seats-easyjet-christmas/

LOT Polish Adds Mistletoe To Their Planes

Here's a simple but cute idea. Through January 6, 2015, LOT Polish is hanging a mistletoe on each of their airplanes.

Here's the press release:

"LOT Polish Airlines has kicked off the Christmas holidays with KISSaLOT. Mistletoe twigs have been hung in each of LOT's aircraft--the highest place in the world--through Jan. 6, 2015. It's the airline's way of bringing people together."

The post LOT Polish Adds Mistletoe To Their Planes appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/24/lot-polish-adds-mistletoe-to-their-planes/

The Impact of Credit Card Authorized Users on Credit Scores

DJ asked about adding authorized users to credit card accounts. I am always curious about the impact on credit score from authorized user accounts of credit cards In addition to an authorized user being a way to give someone access to credit — a spouse or a child, for instance — authorized users have other, […]

The post The Impact of Credit Card Authorized Users on Credit Scores appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/12/24/impact-credit-card-authorized-users-credit-scores/

Review Of Qatar Airways Airbus A350 Delivery Ceremony

On Monday I had the amazing opportunity to visit the Airbus Delivery Center in Toulouse, France.

The occasion was to celebrate the delivery of the first Airbus A350 to Qatar Airways, which is the plane’s launch customer. There were about 150 media people invited from all over the world.

They really went over the top with the event, as I’ll cover in more detail below. There were two press dinners (neither of which I attended), an amazing ceremony, and a 45 minute media flight on the Airbus A350.

To start, here's a short clip that Airbus made, with the highlights of the ceremony:

The post Review Of Qatar Airways Airbus A350 Delivery Ceremony appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/24/review-of-qatar-airways-airbus-a350-delivery-ceremony/

Over There: In France, Vestiges of the Great War’s Bloody End

A tour of trenches, bunkers and memorials in the forests of Lorraine, where the last battles of World War I were waged.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/41c0cd7f/sc/38/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C120C280Ctravel0Cin0Efrance0Evestiges0Eof0Ethe0Egreat0Ewars0Ebloody0Eend0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

36 Hours: What to Do in Casablanca

Morocco’s cosmopolitan port beckons with its convivial cafes, colorful markets, waterfront nightclubs and a palm-filled park for a quiet stroll.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/41c0bb2d/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C120C280Ctravel0Cwhat0Eto0Edo0Ein0E360Ehours0Ein0Ecasablanca0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Airlines that Offer Chauffeur Service on Award Tickets

Most travel hackers interested a premium travel experience tend to use their miles to book business and first class on foreign carriers. International first class on foreign airlines comes with a host of bells and whistles that makes it superior to products offered by U.S. based carriers: better service, sets, meals and lounges. In addition, […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/12/airlines-that-offer-chauffeur-service-on-award-tickets.html

Hiring A Babysitter At A Hotel

My wife and I tried something new on this trip – we hired a babysitter for a night! I know, that probably doesn’t seem very revolutionary, but for us it was. Although we have a part-time nanny at home who helps out a few days during the week, we pretty much exclusively take care of our own munchkins on the road.

As I’ve previously mentioned, I was the best man in a dear friend’s wedding in Penang this past weekend. The wedding was in the evening, and was scheduled to be followed by a multi-course meal. We wanted the kids, Squirt and Squeaker, to attend the wedding – they were both participating as flower children – but figured that by the time the party was finished, it would be way past their bedtime. And we all know that would not have ended well for us or anybody else!

So we hired a babysitter.

The post Hiring A Babysitter At A Hotel appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/24/hiring-babysitter-hotel/

Surfacing: A Sweets Factory in Moscow, Now Hot

The industrial complex Red October, once a confectionery, is now home to shops, galleries, bars and restaurants popular with young Muscovites.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/41c0c38e/sc/10/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C120C280Ctravel0Ca0Esweets0Efactory0Ein0Emoscow0Enow0Ehot0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

I Heart My City: Rebecca’s St. Pete

Rebecca Davis is a St. Petersburg native through and through. A recent transplant to Washington, D.C., she now delights in visiting what she describes as a "tropical, art-conscious city with a laid-back beach vibe." Rebecca gets to explore the world by way of photographs and stories as an associate producer at Nat Geo Travel, but she'll always be proud of her Florida roots. Here are a few of her favorite things about St. Petersburg.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/24/i-heart-my-city-rebeccas-st-pete/

Singapore to Allow Driverless Cars in 2015!

Many people think of Singapore as just a stopover, but it’s one of my favorite places with a very special food culture. There are certainly reasonable complaints about the city state, especially if you’re a resident rather than a visitor. For both better and worse they have a truly unique governance system. They are both […]

The post Singapore to Allow Driverless Cars in 2015! appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/12/24/singapore-allow-driverless-cars-2015/

5 signs you’re dealing with an honest company

from Elliott http://elliott.org/advice-you-can-take/5-signs-youre-dealing-honest-company/

New Ventures: The Travel Education Network

I genuinely can’t believe I’ve known Rick for seven years and have been involved with Frugal Travel Guy for just as long. I remember his first plea for help — a request to get a picture posted on the blog. I sent him an email with instructions and he responded with, “Well here’s my username […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/12/new-ventures-the-travel-education-network.html

15 signs you're from Monterrey

Compared to the rest of Mexico, life in Monterrey is expensive. But hey, apart from that, it's pretty much the perfect city!



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/15-signs-born-raised-monterrey/

Arrest Warrant Being Sought For Nutty Korean Air Executive

It has been over a week since I've written about one of the nuttiest incidents the airline industry has ever seen, whereby a Korean Air executive had an A380 turned around because she was served nuts in a bag instead of on a plate.

To start, for those of you that have been living under a rock, see these previous posts:

The post Arrest Warrant Being Sought For Nutty Korean Air Executive appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/24/arrest-warrant-sought-nutty-korean-air-executive/

Storms Kill 4 in South, Disrupt Christmas Eve Travel

Deadly tornadoes struck Mississippi on Tuesday, while the National Weather Service warns of severe storms disrupting travel across the U.S.



from Travel Feedly http://www.ibtimes.com/severe-weather-kills-4-south-snarls-holiday-travel-christmas-eve-1766860

10 California holiday stories

"A group of police officers from Quincy, California decided to challenge their generally negative reputation and rewrite the script by handing out ice cream to unsuspecting citizens. The police officers pulled people over, asked a few intimidating questions, told the drivers to wait a moment, then returned with Wall’s ice cream cones for a sweet surprise."



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/10-california-stories-will-make-smile-holidays/

#NGTRadar: Travel Lately

Travel Lately—a roundup of the best new dispatches from the travel blogosphere—is a regular feature on Intelligent Travel every other Wednesday. You can play, too. Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTravel and tag your favorite travel stories #NGTRadar to help us find the crème de la crème on the Web.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/24/ngtradar-travel-lately-43/

500 Free and Easy Miles, Marriott Asks Permission to Block Your Internet, and a Letter to a 5 Year Old Elite Flyer

News and notes from around the interweb: 500 free Virgin America points just for entering name and account information. And Virgin America points are roughly like 1000 miles in other programs. Really heartwarming. My Fox News Happening Now appearance yesterday with tips for holiday travel: be aware, be nice, and be persistent. Know where your […]

The post 500 Free and Easy Miles, Marriott Asks Permission to Block Your Internet, and a Letter to a 5 Year Old Elite Flyer appeared first on View from the Wing.

from View from the Wing http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2014/12/24/500-free-easy-miles-marriott-asks-permission-block-internet-letter-5-year-old-elite-flyer/

In 2015, let's redefine YOLO

"We’re living in a world where girls look up to Hannah Horvath and don’t know who Malala Yousafzai is, where all it takes to be 'edgy' is two sleeves of tattoos and a social smoking addiction. And that ain’t something to be proud of." Here's how to really YOLO.



from Matador Network » Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/life/2015-lets-redefine-yolo/

American Flight Attendants Get Better Contract After All

I had intended to write about this last week, but got sidetracked. In early November I wrote about how American flight attendants rejected their new contract, which would have led to them getting a $193 million pay raise. This was interesting on a few levels:

-- The flight attendants were the first to vote on a combined contract at the "new" American, so the way they negotiate sets a precedent for the other labor groups

-- Out of over 8,000 votes, the contract was rejected by a margin of only 16 votes

-- Both airline management and the union leadership were pretty clear about the fact that if they rejected the contract they would go into arbitration, and the most they could get out of that was $112 million, which is $81 million less than in the proposed contract

The post American Flight Attendants Get Better Contract After All appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/24/american-flight-attendants-get-better-contract-after-all/

14 amazing cruises setting sail in 2015

It's going to be a big year for travelers who love cruising.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/23/travel/best-new-cruises-2015/index.html

UberBLACK NYC Airport Flat Rate Prices Increase Today

All things considered I'm a big fan of Uber. They engage in some shady tactics to enter new markets and no doubt have growing pains, but the concept of an on demand car service is brilliant, and they're the most dedicated to making that happen (even if their $41 billion valuation leaves me scratching my head).

Anyway, Uber just sent out an email indicating that their UberBLACK flat rate airport pricing to JFK and EWR are increasing as of today (there's no flat rate pricing to LGA):

"Two weeks ago we introduced new quality standards on UberBLACK in order to enhance the experience for riders and increase earnings for partners."

The post UberBLACK NYC Airport Flat Rate Prices Increase Today appeared first on One Mile at a Time.

from One Mile at a Time http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/12/24/uberblack-nyc-airport-flat-rate-prices-increase-today/

Tornado in Mississippi an ugly prelude to bad U.S. holiday travel weather

This Christmas, people will grieve and heal in southern Mississippi. They will clear rubble and restore power lines in the wake of a tornado system that killed four people and packed an emergency room with dozens of injured.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/24/us/holiday-travel-weather/index.html