April 21, 2015

Frugal Traveler: Seeking the Elusive Fee-Free Exchange Rate

A review of your credit and A.T.M. cards will help you limit the number of currency exchange charges.








from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/45977aa9/sc/28/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A150C0A40C260Ctravel0Cseeking0Ethe0Eelusive0Efee0Efree0Eexchange0Erate0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Designer of 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas' sign dies



from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/21/living/las-vegas-sign-designer-dies/index.html

Calistoga Pioneer Cemetery in Calistoga, California

Pioneer Cemetery

Calistoga's Pioneer Cemetery clings to a steep forested hillside with the same tenacity that the pioneers themselves displayed when they settled this Northern California area.

The recorded history of the Calistoga area begins in the 1840s when the Mexican government began making land grants for ranchos. Samuel Brannan, one of the most influential figures in the area's history, arrived in San Francisco in 1846 as the leader of a settlement expedition. He engaged in numerous business ventures including the publication of San Francisco's first English-language newspaper, the California Star, and he ultimately became California's first millionaire. Brannan was fascinated by the natural hot springs in the Napa Valley and he purchased more than 2,000 acres (8 sq. km.) of land with the goal of developing a spa similar to the well-known Saratoga Springs in New York. According to legend, Brannan gave the town its name by accident in a public speech. Intending to say, "I will make this place the Saratoga of California," he fumbled the sentence and instead said, "the Calistoga of Sarifornia."

Available literature dates the cemetery's initial creation to 1877 when Samuel W. Collins, a resident of Calistoga, and a veteran of the Civil War, established his own private cemetery on the land. Some of the gravestones list dates of death that are earlier than that, so these are likely reinterments from other sites. The site was surveyed and officially established as a cemetery in 1885. Among the notable people buried in the cemetery are veterans of the Civil War, and two survivors of the doomed Donner Party, which saw a trapped caravan resorted to cannibalism before being rescued.    

Upon Collins' death in 1893, title to the cemetery passed to his youngest daughter, Anna, who was the wife of local building contractor Henry Lee Hopper. Eventually, the burden of maintaining the cemetery became too great and Anna conveyed the cemetery deed to the City of Calistoga on Memorial Day of 1936. The city has managed it since that time.

As might be expected, many of the cemetery's records have been lost to history and as a result current burials are subject to considerable restrictions. Only inurnments are allowed, and those are restricted to persons who are related either by blood or marriage to the existing plot owners.










from Atlas Obscura http://atlasobscura.com.feedsportal.com/c/35387/f/665719/s/45976c0d/sc/28/l/0L0Satlasobscura0N0Cplaces0Ccalistoga0Epioneer0Ecemetery/story01.htm

As rate parity falters, what OTAs and hotels may do next

In Europe, rate parity is a piñata that everyone’s taking a whack at. But not everyone in the industry agrees about what ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/as-rate-parity-falters-what-otas-and-hotels-may-do-next/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=as-rate-parity-falters-what-otas-and-hotels-may-do-next

Booking.com makes changes to rate parity clauses in Europe

Booking.com says it will support changes put on it by regulators to amend hotel price agreements. The Priceline Group-owned accommodation booking giant will ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/booking-com-makes-changes-to-rate-parity-clauses-in-europe/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=booking-com-makes-changes-to-rate-parity-clauses-in-europe

And the world's best island is ...

Island-hoppers take note: Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos is TripAdvisor's latest pick for the world's top island.


from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/21/travel/tripadvisor-best-islands-world-feat/index.html

Pilot arrested for trying to take knives on a flight

Cathay Pacific was forced to cancel a scheduled flight from London to Hong Kong after one of the pilots was arrested after trying to board the airliner with knives in his luggage.


from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/21/travel/cathay-pacific-pilot-knives-heathrow/index.html

AA vs Delta Part 1: Intro

In frequent flyer communities, you’ll get laughed out of town if you ask which is better: American Airlines or Delta? Obviously, AA is better. Unlike Delta, AA still rewards flyers with miles based on distance flown; AA has a very generous award chart and they continue to publish it for the world to see (Delta has taken away their award charts); AA lets you put awards on hold for up to 5 days; AA lets…

The post AA vs Delta Part 1: Intro appeared first on The Frequent Miler.



from The Frequent Miler http://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/2015/04/21/aa-vs-delta-part-1-intro/

Fosse Dionne in Tonnerre, France

Fosse Dionne

Nestled in the quaint Tonnerre district of France, the ancient wellspring known as the Fosse Dionne is a deep natural water source that has been built up into a haunting grotto since Roman times. 

Located near to a small hotel that bears its name, the "Dionne Pit" is a lovely historic spot. The gurgling sinkhole was used in Roman times to supply clean water to a nearby palace, and became the focal point around which much of the ancient settlement developed. During the 18th century, a stone rim was built around the pool, with a spout at one end to allow the water to run off. A squat amphitheater was built behind the pool, and it was used as a public laundry. These constructions remain to this day, a bit of crumbling masonry and moss, adding to the spring's natural beauty.    

The waters that pour from the natural font are thought to originate from somewhere in the Vaucluse mountains, but due to the tight passages that taper off the deeper the pit gets, divers have never been able to reach the actual source. For a time, modern divers were allowed to plumb the depths of the hole in search of artifacts and geological information, but after a series of fatalities in the depths of the pit, diving access is only allowed with permission of the Mayor of Tonnerre.

The spring gently produces water during the summer months, and tends to get more vigorous during spring as snow melt comes cascade out through the whole. However, no matter when one visits the pool is equally tranquil and evocative.










from Atlas Obscura http://atlasobscura.com.feedsportal.com/c/35387/f/665719/s/4596bee5/sc/15/l/0L0Satlasobscura0N0Cplaces0Cfosse0Edionne/story01.htm

5 Great Hotels in Europe Where You Can Stay 2 Free Nights With the Hilton Reserve Card

The Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve card is 1 of my favorite hotel cards  because with it you can earn 2 free weekend nights at nearly any Hilton. And that includes their very expensive luxury hotel brands in Europe! And currently there is a limited-time $100 … Continue reading →

from Million Mile Secrets http://millionmilesecrets.com/2015/04/21/5-great-hotels-in-europe-where-you-can-stay-2-free-nights-with-the-hilton-reserve-card/

Save Money on MGM Las Vegas Hotel Packages (Today Only!)

Today only at 1:00 pm Eastern Time, you can buy discounted vacation packages for stays at MGM hotels in Las Vegas.  These are excellent deals! Through April 24, 2015, a new travel deal will be available every weekday at 1:00 pm Eastern Time.  And these deals often … Continue reading →

from Million Mile Secrets http://millionmilesecrets.com/2015/04/21/save-money-on-mgm-las-vegas-hotel-packages-today-only/

Citi ThankYou Premier Simplifies 50,000-Point Sign-Up Bonus

New amazing offer: 50,000 ThankYou Points can be yours after spending $3,000 within the first three months of account opening and you don’t even have to pay an annual fee the first year! Why is this 50,000-point bonus such a great offer? Just a few weeks ago, we saw the Citi Prestige card come up with […]

from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2015/04/citi-thankyou-premier-simplifies-50000-point-sign-up-bonus.html

April 20, 2015

No, Amazon isn’t launching a travel site, but it did this today instead

No, Amazon is not creating a travel brand to compete with the Expedias of this world, a spokesperson has said. But today ...

from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/no-amazon-isnt-launching-a-travel-site-but-it-did-this-instead/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=no-amazon-isnt-launching-a-travel-site-but-it-did-this-instead
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