3 of 50 non-cliché places to visit

Another fun list out from Elite Daily:  50 non-cliche places to visit in your 20s.

I've been to 3 of the 50:

(2) New Orleans, Louisiana for a one night stint in a 3 week cross-country roadtrip with my friends Keith and Amber in 2009.  I think it would have been more fun if you were either with a huge group of rowdy people, or if you were interested in getting wasted and having a good time.  I liked the street performers and it seemed like there was music every block.  We walked past the House of Blues and tons of bars but it was actually much more low-key than I expected.  I remember wondering if the city was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.  The architecture had an old riverboat-times style of the 20s.  You can tell its roots were wealthy and stylish.

(16) Christiania Denmark, either a small city within or just outside of Copenhagen, this is a little community most well-known for its order without government order...mostly meaning people smoke, buy, and sell weed and other merchandise without any outside regulation.  No photos are allowed (for obvious reasons) and I heard there are sometimes raids but that usually the people of the town are warned ahead of time.  It seemed like a happy and peaceful place.  Everyone minded their business or looked around at the shops or walked along the river or through the town.  There was a lot of artwork and some funky buildings.  I would suggest checking it out.

(40)  Plitvice (pronounced Plit-VEETcha) National Park, in Croatia, was one of the only things I really knew about the country before visiting in 2011.  It is far from most cities (which was great because a visit resulted in driving through most of the country to reach it and lead us to a crazy fun night in Zagreb, the capitol of Croatia).  It was definitely beautiful but VERY crowded.  I would suggest getting here either "off season" or early in the am.  I was there around 3-5 pm and it is in a bit of a valley so the really vibrant colors weren't QUITE as miraculous as you may have seen...don't get me wrong, it was still stunning!

Have you been to any of the places on the list?  

What do you think about them?  Any suggestions or thoughts?

Inexpensive Countries for Budget Travelers

Elite Daily came out with a list of inexpensive nations for travel.  On the list:  Bolivia, Thailand, Greece, Spain, Costa Rica, Vietnam, Romania, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Argentina.

I have heard this regarding Thailand, Bolivia and Vietnam.  I can't speak for them as I haven't been there...yet.

I lived and worked in Costa Rica and can tell you that most people might agree that it's fairly inexpensive to fly to (from the US, at least) but I think we'd argue the cost of an actual vacation there.  In fact, I often hear complaints about how expensive Costa Rica is compared to how inexpensive it's perceived to be.

I would add Peru to this list.  I found it to be a country that was much less expensive than Costa Rica with a great deal of options for travelers within the country.  I got a killer airfare mistake out of AeroMexico, so I'm sure the airfare would contribute to its being more expensive to visit, but two of us spent very little considering our 10 day trip and travel between multiple cities.

Any thoughts on the countries on the list or others you would add?

Lower Airfare based on "Supposed" Sale Location

Airfares are weird.  

We know that from the general lack of information that we have on pricing and sales.  We have trend data that can give us the best days of the week to fly for better prices, and even sometimes the best days of the week to BUY our tickets, but did you know that WHERE you SAY you're buying your tickets can actually affect the price you pay?  

I KNOW.  MIND BLOWING but true!

If you buy domestic flights occurring in a different country (read: the flights will occur in a different country than the one you are currently in while searching) it is often WAY cheaper if you can convince the airline or website that you are in the "different" country buying your ticket.

Example:  If I'm in the US but I want to buy a ticket from Lima to Cusco (this actually happened).  I search when I'm in the US, the prices come back around $250-$300 each and I say "no way" and I decide not to buy tickets ahead of time.  When I GET to Peru, my friend tells me the direct website of LCPeru (a Peruvian airline that flies between Lima and Cusco), and since I'm IN Peru, it recognizes Peru as the point of transaction and my plane tickets are miraculously over $100 cheaper for each one.

Now, take my personal experience and add this newfound info: you can get the SAME miraculous price drop that I got when I was in Peru by telling the website you are searching while in the US that you are in Peru already, even if you're not.  Do the search in Peruvian currency (soles, in case you're interested) and voilá  miracle price-drop without ever having reached Peru (If only I'd known BEFORE actually getting there).

It can save you a boatload just to change the point of transaction, maybe pay in a foreign currency on your credit card (bonus if it doesn't charge foreign transaction fees) and do a little extra searching.

This works for international flights, too, but it's a bit more tricky because you'll have to seek out one of many countries in the world that you could have as your transaction point to get the best price (hint to save you a search: it's probably NOT going to be the US...unless a US city is the destination or departure point).

You can see more examples and get more info. by clicking here.

Happy travels!

A (semi)new way to visit a city near you!

Soooo you know Slip 'N Slides?  Those plastic tarp slides that you spray water on and run and slide on?  Would you believe me if I told you they are going to make a mile long Slip 'N Slide in cities across the US over the summer months for people to enjoy their city in a whole new way? I hear it's headed to Buffalo, NY this summer after starting out in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2014.  Yikes Stripes!

 I feel like this might be one fall away from a broken tailbone...but it might be worth the risk!

For more info or to find a Slide the City event near you, click here.