When walking through Nantucket’s harbour in July you’ll see big private yacht after even bigger private yacht. Some yachts are so enormoous that I even saw a Mini Cooper on top of one of the ones I walked past.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of judging these wealthy tourists for displaying their money so ostentatiously and for (probably) damaging the environment with their petrol-guzzling machines, but it’s important to remember that the locals rely on the harbour for their livelihood. The tourism brings money into the economy and most, if not all, locals have their own boat for fishing, scalloping, crabbing, or catching whatever else is in season.
When I was in Nantucket, I stayed with a local family — who let me tag along to check their crab pots and have dinner with them on the water. We didn’t catch anything that day, but I hope to return for another go. These photos are from that outing.
Families fishing at an old Nantucket lighthouse.
An old fishing boat making its way back into the harbour.
This is Kenny, the owner of the boat, and part of the family that I lived with.
This is a buoy that marked where certain crab pots were. Seagulls had overtaken this buoy and the area smelled awful, but the light was too perfect for me to pass up a photo.
What to do in New York? You could start by shopping at Apple NYC, staying at the Casablanca Hotel, and visiting the Empire State building, Times Square, MOMA, the Met, Top of the Rock, City Line circle cruise, the Highline Park, the Pony Bar, and Chelsea Market. The NYCgo pass can be a good investment if you’re planning on doing a lot of sightseeing, as it gives access to a lot of the major attractions.
Sankaty lighthouse is one of the most famous landmarks on Nantucket; the local brewery even has a beer named after it. Once a fully functioning lighthouse, it’s now a historical site carefully conserved as a reminder of times past — a few years ago it was even moved because of the eroding shore line.
What may sound like a pretty bland history lesson is actually a beautiful place; the surrounding area is filled with flowers and tall grass, and the lighthouse’s location on a hill means that there are awesome views of the whole island. The paths lead up to the lighthouse are popular with bikers and dog walkers. Below are some photos of Sankaty and a nearby private little harbour.
With holiday travel season approaching, we talk about staying sane while travelling over the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holiday time. Family can be stressful enough, but the huge numbers of people doing “vacation travel” over late November, December and early January definitely adds lots of stress to family events. And nobody needs more of that.
If you can avoid Christmas holiday travel, then make sure you do. It’s the busiest, most expensive time to jump on a plane. Airports are horrendously busy, there’s likely to be more congestion, less turn-around time for planes and less slack for the airline staff.
Delays and cancelled flights are almost inevitable, so there’s all this extra stress for the ground crew and airlines, but it’s compounded by the people in the airport. Many of the people who are flying for the Thanksgiving holiday or the Christmas/New Year holiday are not experienced in airport etiquette and security rules or, perhaps worse, are travelling in large family groups … And groups always move slower than individuals.
Security lines slow down, people argue over their liquids, pocket knives, carry-on baggage allowances. It’s quite hellish. Mark Peacock at Travel Commons has a great podcast on US-business travel and often covers ways to deal with airport security and lines. We also did a podcast on speeding through airport security which can help.
If you have to fly at Thanksgiving, book now
And the same can be said for your Christmas/New Year vacation travel. Airline prices really aren’t going to get any cheaper, so if you’re going to book a flight and you haven’t already, you may as well do it now. Unless you’re a frequent-flyer god or goddess, don’t expect to be cashing in your miles on boxing day, either. I would imagine that flying standby is also going to give you worse odds than a Nigerian widow transferring US$10,000,000 into your bank account.
Try to book an early-morning flight. A lot of leisure travellers will aim for later flights, so the airport will be less congested and also there’s less chance of a domino effect making your flight late. If a plane leaves the gate ten minutes late, that’ll delay boarding the next plane by at least that long, so it’s almost guaranteed that the next plane on that gate will be leaving even later. Once the ten-minutes-late plane gets onto the runway, their slot has been taken and they need to wait to be re-allocated a take-off slot. It just gets worse and worse as time goes on, so try to book your flights for earlier rather than later.
Think contrarian
The best holiday travel guide tip, is to travel earlier, stay later. Farecompare had some really interesting stats on when people flew and how much the tickets cost over the last few years. They bundled it all together and this is what the traditional pattern is that’s it is best to fly 5 days before or after the big day.
Actually flying on the holiday itself can also work wonders. @GamerTraveler on said he flew last Thanksgiving and had surprisingly little hassle.
Pack light
I know we speak about this all the time, but packing light is one of the best ways you can help yourself. Especially during such a high-pressure time there’s a likelihood that your check-in bags may be re-routed to another destination. Spending your holidays in the same pair of underpants isn’t going to be pleasant, but it could make your least favourite uncle’s gift a bit more useful.
Get yourself down to one carry-on bag and reduce your toiletries that fits the size and weight requirements of your airline. If you’re doing multiple flights, check them all as some airlines have different requirements for national and international travel. Make sure that you check the liquids and sharps rules for the countries you’re travelling through too.
Consider posting your gifts ahead of time. It’ll help you avoid the Christmas shopping rush and, depending on your airline, might actually save you a big chunk of cash on bag-handling fees. Now, of course, this could get quite expensive depending on where you are and where you’re going but it’s definitely worth looking into. Electronic gift certificates and things like that are also going to be a great way to get around the weight issue. It’s hard to lose an email.
Insurance
I’d definitely look into travel insurance, even for such a short period. If you’re travelling within the US, WorldNomads (our providers) can insure you if you’re travelling more than 100km from home. We like them because you can sign up and extend from anywhere and they do ultra-short term packages too. There are tips on what to look for in holiday insurance cover here.
Travel on the ground
Most of these holiday travel guide tips have revolved around air travel, so some quick tips for when you arrive:
Make use of public transport to save taxi fees. Three people travelling a taxi is normally cheaper than a shuttle service, but a public bus or train is almost always cheaper again. Do a google search for the place you’re going to and dig up the information in advance. The information desk at the airport is probably not going to be easy to reach during the Christmas/New Year holiday period.
Toandfromtheairport.com is a great resource for this. We use it all the time. They list information on public and private transport options for thousands of airports around the world.
Final thoughts
I guess the main thing you can do is remember to plan, but then go with the flow. There’s no fun in taking time to spend with cool people then being stressed and grumpy all the time. You can only do so much. There are going to be traffic jams, delayed flights, and annoying people. I guess you have to remember that a holiday isn’t a battle. You don’t “win” by being three people ahead in the queue.
Do you have anything to add to our holiday travel guide? Please leave a comment with your tips.
Sponsor: WorldNomads.com
This episode of the Indie Travel Podcast is sponsored by WorldNomads.com.
WorldNomads.com provides great value global travel insurance. You can buy, extend and claim online, even if already travelling. All World Nomads get free travel blogs, safety advice and language guides for your iPod. You can also support a Footprints community development project when you purchase online. WorldNomads.com – keep travelling safely.
This podcast is an update of #129 – Winter vacation travel guide.
If you’ve read Big Sur and want to make the pilgrimage to that craggy roaring coastline where Jack Kerouac wrote his poem “Sea,” don’t expect to get up-close-and-personal with the crashing waves that inspired his onomatopoeic verses and shaped the hallucinations of his delirium tremens. Trying to reach the beach will likely result in arrest, shotgun wounds, or a nasty 250-foot plummet to the canyon floor. While you might not be able to sink your toes into the same patch of sand where Kerouac recorded the voice of the Pacific, Big Sur offers endless transcendental wonders beyond that little piece of literary holy ground.
Bixby: big and beautiful
The novel Big Sur is an account of Kerouac’s alcohol-induced madness deep in the Bixby Creek Canyon, where he sought respite in friend Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s secluded cabin. Between chasing empty delusions of love and feeding apples to Alf the sacred mule, Kerouac ventured to the coast and transcribed the sounds of the ocean. If you’re a Kerouac diehard, the Bixby Creek Bridge is a must-see. But if you’ve never even cracked On the Road, Bixby is still worth a stop and a few photos.
Built in the 1930s, the Bixby Bridge made costal travel along California 1 vastly more accessible, replacing the precipitous dirt roads that carved a precarious route along ridges and through valleys. Standing tall at 280 feet and closing a 320-foot gap, Bixby is a sight to behold. Next to the bridge, tourists can pull over and snap photos to their hearts’ content. With the ocean crashing against sheer cliff sides to the west and fog enshrouding the mountaintops to the east, there’s enough scenery to fill a thousand different postcards.
Death trap
Kerouac fanatics will want to find a way to the base of the bridge and the beach below, but the journey is near impossible. The Bixby Bridge is surrounded by impassable cliffs that would spell certain doom for anyone foolish enough to make the descent. You can see paths where people have tried, but they all end in treacherous drop-offs. The only reasonable way down to sea level is to tramp down the old dirt road that gradually descends into the canyon. But once you get to the canyon floor, it’s a couple of miles back to the sea — a couple of miles through thick woods rife with ‘No Trespassing’ and ‘Private Property’ signs. The canyon holds a handful of cabins, and the owners are serious about their privacy. Deadly serious. One resident has been known to chase down intruders with a shotgun.
If you survive the trip, it should take three or four hours to complete. But instead of risking your life for a few fleeting moments of literary bliss, it may be wiser to experience the canyon from atop and spend some time seeing the many geographic treasures along the Big Sur coastline.
Move on and explore
If you don’t have a travel credit card that gives you rewards on gas, get one. With gas prices always on the rise, the last thing you want to worry about is not having the cash to see the entirety of the California coastline. Just south of Bixby you’ll find breathtaking costal marvels like Partington Cove, Pfeiffer Beach and McWay Falls. If you’d like to visit some parks with mind-blowing hiking options, check out Andrew Molera or Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. You could easily spend weeks getting lost in infinite splendor of Big Sur, scrambling over rocky Pacific outcrops, watching for the spray of wallowing whales, listening to the seals converse in distant barks.
The Bixby Creek Bridge is certainly worth a stop, but no matter how much you want to be a Dharma Bum, don’t let it eat up your day. Big Sur’s majesty is unbelievably extensive, and it’d be a shame to miss out on all it has to offer.
Stephen Vanderpool is a writer for NerdWallet.com, the Internet’s coolest/nerdiest site for credit card comparison.
Almost exactly a year ago, I was in an all-too-common place: overworked, burned out, unhappy with my life, and filled with an overwhelming desire to change course and get out of a life that wasn’t bringing me much happiness. I’d been dreaming of something different and had been wanting to travel long-term for years, but just didn’t know how to make it happen, much less have the support to make it a reality.
For a solid year, I sat around and imagined leaving my job and traveling. I even bought a huge world map and started drawing potential routes. I knew people who taken long trips straight out of college, but didn’t know anyone who had taken a career break later in life. I heard a few stories about friends-of-friends or occasionally read about someone in the newspaper or a magazine, but I had no personal connection and certainly no sincere advice, support, or guidance.
Thankfully, right in the thick of my fantasies I met someone who suggested I check out Meet, Plan, Go; an organization that encourages career breaks and hosts an annual event that includes a panel of successful people who have taken career breaks. As soon as I walked into Meet, Plan, Go’s event in Boston, I knew I had found ‘my people’: the travel support I was looking for. The event was filled with veteran career-breakers, recently-returned breakers, people getting set to leave, and dozens of us looking for help to turn our dreams into reality.
Confidence
Meeting people who valued travel and time off gave me the confidence to walk into work the next day and tell my boss I would be leaving. Meet, Plan, Go allowed me to talk to others who had taken a break, ask questions, and see the happiness their break had brought them; giving me the motivation to take mine.
Community
Meeting people with similar interests while on the road was equally as important. Support and advice continually flowed, as travelers are keen to share where they’ve been or what they’ve seen and are always willing to dish out specifics about routes, transport, and accommodation.
Exploring Petra with some of my travel people
One of the easiest ways I found to meet people was using the web and social media platforms. The online travel community is pretty tight-knit and always tremendously helpful. Starting before I left, I researched destinations using blogs and websites, but as I traveled, anytime I was heading to a new location, I updated my status and tweeted to see if anyone was nearby. I also found that participating in specific, planned activities was a great way to meet like-minded people. Whether I joined a hike or scuba dived or took classes to learn the language or how to cook the cuisine, it was a simple way to find other like-minded travelers.
My nine months on the road taught me how important community is, while at the same time creating a new community for me to participate in. I’ve met people from around the world who took career breaks, changed their lives, and are now living their dreams and I’ve been lucky to make new friends who feel the same way about life, work, and travel. The travel community was invaluable to me throughout the planning and traveling stages and is once again as I navigate the transition back home. Since returning, I’ve decided to move to a new city and change careers and the first thing I’ll be doing when I arrive in my new city is attend Meet, Plan, Go’s event. In addition to trying to return the gift of inspiration and motivation that was given to me a year earlier, I know it’ll give me an opportunity to kick-start my life in my new city with like-minded people.
Meet, Plan, Go
Have you been dreaming of changing your life? Does that change include long-term travel? Are you looking for your travel community? Then don’t miss attending Meet, Plan, Go in one of 17 cities throughout North America on October 18th. In addition to interacting with a room full of people just like you who are considering a career break, there will be a panel of veteran career breakers sharing their stories and answering questions like:
How much does a career break cost?
How and when do I tell my employer I’m leaving?
Should I buy travel insurance and if so, what kind?
How do I transition back to into my career once I return?
Also, just for walking in the door at a Meet, Plan Go event in your city, you’ll also receive a few other perks for attending that will help you get started with your career break.
If you’d like to meet your ‘people’ and find support and help to seize this opportunity and escape the cube to create a new life for yourself join us for Meet Plan Go and be inspired by those who have already done so.
I’m going to Burning Man again this year, my third year.
This year, it’s not about packing. I already have what I need, most of it sitting in the storage bins of friends, family and even a couple of people I barely know but who were kind enough to help a girl out.
I know how to find center camp. I’ve made certain to bring extra lights; all of mine went dead last year. I’ve long since reserved a bike with my favorite place for bike rental.
This year, it’s about preparing mentally for that which cannot be prepared. That is the fun of Burning Man. You just never know what will happen next.
In 2009, my friend Gail shaved her head and left the hair in the temple before going back to begin chemotherapy. Second burn, Gail finished her final treatment of chemo the day I arrived in San Francisco. I showed up at her door with a care package of food, manicure and massage certificates, gifts from a group of us who know and love her. It was an honor to be the one to surprise her with the largest bunch of flowers I’ve ever seen. She didn’t go to the burn last year.
Last year, I sat in camping chairs in front of our truck with a beer in one hand and a Marlboro Red 100 in the other making jokes with Dave, the middle-aged homo, as he calls himself. We checked out groups of passing naked men, compared notes. We laughed a lot.
This year, Gail is going. Dave is not.
Last year, I arrived on the playa alone. No husband or daughter. Just me arriving to a camp of people I’d never met, and it was perfect. I could do what I wanted, be who I wanted, go where I wanted when I wanted. I was a blank slate. This year, I’m going with Noah and my best friend Jen who has known me longer than anyone.
Last year, I had no responsibilities. This year, I’ve volunteered to cook dinner for our camp, fifty or so people. I’ll be giving herbal medicine massage at a healing fair, and I’ll probably do at least one shift of man watch. That means, I’ll stand out by the man wearing an official Burning Man “Man” t-shirt and yell at you if you ride your bike too close or try to climb it or basically do any other shit that stupid drugged people sometimes do in the desert.
Last year, I wandered through the desert alone or with people I’d never met. There were random cuddle piles. There was confusion. My bike got stuck in deep playa just before a massive dust storm hit. I got lost after the man burned and all landmarks had been taken down, so I wandered from fire to fire keeping warm. Someone handed me a stick with a marshmallow on it to roast. I’ve added marshmallows to my packing list for this year.
I walked near the night clubs with Julian and a guy who called himself Fire Fairy, when someone suddenly asked us if we wanted bacon cheese grits.
Sometimes you don’t know how badly you want something until it’s in your hands. Julian pulled out a pair of chopsticks from his bag and began eating. We all laughed. Later, in Reno, while Julian brushed my wet hair like he has done so many times for his sisters, we admitted to each other that we weren’t sure if Fire Fairy was interested in me or him. He seemed to want both of us.
But that was last year, and I know if I want any hope of having as perfectly wonderful a time this year as I did last, I need to let go of any attachments or expectations.
It could suck. Noah and I could spend the week ignoring each other. Maybe I’ll suddenly see that the camp that last year was so welcoming and kind, was not at all what I thought. What if Jen and I, who in the twenty years we’ve been friends have never had a fight -– true story -– fight and leave the playa not friends. Odder things have been known to happen there.
Jen called last week. I’d sent her the twoarticles I wrote last year for Indie Travel Podcast to help her prepare and mentioned that she’s better off not reading more unless she wants to be overwhelmed.
She read anyway. She was overwhelmed. The lists are too long. The choices too varied. No one needs all of that. You only need make the choices that are right for you. You’ll probably make mistakes. So what?
Jen’s greatest concern was how she’ll fit into the community. She doesn’t know the rules, spoken or unspoken. She doesn’t know the culture. What if she embarrasses me? What if she does something that jeopardizes my relationship with them? Repeat after me. No attachments. No expectations.
These are my plans for Burning Man this year. I will dance. I will dance again. I’ll find the Space Cowboys or maybe Bass Nectar and follow the music until the early morning hours when I’ll fall asleep somewhere and wake up only when the day gets too hot to sleep.
I will run across people I didn’t expect to meet. I will not see people I hoped to see. I will wear a tutu on Tutu Tuesday. I will make curry for 50. I will see amazing art. Something will be set on fire.
I will visit the Man and the Temple at dawn at least once, most likely after a sleepless and wide-eyed night. I will probably fuck something up. I might have a breakdown. The heat and intensity does it to everyone eventually.
But as long as I don’t expect or think something will be in a certain way or shape or place, then it will be just as I want it to be. Kind of like the rest of life, except without the costumes, glitter and cheese grits.
In this podcast we speak with Vera Marie Badertscher about the life and times of Quincy Tahoma, a 20th century Navajo artist. As we talk, we explore the Navajo nation and how visitors can see the influences and works of Tahoma as they travel in America’s Southwest.
This interview started with Vera’s new book on Quincy Tahoma, so it just made sense to talk about places we could visit to locate him, culturally and geographically in the south west.
Tuba City
North of Flagstaff Arizona lies Tuba City. You probably know it for the role it plays in the Route 66 song, but there’s a bit more to it than that. This historic town, settled in the 1800s, has a trading post and good museum. On Friday mornings there is a large swap-meet frequented by Navajo people … and some of them bring fantastic food.
Through the Painted Desert to Canyon Chelly
Canyon Chelly housed a rock township built into the cliffs. The old pueblo sits above the valley floor, where wild horses sometimes run. To enter, one must have Navajo guide, which can be arranged locally.
Canyon de Chelly
North east to Monument Valley
Click cover to see more.
Made famous by Western films, Monument Valley is an iconic part of the South west landscape, and something that features in Tahoma’s work.
Santa Fe
Finally, we come to Santa Fe with its restaurants and museums. A great finish to an exploration of the South west, and the life of Quincy Tahoma.
A wine trail you have probably never heard of is a hidden treasure. Accessible, friendly and affordable, South Dakota should be at the top of your list for discovering new wines.
When you think of visiting South Dakota, you probably don’t have much frame of reference aside from the Mount Rushmore trip you took as a kid, let alone think of vineyards and wine production. As freeways have gotten us from point A to point B much faster, or we have chosen flying over driving, states like South Dakota have been left largely undiscovered. It will probably shock you to learn that in 2005, South Dakota was recognized by Wine Business Monthly as the fastest growing wine region in the US.
Agriculture experts tabulate production of South Dakota wines at one million bottles since 1997, when the first farm winery was licensed in the state. More than 78,000 gallons of that wine was produced last year and production is expected to double in the next three years. As states like Missouri have perfected the marketing and wine business lessons that make these new regions successful, new regions like South Dakota flatten the learning curve and bound forward with quality wines from wineries that are dedicated to showcasing their unique grapes.
Start your wine road trip with a visit to the South Dakota Winegrowers Association web site. They have information on the wineries as well as a wine trail map. Most wineries are concentrated in the southeast region of the state, and within easy driving distance of each other during a long weekend or short road trip. Take time to experience the small towns along the way, with a night or two at each stop. Visit Southeast South Dakota’s tourism site for more details.
If you’re visiting the Mount Rushmore area, many vineyards have tasting rooms or additional facilities in the Black Hills area.
South Dakota’s wine story starts with Eldon Nygaard and his family. Located on the Vermillion River in southeast South Dakota, Valiant Vineyards is the first winery in the state – in fact, Nygaard wrote the Farm Winery Act for the state. Schedule an appointment for a free tour of the facility, cask room and bottling area, or just stop in for a free tasting. Valiant has won some prestigious awards in the past year for their unique wines, stay at the B&B for a night or two and experience winemaking with access you’ll never get in California -– the family is on site and will be thrilled to answer any questions.
Wild Grape Wine, their signature wine, is made from wild harvested grapes, and is the best way to start your wine road trip. Also noteworthy are Buck Naked, a blackcurrant honey wine and Rushmore White, a German-style white.
Just outside Sioux Falls, the Strawbale Winery takes South Dakota winemaking back to its roots and pushing the eco-friendly side of winemaking at the same time. The winery is made from straw bales (hence its name) and prides itself on rethinking the sustainability side of the equation, while recreating the traditional environment for making South Dakota wine – the root cellar or cave that most farms had on their premises. Festivals at the winery are huge, community affairs, and well worth the trip.
Taste the wide variety of fruit wines, including Jalapeno Wine, a white grape wine with the kick of a jalapeno pepper and Black Barn, a blackcurrant wine.
One of the first wineries to set up in South Dakota (number three to be exact), Schade Vineyard aims to bring a touch of the Napa Valley to South Dakota. The Grape Stomp Harvest Festival, in early September, is fun for the whole family.
Be sure to taste the Rhubarb Wine, a fruit wine you’ll typically see only in South Dakota. Holiday varieties are available for a very limited time, and are an interesting way to bring home a little of your trip for the whole family to enjoy.
If your trip extends to the Black Hills, stop at Prairie Berry Winery for a taste of their Red Ass Rhubarb fruit wine or LaCrescent 2009 (all South Dakota grapes). Be sure to reserve the Family Table Tasting, where you’ll learn about the wines, enjoy amazing food and taste food pairings.
well its been quite some time that I have been there. friends know a driver there who is pretty good and knows the place in and out. let me know and I could put you in touch with him.
Has anyone been to Bandhavgarh National Park in India? Planning to go there mid-March, but I have limited time. Anyone have a first-hand account of seeing a tiger? If so, which zone were you in, and how many […]
Delays and cancelled 
Try to book an early-morning flight. A lot of leisure travellers will aim for later flights, so the airport will be less congested and also there’s less chance of a domino effect making your flight late. If a plane leaves the gate ten minutes late, that’ll delay boarding the next plane by at least that long, so it’s almost guaranteed that the next plane on that gate will be leaving even later. Once the ten-minutes-late plane gets onto the runway, their slot has been taken and they need to wait to be re-allocated a take-off slot. It just gets worse and worse as time goes on, so try to book your flights for earlier rather than later.
I’d definitely look into 
Since November 2006 the Indie Travel Podcast has evolved into an independent travel hub with regular audio and video podcasts along with articles by travellers from all over the world. 
Hosts Craig and Linda Martin started travelling in February 2006 and have been to over 50 countries. They were 