Here are some of the numbers: 13 floats. 14 marching bands. 27 vintage cars. 3 trolleys. 1 royal court. 1 private mounted unit. And an uncountable number of flowers. All this and about 4,000 other parade participants was about to converge on Waikiki’s Kalākaua Avenue, where I’d snagged a curbside seat in the bright morning sun. I’d just come from the pre-parade preparations, which I described in my last blog entry, and was eager to see everything come together.

Today our nation mourns. As someone living on the West Coast, I'm never sure how to deal with my feelings about 9/11. Like everyone, I'm sure, I remember where I was when I heard the news. I was starting grad school in Baltimore and it was the first day of classes. I didn't know a soul in the city and they canceled school for a week. I went home to grieve alone.

I did not personally know anyone who died on 9/11 and yet it haunts me. It was the day the rules as we knew them changed, the day that nothing would ever be the same again.

The following year, I moved to New York City. 9/11 is different there. I remember walking to the subway on the first anniversary of that horrible day and seeing a man clutching a picture of a woman, openly weeping on the streets of Brooklyn.

Missoula, Mi-zoo-lah: It’s a name that trips off the tongue singingly. And I’m hearing it sung through the travel grapevine that it’s where in Montana you want to be the last weekend of this month and the first weekend of September, for two very different reasons.

First, on the weekend of August 29 and 30, it’ll be time to put down your fishing pole, hang up your hiking shoes, get off your high horse (or llama), and come on down to Missoula for the fourth annual River City Roots Festival, which is absolutely free for all who attend!

On Sunday, my brother-in-law’s brother-in-law (that’s a mouthful, isn’t it?) competed in a half-Ironman competition up in California wine country near the Napa Valley (dubbed the Vineman Ironman). Our goal was to cheer him along during his race transitions and as he made for the finish line. In between, our plan was to visit wineries and enjoy a summer’s day.

So your mom joined Facebook, your dad's on Twitter, and last week your grandma showed you the pictures she took while bungee jumping on vacation. Know what we think? (Apart from the fact that you should probably untag yourself in a couple of those jello shot photos before your mom discovers your wall, we mean?)

Well, it might be time to get a little wackier with your vacation activities. You want grandma's bungee jump to be the most interesting travel story you've ever heard? We thought not. Here are a couple of ideas to get you started:

Glastonbury? It's a mudbath. Bonnaroo? Been there, done that. Woodstock? Oh, that's so 1969, darling. If you're looking for the next big summer music festival, look no further than Butte, Montana, where the 71st National Folk Festival is taking place this weekend, July 10-12.

But what's it got going for it? Well, for a start it's gloriously, magically, wonderfully free, and we all know that free is the best price in an economy like this. For another thing, it sounds like an awful lot of fun: featuring everything from gospel to polka to bluegrass to klezmer to mariachi to western swing, the festival runs for three days on seven separate stages, meaning there's always going to be something to watch.

Over the past several months, we've talked a lot about the silver lining in this gray recession cloud. That is, all the great travel deals that are out there. For the summer, we're seeing airfare that has dropped more than 17 percent over last year and hotel rates that have declined a good 13 percent.

But, there's more to the silver lining than just deals. Travelers are getting back to the basics, seeking to experience the world on a budget and taking the time to explore their own backyards. For many, that means hitting the road.

Take a look at the map below for road trip inspiration from your hometown. We've highlighted the cities that have the best average hotel rates on the continent and found some local-recommended festivals that are worth checking out and will help to keep you on budget.

So Uncle Sam gifted you a huge refund and you spent it on a ticket to Coachella? NICE. After six straight months of grim economic news you’ve more than earned a chance to blow off a little steam. But don’t space out yet. There will be plenty of time for that once My Bloody Valentine starts their set.

Here are some tips to make your Coachella experience rock.

Glowing is for Glowsticks:

It’s cherry blossom time in the D.C. area, and the famous Cherry Blossom Festival by the Tidal Basin is getting into full swing. Each year, this area bursts forth with cotton-candy pink blossoms on the trees that circle the monuments along the water, and people come from all corners of the globe to witness this rite of spring.

I just opted out of trips to attend the Coachella and Pitchfork music festivals (not that I don’t love me some Palm Springs, Chicago, and Paul McCartney, but I’m saving my travel budget for some other things this year). So I was pretty excited to read today that Woodstock might return for a 40th-anniversary edition, right here in New York City.

We’ll have to wait to see if the idea will materialize, but Woodstock’s founder is reportedly seeking sponsors for a free, environmentally friendly NYC concert, possibly even in Central Park. If it happens, I’ll be among the first to dole out my $2 to travel uptown.