I had the good fortune of being sent on business to London recently, which is great because a) I sound somewhat important to friends, and b) free trip to Europe! I decided to tack on some leisure time once my business was concluded, as this was just my second trip to the U.K.

Celebrity Sightings

I am not big into spotting celebrities, but the same cannot be said for my colleagues who nearly passed out upon seeing Matt LeBlanc stroll into our restaurant, Serafino. Fresh off his win at the Golden Globes, Mr. LeBlanc was kind enough to take a picture with my colleague, which he believes will make him a cool dad (it won't). By the way, Serafino is a fine restaurant with an extensive wine selection, traditional Italian food and strong Irish coffee. Mr. LeBlanc tells me it's a personal favorite.

Great travel deals are in store at Travelocity for this Cyber Monday! Take 10% off qualifying vacation packages and hotels for one day only, Monday, November 28, 2011, when you use the code CYBERMONDAY.

I think we all remember that ill-fated time I washed my passport. Thanks to that lovely experience I learned all about the RFID chips in new U.S. passports. Even back in 2006 when Bush made the decision to include these chips, travelers were concerned their identities could be stolen through them. And as it turns out--people were right to be concerned. Your identity can be stolen through your RFID chip, but luckily there is something you can do about it.

For many people, getting in shape tops the list of New Year’s resolutions, but those who travel frequently for business or pleasure know that keeping up a fitness routine on the road is challenging. Fast food at the airport, high-calorie business lunches, an unfamiliar fitness center at your hotel or a reluctance to run in a city you’ve never been to are just a few of the things that can derail your fitness routine. Here are five ways to travel and keep your New Year’s resolution to get fit on track.

If you read this blog, you're probably a lot like us, constantly planning your next trip, collecting passport stamps like medals of honor, and always looking for that next peak to climb. The older I get the more keenly I feel that if I love travel this much, I also have a responsibility to preserve beloved destinations for my children and my children's children.

Responsible or green travel is at heart a conservation movement, a desire to keep pristine places around the world as they are--or even restore them to how they were. Here are 10 green travel resolutions you can make for Mother Earth. I've listed them from simplest to most ambitious so you can choose where you'd like to start. If we all make a pact to do just one of these resolutions, I think you'd be surprised at the huge impact it would have over time.

Even if budgets are a little snug this year, travel hopes remain high. Here's a list of affordable travel gifts for the globetrotter on your list. The best part? All of the items are $60 or less (and in many cases, much, much less). Happy holiday shopping!

For the Green Globetrotter

VeloPouch $45

(Source)

Think you do a lot of business traveling? Try being President.

Since being sworn into office, President Barack Obama has visited 16 unique nations--a number that will jump to 20 with this week's trip to Asia. And that doesn't even include his upcoming trip to Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. Runner-up in the foreign travel category, George H.W. Bush, visited 14 countries during his first year in office.

This attention to foreign travel is relatively new for sitting U.S. presidents. Prior to Theodore Roosevelt--who made a three-day trip to Panama in 1906--all presidential travel was domestic. But while Obama's jet setting marks a trend in increased executive-office travel, what about those of us without president-sized budgets?

The gadget guru is back! My iPhone has completely revolutionized how I travel and I'm not just talking about having access to my email and Google maps. Here are my top 10 travel apps I can't live without when I'm on the road. I've noted what devices they are compliant with and their cost. And please chime in with your favorite apps in the comments section. I'm all ears!

I'm all about getting sporty on my trips. When I was training for the NYC marathon, I had to visit Washington, D.C. at a crucial point of my training. Instead of halting training or spending hours running on the hotel treadmill, I hired a running guide through City Running Tours who took me on a sightseeing run through our nation's capital.

So when I heard about a physical fitness event  -- again, in Washington, DC -- coming up on October 11, I thought I would share it with you. Bike for the Heart is a day-long event put on by the Sister to Sister organization, a group dedicated to educating women about heart health and risk prevention and providing free heart health checkups.

The day consists of four events:

 - a family-friendly five-mile bike ride around our nation's capital (this would be my choice)

As the travel industry suffers from a downturn in business and group travel, destinations with a reputation for fun are among the hardest hit. According to the Wall Street Journal, Orlando, Las Vegas and Reno are three destinations believed to be on a blacklist when it comes to booking government meetings. The article quotes a Department of Justice spokeswoman as saying, "We do have guidance that says avoid locations and accommodations that give the appearance of being lavish or are resort destinations."