A while back, I blogged about the $5,000 voluntourism grant we donated to WeTV's We Do Good Awards. For months, they've been searching the nation for the most inspiring women volunteers and now the finalists have been announced.

All of the finalists are very inspiring. Hop over to the site now, and vote for your favorite lady. (You don't have to sign up to vote so the whole process only takes a second or two.)

My dream trip changes according to my mood. Sometimes I dream of seeing the Northern Lights—from a hot tub near the Arctic Circle. Other times, I imagine myself staying in one of those glass-bottomed bungalows in Tahiti, a giant sunset touching upon the waves in front of me and a school of fish swimming beneath my feet. But I’ve got to admit, once I saw the five amazing dream trips that Travelocity is giving away right now, I’m considering changing my mind to riding a wine train through Chile, exploring New Zealand’s fjords, shopping atop the Alps in Switzerland, taking photographs along the beaches of Cape Town in South Africa, and experiencing what a space shuttle launch might be like at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

I ended up in Pécs because its dot on the map was rather large and well located between Budapest and Sarajevo; I ended up loving Pécs because it’s a wonderful surprise in southern Hungary—a stunningly beautiful city full of fascinating attractions.

The European Union agrees, because Pécs is one of the organization’s Capitals of Culture for 2010. And with a calendar packed with related events and festivals this summer and fall, there’s never been a better time to score a Central Europe travel deal and discover Pécs.

Please join us in welcoming Justine van der Leun to The Window Seat. She is the author of the travel memoir Marcus of Umbria: What an Italian Dog Taught an American Girl Above Love, which hit the shelves this month. You can learn more at her website.

During my year in the bucolic Umbrian village of Collelungo--population, 200--I could open my bedroom window and see the ancient city of Todi, perched high above on a hilltop. Most travelers taking in Umbria hit up the glitzier tourist destinations—Spoleto, Orvieto, Assisi, Perugia. But taking the road less traveled can be even more fulfilling. Not featured prominently in most guidebooks, Todi offers visitors a chance to take in a fully authentic Italian experience away from the throngs of tourists. Really? Todi? If you do it right, certo! Here’s how:

Imagine monitoring a meerkat population in the Kalahari. Picture tracking black sea turtles in Baja California. This summer, you could take a volunteer vacation with our partner Earthwatch Institute and work side by side with scientists who are doing important research in the field.

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.

If you’ve ever wanted to stroll the Champs-Élysées sans the honking, hulking madness that is Parisian traffic, now’s your chance: more than seven acres of plants will carpet the boulevard today through Monday as part of Gad Weil’s Nature Capitale project.

In every community, in every friend circle or family, there's a special woman that outshines the rest with her compassion, her commitment, and her care for the less fortunate. Travelocity's Travel for Good program and WE TV want to honor these super-star women for their tireless service.

If you know a special woman volunteer and you'd like to make sure she gets the recognition she deserves, nominate her for the We Do Good Awards today. There are three categories to choose from: the Travel for Good Award, the Women on Their Way Award, and the We Do Good Award.

Dear Editors,

I've heard that it's a great year to go to Europe because there are so many deals out there. Is this true?

Monica

Hi Monica,

With everything that is happening economically in Europe right now, there seems to be a tiny misconception that prices to Europe have taken a plunge. That is simply not the case. Last year was THE year for deals to Europe with both airfare and hotel rates tanking. Overall, prices for this summer are up over last year, but Europe is still a good deal when compared to two years ago. That said, the economic crisis in Europe does have its advantages for American travelers. Have you taken a look at the value of the greenback these days?

I realize this is a rather grand statement but...Queenstown, New Zealand, just might be the world’s most perfect vacation destination. Though it hangs its tourism hat on its reputation as the adventure capital of the world, Queenstown has a surplus of diverse attractions for every type of traveler—including those of us who would sooner give up an entire year’s worth of vacation days than jump off a bridge with only rubber bands to break our free fall.

Sure, bungy jumping is a huge draw for some. Skiing, too, and paragliding, skydiving, and white water rafting. But for everyone else—foodies and shoppers, wine connoisseurs and birders, historians and culture hounds—Queenstown boasts an equal embarrassment of riches.