On the morning of 9/11, I remember repeatedly thinking to myself, “things are never going to be the same again.” But here we are nearly 10 years later, and things over the past decade have been creeping back to sameness. Yes, the Twin Towers will never again punctuate the skyline of New York City, but rebuilding in the region takes place 24/7, shops are back in business, and commerce is flowing. Perhaps one of the biggest indicators of this return to normalcy is the announcement that a brand-new hotel is using its Ground Zero location as a unique draw to bring in tourists.

Last weekend I turned a page in my addiction to Amazon.com’s travel bookstore: I decided to take it to the street. I set off on a self-styled walking tour of New York City’s brick-and-mortar travel bookshops to see what they had to offer, and I was thrilled with what I found. From now on, I’ll be taking all of my visitors to these spots so they can read up on NYC and plan their next trip. And the next one. And the one after that.

If there’s one thing women know about, it’s romance. And if there’s one thing the staff of The Window Seat Blog know about, it’s travel. With that in mind, the bloggettes came together and picked nine hotels in North America they would recommend for Valentine’s Day or a romantic getaway any time of year. For great deals on hotel stays for Valentine’s Day, visit Travelocity.com/romance.

Highly subjective and listed in no particular order, the Window Seat Bloggettes' most romantic hotel picks:

El Conquistador Resort & Golden Door Spa

Farjardo, Puerto Rico

The Gadget Guru is here to alert you to two travel apps you might want to download if you're heading to Los Angeles or hitting the slopes soon.

If you're anything like me, the last thing you want to be is the dork whipping out a map every five seconds on vacation. That's why I LOVE my Google Maps app on my iPhone. Hey, I might be checking my email for all you know, and not, ahem, looking for a store that's right behind me. But the Google Maps app is fairly bare bones when it comes to entertainment, so that's why I love fun travel map apps like the Celebrity Star Maps and iTrailMap.

With the start of a new year and a new decade, Dubai unveiled what is now the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, which stretches to a height of 2,717 feet. To put that in perspective, the San Francisco Bay Area’s Mt. Tamalpais reaches a height of 2,574 feet, which means that Dubai’s new building is taller than a mountain.

In addition to apartments and offices, the world’s highest swimming pool and mosque, and a hotel designed by Georgio Armani, the building will also have something for tourists to add to their “must-do” lists: the observation deck on the 124th floor, which boasts views beyond the cityscape into the surrounding desert and toward human-made islands in the shapes of palm trees.

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.

Without a doubt, the greatest thing about living in—or visiting—New York City is the diversity of its offerings. The city that never sleeps can be anything to anyone, but it’s an exceptionally good fit for would-be world travelers: in just one day, you can stroll China’s alleyways in Manhattan, learn about Congo in the Bronx, discover Tibet on Staten Island, and get a taste of Italy in Brooklyn and Egypt in Queens.

You can even, I’ve discovered, escape the feeling of being in any city, be it New York, Beijing, or Rome. Here, my top picks for strolling bucolic pastures or burying your feet in the sand—without ever leaving city limits.

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.

Have your say! The former Madison Hotel in New York City's Flatiron District will re-open in June 2009 as part of the Desires Hotel group and the new property needs a name. Here are the contenders:

VIVO nyc

the MIX

stile nyc

nyche

the MAVE

My vote went to stile nyc. Would have preferred if it was spelled correctly but oh well. When you cast your vote, you also enter a chance to win a three-night stay for two at any of the Desires Hotels in Miami, San Juan, New York City, Milwaukee, or St. Louis. Airfare also included in the prize. Cast your vote before March 31.

Please don't use the "S" word in my presence. You know the one. Starts with "S" and ends with "taycation." It positively chills me to think about would-be travelers staying home. Like, in their houses. Watching TV and eating chips or something. When they don't have to! People, I don't know if you've heard, but a close friend of yours (me!) coined 2009 the "year of the travel deal." You see, I have insider information, so I'm allowed to make such statements.

photo courtesy of IgoUgo member RobAA