In May 2006, President George W. Bush was asked what was his best moment in office so far. After admitting he’s had “a lot of great moments,” the moment he chose referred not to his daily duties as commander-in-chief, but to his cherished vacation time: "I would say the best moment was when I caught a 7 ½-pound largemouth bass on my lake.”

It’s hard work to preside over the home of the free and the brave, which is why vacation was built into the presidency since the start of the nation. George Washington had his beloved Mount Vernon plantation; John Adams his Massachusetts farm. More recently, we’ve gotten used to hearing about George W.’s vacation compound in Crawford Ranch, Texas, with his stocked fish pond, river canyons, and sprawling, single-level home visited by everyone from Vladimir Putin to Lance Armstrong.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Susie Go Go.

Paris by day is elegant and refined. But you don’t have to scratch too far beneath the picture postcard surface of the City of Light to discover there is a deliciously louche, borderline seedy side to the world’s most-touristed city.

How do I know? Because I have been living here eight years, because I have spent an inordinate amount of time and money in cafés and bars conducting “research,” and because the fruit of that labour – a new book called A Town Like Paris - has just been published.

At the heart of the book is a love story. My love story. I came to Paris from Australia as a swinging bachelor – a young man bent on adventure, determined to foist myself upon an unsuspecting French female population and, in the process, eat my fill of Hemingway’s fabled moveable feast.

Photo of Shay courtesy of Carla Coulson.

Transportation Security Administration has released a pretty cool interactive multimedia explanation on their site. Checkpoint Evolution is an attempt to help us passengers wean ourselves off the old hurry-up-and-wait queue system and get us not only to move more easily, but also calmly, through security to help us help ourselves and also to help TSOs screen us more efficiently. The interactive map and related videos are a slow, steady barrage of euphemisms by a variety of personae including the chipper officer, suited administrator, and psychologist-type with whom you’re on a first name basis. It’s Catherine, by the way.

Aloha indeed. It's time to wake up and smell the jet fuel. Regional carrier Aloha airlines announced their bankruptcy last week. Within days it moved from chapter 11, bankruptcy which is frequently used as the chance to get your financial house in order by numerous airlines, to chapter seven, liquidation. This signals the end for a small but significant carrier in Hawaii and the West and as of today it will suspend passenger service.

Just what does it mean for the rest of the industry?

Aloha Airlines announced Sunday that it would cease operations effective March 31, 2008. According to a news release from the airline, Aloha will run a normal schedule on March 31 with the exception of flights from Hawaii to the West Coast and flights from Orange County to Reno and Sacramento, and Oakland to Las Vegas.

Travelocity customers with plans to travel on Aloha should visit the FAQ page for more information. Travelocity agents will assist you in rebooking your flight and making adjustments to your travel plans.

United Airlines, a code-share partner of Aloha, will assist affected passengers. Customers flying on an United ticket will be rebooked on an alternate flight where space is available, for no additional charge. For customers traveling on an Aloha Airlines ticket, United offers a discounted one-way fare through the end of April.

Hawaiian Airlines has added capacity on key routes to help accommodate stranded Aloha passengers and will allow them to fly standby for no charge on the day of original travel on some flights on March 31 and on all flights April 1-3, 2008. In addition, all inter-island seats are $49 through Monday, April 7, 2008 on Hawaiian Airlines.

If you are headed to the airport and hope to fly on United or Hawaiian, bring your original ticket with you. For passengers with a future reservation on Aloha who do not wish to travel, call your credit card company and request a refund.

Aloha Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 20, in part blaming what it called "predatory pricing" by competitor go! that forced Aloha to lower fares. The Associated Press (via USA Today) also cited high fuel costs as a factor in the airline's inability to generate revenue.

"This is an incredibly dark day for Hawaii," said David A. Banmiller, Aloha's president and chief executive officer. "Despite the groundswell of support from the community and our elected officials, we simply ran out of time to find a qualified buyer or secure continued financing for our passenger business. We had no choice but to take this action. "

The shutdown of operations will affect about 1,900 employees. Aloha Airlines has served the Hawaiian islands for 61 years.

Two weeks ago, I got the privilege of dog-sitting my roommate’s two heartbreakingly cute Chihuahuas. Of course, I was thrilled to play mommy to them for an entire week--but I couldn’t help feeling just a tad bit left out. After all, my roommate’s band was headed to Austin, Texas for the much-lauded South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival, which took place March 7 through 16.

SXSW is an annual event that showcases hundreds of mainly “indie” rock bands from around the world. Since the nature of independent labels is, well, that they’re not major labels, most of these bands tend to be a smidge more off-the-radar than, say, Madonna or Coldplay.

The moment they announce that the flight safety video is coming on, I think, “Ah…let the nap officially begin.” I know the information is important, but I've been flying for 30 years and could probably recite the rules in my sleep.

Finally, the industry has taken notice of this trend. In a bid to entice you to sit up and tune in, major airline carriers are updating their videos with humor, sultry backbeats that seem better suited to ultra-lounges, and easy-on-the-eyes instructors.

This week, when Delta Air Lines released their new safety video on their corporate blog, it caused such a stir that USA Today took notice. The video features a Delta flight attendant who bears a striking resemblance to Angelina Jolie, causing fans to dub her "Deltalina." Here, take a look, but promise me you won't stop until the part where she playfully wags her finger at the camera, insisting in a smoking-hot way that smoking is not allowed.

This morning, I noticed that my right shoulder was pretty sore. Figuring it was due to some errant check from a hockey game the night before, I wrote it off until I went into the bathroom and saw the gleaming tile and mirror-like fixtures of the tub. Last night, already relatively gross from the game, I got to work scrubbing and trying to avoid the occasional blasts of scalding hot water that I employed to rinse the grout I’d just been over. It was hardly enviable work, but there was something cathartic about it beyond even the fact that I knew my bathroom was pretty filthy and really needed the cleaning. Perhaps it was the sunny, warmer weather that’s been rolling through the city, but it seemed that with each tile scoured, winter’s hold was loosened ever so slightly by an expiating combination of bleach, a scrub brush, and elbow grease.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member ladyanne47

New York State's new air passenger bill of rights law has been overturned by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, according to the Associated Press (via CNNMoney.com). The appeals court ruled that the law " . . . interferes with federal law governing the price, route or service of an air carrier."

The law went into effect on January 1, 2008 and required, among other things, that airlines provide food, water, clean toilets and fresh air to passengers trapped in a plane delayed on the ground. The law had not yet been enforced, and was contested by the Air Transport Association of America, the industry trade group representing leading U.S. airlines. Several other states have modeled passenger's bill of rights plans after the New York State plan; no word on how this new ruling will impact those bills.

In the battle of the YouTube all-stars, Battle at Kruger reigned supreme, snagging the 2007 YouTube Video Award in the Eyewitness category.

I watched the 8-minute opus for the first time this weekend, and (like 27 million others before me) sat glued to my computer screen as lions stalked a buffalo calf, battled a crocodile for it, and staged a Sharks-Jets-style showdown when the young buffalo’s herd returned. And the most amazing part of all? The gnawed-on calf survives the tug-o-war.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member sjmclaughlin

Aloha Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday, citing "predatory pricing" practices by its competitor go! , a Mesa Air Group subsidiary.

This is the second time the airline has filed for bankruptcy protection. According to the Associated Press (via The New York Times), Aloha emerged from previous bankruptcy protection in February 2006, 14 months after filing under Chapter 11.

The airline, according to its web site, has asked the Court for permission to continue flying as it operates under bankruptcy protection. As long as this request is granted, customers can expect all existing reservations to be honored and to be able to make new reservations. For now, frequent flier programs remain unaffected, and customers will continue to earn mileage credit.

For more information, Travelocity customers should visit the FAQ page.

If you’re an American who’s been tuned into the news lately, you’re probably finding it difficult to paint a picture of travel in 2008 that’s anything but bleak. You’ve seen the stack of travel-associated fees rise. You’ve been privy to the latest airline fiascos. You’re aware of the sobering decline of the dollar. And if you’re anything like me, you’re still trying to wrap your head around the series of crises related to the US economy. It’s all a virtual kick in the shins to the avid traveler, and I count myself among the injured ranks.

We all keep hearing that domestic travel is the way to go, and while I’m down with that—I’m a little embarrassed at how much of my home country I haven’t seen—I’ve found that staying even closer to home is a great way to get some instant relief. And the relief, it turns out, isn’t just temporary: a day trip done right can be a powerful cure for the ailing traveler.

Photo by IgoUgo member Constance

It seems to be the question on every travel journalist's mind: Will people stop traveling due to high costs and an uncertain economy? Here's the short answer: No. But we may see changes in the way people travel and may need to adjust our attitude on what constitutes a good "deal." For me personally, it's hard to imagine a price point that would make me stop traveling -- it's just that important to me, and I find ways to make it work. After all, I recently flew to Italy for just three days of skiing -- would have loved to have stayed longer, but the Euro is killing me. So, I had a shorter-than-usual trip -- but I still went. Shorter trips are just one way that people adjust their travels when they're trying to control their vacation costs.

Yesterday on the Fox News show "Studio B with Shepard Smith," I talked about a few other ways travelers can try to control costs this summer. You've all heard the advice to book early, but with service cutbacks by a few airlines, there's going to be stiff competition for the least-expensive seats and booking far in advance is as important as ever for those of you who have your heart set on a particular destination.

Watch the video, or read on for my three other tips:

St. John beach chair photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Jose Kevo.

Alright, I'm biased. If asked to name my favorite American city, I wouldn't hesitate to bestow the honor on San Francisco---but that's because I've wanted to live here since first visiting at the tender age of eighteen, and now that I do, I can hardly believe my luck.

But what about where I'd most like to go for a romantic break? Well, um, San Francisco, I'm afraid. And my pick for the city with the best ethnic eats? You guessed it---San Francisco again.

Travel + Leisure magazine is currently conducting its annual America's Favorite Cities survey, and if you don't want San Francisco to steal the show in every single category---oh, you know I'll be voting for it again and again---you might want to head over there and start ticking a few boxes.

Here’s the situation: I have only skied twice in my life in conditions that many West Coasters would sneer at. Both times were many, many years ago, in fake machine-generated snow, on soft and forgiving East Coast slopes. In one case, I fell so spectacularly (cartwheeling head over skis into the air) that a person on the ski lift above actually shouted down at me to make sure I was okay.

In a couple weeks, I head to Vail, Colorado, where the snow is the real deal, and the mountains are thousands of feet higher than those in Pennsylvania’s White Tail and Virginia’s Wintergreen. I’ll be going with friends who currently reside in Colorado, and who spend every weekend that they can snowboarding. While they shred the triple-zillion black-diamond runs and conquer the K-12 a la Lane Myer, my plan is to take a lesson and baby my days away on the bunny slope. But what I can’t decide regarding my lesson is, skiing or snowboarding?

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member NSXEatr.

I know it's St. Patrick's day and so I'm supposed to be talking about Ireland. But let us broaden our minds. Europe is so expensive these days! So guess what is better than feeling like you're in Europe without actually paying for it? TIme's up. (I suspect you didn't come up with anything.) This is reason numero uno, my friends, to visit Argentina. The capital city of Buenos Aires boast architecture that compares to the finest European cities combined with a Latin spirt that makes the place distinct. A few years ago the early adopters started to head their way to BA.

The seasons are opposite from ours making it a refreshing climate change but given that we're on the same time zone there's no jet-lag. Let me say that again -- the feel of Europe comes without the jet-lag. Reason number two for visiting BA. Not surprisingly it has become increasingly popular. This weekend the New York Times travel section talked about one of my very favorite destiantions.

Photo by IgoUgo member Jim

San Francisco--check. Provincetown, Mass.--check. Miami--check. Gay and lesbian travelers have an increasingly broad--and exuberant--array of gay-friendly U.S. destinations to pick from. Internationally, we’ve also got “gay” Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Amsterdam, Canada, and more. But tilt the globe in an entirely different direction, and the average lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) person might have no clue where to get their gay on.

Seeking outside-the-box destinations that are also easy on the dollar, many savvy American travelers have recently made Thailand their getaway of choice. But how do gay and lesbian travelers rate this tropical nation? I asked openly gay friends and colleagues James Harris and Mario Diaz for their thoughts on their recent Thailand trips.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member nova_chic.

Every traveler has a moment like this one. I'd been hanging around Paris for a few weeks and decided to explore the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. After climbing every single step to the top and wandering through the cathedral itself, I was ready to park myself in a café for a while. As I plunked back down the stairs, worn out and bedraggled, a familiar song caught my ears.

"Country roads…take me home…to the place…I belong…West Virginia."

I wandered over to two young Frenchman playing acoustic guitars and joined in signing a wacky tribute to the late, great John Denver. It was a silly moment, to be sure, but one in which the world felt both stranger than ever before--and yet shared.

The New York Times recently ran an article about slum tourism or, as they refer to it, “poorism.” The piece claims that “tourists are forsaking, at least for a while, beaches and museums for crowded, dirty—and in many ways surprising—slums.” I can understand that people are concerned with this—class seems to be one of the most consistent and perpetually yawning prejudices between groups of people. From being born into castes to simply living like “the other half,” whichever that half is, it seems that people often have difficulty looking past privilege—or lack thereof—despite the inability to control it.

photo courtesy of IgoUgo member nik-nak

A few weeks ago, Amy wrote about the spring break that wasn’t supposed to happen. You know; the one that travelers are still taking despite the drooping economy. Prices are up, but families are still getting out of town.

Being a traveler – and a budget traveler at that – I was inspired to dig up spring break travel inventory that is begging to be purchased. I wanted to see exactly where I could go (from San Francisco) for a few hundred bucks, and what I found was a list of seemingly lackluster places that travelers never wanted to visit. Well, until now.

Walking around Rio proved hazardous for me earlier this year, but only because I was looking everywhere except where I was going. Early on, my artist friends made sure I didn’t miss the explosion of art crawling up buildings and curving around walls, and I had my eyes—and my camera lens—on Rio’s world-class street art for the rest of the week.

As anyone who has traveled with me (or is casually acquainted with me) can attest, the first travel-planning question I ask is not “Where should I stay?” or “What should I do?”, but rather, “What do I want to eat?” For me, a trip is defined by its meals. I’m all for amazing sights and sounds, but the smells and tastes of a place stick with me the longest and most profoundly. Likewise, when I decide where to go, it’s the promise of new flavors and textures that calls me to my chosen destination.

Don’t start celebrating just yet; you still have to take your laptop out of its case, but, according to a story in USA Today, the Transportation Security Administration is “searching for a "checkpoint-friendly" case that would give screeners a clear view as it goes through an X-ray machine,” allowing travelers to leave their laptop in its case. Sold!

Personally, I’ve had excellent luck getting through security quickly when I travel; it rarely takes any longer than 10 minutes. However, I do loathe the process of taking off my shoes and coat; removing my laptop from its bag; and putting my Ziploc bag of liquid toiletries on the conveyor belt, only to repack and redress once I get through the checkpoint. A TSA-compliant laptop case would at least remove one of the hassles, but a faster security line is also a plus.

This comes on the heels of an earlier announcement that TSA plans to create special security lines for families and expert travelers, a program they are currently testing in Denver and Salt Lake City. A line for families…now this I’m stoked about.

Booking a trip is so much easier when you know what to expect, isn't it? Your friend went to Paris and recommended a B&B that was fantastique; your mother-in-law sung the praises of a hotel in Santa Fe. That’s why Travelocity’s non-biased Customer Reviews and IgoUgo reviews are so helpful. Not only can you use them to get the scoop on that great deal you’re considering---is it close to the center of town? Will it be suitable for kids? How much is the parking?--but you can add your own two cents when you come home from a trip, and make someone else’s life a little easier when they’re deciding where to stay.

Normally, this blog is about getting out of town. But as the dollar weakens and the economy remains top of mind in this election year, I’d like to shift the focus for a moment on getting people in town.

A message promoting The Travel Industry Association's Discover America Partnership just popped in my inbox with the headline Foreign Press Continues to Bash U.S. Travel Experience While America Remains Silent.

A few of the unfavorable headlines include:

Coming to America Isn't Easy
US visa requirements and airport entry procedures have become the stuff of legend. (The Sydney Morning Herald, Feb. 28)

Business Travel to USA Is Unpopular
Conferences are moving to other countries with simpler entry conditions where travelers are not made to feel like potential terrorists. (German Financial Times, Feb. 19)

Fortress America
Why hassle yourself to go to America, when the Caribbean is there, the Maldives, all of these other markets? (The Irish Independent, Feb. 16)

America - More Hassle Than it's Worth?
Brits visiting America down 11% since 9/11, despite the weak dollar. (The Guardian (UK), Feb. 12)

Travel to America? No Thanks
It's already a nightmare, but now they want to make entry into the USA tougher. So let's not go. (The Sunday Times of London, Jan. 20)

Photo Courtesy of Mike Wroblewski.

You may be thinking -- that's news? Aren't the airlines always posting poor on-time performance? If you were an air traveler in 2007, the second-worst year on record, it certainly may seem that way. After all, one-quarter of all flights were delayed last year. If you were hoping for an improvement in 2008, early indicators aren't encouraging.

According to the Associated Press (via USA Today), "Nearly one-third of commercial flights in the U.S. arrived late or were canceled in January, up slightly from the same month last year . . . " This was, however, an improvement over December stats, when nearly 40% of flights were delayed or canceled by the major US carriers.

United Airlines had the worst on-time performance, with just 62% of its flights arriving on schedule. However, if you are headed for Hawaii, there's good news -- Hawaiian Airlines had the best on-time arrival rate at 94.1%, followed by Aloha Airlines at 93.2%.

Last week was a bizarre one for travel-related news. In India, a pregnant woman on a train thought she was making a routine bathroom visit and instead gave premature birth to a babylet who fell through the toilet and onto the train tracks--and the baby survived. In Egypt, a study-abroad student lost one-third of his body weight after boarding with a host family who, allegedly, didn’t give him enough to eat during his stay. And, tragically, in the waters off the Bahamas, an Australian tourist was fatally bitten by a shark during an encounter in which bloody fish parts were used to attract the predators to tourists who shelled out the big bucks for a cageless dive.

Every December 8th since I was a little girl, my mother and I have capped off a day of Christmas shopping with afternoon tea at the Palm Court at The Plaza Hotel in New York City. The last three Decembers we've had to take our tea elsewhere -- the Four Seasons, the St. Regis, the Pierre -- but truthfully, none have been as delightful as the famed Plaza.

Admittedly, I already liked Richard Branson. He's got the accent, long (but not too long) wavy locks, and that I-know-I'm-good swagger. His brand is him. And Virgin has to be the sexiest airline. Wouldn't we all want to fly Upper Class, their version of first class? Ah, the finer things in life, such as being picked up by private car and swept off to a private screening entry at the airport, mingling at a hip bar over the Atlantic, getting a massage from the on-board beauty therapist, a lie-flat bed... Ok, the price tag is more than my average paycheck, so I'm not likely to get to fly Upper Class any time soon. But I'll take even Virgin's Premium Economy with its sleek interiors, purple leather seats, individual entertainment, meals and more, as well as flight attendants who smile and wear uniforms with a fashionable bent. (Need I go on?) Yet last week when I heard about Branson's latest feat –flying a 747 airplane from London to Amsterdam on 20 percent bio-diesel fuel – I had to say "Hallelujah!"

As far as U.S. vacation spots go, beauty-queen Oahu, social-butterfly Manhattan, and flamboyant Key West always grab the limelight first. But what about the best American islands that you’ve never been to? Read on for five unique and close-to-home island getaways rich in Americana and natural treasures.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Reiflame.

Child-free summer vacations -- no kiddin'!

Earlier this year, when Walt Disney World banned small children from Victoria & Albert's, the resort’s most upscale eatery, you could practically hear the collective gasp from parents around the world. Meanwhile, travelers who travel sans kids high-fived.

Call it a backlash against kids clubs with Disney leading the pack. When it seems every resort is touting their family-friendly policies and activities, I now find myself scrutinizing resort descriptions to know what I'm in for. Think I’m a kid-hater? Think again. I have four nieces and nephews I gladly baby-sit for an entire weekend, but until you’ve had your romantic getaway disrupted by cannon-balling kids and oblivious parents, don’t judge.