"I never realized it before," says Matt, watching the Statue of Liberty drift out of sight, "but I've always wanted to go on a cruise."

And really, that's the meat of it. You've got a rum punch sweating on the balcony, a blissfully open itinerary, and zero pressure to do anything except enjoy yourself--an easy task when you're on a ship as well-equipped as the Norwegian Epic.

Just look at this thing!

There’s a lot of buzz here in New York this week about a newly passed bill that makes renting an apartment for less than 30 days illegal. Other than possibly being a small triumph for hotels, it seems like a lose-lose law; certainly travelers looking for an affordable place to stay, and New Yorkers looking to rent out their places while they travel, are out of luck.

I’ve never rented out my apartment, preferring to remain in the good graces of co-ops and roommates, but I’ve stayed in rentals in other cities, and as a budget traveler, I wonder: what would I have done if the only option was a hotel? At times, most likely I would have skipped to the next destination. And that isn’t even in places where hotel rates come anywhere close to those in Manhattan.

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.