50 Best Places to See Christmas Lights in America

No matter where you're spending your holidays this year, there's a beautiful light display near you. You may need to shell out a few dollars for the right to drive through a few miles of dancing reindeer and twinking snowmen, or you might be lucky enough to have an entire neighborhood of Griswolds in your area. Here are 50 of the best places in America to see Christmas lights in 2011.
1. Bellingrath Gardens Magic Christmas in Lights (Mobile, Alabama)
Stroll through over 3 million sparkling lights and over 950 displays throughout the 65 acre Garden estate.  Enjoy nightly choral performances on the South Terrace of the Bellingrath Home. (Bellingrath Gardens, 11/25 - 12/31, closed 12/25)
2. Christmas in Ice (North Pole, Alaska)
The city claims to have the Christmas spirit all year long, but only during the winter holidays can you enjoy Christmas-themed ice art in the park next door to Santa's house. (Ice Park, 12/3 - 1/8)
3. Arizona Celebration of Lights (Phoenix, Arizona)
More than 7  million lights will make up one mile of light displays you can drive through. You can also visit Santa's Village and enjoy hot chocolate and photos with Santa. (Phoenix Event Complex, 11/18 - 1/1)



4. Lights on the Landscape (Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas)
More than 1.8 million holiday lights transform the woodland landscape of Garvan Gardens into a winter wonderland.  The displays feature traditional holiday scenes as well as themes from nature, like the butterfly display. (Garvan Gardens, 11/19 - 12/31)
5. Riverside Festival of Lights (Riverside, California)
The historic Mission Inn is decorated with about 3.5 million lights  and over 400 animated figures decorate the surrounding area. Dickens' carolers sing from the balconies above and you can visit Santa in his workshop, or go ice skating at the Main Street rink. (Main Street Riverside, 11/25 - 12/24)
6. Blossoms of Light (Denver, Colorado)
A unique viewing experience, this light display highlights the beauty of a winter garden. Marvel at lights, ice sculptures, and an ice sleigh available for family photos. (Denver Botanical Gardens, 12/2 - 1/1)



7. Fantasy of Lights (New Haven, Connecticut)
This drive-through light display celebrates 17 years of holiday tradition this year. Proceeds benefit the local Easter Seals organization. (Lighthouse Point Park, 11/18 - 1/7)
8. Faucher Family Christmas House (New Castle, Delaware)
Local and national news repeatedly compares this family home to Clark Griswold, but the reality is Clark's display didn't come close to what the Fauchers do each year. Over 1 million lights illuminate this private home at a cost of about $82,000 per Christmas season. (1054 Red Lion Road, New Castle)
9. The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights (Orlando, Florida)
What started as an Arkansas family's home display has become one of the largest light display in the country - so big it had to go Disney! Hollywood Studios hosts this spectacle of dancing lights and has added free hot chocolate and magical snow fall. (Hollywood Studios, 11/10 - 1/7)



10. Magical Nights of Lights  (Buford, Georgia)
Walk or drive through a  seven-mile tour of holiday displays featuring millions of lights. The trail ends at the Holiday Village, where kids will can visit to Santa and go for a pony ride. (Lake Lanier Island Resorts, 11/18 - 1/1)
11. Kauai's Festival of Lights (Kauai, Hawaii)
This is a celebration of the holidays and folk art. For nearly 40 years, this tradition started by local artist Auntie Josie Chansky has allowed visitors to enjoy Christmas folk art decorations. (Kauai County Building, 12/2 12/24)
12. Coeur d'Alene Resort Holiday Light Show (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho)
Billed as the largest floating holiday light show, more than 1.5 million lights sparkle on the water of Lake Coeur d'Alene. Watch from the shore or take a holiday cruise to get a closer look. (The Coeur d'Alene Resort, 11/26 - 1/1)


13. ZooLights (Chicago, Illinois)
Lots of zoos put up holiday lights this time of year, but the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago takes it a step farther by handing out 3D glasses to enhance the experience. (Lincoln Park Zoo, 12/16 - 1/1, closed 12/24 and 12/25)
14. Christmas in The Country (Sharpsville, Indiana)
The lights blink and dance in time to holiday music. Every night you can enjoy a 45-minute show featuring 10 holiday songs played over your car radio. (Sharpsville Lights, 11/25 - 12/30)
15. Reflections in the Park (Dubuque, Iowa)
Twinkling lights, animated displays, and holiday music bring the small town park to life each year. (Murphy Park, 11/24 - 1/1)


16. Isle of Lights (Winfield, Kansas)
This drive-through community light display is set to holiday music. This year the display is going green with new LED lights. (Island Park, 11/24 - 12/30)
17. Winter Wonderland of Lights (Ashland, Kentucky)
Park the car and stroll through 52 acres of holiday displays. Children can hop aboard a train and visit with Santa. (Central Park, 11/14 - 1/5)
18. Celebration in the Oaks (New Orleans, Louisiana)
New Orleans' City Park is one of the country's most beautiful public parks, and the holidays add even more beauty. Walk through lights, play in the amusement park, or go ice skating. (City Park, 12/2 - 1/1, Closed 12/24 and 12/31)

Photo: MSVG/Creative Commons
19. Wilton Lights (Wilton, Maine)
This animated light display is put on by a local family every year and includes holiday music transmitted to your car radio by a low-wattage transmitter. (Wilton, 12/11 - 1/6)
20. Miracle on 34^th Street (Baltimore, Maryland)
For more than six decades, homeowners on Baltimore's 34^th street have been going all out every year to wow visitors with light displays. One house has trains on the roof and another displays Christmas trees made from hub caps. There's even a ball drop on New Year's Eve. (Christmas Street, 11/26 - 1/2)
21. Bright Nights ( Springfield, Massachusetts)
Giant displays feature more than 600,000 lights along a three-mile route through historic Forest Park. (Forest Park, 11/23 - 1/1)


22.  The Big, Bright Light Show (Rochester, Michigan)
Local business owners get together to light up the night. Buildings are covered with holiday lights and a massive tree is turned into the Dazzling Tree of Lights. (Downtown, 11/28 - 1/1)
23. Bentleyville Tour of Lights (Duluth, Minnesota)
More than 3  million lights make the shores of Lake Superior sparkle in one of the Midwest's largest holiday lights displays. (Bayfront Festival Park, 11/19 - 12/26)
24. Southern Lights (Southaven, Mississippi)
The city of Southaven sets out over half a million lights for visitors in an effort to raise money for local charities each year. (Central Park, 11/24 - 12/31, closed 12/25)


25. Santa's Magical Kingdom (St. Louis, Missouri)
Wind your way through over 35 acres of holiday lights and displays. Highlights include Santa's flying reindeer, Candy Cane Village, and the Waterfall of Lights. (Jellystone Park, 11/18 - 1/8)
26. Zoo Lights (Billings, Montana)
Zoo Lights is a 2.5 mile drive through holiday lights. Proceeds benefit the Easter Seals organization. (Zoo Montana, 12/15 - 12/24)
27. Shining Light Celebration (Gothenburg, Nebraska)
The local KOA campground lights up for the holidays and welcomes visitors - with our without a tent - to celebrate. (KOA, 12/18 - 12/31)

28. Glitter Lights (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Drive through more than two miles of lights and be dazzled by more than 400 animated displays. (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 11/18 - 1/1)
29. Gift of Lights (Loudon, New Hampshire)
Another speedway spectacle, this one features more than 1 million LED lights. (New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 11/18 - 1/1)
30. Holiday Festival of Lights (Camden, New Jersey)
Friday and Saturday nights come alive at the local Children's Garden during the holiday season. Enjoy over 100,000 lights decorating 4.5 acres of gardens. (Camden Children's Garden, 11/28 - 1/2)


31. River of Lights (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Enjoy the New Mexico's largest walk-through light show at the Botanic Garden. (Botanic Garden, 11/26 - 12/30, closed 12/24 and 12/25)
32. Dyker Lights (Brooklyn, New York)
One of the most famous lighting displays in one of the most famous cities in the world is in a residential neighborhood in Brooklyn. Hop on the subway and head out to see neighbors out doing neighbors in the spirit of holiday tradition. (Dyker Heights, no official date, mid-December recommended)
33. Christmas at Biltmore (Asheville, North Carolina)
America's largest house, Biltmore House, features dozens of Christmas trees and miles of ribbon, garland and lights. Live holiday music is performed inside the house during the season. (Biltmore Estate, 11/11 - 12/31)


34. Christmas in the Park (Bismarck, North Dakota)
For just $5 per car, families can drive through the local park and enjoy a holiday lighting display sponsored by local businesses. (Sertoma Park, 12/1 - 12/31)
35. The Legendary Lights at Clifton Mill (Clifton, Ohio)
More than 3.5 million lights cover the countryside for a display that's been featured in national magazines and other media. Drive through a lighted covered bridge and visit a Santa museum. (Clifton Mill, 11/26 - 1/1)
36. Garden of Lights (Muskogee, Oklahoma)
City volunteers come together to create spectacular lighting displays through the city park each year. The animated displays featuring animals and children playing in the gardens are always a big hit. (Honor Heights Park, 11/25 - 1/1)


37. The Lights of Peacock Lane (Portland, Oregon)
Since the 1920s, each house in this Portland neighborhood has been decorating for the holidays. Today, displays include bright lights, nativity scenes, and Christmas trees. (Peacock Lane, 12/15 - 12/31).
38. Hershey Sweet Lights (Hershey, Pennsylvania)
You have to believe that a candy company knows how to make kids smile during the holidays. This drive-through display boasts over 600 lighted scenes. (Hershey Park, 11/18 - 12/31)
39. Christmas at the Newport Mansions (Newport, Rhode Island)
You can't move in, but you can marvel at the beautiful decorations at The Breakers, The Elms, and Marble House. (Newport Mansions, 11/19 - 1/2)


40. Lights of Hope (Anderson, South Carolina)
Enjoy the glow of 2.5 million lights and the warm, fuzzy feeling of knowing your money is going to help children in need. (Darwin Wright Park, 11/24 - 12/25)
41. Festival of Lights (Aberdeen, South Dakota)
If driving through your neighborhood doesn't give you enough holiday cheer, head to Wylie Park and pay $5 per car to see twinkling lights and dancing Santas. (Wylie Park, 11/26 - 12/26)
42. Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland (Nashville, Tennessee)
There are four Shadrack locations around the country, including this bright light bonanza that comes to life once a year. What started as a local holiday display behind a boat store  in West Knoxville has turned into one of the world's largest drive through light displays. (Jellystone Park, 11/1 - 1/8)


43. Austin's 37^th Street (Austin, Texas)
There might have been a miracle over on 34^th, but in Texas you'll find all the action on 37^th. This residential street brings the "everything's bigger in Texas" philosophy to holiday decorating. (37^th Street, no official dates)
44. Christmas Utah (Murray, Utah)
Every year one man puts out a display so spectacular, he stops traffic for miles around. Marty, the magician behind the lights, has said that 2011 will be the last year for his notorious display. (Whispering Pine Circle, 11/25 - 1/1)
45. Billings Farm (Woodstock, Vermont)
While not especially known for their lights, Woodstock has been voted one of the most "Christmassy" towns in America. Hop in a sleigh and tour Billings Farm & Museum to see how the holidays were celebrated in the 19^th century. (Billings Farm, 12/3 - 1/1)

Photo: Phil Roeder/Creative Commons
46. 100  Miles of Lights (Richmond to Virginia Beach, Virginia)
Seeing this display will take a while, and you might need to book a hotel. Actually, this is a collection of lights and decorations spread over 7 Virginia towns. (Virginia, no official dates)
47. Candy Cane Light (Seattle, Washington)
Another neighborhood celebration, this one has been lighting up ark Road and Ravenna Boulevard in Seattle since the 1940s. (Ravenna Boulevard, 12/10 - 12/31)
48. Oglebay's Winter Festival of Lights (Wheeling, West Virginia)
Take a six-mile drive through one of the largest and light displays in the country. Pass through a tunnel filled with twinkling snowflakes and wave as you pass by Snoopy and the gang. (Ogelbay Resort, 11/11 - 1/8)

Photo: CP Storm/Creative Commons
49. WPS Garden of Lights (Green Bay, Wisconsin)
There may be other light displays in other parts of the state, but this is the town they bring the Super Bowl trophies to, so we're featuring this one. Visitors can walk through a 60-foot lighted caterpillar and take a wagon ride through an icicle forest. (Green Bay Botanical Garden, 11/25 - 12/18, 12/26 - 12/29)
50. Cheyenne Holiday Trolley tours (Cheyenne, Wyoming)
You don't even have to know who has the best displays in town. Just hop on the Holiday Trolley and let the driver take you by Cheyenne's most illuminated neighborhoods. (Street Railway Trolley, 12/15 - 12/24)

Lost Bags? No problem!

What is Luggage Locator?

Visiting the baggage carousel can be the most stressful part of a long flight. Locating a piece ofluggage, or multiple pieces, from among the hundreds of other bags can get confusing. Aluggage locator can help track down luggage with a remote control that activates a flashing alarm. Variations are available for locating several bags, and some even initiate spoken responses to cut through the confusion.

Luggage Locator provides a location and monitoring service of your luggage.

A Luggage Locator is a tracking device that comes in two distinct pieces. One is a small button that fits on a key chain and looks like the locking and unlocking fob that comes with some automobiles. The second piece is larger, about the size of a small paperback book, also made of hard plastic with one or up to a series of lights embedded. Some brands differ in design, but both pieces typically also feature a strap made from nylon or plastic coated steel wire for attaching to bags.

The Luggage Locator device.

This wireless device operates much like a garage door opener because of its reliance on close-range radio signals. The small part of the luggage locator is called the transmitter and, like a garage door remote in a car, emits a signal when its button is pressed. The larger piece of theluggage locator is called the receiver, and it functions like the garage door opener itself, except that instead of opening a door when a button is pressed, its lights turn on and a sound is emitted. Most transmitters and receivers have a range of 60 feet (18.2 m), and their lights and sounds function for approximately four seconds.

Each luggage locator operates on the same radio wavelength, but a remote control will activate only its mate. The locators are each given an individual code. This assures that another bag with a luggage locator will not accidentally flash and beep when the button is pressed.

With the product rising in popularity, some brands have branched out and made additions that can help travelers even more. Many travelers don't fly with only one bag, and members of a family often have several bags each. Some luggage locators offer multiple receivers for a single transmitter so that multiple bags will notify the owner with only one push of a button. Another innovation is personalization that allows users to record their own voice saying whatever they want, so that when the button is pressed, they see lights and hear their own message.

If you want to know more, just LugLoc: https://www.facebook.com/LugLoc

Air India introduces stopover packages in Delhi

Air India introduces stopover packages in Delhi

Air India has established Delhi as its Hub and schedules have been progressively built to facilitate transfer connections at Terminal-3 (T3), particularly from Domestic to International flights and vice versa. About 3,000 Air India passengers already transit daily through T3.

To further enhance the hub experience, Air India has introduced a unique stopover product, branded Air India Stopover Packages. The Stopover package will enable passengers transfer-connecting on AI flights over Delhi to experience the city, with a range of accommodation on offer to fit all budgets.

The Stopover Packages offers the facility of web-based hotel booking, airport/hotel transfers, and sightseeing options in and around Delhi. A range of hotels, from budget to 5-star category, located in and around the Airport zone are available, including the hotel located inside Terminal 3 itself.

A unique feature of the product is ‘Day Rates’, which allows ‘wash-and-change’ facilities to the passenger at select hotels. Other options that can be added include:

– Overnight stay rates inclusive of Airport pick-up, breakfast & taxes with option to upgrade room. 

– Extended stay. 

– Day Use Rates for ‘wash-and-change’ facility (4 or 6 hours as per hotel rules). 

– Departure transfers. 

– Add half or full day sightseeing. 

– Car hire. 

– Day Trip to Taj Mahal, Agra. 

Ryanair criticised over new card charge

Ryanair has clashed with fair trading officials over plans to introduce a new charge on all bookings made using a credit card.

Ryanair's newest fee is a two per cent credit card charge.

In a statement issued yesterday Ryanair said that the two per cent fee – which will be effective from tomorrow – will allow it comply with a recent ruling by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

But today the Government body rejected its claim.

"We have not required any airline to introduce new payment charges, increase their credit card charges or scrap any discounts they wish to offer,” said an OFT spokesman. "We took action to make sure that debit card charges are included in the headline price and credit card charges are transparent and not sprung on shoppers towards the end of the booking process."

The no-frills airline was quick to issue its own assessment of the OFT's response. “Ryanair is disappointed, but not surprised, by the OFT’s attempt to distance themselves from their anti-consumer rulings," said a spokesman. "Before the OFT imposed these baseless changes, airlines could partner with card providers to allow their cardholders the exclusive advantage of avoiding such fees.

"As the OFT has removed our ability to help passengers avoid fees through exclusive partnerships perhaps they may wish to pay these fees on the consumers’ behalf."

Ryanair already charges an “admin fee” of £6 per flight per person on all bookings. This charge has always been avoidable for those customers who pay with a Ryanair Cash Passport – leading many to assume the admin fee is simply a card charge by another name. However, passengers who pay for their flight with a credit card will have to pay both charges from tomorrow.

The airline also announced yesterday that passengers who pay with a Ryanair Cash Passport will no longer be exempt from paying the admin fee.

Ryanair’s other charges include a 25p per person, per flight “ETS Levy”, introduced in response to the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme; a £2 per person, per flight “EU 261 Levy”, which it says covers the cost of compensating passengers for delays; and a £6 per person, per flight “Web Check in” fee.

How Ryanair's fares escalate

Return flight from London Stansted to Marrakesh

Out: Feb 3

Return: Feb 7

1 x adult = £46.48

EU 261 Levy = £4

Web check-in = £12

ETS Levy = 50p

Headline fare = £62.98

One checked bag (15kg limit) = £30

Reserved seating = £20

Admin fee = £12

Running total = £124.98

Credit card fee: 2% of £124.98 = £2.50

Total fare = £127.48

Why CEOs Oppose HIV Travel Bans: They're Bad for Business

More than 30 million people could be denied entry, detained or deported from 45 countries worldwide. They are neither terrorists, criminals nor drug dealers. The reason? They live with HIV.

Restrictions based only on positive HIV status deny the entry, stay, residence or work visas for people living with HIV, even though the HIV virus can't be transmitted through casual contact. These laws and policies not only violate human rights and don't protect the public health, they also harm a business's bottom line. In today's globalized economy and competitive landscape, work-related travel and relocation are essential for corporations to succeed. Companies have to be able to send our employees and executives overseas, regardless of their HIV status.

Inmigration Equality HIV BAN

Yet HIV travel restrictions keep us from moving our best talent and valuable skills where they're needed. Travel restrictions can prevent HIV-positive employees from attending work meetings, conferences and site visits in nations where HIV restrictions exist, and from accepting a promotion or relocation if it involves frequent travel or moving overseas. These situations also may pressure employees to disclose to their companies why they can't obtain a visa or participate in work activities. Their HIV status then becomes an issue that their manager needs to address, not due to performance or health, but to policies that deny equal access to travel, movement and opportunity. Thus, HIV travel restrictions not only hamper a company's ability to freely conduct business around the world, they limit career growth and negate years of progress the business world has made in incorporating HIV confidentiality and non-discrimination policies into the workplace.

Similarly, such measures hamper suppliers of goods, resources and services that are critical to the growth of the private sector. Some of the leading countries in the apparel, manufacturing, energy and mining industries still impose some sort of restriction. Among the 45 countries are Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Singapore.

Many countries enacted travel restrictions "to protect the public health" back in the 1980s when ignorance, fear and prejudice surrounded HIV. Since then we've learned about effective HIV prevention and now have antiretroviral treatment that has revolutionized the lives of people living with HIV so that they are fully productive workers living long and healthy lives. HIV treatment also reduces the amount of HIV in one's body to an undetectable level, lowering the possibility of transmitting HIV to someone else by some 96%. There's no evidence that HIV travel restrictions protect public health. To the contrary, some professionals leave their HIV medicines at home during business trips for fear that their pills will be discovered by airport agents. Skipping one's HIV medication can lead to drug resistance, a troubling and expensive public health concern. 

All of these reasons are why CEOs are taking a stand this World AIDS Day on December 1st. The CEOs of more than 40 companies, including our own -- Levi Strauss & Co. and Kenneth Cole Productions -- have signed an unprecedented pledge calling on the 45 remaining governments to lift their travel restrictions. These CEOs lead some of the world's largest companies from Johnson & Johnson to The Coca-Cola Company from the National Basketball Association to Heineken, Pfizer and Aetna. And they represent a wide range of industries -- from travel to technology from banking to mining -- and almost 2 million employees around the world. The CEO pledge is an initiative of UNAIDS, Levi Strauss & Co. and GBCHealth, a coalition of more than 200 private sector companies engaged in HIV and other global health issues.

The good news is that many countries have lifted their travel restrictions, and we applaud them. Since 2010 alone, eight countries, including the United States and China, have repealed their bans. 

We signed the pledge because we know that CEOs can influence governments around the world. HIV travel restrictions belong squarely in the camp of anti-business regulation that hurts free and fair trade. As global business leaders with significant investments in countries around the world, we call on the 45 remaining countries to repeal their HIV travel restrictions immediately. Doing so will put an end to these archaic and discriminatory practices and will allow businesses to operate at their fullest potential on a global scale. 

Chip Bergh is President and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. Kenneth Cole is CEO of Kenneth Cole Productions and is Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).

Mount Doom's Neighbor Erupts in New Zealand

Mount Tongariro may come back to life again, scientists warn.

A massive plume of ash billows into the sky as Mount Tongariro erupts on November 21.

A New Zealand volcano that neighbors a mountain best known as Mount Doom of the Lord of the Rings films has rumbled back to life.

Mount Tongariro, situated in a remote part of the country's North Island, erupted for five minutes on November 21, spewing clouds of ash 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) high. In August, the 6,490 foot (1,978-meter) Tongariro had erupted for the first time since 1897. (Video: Volcano 101.)

Though the recent activity seems to have ebbed, scientists have predicted another eruption of similar size will occur in the next few weeks, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Several flights were canceled on New Zealand's North Island. Previous eruptions—notably of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano in 2010—have crippled air travel on a global scale.

(Related: "Volcanic Ash Stops Europe Flights—Why Ash Is Dangerous [2010].")

"Very often volcanic ash contains microscopic fragments of volcanic glass ... and the turbine engines of commercial aircraft produce a level of heat sufficient to melt glass," Steven Miller, of the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University, told NASA's Earth Observatory in August.

"The ash can melt onto [airplane] turbine blades and other parts of the engine, causing damage and even engine stalls. It also presents hazards to pilot visibility, causing pits and frosting on the windshields in the same way that a sandstorm damages an automobile windshield."

Travelocity's Top 10 Thanksgiving Travel Tips

It's the busiest time of the year, and we're all trying our very best to get home for turkey dinner without too much stress and strain. But as we know, sometimes things don't go according to plan.

Whether you're trying to smuggle a frozen turkey in your purse or find a cheap last minute deal, Travelocity's Turkey Task Force is here to guide you with our Top 10 Thanksgiving Travel Tips:

Don't check your luggage. Let's face it, all you're really going to wear on Thanksgiving is a pair of elastic sweatpants so there's no need to lug a giant suitcase along. By carrying on all of your luggage you'll avoid those dreaded 'checked bag fees' so popular with airlines these days, and you won't have to waste time at the luggage carousel.

Divide and conquer your carry-ons. Remember: Everyone that you're traveling with, from an adult to the tiniest toddler, is allowed two pieces of carry-on luggage. Divvy up your belongings among everyone and keep any fragile items under the seat in front of you. In the busy rush of take-off, items in the overhead bin aren't always handled with care.

Get on Twitter. If you weren't a fan of Twitter before, you should be now. The holiday travel season is full of unexpected changes due to weather and heavy crowds and Twitter is the best way for airlines to communicate updates to the masses. Follow @Travelocity's Turkey Task Force use hashtag #ttf to keep track of delays and cancellations at the ten busiest airports in the country.

Leave the cranberry sauce at home. Whether you're a cranberry perserve or canned cranberry lover, the TSA doesn't really care. Neither are allowed onboard. However, your turkey is! If you've got an item that you're thinking of bringing, use the MY TSA app feature "Can I bring?" to find out what's allowed.

Dont wrap gifts. Your handy work may be torn to bits by a TSA Security Officer who is required to thoroughly inspect all packages.

Fly on the holiday. If you can travel on Thanksgiving morning you'll get home just in time for dinner and avoid all of the chaos and long lines that travelers tend to experience the days leading up.

Compare surrounding airports. Even if you live closer to one airport, a deeply discounted flight may be lurking at a nearby airport. Always tick "Compare Surrounding Airports" when you're shopping online.

Load up your phone with travel apps. Whether you're hunting for gas, looking to book a nearby hotel, or tracking a Superstorm, mobile apps can be a traveler's best friends.

Book a vacation package. If you aren't crashing at grandma's, book a hotel and flight vacation package to maximize savings. You could save up to $525!

Check-in online. You'll save time, money and even be able to download your boarding pass to your smartphone all by checking in online.

Belfast emerges as tourism hotspot

The Titanic Visitor centre in Belfast.

Belfast has made a list of Europe's top 10 fastest-growing travel destinations.

The dock where the Titanic was built is among must-see attractions listed by influential travellers' website TripAdvisor.

The company recognised destinations that have seen the greatest increase in positive feedback and interest from travellers year on year. The city was ranked eighth in the table, with Kiev in Ukraine finishing top.

TripAdvisor's website said: "Belfast has grown into a cosmopolitan destination and become a popular weekend break spot. With feelings of optimism and life pulsing through the city, Belfast makes for an energising getaway."

The city marked the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic earlier this year with the opening of a visitors' centre overlooking the harbour and a series of special commemorative events. Other places noted by TripAdvisor include the Ulster Folk Museum and Belfast Cathedral.

The website highlighted Belfast's "award-winning" restaurants, bars, clubs, galleries and theatres. Other UK destinations in the European top 10 included Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow.

Gerry Lennon, chief executive of Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau (BVCB), said: "Belfast now has an excellent competitive position across the UK, Ireland and Europe as a must-visit destination of distinction and this new award demonstrates that yet again.

"We are delighted to be included among the destinations on the rise in Europe and the UK in what has been a momentous and 'Titanic' year for the city."

He said there had been significant investment and the development of existing and new tourist attractions such as Titanic Belfast, the MAC, the Lyric Theatre, and the Ulster Museum and headline-grabbing global events such as the MTV European Music Awards.

He added the city is attracting and welcoming increasing numbers of visitors drawn by a mixture of curiosity and desire to see the city's unique experiences.

First online personalized way to plan book and travel

ATLANTA - Mr. Arlo, the first travel website of its kind, launched on Thursday, 8th November. The launch is in time for PhoCusWright's Travel Innovation Summit in Phoenix, where he is nominated for Start-Up of the Year and People's Choice awards at the Travel Innovation Summit.

Designed for the traveler, Mr. Arlo is an integrated travel retail experience, complete with friends' recommendations and TripAdvisor reviews, as well as restaurant reservations through OpenTable, to make entire purchases all in one place.

By getting to know you, your friends and your preferences, Mr. Arlo recommends trips, restaurants, and activities that fit your personality. His knowledge and expert connections give consumers confidence to make the right decisions, as they are chosen from his favorite 150,000 three-star and above hotels, 25,000 restaurants through OpenTable and 5,500 activities worldwide.

What makes Mr. Arlo different from other online travel web sites is that he is personal, mobile, local, and social.

The proprietary Travel Persona Engine (TPE) customizes each user's experience by making available a personalized list of recommendations. TPE accomplishes this by identifying user's check-ins, likes, dislikes, past behavior and similar decisions made by their friends and/or other users. Mr. Arlo analyzes characteristics of hotels, restaurants, activities and destinations to recommend what he thinks you'll love.

It is estimated that by the year 2015 more than five billion consumers will be booking travel on mobile devices, and to meet this demand Mr. Arlo has an identical mobile and website experience. He knows if you are accessing the site from a computer, iPad, or smartphone and adjusts the screen accordingly. Additionally, Mr. Arlo's personnel works on both the app and the website together - not separate departments like many other retail experiences.

Mr. Arlo keeps you informed on your mobile device - even when abroad. You are a local, not a tourist with Mr. Arlo, with insider advice on restaurants and activities.

He encourages customers to share their travel experience with friends. The permission-only, unique network of social media connections including FourSquare, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and other sharing options lets you know where your friends have been and helps you brag to them about where you have been.

"Planning your perfect trip can be a gamble with typical booking sites. So we designed Mr. Arlo to get to know you by asking questions, tailor-making recommendations, and booking the whole trip on one easy retail site," said VP of Supply & Distribution, Chuck Jensen. "Searching endlessly for hotels and activities on several different sites leads to frustration, and can take the pleasure out of planning a trip. Mr. Arlo provides the solution that is aesthetically-pleasing, easy to use, aspirational and personal."

Mr. Arlo is the only travel site to offer OpenTable restaurant bookings without sending you to another online location. TripAdvisor is also a buddy, and shares up-to-the-minute reviews of every hotel. Making friends all the time, Mr. Arlo continues to enhance your booking experience, introducing flights, car rentals and sporting events soon. 

Mr. Arlo is unique in the online travel industry as it is privately-owned and raised substantial personal investments prior to launch. The online travel industry is a fast-growing $313 billion marketplace dominated by well-known online travel companies. However, statistics show that more than 53 percent of online travel shoppers are dissatisfied with their current shopping experience, according to an Atmosphere Research Group report and a Forrester Research survey.

Mr. Arlo's Experts

Mr. Arlo has an impressive Board of Advisors to back him up. With 125 years' combined experience in the travel industry, including:

• Bob Coggin – Former Vice Chairman of Galileo, Travelport
• Carl Wilson – Former EVP & CIO, Marriott International
• Keehln Wheeler - CEO and Co-Founder
• Chuck Job Lang - CPO and Co-Founder, former Pose Head of Product and Experience Design
• Chuck Jensen - VP Supply and Distribution, former General Manager at Delta.com and VP, Global Account Management at iSeatz

Hurricane Sandy grounds 15,000 US flights

NEW YORK - Nearly 15,000 flights were grounded on Monday as the powerful storm Sandy thwarted travel up and down the US East Coast with powerful winds and blinding rain that could linger for days.

Hurricane Sandy grounds 15,000 US flights

The number is expected to grow as the slow-moving cyclone churns inland after making landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey and combines with a cold front coming down from Canada that could whip up as much as three feet of snow.

Tens of thousands were stranded as the mega storm's impact on air travel was felt as far afield as Asia and Europe, delaying business trips and ruining holiday plans just ahead of Wednesday's popular Halloween family festival.

Pablo Gomez decided to drive the 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) from New York to home in Chicago after his 6:00 am Monday flight was cancelled.

"The drive is exhausting, but they said I might not get back until Thursday," Gomez, 41, told AFP.

Gomez left Sunday evening to avoid highway closures and the oncoming storm but didn't get home until Monday at dinner time after lengthy delays.

"The roads aren't too bad, just a lot of rain," the university professor said Monday morning from Ohio.

"I wouldn't have known anything was going on if it weren't for all the electricity trucks -- the big ones -- driving the other way."

At Washington's Reagan National Airport, Italian exchange student Joelle Carota, 21, said she has been waiting 36 hours for a flight to Rochester in upstate New York and is taking it with patient resignation.

Carota slept Sunday night in a seat at the airport, plans to do the same Monday night, and said people at National are taking the delays in stride, as they know how dangerous the weather is.

It is her first brush with a potentially deadly storm.

"I have always seen this kind of thing on the news. Now here I am, and it is sort of strange," Carota, who is studying English and Spanish at Nazareth College in Rochester, told AFP. "Here, it is safe. I am safe."

Damien Cirotteau, 35, was in New York on holiday from Paris with his wife and two young children.

They were supposed to be flying to San Francisco on Monday. Instead, he was scrambling for a place to stay after Jet Blue told him they wouldn't get there until Friday.

"The kids weren't happy about being stuck inside all day, it's hard for them to be patient," he told AFP.

Three smaller coastal airports shut down completely Monday and many others -- including as far inland as Philadelphia -- might as well have, as nearly every flight was cancelled.

Some 1,371 flights were cancelled on Sunday as airlines prepared for the storm, according to the online aviation tracking service flightaware.com.

Another 7,744 were cancelled Monday, including 1,220 in Philadelphia and around 1,000 at each of New York's three airports.

A further 5,269 flights have already been cancelled for Tuesday and 487 on Wednesday.

Subway services, buses and commuter trains were shut down in New York, Philadelphia and Washington and Amtrak suspended rail services in the region.

Safety fears over the monster storm caused disruption as far away as Hong Kong and France even before the hurricane reached the US coast after barreling across parts of the Caribbean and leaving 66 people dead.

The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, Eurocontrol, said 300 of the usual 500-odd flights between Europe and the US had been cancelled, with more expected.

In Asia, Hong Kong's flagship carrier Cathay Pacific announced it was scrapping a total of eight direct flights between the southern Chinese city and New York on Monday and Tuesday.

Flights from India and Japan were also affected, as were flights from Canada, Mexico and Latin America.

Israel tourism campaign embarrassing

In a video clip launched as part of Israel's new campaign to promote incoming tourism, actress Gilat Ankori, dressed in a polka dot blouse, is seen lying in ambush with 'IDF soldiers', wearing a helmet and holding a rifle - just waiting to pull the trigger.

Actress Noa Tishby, who happens to pass by, is surprised to see her old friend from the 90s TV series Ramat Aviv Gimmel. In a belittling tone of voice, Tishby says to her friend: "We haven't asked you to lie in ambush."

"No?" the confused Ankori replies.

"No. But there is something you can do for the state. Invite a tourist to Israel," Tishby tells her.

It is difficult to determine what is more embarrassing: The campaign to bring back Israelis who left the country ("Yordim"), which was based on instilling feelings of guilt, or the new, desperate attempt by the Governmental Publications Bureau (GPB), which serves as an advertising agency for all governmental ministry offices, to promote tourism in such an unstylish manner.

The GPB's call for national recruitment is the Israeli version of John F. Kennedy's "ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country" speech.

Video featuring Tishby and Ankori

The campaign's message is gloomy: We've tried everything, so now it's your turn. This is not only a defeatist attitude that transfers the responsibility to us, the citizens, it also presents a fake reality. After all, it is hard to initiate diplomatic processes that will actually make life in Israel more appealing. It is much easier to act as if it's more appealing. Choosing Noa Tishby, who spends most of her time in the US, to head the campaign does not add to its credibility.

Israelis can convince their friends abroad to visit the country by telling them about our beaches, restaurants and exotic markets. But this campaign is not meant to convince foreigners to visit Israel; instead, it tries to cause us to convince them. 

Tourism is vital for any civilized country, but how civilized can a country be if it uses a battle scene – soldiers, weapons, an ambush – to convince viewers to invite foreigners to visit?

The Future of Travel Marketing is Visual Read more at http://www.business2community.com/marketing/the-future-of-travel-marketing-is-visual-0312691#8EmEcBA2OKG8drUG.99

Travel is a fiercely competitive industry in online marketing. With apps and websites being built everyday to aggregate the best deals for the consumer, how can you differentiate your brand? In an emerging trend, visual marketing–a more specific facet of content marketing–is becoming popular with travel and tourism brands because it shows consumers exactly what they’ll be doing when they book their trips. Visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are leading the industry and give you great opportunities to engage with your consumers online and paint the perfect picture of the vacation they could be enjoying.

Few Words, Big Impact

It might be a cliche, but it is true that a picture is worth a thousand words. On both Pinterest and Instagram, keep your words minimal and your visuals impactful. Quick tips: Let people visualize themselves in your photo by featuring scenery and not just people (or models!). Show people options of where they might be staying or what there is to do at the destination. Exhibit things to do for adults and kids if your destination is family friendly.

Utilize your Tags

Both Instagram and Pinterest allow for the search of hashtags and keywords. These are very important to use in your uploads for travel marketing purposes so that people can easily find the pictures you’re providing. Let’s say, for instance, that you’re a resort in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. You can use hashtags like #FTL #Florida #resort #vacation #familyfriendly #travel #beaches #FL and many more. Try searching for photos with these hashtags in advance to see how their engagement levels are and adjust your list as needed. Create your own branded hashtag (and promote it) to encourage people to come back to your page.

Make your Website Pinnable

Pinterest won’t serve your brand well if users cannot pin images from your site. There are some restrictions on pins, so you’ll need to make sure the images on your site are pinnable. Pinterest is a huge driver of referring traffic, and it will be most beneficial if people are directed straight to your travel site when they click on the image. Quick tip: If you need a fast fix and your website isn’t pinnable, you can still post the URL for more information in the comment below the image.

Host Contests and Activities to Drive Engagement

Pinterest and Instagram are great places to involve your audience. Have them submit photos of their dream vacation spot or of a recent trip they took. If you’d like to keep it specific to your brand, you can have them submit photos of the people they’d like to take on vacation with them and tell why in their comment. You can offer discounts to the participants or go all out and give away a trip. Consumers love to share their opinions, ideas and goals on these visual platforms, so catering to this trend will drive up engagement.

Get Visual Even If You’re Not on a Beach

Let’s say you’re a budget airline. You might be thinking, what can your brand Pin and Instagram? And since visual content is so powerful, the possibilities are still endless. Maybe you make Pinterest boards of Places to See for all the cities you serve. Bonus: Making the board public allows your followers to submit their own ideas and favorite places to shop, dine and visit. Another idea:Instagram photos of “behind the scenes” at your airline. Feature smiling gate agents, pilots in the cockpit, new check-in machines or new reading materials that make traveling with you more pleasant.

With the mass appeal of visual content and the onslaught of new social platforms, these are just a few ideas to create content that is both share-worthy and fun to create.

Where to go in 2013: Travel's new hot spots

Closer-to-home spots that made the grade include the Gulf Coast, which is experiencing a comeback after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and perennial "best list" favorite, San Francisco, which hosts the America's Cup competition next year.

The slim, colorful volume is compiled by editors and contributors to the popular guide book series, all of them self-proclaimed travel geeks. Categories include top countries, regions and cities, along with themed lists, ranging from best-value destinations to top spots to get tattooed.

"We look for timeliness – not just what's hot and trending now, but what's ahead," says Andy Murdock, U.S. digital editor at Lonely Planet.

For instance, Chachapoyas & Kuelap, Peru, made the cut because new roads into the isolated, archaeologically rich region are gradually being developed. Christchurch, New Zealand, with its vibrant arts scene, got a nod for its collective spirit of renewal after devastating earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Iceland is on the list thanks to its otherworldly landscape and proximity to east coast cities.

Madagascar ranks No. 10 in Lonely Planet's top countries for 2013. (Democratic reforms are making it more welcoming. Go before everyone else does, the authors advise.)

The remaining nine in descending order:

9. Dominican Republic – More flights are going to the island and a number of new resorts are opening in 2013.

8. Turkey – Look beyond Istanbul and the coastal resorts and take advantage of new low-fare airlines to see points beyond.

7. Iceland -- Its lunar-like setting captivates visitors.

6. Solomon Islands – A low-key Pacific getaway where homestays and eco-resorts trump mass-market franchises and luxury hotels.

5. Slovakia – Skiing at spruced-up resorts is just one of the high-altitude activities in this country, which turns 20 in 2013.

4. Ecuador – Its railway, devastated in the 1990s by flooding, is set to be back up and running in 2013, making it easier to explore the Andean nation.

3. South Korea – 2013 brings three international sporting events to the country, whose capital, Seoul, is bursting with high-level energy.

2. Montenegro – Go for its rugged interior with a growing number of hiking and biking trails, or stick to the coast, site of new, high-profile developments.

1. Sri Lanka – After a 26-year civil war that ended in 2009 and a devastating tsunami in 2004, this South Asia country has bounced back and is one of the best-value destinations around.

Spookiest Towns to Visit This Halloween

Manufactured thrills, whether they come via Hollywood effects or an excellent guide on a ghost tour, offer an eerily excellent way to get into the spirit of the fall season. But for more serious chills, there's something unshakably haunting about a place that's inherently scary. Here, our picks for places perfect for a visit (even year-round).

Salem, Massachusetts

The location most often associated with the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, one of the most macabre events in American history, Salem is synonymous with spooky. During that reign of hysteria, 19 women were accused of witchcraft and hanged, and another five died in jail. Salem offers tours and events year-round that touch on the infamous trials, but October brings a slew of Halloween-themed events and festivals to town. Among them are a series of ghost stories at the Witch House, the home of the judge of the Salem witch trials, and a dramatic performance of the trials at the House of the Seven Gables, a colonial mansion. In addition, the Hawthorne Hotel hosts a rocking costume party on Oct. 27 and, on Oct. 28, a Salem witch-themed dinner in honor of the dead, with the meal served in silence.

Elizabethtown, New Mexico

Named after the daughter of its founder, this all-but-abandoned former town tucked into the northeastern corner of the state boasted more than 7,000 residents at its height of its Gold Rush prosperity in 1870. But the excitement was tempered by the reign of Charles Kennedy, described as New Mexico's first serial killer, who may have killed up to 14 weary travelers after luring them in with the promise of food and accommodations at his inn. The woes of "E-Town," as it was known, continued with the collapse of the mining industry, and, in 1903, a fire. Today, all that's left is a small museum, a general store, some ruins of buildings, and a cemetery, all morose reminders of bygone eras.

Sleepy Hollow, New York

Author Washington Irving forever etched this small town into timeless folklore with his short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the tale of lanky school master Ichabod Crane and his terrifying encounter with the Headless Horseman on a dark stretch of road one fateful night. Though Irving's story was originally published in 1820, the legend still resonates today, with activities and storytelling events throughout October guaranteed to send tingles down the spine. Fall, with chilly temperatures and pumpkins on every doorstep, sets a deliciously spooky scene for a visit. And if you're headed home late at night and happen to hear the sound of hooves, you might want to pick up your step.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Pirate lore, a deeply ingrained voodoo culture, countless tales about its ghosts and spirits—New Orleans' eerie energy is palpable. Visitors who are passionate about the paranormal can take their pick of ghost tours, cemetery walks, and haunted pub crawls, as well as bed down at one of the city's haunted hotels. Three must-do stops: the Voodoo Museum, which provides a fascinating look at New Orleans voodoo culture; St. Louis Cemetery #1, a crumbling necropolis where voodoo queen Marie Laveau is buried (and whose spirit is believed to haunt the place); and Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar, which dates back to around 1772, claims to be the oldest continuously operating bar in America, and boasts plenty of spirits of all kinds.

Belchite, Spain

Located in Spain's Zaragoza province, Belchite was the site of a bloody battle in the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1939. The town was heavily bombarded and eventually abandoned, and today it still stands as it was on its surrender Sept. 1, 1937 as a ghostly reminder of the war. Belchite attracts thousands of curious visitors who can freely explore its abandoned streets and bombed-out buildings, though explorers should be wary of falling stones and unstable structures.

Bodie, California

California is littered with boom-and-bust ghost towns from the Gold Rush, but Bodie, about 75 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe, stands out because it's so well-preserved. In 1876, gold was discovered nearby, and miners and a bevy of related businesses flooded the town. Just three years later, Bodie's population had exploded to about 10,000, spanning a couple of banks, newspapers, a red light district and, of course, a jail. But by the start of the 20th century, the town's fortune started to decline along with the gold, and by the 1940s, it was all but abandoned. Today, Bodie stands as a National Historic Landmark, retaining its Wild-West aura without a tacky tourist vibe. Some 100 structures still stand today, and the cemetery, with its time-worn headstones, is especially haunting.

Savannah, Georgia

Swathed in Spanish moss and steeped in history, this enchanting Southern belle is often described as the most haunted city in America, and deservedly so. The novel-turned-movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, a historical fiction about Savannah's quirky characters and their dark deeds, sparked an unprecedented boom in tourism, but the city's uniquely spooky vibe remains intact. Entire plazas are built on former graveyards, which many say contributes to a spiritual energy that thrums through the city. Ghost tours and haunted history walks offer excellent background on Savannah's spooky past, but a stroll through any of its picturesque squares or graveyards—don't miss Bonaventure Cemetery, on the banks of the Savannah River—is an easy way to slip into this city's spookier side.

Photo Credits: The House of the Seven Gables: The House of the Seven Gables; Elizabethtown Store: Elizabethtown Store by Jimmy Emerson Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License; Sleepy Hollow Cemetery: SleepyHollow Cemetery; Bourbon Street New Orleans: Denis Jr. Tangney | iStockphoto.com; Belchite, Spain: Karsol | Dreamstime.com; Bodie, California: Fernley | Dreamstime.com; Park and fountain in Savannah, Georgia: Lroberg | Dreamstime.com