By Cathie Gandel Beer, wine, or mead? You’re kidding, right? Who wants to drink a cloyingly sweet libation made with honey? Quite a few people, it turns out. “Mead has gone beyond Renaissance Fairs,” says Josh Lampe, executive director of the American Mead Makers Association (AAMA). According to the organization, mead is the fastest-growing alcoholic…
A chilly breeze blowing across the Great Lakes separating the U.S. from Canada greeted passengers as they climbed to the top deck of the cruise ship. From the far end of the boat, three figures holding aloft an enormous helium-filled weather balloon began moving toward the gathering in an awkward six-legged parade. Expedition cruises featuring adventurous activities and exotic destinations, such as the Antarctic and the Galapagos Islands, are increasingly popular with families desiring a learning experience. The Viking Octantis, a 380-passenger vessel built to be part cruise ship and part scientific research platform, includes a laboratory and its very own submarines. The goal, says a marine scientist on the Viking staff, “is to do rigorous science that will be credible in academia and allow guests to participate.”
By Jian Huang Shopping is as important to the Chinese as baseball is to Americans. Especially during the Chinese New Year season that starts at the end of January, people from all walks of life congregate together at shopping malls for the cultural ritual of getting good bargains. For the affluent and designer-obsessed, a plane…
Gone is the presumption of “roughing it” when it comes to vacation travel in a camper. Today’s recreational vehicles can tote all the comforts of home. Think full-sized kitchen appliances, queen beds, one or more bathrooms plus a WiFi-enabled office with a big-screen TV and electric fireplace.
Airport lounges are now an essential part of travel. Virtually every major airline opened clubs around the world in the mid-1970s. The battle continues today. But access can cost as much as $845 a year and once peaceful retreats often are crowded. Today, travelers are confronted with an often confusing array of airline-operated lounges and credit card/bank-owned sanctuaries, plus independent operators, all with varying admission rules and levels of luxury.
Nearly half of all American vehicle trips are under three miles, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Most people consider five miles a reasonable distance to travel on a bike. But thanks to their motors, e-bikes make even ten-mile errands easy.There’s no doubt the switch to e-bikes is picking up speed. According to the Light Electric Vehicle Association (LEVA), which tracks e-bike imports to the U.S., 880,000 e-bikes came into the country in 2021, up from about 450,000 in 2020. Data from Bloomberg and Deloitte show that e-bikes outsold electric cars in the U.S. and in Europe in 2021. Indeed, U.S. e-bike sales are expected to reach three million annually by 2025.
Modern trends in airport design focus on passenger experience more than ever before. The pandemic prioritized passengers’ mental and physical health. New terminals today are being built with high ceilings, skylights and outdoor decks where travelers fresh from the gym can rest on reclining lounge chairs.
Internet travel agencies turn the customer into the travel agent, requiring him to scroll through pages of itineraries and lodging options before paying the company for using its computer system. Though this process is stress-free for the ticketing company, it can be a nightmare for people on a budget. This tedious process conflicts with the mindset of Gen-Z and Millennials who are not looking for a luxury vacation; they just want to minimize costs and go on an adventure.
Ah, college. Four years of meeting people you know will be friends for life. Going on road trips. Enjoying Spring Break. Why can’t the easy camaraderie attending the shared learning experiences of youth be recaptured later in life? The quick answer is that they can.
Most colleges and universities have an array of alumni programs. It matters little whether the institution is a small liberal arts college or a massive state university. Chances are it has an alumni association that offers former graduates an opportunity to travel together in small groups.
Winning seasons pack arenas in every sports town, but that’s only the start of the story at Lambeau Field, home to the Green Bay Packers. What started as simply a place to play during the NFL football season has grown into a multi-purpose district with year-round reasons to visit. Developments that embrace sports and offer other ways to entertain profitably are growing from Baltimore and Los Angeles to Dallas, Indianapolis and Chicago. The trend that is redefining a stadium’s place in the community is not limited to one type of pro sport. Read More