Destinations

What so great about summer other than the weather? Festivals! Summer is the best time for going to see new and exciting things happening in your town and the world. If you’re looking for something to do while your out and about these are only some of the events that will tickle your fancy.

The Capital Fringe Festival, Washington D.C. July 10-27: The Capital Fringe Festival features more than 500 performing arts shows at several venues around the Penn Quarter of D.C. It is an annual festival that was established to exhibit new, risk-taking art, and non-traditional performances from theater to dance to music and more.

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Washington D.C. June 25-29 and July 2-6: Sponsored by the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage it is an annual event that focuses on celebrating cultural traditions from around the world. There is everything from music and dance, to cooking and crafts, to storytelling and discussions of cultural issues. This year the program will be featuring issues concerning Bhutan, NASA, and Texas.

Essence Festival Back Home In New Orleans: The Essence Festival celebrated its return in 2007 and is continuing the traditional this year. It will have more than 200,000 of the nations best African-American musical talent. In addition one can listen to some of the finest speakers in empowerment seminars. Usually held over the Forth of July weekend.

Taste of Chicago 2008, June 27 through July 6: Chicago’s biggest event started in 1980 as a small food festival, Taste of Chicago has become the world’s largest outdoor food festival. It is an extravaganza of more than 3 million people tasting the cuisine of over 70 of Chicago’s favorite restaurants.

Notting Hill Carnival, London: Since 1964 the Notting Hill Carnival has celebrated the cultural traditions of immigrant population from the Caribbean. In the 1950’s and 60’s the immigrant population faced harsh racism and after the race riots this small party was design to bring people together to remember their cultural roots. The party now has more the two million revelers and is held in August on Bank Holiday synonymous with the Caribbean Carnival.

Looking to avoid flight complications? Here are some of the worst airports in the US and the world. If ever possible try to avoid traveling through these airports to get to your final destination. If that’s not possible we also have some tips on how to avoid travel delays and reduce the stress of travel.

Top 6 Worst U.S. Airports:
Chicago O’Hare
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dallas Fort Worth, Texas
JFK, New York
Newark, New Jersey
Charlotte, North Carolina

Top 3 Worst International Airports:
Paris Charles De Gaulle, France
London Heathrow, England
Moscow Sheremetyevo, Russia

If you find yourself having to travel through these destinations than here are some tips to make your travels go more smoothly:

• Book morning flights, later in the day and night flights are usually rush hours.
• Consider the size of the airport. Ask yourself how far the gates are from each other.
• Try to pack light! Carry-on is always a better option because now airlines have a policy that one must travel on the plane their bag is checked, making it impossible to change flights.
• Whenever possible always opt for the non-stop flights.
• Avoid tight connections.
• Bring snacks and entertainment to pass the time
• You can also track airline and airport records on bts.gov, for stats on the amount of delayed or canceled flights they have had over the pass year. Also visit avoiddelays.com, because the more informed you are the better your travels will be.

Cave Hotels:

Elkep Evi, Cappadocia, Turkey: Ancient caves converted into a beautiful and unique hotel. The suites include private terraces that open to a spectacular view of the Goreme National Park.

Le Prince Noir, les Baux de Provence, France: This French Bed and Breakfast was Roman-area fortress carved out of mountainside. This exclusive lodging is located in one of the most fascinating villages in the south of France.

RainForest:

Safariland Treehouse Resort, India: This Resort consists of four three-houses built from local materials and bamboo all about five meters high. This resort is for the truly adventurous traveler looking for an eco-experience.

Canopy Tower Ecolodge, Panama City, Panama: Built to defend the Panama Canal by the US Air Force this tower is tucked away in the heart of the Soberan­a National Park. Find yourself looking above the tree canopy, great for bird watchers and nature lovers.

Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel, Manaus, Brazil: This hotel is made of four Kilometers of connecting walkways and lodges located deep the Amazon rainforest. Immerse yourself in the beauty of one of the most exceptional wildernesses of the world.