Ahhh...Food

I love food. I love NPR. So, naturally, I should love "The Splendid Table," a radio show on NPR all about food, and the love of eating it. The host of the show, Lynne Rossetto Kasper, is an interesting personality. Her laugh, her knowledge, and her guests make the show spectacular! My friend Larry recently met Ms. Rossetto-Kasper, and I am jealous. Use this link to find a station where the show airs. Also, check out the shows website, it has lots of great things.

Aggregate Travel...

I have a new favorite website for travel deals. Momondo is a Swedish based that has flight information from about 500 sources including Ryanair, EasyJet, and Southwest. It finds you the best deals and then directs you to the website where that deal was found. It is a great site, and easy to use. Check it out!

Momondo

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifA Hot Cup of Joe...

My boyfriend Kevin loves his morning cup of Joe. In fact, if he doesn't have one the day isn't going to be good. There are some hot coffee houses, here in Des Moines and about every town in the United States. I am not a big coffee fan, but love a spot of tea from time to time.

Coffee spots are a fantastic way to meet locals on your travels, and that is why they should be part of your tour.

Des Moines Coffee and Tea Spots, I love...

Gong Fu Tea

Java Joe's


Ritual Cafe

MSNBC article about America's Hottest Coffee Houses

My Travel Secrets

I am not a magician, but I do have some skills. So I have decided to tell everyone about how I find deals to save friends and family.

Since I was in college, I have helped several people make flight arrangements. It has become an investigative science for me. So here is my 'process' to find flight deals.


Step 1: Go to a site that can discount flights.
Suggestions:
Kayak
Vayama
Zuji


Step 2: Analyze what airlines fly to your destination. (get the flight numbers)

Step 3: Go to the airline website and check the price. Often the airline websites have even better prices than some of the websites like Expedia and Yahoo.

Step 4: If you still can't find the price you want, checkout Priceline and try to name your price.

Step 5: Book your flight on the website that provides you the best price.

Other Information
Look on the destination airport website to determine if some other airlines that aren't able to be booked on some websites fly to the airport - Think Allegiant, Sun Country, and Spirit.

World Airport Guide

ALWAYS sign up for frequent flier benefits, even if you only fly once a year. They can add up quickly.

I hope you enjoy my secrets, and put them to the test.