Oregon Vacation Beaches Reviews, Map & Tips + Lighthouses & Oregon Coast Vacation Day Trips and Attractions Info
Read more from the original source:
Coastal Oregon Vacation Beaches – Scenic Attractions near Florence Oregon + Map, REVIEWS and Tips
Airlines across the United States are announcing cuts to flight schedules and redundancies for staff as the rising cost of fuel really throws a spanner in the works of the industry.
Everyone’s already been concerned that fewer people are flying to their vacation this summer – not that driving is much cheaper – and airlines have started adding all kinds of charges to their basic ticket prices to try to regain some of the revenue they’re losing due to rising gas prices. Extra baggage charges, increased fees for carrying pets and oversize cargo and even higher costs for children traveling alone have all been added at one airline or another.
But apparently these extra charges are not enough, so now we’re on to a round of announcements about cuts and reductions. As well as reducing the number of flights to and from various destinations, airlines are also reducing costs by cutting employees, either through voluntary programs or forced redundancies. Some of the reductions include:
All of this has put Thanksgiving travel plans in some doubt, as most of the airline cuts will begin immediately after the summer vacation peak. And who knows what further cuts are just waiting in the wings to be announced.
This post originally came from Kathika Travel Blog.
Airlines Announce Cuts in Flights and Staff
More:
Airlines Announce Cuts in Flights and Staff
It happened again last week: In Washington, DC for a wedding, I took a cab from the Mall to my hotel and the driver took what I thought was a suspiciously long route that led to a suspiciously high fare. I didn’t say anything, but you don’t have to put yourself in this position. Most major cities regulate taxi rates, many of which are posted on the web. You can also take advantage of fare calculator sites to give you an idea of how much it costs to go from Point A to Point B.
Of course, most of the cities listed here also have public transportation systems that are much cheaper than cabs. But if you’ve got a lot of luggage, or are wearing high heels for a night on the town, you might want to splurge on a taxi. These sites will help you budget for your trip.
Fare calculators
These sites tell you how much it will cost from either a set address or from major points of departure such as airports or tourist attractions. These are only estimates, but they’ll give you a rough idea of how much to budget for your trip from the airport to the hotel.
Rates for individual cities
These links give you the most up-to-date information.
Boston taxis charge $1.75 for the first eighth of a mile and 30 cents for each additional eighth of a mile. Surcharges for trips to and from Logan Airport are $2.25 and $6 respectively.
Chicago cab rides start at $2.25, and increase 20 cents for each additional ninth9 of a mile. There is an extra $1 charge for for the first additional passenger over the age of 12 and under the age of 65, and 50 cents for each passenger after that.
Las Vegas taximeters start at $3.30 with an additional 20 cents per each eleventh of a mile. This site provides fare estimates for trips from the airport to a number of destinations, including the major casinos.
London has three rate schedules, called tariffs that are based on day or time. Minimum rate is £2.20. Taking a cab during business hours Monday through Friday is much cheaper than traveling by cab on weekends and in the evening, which is in turn much cheaper than traveling by cab at night or on public holidays.
Los Angeles taxis charge $2.65 for the first seventh of a mile and 35 cents for each seventh of a mile thereafter. Surcharges from LAX apply.
Montreal fares start at C$3.15 with an additional charge of C$1.45 per kilometer.
New York City taximeters start at $2.50 plus 40 cents for each additional one-fifth of a mile. There may also be additional charges, which are listed here. The taxi and limousine commission site also gives estimated fares for a variety of destinations from Manhattan.
Paris cabs a charge according to day, time and distance with three tariffs: Tariff A is the cost within the city limits from 10am to 5pm; Tariff B is the cost within city limits from 5pm to 10am and on Sundays and public holidays from 7am to midnight; and Tariff C applies to trips within the city limits from midnight to 7am on Sundays.
Rome also has a three tier system, with rates starting at €2,33 and increasing to €3,36 and €4,91.
San Francisco’s taxi commission lists the names and numbers of the city-licensed cab companies in addition to providing fare information. The meter starts at $3.10 and goes up 45 cents for each additional fifth of a mile.
Washington, DC uses zones, not mileage to calculate fares. This tool will help you figure out the cost.
For cities not listed here, check your destination’s airport website to see how much it costs to get from the airport to the center of town. In sprawling cities like Miami it’s generally best to rent a car rather than relying on cabs and/or public transportation.
photo credit: digiart2001
photo credit: racreations
photo credit: tanakawho
This post originally came from Kathika Travel Blog.
More here:
Taxi rates in major cities
In the tradition of WhereAmIWearing.com, New Zealand writer Joe Bennett bought a pack of five pieces of underwear from his local mega-market and then wondered where they really came from. Thus began a journey into China and beyond to find out Where Underpants Come From, subtitled From Checkout to Cotton Field – Travels Through the New China.
Bennett’s underpants journey starts out just a little slowly with some to-ing and fro-ing to get the right contacts in China, but once he steps on the plane, the story swings along. Starting out in Shanghai, Bennett takes us into factories where workers from the rural west come to make their fortune, while sleeping in dorm rooms with at least a dozen others and working 12-hour days sewing seams in underwear. Bennett gives a balanced account of what he sees in the factories of China, as best he can when you can never be sure exactly what’s being staged for the Western visitor.
This book gets out of the factories too, and into the culture of China. A gradually developing skill for using chopsticks and a few more phrases in Mandarin see Bennett getting more involved with the locals as he gets further away from Shanghai, out into the countryside where the elastic bands for his underpants were produced. A side trip to Thailand explores where the rubber came from, but Bennett returns to China to track down the origins of the fabric. It might sound like an odd premise for a travel adventure, but it’s well written and compelling, and though-provoking as well, in today’s world where the growing power of China is something we’re all interested in.
This post originally came from Kathika Travel Blog.
China Travels: Where Underpants Come From
The rest is here:
China Travels: Where Underpants Come From
The charm and appeal of this resort is obvious from your first arrival at this moderate Disney location. The theme of the resort is a Louisiana Bayou, with its plantation style and rustic style guest rooms. The mansion type rooms are part of the Magnolia Bend section of the resort, while the rustic lodge type rooms are in the Alligator Bayou area.
With over 2000 rooms in this resort, the size of this Disney property is quite overwhelming. The resort includes a registration area, gift shop, food court, sit down style restaurant, small lounge area and marina. The main swimming area is called Ol’ Man Island, which includes a large pool with a slide, a hot tub, and a kiddie pool area. There are also five other pools throughout the resort. These are usually the more “quiet” pool areas, but do not have lifeguards in attendance.
photo credit: mrkathika
Other forms of recreation at the resort include renting surrey bikes (up to four persons can ride at once), or paddleboats. Rates are posted at the Riverside Levee area of the resort. They also have a catch and release fishing hole at the resort, which is great for children. It is open 7:00am to 3:00pm and is located in the Ol’ Man Island area. Carriage Rides can also be arranged at this resort – details are in the lobby area.
photo credit: mrkathika
The food court area is located near the registration area – which is quite a walk from most resort rooms. The food court offers a variety of food options and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It works well for guests looking for a quick meal before hitting the theme parks or a quick bite anytime during the day. For a more relaxed restaurant style meal, visit Boatwright’s, located next to the food court. Here you can enjoy a more varied menu of choices for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
photo credit: mrkathika
The gift shop is called Fulton’s General Store and is quite large for a resort gift shop. They sell the standard souvenirs in addition to a good selection of food and convenience store items (toiletries, magazines, books).
photo credit: mrkathika
Port Orleans Riverside has a sister resort – Port Orleans French Quarter – you can visit and use the amenities of either resort if you are staying at a Port Orleans resort. You can travel by a Disney bus or take a boat from one resort to the other.
photo credit: mrkathika
The best feature of this resort is the landscaping – the details used to create a realistic southern bayou are truly magical – as you walk the pathways of the resort you really feel you have traveled to the Old South. This resort is great for families and first time visitors to Disney World.
Trip Review – May 2008
photo credit: mrkathika
This Disney trip was taken the week before Memorial Day in 2008. In the past we have stayed at all other moderate resorts on Disney property, so we wanted to give Port Orleans a try. From the descriptions of the Port Orleans properties, we chose the Riverside, as it seems to have Southern charm about it. We definitely did see that appeal – the grounds were meticulously maintained and our room in the Alligator Bayou section did really bring to mind a Louisiana type bayou right outside our room.
photo credit: mrkathika
photo credit: mrkathika
We enjoyed the main pool area – although it was extremely crowded. The slide was a hit with the kids. The bar area located next to the main pool was convenient, as was the pool’s location to the food court area. We did visit one of the quiet pool areas but the pool had not been cleaned so we moved on to the main pool for that day. We ate in both the food court (more than once) and the restaurant (breakfast) – both were good.
photo credit: mrkathika
We visited the gift shop – which was great – they stocked everything you might need (toothpaste, razors, etc), food items for snacking and a ton of souvenir items.
We did not use any other recreation areas, but we did see people renting the bikes and the carriage rides.
photo credit: mrkathika
Rooms at the resort are adequate – not what you would consider roomy – but they do work for families with small children.
photo credit: mrkathika
The only negative aspect of the resort is its huge size. Walking anywhere from our room was FAR. The main pool is centrally located, but unless your room is right next to it, you have quite a walk ahead of you. Also the signage on the paths is poor, we got lost several times when going to pool, or food court. We also saw many other guests wandering aimlessly around saying – “do you know how to get to …..”.
Overall, the resort is beautiful, with great detail on the landscaping and theme. It works well with families with children – I would not recommend to older adults unless a lot of walking is not an issue. It is not the type of resort you can run down from your room to grab something from the food court – it is quite a haul. We wound up driving our rental car from parking lot near room to lobby/food court area – walking took way too long.
This post originally came from Kathika Travel Blog.
Disney Port Orleans Riverside Hotel Review
More:
Disney Port Orleans Riverside Hotel Review