The Cruise Industry Goes All Out to Claim Caribbean Ports Have Recovered
Posted on 10/20/2017, 5:15 PM
When did you last see an ad for land-based resorts in Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands? You probably haven’t. The damage to beaches and roads leading to some of those properties seems too significant to overcome concerns about them. While such major Caribbean islands as Jamaica, Aruba, Curacao, St. Lucia, and others have suffered no damage at all from the recent hurricanes, Puerto R...
If You Crave a Caribbean Vacation, Many Areas Escaped Storm Damage: A List
Posted on 10/10/2017, 4:45 PM
This coming winter, many thousands of Americans will agonize over whether they can enjoy tropical vacations in the Caribbean of the sort they once knew. Should they even bother to apply for reservations in an area broadly damaged by hurricanes? Fortunately, a majority of these famed islands was either unaffected by storms or else so moderately damaged that they can be restored and repaired...
Starting Oct. 13, Drive California's Highway 1 from Carmel to Big Sur Again
Posted on 10/09/2017, 2:45 AM
With the completion of the new Pfeiffer Creek Bridge in Big Sur, California, a key portion of the state's spectacularly scenic Highway 1 is set to reopen on October 13. The original bridge had to be demolished in March after damage caused by heavy rains. That cut Big Sur in two and made it impossible for drivers to complete the rugged central coast route that starts in Carmel—one of the country'...
Waterfront Entertainment Complex in D.C. Set to Open Oct. 12
Posted on 10/02/2017, 11:45 PM
A soon-to-open waterfront development in Washington, D.C. is set to offer visitors a bunch of new dining, entertainment, and outdoor recreation options just south of the National Mall. Scheduled to begin welcoming guests on October 12, The Wharf is an ambitious project combining more than 20 food and drink venues, three hotels, shops, a 6,000-seat concert hall, and a water taxi system along a mil...
Florida Keys to Reopen to Tourists October 1
Posted on 09/25/2017, 8:30 PM
The Florida Keys will reopen to tourists on October 1, government officials there have announced. The archipelago just off the southern tip of Florida was hit with extreme force by Hurricane Irma on September 10, when the Category 4 storm made landfall, destroying an estimated 25% of homes on the islands. In the immediate aftermath, officials advised travelers to postpone trips to the area w...
$5/Day One-Way Car Rentals to Florida Right Now
Posted on 09/20/2017, 11:00 PM
It's time for the Great Florida Drive-In. Each autumn, the major rental car brands need to shift inventory to their parking lots in Florida to meet winter tourist demand. Normally, it'll cost a hefty extra fee to drop off a rental car in a different location than where you picked it up. Not right now. For the next few weeks, renters in the northeastern United States will find deals that hover aro...
Not All of the Caribbean was Devastated by Irma: Don't Neglect the Rest
Posted on 09/15/2017, 6:00 PM
Our hearts go out to those island nations that suffered so badly from recent storms—St. Martin, the Virgin Islands, Barbuda, among them. But by assuming that all such islands were equally affected, and by then canceling our general plans to vacation in the Caribbean, we increase the suffering of that area. It’s important to realize that some Caribbean islands were totally or primarily by...
One U.S. Virgin Islands Resort Stands a Good Chance of Reopening First
Posted on 09/15/2017, 5:15 PM
Back in July, it was announced that a new management company had taken over the unique tented community known as Cinnamon Bay on the gorgeous island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The news was greeted with enthusiasm by the tens of thousands of unpretentious, cost-conscious tourists who, over the years, have used large tents as their beachfront accommodations in St. John. The new...
U.S. Expands Mexico Travel Warning to Include Cancun and Los Cabos
Posted on 08/24/2017, 7:00 PM
For the first time, the U.S. State Department has expanded its Mexico travel warning to include the states where some of the country's most popular beach resorts are located. Updating a warning released in December, the government names Baja California Sur and Quintana Roo among the places where U.S. citizens have been the victims of violence caused by criminal organizations. Baja California S...
Toppled Rock Formation in Malta Now a Popular Scuba Diving Site
Posted on 08/16/2017, 12:00 AM
The Mediterranean nation of Malta lost one of its most recognizable—and most Instagrammable—landmarks in March, when the Azure Window, a 92-foot limestone arch(pictured above) on the island of Gozo went tumbling into the sea after heavy storms. But the natural icon didn't just vanish into thin air. It now lies in enormous boulders under the surf at depths ranging from 16 to more than 100 feet. T...
Hurricane Season Could Be Worse Than Initially Predicted
Posted on 08/15/2017, 12:00 AM
Weather watchers were already expecting the 2017 hurricane season to be unusually active in the western Atlantic, including the Caribbean region. But now researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) think the season could be even worse than initially projected. The NOAA is predicting 14 to 19 named storms, 5 to 9 of which could become hurricanes. That's up from the ...
Replacing Maho Bay, Newly Expanded Cinnamon Bay Provides Affordable Digs in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Posted on 08/08/2017, 12:00 AM
For many years, a collection of tented bungalows called Maho Bay, on the quiet island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, was the world’s best-kept budget secret. Sensitive, intelligent Americans flocked to stay in these primitive digs, and thus enjoyed the cheapest tropical vacation on earth. It was a fabulous place. But Maho Bay’s lease ran out, it was forced to close, and its owners are ...
