Abbie Mood: Abbie Mood is a freelance writer and preschool Special Ed. teacher. Besides writing for Planet Eye, Abbie is the Managing Editor of Barefoot Running and is an intern at the Matador Network. Follow her on Twitter @AbbieMood !
5 Great Los Angeles Hikes
Los Angeles, California is one of the few places in the United States that outdoor enthusiasts can participate in their favorite outdoor activity nearly year round, thanks to moderate temperatures and over 300 days of sunshine each year. With everything from surfing and kayaking to biking and hiking, there is something for everyone. As an occasional trail runner myself, I enjoy looking for new routes to explore, and there sure are plenty of them in the LA area.
The five hikes listed below are...
February 28th, 2011 | Los Angeles | Read More
Last Minute Travel Deals for Valentine’s Day
I frequently recommend signing up for travel alert websites such as Travelzoo to save money on trips, and here’s just another reason why – holiday deals! Travelzoo sends out the “Top 20 Deals” to subscribers weekly, but when holidays or special events come around, I often find an email in my inbox with some great last minute travel deals. With everything from flights to hotels to wine tasting packages, the latest last minute deals do not disappoint!
Sometimes it can...
February 4th, 2011 | budget travel | Read More
Free App Helps Plan Your Western Canada Skiing Trip
SnowSeekers, the website featuring information about skiing in Western Canada, has just released a new iPhone/iPad/iPod app that brings the best features of it’s website to your fingertips! The best part? It’s free!
SnowSeekers Go-Guide 2.0 will have 19 popular Western Canada snow destinations within one application, instead of having to download each destination as in previous versions of the guides. Some of the really cool features mentioned on the website include:
Digital coupons...
December 21st, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
8 Ways to Save Money During the Holidays
The holiday season is officially here! While money is tight for many of us this year, there are some ways to save a little bit of money.
Here are some of my best tips:
Reuse wrapping paper and gift bags. Even though it’s too late now to go back and save the wrapping paper and gift bags from earlier in the year (although you can start saving this Christmas/Hannakuh for next year!), recycle the wrappings from any gifts you get between now and the holiday from work parties or friendly gift...
November 27th, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
An Evening Out in Yaletown, Vancouver
Originally known as Vancouver’s garment district, Yaletown has kept it’s name in the fashion world through its boutiques and local designers, but is now known for an eclectic mix of fine dining restaurants, microbreweries, galleries, and more. The brick-paved loading docks that were once part of the warehouses in this area now provide sidewalk tables and shade for those enjoying a meal or drink from one of the many restaurants and cafes. The trendy community is a great blend of residential...
July 27th, 2010 | Baby Boomers, Vancouver | Read More
Traveling to British Columbia? Check Out These Deals!
I follow many tourism boards on Twitter because they often tweet useful information, opportunities for trips, and even money-saving deals. This afternoon I saw a tweet from TourismBC that looked intriguing – “What do ranches, spas, golf and hotsprings have in common? They’re all on our Special Offers page” – so I checked it out and was very suprised!
Kootenay National Park in British Columbia
The Tourism Board for British Columbia in Canada, has compiled a list of...
July 24th, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
Save 50% Off Tickets for Heathrow Express in London
Visiting London this summer? From now until September 5th the Heathrow Express, London’s fastest rail link from Heathrow Airport to Paddington Station, is offering 50% off return journey tickets for groups of 2 or more people.
The Paddington Station in Central London
This special summer offer is only valid for online bookings, not at Heathrow Express ticket offices, station ticket machines, or on board the train. Purchases must be made before September 5, 2010 with the return journey within...
July 23rd, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
Save Big Bucks with an Entertainment Book
You or your child may have sold the popular Entertainment Coupon Books as a fundraiser for school, but did you know that you can buy them online? That’s right – the same books that saved you money during a night out in your town can be very useful for saving money while traveling (in the United States at least). While supplies last, you can even get two 2010 coupon books for $10! The regular price ranges from $35-45!
If you have never heard of the Entertainment Book, it is a coupon...
July 21st, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
“Free For All” Movie Mondays in Orange County
The Orange County Performing Arts Center is hosting “Free For All Movie Mondays” throughout the summer in Costa Mesa. The free movies will be shown outdoors on the Community Plaza at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Movies will begin at dusk, around 8 p.m.
Marilyn Monroe
July 19 – Some Like it Hot
This comedic movie is about two male waiters (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) who flee their state and disguise themselves by joining a girl band with Marilyn Monroe after witnessing...
July 17th, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
Get a Third Night for 2 Cents at Sanibel Harbour Marriott
If you are heading down to Fort Myers for vacation this summer, check out this deal from Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort and Spa. Inspired by the proposed 2 cent price raise in postal stamps, the Marriott is offering a third night stay for just 2 cents when reservations are made before July 31, 2010.
Valid on a three-night stay from 8/22/10 through 9/30/10, rates for the first two nights range from $159-$259. Be sure to input the promotional code PK3 in the Corporate/Promotional code box when...
July 15th, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
How to Save Money When Visiting a Major City
Traveling to a big city can add up to a lot of money. Most people go to a city to see the sights, so if you are planning to visit many of the major attractions, a CityPASS or a City Card might be for you!
North America – CityPASS
In the United States, CityPASSes are available for the following destinations: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Hollywood, Houston, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Southern California, and Toronto.
The New York City Pass
The New York CityPASS, for example,...
July 13th, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
WWOOF: Volunteer and Get Free Room & Board
Here at Planet Eye’s Budget Travel, one of my goals is to share the best ways to save money while traveling, and nothing is better than free! WWOOFing is a great way to get free accommodations with a local family while learning about a sustainable lifestyle.
WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) is a worldwide network that started in 1971, and is somewhat like a work exchange. For a few hours of help a day, WWOOF hosts offer accommodation, food, and an opportunity to get to...
July 9th, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
Review: Hotel Novotel in Amsterdam
When the opportunity to visit the Hotel Novotel in Amsterdam came up, I jumped at the chance to not only stay but to attend the Grand Re-Opening event. Having never visited the Netherlands, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised with both the accommodations and the staff.
Hotel Novotel - a gift to Amsterdam!
Novotel Amsterdam City is the largest 4-star hotel in Amsterdam. It is located in Amsterdam’s business district, right by the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition...
July 8th, 2010 | Amsterdam | Read More
Lonely Planet Travel Guide Sale
For those of you who prefer to carry around a guidebook, now is a great time to snag a Lonely Planet travel guide- they’re on sale! For a limited time, get 30% off all guidebooks (even their top sellers!) from shop.lonelyplanet.com, and free standard delivery to Europe and North America when you spend over AU$60 / UK£25 / US$40 / EU35.
For the travel photographers out there, get 50% off travel photography titles.
A little Lonely Planet history -
Quite a collection of Lonely Planet guides!
It...
July 7th, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
Introducing Momondo.com, the Flight Search Engine
Recently I stumbled upon a flight search engine site, Momondo.com, that searches nearly 800 travel websites in seconds to find the cheapest flight. I have mentioned other sites like this before, but I have found Momondo to search many more websites than the others, and will show you all of the prices, not just the cheapest ones. I was very surprised that this was the first time I had seen the Denmark based site Momondo, considering that it has received significant media coverage and is recommended...
July 6th, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
Interview with Elie Seidman, CEO of Oyster.com
Started in June of 2009 by Elie Seidman and two others, Oyster.com is a hotel review website that allows you to view unbiased reviews of hotels and resorts, and evens shows pictures of advertisements versus the actual property so you don’t end up wasting your money and feeling disappointed. After checking out the reviews, you can also book your next vacation right on the site.
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Elie Seidman.
Where did the name “Oyster” come from?
We were looking...
June 30th, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
Kids Fly Free to Fiji on Air Pacific!
Headed to Fiji with the family? Fly Air Pacific and save some money on tickets for your children! Air Pacific, Fiji’s international airline, was voted best airline in the South Pacific in 2008 and 2009, and is also known as the “world’s friendliest airline.”
Offer Details
For every adult that purchases a qualifying ticket ($960 or $1030 adult v/s ticket) from Los Angeles International airport to Fiji, an infant or child up to age 11 can fly for free. Although taxes and...
June 29th, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
Going to Vancouver? Get a Travellers Deck and Save!
It has been one of my goals for quite some time now to visit Vancouver in British Colombia, Canada, so when the Tourism Bureau of British Colombia was represented at this past weekend at the Travel Bloggers Exchange conference in New York City I was excited to learn more. They had a table set up with great information, but the real surprise was when I opened our swag bag and found a Travellers Deck with deals and discounts all over the city!
The Travellers Deck.
The Travellers Deck consists of...
June 28th, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
Urban Camping in NYC (and It’s Free!)
Get your family together and join the Urban Park Rangers in New York City on Friday and Saturday nights this July and August! The Urban Park Rangers have put together a summer camping experience at parks within the five boroughs that starts with a cookout, followed by activities such as stargazing and night hikes. They even provide the tents and food!
There are a few opportunities left to take advantage of, so mark your calendar for the registration date*!
This could be your view while camping...
June 25th, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
Deal of the Week: Get Away to Las Vegas this Summer
This week’s deal includes airfare and three nights in Las Vegas, and specials at each hotel, from two show tickets to resort credits!
US Airways Vacations is having a huge promotion right now in which you can book airfare, three nights’ stay in Sin City, and special promotions, including two tickets to one of Las Vegas’ amazing shows, starting at $139 (depending on where you are flying from and at which hotel you are staying)!
Go see the famous Bellagio fountains!
I searched from...
June 23rd, 2010 | budget travel | Read More
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