Route 66: A Slower Way to Enjoy Your Cross Country Vacation

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As a society, we tend to focus on reaching our destination versus enjoying the ride. People want to become millionaires or they want to get married or have children or reach any of hundreds of other objectives. Eastern religions focus more on enjoying or learning from the experience. When it comes to travel, it is important to know whether your mindset is one of reaching the destination or enjoying the process. If it is the latter, you might consider a trip along Route 66.


The road, one of the country’s first highways, was opened in 1926. Because it was gravel or graded and because autos in that era did not move very fast, Route 66 is fairly ancient in terms of modern highway standards. It is still the case that travel along this road will slow you down in terms of miles per hour and in terms of a circuitous route.

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On the other hand, you will enjoy this slower, road less travelled. It will take you past landmarks, motels and diners that few get to see. Stop at the U-Drop-Inn, an art-deco landmark near Amarillo Texas, that has been restored and serves drinks and snacks. Visit the Painted Desert and the Meteor Crater in Arizona. If you enjoyed the parts of the movie “Cars” that displayed bypassed towns that were living in the past, you will like your Route 66 trip.


If you are in no hurry to arrive at your destination and you enjoy viewing the remnants of a time gone by, Route 66 is the way to go. Better yet, rent a convertible, buy all of the versions of the eponymous song, and listen to them in the open air as you make your way from Chicago to Santa Monica at 50 mph.

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Louis Habash writes about travel as a freelancer. He lives in Los Angeles. A lover of photography, hiking, water sports and nature, Louis Habash is able to combine these interests while travelling.

Be in the know: Travel scams and how to avoid them

While not all people are out to con or fool you, it doesn't hurt to be wary of strangers. Tourists are especially susceptible to scams but you can avoid falling for them by being learning about them and being careful. Here are some of the most common scams and how you can keep yourself from getting fooled:

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Credit card scam

It could come as a call in the middle of the night in your hotel room. The person on the phone will ask you to confirm your payment details and give you a false credit card number. Never give out your credit card number on the phone, always do it in person when you can see what it's being used for. If there is really a mix up with your hotel paperwork, speak to the registration personnel face to face.

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Taxi scam

It's always such a hassle to fall in line for the taxi. If you're in a rush and don't want to be late, consider public transport or walking. If you don't know the way, stick to the taxi queue. Do not entertain any strangers offering to drive you around even if he looks like a decent person. Unless he has an official taxi number or company logo, be cautious. It's also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the right taxi rates so that drivers won't hike up the prices.
 

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Travel deal scam

This could be a phantom hotel room (or a room in a hotel that doesn't really exist) or a shabby inn posing as a five-star hotel. It's never advisable to go for too-good-to-be-true travel deals because they are rarely (if ever) legitimate. Book your flights, hotels and tours on reliable travel offices.

Hi, I'm Louis Habash and I'm a travel writer. Subscribe to my blog to read more travel stories and other related articles.

Travel hacks for the health conscious

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Traveling, for any reason (be it for business, leisure or if you're just looking for adventure), can put a stopper on your fitness routine. In business trips, you would often run on hectic schedules with no time for a proper meal. On the other hand, when you travel for pleasure, trying out the unique cuisine is inevitable and may push you to eat more.

So how can you maintain your figure while traveling? Here are a few easy solutions:

Plan your meals

If you're trying to lose weight, the best way to continue shedding those pounds even on your trip is to eat less frequently and count your calories. Watching what and how much you eat is important to maintain a healthy body. Include a cheat day so you don't feel like you've missed out on anything.

Start walking

Get into the habit of walking instead of using a car or public transport. It can help you burn more fats and also allow you to see sights you won't normally appreciate in a moving vehicle. You can travel at your own pace while getting a workout.

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Find time for a workout

It will be difficult and you might be too busy but if you really want to maintain or lose weight, you will find the time. Even just an hour in the hotel gym can make all the difference. A couple of push ups and core exercises in your hotel room also count.

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Hi, I am Louis Habash and I'm a freelance travel writer from L.A. Like my Facebook page to discover more travel hacks.

Family Travel May Not Be So Fun for the Parents

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Most adults think about travel in a very positive sense. Fewer think that way when they consider travelling as a family. It is important to take a number of factors into account to get the most out of family travel.

1.    You are creating memories. Your kids will always remember the trips you took and usually recall them positively, even if they were not so good for you or your spouse. Your children will remember the time when the family encountered a grizzly at Yellowstone and they will tell the story throughout their lifetimes. You will remember your enormous fear at seeing this mother grizzly and her babies and the panic you felt as you tried to stay calm and shepherd your family out of harm’s way.

2.    The trip is for the purpose of family enjoyment, not your enjoyment. If you travel alone, you can think only of yourself and satisfying your own needs. When you are with your family, it is not about you. It is about the family as its own unit. Even if you are not excited to visit the Magical Park that Defies the Laws of Gravity, it is a family experience that generates fun for the group.

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3.    This trip will not feel like a relaxing getaway. You may be on a budget so accommodations and food may be substandard. Your children are still children so you may have to address fights, tantrums, and car sickness. You may need to acquiesce to fast food when you so want to eat at a decent restaurant. Your sleep could be disturbed by a child in the middle of the night.

Family travel brings many benefits, but personal relaxation and enjoyment may not be among them. Focus instead on the new experiences for your children and the feelings you get from enjoying activities as a group.

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Louis Habash is writes about travel as a freelancer. He lives in Los Angeles. A lover of photography, hiking, water sports and nature, Louis Habash is able to combine these interests while travelling.

Travel to New Mexico to Watch the Good Friday Pilgrimage to Chimayo

As Easter approaches, many cultures celebrate the holiday in a variety of ways. In the US, parents hide Easter eggs for their young children to find. Stores carry all types of candy eggs, as well as baskets and shredded plastic that looks like grass. Families go to a relative’s house for an Easter dinner, as well as attend church.

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If you live in or travel to central New Mexico, you will notice another tradition. It is the pilgrimage to Chimayo on Good Friday. A longstanding tradition among the Catholics in this region, pilgrims walk the distance from their homes to the holy chapel in Chimayo, even if the trek is almost 90 miles and requires walking on the shoulder of a freeway. Often, people will walk through the night in order to get to the chapel on time. Newscasters remind drivers to be careful of these walkers who dot the sides of freeways as cars speed by at 80mph.

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The destination for these walkers, who are following a route laid by a Spanish conquistador, is El Santuario de Chimayo. A chapel that is over 200 years old, the Santuario is said to have healing powers for the sick. Prayers to the carved, wooden Jesus, as well as a handful of dirt from beneath the building have cured the incurable, according to local lore.

If you are planning a trip to this part of New Mexico, the time before Easter is a good one. Not only will you see these pilgrims, but you will experience perfect weather and you will have the opportunity to learn about the culture that pervades this part of the country.

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Louis Habash is a freelance travel writer, who lives in Los Angeles. Also a lover of photography, hiking, water sports and nature, Louis Habash is able to combine these interests with his travel vocation.

REPOST: Travel Habits of Millennials: Only 10 Percent Used a Travel Agent Last Year

Skift.com documents the travel habits of overworked Americans. Here's what they've discovered:

Millennials doing the selfie thing. | Image Source: skift.com

Last year we tracked the travel habits of Americans with a series of surveys and ended it at the start of this year with a bleak picture of an overworked and under-vacationed country.

This year we are starting a new series focused on a demographic that a lot of brands, including travel brands, are trying to understand: Millennials. Yes, that much-discussed demographic that is apparently different than anyone group that preceded them. The digital natives. The mobile-first generation.

Over this year, we will do a series of consumer surveys at regular intervals probing various travel habits of American millennials, and mix it with habits of their European counterparts as well. The millennials are not one-size-fit-all and brands across the spectrum are trying to figure out various nuances in their consumer behavior. Our series will attempt to look at both the macro and micro picture of their travel habits.

First in the Travel Habits Of Millennials 2015 series is an age old question travel industry has asked many times before: do traditional travel agents still matter? So our question, posed to about 750 American millennials: “Have you used a travel agent to book a leisure trip in the last 12 months?”

The topline answer from the Skift survey: Only about 10 percent of millennials said yes, they had used a traditional travel agent in the last year, while another 6 percent said they did prior to that last year window. A full 84 percent of American millennials haven’t used a travel agent at all.

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 This is in stark contrast to a survey travel marketing firm MMGY did almost exactly a year ago, which said that 28 percent of millennials they surveyed used a travel agent in the last 12 months, nearly three times more than our survey results show. The study went on to extrapolate that more millennials will adopt using traditional travel agents in the years ahead.

Digging a bit deeper in the demographics of our survey:

• Along the male-female divide, slightly more American male millennials have used travel agents in the last 12 months than females: 11.1 percent vs. 8.8 percent.
• The one good and intriguing piece of data, but needs further digging: the younger millennials, the 18-24 year olds, have used travel agents more in the last 12 months than the older 25-34 year old millennials: 13.3 percent vs. 7.7 percent.
• Millennials in the U.S. Northeast have used a travel agent in the last 12 months more than any other region in U.S. (16 percent) while the U.S. South has used it the least (7.3 percent).
• Urban American millennials have used travel agents slightly more in the last 12 months than rural or suburban populations.
• Turns out the richer millennials ($150K+ income a year) are using traditional travel agents more than any other income bracket: 33 percent of them.

Louis Habash is a travel writer who understands the appeal of vacation spots to visitors. Like this Facebook page to know more about him.

REPOST: 6 Ways to Travel Healthier

It is hard to stick on your diet or general healthy eating plan while you're traveling. This article listed tips for staying healthy while enjoying your travels.

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It’s that time of year — the end of winter, the awkward transitional period when everything is muddy and lukewarm. It can make anyone seek warmer climes. If you are trying to incorporate some more traveling into your life, there’s no need to let your healthy eating fall by the wayside. Here are 6 tips for staying healthy while still enjoying your travels.

Ditch the sugary bars. Energy bars are great in concept, but unless you’re mountain biking the PCT, you probably don’t need all that sugar. Try to find a bar that has 10 grams of sugar or less to keep your blood sugar balanced and your energy up — check out the Larabar Roasted Nut Roll.

Don’t overindulge at breakfast. Generally, when you’re traveling, you don’t want to be weighed down by a belly full of eggs, waffles, and bacon — not that that wouldn’t be delicious. Instead, opt for a cheap single-serving Greek yogurt with granola, or oatmeal with berries, or even a latte if you’re not a breakfast person. It’ll be cheaper than a grand meal, and will keep you seeing sights all day without feeling hungry… or bloated and lethargic.

Avoid fast food. Prepare a few snacks — nuts, granola, jerky — so that you don’t feel like fast food is your only option. Fast food will make you feel sluggish and unhealthy. Traveling should be a positive experience! There are always better options. It just takes a little planning.

Indulge a little. Small indulgences are a healthy addition to your travels. Have a little dessert or maybe indulge in a warm, buttery croissant one morning while watching the sun rise. Having a few treats, as long as you’re not consistently overeating or relying on sugar and caffeine to get you through the day, is wonderful and fun no matter where you are.

Make one meal a day veggie-centric. It can be easy to forget about veggies when you’re traveling — they’re not always convenient and they’re not always the sexiest of options. But, if you make one meal all about vegetables — probably lunch — you’ll feel cleaner and more energized for it.

Don’t drink at every meal. That wine with dinner is great, but when you start tossing in beers with lunch and mimosas with breakfast, your trip is going to start looking much hazier. Spend your time enjoying new experiences, not the extensive list of cocktails.

Go experience life: see new places, meet new people, have fun. That’s what life is all about! There’s no need to let your healthy eating regimen prevent you from going out and enjoying your life. How do you maintain a healthy lifestyle when traveling?


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