What do you do when you learn that you are going to a destination that you have never been to before? For me, it’s a multi-step process, involving some research, talking to friends and co-workers, a trip or two to the library, and maybe even a movie.  I like to gather data from a variety of sources, because I want both hard facts and opinions, and it’s rare that you can get top quality information like that from only one source. Here are some of the things I do, and places that I look, for information: Primary online research:  One of the first places I go to is the official tourism website for the state or country where I’ll be visiting.  (Smiley Cat has done a great job of organizing and linking to the various official state websites.)  From there, I […]

I have been a Flight Attendant with a U.S. airline for more years than I care to admit.  It makes me feel too old to admit that this is the longest I’ve ever held one job. One of the things that happens when you’ve flown for awhile, is people starting asking you for information about traveling.  At first, it’s the passengers on your flight asking about where to stay, for restaurant suggestions, maybe a special shopping place, your favorite places to go, or which sights are really worth seeing. Then, your family and non-airline friends start calling.  In the beginning they ask about getting the lowest priced airline ticket, although they soon realize that because flight attendants fly for free, we rarely have a clue about what a ticket actually costs.  So then they just start asking what you did on your […]