Shoe Leather: Behind the seams of Shoestring Magazine

Shoestring Travel: Free Things for Campers

A few weeks ago, at my local Goodwill, I found this awesome, (I think) out-of-print book by Jeffrey Weiss, touting "over 250 for enjoying the outdoors — yours for the asking at little or no cost!" And for just $0.49. Score.

Originally, I was drawn to the illustrations, which immediately sent my flying back in time to my childhood in the late '70s/early 80's, but as I flipped through this book in wonderment, I realized it was even more than a quirky throwback — it was an artifact proving how people saved money and got resourceful before the Internet and Google research.

I vaguely remember, especially as a Brownie during Girl Scouts, sending away for free things with a simple a "SASE" — self-addressed stamped envelope. Outside of infomercials, you don't hear much about SASE's anymore, but this book is full of tips and tricks for sending away for everything from free Smoky the Bear stickers to free plans for building your own tipi, many of them from stalwart oudoor institutions and retailers such as the Adirondack Mountain Club, the Sierra Club, American Youth Hostels Inc. (aka Hostelling International) and the Coleman Company.

A quick search revealed that some of these guides and freebies are now available postage-free by filling out forms on various websites, and many of these outdoor organizations offer daily blogs and weekly newsletters packed with invaluable (and free!) preparatory information for campers and others who love the outdoors.

But, this book still remains priceless, if for nothing else than the unintentional humor in its illustrations, some of which Meghan has graciously scanned and I've posted below.

Enjoy.

 

First of all, why are the fish in this lake/stream three times the size of the boy (and second of all, why is he peeing a fishing line?) Forget Nessie, I'm scared of Lure Boy, the amazing human fishing pole, even if he is already walking the plank to certain demise. Guess he forgot to request his free wilderness guide to fishing safety from the Cortland Line Company...

 

I never was much good at drawing. (I failed stick figures, hence no art school for me...) But, I think even I could do better at perspective than this illustrator. The fishes swimming head-on look more like something out of Swamp Thing than a simple carp or trout. You'll need more than a free wildlife guide from the US Forest Service to escape this beast's wrath. (I suggest staying out of the water entirely. From the looks of it, the fish are spitting algae bubbles/black eyed peas of the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes persuasion...)

All kidding aside: what are your favorite camping freebies and camping tips? Share them with us by posting a comment below!

~ Melissa

Shoestring Travel: Being Understood Is Half The Battle

Melissa and I both love to travel, and as the saying goes: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." But, in Rome, people speak Italian, and we don't.

Sure, you can take fancy pants language classes, or buy the oh so expensive Rosetta Stone, but what if you're traveling on a shoestring?

For those of you with an iPhone, or iPod, make sure you check out free (or low cost) language podcasts, like the iPhone apps and audio podcasts from World Nomads. iTunes has podcasts available in dozens of different languages, you can memorize your way to at least a basic understanding of the language — at the very least, learn a few key phrases. I figure if I can order coffee, say please and thank you, and ask where the bathroom is, I'm golden.

For just a few dollars, you can download a phrase book, or language translator on iTunes. While your iPhone or iPod Touch might make you look like a tourist in some countries (read: rural Africa), in other countries, you're just looking up phrases instead of checking emails. (I downloaded an iPhone app for Swahili before I went to Tanzania, and it helped immensely.)

If you don't have the time or the inclination to learn a new language you can always go with my backup Plan: the Point It: Traveller's Language Kit

This handy little pocket book has pictures of almost everything. If you wanted to order an orange, just flip to the food page in the book, and point at the orange, and voila! The orange magically appears. (Unless, of course, you happen to be at a place that doesn't have oranges. Hey, it's a book, not a magic lamp.) Containing over 1,200 items, this book covers pretty much everything you could think to ask for, and if not, I highly recommend gesticulating wildly.

What other tips do you guys have for learning a foreign language for less?

~Meghan

PS ~ Be sure to check back for an upcoming article from Shoestring's own Travel Pants, on boosting your resume and travel enjoyment by learning or brushing the dust off some foreign language skills.

Shoestring Travel: Rules For Camping With Your Dog

I'm not going to lie. My dogs are not always the most well-behaved or friendly dogs on the planet. I know that, and so I try and be aware and always err on the side of caution. I do like to take my dogs with me, sometimes out of necessity, and sometimes just because they mean the world to me. Red and I definitely could not have taken this trip if the pooches weren't coming with us.

Both of my dogs were rescues, adopted well into their lives. I like to think of it as they spent a few mean years on the streets, and they learned the tricks necessary to survive.

My number one complaint when I take my dogs camping is other dogs who are off leash. I can't tell you how many times I've been holding on to my dog's leashes, only to have a strange animal run up to the dogs. Often the owner is 30 feet or more away, yelling nonchalantly at me that their dog is friendly.

NEWS FLASH: MY DOGS ARE NOT!

The leash law is not necessarily to protect others from your dog, it's sometimes to protect your dog from others. Not to mention protecting indigenous plants and wild animals. Not everyone will agree with me, but I think it's just plain rude to let your dog wander off leash in a busy campground. (In certain back country camping situations, however, these rules may not apply.) Once, I was hiking Mount Whitney when a dog came crashing through the bushes and hopped out just two inches from the face of my older dog, Chance. I reacted as quickly as I could, but the dogs still got into a minor scuffle. Chance was on a leash, but the other dog was not, and the owner was a good two minutes behind the dog. I was able to quickly pull Chance off, but then the other dog came back again. The owner actually asked me, "What, is your dog not used to meeting dogs on a trail?"

I was livid. First of all, the other dog was off the trail. Second of all, I had my dog under control, and you were nowhere to be found.

Please peeps: it's not fun for any of us if a dog gets hurt, and I guarantee that if my dog is on a leash, and yours is not, you will be held responsible.

Think of all the things that could go wrong when your dog is wandering off leash in a crowded camp site:

• A small child could frighten your dog, and your dog could bite back. A child could be seriously hurt, and your dog could get put down because of it.

• Mountain lions, tigers and bears, oh my. (Well, probably not tigers, but large cats, definitely.)

• Your dog could attack or be attacked by a wild animal. Mount Whitney has an huge population of marmots. Those suckers have big teeth, and they don't look friendly. I was in Joshua Tree National Park when and Chance once came inches away from a rattlesnake. If he hadn't been on a leash, he probably would have been bitten. If your dog does kill a wild animal you could be liable for poaching fees — possibly jail time — if you're in a national park, especially if that wild animal is edangered. (Ask Melissa about her close call once with her dog, Dante, and a dead piping plover when Dante was off leash on a  fishing trip out on Chappaquiddick...some other animal, luckily, was the culprit there.)

• Hell you could even face fines just for letting your dog off the leash. When dogs lumber off the trail, plants are destroyed. Sure, it doesn't seem to make that much of a difference, but when you think about the thousands of dogs passing through a park on a yearly basis, it can really add up. 

• Pick up after your dog. I get it, animals crap in the woods, but your dog is exposed to totally different diseases than wildlife. Your dog could have tapeworm, or any number of nasties, living in their crap. Any new disease could be potentially dangerous for native wildlife, not to mention that if their crap gets into the water it can be harmful or sickening to people.

I would hope that most of the people reading this are the more responsible type of outdoorsy dog owners, but if not: Shape up, dammit! I don't want to go camping and be turned away because of the damage done previously by irresponsible people and their pooches.

Shoestring Travel: A Camping Vacation

Red and I are taking off in the morning for some much needed R & R together. We'll be heading up north to Maine's Acadia National Park with the pooches. (Stay tuned for some blog posts coming at you during the week with camping tips and meal ideas for frugal, outdoorsy types.)

Camping can offer a great way to escape without spending huge chunks of change, and more people than ever are taking advantage of it this year. The National Parks Service estimates that visits over Memorial day were 5% to 10% higher than average, and it shows. Along with increased visitors, the National Parks Service also saw an increase in the amount of trash left behind. Please remember to pack out what you pack in (and, yeah, that includes human waste.) 273,488,751 people visited national parks in 2005. National Parks are an amazing place, but we need to be respectful in order to keep them that way.

Check out the Leave No Trace website for very through guidelines on how people should behave when visiting national parks and conservation areas.

Here's their section on disposing of trash:

Dispose of Waste Properly

• Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter.
• Deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp, and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.
• Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
• To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.

I remember camping in Yosemite once, when a group of day-hikers came into the campground where I was staying. They opened up a bag of SmartFood, proceeded to eat most of it, and then shook out the crumbs in the campsite. Perhaps not such a big deal in an urban area, but that's a great way to encourage grizzly bears in the campground. I've seen grizzly bears, and them mo-fos don't play nice.

The New West website has a charming photo expose on leaving even just a bag of bird seed in the back of your car.

I hate sounding like that crying Native American from the Keep America Beautiful commercials, but we only have so many national parks, and if we trash them, we're all screwed. If you don't believe me, watch either Idiocracy or Wall-E. One will make you cry, and the other will make you want to shower with bleach, but I'm not telling which.

On a side note, I know how much you like trashy preachy PSA's so I found "Suzie Spotless" the PSA before the sad Native American. She's so cute, you'll go through a box of Kleenex with all the tears-- and then toss the Kleenex in the street.

~Meghan

Shoestring Travel: The Trans-Continental Railroad

Remember back in the good old days, when traveling was about the journey, not about the destination? No? Good. Neither do I. Ever since I was a little kid, reading Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, I've had this romantic notion of traveling by rail, minus the murder and all. When I was traveling through Spain and Portugal a few years ago, I booked an overnight train from Madrid to Lisbon. My friend Lauren and I got a sleeper car, and we arrived in Lisbon at 8 a.m. in the morning. I have to say, it was pretty fantastic. When I woke up, the dew was settling on the windows, and seeing as though I only knew how to order coffee and eggs, that's what I had for breakfast. Traveling through porto vineyards while drinking coffee -- my morning could not have started any better. I think I could have stayed on that train for days, perhaps stopping for lunch at a vineyard. I think what struck me the most is that you couldn't smoke on the trains while you were in Spain, but the moment you crossed into Portugal, you could smoke in between the cars. At 5 a.m., passengers were lined up, waiting for a little bell ding, signaling they were free to light up.

I've always wondered why rail travel hasn't taken off more in the USA. Sure, flying gets you there quicker, but what about the experience? (Small disclaimer: I did once take a train from Philly to Chicago, but I was much younger, and suffered from terrible motion sickness. Needless to say, I did not have a great trip.) I have to wonder if people in the US are too pressured and too busy to take an extra few hours (or days) to get to their destination, but I blame it mostly on the lack of high speed rails in the US. I hope Obama's 8 billion dollar railroad stimulus package can pull that off, but I'm afraid that it would take a massive culture adjustment to change the way we view trains.

Melissa and I were talking the other day about riding the rails. It turns out that among the millions of other things we have in common, we both would like to take a cross-country train trip. We were strongly considering booking a train ticket to Chicago in July for Blog Her. I priced out a trip, and the cost is actually really affordable. An $83 ticket would get us there. Problem is that the trip takes 20 hours, and that's the cost for a seat, not the cost of a sleeper car.

My train ride from Madrid to Lisbon was about half the distance and cost a measly $99 for a sleeper car. The cost of a sleeper car to Chicago? $927. That's just not a cost I could justify. I suppose if you really enjoyed sleeping in a seat, then you'd be all set, but I can't imagine spending 20 hours sitting up trying to use my neck pillow to get some shut eye. Melissa and I would get off the train and be so cranky we wouldn't enjoy ourselves in the least. I suppose we'd have a fight and have to reach some sort of understanding a la The Darjeeling Limited, but really that's very emotionally taxing, and quite frankly I don't have the time to make a soul searching trip right now.

Maybe the prohibitive price is the reason Americans aren't more enchanted with rail travel. A ride on the infamous Orient Express would cost you $9,000, but the trip is ten times longer, with all meals included.

We want to know. Have you ever taken a train ride longer than a few hours, and if so how was it?

~ Meghan

Shoestring Travel: Home Is Where The Heart Is

When Melissa and I bring on any Shoestring team member, we always ask them what the "good life" means to them. The responses are never the same, and we think that their answer is a fantastic tell of who they are. Though there's no correct answer, it's still kind of a daunting question. A lot of soul searching has to be done if you're going to answer the question truthfully.

While Melissa and I have talked about it many times, I don't think that I've ever put my response down in print, so here it goes:

The good life to me is being able to appreciate life's simple pleasures. One of my greatest simple pleasures is watching cream swirl into my coffee. I like listening to the wind and the rain beating against the windows. Anywhere I am, I feel totally at home with coffee and rain.

The best thing about my work is that I can do it anywhere, but with the dogs I can't take too many trips away from home. Which is why I'm currently jonesing for a motor home. I don't want anything too big, just a conversion van that Red, the dogs, and I can take anywhere. I would love to be able to drive to California and visit friends before heading up the coast to Seattle. We could take as long as necessary, and spend days wherever we felt the urge. I would wake up every morning to go surfing, work on Shoestring, and head out for the day's adventure. Everything I need to live the good life I would have with me.

What would you do tomorrow if you had no obligations?

What does the good life mean to you?

~Meghan

Jellystone Park: Smarter Than Your Average Campground

I don't know about you, but as a kid, I was slightly obsessed with Yogi Bear. Even more so with his adorable and perennial sidekick, Boo Boo. (Children of the 70s and early 80s, I know you feel me here.)

One thing I'm obsessed with now (professionally, but hate personally) is Facebook ads. Professionally, I'm fascinated by their micro-targeting and relevance algorithms, which enable small businesses to fine-tune their advertising campaigns with such precision that formerly million dollar results can now be achieved with just a few hundo. (Soooo Shoestring.) Personally, though, I think they're not only annoying but creepy, in a Big Brother sort of way, since the hyper-relevancy starts to feel a little like stalking, despite the fact a computer, not a human, is behind them. So, where am I going with all this?

Well, after posting a link to our road trips issue of Shoestring on my Facebook profile, I started seeing ads for a campground called Jellystone Park, in upstate New York. Of course, as any card-carrying acolyte of Hanna-Barbera knows, Jellystone is the home of Yogi and Boo Boo Bear, as well as the crime scene for many a stolen picnic basket. There, to my delight, was an actual, real website for an actual, real Jellystone Park.

The campground and family camp and theme park, complete with costumed characters, is just hours away from Boston and New York City in the Catskills. There's a water park (including 21+ jacuzzi for mom and dad), canoeing and paddle boating, badminton and tennis — all the fun things you'd expect from a campground, but you get to hang out with Yogi and Boo Boo. The kid in me is cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs with this revelation. (Because, let's face it — they *are* smarter than the average bear.)

Sadly, Ginger and I don't have any kids (and will be in Seattle) for Memorial Day weekend, but if you're looking for wholesome family fun with a serious dose of nostalgia, check out Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Birchwood Acres.

Hey, Boo Boo? Just don't forget to send me a postcard, OK?

~ Melissa

Shoestring Travel: Sharing The Drive With Rideshares

We've all heard the advice to try and carpool to work. Saves money, saves gas, and saves the environment. It works great if you and a neighbor work in the same area, but what if you wanted to take the next step and plan a major trip with a complete stranger. Craigslist for one offers a complete category on ride-shares, and when I last checked a number of people were looking for driving buddies to Chicago, California, and Montreal.

Now as someone who has driven an obscene numbers of miles, I know how important it is to be able to share the drive. I also know how important it is to get along well with your road trip partner. I equate road trips as the ultimate relationship test. What kind of music does the person listen to, do they drink coffee, do they like to drive all night, how long do they like to drive, and how fast do they like to drive. (No Lauren my speedometer is not broken, you're really driving that fast) In the case of a cross country road trip you could be stuck in a car with someone for as long as two weeks, but even a short car trip can feel like an eternity with the wrong person. 

I have three people on my short list that I know I can Take a road trip with; Lauren, Neomi, and Red. They should consider themselves very special that I can spend 24 hours a day with them, and still want to talk to them when the trip is over. But what do you do when you are driving with a total stranger.

I personally have never taken anyone up on a ride-share. I don't like to spend that much time with anyone. Plus, I'm like a small child, in any moving vehicle I fall asleep almost instantly. Red and I will drive to the grocery store, and sometimes I honestly think about taking a nap. I can stay awake if I'm driving, but I must be horrible company when I'm not. My advice would be to bring headphones, and let the person who's car it is set the rules of the road. If they don't want you going 5 miles an hour over the speed limit, then don't.

Have any of you tried the ride-share thing, and if so, would you do it again?

What are your tips?

~Meghan

Shoestring Travel: 10 Tips for Roadtripping With Your Pet

I have two rescue dogs, or as Melissa calls them "two adorably misbehaved pointer mixes." Chance came from the LA county pound when he was four and Jebus came from a rescue foundation when she was three. While adopting a rescue dog can be incredibly rewarding, they can come with a lot of issues. Both dogs suffered from separation anxiety, and couldn't be left alone. Its real expensive to pay someone to come and stay with your pets while you travel, so Red and I end up taking the dogs with us whenever we can. Chance and Jebus have logged tens of thousands of miles in the car with us, and not all of it smoothly. Note to self, when you stop at arby's, do not I repeat DO NOT allow the girl at the drive through to give Chance a roast beef sandwich. I won't go into the nasty details, but apparently it did taste better coming back up.

Here are my top 10 tips for making your road trip go as smoothly as possible.

1. Search for dog friendly hotels

I know that every single Motel 6, Red Roof Inn, and Howard Johnson's will allow my dogs. While not the classiest of hotels, they're usually clean.

For a classier stay, look into W Hotels, but be prepared to fork over an additional pet fee per night.

Make sure you check with the hotel when booking your reservation to see if you will incur extra costs for bringing your pet

2. Make sure you have the name and number of an emergency vet clinic at your final destination and key stops along the way. You never know what unfortunate incidents will happen when you're on the road
When Red and I moved across the country, We drove a 25 foot moving truck from LA to Boston, with the dogs in the cab. Both dogs managed to sheer one of their claws off, getting in and out of the truck.

3. Keep an emergency supply of first aid supplies, and misc necessities. If your dog takes medication make sure that you've stashed up before you leave. You would not believe how difficult it is to find medication when you're on the road. If you travel lots, think about keeping your dog's prescription on file at a national pharmacy chain, like Target or Walgreen's. If worse comes to worse you should be able to fill a prescription when you're on the road. This kit should also include things like baking soda, alcohol swabs, wet wipes, poop bags, and tweezers. (Baking soda can stop a bleeding quick.)

4. Pack your dog's bed and a few favorite toys. Dogs are creatures of habit. Anything out of their routine is going to freak them out. Try your best to make the dog feel comfortable with their surroundings. Remember, your pet doesn't understand that you're taking a quick little jaunt to see Grammie or a much needed weekend away.

5. Look for nature preserves along the way. My bible of local travel is The Dog Lover's Companion to New England: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog (Dog Lover's Companion Guides). Chalked full of wonderful places to take your dogs for walks, and also restaurants that have dog friendly alfresco dining. Dogs need exercise on a daily basis, and if you're traveling by car the dog has been cooped up with little or no exercise. The best piece of advice- A good dog is a tired dog.

6. Dogs can, and do get car sick. Dogs have been known to stare at windshield washers for hours on end, and then end results are not pretty. Try feeding your dog smaller meals more often. Make sure to take plenty of breaks, and keep your dog well hydrated. Try to make it about the journey and not just about the destination. Some fresh air will do wonders for you and your dog. Cracking the window can prevent car sickness, as well as keeping the car from smelling too doggy. If motion sickness persists talk to your vet about prescribing Dramamine.

7. Make sure the dog is safe in the car. Dog seat-belts are a controversial topic. I do not use them, instead option for a Dog Hammock that stretches over the seats. Dogs have a hard time regulating themselves in a moving vehicle. Make sure your dog is safe from falling luggage, and has enough room to stretch out. Dogs sticking their noses out of a car window when driving is a big no-no. Dogs can get seriously injured by flying debris, but its hard to resist the happy look on a dogs face. If you must let your dog hang out the window, make sure you disable to window controls in the back seat. There have been reported cases of dog strangulation when an errant paw pressed the control.

8. Always keep your dog on a leash. I know many people would disagree with me, but let me refer back to #4. Dogs are creatures of habit. Your dog is not familiar with the new surroundings. A loud noise could startle your dog, and with nowhere familiar to run to, you could lose your dog forever. Plus when traveling to a different state, you are subjected to new laws of the land. Many states have leash laws, and local law enforcement might be a lot less lenient on a tourist.

9. Always clean up after your pet. Enough said This one goes hand in hand with #8. Remember that you are an ambassador for all people traveling with pets. Don't ruin it for the rest of us. Bring plenty of poop bags, you never know when you might need one, and lots of dogs have digestive problems on the road- so always have a few on you.

10. Have fun and roll with the punches. Things won't always go smoothly, and the sooner you accept that, the better. The more confident and relaxed you are, the more confident and relaxed your dog will be.

If you have any other tips for road-tripping with your pet, post them in the comments.

~Meghan

Shoestring Travel: Circling the Globe with Children

For those of you who follow sailing, the Volvo Ocean Race has arrived in Boston. The nine-month sailing challenge tests the strength and resolve of everyone involved. As I was reading this article this morning in the Boston Herald, "Study Abroad: Kids Go to School While Parents Sail," I became aware that some of the people who race bring their children. I for one applaud them. People are constantly asking me and Red when we're going to have children, and then they immediately follow the question with, "It'll be a big lifestyle adjustment for you." I'm a firm believer that children should enhance your life rather than hinder it, and while Red and I are definitely not ready to have children, we both agree that when or if we do, we won't let it drastically alter our lifestyle. Traveling is a huge part of our lives, and I would like to continue to do that, regardless of my responsibilities.

I do believe it's possible, and we have some great role models to look to for advice. We have many friends who have traveled the world, pulling a suitcase while their newborn child was sleeping on their chest. One of Red's sales reps divides his time between Italy and Bavaria. His daughter Natalie was born five years ago, and she, too, splits her time between skiing in the alps and surfing off the coast of southern Italy. Our friends David and Vika travel to Russia on a routine basis, and their son Ethan accepts it as a normal part of life. When I was in Africa, I met a family that was taking a year-long adventure with their twin nine-year-old girls. They would be traveling to 27 countries, and the mother was homeschooling the girls. I spent some time talking to the girls, and it impressed me how excited they were even months into their adventure. They made amazing observations about cultures in different countries, and seemed incredibly well spoken. Don't get me wrong, they were still children, and funny ones and that (each girl made up an alias name when they traveled to a different country), but they were children that I could enjoy hanging out with as I waited the three hours for my dinner to be served. They didn't seem to be the children who would melt into a tantrum at the first sign of a delayed flight.

The common factor amongst all of our friends who travel with children is at least one of the parents is from a country other than the US. I could philosophize forever on why that is, but my gut reaction is that many (not all, and not most) parents in the US let children rule their lives. From the moment that their children are born, the parents cease to exist as separate entities and become parents of little Emily or Jacob. I think this does a huge disservice to both the parents and the children. The parents need to fulfill their own needs and wants in order to be happy and healthy people. In turn, the children need to see that life doesn't constantly revolve around them, and teaches them to roll with the punches that life will dole out. I'm certainly not advocating the old idea of "children should be seen and not heard." If a parent has a passion, then they should pursue that passion. I know that I'm a childless know-it-all, and many parents would disagree with my views, but hey I believe what I believe; if you disagree use the comment section to tell me how wrong I am.

~Meghan

Shoestring Travel: Tiny Trips

I spent one year at Bennington College, and it was a bizarre awakening for me. I was exposed to wealth in ways that I had never seen before, and people had seen so much more of the world than me. I made a personal vow to myself that I would travel to as many new and exciting places as possible. Last October, I made my second trip to Africa, climbed Kilimanjaro, toured the Serengeti, and volunteered at an orphanage (adventures I blogged about in detail over at Shoe Leather, our non-profit life blog). Unfortunately, I'm still paying off ancillary expenses and debt accrued from that trip. (Mostly medical expenses to rid myself of my parasite, who I named "Frank.") The travel bug is one malady I'll never get rid of (and wouldn't want to) but with this recession, I, like most people, really don't have the money to splurge on big trips.

My adviser at Bennington was a man far beyond his time—the late, great Tony Carruthers. Tony was a video/installation artist, who summed up his life in these words: "Once worked in a brewery. He makes video, designs performances, and watches TV, but he also watches the light outside his windows." Tony also had the travel bug, but he appreciated the simple things in life. I remember many sunny mornings drinking coffee with Tony, and petting his cat Wenckebach. In the years leading up to his passing, Tony was working on the idea of "tiny trips." No matter where you lived, you could completely remove yourself from your present environment both physically and metaphysically, simply by traveling within a one hour radius of where you lived.

As I Googled the words "tiny trip," I'm bombarded with advertisements from the likes of Travelocity touting their local vacations. While the philosophical ideas behind the trips are incredibly different, I think the end result is the same: You don't need to spend lots of money or time to escape the headaches of everyday life. This weekend, get in the car or take public transportation to a place that you've never been before. You don't have to go far, but concentrate on immersing yourself in a new situation.

Check out Shoestring on Wednesday for our Road Trips issue, where we'll be highlighting a service that shows you all the destinations within one day's drive as well as other recession-friendly travel tips.

Until then, if you have any favorite places for "tiny trips," give me a shout out. I'd love a good tip for somewhere to go this weekend.

~Meghan

The picture is of Bennington College. Beautiful campus, insane college.

Shoestring Travel: Fly the Frugal Skies

Yesterday, we posted on Twitter about our love affair with Budget Travel's recently published and fabulous guide to turning your tax refund into the vacation or getaway you've been craving. Plus, celebrities and airlines seem to be following suit, with the royal family flying economy and cheap flights galore. A recap of the week in vacationing on a Shoestring budget:

- Britain's Prince William flies coach in an effort to reduce his overall travel budget (The Daily Telegraph)

- Southwest Airlines announces expanded, non-stop service to Baltimore, Boston, and Chicago, with fares as low as $49 (Baltimore Sun)

- Virgin America kicks off its non-stop, transcontinental service between the East and West coasts with airfares advertised as low as $69 each way from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Boston or New York, according to billboards at South Station terminal in Boston, although the AP put the fares only as low as $109... (Forbes)

What do you think about these new fare specials? Have you capitalized on the trend by buying a ticket? Got a cheap flight or airfare special we missed? We want to hear from you!

Shoestring Travel: Be our friend on TripAdvisor

 After years of using TripAdvisor.com (and, more frequently, their newly-acquired sister site, SmarterTravel.com) as a resource for researching hotel, flight, and destination information for our cheap-chic vacations, Meghan and I have finally taken the plunge and created a member profile for Shoestring, so that we can share our favorite budget travel recommendations with the entire TripAdvisor community.

If you're a TripAdvisor member, check out ShoestringMag's new TripAdvisor profile and add us as a friend!

Stay tuned in late September for the Shoestring Magazine feature story on the best e-newsletters and websites for finding last-minute airfare and hotel deals and the best resources for researching travel on a shoestring.

What are your favorite sites and sources for budget travel? Talk to us, Goose.

Shoestring Travel: Premium all-inclusive vacations

Back in May, Meghan and I jet-setted down to Miami to celebrate one last bachelorette weekend with our friend (and fellow Bargainista) before her wedding. We were stoked for the sun, sand, and sexy nightlife scene, but were convinced that, no matter how fun, we were doomed to spend a fortune.

In a fabulous twist of fate, however, we ended up getting a firsthand look at the value- and hospitality-packed service that is the Ritz-Carlton Club Level. Unlike cheesy "all inclusive" vacation packages and resorts (ahem, "flip flops"), our experience at the Ritz defined The Good Life for Less in a nutshell.