Why should you bother reading this?

I've been MIA for a couple weeks, cause I've been thinking about this blog and what needs to happen for it to be, well, worth reading. When I started it, I knew I liked traveling (and to be honest, who doesn't) and I knew I was good at planning trips. But how do you turn that into a blog? Especially one that stands out among the millions out there on the Web.

Here's the thing. No matter who reads this blog, it's worth it to me, because I have a spot where I can journal where I've been, what I liked there, so that if I decide to go back, I don't have to rely on my memory. Mine isn't the best, and I'm only 26 so I can only imagine what it'll be like later.

But the problem is that I'm not satisfied with just blogging when I travel, since that'd be, oh, twice a year. And I'm not satisfied with just doing this for me. By blogging about travel, I was hoping to do two things. One - inspire others to visit the places I've been, and equip them with a list of great places to go and things to do when they go. Second, I hoped that at some point, people would contact me for help researching their trips, so that I can stop watching America's Top Model reruns on MTV in my free time. I'm only half kidding.

So to keep my blogging dreams going, I'll also be writing about all the places here in Northeast Ohio that'll make you feel like you're on vacation, even if you're just leaving town for a few hours. Like did you know you could hop on a bus and ride to Chicago for a buck each way? Plus, since a blog is just as much about the person writing it as it is about the people reading it. I want YOUR ideas. YOUR favorite spots.

The thing is, I don't have the same interests as every traveler. I'm not into tourist traps. I don't care for five-star restaurants. I like to explore a city on foot. I like eating at places where I can wear jeans and fit in. I like going to wineries. I love warm weather. But I think what I'm good at, no matter whether I'm looking for a diner or art museum, is doing enough research so that when I get to where I'm going, I've got a list of things to choose from. That way, I can still wake up, go with whatever mood I'm in (and whoever I'm traveling with is in) and know that whatever I pick from the list, it'll be good. And I want to help other people do the same thing.

Basically, I want to make this a forum for travelers in Cleveland. So starting now, I'll be writing about what it takes to get out of Cleveland. Because we all need to, and it's not as hard (or expensive) as you think.

My Little Black Book of Travel

As a challenge to myself and a service to anyone reading my blog, I thought I'd make a list of all the places I've traveled, so that if anyone wanted recommendations for them, they could ask me. Here it goes:

International:
Naussau, Bahamas
Toronto, Ontario (and Niagara Falls)
Paris, France
Italy (Florence, the Amalfi Coast, Rome)
Germany (just for a day)

Domestic:
California: San Francisco, Sausalito, Sonoma and Napa valleys
Colorado: Estes Park, Boulder, Aspen, Winterpark
Florida: Sarasota, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Key West, Panama City, Orlando
Georgia: Savannah
Illinois: Chicago
Indiana: Indianapolis
Massachusetts: Boston
Michigan: Detroit
Missouri: St. Louis
Nevada: Las Vegas
New Mexico: Santa Fe, Taos
New York: Ellicottville (Holiday Valley Ski Resort), Clymer (Peek'n Peak Ski Resort), New York
Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh, Erie, Hershey, Gettysburg
South Carolina: Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head
South Dakota: I cannot remember which city - it was for a family reunion when I was in sixth grade - but DO remember seeing Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse
Texas: Dallas (for a conference, so there wasn't time for sight-seeing)
Wyoming: Again, I don't remember the city but we visited Devils Tower (seen in the movie, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind")

My Wish List:
Australia
Spain
Montreal, Quebec
Finger Lakes, New York
Seattle, Washington
San Diego, California
Arizona (not sure where yet)
Wyoming (to a dude ranch)
Nashville, Tennesee

Get the Recipe for a Restaurant Meal

For me, good food helps make a good trip. In another post, I recommended using FoodTV.com (the Food Network's site) to find restaurants before your trip. Traditional travel sites, Fodors.com and Frommers.com, are also good, and if there is one, the city's magazine will help. But when you actually get to these restaurants and hit the jackpot with a great meal, how do you bring it home?

The answer: Write to Bon Appetit magazine.

The magazine invites readers to send them their favorite restaurant dishes. Then, the magazine gets in touch with the chef at that restaurant, asks for the recipe and publishes a handful of them every month.

If you've got something to submit, below are the instructions (I pulled these directly from Bon Appetit's website):

"RSVP"

If you would like Bon Appétit to obtain a specific recipe from a restaurant where you have dined, send the editors the name and address of the restaurant and the name of the dish or type of dish. Because space is limited, the magazine cannot honor all requests. Submit our request form (visit Bon Appetit for the link) or write to the following address:

"R.S.V.P." c/o Bon Appétit
6300 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Flight Deal (For Each Adult Ticket, Take a Kid for Free)

I get a weekly e-newsletter called Cool Cleveland, and in the latest issue, I found out about a flight deal for families at the Akron-Canton Airport. Here's the deal: If you fly on Southern Skyways out of Akron-Canton, you can bring one child for free for every adult ticket you purchase. You've got a month to book your tickets (the deal expires April 30). Visit www.SouthernSkyways.com for details.

Savannah

My friend Becky is getting married this summer and as part of my wedding gift, I asked if I could help plan her honeymoon. She accepted, and I've spent the last week or so reading up on all things related to Savannah, Georgia. Though I've still got more work to do, I've narrowed down the hotel choices to three of the best values. I also found a list of "Best of Savannah" deals on the website for Savannah magazine. I've been working my way through the list, exploring sites and narrowing the list down to one that I'd personally find useful. I'll be posting more about this historic city in weeks to come, but here are my initial finds:

Hotels:

The Hamilton-Turner Inn

About the inn: BedandBreakfast.com award winner ’07-08, recommended by the New York Times and by Southern Living magazine. Rachael Ray stayed here while filming her show, “$40 a Day.” It offers full gourmet Southern breakfast, early morning newspapers and coffee, afternoon tea and sweets, early evening wine and hors d’ouevres, late evening port, nightly turndown service with cookies at your bedside

Rates: Isiah Davenport and Julia Scarbrough rooms, $189/night (both include queen bed, private bathroom, TVs with DVD players, free high-speed internet

Customer reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60814-d86744-Reviews-Hamilton_Turner_Inn-Savannah_Georgia.html#REVIEWS

Location: 330 Abercorn Street, Savannah GA 31401 (in the middle of historic Savannah)

Website: http://www.hamilton-turnerinn.com


Mansion on Forsythe

About the hotel: This restored Victorian mansion is set in Savannah’s legendary Historic District. It includes Poseidon Spa (http://www.mansiononforsythpark.com/poseidonspa), a 24-hour fitness center, art gallery, wine cellar and cooking school.

Rates: You can get a premium king suite for as low as $229; there’s also a “bohemian king” that has a more modern décor for $265 if you pay in full at the time you purchase it.

Customer reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60814-d522605-Reviews-Mansion_on_Forsyth_Park-Savannah_Georgia.html#REVIEWS

Location: 700 Drayton St, Savannah, G.A. 31401 (right next to Forsythe Park)

Website: http://www.mansiononforsythpark.com


Westin Savannah Harbor

About the hotel: Overlooking the Savannah River and Historic District, the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa is just a water taxi ride away from the southern charm of Savannah. As a guest, you can ride the taxi free. The hotel is also a short trip from several beaches, including Tybee Island and Hilton Head, and guests of The Westin Savannah Harbor enjoy private access to a beach on Hilton Head. The hotel also includes an on-site spa.

Rates: $112 a night through Hotwire
To find this rate and book it, go to Hotwire.com, enter your travel dates and destination, and it is the first hotel that pops up for Savannah. Based on this posting on BetterBidding.com, http://www.betterbidding.com/index.php?showtopic=20766&), I’m pretty sure that the Westin is the $112 hotel.

Customer reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60814-d219403-Reviews-Westin_Savannah_Harbor_Golf_Resort_Spa-Savannah_Georgia.html#REVIEWS

Location: One Resort Drive, Savannah, GA 31421

Website: http://www.westinsavannah.com

Best of Savannah Highlights
All of these are from the “Best of Savannah” awards, published by Savannah magazine. For the full list, visit http://www.savannahmagazine.com/archive/bestofsavannah.shtml

Dining

Best Dessert: Gottlieb's Restaurant & Dessert Bar Website: http://www.gottliebsfood.com
My notes: There’s no menu on their website, but it does allow you to make online reservations. It says an updated website is coming soon. This restaurant also was voted Best New Restaurant and Best Restaurant Overall.

Best Gourmet Pizza: Vinnie Van Go-Go's
Website: http://www.vinnievangogo.com
My notes: There’s not much variety on their menu, at least online. There might be more in the restaurant.

Most Romantic Dinner: Olde Pink House
My notes: When Brett and I spent a day in Savannah a couple years ago, this is where we ate. They have a good mix of seafood to non-seafood.

Best Business Lunch: SoHo South Cafe
Website: http://www.sohosouthcafe.com/lunch.html
My notes: Based on the menu, this looks like the best place for any lunch, period.

Best Brunch: The Aqua Star in the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort My notes: I couldn’t find a menu for this restaurant online.

Best Wine Selection: aVida Restaurant & Wine Bar
My notes: There was no website. Here is the address: 113 West Broughton.

Best Barbeque: Johnny Harris Restaurant on Victory Drive (this is its fifth straight year as best BBQ)
Website: http://www.johnnyharris.com
My notes: They also have a store, where you can buy their BBQ sauces.

Best Seafood: Almost Pearl's Saltwater Grill
Website: http://savannahmenu.net/info_pages.php?pages_id=466
My notes: There are four options for non-seafood entrees, including steak and chicken. However, there are a ton of options for seafood dishes, all of which looked fabulous.

Best Bakery: Baker's Pride
Website: http://www.savannahbakery.com
My notes: There are photos of the bakery on the site, and not only do they sell individual items (so you could go grab a Danish for breakfast or a cookie in the afternoon), but they also have tables so you can sit while you eat.

Nightlife

Best Live Entertainment: Jazz'd
Website: http://www.jazzdsavannah.com/
My notes: They also won for Best Martini.

Best Happy Hour: Venus di Milo
My notes: I couldn’t find a website for this place, but DID find a blog about it: http://www.blogsavannah.com/2006/11/04/venus-rising.

Monthly Trip Giveaways from Discover Ohio

Once a month, the site www.DiscoverOhio.com profiles a city in Ohio, then raffles off a trip there, which usually includes your hotel stay, dining, activities, etc. I haven't won yet, but I keep trying! This month's quiz is about my hometown of Akron.

The Best Sites for Trip Planning

Best Flight Deals: www.AirFareWatchDog.com
Why: It pulls up all deals - announced and unannounced - from your departure city. You can also click a link to see the top 50 flight deals around the country.

Best Hotel Deals: www.Hotwire.com
Why: Unbeatable deals. The catch? You can't see what hotel you're booking until you commit to paying for it. You simply choose your location (in large cities, choose a specific district), then which type of hotel you'd like (three stars, four stars, etc.) and book. You can save more than half on your hotel rates.

Best Site to Use Before You Book a Hotel on Hotwire.com: www.BetterBidding.com
Why: As I said, Hotwire won't let you see which hotel you've booked until you pay for it. So Hotwire users have figured out a way to cheat the system. After booking a hotel, they visit BetterBidding.com and post the following information: which city the hotel they booked was in, how many stars it had and what the description of it was on Hotwire.com. Do a little searching and chances are, you can figure out which hotel you're booking BEFORE you book on Hotwire.

Best Site for Busy People: www.BookingBuddy.com
Why: Searching for a flight or hotel? Plug in your information on BookingBuddy.com, and the site feeds the data to a variety of travel sites, so you can search for deals across the Web without having to re-enter your information each time.

Best Site for Real Feedback: www.TripAdvisor.com
Why: Type in the name of the hotel, then read hundreds of customer reviews about the hotel. See the best, see the worst, then decide where to stay.

Best Site to Fill Your Itinerary: www.Frommers.com
Why: When you type in your destination, you'll find restaurants, hotels, neighborhood guides, events, activities, suggested itineraries and more.

Best Site for Traveling Foodies: www.FoodTV.com
Why: You've found recipes here. Now search for restaurants. From the FoodTV.com homepage, enter your destination in the search box, click on "Topics," then search the results for great finds from traveling chefs, including Rachael Ray and Giada DeLaurentis.