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Andrew Evans discovers how to bring home the ultimate souvenir from Maine.

It felt like a trick question on the SAT: You're visiting the coast of Maine and loving all the delicious fresh lobster. You decide that you want to bring some home to share with your family. Lobsters must be alive in order to be cooked safely and taste fresh. To stay alive out of water lobsters must be kept cold and wet. Your trip back home consists of a one-hour drive to the airport, a 90-minute flight to LaGuardia, a five-hour bus ride to Washington, D.C., plus all the in-between waiting time that adds up to a twelve-hour transit. What do you do?

Well, it took some phone calls and asking around, but Mainers have been smuggling lobster all over the place for years and they showed me how it's done... Find out after the jump.

Looking for a winter getaway that still leaves you with some cash for holiday shopping? Some hotels are offering special winter rates to encourage travel during the off-season. Most of these offers aren't available during holidays, but they offer a great option for a winter vacation. (None of the following rates include taxes)

Maswik Lodges, Grand Canyon National Park: from $82 per night

"If you think winter is a weird time to visit the Grand Canyon, think again. The snow-dusted scenery is stunning, the crowds thinner, the hiking can be great (absent a snowstorm) and some lodge prices are lower," writes Jane Engle in an article from the LA Times. Taking in the beauty of the Grand Canyon without fighting off throngs of tourists sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Xanterra Parks and Resorts has made it even sweeter by offering rooms in their Maswik South Lodge for $82 a night and in their Maswik North Lodge for $105 a night.

This deal isn't advertised on their website, but if you make an online reservation during the qualifying dates (November 29 through March 4, except for December 19 through January 2 and February 12 through 14) the discounted rates will automatically be applied.

Sonoma Hotel, Sonoma, CA: from $99 per night

The Sonoma Hotel, a 19th-century hotel located in the heart of the Sonoma Wine Country, is offering a $99 per night special for rooms booked Sunday through Thursday between now and March 2009.  These rooms normally run between $110-$170 a night.  A "Superior" room can also be reserved at the reduced price of $125 (normally $165-$190).  

The Hotel offers complimentary wine every evening, not that you'll need it after a day of tastings at the local wineries. This "bed and breakfast style inn" is located an hour north of San Francisco on the Sonoma Square near a variety of local artisan shops.

There's a crispness in the air, and with a long weekend approaching, it's the perfect time to plan the quintessential autumn leaf-viewing trip. A few weeks ago, we ran a list of the Top Ten Fall Foliage Drives excerpted from National Geographic Guide to Scenic Highways & Byways, and your comments assured us that there are far more than ten out there. So we decided to open it up to the masses. I asked Traveler staffers for their favorite fall drives, and then went to the Twitterverse (via @NatGeoTraveler) for more suggestions. Here's what we've gathered so far. Feel free to share your own, or look for a great drive near you in the comments.

Instead of responding by email, Traveler Editor in Chief Keith Bellows came into my office and had me Google "The Dragon" just so I could see the infamous US129 highway on a map. Spanning Tennessee and North Carolina, the drive has 138 hairpin turns in just 11 miles, and if you can take your eyes off the road, the leaves are incredible. "It. Is. Awesome," was all he needed to say.

National Geographic Expeditions Marketing Manager Sarah Muenzenmayer shares tips on planning a Hawaii trip that's budget-friendly and full of local color.

As avid travelers in our early 30s, my husband and I like to plan trips that will challenge us--language barriers and exploring foreign cultures are the aspects of travel we find both adventurous and memorable. But with the hubby currently in grad school, we wanted a trip that was slightly easier to plan, not to mention easy on the wallet. Drawn to Hawaii's natural beauty, we decided to skip the resorts and instead to camp along the spectacular coastline. Here are a few tips on how we kept our trip to the Big Island and Kauai challenging, and kept the total cost pretty darn low.

Okay, I admit it: before a recent excursion to Russia, I could do little more than find it on a map. Having scored an embarrassing four out of ten on Traveler's Worldwise Quiz on Moscow, I was clearly starting from scratch when it came to preparing for this trip.

Now that I've been, I know that Russia is incredible and definitely worth a visit, but you ought to be in the know before you leave. Here are a few helpful tips to get you started.

• Apply for your visa early. You need a visa to visit Russia--and to get one you need someone in the country to sponsor you. Usually your hotel or a Russian travel agency will act as your sponsor. Be sure to apply for your visa at least three weeks in advance and make sure all the information on it is correct before you go.

• Keep your papers with you. By the time you leave Russia, you will probably have enough slips of paper to fill a scrapbook--there will be a form for just about everything you do, and yes, people will ask you for them. The first important document you'll receive (besides your visa) is the Migration Card you get upon arrival. You'll give half to the customs official when you enter, and keep the second sheet. Don't lose it! You need this form to exit the country. 

Traveling with teens to London? Senior editor Norie Quintos shares some hard-earned lessons from a recent visit with her 13- and 15-year-olds. Check past blogs on traveling with teens to New York City and Kenya.

Give them a preview: Provide some context before your trip, not necessarily with history books but with novels (Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice, Oliver Twist, Harry Potter), music (Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Kinks), and movies (Shakespeare in Love, The Queen, Bridget Jones' Diary, and of course, the James Bond flicks).

Make yourself at home: Consider booking an apartment with kitchenette rather than a hotel. No need to pay restaurant rates for ravenous teen appetites. Agencies such as Central London Apartments cater to travelers. Some hotels, such as the Athenaeum in Mayfair, also have townhouse apartments that combine hotel service with apartment convenience.

Get active: Teens typically like to go fast and court danger. We got a little of both on a Central London bike tour (there are several companies, including the one we went with, the London Bicycle Tour Company). Weaving in and out of traffic, crossing bridges, and avoiding double-decker buses driving on the "wrong" side of the road made for ecstatic teens and a nervous mom.  Another bonus: We saw the obligatory sights, including Trafalgar Square, Buckingham palace, and Westminster Abbey, in under three hours.

 

Go easy on the museums: My younger son recoils at anything with the word "museum" at the end of its name, so I chose places that were more experiential, such as the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. A walk through the concrete-fortified underground warren of bunkers used by the British during World War II put us right in wartime London under threat of a blitzkreig. If only all history lessons could be as compelling. I didn't have enough time to take the kids to another of my favorite non-museumlike museums--Shakespeare's recreated Globe Theatre.

Turn it into a game: Really. Teens are not too old for a scavenger hunt (though you may need to provide an incentive). It's a stealthy way to turn them into cultured people. On the list: Quote a line of Shakespeare, Find an Elgin Marble, Read the Rosetta Stone. Cross the Thames. Have a spot of tea. Stand on the Prime Meridian line. Ride the London Eye. Try to make a Palace Guard smile.

 

Katie Beddingfield, a freelance writer and Washington, D.C., resident, recently purchased a $599 JetBlue All-You-Can-Jet flight pass and plans to put it through its paces over the next month.

Luckily, I snagged the pass before it sold out. (The company may revive the program if it is successful.) The rules say I can book up to three days in advance of each trip and sample as many of the airline's 56 international and domestic destinations as I like between September 8 and October 8. Common sense says, "Whoa, Nelly!"

Fare sales have been as common as gnats this summer, as airlines grapple with falling demand amid the recession. But this pass is different. I can grab any available seat on any flight-- no limits, no blackout dates. I had to sign up for JetBlue's loyalty program, TrueBlue, but, hey, it's free and I even got 35 points (100 points earns a free ticket) for my pass purchase.

My mind is spinning with possibilities: long-delayed plans to visit family and friends, a girlfriend getaway, a September wedding anniversary trip. Should I try to do as many trips as possible? What is possible? Certainly the eight nonstops from Washington Dulles, including Boston, New York, Fort Lauderdale and Oakland, CA are a great start. Toss in the in-laws in Denver, friends in Phoenix and Chicago, and my vaguely disturbing fascination with Vegas, and the month-long schedule begins to fill up. Then there are the international destinations (Caribbean hot spots, Cancun, Costa Rica). Sounds nice, but taxes and fees for international trips and to Puerto Rico are not included.

I have yet to book my first flight­­. I shouldn't delay--I can actually cancel or change flights up to three days prior for no charge, making this pass uncommonly flexible (at least on paper). So stay tuned as I flesh out my plans, ferret out deals on the ground (couch surfing, anyone?) and wage an epic battle with the pass.

Let the games begin.

Photo by Djibouti via Flickr

Yesterday's release of journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling (sister of former National Geographic Explorer host Lisa Ling) from a prison sentence in North Korea has our colleagues over at National Geographic Adventure's blog asking: Is is possible for Americans get into North Korea legally? And why would they want to? The answer:

[The] U.S. State Department strongly warns Americans against visiting North Korea because of the strained relationship between the two countries and the DPRK's tendency to accuse foreign tourists of being spies. But a handful of curious American tourists can and do visit North Korea every year, with some hefty stipulations.

North Korea is one of the most isolated countries in the world, and wants to keep it that way. Journalists are not allowed inside, period. But if you are a non-notebook scribbler, you may enter the county from mid-August to the end of September, which coincides with the country's famed choreographed Mass Games. This is the only time Americans are legally allowed into the country. Prepare for all of your actions to be strictly regulated--emphasize strictly--from the pictures you take (you may not photograph soldiers, check points, poverty, scenery, and basically anything candid) to how much reverence you show the Great Leader (you are expected to bow before his statues) to what you say (phone lines are not considered private and cells are usually confiscated). And if you do get in trouble, don't expect Bill to bail you out.

For the full post, and information on the few tour organizations that do enter North Korea (via China) click here. For more information on the State Department's position on North Korea, click here. And for a hypnotic video of the Mass Games, set to odd techno music, you should definitely click here.

Photo: Alan Hay

With some 1,100 islands, islets, and reefs in the pristine Adriatic, Croatia's Dalmatian Coast rivals the Amalfi Coast in terms of drama, beauty, and history.

There is no question that these islands offer unforgettable views, a wealth of cultural and historical experiences, and a diverse list of outdoor activities--but how do you get there? From cruises to catamarans, or even kayaking 400 miles, you can travel from island to island. While all of these have their advantages, an emerging trend on the coast is island hopping by ferry.

As National Geographic Traveler senior editor Norie Quintos readies for a family trip to Kenya (with a stopover in London), she shares her packing tips in this posting, the fourth in a series. Click to read posts one, two, and three.

I hate packing so much that I'm procrastinating by writing this post on packing. Putting the necessities of your trip in a suitcase is a tedious chore that at the same time requires Mensa-level mental discernment: Does the camera charger go into the carry-on or the checked bag? Do I pack a separate suitcase for London? Will I be hand-washing clothes during the trip? (which of course affects how much underwear I should bring). And, especially for women, what shoes do I bring? Tough, head-spinning stuff.

But good packing is vital to a good trip, allowing more time for exploration, engagement, discovery, and less time looking for a store that sells bathing suits, tracking down a pharmacy for allergy meds, calling home for a copy of your passport, or nursing blisters because you brought the wrong footwear.

Hugh Crean is the general manager of Bing Travel, Microsoft's new travel search engine. Microsoft is trying to chip away at Google's search engine dominance, and Bing Travel is part of a multi-pronged effort that also includes shopping and health-related microsites. Crean's company, Farecast, was acquired by Microsoft last year and folded into MSN Travel. Contributing Editor Christopher Elliott asked Crean about what Bing means to travelers.

Farecast. MSN Travel. Now Bing Travel. My head is spinning! Couldn't you just leave well enough alone?

It's true that we're giving the guy who changes our name on the front door some good business this year, but we're excited that as part of the overall Bing search strategy, Bing Travel is a solution that a lot of travelers will discover and learn about in the coming weeks, months and years. Frankly, we're simplifying things. With Bing Travel, Microsoft now has a single online destination for travelers.

How is Bing Travel different from MSN Travel?

For starters, we incorporated all the great Farecast features - price predictor, hotel rate indicator, deals, planning tools, fare alerts, and more. Plus, we added the travel editorial travelers have used and read for years at MSN Travel. Beyond those core features, we have a really deep integration with Bing.com that makes Bing a great search site for travelers. Try a general Web search on Bing.com for 'flights from LAX to SFO.' Right at the top of the results you'll see our prediction on whether to buy now or wait, deals out of LAX, a link to our flexible travel tools and more.

It's less than a month to senior editor Norie Quintos's trip to Kenya (her third) with her teenage sons (their first). Here's how she's been prepping. This is the second in a series of blogs on the trip. Click here to see the first.

Kenya currently remains under a U.S. State Department travel warning due to "threats of terrorism and the high rate of violent crime." (Many on-the-ground experts say this designation is unfair, undeserved, and politically motivated, but that's another story). I consulted the travel intelligence folks at iJet, who said that if I avoided the northwestern border areas, as all safari itineraries do, and practiced basic personal precautions, there was no reason to stay away. As with any trip to a developing country, or any trip really, I wanted a tour operator that would be able to respond effectively should the unexpected and unlikely happen. There are many established safari companies that fit the bill. The one I selected--New York-based Micato Safaris--maintains deep ties to Kenya; its Kenyan founders still reside in Nairobi. The company also uses the services of a group of aircraft-supported physicians if medical treatment is necessary.

Scott McCartney writes The Wall Street Journal's "Middle Seat" column and is the author of the new book "The Wall Street Journal Guide to Power Travel: How to Arrive with Your Dignity, Sanity, and Wallet Intact." With the travel season about to take off, contributing editor Chris Elliott asked him for his thoughts on flying in the summer of 2009.

What should air travelers expect this summer?

McCartney: I think this will actually be a very good summer to travel, if you can afford it. The recession has lowered ticket prices considerably, left hotel rooms far more available at lower prices and reduced congestion at airports and in the skies so flights are running more on time. The dollar has rebounded some, and so it's a good year to venture overseas. Crowds should be smaller and merchants should be more anxious for your business. We may well look back on this year and say there was a window of opportunity when the airline system and major tourist destinations didn't bog down as much under the weight of summer crowds and travelers actually had the upper hand. I just think that if you are able to do it financially, it's a great time to go.

I really like the subtitle to your book, "How to Arrive with Your Dignity, Sanity, and Wallet Intact." What do you think is more important to travelers -- dignity, sanity or intact wallet?

Thanks. Full disclosure: It was my wife's idea. I think it depends on the traveler, but for most, the wallet is the bottom line. Travelers will endure a lot to save a few bucks -- just look at the popularity of discount European airlines and the long bus rides, infrequent service, high fees, etc. that people put up with for a cheap fare. While indignities anger them and inane experiences do make them crazy, getting gouged is what really sends people over the edge with airlines. I think to some extent it's a reflection of the animosity travelers have toward airlines. Airlines do bad things to people, and people remember. Goodwill and warm consumer feelings get ruined when a bag is lost, a flight is canceled, a traveler is bumped, a crew times out leaving a planeload stranded. What's more, airlines make the money part of the experience so difficult -- changing prices, limited availability, etc, etc. You go to a car dealer to buy a car thinking that salesman is out to take as much advantage of you as possible, and you know you likely won't get as good a deal as the guy next to you. You just assume that. And I think it's much the same with airlines. Airlines battle their customers over money -- not a good position to be in.

No Noodle is Necessary When You "Swim" in the Dead Sea

Ten Things to Know Before You Go Bobbing in the Dead Sea

I try to avoid tourist traps when I'm traveling, but there is no way that I was skipping an opportunity to float in the Dead Sea, and truth be told, it is an experience for sure. But there are definitely a few things you should know before taking the plunge:

1) There is no such thing as swimming in the Dead Sea. When you sit your butt down in the water, it essentially feels as though you're floating in a pool with a plastic noodle. Only there's no noodle. Your feet and shoulders rise and bob, and it takes a few seconds of getting used to.

2) The salt that lines the sea bottom is rough on your feet, and will cut you up severely if you don't wear water shoes of some kind. (Naturally, I chose to wear the dorkiest ones I could find, and opted to put a picture of myself wearing them on the Internet). Protect your feet and plan accordingly.

3) Fast Facts: The Dead Sea is actually not a sea at all, but a lake that's made up of about 30 percent salt. It is the lowest place on earth at 417 feet below sea level. Its properties have been known to cure skin conditions and help with respiration, and its mud is used in spa treatments in the many hotels along the shoreline...

4) Being wrapped in mud is a very weird sensation. Being wrapped in mud and then wrapped in a blanket and then left in a dark room for 20 minutes feels a bit like being made into a human mud-bun.

5) Do not shave at least two days before you plan to take a dunk in the Dead Sea, and be prepared if you have any open cuts or sores while you're swimming, as you will quickly learn the real meaning of putting salt in one's wound.

In the March issue of Traveler, author Gary Krist scours Shanghai looking for the perfect anniversary gift for his wife (check out Justin Guariglia's photo gallery for a preview). What would have been a daunting task became a whirlwind tour of Shanghai's marketplaces, thanks to a few Shanghai-based family members acting as tour guides.

It certainly makes for a good read, and it clues you in on Shanghai's myriad of shopping opportunities, but what about the rest of us? What about the shopper-travelers that don't have plugged-in family members to help guide them to the perfect purchase?

Enter Francine Martin.

Francine's tour company, East of the Sun, specializes in exactly that. Just tell them what kind of shopping you want to do, and off you go on a personalized tour of Shanghai's markets, specialty shops, and boutiques. With a little expert advice, translation help, and some guidance, visitors are sure to find what they are looking for (and catch a glimpse of the Shanghai that tourists often miss).

We decided to pick Francine's brain about Shanghai and the pros and cons of a personalized shopping tour. Full Q&A with Shanghai's shopping guru after the break.

Now, I'm not the type to travel with my pet in tow - 65-pound dogs don't fit beneath the seat in front of me - but when I saw the Travelmole bulletin about bringyourpet.com, I was intrigued. 

Once upon a time, a young woman traveled to Europe for a summer. It was her first time traveling overseas - first time to have jet lag, first time to explore London on foot, first time to communicate using entry-level French and exaggerated charades...first time to experience the liberation of traveling for two weeks with one bag, a good friend, and no set itinerary. 

Just as we’re getting antsy to squish our bare feet into sunkissed, silky sand for some carefree lazing on the beach (anywhere! and soon!), the Economist had to go and dampen our summer pinings. Apparently, the painful sting of the euro’s exchange rate isn’t all you have to dread in the Mediterranean: An “unprecedented swarm of jellyfish” is heading to Europe.

We’ll let the Economist be the painful messenger:

The mauve stingers (also known as Pelagia noctiluca) have been breeding in the water throughout the winter, and are now ready for an assault on the beaches of Spain and the Mediterranean.

Masses of jellyfish are an increasingly common nuisance, not just in Spain, but all around the world. Spectacular blooms have been reported in Japan, Namibia, Alaska, Venezuela, Peru and Australia. And since 2000, the Gulf of Mexico has been suffering from an invasion of monster Australian spotted jellyfish (Phyllorhiza punctata), which are fouling fishing nets and upsetting the shrimpers.

Lucas Brotz, an oceanography graduate student at the University of British Columbia’s Fisheries Centre, says the increase in jellyfish populations means human encounters with the painful little blobs are bound to be more prevalent. Of course, this is hardly news. The Mediterranean has been on “jellyfish alert” for the past couple of years. Beaches on some of the region’s most popular resorts have even been forced to close. Most scientists blame higher sea temperatures brought on by global warming, as well as overfishing, for the jellyfish influx.

Traveling with tweens and teens to New York? Senior editor Norie Quintos shares some tips and tricks from a recent trip to the Big Apple with her 12- and 14-year-old sons.

Limit the number of museums and choose them carefully. Just because there are dozens of world-class museums in the city doesn’t mean you have to see them all. Whiny teens are worse than whiny toddlers. I’d read about a temporary exhibit at the Guggenheim by the Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, who worked with exploding gunpowder and cars hanging from the ceilings. Bingo. We hit the museum on Friday evening, when admission was pay what you want (I noticed most New Yorkers weren’t paying anything, so we didn’t either.)

Central Park is good for any age. Try to go with a plan, say, to catch the remote-controlled sailboats in the Conservatory Water or skate dancers in the Bandshell. Because my kids are Beatles fans, we went on a John Lennon pilgrimage to Strawberry Fields and the Imagine mosaic, then walked over to the Dakota building where the singer was shot. Plan your visit with the interactive map of Central Park.

Do something active. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, a leisurely 45-minute stroll. It’s one of the world’s most iconic spans and there is a separate path for walkers and bikers, so you aren’t inhaling car fumes. You can view the Statue of Liberty from here. Tips: To avoid constantly craning your neck looking back at the incomparable Manhattan skyline, take the subway to Brooklyn and walk towards Manhattan. Also, be sure to stay off the bikers’ lane, lest you get clipped or cursed at by speeding cyclists.

When it comes to taking a journey, half the fun can often be planning the trip: daydreaming about where you'll stay, the people, foods, and culture you'll encounter, and getting recommendations from everyone you know about the inside secrets.

That's why we're glad to have found Travbuddy, a new social networking site based exclusively around travel. As the name suggests, Travbuddy aims to put you in touch with fellow globetrotters to swap stories through photographs, forums, blogs, and interactive maps.