Through December 31st, Kimpton hotels will reimburse guests for any airline’s second checked bag fee, up to $25, when they travel to one of the chain’s properties. The refund will be presented as a credit to the traveler’s hotel room when proof of the charge is shown at check-in. Kimpton’s aim is to help their customers travelling with extra luggage during the holiday season save some cash.

Kimpton Hotels “We Got Your Bag” Offer

Wishing all of you a very happy Thanksgiving day!!

Sometimes we come across strange rules and/or laws when we’re traveling and National Geographic Traveler had a few good ones in their magazine this month.

Did you know that it’s against the law to:

-Walk a pig on Miami Beach, FL?

-Ride a bike with your hands off the handlebars in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin?

-Hoot loudly after 11pm on school nights in Athens, Georgia?

If you visit any of these places, please use caution!!

If you’re in the area, stop by to watch the balloons inflate Saturday night and check out the main event on Sunday!

UBS Parade Spectacular in Stamford, CT

France’s lemon capitol, Menton, holds a festival every year to celebrate their beloved fruit. For several days, the city runs a parade with citrus floats and displays giant sculptures made out of lemons and oranges. Local artisans sell crafts and gourmet foods with an emphasis on edibles made from, what else, lemons!

Next year, the festival runs from February 13 – March 1, 2009 and Menton is located on the French Rivera, not a bad place to be in the winter!

Menton Lemon Festival

This month Will and I will travel to Iceland where we’ll swim in the Blue Lagoon, see the geysers in the Golden Circle and attempt once again to see the ever elusive Northern Lights!

Check out My Adventures to read about our trip to Pittburgh, Pennsylvania and see pictures on my Photos page or by clicking into the album through one of the images posted.

Date of trip: September 2008

Although Will and I went to Pittsburgh primarily to make the trip to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, we ended up loving the city itself and really enjoying our time there.

Highlights:

-Pittsburgh has one of the most beautiful city views I’ve seen and the best place to check it out is from the top of Mt. Washington, a 5 minute drive from downtown. In the late 1800s, there were 15 cable cars, or inclines, that would bring residents of the mountain down into the city to work. Today, the only two remaining are the Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines. We rode the Duquesne at night. Parking is extremely limited on the mountain so I recommend parking at the bottom of one of the inclines and riding up. If you visit during the day and have time, you can walk just over a mile between the two at the top. Both offer unique, stunning perspectives of the city.

-Andy Warhol is probably Pittsburgh’s most famous resident so it is fitting that the city has an Andy Warhol Museum. The building has seven floors and holds over 500 pieces by the artist including sketches, videos, installations and many of his signature portraits. There is also an area devoted to Warhol’s biography and life story. Not to be missed is the “Silver Clouds” exhibit which invites visitors into a small room to dodge and play with flying silver balloons.

-I’ve seen a lot of amazing artwork and I can be a tough critic but I was completely impressed with The Mattress Factory. The museum of contemporary art is unique in that you get into and become part of most of the pieces. I particularly liked the crazy mirrored rooms by Yayoi Kusama. I love art that engages and involves its audience and the collection at The Mattress Factory accomplishes this better than most.

-The Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium is one of the few zoo/aquarium combinations in the United States and it’s a great place to spend a few hours. The highlight is the elephant enclosure which is home to two endlessly entertaining babies born over the summer.

-For an afternoon or evening out in the city the Strip District is your best bet. The area is comprised of former factory and mill buildings converted to shops, restaurants and clubs. On Saturday the streets are full of locals and tourists strolling the sidewalks and browsing the outdoor markets.

As a cool U.S. city, Pittsburgh is highly underrated. It’s laid back, friendly, safe and full of top notch art, picturesque scenery and great restaurants. Although I didn’t mention sports, they are a big deal here and if you happen to visit during baseball or football season, the entire city seems to come out for the games!

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Pittsburgh Links:
Pittsburgh Official Site
Duquesne and Monongahela Inclines
Andy Warhol Museum
The Mattress Factory
Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium
The Strip District

Two more airlines are charging for your first checked bag. Continental began charging $15 last month and Delta will begin imposing the same fee as of December 5th as part of its merger with Northwest.

I suppose we can’t blame them for keeping pace with the new trend but I’ve personally noticed that planes are more crowded than ever due to passengers cramming as much as they can into carry-ons.

As it stands, the only domestic airlines not charging for your first checked bag are Jetblue, Virgin America, Southwest, Midwest, Alaska Airlines and Airtran. How long before another one bites the dust? You can keep up with the latest round of fees on Smarter Living’s Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees.