Holiday season travel is always hard on the traveler’s wallet, especially for those who book within the last few weeks. Knowing that most of us are going to be on the road, the airlines take a sneaky opportunity to raise prices and squeeze out a few extra dollars, making a typically inexpensive trip shockingly costly. It’s gouging in the finest form and there’s nothing that we can do about it.

Thus, the best strategy for dealing with New Year’s travel is to unfortunately prepare for the worst. Supply is even and demand is high, so economics 101 says that the consumers are going to pay more. After you’ve accepted the fact that your pocketbook is going to take a pounding, try these quick strategies to minimize the pain.

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It’s no secret that Christmas is an incredibly popular season for travel, both in the U.S. and beyond. After all, kids are on a break from school and most people get time off from work; even the Scroogiest of bosses understands the value of a good holiday.

While there’s something to be said for remote vacation destinations – places where we can unplug, unwind and take a break from our workaday lives – the popular Christmas travel destinations in the U.S. are popular for good reasons. When considering where to go for your Christmas holiday vacation, consider the fun winter activities these popular destinations have to offer.

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Because I’m a travel writer, my family travels across the country (usually staying at the excellent and affordable Homewood Suites). Much to our delight, we’re on the road most weekends around the globe. This year, my kids are dying to put their experience on display for everyone on our block to see – in their Halloween costumes, that is! The only problem? They can’t decide which adventure and which character to portray.

Abby’s way into scary this year, so we’ve been working on gathering together materials for a witch costume, inspired by our visits to the witchy sites in Salem, Massachusetts, and to New York, where the musical Wicked is a huge hit. But last night she came to me and said she wants to be a fishmonger. Why? She’s still totally jazzed by the fish we saw “flying” at Pike Place Market in Seattle, and she thinks it would fun to throw a few while she trick-or-treats.

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Aquariums are a national pastime in these United States.  Stacked along side baseball games, barbecue and road trips there’s nothing more American than spending a long weekend afternoon among the myriad of species and creatures tucked into the halls of a giant, indoor fish tank. It’s calming in a way, and educational and fun in a dozen other ways. Check out some of our favorite aquariums in the nation to get some more inspiration.
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