Greetings from dreary Los Angeles! I hope you're having a relaxing long holiday weekend! My family and I were supposed to be coming to you from my childhood state of Connecticut like every Memorial Day Weekend but we canceled our trip since our son has missed a lot of school. Total bummer to miss all of my high school friends and family. To make matters worse, the weather here in L.A. has been surprisingly dreadful.
But let's not forget what this long weekend is really all about and without a doubt, I'm forever thankful to the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Without them, we wouldn't be able to live the amazing lives we have today. I think most Americans feel the same way as one of my most popular posts of all time was my story about having a fallen soldier on my Delta flight. I wrote it nine years ago and still continues to touch people.
One good thing about being home is that I'm catching up on some work and taking advantage of some of the Memorial Day sales. If you're planning on traveling this summer, now is a great time to stock up on the items you need for your trip. Check out our favorites here. |
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Sponsor: Indus Travels  Save $500: 8-Day Escorted Tour To Portugal W/Air. From $1199 pp including flights.
Experience the best of Portugal's major cities: Lisbon, Coimbra, Aveiro and Porto with this guided small group tour with max. 22 guests. Discover the breathtaking cityscapes, world-famous dishes, and legendary attractions of this incredible Mediterranean destination. Here's more information.
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✈️ Today's Travel Outlook 
As of 10:30am PST, there have been 75 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 1,145 delayed. Here's a link to the up-to-date stats and a live look at the FAA's National Airspace System Status. Here's what to do during weather delays and flight cancellations.
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⚡ Travel Product of the Week |
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🔋 Monday 
The Travel Gadget You Should Never Leave Home Without
We've shared this tip before but it's worth revisiting, especially in light of what happened to a political commentator on her recent British Airways flight. If you missed that story, you can read it here. And if you want to know what product would have been extremely helpful in her situation, check it out here.
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🩹 Tuesday 
One of the Coolest Things I’ve Ever Seen in an Airport – And it Could Also Save Someone’s Life
I just returned home from San Antonio, where I was attending the annual IPW conference. As I was exiting LAX, an arcade-like console caught my eye and I stopped to check it out. It's definitely one of the coolest things I've seen in an airport (and they have them at a total of 16 airports across the country) and the fact that it can also save someone's life just makes it even cooler. Read the story.
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✈️ Wednesday 
10 Ways to Save on Last-Minute Flights
CBS News just asked me to do a travel segment on how to find cheap last-minute Memorial Day weekend flights and while writing my notes down, I realized it would make a great article. At first, I thought finding last-minute flights for Memorial Day weekend was an oxymoron since if you wait until the very last minute, you’re not going to find cheap flights. But after some deep thought and research, I realized there are still ways to still save money. Here they are.
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🐃 Thursday  Yellowstone Park Officials Put Baby Bison to Death After Visitor Picks It Up
How many times have you read stories about tourists putting themselves in danger by getting too close to wildlife, usually trying to get a selfie? I’m not sure what people are thinking. Today's tip is a reminder that even when you're trying to help, you may end up doing more harm than good. Read the story here.
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🏊 Friday 
How to Enjoy Great Hotel Pools Without Booking a Room
It's hard to believe that Memorial Day weekend is upon us but here we are! As I mentioned yesterday, my family and I were supposed to be on the East Coast with family and friends for the long weekend but we cancelled because our kids have missed a lot of school this year and we didn't want them to miss any more. But that means we don't really have any Memorial Day plans. If you're like us and looking for something to do, I think you'll love today's tip about a way that you can enjoy the great pools at all kinds of hotels without actually being a guest. Read the story here.
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💬 TRAVEL QUOTE OF THE DAY "A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawnmower is broken.” ~ James Dent |
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🌎 12 Things to Know in Travel Today 1 Air Traffic Control to pilots in close call on SFO runway: ‘I don’t need an argument’
2 Woman accused in Las Vegas Strip hotel killing told police she 'didn't recall' murder
3 Connecticut woman loses leg in shark attack in Turks and Caicos
4 Boeing looks to embed experienced pilots with new airline customers
5 WHO R U: What your license plate number could tell other drivers
6 Watch planes take off in Japan — from an onsen
7 'Chaos' at Gatwick as passengers face long queues at passport controls
8 Store closures are hitting San Francisco as fears of crime are on the rise.
9 Here are the best international vacation spots for families
10 A man sued Avianca Airline. His lawyer used ChatGPT
11 Woman claims United Airlines forced fiancé to give first class seat to crew member
12 Yesterday's TSA checkpoint numbers |
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 TRAVEL TWEET OF THE DAY
@JimByersTravel: Proof that a 92-year-old and a 91-year-old can take a three night train trip from California to Buffalo, and while sharing a 40-inch wide bed in their sleeper car. Lucy and my Dad never cease to amaze me. Didn’t get a good photo but at least it’s something. #travel |
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✅ Currency Exchange ✅ Calendar Countdown 🇪🇺 €1 Euro = $1.07 USD 💜 1 day until Memorial Day
🇬🇧 £1 GBP = $1.23 USD ✨ 37 days until Fourth of July
🇨🇦 $1 CAD = $0.73 USD ⚒️ 99 days until Labor Day
🇦🇺 $1 AUD = $0.65 USD 🎃 156 days until Halloween
🇲🇽 $1 MXN = $.056 USD 🦃 179 days until Thanksgiving |
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📺 Travel Video of the Week 
10 Things You Never Knew About Italy
It’s been a while since I recorded a podcast but my dad was really sick and my head just wasn’t in it. I know he would want me to keep going so I’m back. In honor of my dad’s Italian heritage, we’re going to talk about one of our favorite countries, Italy! Who better to interview than my good friend Sebastian Harrison, who splits his time between Italy and Los Angeles. You can either read the tips, watch the interview or listen to the podcast, all of which you can find here.
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