National Geographic Vacation Of A Lifetime Sweepstakes

Discover the natural wonders of the Sea of Cortez on an 8 day expedition aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird from 1/24/09 - 1/31/09. Follow naturalists on hikes amid giant barrel cactuses, and kayak among playful sea lions. Witness the migration of gray whales through the inlets of Bahía Magdalena, one of their main breeding grounds.

Grand prize includes round trip coach airfare to La Paz Mexico, 8 day expedition (1/24/09 - 1/31/09) for two in Category 2, upper-deck, double occupancy cabin accommodations, meals and ground transportation in Mexico. Click here to enter. Entries must be received by October 15th.

Gustav Likely To Impact Travel

Hurricane Gustav, which made landfall over Haiti on Tuesday, continues to move over the warm open waters of the Caribbean. Forecasters say that although the interaction with land caused the storm to weaken to tropical storm status, warm sea temperatures and low shear will likely cause the storm to regain strength.

The National Hurricane Center predicts the storm to eventually move into the Gulf of Mexico this weekend, possibly as a category 3 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 111 mph.

Persons planning travel into the Caribbean over the next couple days, or into the Gulf regions of the United States next week, should monitor the latest information on Gustav's progress.

Although the airlines do a wonderful job accommodating passengers in advance who might be impacted by inclement weather, it is wise to monitor changes yourself, particularly if your travel includes a cruise, or hotel accommodations.

Bringing the weak dollar on vacation

As the U.S dollar closes at all time lows against the euro, British pound and other currencies, finding inexpensive vacations around the world has been a struggle. While the actual airline ticket to fly out of the U.S has remained largely stable in price, the cost of goods as the international destination continues to rise as the value of the U.S dollar weakens. But not everywhere.

In a recent blog entry, foXnoMad recommends several travel friendly destinations, where good deals can still be found. They include; Morocco, Thailand, Mexico, China, Jordan, Micronesia & Venezuela. I'd also add Argentina, Peru, Brazil and Vietnam to the list.

San Francisco to Cancun, Mexico $142rt+ tax ($240 "all in") Mexicana Airlines
Fare valid on various days through December 31st. www.farecompare.com

Effective today, U.S. Citizens traveling by air to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda must present a passport to enter or depart from the United States. It is always strongly recommended that U.S. Citizens verify the specific documentary requirements for their destination country as well. The previous temporary policy which relaxed documentation rules expired on September 30th. Bring your passport!

Travel Advisory: Hurricane Felix now a Category 5 Hurricane

Hurricane Season is in full force! Hurricane Felix (to the left), currently located Southeast of Jamaica has just been upgraded to a Cat 5 Hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph. The projected path takes it through the Caribbean then at for Belize and/or the Mexican Yucatan by Midweek. After crossing inland, the storm is expected to reemerge, over the Gulf of Mexico late next week.

Also, Tropical Storm Henriette, about 300 miles Southeast of Cabo, Mexico is expected to become a Hurricane within the next 24 hours, making landfall somewhere along Southern Baja Peninsula Tuesday.

Folks traveling to these areas over the next week should be aware of potential travel interruptions.