Photo: Villafranca del Bierzo, Spain

Villafranca del Bierzo, Spain

I took this photo from the window of my room at the Hotel Plaza in Villafranca del Bierzo, Spain.

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Las Vegas Rates In Orlando

The SpringHill Suites Convention Center in Orlando is offering accommodation via Travelzoo at $39 a night through Sept. 30, excluding Sept. 2 and 3, and otherwise subject to availability.

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Who’s Hurting Tourism In Arizona?

Kidnappings in Phoenix? Dismembered corpses in the desert? E.J. Montini, a columnist for The Arizona Republic, argues that politicians looking for votes are exaggerating the dangers posed by illegal immigration, thus scaring visitors away.

New York Restaurant Week (Plus) Begins

New York’s Restaurant Week kicked off today and lasts until July 25.

I know, that’s two weeks. Well, almost. Saturdays are excluded and some restaurants don’t participate on Sundays, either. And then there’s another restaurant week in the winter, so I guess this is summer Restaurant Week. Or fortnight. Or whatever.

More than 275 restaurants are participating, offering prix-fixe lunches for $24.07 and dinners for $35.  Taxes, tips and beverages are extra.

So if you hanker to dine fancy in New York at a discount, now would be the time to check out the details.

Camping: The Unsung Vacation Choice

My campsite at Fish Creek Ponds.

I’m spending a couple of days in the Adirondacks among hundreds of families who are vacationing in a way that seldom gets any attention in the media.

We’re camping at Fish Creek Ponds, where the state of New York maintains hundreds of campsites, most of them directly on one of several beautiful ponds and creeks. The price of a cabin or hotel room with an equivalent view would be astronomical, yet these sites cost only $22 a night.

The campground has a beach with lifeguards, a basketball court,  a volleyball net, flush toilets and showers. Every day, vendors come through selling firewood and ice cream. A nearby marina delivers canoes, kayaks and rowboats directly to campsites. Last night there was a free folk concert.

The campers come from all over the Northeast with equipment that runs the gamut from the most luxurious Winnebagos to tiny backpacking tents.

I grew up camping, but this was my first trip in a couple of years. It reminds me that many American families vacation this way, without staying in hotels, flying in commercial airliners or even eating in restaurants.

Yet travel magazines and the travel sections of newspapers publish very little about this mode of vacationing. I plead guilty, as well. I haven’t written much about camping. But I’m going to try to do better in the future.

Photo: Fish Creek Ponds, New York

Sunrise over First Pond at Fish Creek Ponds, New York

I shot this photo around 7 this morning from my campsite at Fish Creek Ponds in the Adirondacks.
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Feeling Old In Las Vegas

You would think that as a recent college graduate I would fit right in with the new Las Vegas, an endless spring break party with pounding music and overwhelming shows of cleavage.

Sadly, this is not the case.

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Midtown Manhattan Hotel: $129

Travelzoo has a very nice deal this summer on what looks like a pretty decent hotel in midtown Manhattan. The $129 rate for the Hotel Thirty Thirty comes out to $152 with all taxes, a very low rate indeed for midtown.

This rate must be booked by June 9 for stays between July 1 and Sept. 6, with some last-minute availability between June 17 and June 30. It applies Sunday through Thursday.

The reviews on Tripadvisor are generally favorable but include some complaints about the size of the rooms and the quality of the service. (Welcome to New York.) Keep in mind that those travelers reported paying, on average, twice as much as this special rate.

Fun For $3 At The Wild Animal Park

My rule is never to pay for the extras at an attraction: the tram ride, the photos, the special exhibits. But I made an exception for the $3 lorikeet feeding at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, and I wasn’t sorry — as this low-res video demonstrates.

I don’t know why but there’s something hilarious about a little squawking bird walking around on you. I have to recommend it.

Free Embassy Tours In D.C.

The embassies of nations from around the world will offer free tours, cultural programs, entertainment and refreshments in Washington on the first two Saturdays in May. (Thanks to Arthur Frommer for the heads up.)

On May 1, embassies from Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas will participate in the Around the World Embassy Tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can hear live didgeridoo music at the Embassy of Australia, for example, or learn to prepare African cuisine at the Embassy of the Republic of Botswana.

On May 8 it’s the European Union’s turn. Embassies of its member nations will host the European Union Embassies’ Open House Day. Try some port wine at the Embassy of Portugal or listen to Hungarian folk music at the Embassy of Hungary.

And it’s all available at my favorite price — free.