The results are in…

If you aren’t sure where to go for your much needed rest and relaxation this year, Dr. Stephen Leatherman (aka Dr. Beach), director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research, recently announced that Caladesi Island State Park in Clearwater/Dunedin, Florida is number one in his 18th Annual Top 10 Beaches ranking.

According to Dr. Beach, “Caladesi is a pristine getaway beach in the Clearwater/St. Petersburg area, only 20 miles west of bustling downtown Tampa. Traveling to this island is an experience itself as it is reached by pedestrian ferry, complete with old salts telling interesting tales, or by private boat.”

If that doesn’t sound enticing, how about renting a vacation home near another beach on his list?

Top 10 Beaches 2008
1. Caladesi Island State Park (Clearwater/Dunedin, Florida)
2. Hanalei Beach (Kauai, Hawaii)
3. Siesta Beach (Sarasota, Florida)
4. Coopers Beach (Southampton, New York)
5. Coronado Beach (San Diego, California)
6. Main Beach (East Hampton, New York)
7. Hamoa Beach (Maui, Hawaii)
8. Cape Hatteras (Outer Banks of North Carolina)
9. Cape Florida State Park (Key Biscayne, Florida)
10. Beachwalker Park (Kiawah Island, South Carolina)

Dr. Leatherman has selected the annual Top 10 Beaches since 1991. Fifty criteria are used to evaluate the beaches, including water and sand quality, as well as facilities and environmental management, as part of the National Healthy Beaches Campaign.

Posted: May 29th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Travel, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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Over the last several decades, travel has changed dramatically. Families used to stop into a local gas station or AAA office to pick up maps, now they get them online. Flight reservations, which were made over the phone, are now confirmed on the Internet and so is flight check in. Motels, such as Howard Johnson’s, were preferred lodging in resort communities, where now hotels and vacation homes have taken their place.

In its 10th anniversary special issue, Budget Travel has taken reader submissions and published the 10 Best Travel Innovations of the Past 10 Years (Give or Take a Few). Here’s what earned the most votes:

10. Online maps
9. Digital photography
8. Online flight check-in
7. GPS navigation
6. Worldwide ATM access
5. Cell phones
4. Global Internet access
3. TripAdvisor
2. Online travel booking
1. Roller bags

What’s interesting to note is that with the exception of the last (and #1 item), they are all technology-related developments.

All of these innovations have definitely made my life easier and travel more accessible for those of us on the go. Of course, my personal favorite is #2, online travel booking. The ability to book an entire trip for our family—complete with airline tickets, a vacation rental, a rental car, and tickets to our favorite attractions—has personally saved me countless hours of time and frustration.

And you? What’s your favorite innovation on the list or is there something the editors missed that gets your vote?

Posted: May 27th, 2008 under Travel, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve heard from a number of travelers seeking to rent a vacation home for the first time. They’ve told me they are tired of paying so much to stay at a resort, and that friends or family members have highly recommended vacation rentals, but they’re still a little bit afraid of taking the plunge for a variety of reasons: What if they or others in their party are disappointed? What if the experience isn’t what they thought it would be? What if… What if…

After recounting a few of our family’s experiences renting vacation homes across the country—in locations including Lake Tahoe, Hilton Head Island and Orlando—I explain that while nothing in life is certain, that vacation rentals actually provide a much better vacation experience. There’s more privacy, more room and it’s definitely cheaper for us.

I also let them know that when they choose a vacation rental property through PickPackGo, they can have the added peace of mind that comes from knowing they can:

• Immediately reach a professional property manager taking care of the vacation home who is there on-site to meet their needs, rather than calling an individual owner living 100 miles away.
• Book with a credit card, and not pay by check or money order.
• Buy a vacation rental protection plan to cover a variety of unexpected travel issues.
• Get security deposit protection.
• Feel more secure under our Security Blanket Guarantee.

And if they want to know about other’s experiences, I assure them references and renter feedback are available. That way, instead of hearing it from me, they can hear it from renters such as Mark S. from Traverse City, MI, who told us:

“We chose a vacation rental for our trip to Orlando this year because it was different from a hotel or resort. The rental home was ideal, and I am sorry I did not start doing this years ago. Having the home to come back to after a long day at the parks was great! We liked having a kitchen, a private pool, living room and space, space and more space, as opposed to being in a cramped hotel room eating out of a cooler or restaurants every night. I found the PickPackGo website easy to navigate and very helpful. Finding a home on PickPackGo was exactly what was promised, and we were able to easily find the home we needed according to price, size and location. Booking the home on PickPackGo was simple and I would definitely use the site again. In fact, I already have recommended PickPackGo to all of my friends when telling them about our trip.”

So if you are a first time renter, don’t worry. Once you try it, you’re going to like it!

Posted: May 20th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Travel, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
Comments: 1

AAA, North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, today released its projections for the number of Americans traveling during the Memorial Day holiday.

AAA estimates that 37.87 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday. Although it’s a slight decrease (0.9 percent) from last year’s total, that’s still a lot of travelers.

According to the findings, nearly 31.7 million Americans (83 percent of all holiday travelers) expect to travel by automobile, while almost 4.35 million (11 percent of holiday travelers) plan to travel via airplane.

According to AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet. “More than 12 percent of the U.S. population will be celebrating the Memorial Day weekend away from home.”

And since Memorial Day is the traditional start of the summer vacation season, it may be time (if you’ve been procrastinating) to wrap up your travel planning and start booking.

Posted: May 15th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Travel.
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According to the Travel Industry Association (TIA), it’s National Tourism Week. In fact, it’s the 25th anniversary of this collective effort to promote the power of travel through customized events in communities nationwide.

So in honor of this year’s theme “Discover Great American Traditions,” here are some of the amazing American traditions I’ve been fortunate enough to experience through travel:

• Walking The Freedom Trail (Boston, MA)
• Seeing the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall (Philadelphia, PA)
• Sitting in the bleachers at Wrigley Field (Chicago, IL)
• Enjoying the view from the Gateway Arch (St. Louis, MO)
• Strolling along the River Walk in San Antonio (San Antonio, TX)
• Hiking the Grand Canyon (Grand Canyon, AZ)
• Biking across the Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco, CA)

When we’re planning a trip, we save money by checking into a nearby vacation rental home.

So, how about you? What’s your favorite great American tradition? Post a comment or send us an email.

Posted: May 12th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Travel, Vacation Rentals.
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Walt Disney Co. reported its second quarter earnings yesterday, with net income rising 22% from a year ago. The company said the results were helped by strong business at its Theme Parks.

While additional visitors may be coming from overseas, these numbers are further proof that even in a tight economy, travelers are going to travel. What vacationers are seeking though is more affordable ways to travel, which now include:

• Limiting luggage to avoid the newly instituted airline second bag charges
• Renting a hybrid car to reduce the number of times needed to fill up at the pump
• Staying in a Disney Orlando vacation home to get more space and privacy for less cost than a cramped hotel room

Whether it’s to a Disney Park or elsewhere, travelers are going to keep traveling—they’re just traveling smarter.

Posted: May 7th, 2008 under Travel, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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I am thrilled that Erik Blachford, formerly President and CEO of Expedia, Inc. and CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp’s travel division, IAC Travel, has joined the PickPackGo Board of Directors.

Erik brings a tremendous amount of travel market experience and insight to our fast-growing vacation rental business. We are delighted to have him join us as we make it easier for travelers to find, compare and book more affordable vacation lodging using PickPackGo.com.

When Erik joined the Board, he said: “Vacation rentals are a growing trend in travel, and PickPackGo is perfectly positioned to succeed by focusing on meeting renters’ needs, while providing a compelling pay-for-performance distribution opportunity for property managers. I think PickPackGo has an extraordinarily bright future and I’m looking forward to being part of the team.”

We look forward to working with him, too.

Posted: May 5th, 2008 under Technology, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
Comments: 1

This month, many of us will travel to new places and stay in vacation homes, so we can celebrate with friends and family members.

We’ll watch as many graduate from preschool into kindergarten, eighth grade into high school, high school into trade school or college, and college into the ‘real world.’ We’ll listen to speeches and musical performances, and remind ourselves to keep taking pictures so we can remember this day long after it has passed.

Since we can’t imagine attending such special occasions without a high-quality camera, we’re giving away another new Kodak digital camera in our May PickPackGo Getaway Giveaway contest.

Register to win today!

And congratulations to Raymond of St. Paul, Minnesota, the winner of a new Flip Video Camcorder in our April Getaway Giveaway contest.

Posted: May 2nd, 2008 under Web 2.0.
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