Travel speedlinking and blogtipping

We’re going to get two of those birds with one browser, folks. 

I’ve had some good links lying around waiting for a post, and it’s the first of the month so I need to tip a few blogs so you’ll know about them.

Speedlinking first:

**  If you’re planning a trip to New York City and wish you and the kids had more excitement in your lives, check out the Trapeze School of New York for some high-flying fun (as long as you and heights are OK with each other.) 

The only drawback is that you can’t get started until the beginning of May 2007, and classes sell out quickly.  Thanks to the Fodor’s Travel Wire 5 Great Urban Adventures for this tip.

**  Thinking about a spring vacation while it’s still….uh, spring?  Hurry up and look at Smarter Travel‘s top five off-peak destinations, including Seattle, Germany and Costa Rica.

**  The Washington Post Travel section has an incredibly comprehensive list of travel-related Web sites from A to Z, just in case your stack of Favorites/bookmarks isn’t high enough.

**  Does your family like cycling vacations?  There’s a new bicycle route that traces the Underground Railroad used by escaping slaves.  The bike route starts in Mobile, Alabama and ends in Owen Sound, Ontario; you can do the whole thing all at once or just chunks of it.

**  For those considering a family cruise, don’t miss Conde Nast Traveler magazine’s Wendy Perrin and her recent cruise-related blurbs on her great blog Perrin Post.  The New York Times also has ideas for taking the whole clan on a cruise (free registration may be required.)

**  Trying to get around the Midwest on a shoestring?  Take a look at the new Chicago-based Megabus service; it is expanding starting April 2nd to Pittsburgh; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Columbus, Ohio; Kansas City, Missouri, and Louisville, Kentucky. 

**  Travelers to New England can have fun in that dynamo city of Providence, Rhode Island or check out those maple syrup makers.

Time for blogtipping, which I haven’t gotten around to since my first go-round with it in January 2007.  

The “rules” say that I should give 3 compliments and one tip to each of three blogs featured, but the way things are going today I’ll never get this done unless I just write a quick comment for each (I’m covering the Spring Nationals drag races in Houston for both Fast Machines and an upcoming feature story on Texas drag racing for Texas Highways magazine.)

1)  BlogHer Travel, by Pam Mandel.  There’s always something interesting here, so you should go check it out.  Pam has a fine turn of phrase and finds great links.  After that, take a look at the entire BlogHer community (no, it’s not just for women.)  

2)  Inkthinker, by Kristen King.  If you’re interested in the craft of writing, or thinking about freelance writing or blogging yourself, go to this blog.  Kristen is a pro, plus she’s welcoming and a lot of fun.

3)  Gadling.  This “traveler’s Weblog” is frequently updated and full of neat things that make me say, “Gee, I didn’t know that.”  Surf over and take a look.

I need to get back to my drag racing story, but tomorrow I’ll talk about a brand-new blog where I’m one of a team of authors writing about all sorts of travel topics.

Technorati Tags:  travel, family travel