Tag Archives: Washington DC

Let’s Hear It For the Northeast!

14 Wednesday Nov 2018

Posted by in Connecticut, Holidays, Maryland, Massachusetts, New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Travel, Washington DC, Weekend, Winter Solstice

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DC in WinterI love the winter. From its first days being the darkest with the winter solstice, yet brightest with the Christmas holidays, to the freezing storms of February that leave the trees a glistening wonderland, I really enjoy all things winter, especially here in the Northeast. I tend not to get the doldrums as I like outdoor activities as much as I find comfort in lounging on the couch with a cup of something hot — hot cocoa, hot toddy, not mulled cider — and alcoholic to warm my soul.  And, as a New Englander traveling, more specifically driving, in the winter isn’t an issue.

So, I was tickled when I tripped across a USA Today article about the best destinations for cold winter vacations.  The article is based on a WalletHub study that analyzed a locale’s costs and hassle (of getting to/from), overall destination costs, attractions, weather, activity, and safety.  The study looked at more than a 100 destinations and of the top 32, 13 were in the Northeast; woo hoo!! Washington and New York placed in the top 5 (NY ranking highest for attractions), the others are:

6: Boston

9: Philadelphia

10: Pittsburgh

18: Baltimore

21: Rochester, NY

27: Buffalo, NY

28: Worcester, MA

29: Providence, RI

30: Hartford, CT

31: Albany, NY

32: Bridgeport, CT (I’m a bit dubious about this one)

According to the folks at WalletHub, sports are a constant driver for winter travel; however, food (yeah, all things epicurean), heritage, and spa services are growing influencers of travel to cold weather destinations.

While people tend to get depressed with the shorter days, I encourage you to breath deep and take a cold weather trip; you’ll enjoy it. If you do go, safe travels and, of course, bon appetite!

via The best destinations for cold winter vacations in 2018

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Planes, Trains & Automobiles

13 Tuesday Nov 2018

Posted by in Holidays, Massachusetts, New York, Thanksgiving, Travel, Washington DC, Weekend

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car travelIn my previous life, handling Hertz’s Corporate Communications, I worked quite closely with AAA and their Thanksgiving Travel Forecast was always the catalyst for a slew of media inquiries.  A busy time for us, I was always impressed with the quality of their research.  Below are highlights with some specific details for the Nor’east:

  • Automobiles: The vast majority of travelers – 48.5 million – will hit the road this Thanksgiving, nearly 5 percent more than last year.
  • Planes: The largest growth in holiday travel is by air, at 5.4 percent, with 4.27 million travelers.
  • Trains, Buses and Cruise Ships: Travel across these sectors will increase by 1.4 percent, with a total 1.48 million passengers

For those traveling by car, AAA and INRIX, the global leader in connected car services and transportation analytics, predict drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion Thanksgiving week during the early evening commute period, with travel times starting to increase on Monday. Drivers in New York City and Boston will see the largest delays – nearly quadruple normal drive times.  That’s right quadruple…insert loud groan here.

Per INRIX, the worst times to hit the road in major Northeast cities:

  • Boston Tuesday 4:00 – 6:00 PM
  • Washington, D.C. Tuesday 5:00 – 7:00 PM
  • New York Tuesday 6:00 – 8:00 PM

By and large, the best days to travel will be on Thanksgiving Day, Friday or Saturday. Drivers should expect increased travel times on Sunday as most holiday travelers will be making their way home.  As you figure out your travels, plan accordingly and think about leaving during an ‘off’ day or hour — i.e. leave on Sunday or early morning Thanksgiving day n(typically my strategy which works well).

Happy planning, safe travels and bon appetite!