Thank heavens I finally figured out to do with the extra $48k I keep stuffed in my freezer behind that two-year-old box of Hot Pockets that never seems to get eaten. The Ritz-Carlton Club San Francisco has come up with quite a swish “deal” for Valentine’s Day this year. For just about the same amount as the median annual household income in the United States, travelers can experience seven action-packed days in the City by the Bay. Perks include:

- Helicopter tour to Napa Valley

- Private wine tasting

- Town car transportation throughout your visit

- A personal chef to prepare dinner each evening

- Dinner for two at Gary Danko

- A $1,500 shopping spree

Travelers may purchase the package through Feb. 14 for visits before April 30, 2008. A word to the wise: if you’re planning to visit San Francisco, wait until March. The rainy season here is miserable. Miz-rah-bull, I tell you.

Shop Till You Drop With Ritz-Carlton

New rules regarding U.S. border crossing take effect today. Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requirements, drivers are now required to show either a passport or proof of identification (i.e. driver’s license and birth certificate) when crossing from Canada or Mexico into the United States. Similar requirements for air and sea travelers will take effect during the summer of 2009.

People without proper identification are not necessarily denied entry into the United States. Instead, border crossing agents will take steps to confirm the person’s identity, question the person as needed and make a final decision about whether to allow him or her into the country.

While many had worried about the new rules causing significant delays at borders today, it seems humans are a little bit better at following directions than commonly thought. Thus far, the change has not resulted in delays at major points of entry.
Tighter U.S. Border ID Rules Begin

Tee hee hee. For some reason, it makes us chuckle that even the TSA has its own blog. First Bill Marriott, now the Transportation Security Administration. Loftily titled The Evolution of Security (funny because, standing in most security lines more often than not leaves me wondering whether evolution could be working in reverse these days), the blog describes itself as a platform for communication and feedback among the TSA and the millions of passengers who encounter its security rules, airport policies and personnel each day. As the blog astutely points out, “There isn’t much opportunity for our Security Officers to explain the ‘why,’ of what we ask you to do at the checkpoint, just the ‘what’ needs to be done to clear security.”

Laughing aside, I’ll be reading it, and I suspect many other travelers and travel bloggers will be, too.

Expected to debut sometime in spring or early summer, the Motorola EQ5 Portable Wireless Speaker is already on my travel wish list. The palm-sized speaker connects to Bluetooth-enabled devices, including phones, and features echo-cancellation and noise-reduction technology for high-quality sound. Looks like a great little device for on-the-go travelers who want to take their music with them everywhere. You can also use it as a phone speaker for conference calls. Connects to non-Bluetooth players via the 3.5mm jack.

This hilarious shot was taken by two TravelPosters on a recent tubing trip near Vang Vieng, Vietnam. Consider yourself warned!

Looking for a last-minute Pacific Northwest getaway near Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor this weekend or next? I ran across what I think is a great deal this morning while perusing the last-minute offerings on VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner), a site that allows property owners to rent homes and condos directly to travelers. I’ve used it many times in the past and, each time, had good results. It’s a great resource when you have a large group that wants to stay in the same location, especially near beaches and ski resorts. Here’s the deal:

Sunriver Vacation Rental A 3,500-square-foot five-bedroom, four-bath house with sleeping arrangements perfect for five couples or two families with kids in Sunriver, Ore. for $300/night ($200 cleaning fee will be added for stays shorter than 7 days), though the listing says last-minute deals are available, so make sure to ask about rate reductions for this weekend if you call.

The house offers a slew of amenities. A few:

- 55″ big screen TV and 48″ big screen TV

- Deck with hot tub

- Stainless steel BBQ grill

- Garage game room with air-hockey, ping pong table and foosball

- DVD, CD, TIVO, VCR, Playstation 2, central sound system with controls throughout the house

- Sub-zero fridge, gas range, double oven

Not bad for a last-minute Superbowl weekend escape in Oregon, eh? Spend Saturday on the slopes at Mt. Bachelor, Sunday taking in the game with plenty of room for food prep and plenty of diversion for those who aren’t as keen on watching the pigskin.

Yes, that’s Ali Larter, and she’s beautiful. But perhaps more beautiful is the abundance of chocolate adorning the Godiva Decadence Suite, unveiled inside the Bryant Park Hotel in Manhattan today. The hotel suite is made completely of chocolate - right down to the walls - and features opulent touches like a chocolate version of Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss, a chocolate and crystal chandelier and a chocolate fireplace (which, we assume, is just for decoration).

The over-the-top suite is part of the Ultimate Chocolate Fantasy contest from Godiva, which will award one lucky couple a weekend in the suite (with a non-chocolate bed, we hope) and perks like a private chocolate tasting with a Godiva chocolatier, chocolate spa treatments and a year’s supply of Godiva chocolate.

photo source

Flying free just got easier. And by free, I mean literally free. Of clothes. German travel agency OssiUrlaub.de has announced plans to launch a trip for nudists that would allow passengers to strip down between takeoff and landing. The crew will apparently remain clothed during the flight. Upon arrival, participants will then be taken to Usedom, a popular resort on the Baltic Sea. There, they will, presumably, have the chance to remove their clothing once again.

A few thoughts on this development:

- Imagine being told your next shift was crewing this flight.

- Will passengers be given seat protectors during the flight or sit directly on the seat fabric?

- If the latter happens, isn’t airplane seat fabric itchy?

- Cold buckle. Seatbelt. No thanks.

- I feel for the people sitting in the rows directly preceding the lavatories, where lines tend to form mid-flight.

- Will clothing fit in the seat back pocket or will it need to be stowed properly in the overhead bin?

- If a peanut misses its target and falls downward, will its owner still feel inclined to fish it out and eat it?

- Pity the poor chap in the middle seat.

- Is it okay to still where your socks?

- Those crazy Europeans.

German Travel Agency to Offer Nudist Flight

Can’t make it to Yellowstone National Park in person to see famous Old Faithful do its thing? Dry your eyes. The National Park Service just launched a live webcam that will let you see the magic happen from your desk. The live footage is accompanied by narration from a guy with a sort of corny, Ranger Rick demeanor. But it’s fun to listen to if you want to geek out on geysers (Liquid hot magma chambers? Cone geysers vs. mountain geysers? Where do I sign up?).

The Old Faithful Area Live-Streaming Video WebCam

Okay, we don’t know if we’d call them “next-gen” seeing as they really are so year 2005, but at least Continental is bringing them to the sky. The airline announced that it will begin offering in-flight wireless Internet access and 36 DirecTV satellite television to passengers for a reasonable $6 per flight.

Continental to Launch Next Gen Flight Services