Summer is officially here, and that means it’s time to think about vacations. While some people will be smarting from paying for $4-a-gallon gas this holiday weekend, others aren’t likely to let a run-up in energy prices get in the way of a good holiday. This week’s crop of travel-related magazines has a little something for everyone.
Tight vacation spending is exactly what Budget Travel has been waiting for. With its newsstand appeal on the rise, this month’s mag – its 10th anniversary issue – offers help for avoiding wasted trips and expensive disappointments. Many of the stories were written by reader/real-life travelers, offering their inside tips and recommendations, while adding trial-and-error information that doesn’t always make it into travel guide books (e.g., taking pets on trips). Also worth a read: off-the-beaten-path destinations: Reykjavik, Iceland, in snowy February with its curative, mineral-rich, 100-degree waters in its many hot springs.
Since the value of the almighty dollar is in the toilet, Condé Nast Traveler scopes out the most affordable villa vacations around the globe in its latest issue. Renting a villa in Europe or anywhere else is pretty darn expensive, but we were surprised with some of the places the mag was able to come up with. It gives pretty good tips on how to find an affordable villa (one involves not traveling in the high season) and realistically maps out the luxurious amenities you have to give up in order to reduce price. We also enjoyed the piece on Russia’s Solovetski Islands – a place Leo Tolstoy himself relished.
The cheapest of all travel – walking – is gaining new converts via Backpacker, the magazine for hikers that’s had a double-digit spurt in circulation in recent months. You lose lots of weight walking, and can save enough cash to buy gas to drive to the beach later to show off your toned-up bod. The cover story is, of course, the “Ultimate Hike” (it’s done with high-tech planning and gadgets that help conquer the biggest of wilderness sites). There’s a good piece on 311 summer camping skills, plus plenty of helpful articles, such as the all-terrain boots that keep feet dry and blister-free, ultra-light survival kits (you have to carry everything) and a guide on “How to Get Un-Lost.”
If your idea of a relaxing vacation is sitting poolside in Mexico, then the latest issue of Travel + Leisure is for you. The travel mag also highlights the 30 best places to rest your head – from the St. Regis in Singapore to The Plaza overlooking Central Park. The list of faves ain’t cheap, but it makes for fun browsing. The issue has other fun tidbits, including a look at actor Robert De Niro’s new TriBeCa hotel.
New York magazine hits a home run with its cover story on the city’s great pastime of complaining – taking a look at the various socio-economic classes crowding into Brooklyn, annoying both the haves and the have-nots. The magazine’s political column says Mayor Bloomberg is being courted by both Barack Obama and John McCain for the vice president’s slot of their respective tickets because “he’s rich, Jewish and has a head for business. What’s not to like?”
The New Yorker rattles readers out of any summer complacency with a menu of learned articles of equal alarm – from a terrorist who’s got second thoughts about murdering us, to the skills of politics’ leading dirty trickster. Its lead story is an interview with an Al Qaeda mastermind who’s heading a debate over the merits of a murderous, Islam jihad ideology. A profile of leading GOP operative Roger Stone offers plenty of outrageous tales from his maneuvers in scandals since Watergate.
Time tackles the raging controversy over autism and vaccines, with many parents choosing not to vaccinate their children only to expose them to possible other risks. The issue also earned a lot of early traction for its report that the Clintons are cooking up a vice presidential option. The magazine’s take on the earthquake tragedy in China focused on the young “me” generation and its surprising compassion, raising hopes they may be able to bring change to the country’s rigid authoritarianism.
Newsweek plays the race card for its cover story, along with a poll saying what many have always known: Race is always on the minds of many white Americans. The magazine questions how bias will play out in an election. An investigative article details allegations of racial discrimination in the Secret Service, including lower perks for African-American agents, some of whom may wind up guarding the first black president in America.