Summer Vacation -- For a Steal

Haven't yet finalized all your summer vacation plans?  Don't worry, there are still plenty of ways to save money this summer without sacrificing the vacation of your dreams.  Here are some of our favorites:

• Yes, it is true that some of the best travel deals are found by planning ahead -- using airline miles, redeeming points at hotels, booking cruises six months in advance -- but there are many more available for last minute travelers.  Click over to lastminute.com and you'll see what we mean.
• Book directly with discount airlines via their website or toll-free hotline for the best last minute airfare deals.
• Always call the hotel property directly after you've scouted prices online -- the manager may be willing to give you discounts, upgrades, and perks that aren't available from a chain's web site or 800#.
• Consider the all-in cost when you are booking your hotel - free meals, free stays for kids, free internet, free parking, free gym/spa use - all of these can really affect your bottom line.  For example, Loews Hotels allow kids to stay free, eat free, and see a movie for free; Holiday Inn lets kids stay and eat free; Embassy Suites offers all guests a free cooked-to-order breakfast.

Want more money-saving ideas?  Check out our full list of budget travel tips.

5 Top NYC Reads

Every now and then there is a novel that totally captures the essence of New York City in a particular time.  Here are 5 of our NYC favorites:

1. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
2. Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
3. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
5. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

It's fun to read them and consider how New York has changed -- and how it has stayed the same.

Geocaching

If you want to try something new on vacation this summer, consider geocaching.  As described online, this sport requires a handheld GPS or a cell-phone app and a membership to geocaching.com (free for general use; premium membership, with custom searches and alerts, costs $10 for three months). A treasure hunt that's played globally, geocaching involves finding a "cache," usually a waterproof box, that another enthusiast has hidden. There are more than a million caches stashed all over the world, so the likelihood that you'll find one in your vacation location is rather high. Enter the coordinates to a local cache, lace on your hiking boots, and go on a treasure hunt. When you find it, take a prize from inside -- usually small trinkets like toys, buttons, or coins -- and leave something for the next geocacher to discover on their hunt.

Five Things That Define San Francisco

1. Fog.
2. The Golden Gate Bridge.
3. Hills and crooked streets.
4. Alcatraz.
5. Cable cars.

Five Things That Define Philadelphia

1. Ben Franklin and his many legacies.
2. The Liberty Bell & Independence Hall.
3. Cheesesteaks.
4. Fairmount Park.
5. Rocky's statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Five Things That Define Hawaii

1. The spirit of Aloha.
2. Sun and sand.
3. Surfing.
4. Poi and plate lunches.
5. Volcanoes.

Five Things That Define Boston

1. Revolutionary War history & the Freedom Trail.
2. The Emerald Necklace.
3. The Sox, the Celtics, the Bruins, the Pats.
4. It's accent.
5. The Big Dig.

Five Things That Define Bermuda

1. Pink sand beaches.
2. Scooters.
3. Dark 'n' Stormy cocktails.
4. Bermuda shorts.
5. The town of St. George.

Five Things That Define New York City

1. The skyline, with the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building featured prominently.
2. The bright lights and crowds in Times Square.
3. Pizza and bagels.
4. Central Park.
5. An amazing sense of energy that permeates all fields - Wall Street's finance, Madison Avenue's marketing, Silicon Alley's technology, Williamsburg & Dumbo's hip scene, the art of Chelsea...