Welcome to The Traveler

The solstice has just passed and the summer travel season has arrived!

Make sure to check out all the great new travel ideas, resources, and bargains we've packed into this issue.

We've got four feature articles for you:a humorous look at the joys of airline travel, a look at some little-known but extremely fascinating caves near Mexico City, and finally we present two separate perspectives at the lovely, lively, and liberal city of Amsterdam.

As always, we've got our travel writing pick-of-the-month, and what's new at TouristTravel.com (you'll want to be sure to check out The Traveler's new travelogue, "The Road Dog Tour" with the accompanying web picture album.

It's all here for you, so dig in and enjoy!

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Feature Articles

Flying, the Easy Way to Travel - How patience and a sense of humor will help in enduring the trials of airline travel.

Grutas De Cacahuamilpa; the stunning caves near Mexico City - Discover some of the best natural caves for only thirty pesos.

(two perspectives of Amsterdam...)

Two Weeks of Cool - Autumnal Amsterdam - Discover the best time to visit this City of Cool.

Dateline: Amsterdam - Away from the chaos of Istanbul, our expatriate contributing writers submit this dispatch from a recent trip to Amsterdam.

Travel Writing Pick-Of-The-Month

An inquiry into the human desire to travel and the ways in which the travel experience is affected by anticipation and memory presents a series of thought-provoking and humorous essays on airports, museums, landscapes, holiday romances, hotel mini-bars, and master artists, offering suggestions on how to render travel more fulfilling. The Traveler found this book a delight to read. The Art of Travel

Travel Ideas, Resources, and Bargains

San Francisco Boutique Hotel, Summer Special - Book by June 27 and stay right on Union Square in the heart of San Francisco. The Villa Florence, a downtown boutique hotel, is offering a special summer rate of $105 per night, valid for travel during peak season to this destination. Regular room rate here starts at $189 per night. What's more, it includes a full bottle of wine! Find out more about this deal here. To find out more about the Villa Florence, check out their website here.

More Great Deals on San Francisco Hotels - Maybe a Boutique Hotel just doesn't strike your fancy? Find more great deals on San Francisco hotels. San Francisco Hotels On Sale - Save Up To 70%

Rediscover the World of Nature - Natural Habitat Adventures is a premier provider of eco-tours. With specialty tours throughout the world, you're sure to find a trip to reawaken the wonder of the natural world. Find out about all their adventures here.

Green Hotels - Does the hotel your staying at this summer engage in green practices? These include some simple and easy to implement practices like not washing guests linens every day to more sophisticated efforts at minimizing the hotel's impact on the environment. To find out more about green hotels visit these websites: Green Hotels Association and Green Seal.

All About London - Complete visitor information, special deals, and more are available at the newly updated London Elite website. Check out The Insider's Guide to the Best of London here.

Visit Amsterdam and Save Money - Has The Traveler whetted your appetite to visit Amsterdam? You'll find great deals at evacations.com for Hotels in Amsterdam

The All-American Road Trip - Travelocity offers some great five great suggestions for the perfect summer road trip. Explore the northeast, Pacific coast, Rocky Mountains, Route 66, or the historic South. Find information, tips, and deals on hotels and rental cars for each suggested road trip. A great way to get started on this summer's Great American Road Trip. Check it out at the Travelocity Road Trip home page.

Europe Wants You Back - Find great travel deals, comprehensive information, and late-breaking travel news at the "official Gateway to Europe". VisitEurope.com is the official travel portal for Europe, presented by the European Travel Commission and its 33 member national tourist organization. This is the place to start if you planning a trip to Europe. Check out VisitEurope.com website here.

Visit Oregon; Stay in a Treehouse - The Out 'n' About Treesort is located in the town of Takilma, Oregon, just north of the California border. The "treesort" offers eight treehouses for rent. The treehouses hold from two to six people and rent from $90 to $160 a night. Some units are open year-round; some are closed in winter. Two-night minimum between Memorial Day and Labor Day, except when isolated single nights are available. Three-night minimum in July and August. $15 fee for dogs . Breakfast included. Ready for something a little different? Check out the Treesort website here.

South African Airways Announces Special Summer Fares from Mainland USA - South African Airways announces special summer fares for travel now through August for as low as $999 to Dakar, Senegal, or $1,199 to Johannesburg/Cape Town, from anywhere in the continental United States. Special summer fares are also available from Toronto or Montreal for as low as CDN $1,450 to Dakar, Senegal, or CDN $1,750 to Johannesburg/Cape Town. Find out more at South African Holidays Airways.net.

Vancouver, British Columbia Shakespeare Festival- The Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival runs through September 21 in open tents against a natural backdrop of sea, sky and mountains. Now in its 14th season, the festival this year includes Comedy of Errors, Merchant of Venice, Pericles, and Prince of Tyre. Special nights include wine tastings and fireworks. Find out more here.

Medieval Times Theme Parks - With locations throughout the continental US and Canada, families can go back "to a time where chivalry still reigns". Learn the history of this period and witness great spectacles. A great adventure for the entire family. Find out more about these unique vacation destinations here.

Athens/Greece 7-Day Package Including Airfare - Only $699! Here is your chance to explore the rich history and culture of Greece! But hurry, this is a popular package and is likely to sell out soon. Get all the detail of this special Greece travel package here.

Disney Sale: Get Seven Day for the Price of Four - Fairy tales can come true-and they do every day, at the Walt Disney World® Resort. Enjoy seven nights' accommodation at a Disney Resort Hotel, Theme Park tickets, and a specially-created, framed character art keepsake (one per package)-all for the price of a four-night package! You must book by June 27 and travel from July 4 through October 30, 2003, to receive the magical savings. Find out about this great family package here.

Visit a National Park this Summer - From Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii, to Arcadia National Park on the eastern coast of Maine, the USA has a some of the most beautiful and unique national parks in the world. Visit one this summer and experience for yourself some of this nation's greatest treasures! Comprehensive information about the entire national park system is available on ParkNet, the official website of the National Park Service.

Last Minute Getaways - You can get away this weekend or next to some great destinations, and save money to boot! Check out the latest specials from Site 59.

All Your Travel Needs In One Place - Find a flight, rental car, winter vacation, weekend getaway, or the adventure of a lifetime! You'll find everything you need from airline tickets to vacation packages to travel insurance, foreign currency exchange, and passport processing... It's all at TouristTravel.com!

What's New at TouristTravel.com

The Road Dog Tour travelogue is now online! Read of The Traveler's journey through the Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and California as he reconnects with his Road Dog ways - and find out exactly what a Road dog is! Read this entertaining travelogue and all The Traveler's past travelogues at our stories page.

We're always adding new resources and features for your travel and adventure. Make sure to check out the latest by visiting our What's New page.

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