Sherman's Travel

After a long, bitterly cold winter, we’re beginning to see the first signs of spring. Flowers of all types are in bloom, and in many places throughout the country, that blossoming is celebrated with festivals featuring music, food, fun and games, and naturally, flowers. We’ve picked five of our favorite floral festivals in April and May to help you get a spring in your step. Read more

In the harried chaos of airports, a frequent-flier lounge is a veritable oasis. Several airlines offer passengers quiet corners to unwind before takeoff, where they can enjoy drinks, WiFi, and a bit of peace. A drawback is many lounges, though secluded, don’t offer much in the way of views. If you’re lucky enough to find a spot with a window, the most you can hope to see is a small patch of the runway or an abandoned luggage cart. Plus, as much as you’d love to crack open that window a smidge, you still won’t get a whiff of fresh air until touchdown. Delta Air Lines will change that with plans to construct lounges that offer all their standard luxuries, and more. Read more

Winter time can prove to be an even bigger headache than usual for air travel. Blustering winds and pesky snowstorms regularly clog major air-hubs from New York City to Chicago (and everywhere in between), causing frustrating flight delays and cancellations. Spare yourself the stress of lengthy, invasive security procedures, and unreliable service by taking the train for your next getaway.

Fares for many of North America’s regional train lines are available for less this season. Here’s some of our favorite deals on rails.

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Hot-lanta is actually pretty temperate in December, making it a premiere location for conferences, events, and even a personal trip down to enjoy the best of what Georgia’s biggest peach has to offer. In an effort to get you outside of the boardroom and into the wilds of Atlanta, we’re offering up two restaurants, two attractions, and one bar that you can hit with just a few extra hours between meetings.

If your second home for the week is the Georgia World Congress Center, you may need a spot to take a client for a taste of what’s local. If so, there’s a spot called Glenn’s Kitchen just a quick hop away. It’s upscale local, with items like bread pudding and North Georgia Trout. As a bonus, those that can’t get enough can return and ask for the wine menu – it’s even bigger than the the grub menu, if you can believe it. Read more

Today’s breed of Halloween-themed attractions grows more terrifying every year, making the haunted hayrides of bygone eras look like tea parties in comparison. This year is no exception, as many venues have upped the fright factor with freaky new themes (bloodthirsty humanoid centipedes, anyone?), mazes designed for solo exploration, and more serial killer clowns than you can shake a scythe at.

Nobody seems scared off; in fact, brave souls are flocking to these Halloween attractions in such high numbers that many parks have added a fast-pass ticketing option that allows visitors to bypass the lines. Here are our picks for the scariest Halloween attractions in 2012. Check them out – if you dare. Read more

Climbing enthusiasts have yet another reason to consider the South for their next adventure: a 140-foot climbing wall in Historic Banning Mills Adventure Park (about 45 minutes west of Atlanta) that was recently certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s tallest freestanding climbing wall.

The 14-story structure, which received its Guinness certification on December 10, is the newest addition to the nonprofit adventure park. The professionally designed wall, which required about six months of construction, offers challenging routes (all belayed, no free climbing) for climbers of all skill levels, with nine lanes, including two 95-foot rappel walls, four overhangs, a traversing overhang, and a chimney. Read more

It’s hard to beat Megabus’ consistently low fares (seats start at just $1), but the discount bus service has found a way: To celebrate the opening of its Atlanta hub, 10,000 passengers will score free seat on the new routes, each valid for travel from November 16 to December 16. The service, launching November 16, links Atlanta to 11 southern cities: Birmingham, AL; Charlotte, NC; Chattanooga, TN; Gainesville, FL; Jacksonville, FL; Knoxville, TN; Memphis, TN; Mobile, AL; Montgomery, AL; Nashville, TN; and Orlando, FL.

THE VALUE: It’s free!

THE CATCH: Free seats are based on availability and only offered on select dates.

THE DETAILS: Visit www.megabus.com, and use promo code ATL10K.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on hotels, packages, and more travel deals.

Budget Rent a Car thinks you might if the price were right.

The rental car service has added 15 advertisement-wrapped cars to its inventory in Atlanta, and will let travelers drive these roving billboards off the lot through November for some steeply discounted rates, USA Today reports. Plus, anyone who opts into this promotion stands to score some swag and promotional materials from the vehicle’s sponsor (currently: Sheets energy strips).

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Fancy a pre-flight tipple? Throughout the summer, select Delta Sky Clubs are hosting tastings featuring Tequila Avión – a new edition to the airline’s airport lounge menu – in creative cocktails designed by expert mixologists. Sample city-specific libations like the Flying Watermelon (tequila, watermelon juice, lime juice, agave nectar, and basil) or the Tailwind (tequila, lime juice, cucumber, and mint). Watch for the free cocktails at happy hours at select Sky Clubs in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York (at JFK and Laguardia); swing by on Thursdays from 5-7 pm, except at LAX where tastings run from 7-9pm.

Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates and travel deals on flights.

Callaway Gardens, a resort about 60 miles south of Atlanta, markets itself as a place where families can enjoy quality time together while getting back to nature. That’s all good, but its wholesome reputation had me slightly skeptical that the property’s new TreeTop Adventure, a combination ropes course and zip line nestled high in the trees that opened in mid-May, would be, well, bland enough for Mom, Dad, Junior, and maybe even Grandma.

So, just a few minutes into the experience, my inner adventure snob is more than impressed. Guides call these 24 aerial challenges, some of which are about 30 feet high, “games” – but then, so would Jason Bourne. For mere mortals, they’re no joke: suspended logs, bridges, and even a series of more than a dozen narrow swings to navigate, one by one, the latter of which was so tricky for me I prayed mightily for the security of my safety clips and harness.

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