Sherman's Travel

There’s something so romantically American about a riverboat cruise. Perhaps it’s because they remind us of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Show Boat, Riverboat, and other great stories. But riverboats aren’t just for the Mississippi. The American Queen Steamboat Company, which runs a successful franchise on the Mississippi, recently announced they’ll be expanding their service to Oregon and Washington! Read more

Itching to get away before the summer crowds flock to the nation’s most popular destinations? We’ve rounded up the best last-minute deals to urban centers across the U.S. and Canada, so you can explore the continent’s most popular cities while saving big bucks this spring. Read more

Last week, President Obama designated five new national monuments. The White House noted that the monuments “help tell the story of significant people and extraordinary events in American history, as well as protect unique natural resources for the benefit of all Americans.” Read on to find out where they are and what they commemorate. Read more

If you’re reading this post in a part of the world where winter has not yet gracefully given way to spring, you’re no doubt longing to escape to a place with the precise weather you want. But what if you haven’t planned a spring getaway and don’t exactly have a lot of money to spend on one? Don’t fret, we’re here to help! Read more

We’ve all been there – you make plans to hit the slopes during winter, you blink, and suddenly spring is at your doorstep. Warmer weather and longer days are no doubt ahead of us, but that doesn’t mean that blustery ski hills are being imminently shut down. You may have to look a little harder or drive a bit farther, but there are still excellent deals to be had when visiting high-elevation ski resorts that keep the powder flowing right on through April. Here are some of our favorites. 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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Washington, D.C. is expecting its prominence in the convention world to explode once the Washington Marriott Marquis opens in May of 2014. Until then, it’s unlikely that the nation’s capital will rival Orlando or Las Vegas when it comes to handling mega-events, but it’s still quite capable of hosting plenty of people in the weeks ahead. After all, the inauguration alone is going to make its 68 square miles seem pretty crowded. In an effort to get you outside of the boardroom and into the wilds of D.C., we’re offering up two restaurants, two attractions, and one bar that you can hit with just a few extra hours between meetings.

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Looking for a unique, off-the-wall (or, more accurately, on the bridge) setting for this year’s holiday photo? The Golden Gate Bridge, which celebrated its 75^th anniversary in May, has added a seasonal twist to its green screen Photo Experience, which lets visitors pose for a photo that appears to be from atop the bridge’s mighty cables or a 746-foot-high tower.

In other words, a holiday photo that’s anything but ho-ho-hum.

The Photo Experience, which is offered in the Round House building at the southern entrance of the bridge, provides a variety of props, including Santa Hats for the little ones, strands of lights, and, my personal favorite, that swirly topper as shown on the lovely lady in the photo to the left. Visitors can bring their own props too but are encouraged not to wear green, as they’ll become invisible in the green screen.

I experienced the Photo Experience when it was first launched, and though the $20 fee for two 5×7 photos ($10 each for extras) seems a tad steep, it pretty much guarantees a memorable photo that will be talked about long after the holidays are over. Read more

Besides navigating their way through the winding streets of Venice or LA’s daunting six-lane highways, Droid users can now get step-by-step directions indoors with new maps for over 20 U.S. museums on the latest version of the Google Maps app. D.C.’s Smithsonian reaps the largest reward. Seventeen of its museums, with 2.7 million square feet of space (60 football fields), are now navigable using the app. Droid users simply zoom into the building and the interior map will appear. A toggle on the right allows users to choose which floor they are on. The maps show markers for restrooms, food courts, stairways, and exhibits. The flashing blue dot, your electronic compass, will now be your guide as you take the kids on a bathroom break at the National Zoo or find the Wright Brothers’ plane at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Just make sure to shift your eyes from the blue dot to the 45.53 carat blue-violet Hope Diamond when you’re at the Museum of Natural History.

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With temperatures soaring across most of the country, it’s hard for some of us to think about baking in the Caribbean sun. However, cold weather will be here before you know it, and with it a slew of new flights from the East Coast and Midwest to take advantage of tropical destinations.

Booking now for new JetBlue service from D.C. to San Juan (daily) and JFK to Samana, Dominican Republic (twice weekly) will score you big savings. Launching August 23, one-way fares on the San Juan route will be as low as $129 for travel through November 14 if you book by July 13; this will be the only non-stop flight between the U.S. capital and the Puerto Rican capital. Similarly, book by this Friday to secure one-way fares to Samana starting at $169 for flights from the November 14 launch date through February 9.

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