This Week in Travel: Week of Sept. 28 – Oct. 4, 2013

The US government shut down for the first time in 17 years, thwarting tourists’ plans in Washington, DC — but it was business as usual for the rest of the world in this week in photos. Whether you’re trying to salvage your vacation — or trying to forget the whole thing — our favorite travel bloggers came to the rescue.

If you had a trip planned to one of the nation’s nearly 400 national parks, historic sites and monuments in the near future, you’re most likely working on rescheduling your vacation. The Daily Traveler has put together a list of government shutdown alternatives featuring ways to visit historic sites and still get a dose of history to work around the indefinite closing of the nation’s national monuments and parks this week.

When it comes to planning your next trip, Nomadic Matt has 17 easy tips to help with the process. Stemming from his personal experiences, Matt’s helpful tips include everything from picking a destination and planning activities to automating your bills and telling your credit card companies you’re traveling.

When you’re tight on money for the trip you’re planning, Johnny Jet suggests that travelers remember there’s always a couch to stay on if you can’t afford a hotel. Couchsurfing.org matches adventurous travelers with hosts that open their homes to strangers looking to explore the globe.

If you’re flying this fall and find that the airplane seats are a little too close for comfort, know you’re not alone. According to a post on Gadling, 9 out of 10 passengers would like to see reclining airplane seats banned. Next time, look behind before you recline.

Family History Month: Find Your Roots Through Travel

October is Family History Month, and with it there’s ample opportunity to dig deeper into your family roots. An estimated 80 million Americans are following that interest, making genealogy one of the most popular hobbies in America. For travelers, a focus on genealogy can also translate into a deeper travel experience — check out these tips from genealogist D. Joshua Taylor of FindMyPast.com for uncovering your family history while traveling:

• Contact the local genealogical society in advance of your visit, they might have evening hours or be willing to open their doors for you to help with your research. Local volunteers often know cemeteries, historic sites and other key areas.

• Use old city directories at the public library to find the address where your relatives might have lived. Go visit (but be sure to check older maps in case street names have changed).

• Search for local newspaper indexes – or the newspapers themselves – at local libraries.

• Take some crayons and large paper along to make rubbings from gravestones. Preserving symbols and inscriptions can be a wonderful “keepsake” when you return home.

• When visiting capital cities, visit the state archives or historical society to conduct research. Always, always, always check the family files at local archives and societies. They often contain one-of-a-kind resources not found online.

• It never hurts to schedule a few moments with distant relatives – who knows what letters or diaries they might have!

• Keep coins nearby – many local libraries and other repositories require payment for copies in change.

Government Shutdown: Travel Alternatives

Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. When we compiled our list of Things to Do in October, we sure were betting on Acadia National Park and the Grand Canyon as 2 great spots to spend quality travel time this month. Then a little matter called the government shutdown occurred, and soon enough what seemed like 2 really cool travel ideas turned into one big letdown.

We’re sorry, guys, and for what it’s worth, we’re as bummed as you as we watch the news reports. Since Tuesday’s shutdown, Grand Canyon visitors have been turned away en masse, ditto for Acadia National Park. In fact, all national parks, which “belong to the American people, and the American people should have the right to come in,” are now closed until further notice. We can’t even check out their websites, including the adorable panda cam at DC’s National Zoo.

You don’t have to plan a big trip out West or along the East Coast to realize the impact of this shutdown. Something as simple as a jog around a favorite local park is now off-limits, if it’s under National Park Service stewardship – and lest you think of even trying to set foot on NPS ground, you could face arrest. We wouldn’t want that. But we don’t want you to idle your month away, either.

So in the spirit of American resilience — and because, well, we can’t let the good ole boys and gals in our nation’s capital get us down — we propose these travel alternatives. You will have fun this month – government shutdown or not!

Let’s start with the Grand Canyon. As you drive away, grumbling under your breath that the great off-season trip you were hoping for won’t happen as planned, take heart: The Hualapai people have you covered. This Native American tribe oversees a swath of land to the west of the Grand Canyon – and that includes the part where you’ll find the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Check out Hualapai Tourism (yep, their site is up!) and get Skywalk info.

As for Acadia, well, we’re not going to lie: Its closure is a major blow to leaf-peepers everywhere. But Main’s office of tourism suggests that visitors enjoy the fall colors other ways. “While Acadia National Park is one of our featured attractions, there are so many other things to enjoy in Bar Harbor and on Mount Desert Island,” says Chris Fogg, executive director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce. “The area’s brilliant fall foliage will be at its peak over the next few weeks, businesses are open, and there are many ways to enjoy some of Maine’s most beautiful coastline,” he adds.

And let’s not forget the state parks – they’re all open, coast to coast, and they could help save your vacation. Everything from the Blue Ridge Parkway to Red Rock State Park, are open to visitors – check out Wiki’s full list of state parks.

Government shutdown or not, let’s make this a month to remember!

Meet a traveller: Jessica Crouch, Lonely Planet Online Editorial team member and overland travel enthusiast

We get some of our best trip inspiration by chatting to fellow travellers. We caught up with Lonely Planet’s very own Jessica Crouch, part of our Online team and a tireless overland traveller, to pick her travel brain.

Jessica during a Spanish sunset. Image by Jessica Crouch.

What is your first travel-related memory?
Being introduced to the pilot in the cockpit of a Melbourne–Sydney flight when I was about four. He didn’t seem to be doing very much, it was confusing.

Where was your last trip?
Overland from Hanoi to London, going through China, Mongolia, Russia and Eastern Europe. I set myself the challenge of only catching buses, trains, and the occasional jeep. A sleeper bus packed to the rafters with what were probably smuggled goods en route from China to Mongolia was surprisingly comfortable.

Where is your next trip?
I’m going to take it a bit easier on the next trip and go and explore southwest France.

Aisle or window seat?
Definitely aisle – I hate climbing over snoring people to go to the toilet.

Do you have any travel habits or rituals?
The ‘rule of three’ when packing. I first read about this concept on Lonely Planet author Tim Richards’ blog. Only pack three t-shirts, three pairs of trousers or shorts etc into a carry-on bag. It might seem extreme but it has changed the way I travel – I feel more mobile, have a less sore back and find myself buying fewer useless souvenirs.

Favourite city or country?
China.

What is the best/worst piece of travel advice you’ve received?
‘Climbing that mountain before sunrise will only take you about 15 minutes!’ (It was an hour of climbing, in the dark, before breakfast. Grrr.)

Standing on frozen Lake Baikal, Listvyanka, Russia, on a break in the Trans-Siberian journey. Image by Jessica Crouch.

What’s your biggest travel fail?
Finally making it to Muktinath after eight days of trekking the Annapurnas and then getting locked into the temple grounds when they closed up for the day. Had to scale the fence but even struggled doing that because my legs were so tired.

Quick, an asteroid is going to hit the earth in one week! Which is the one travel dream you’d rush to fulfil?
Catch a fishing (not pirate) boat across the Red Sea from Yemen to Eritrea.

What is your best or worst travel souvenir?
A comb made out of a bull’s horn that a Chinese student gave me for helping with his English homework on a 40-hour train journey to Beijing.

What advice would you give a first time traveller?
Go for at least a month and it will change you forever.

Got some travel stories of your own? We know you do. Share your travel habits, dreams and disasters with Lonely Planet on Twitter and Facebook.

Lonely Planet’s travel fails: mistakes, mishaps and embarrassment on the road

At Lonely Planet, we know travel – but that doesn’t mean we always get it right. We asked Lonely Planet staff and authors about mistakes they’ve made on the road, and they shared embarrassing encounters, transport disasters and some highly regrettable kebabs. Here are some of Lonely Planet’s best (and most cringe-worthy) travel fails.

Lost your way? Image by tabsinthe. CC BY 2.0.

Fogged up at India’s Taj Mahal

After a romantic stay in Varanasi, we were newly engaged and giddy with excitement. The final leg of our trip would be a 12-hour overnight train to Agra. Unfortunately the train took a full 27 hours, which we spent in an overbooked 2nd class sleeper that hadn’t been cleaned since the previous passengers.  Despite sharing a tiny bunk with no linen or food (we only had a few Pringles to keep us going), our excitement to see the Taj Mahal hadn’t dimmed.

We arrived the following evening, missing the day we’d planned to explore Agra. Our train back to Delhi for an onward flight was at 8am the next morning, so we awoke at 5am, still determined to see the Taj. We were stunned to see a shroud of fog so thick that it completely obscured the Taj Mahal. These days I joke that I touched the Taj, but never actually got to see it.

Anna Parker, Research Analyst in LP’s London office

Iconic, impressive, invisible? Anna in front of the Taj Mahal. Image by Anna Parker.

Lost in translation in Mexico

I speak Spanish learned in Spain where it’s perfectly acceptable to say ‘voy a coger el autobus ’ (take the bus). Unfortunately when I was in Mexico and I used the same phrase I was actually saying I was going to do something unspeakable to the bus…

Becky Henderson, Foreign Rights Manager

Chivalry lives in Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia

Take a hungry wife. Add a prawn massaman curry. Combine with a recent history of tummy trouble. And stand well back. Or not, in my case, as a husband can’t just sit on his hands (or stifle hysterical laughter with them) when the rendang hits the fan. My beloved can’t have been more than halfway through her meal when it happened: that bowel-emptying spasm familiar to many a hardened traveller. I didn’t need to be told any more; the expression, the raised eyebrows, the hint of self-loathing – all bore eloquent testimony to her predicament, which was amplified by the choice of a short, clingy dress. Improvisation was key here: I excused myself, purchased a copy of the Langkawi Gazette from the kiosk outside, then fashioned a makeshift ‘skirt’ of newspaper to drape casually over her nether regions. We waited until the nearest patrons were probing their own meals, then paid the bill and shuffled in lockstep – with a telltale ruffle of newsprint – toward the exit.

James Kay, Digital Editor

Marooned on a pedalo

Travel involving sport is not my thing. Although I’ve hiked Tiger Leaping Gorge, biked around Lake Bled and scuba-dived in Croatia it has always been with a sense of my own impending doom.  However, in Riva del Garda I was presented with something that could scarcely be described as an extreme pursuit: a pedalo ride.  After setting off, it was evident that I had natural talent and with the James Bond theme echoing in my head, I began to push the limits of my new-found skill.  Sure, we could steam through the main arch in the moat of Riva’s castle, but why not go through the smaller arch – the one with craggy rocks surrounding it?  There was a loud, sudden crunch that vibrated below our feet and we stopped moving.  Fifteen minutes later completely devoid of movement but full of crunching sounds, we began to get the attention of the tourists ahead.  We soon had a mob on our hands, shouting advice and catcalling in multiple languages.  They got a hell of a show; I fell in the moat twice, my first mate burst into hysterical tears and nautical English swear words punctuated the air.  To a wave of applause, we eventually got ourselves free and with seaweed wrapped around my hands, I gave our fans a final naval salute.

Joe Revill, Foreign Rights Coordinator

Pedalos – hopefully with a capable crew. Image by Irene Grassi. CC BY-SA 2.0.

Orange you glad you packed mosquito repellent?

While backpacking across Europe we had to spend a night in a tiny Greek train station before our onward connection to Istanbul. I was paranoid I would be bitten by mosquitoes – I’m like catnip to bitey things, which can make for an uncomfortable holiday. I must have applied repellent in my sleep (and pretty furiously at that) because when I woke up I was bright orange, from head to toe. I had to wash my foul-smelling ‘tan’ off at a water pump with all the locals pointing and laughing at me.

Jo Cooke, Associate Publisher in LP’s London office

My British tourist shame

In Chile in 1998 I was keen to hide my Britishness in order to avoid unwanted attention. The British government, you see, had just arrested General Pinochet the former Chilean dictator and British travellers had been advised to lie a little low.

When asked by Chilean teenager in the laid-back seaside town of La Serena where I was from I thought for a second and, reasoning it was unlikely anyone would call my bluff, claimed I was from Holland. Said teenager then began to speak to me in what seemed to be fluent Dutch. I was exposed and gobsmacked, and so confessed to my English nationality.

For the remainder of my stay in the town I was hooted at by the young man’s friends not for being British but for trying to hide it in such a ham-fisted fashion.

Tom Hall, Editor of lonelyplanet.com

Takeaway during a Chinese typhoon

During a volunteer teaching trip to eastern China one summer, a typhoon hit the town where my group was staying. We were barricaded inside our guesthouse, which flooded over the entire ground floor, for several days. The first night, we watched a van being washed away as the canal just outside slowly overflowed. We’d stocked up foodstuffs (read: wine, crisps and Oreos) for the first day, not realising the severity of the situation. We eventually had to hail down a rickshaw driver from our guesthouse window to deliver us instant noodles, which we pulled up on a makeshift rope made of bedsheets.

Megan Eaves, Online Content Producer

Not quite the Venice of the East – Megan’s view over the flooded streets. Image by Megan Eaves.

Bullied by hair-braiders in Bali

Kuta, Bali. I am 23 and on the first day of my world travels. Braving the markets I am bullied into hair plaiting for which a price has not been agreed. I pay what seems fair and flee, pursued by a posse of threatening young men. Outside my bungalow they loiter with intent; night soon draws in. The ‘emergency’ 20-dollar note gifted by a friend is retrieved from my backpack and relinquished. I am alone.

Sarah Bennett, Lonely Planet Author

Stranded in Uruguay’s dullest town

The closest I’ve come to death by boredom was when I travelled overland from Uruguay to the Iguazu Falls. Unfortunately, I got the bus connection wrong so ended up spending 10 daylight hours in a small town where the only thing of interest was a collection of perfume bottles from the 1950s. I was on my own, I’d finished my book and there was no internet café. By the end of the day, I had resorted to making patterns in my skin with the prongs of a plastic fork. The café waitress seemed unconcerned…

Dora Whitaker, Commissioning Editor in LP’s London office (bruises easily)

So close, yet so far from my hostel

Having spent spent most of my day travelling from Hiroshima to Osaka, navigating the bullet train, subway system, traffic and pedestrians, I finally arrived outside my hostel… only to find I don’t have a booking. After checking in anyway, I head outside to look around – and find the actual hostel I’ve booked next door.

Drew Miller, UI Developer

Abandoning a car in Iceland

My friends and I spent a glorious week driving Iceland’s 832-mile Ring Road. It’s a major route, but there are still unpaved and rocky stretches. At the trip’s end, about 50 miles from Reykjavik, our rental car let out a metallic clank which devolved into wailing screech, so we had to abandon it in a parking lot. Fortunately, the rental company was used to this sort of thing and said they’d find it and pick it up for us so we could make our flight (which we did, by bus instead).

Rachel Berg, Content Producer in Lonely Planet’s Oakland office

Rachel’s rental car on its last legs. Image by Rachel Berg.

Hungover in Hong Kong

‘Airport bus?’ we screeched at the bewildered taxi driver, expertly brandishing our battered maps after 3 months on the road. Off we trundled into the Happy Valley rush hour, having awoken in a panicked haze of pounding headaches minutes earlier. Not a bus stop in sight… Finally, Bus A-something! The minutes ticked by until, amidst some far-flung industrial estate, we realised this was not the speedy route we were counting on. 9am, Hong Kong International Airport. Flight boarding. We heard the sound of our final, very expensive flight from Hong Kong back to London leaving without us.

Isabella Noble, freelance travel writer

Regrettable Chinese kebab

My travel buddies and I saw a lovely little kebab vendor in the middle of a park in Yangshuo, China, and ordered what we thought was lamb with noodles and fresh chillies. It tasted unusually gristly so we double checked with the vendor, as best we could with limited Mandarin, what we were actually eating, to which he replied to me ‘meow, meow’ and my friend ‘ruff, ruff’. I’ve been a vegetarian ever since.

Rosi Croom, Admin Assistant

Have you failed harder than this on your travels? Tweet your own travel failures @lonelyplanet using the hashtag #oopsLP or share them on our Thorn Tree Travel forum.

Will the US government shutdown affect your travel plans?

Unless you’re marooned on a blissfully wifi-free island, you won’t have failed to notice the headlines about the US government shutdown over the past few days. But what does it mean for travellers in the States, and should you change your plans?

Arches National Park is just one of the popular travel destinations affected by the shutdown. Image by Mike Nielsen. CC BY-SA 2.0.

This week, the US government began a partial shutdown after failing to agree a budget. Hundreds of thousands of government staff have been told to stay at home, meaning that federal buildings and services, museums and National Parks have shut their doors.

Tourist sites from war memorials to National Parks are closed for business until further notice. A few of the most popular US attractions reported to be shut include:

Yellowstone National Park – and all other US National Parks.The Statue of Liberty.Smithsonian museums.Lincoln Memorial.Alcatraz.

Make sure you check the official website of your chosen destination before you travel there.

Travellers hoping to visit American military cemetery sites outside the US may also find their plans disrupted. Twenty-four military cemeteries overseas, including the Normandy American Cemetery, are currently closed.

Border control, immigration, air traffic control and airport security staff are considered essential, so these services are still operating. Travellers should have no trouble completing their flight itineraries into and around the USA. Likewise, rail networks aren’t experiencing disruption so travellers can still embark on train trips.

Travellers with their hearts set on hiking through Arches National Park or finally visiting the Statue of Liberty may be disappointed if their time in the USA is short – there’s no sign yet how long the shutdown will continue. Travellers with flexible itineraries might want to consider staying a little longer in the States to be in with a chance of seeing their dream sights.

But don’t assume your chosen site will be shut. For example, monuments and parks owned by individual states (such as in California) are open for business – so take a look at their website to find out if you can visit. And states are rushing to persuade travellers that there’s still plenty to see outside the federally run sites (check out these great recommendations from the states of Utah and Arizona).

If you find yourself wandering aimlessly between chained gates and ‘museum closed’ signs, check out our USA page for some inspiration. And check in with how other travellers are handling the shutdown on our Thorn Tree forum.

To help those whose travel plans may be affected, we’ve made our National Parks, Washington DC and USA planning chapters available as free PDF downloads. Our National Parks and Washington DC guides contain helpful information on what to do in the area, making it a great resource for those who planned a trip to those National Parks or Washington DC but can’t access the areas or sights they planned to visit. The USA planning chapter will also come in handy in giving alternative ideas of what else to do in the USA.

Snap up your free PDF downloads any time from now until Sunday October 6 at 23:59PST.

Responsible travel with Lonely Planet & TOMS

We’re very excited to announce that we’ve partnered with TOMS around travel, sustainability and Lonely Planet’s 40th anniversary!

Lonely Planet and TOMS share in the belief that travelers can make a positive impact all across the planet. ‘Sustainable’ and ‘responsible’ have been part of our vocabulary since Lonely Planet was founded 40 years ago. Those values are at the core of our mission. While traveling in Argentina in 2006, TOMS founder, Blake Mycoskie, witnessed the hardships faced by children growing up without shoes and it was this travel experience that inspired the foundation for TOMS business: for every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS will a donate another new pair to a person in need.

We’ve joined forces to bring you Lonely Planet’s Guide to Responsible Travel, a mini-guidebook featuring Lonely Planet’s best tips and ideas for having a positive impact on the world while traveling. You can get this book today as a free digital magazine (you can also print it and download it).

In addition, TOMS has created a limited-edition shoe, inspired by 40 years of travel with Lonely Planet. The shoe will be offered exclusively through competitions hosted on TOMS.com (USA, Canada & UK only, except where prohibited), LonelyPlanet.com (USA & Canada only, except where prohibited) and through our social media channels (Lonely Planet – Facebook, @lonelyplanet – Twitter, TOMS – Instagram, @TOMS – Twitter) through 15 August, 2013.

Happy responsible travels!

Seven of the most treasured travel souvenirs (as voted by you)

Tired of snowdomes and T-shirts? Have a few too many fridge magnets? In an entirely non-scientific survey, we asked Lonely Planet fans on Facebook to tell us about their most treasured travel souvenirs. It turns out that the best keepsakes are often the things that pesos and pounds can’t buy…

‘Hong Kong couple‘ by bryangeek. Creative Commons Attribution licence.

Awwwww. A new boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife was the most common travel souvenir among our Facebook followers. We’re feeling warm and fuzzy.

‘Smoking women‘ by twicepix. Creative Commons Attribution licence.

Sure, it’s cheesy, but our Facebook fans agree that the experience gained through travel and exposure to foreign cultures has changed them as people. You don’t know until you go…

‘Egyptian Highlight‘ by sonofgroucho. Creative Commons Attribution licence.

Travel souvenirs aren’t always a reminder of the happy times. On the bright side, once you’re no longer in pain you can laugh about it.

‘Burns to my face after falling asleep on a Chinese junk in the midday, overcast, humid conditions of Phang Nga Bay’ – Louisa

‘A scar, from my appendicitis surgery in Peru!’ – Christian

’100+ mosquito bites in Cambodia!’ – Danial

‘This is Africa!‘ by Fotoffigrafie. Creative Commons Attribution licence.

Sometimes a fond memory, sometimes a regret, but always something to talk about – tattoos rank high in the list of treasured travel souvenirs. Just be sure to double-check that really is the Chinese character for peace.

‘Dandelion‘ by Bert Heymans. Creative Commons Attribution licence.

It’s often the story behind a souvenir rather than the object itself that makes it special. We love these tales of generosity on the road:

‘Our group was at a train station in Moscow, heading for the airport. A Russian teenage boy approached me and said, “You are American, yes?” “Yes.” “And you are on your way back to America now…” “Yes.” He then said, “I know that I will never get to go to America. I want to know that something of mine is in America. Please take this back with you.” And he took out his keys, took off his keychain and handed it to me. I’ve had that keychain now for 22 years and it never fails to make my eyes teary when I think about it.’ – Felice

‘A St. Patrick medal that was given to me by a stranger when I was waiting with my bags at Victoria Station in London.’ – Aida

‘Shortly after 9/11, I did a tour of Southern & Eastern Turkey. There were about 12 of us, all American. Many, many times we heard something like “all of Turkey mourns with you”. One day, our van stopped for gas. A couple of people got out to stretch their legs and got to talking to the proprietor. As soon as he found out we were American, he sent a boy into the adjacent store. The boy emerged with some glass bowls – probably the only thing that there were 12 of. The proprietor insisted that we each take one as a gift. The bowl is cheap, ugly, and useless. I would not part with it for anything.’ – Kathy

‘Room Key‘ by macaron*macaron(Est Bleu2007). Creative Commons Attribution licence.

Things that weren’t meant to be souvenirs but, well, they wound up heading home with you anyway.

‘My room key from my hostel in London, I couldn’t bear to give it back!’ – Jess

‘A fossilised snail I found while trekking in Bolivia.’ – Matthew

7. Prehistoric shark teeth

‘Giant Great White Shark Teeth‘ by Ryan Somma. Creative Commons Attribution licence.

Maybe it’s not the most popular souvenir on the list, but definitely something to show the grandchildren: one LP fan going by the name of ‘Sharky’ (we wonder where he got that nickname) came home with some megalodon teeth after a diving trip in North Carolina. Jawsome.

Can you top these strange souvenirs? Share your story with Lonely Planet on Facebook and Twitter.