One reason I studied biology in college and graduate school was the inspiration I received from my high school biology teacher, Mr. J. He would tell us about his journey to live with the wolves in Yellowstone, a pond water culture he kept going for several years, and -- of course -- his trip to the Galapagos Islands to retrace the steps of Charles … [Read more...]

Just over 180 people entered this week's giveaway, and with the two bonus opportunities there were over 300 total entries. Prize selection was completely random (I just push a button that says "Select Winners") but both the grand prize winner and one of the two runners up were selected from the 55 Facebook entries, so hopefully more of you consider … [Read more...]

I just touched on Global Entry yesterday and why everyone, including less frequent travelers, should consider signing up. Even if you don't fly internationally, the ability to speed through PreCheck on nearly ever trip, at a cost of only $20 a year, is quite a good deal. And I pointed out that if you get a NEXUS or SENTRI card (intended for … [Read more...]

Same day changes are offered by many airlines to allow you to move from one flight to another, usually but not always an earlier flight. Today I’ll discuss why these changes can be helpful for your travel schedule as well as how to find and request such a change. Each carrier has its own rules, which I summarize at the end of this post. In the … [Read more...]

While most of the information will be old hat to some, Scott McCartney does a good job in today's Middle Seat column from The Wall Street Journal when describing strategies by airlines and passengers alike to reduce the stress of summer travel this year. Some things, like staffing shortages and warnings of delays are nothing new. I'm not sure … [Read more...]