Via the Southwest Facebook account:

Southwest Airlines For 72-hours only! We’re celebrating 39 years with $39 one-way fares! (taxes, fees, and exclusions apply). Read all the details and book your tickets here:

You can get all the details and book here.

Here are a few more details:

For 72 Hours Only, We’re Gonna Party Like It’s Our Birthday!
No need to bring a present to this birthday bash; we’re giving you one instead! For the next three days, you can score some of our most amazingly awesome deals of the year for travel September 8 – November 17, 2010. Our gift to you!

Don’t miss out on this limited-time-only party favor. Book by June 24, and let the celebration live on through your next vacation!

Thanks to the internet it’s never been easier to save money while on vacation. I don’t know about you but before I buy anything online I always do a search for discount codes and coupons. It shouldn’t be any different when it comes to vacation.

While looking up different things to do in Miami I discovered that many of the tours offer discounts if you purchase your tickets online. In most cases the discounts are only $3 but if you have a large group/family or you plan to do a number of tours, it can add up quickly. I actually noticed the samething last year when I was looking up things to do in Playa Del Carmen. There were plenty of discounts to be found if you booked early and online. You could save 30% or more!

Don’t think the savings stop at tours and excursions. There’s plenty of websites out there to help you save money on dining as well. Restaurant.com is a great place to find deals when it comes to eating out. The website is very easy to use and let’s you search by zipcode, state or popular destinations. Just make sure you read the fine print. In some cases you have to spend X amount of dollars before you can use the coupon/gift card or it’s only good for X amount of people. You don’t want to show up with a coupon/gift card that you can’t use or that leaves someone out.

Another website that I’ve found recently is Groupon.Com. You sign up to recieve emails that contain discounts for various cities. We’re talking discounts and deals from everything from restaurants to spas and even zoo’s and attractions. It’s worth checking out. The best part is they email them to you but it’s always good to check out the website too for any surprise deals. Some of the cities they offer include Miami, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta and many more.

Obviously what I’ve shared here is just a small way to save some extra money while on vacation or planning one. As I mentioned before I always do a Google search for discounts/coupons to see what’s out there. It’s something that only takes a few minutes to do but might save you some money in the end.

Like most people out there I’ve been using Flickr to share pictures on blogs and just in general. Well, I started looking around for something a little different and better to show off vacation/travel photos and that’s when I found SmugMug. It’s very easy to use and to organize. What I really like about it though is the way it shows off your pictures. There are a few different color schemes/layouts to choose from to help make your little peice of SmugMug more personal. The only down side is they don’t offer any free levels except for the 14 day free trial.

They offer three different options which include Standard, Power & Pro. You can read about each one here. The prices start at $39.95 for Standard go up to $149.95 for Pro. Obviously if you’re just trying to find a place to share your pictures Standard is fine.

Like with many online companies there are always a few discount codes floating around. If you use my code Xmm6okD5b3Qyw you can save $5 on a membership. Another code and the one that I used when I signed up was Yahoo which saved you 50%! According to some websites the 50% off code is valid until 11/30. Of course to find more discounts just do a simple Google search and plenty of them will popup.

If you’d like to see SmugMug in action feel free to check out my page, Here & There.

MSN has a interesting, useful and somewhat funny article up right now called Keep your vacation moments memorable.

Basically the article gives you some tips on how to look good, or atleast decent, in your vacation and travel photos. The author of the article speaks to a few different professionals in the fields of hair, make up, clothing and photography. The advice is pretty basic and common sense but how many of us worry about some of these things while on vacation? When I take pictures I don’t think about lighting or anything like that. I just hope for a decent picture.

After reading the article though I think I’m going to try and use some of the advice on my next trip. The author of the article makes a great point. Who wants their pictures ruined because you looked a hot mess while standing in front of an amazing backdrop? In most cases you’ve spent a good amount of money on your trip. Why not put a little effort into looking good for pictures that will be around for years? I mean, really? Is this a picture I want to show off from my awesome vacation?

Not really. I look a hot mess. Actually, just a mess because there is nothing hot about it. Hopefully after following some of the advice in the article my Miami vacation pictures will look a little better.

I never had my own luggage until recently. In most cases I’d just use my parents luggage since we never really traveled together. I didn’t really have a need for my own. Then I realized it wouldn’t be a bad thing to have my own bags. The luggage that my parents own is great. It does the job and gets my stuff from one city to the next but it just doesn’t fit my style. If you picture an old couch from back in the day that would be the pattern/style of the luggage.

Having never bought luggage before I wasn’t sure where to start. I knew I didn’t want to spend an arm and leg since I don’t travel all that often but I didn’t want to limit myself to just one or two peices. I still wanted a full set and of course I wanted something that would last. That’s when I deceided to check out the Amazon Luggage Store. I’ve always found deals on things like movies and books, I’d figure what the hell. It wouldn’t hurt to look.

It didn’t take long to find some good deals. Some of the luggage sets I found were over 70% off! Not only that but with the Amazon review system I was able to find feedback on almost everything I looked at. Granted some products had more reviews then others but something is always better than nothing. Of course with using Amazon you can find a huge selection of brands. They have American Flyer, Coleman, Samsonite, Jansport and even some designer brands like Diane Von Furstenberg. Since they carry a ton of brands you’re bound to find something in your budget and because of the awesome deals they have you might even be able to afford something you might have been able to before. If you don’t believe me here are a sample of some of the deals and prices:

Diane Von Furstenberg Fence 4 piece set: $340 = 73% Off
International Traveller Aventura Frameless EVA 3 Pc Wheeled Expandable Luggage Set: $285 = 52% Off
American Flyer AF Signature 4 Piece Wheeled Luggage Set: $135 = 55% Off
Coleman Luggage High-Tech Lightweight 2-Piece Luggage Upright Set: $145.95 = 73% Off

As you can see just from that small sample, you can find all kinds of luggage on sale from complete sets to single bags. What did I end up buying? I bought the American Flyer Animal Print 5-Piece Luggage Set which I was able to score for $178.19. The list price was $500. If that’s not a deal I have no idea what is! I know you’re thinking shipping must’ve been pretty bad but the seller that used Amazon had free shipping. Be sure to check that out before you actually purchase your item! I had selected a different set of bags at first but quickly changed my mind when shipping was close to $80!

Now I’m not saying Amazon is the only place to find a great bargain or that the prices you find will be the lowest or best. You should always do research on prices before making a final purchase. A perfect example is when it comes to shipping. The set that would’ve cost $80 to ship might have had free shipping somewhere else but I didn’t want to bother looking. Instead I found something else that was similiar and had a better percentage off plus the free shipping.

In the end you have to make sure you’re comfortable with your choice and the amount you’re paying. It is your money after all!

VRBO is the first place I visit when I look for a vacation rental. In case you don’t know VRBO stands for Vacation Rentals By Owner. They started in 1995 and now have listings for over 150,000 properties all over the world. Yes, I said all over the world.

Their website is very simple to use and has various ways for you to search. You can search via state, city, country and more. Once you get to the location you need you can then search by price, specific location, number of people it sleeps, bedrooms and more. Next to each listing you’ll see a key that lets you know if the rental allows pets, what type of payment options they offer, if their listing has pictures or video and if anyone has left any feedback on the rental property. I feel the last thing I mentioned is very important. Just like with a hotel it’s nice to have reviews and feedback when selecting a place to stay.

When you select a listing you’ll see all kinds of information. In most cases you’ll find a very detailed description of the rental as well as the location. Some owners will let you know what attractions are nearby as well as some local places you should check out. Along with a detailed description you’ll find a section called “Vacation Rental Features” that breaks down everything you need to know. In this area they’ll let you know if the unit has a washer/dryer, what the kitchen features as well as what the rental has to offer outside like a patio or pool. Also you’ll find a breakdown of bed sizes such as if the property offers two queen beds, or a twin and a king or any other combination. Then of course at the end of the listing you’ll find information on the rates. Some are very detailed and others are basic.

In order to get accurate information about the rates you’ll need to use the form on the right hand side. It’s very simple and easy to use. You just let them know the dates you need and in most cases the owner gets back to you pretty quickly. Before you send an email though be sure to check out the calendar that lets you know when the property is available. This can be a huge time saver if the owner keeps the calendar up to date. If you see the time period you need is already booked you can then move onto the next property.

Having never used a vacation rental before I was nervous going into the process. I had no idea where to start or how it worked. Thanks to VRBO I now feel relaxed when looking and not overwhelmed by the process.