Jess Moss Travel

Category: Articles

  • The Best New Travel Pillows, Reviewed

    Published on December 19, 2014 on MapQuest || You are getting very sleepy. Unfortunately, rather than crawling into bed, you’re waiting to board a red-eye flight with a full load. Enter the travel pillow. Sure, they’re a bit goofy looking—okay, sometimes more than a bit…

    And some of them seem to be more about making a statement than actually getting some comfortable shuteye while traveling. But the travel pillow is one of the most recognizable symbols of travel—just take a look at any airport news outlet, where you’ll likely see racks of these plush fuzzy U’s positioned invitingly at the front of the store.

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  • 3 Easy Ways to Earn Points for Free Travel

    3 Easy Ways to Earn Points for Free Travel

    Infinity pool in Balcones de Majagual Nicaragua

    Published October 29, 2014 on MapQuest || If you buy things online, use a credit card or eat at restaurants, you could be earning points to use towards a flight or hotel.

    The problem is, there are so many loyalty programs, credit card reward promotions and mileage mathematics blogs out there, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start.

    Some people earn major rewards by “churning” through credit cards, signing up for new ones regularly to take advantage of large sign-up bonuses. DailyFinance has a good article about how to do it.

    I recently tried the churning game, but soon learned it takes far more organization, dedication and credit card spending than I was willing to commit. Instead, I focused on trying to optimize the stuff I already do to get points and miles for travel.

    There are some really easy ways to earn points on everyday things like buying gas, shopping online or ordering delivery. Sure you’ll get to the free travel prize more slowly, but ignoring these options is like leaving free money on the table. Here’s how to do it. Read more…

  • Baseball Postseason Teams, Ranked by Who has the Best Ballpark Experience

    Published September 30, 2014 on MapQuest || The race for the World Series heats up this week as baseball postseason begins.

    Ten teams are in the running for the championship title (okay, two wild card teams won’t be in contention for very long), and a lot of people will be traveling to cheer on their teams.

    At MapQuest we’ve been baseball superfans all summer, decking out our phones in our teams’ colors, learning how to see everything in NYC before a Yankees game and debating where to get the best beer at every ballpark.

    We ranked all 30 major league stadiums based on their pregame, at-game and postgame food, drink, location and overall atmosphere. (The full rating criteria is explained here.) Below is how the 10 playoff teams stack up, and who should win the 2014 World Series if it were based on beers and brats, not balls and strikes. Read more…

  • Bring the Beach Home

    Bring the Beach Home

    Luquillo Beach

    Published August 22, 2014 on MapQuest || Didn’t make it to the beach this summer? No problem! Here’s how to bring your favorite beach to you.

    Summer vacation may be coming to a close, but there’s still plenty of warm weather left for a beach party. Can’t make it to the beach? Then bring it home to you with a do-it-yourself backyard beach party. Channel laid-back L.A. with an outdoor movie screening. Or get your Hawaiian hula on with a backyard luau. If that doesn’t excite you, crank up the stereo and create your own Miami pool party. Whatever your style, all you need is the following accessories and a little imagination. Read more…

  • Spot the Alaskan Big Five in Denali National Park

    Spot the Alaskan Big Five in Denali National Park

    Denali moose

    Published on August 15, 2014 on MapQuest || “If you see a bear, stay calm and get behind me. If you see a moose, run.”

    A few people in my hiking group chuckled nervously when Jeffrey, our twentysomething Patagonia-clad guide, delivered this warning. My mom, Margaret, who stood a few feet up the trail, shot me a “what the hell did you get me into” stare.

    I grinned back, bouncing with giddy excitement. Moose! Bears! This was exactly why I came to Alaska.

    For many nature-loving travelers, an African safari is the ultimate bucket list trip. The search for Africa’s “Big Five”—lions, elephants, cape buffalo, leopards and rhinos—is a wildlife watcher’s rite of passage. But most people don’t realize that you can get an epic safari experience here in the United States. Alaska has its own Big Five, and you can see them all in Denali National Park. Read more…

    The Denali Safari is part of MapQuest’s summer travel series: 99 Summer Travel Quests

    Click here for more Alaska photos.

  • Will You Really See Sharks Where ‘Sharknado,’ ‘Shark Week’ and ‘Jaws’ Were Filmed?

    Will You Really See Sharks Where ‘Sharknado,’ ‘Shark Week’ and ‘Jaws’ Were Filmed?

    south african shark

    Published July 28, 2014 on MapQuest || “Sharknado 2” is about to unleash a second storm of toothy terror, while “Shark Week” prepares to enchant viewers with its yearly run of aerodynamic great whites. Meanwhile, “Jaws” continues to scare beachgoers out of the water.

    Between TV and movie spots and the news flurry around shark sightings around the U.S., Jaws and Co. are living large this summer. With all the Hollywood fanfare and media frenzy, you’d think a shark encounter is a normal part of going to the beach. Read more…

  • Wieners of America: the Best Hot Dog in Every State

    Baejarins Beztu Pylsur

    Published July 22, 2014 on MapQuest || For every second of summer, 818 hot dogs will be consumed in America. That’s almost 50,000 wieners per minute.
    The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council reports that 7 billion hot dogs will likely end up in stomachs across the United States this summer. That’s about 22 hot dogs per American between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

    Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta were the country’s biggest hot dog guzzlers last year, but the all-American dish has a presence from sea to shining sea. Styles vary across the country, from types of meat to acceptable condiments and toppings. To celebrate National Hot Dog Day on July 23, we’ve rounded up the best places to go for wieners in every state. Below are the winners. Read more…

  • Be the Last Person in the United States to Watch the Sun Set

    Be the Last Person in the United States to Watch the Sun Set

    Anchorage sunset

    Published July 15, 2014 on MapQuest || Watching the sun set from the westernmost point in the United States means you’ll be the last person in the country to end the day. The problem is, Alaska’s Attu Island is not your typical sunset spot. In order to actually be the last person to see the day, you’ll have to overcome a few hurdles. Read more…

  • Hit with a Baseball Legend’s Bat

    Hit with a Baseball Legend’s Bat

    Published June 26, 2014 on MapQuest || Some people spend two or three hours at the Louisville Slugger factory museum exhibits. But the best way to understand the evolution of the game is to swing your way through generations of bat replicas in the Kentucky museum’s batting cage. Read more…

  • New York Pizza Crawl: 9 of NYC’s Best Pizzas in 1 Day

    New York Pizza Crawl: 9 of NYC’s Best Pizzas in 1 Day

    best pizza nyc

    Published July 9, 2014 on MapQuest || The cult of pizza is sacred in New York. Ask New Yorkers what the best pizza is and you’ll get a passionate, but varied, response from each person. There are lists and blogs dedicated to the search for pizza gold, and there’s rarely a consensus. My own quick poll of Facebook friends resulted in 19 different nominations.

    When I lived in the city, pizza was a central part of my life. Rosario’s filled my stomach at 4 a.m. after a night of dancing; Bellini’s delivery settled it during next-day hangovers. 2 Bros’dollar slices were a lunch lifeline to offset my soul-crushing apartment rent. Ray’swas such a late-night fixture for me and my circle that two of my friends stopped there the night they got engaged to share the happy news with their regular slice server.

    I had a pizza for every occasion, yet I had managed to chomp my way through six years of New York living without trying the city’s revered “best.” Read more…

    The New York City Pizza Crawl is part of MapQuest’s summer travel series: 99 Summer Travel Quests