THE CONTEST: In honor of the newly revised THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHEAP TRAVEL: SAVE UP TO 90% ON LODGING, FLIGHTS, TOURS, CRUISES, AND MORE! this week’s contest was a travel theme.It is officially over now.
THE WINNER: Alas, no one said the magic word. I have decided not to say what that was because I would like to do this contest again around the holidays. However, I really want to give a book away and I loved this entry (see comment box below) so I have decided to award her the book. Congratulations, Lorelei! (Please send me a facebook message or submit a comment on my website with your mailing address so that I can get that to you). Thanks to all who participated.
NEXT UP: Friday starts the final contest, GHOSTS GALORE. This contest is in honor of my latest book, Ghosts of the Carolinas for Kids (Published October 2011) and in honor of Halloween, which is only a few weeks away! So be sure to check back for details on this fun contest. I will post all the pertinent information on www.terrancezepke.com and on my facebook page. Also, I will be posting lots of good info on fall festivals, ghost tours, etc. on my website. You can subscribe to my blog to receive notification of new posts.
Terrance Zepke studied Journalism at the University of Tennessee and later received a Master's Degree in Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina. She has studied Parapsychology at the renowned Rhine Research Center. She began her career as a freelance writer and photographer, ... 
Terrance, the worst vacation trip 4me was renting a vehicle(van) to drive round trip w/my family to tampa,fla from greensboro,nc. I had checked w/local airport rental co 4 ten days prior to departure date to ensure vehicle was available. Upon arrival at airport no vehicle could be found even though we had a reservation! No apology was given,just too bad was their answer. Had to drive across town to find another suitable van which put us way behind starting our trip. Everybody was in a bad mood in our van.!
Winning entry: got to the airport to go to Hawaii,told my daughter to grab what was in the trunk and he grabed the bag with the flairs in it. had to go to the secuirty. and they held it till we returned… i also threw up all the way and flew in the bathroom and the pilot told my husband to take me to my seat. i said arrest me. they lie never ever drink when you fly….(submitted by Lorelei)
Q. When is “off” in Hawaii? I am looking to save a few $$$ and avoid the crowds. I can’t find anything that says when is the best time of the year to go.
A. That’s a great question. Hawaii is fairly busy year round due to its year round good weather. So bargains are harder to find, but Hawaii is most popular (high season) when the weather is bad everywhere else, usually mi-December – early April. The last two weeks of December are very busy so expect to pay top dollar for everything from airfare to car rentals.
The off season is when you’ll find the best rates and least crowds. This is mid-April – mid-June and mid-September – mid-December. And the best part is that the weather is great! Please note that Hawaii is very popular with Japanese tourists. So, try to avoid the end of April/first of May when there are three Japanese holidays known as Golden Week.