Charlotte is No. 4 on list of 2015 cheap-o travel hot spots

The discount ticket-booker priceline.com announced  on Wednesday its "Top Travel Hot Spots for 2015."

Unlike many of the myriad "top 2015" lists, Priceline's is based on affordability -- specifically, the average per-market, per-day room rate in 2014.

The rankings:

1. Dallas ($86.31; a shot of Dallas is at the top of this post)

2. Salt Lake City ($88.24)

3. Orlando, Fla. (89.57)

4. Charlotte ($92.37)

5. Phoenix ($93.44)

6. Tampa, Fla. ($94.03)

7. Las Vegas ($96.27)

8. Atlanta ($96.99)

9. Louisville, Ky. ($101.69)

10. San Antonio ($102.69)

11. Houston ($103.72)

12. Orange County, Calif.  ($107.91)

13. Minneapolis ($106.69)

14. Denver ($109.20)

15. Portland, Ore. ( $109.30)

These are  major metropolitan areas that are de facto hubs for major conventions or -- like Charlotte, Salt Lake City and Louisville --  aspiring ones; they include Sunbelt and Snowbelt cities where tourism ebbs and flows at various times of the year.

As prices are market-driven, off-season discounts probably reduce the average costs of popular places like Orlando, San Antonio and Orange County -- all warm places stocked with major American theme parks.

Priceline's second "top 2015" list, also released Wednesday, is based on that site's advance hotel reservations at domestic and foreign destinations -- a better indicator of a city or area's tourist pull:

Domestic

1. Orlando

2. Las Vegas

3. New Orleans

4. Miami

5. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

6. New York City

7. Orange County

8. Boston

9. Atlanta

10. Oahu, Hawaii

Non-domestic

1. Puerto Rico

2. Cancun/Cozumel, Mexico

3. London

4. Rome

5. Costa Rica

6. Paris

7. Toronto

8. Los Cabos, Mexico

9. Sydney

10. Barcelona, Spain

What does 'America's Favorite Place' have that Charlotte doesn't? A statue of a gigantic termite, for starters

Want to have a good time? Head to Providence, R.I.

That city topped the list of "America's Favorite Places," a survey of readers of Travel + Leisure magazine.

The rest of the top five? Houston, Kansas City, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Los Angeles.

People could vote for 38 cities in six categories -- culture, shopping, quality of life, people, nightlife and food and drink -- that were in turn broken out into 67 subcategories.

Travel + Leisure said the results are based on more than 50,000 votes that ranked  cities. The results will be featured in the magazine's November issue, which will be on newsstands Oct. 17.

Don't get your hopes up. Charlotte has no bragging rights here.

 In fact, no cities in North Carolina made any top-five "best of," though the link at the bottom of the online roster has a link to a page where you can type in an N.C.  metro area -- from Boone and Asheville all the way to Wilmington -- and vote if you disagree with the survey results.

However you vote (choices run from Anchorage, Alaska, to Key West, Fla.), your completing the online do-you-disagree  survey enters you for a chance at a vacation getaway.

But it doesn't change the published overall results.

The only place in the two-state area to win any nods was Charleston:

No. 1 for architecture/cool buildings

No. 1 for romantic escape

No. 2 for shopping at antiques stores

No. 2 for relaxing weekend

No. 3 for historical sites

No. 4 for cleanliness

No. 4 for public parks/gardens

No. 4 for public safety

No. 4 for notable restaurants

No. 4 for girlfriend getaway

No. 3 for attractive people

No. 5 for stylish people

No. 5 for brunch places

If it makes you feel any better, New York City cane in first for people who were rude and also for people who were snobby.

Providence, an old New England city, was the hometown of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft.

Perhaps more relevant, Bank of America is the city's third-largest employer; naming rights extend there to the Bank of America Skating Center -- which Wikipedia lists among Providence's "Sites of Interest."

Another attraction of interest: Nibbles Woodaway, a roadside sculpture belonging to a pest-extermination company. Nibbles Woodaway, also known as the "Big Blue Bug," is billed as "the world's largest termite."

You'll see an AP photo of it at the top of this post; you may have also spied it in scenes from the movie "Dumb and Dumber."

I wouldn't be surprised at all if  you'll be seeing it eventually in uptown Charlotte after it is shipped here and the price tag is removed.

Planning your vacation? Talk to these pros who are coming to Charlotte

Articles and ads for vacations are fine for tickling your fancy, but nothing beats the opportunity to get face-to-face with the people who can make it happen.

That's why this time of year brings travel shows -- your opportunity to get answers, suggestions and tips from those in the know.

Coming up fast:

Jan. 31: Meet Arthur and Pauline Frommer (above), the creators of  Frommer's Travel Guides, at 7 p.m. at Park Road Books, 4139 Park Road. They'll  discuss their new line of Easy Guides and offer some top travel destinations for 2014. 

Feb. 1: Mann Travels’ annual travel and cruise show will be 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S. College St. Mann specialists from nine area locations will be there to help consumers sort out vacation deals. There will be reps from the major cruise lines, resorts and tourism boards; interactive exhibits; Hawaiian dancers and entertainment from Radio Disney. Seminars will be offered in four theaters. Admission: free. Details: www.manntravels.com.


Feb. 6-9: The Mid-Atlantic Boat Show returns to Charlotte for its 42nd year. Exhibitors at the Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S. College St., will be displaying a variety of pleasure boats, as well as equipment for water skiing and fishing, swimwear, docks and lifts and real estate. Hours: noon-9 p.m. Feb. 6-9 (Thursday and Friday) 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Feb. 8 and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 9. Admission: $9; $8 for military and for 60 and older; $5 for ages 6-12. Details: www.midatlanticboatshow.com

Meeting of travel club raises wine glasses to Normandy

The  Nov. 5 meeting of Charlotte's Magellan Travel Club offers a taste of France in more ways than one.

The 7 p.m. gathering will focus on Normandy, one of the most popular destinations in France. It is also one of the most timely, as two videos to be played at the meeting will show.

The first highlights the Chateau de Canisy which is nearly 1,000 years old: It was constructed during the days of William the Conqueror.

The second video is set at the American Cemetery at Normandy's Omaha Beach three days after the 9/11 attacks. It tells how the French government responded to what happened in the United States.

In June 2014, Normandy will honor the 70th anniversary of the invasion of D-Day. This particular celebration may be the last time that those who participated in that historic event will have an opportunity to revisit the site of their accomplishment.

So it's fitting that this Magellan meeting involve a wine tasting: It will be held at Total Wine, 5341 Ballantyne Commons Parkway  (in the Promenade on Providence shopping center).

Reservations are not required; there is no charge to attend and meetings are open to anyone with an interest in travel.

Club details: Contact Bob Taylor, at  704-906 6483 or e-mail: Peabod@aol.com.