Earth Day Inspiration from Budget Travel on the Weather Channel!

Sure, we love the changing seasons, but the downside is that most of us live in places where summers can be too hot and winters too cold. (Still recovering from the Polar Vortex, anyone?) But there are a few select spots around the world where the weather is almost always just right. Here, four "Goldilocks" destinations to add to your bucket list: BIG ISLAND, HAWAIITemps in the 70s, with a variety of micro climates in the rain forests and mountains of this Pacific paradise What to do: Relax on a sunny, mind-blowingly colorful beach (white, black, and green sand!). Walk on an active volcano in Volcanoes National Park. Attend a traditional luau with hula dancing, roasted pig, mai tais, and Hawaiian beer.  Where to stay: Volcano Rainforest Retreat (from $180). SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIASummer high of 76, winter low of 50, with the cool Pacific and inland desert creating a perfect oasis What to do: Spend a day in Balboa Park, home of the San Diego Museum of Art and the justly renowned San Diego Zoo. Take the ferry to Coronado and ogle the famous hotel that has hosted more than a dozen US presidents. Party Wild West style in the historic Gaslamp District. Mangia in Little Italy. Where to stay: La Pensione Hotel in Little Italy (from $140). LISBON, PORTUGAL59 in January, 83 in July thanks to the Atlantic breezes and Gulf Stream What to do: Take a walking tour that includes food and wine tasting. Stroll the majestic square Praca do Comercio. Take a day trip to beautiful Sintra, where royalty used to get away from it all. Listen to traditional fado music, an unforgettable, melancholy style of Portuguese singing. Ride the Elevador da Gloria to the top of one of Lisbon's seven hills for a great view. Where to stay: Internacional Design Hotel (from around $110) CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICAThe Atlantic and Indian Oceans keep the climate mild, and our winter is Cape Town's summer What to do: Explore Table Mountain National Park and hang out with the penguins (yes!) on Boulders Beach (keep your distance, they bite!). For bigger wildlife thrills, head to Kruger National Park to see lions and elephants in the wild. Cape Town is where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean; the west side is best for soaking up the sun, the east side for swimming and surfing. Where to stay: Andros Boutique Hotel (from around $165)

Indulge your inner Julia Child on your next vacation—no plane ticket to Paris necessary. A new hands-on cooking class deal from Travelzoo offers half-priced courses from Le Cordon Bleu chefs at Bleu Ribbon Kitchen locations in 16 U.S. cities: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, Orlando, Pasadena, Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, Scottsdale, and Seattle. Classes are $59 for individuals (down from $125) and $109 for couples (normally $250). Why not build a whole mini getaway around one? We especially like the sound of the Flavors of the World classes, with mouth-watering offerings like: • A one-day dim sum workshop. You'll learn to prepare dishes such as coconut buns, shumai, juicy steamed rolls, and shrimp toast (available in Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Pasadena, Portland, San Francisco, St. Louis). • Three different French Bistro Series classes, including Brunch in Paris, Roast Chicken Supper, and Steak Frites (locations for individual courses vary). • A class on Thai street foods. Dishes like grilled turmeric chicken, chicken satay, and stir-fried minced beef with chiles and basil are listed on the syllabus (available in Chicago, Dallas, Pasadena). Grab the deal by Feb. 1, 2016 at Travelzoo.com. Each student also goes home with a Bleu Ribbon apron and recipes from the class—but the real souvenir is the brand-new know-how.

Attention Millennials: Get ready to have the time of your life! Contiki is having a sale and travelers between the ages of 18 and 35 can save 10 percent on 15 of Contiki's top tours to Europe, Asia, South America, Morocco, Australia, and New Zealand when they book by Dec. 15th and use promo code ELFTASTIC. They've also got some sweet last minute deals to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America that are worth checking out if you're looking to book something sooner. Options include brand new tours like Best of the Balkans, a 15-day trip through Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Romania, Hungary, and Slovenia; and favorites like Asian Adventure (a 14-day trip through Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia) and Vietnam Experience (a 12-day trip through the Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, and Ha Long Bay); as well as popular best-selling tours like Simply Italy (a 12-day trip to Rome, Sorrento, Capri, Florence, Venice, Milan, La Spezia, Pisa, and Vatican City) and Greek Island Hopping, a 13-day trip to Mykonos, Santorini and Ios. Please note that package prices do not include international airfare, but do cover all ground transportation, a large amount of guided tours and activities, and most meals once you get there. I've traveled with Contiki twice so far—the first time on their London & Paris Plus Paris Extension tour in 2013, pictured above, the second time last May on their Amsterdam to Barcelona tour—and I'm constantly looking through their site trying to narrow down my next adventure, probably in Australia next year if I can swing it. My favorite part of the trips is meeting a whole bunch of friendly young people from all over the world who love to travel as much as I do. I've gone on both trips by myself and as a solo traveler, I was thrilled to learn that Contiki never charges extra solo supplements if you're traveling alone. There's an option to have your own room that costs a bit extra, but otherwise you're paired up with a single traveling roommate of the same sex. Translation: instant new friend. You're basically sightseeing by day and have the option to go out and explore the nightlife of a new city within the safety of a group, something that was really important to me and works out great because people are able to do as much dancing til dawn as they want to, no pressure. If you're worried about being hauled around on a bus all over the continent, think of it as a mobile-UN unit where you will inevitably get into fascinating conversations with your fellow travelers and end up talking about how things are done where you come from vs. how things are done where they come from. It always hits me how little we (Americans) know about what goes on in Canada, Australia, and the rest of the world during these chats, so I treasure these spontaneous educational moments. Plus, there's plenty of beautiful scenery to look at along the way and if you need it, time to rest up so you're ready to hit the ground running by the time you get to the next city. The rest stops are fun, too. I remember nodding off and waking up somewhere between Amsterdam and Paris, asking our Trip Manager, "Which country are we in? What language are they speaking in that building?" It's amazing how quickly a big group will bond on trips like these. I still keep in touch with lots of people I've met on each trip a year or even two years later on a regular basis thanks to the power of social media. A few of my new friends from Australia have even come to visit me here in New York and I know of several others who re-connected once they got home and have gone on more trips together. We want to hear from you: Where in the world do you want to go next? Sound off below!

If you're in the NYC area this weekend and love to travel, come check out the New York Travel Festival, an event geared towards travel enthusiasts of all kinds, whether you're in the industry (or looking to become part of it), a lifelong or long-term traveler, or you just love new experiences and want to see the world. I'm also going to be participating in a panel discusson Sunday at noon—Affordable Luxury: Yes, You CAN Afford It!—with Christine Wei from ShermansTravel and Tom Meyers from EuroCheapo, and hosted by Ko Im—so come by and say hello! The New York Travel Festival will be held in the Upper West Side this year at two separate locations: 150 W 83 on Saturday, April 18th, and at Hostelling International New York on Sunday, April 19th. Here are the ticket options for both days: Weekend Traveler Tickets You'll pay $45 in advance ($60 at the door) and have access to Traveler Track sessions like Smartwatches, the Sharing Economy and Selfie Sticks: Travel Trends in 2015 and Beyond; Tales of the Well-Traveled; The Ethics of Travel: Should You Stay or Should You Go; and 50 Shades of Black: Understanding Diversity's Impact On The Future Of Travel on Saturday as well as sessions like Yoga For Travelers, The Best Places to Adventure in NYC, and a special guided Instagram Walk thru the Upper West Side on Sunday. You'll get access to the main exhibition area, appointments in the Experts' Corner on Saturday, participation in Pathfinder Consults on Sunday, and lunch (included on Sunday; there is a $15 advance lunch price for lunch on Saturday). As a special treat, you'll also receive discounts on tours with companies like Urban Adventures, Turnstile Tours, SusanSez NYC Walkabouts, and The Levys' Unique New York!, a Delegates' Discount Pass from nycgo.com with discounts on select NYC restaurants and attractions, and a special 20 percent discount on HoneyTrek Trip Coaching Courses. Saturday Only Tickets Please be aware that there are limited Saturday-only tickets available at this time. Tickets are $30 and include all the perks of the weekend ticket mentioned above, but only allow for Saturday admission. Sunday Only Tickets Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door and include access to all panels (excluding workshops), access to the exhibition area, participation in Pathfinder Consults, and lunch. Weekend Meet, Plan, Go! Tickets Tickets are $100 and include all the same perks as a Weekend Traveler Ticket, plus access to an exclusive 4-hour Meet, Plan, Go! Workshop on Sunday. Please note that there are only 30 tickets available for this workshop, and they're going fast. Weekend Industry Tickets Members of the media, travel industry, and other professional travelers (or those interested in becoming a part of either of those categories) can opt for the Weekend Industry Ticket, available for $150 in advance or $200 at the door. You'll get everything that's included in the Weekend Traveler Ticket, plus access to special Industry Track sessions and workshops to fine-tune your skills, pre-registration for individual sessions, lunch on both days, and special invitations to exclusive events like the Saturday Cocktail Hour sponsored by Urban Adventures. Please visit nytravfest.com for more info and join the conversation on social media by following @nytravfest.