Harlem Hotspots

The Coolest Small Towns in America Ten hometown escapes that somehow pack in more personality than cities triple their size. How? It all comes down to the people.See the slide showSubmit your 2011 nominations! Secret Sardinia While everyone else is elbowing for a beach chair in the Greek Isles or the South of France, this under-visited Italian island holds the promise of true Mediterranean bliss.See the slide show Extra Mile Awards Our yearly salute to the forward-thinking companies—and people—working to make your vacation simpler, more affordable, and way more fun. Road Trip: Pacific Revival Oregon's coast has always been slightly off the radar, but now its small towns are gaining just the right amount of polish—without getting too fancy for their own good. Trip Coach: Volunteer Vacations Lying on a beach is nice and all, but sometimes, using your downtime to make a difference is just what the doctor ordered.

FLYERSRIGHTS.ORG Because you could still be stuck on the tarmac were it not for the work of some stubborn volunteers Four years ago, Kate Hanni found herself sitting on the runway at the Austin airport with no food, no water, and no working toilets—for nine hours straight. At that moment, the Napa Valley, Calif., native decided to put her career as a real estate broker on hold and launch flyersrights.org, a nonprofit organization devoted to empowering air travelers. What began as one woman's passion slowly morphed into a grassroots movement. Volunteers across the country—88 in all—signed on to answer phones, offer legal support, send out petitions, and lobby local politicians and other consumer groups. Last winter, after 87 cross-country flights and seven appearances before Congress, Hanni and flyersrights.org scored big: In response to overwhelming pressure, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that domestic air carriers were required to return their planes to the terminal after three hours on the tarmac or they'd face fines of up to $27,500 per passenger. In addition, travelers involuntarily bumped from planes could be compensated with as much as $1,300, up from $800. Yet even with these victories in hand, Hanni and company see more room for improvement. "We think there should be a cap on the number of seats airlines are allowed to oversell," Hanni says. And you can be sure she's well-prepped for the next fight. To learn more, visit flyersrights.org. To report an air-travel-related problem, call the flyersrights.org hotline at 877/359-3776. MASSIVE GOOD Because your $2 can change the world What if lending a hand was as easy as booking a trip? That's the goal of MassiveGood, a new program from the U.N. Millennium Foundation and the Clinton Health Access Initiative. Established earlier this year, MassiveGood has partnered with global hotel chains like Accor, major booking engines like Travelocity, and travel agents the world over to allow for travelers to make $2 micro-donations; the goal is to raise $1 billion annually for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria research. At the time of purchase, customers are presented with a clickable box, banner ad, or e-mail link—depending on the partnership—to put their dollars to work. massivegood.org. THE NEW AMERICAN MOTEL Because budget can, and should, be beautiful Over the years, American motel chains have done little to better their somewhat dingy reputations. We're now at a distinct turning point. Three of the largest budget hotel chains—Motel 6, Red Roof Inn, and Holiday Inn—have been undergoing redesigns of unprecedented ambition. Improvements like completely reimagined rooms, upgraded bedding, rain-flow showers, and the latest high-tech gadgetry might just change your mind about motels forever. Motel 6's new redesign emphasizes smart, efficient touches (think pedestal beds and multimedia units that double as closets). What's more, all of the nearly 100 renovated properties are specially flagged on the revamped website. motel6.com. With 32 hotels opened and 50 more coming (17 built from the ground up), Red Roof Inn is having its own little construction boom, adding tech-ready rooms, walk-in showers, and common spaces with cozy seats and stone walls. redroof.com. By the end of 2010, Holiday Inn will have upgraded all 3,300 of its properties with crisp duvets and pillows in two comfort levels (soft and firm), spruced-up lobbies, and a custom scent (citrus and white tea). holidayinn.com. GOOGLE GOGGLES Because the future of travel is now on your phone Imagine searching the web without making a single keystroke. Google Goggles allows just that. The Android-only app, released last winter, uses your smartphone's camera and image-recognition technology to perform Google searches. Want to know more about that baroque building in front of you? Just point your camera and Goggles pulls up all relevant information, from architecture websites to Wikipedia. What about that foreign-language menu or a baffling street sign? At a glance, the app translates French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Currently, Goggles can recognize between 50,000 and 100,000 landmarks around the world and hundreds of thousands of works of art. But that's just the beginning: Project manager Shailesh Nalawadi says full translations of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Russian are in the pipeline, and the collection of landmarks—in locations everywhere from Paris to Uzbekistan—is growing daily. Google Goggles comes preloaded on most new Android phones or can be downloaded for free from the Android Market accessible via your smartphone. NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE Because going it alone shouldn't cost extra The cruise industry has never been particularly welcoming to solo travelers. They're generally charged a single supplement that can nearly double the cost of the cruise. But the new 4,100-passenger Norwegian Epic changes the game. Of the ship's more than 2,100 staterooms, 128 are reserved for solo cruisers—at no extra charge. The 100-square-foot studios are a little smaller than standard doubles but come with the same amenities—a full-size bed, a separate bathroom—as well as exclusive access to the Studio Lounge, a public area with a bar, plasma TVs, and comfy seating. Most important, studio prices start at $799, rather than $1,318, the cost of a standard double. epic.ncl.com, studios from $799 for seven-night itineraries. CHUCK SCHUMER Because fees suck. And Chuck ain't havin' it In April, Spirit Airlines announced that it would charge as much as $45 for carry-ons. Predictably, the news was not well-received. But while most just grumbled, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sprang into action. After calling such fees "a slap in the face to travelers," he managed to secure promises from five major airlines to not institute similar charges. "When the economy is sputtering, we need to do everything we can to make sure individuals and businesses can remain on the move," Schumer argues. "Travelers' rights are now a critical economic issue for the country." Even now that the furor over Spirit has died down, Schumer, along with six other senators, is working to pass the Block Airlines' Gratuitous (BAG) Fees Act, which aims to close a complicated tax loophole that allows the airline industry to profit from fees on "nonessential" items, which include carry-ons. "What will they charge us for next?" he asks. "Wearing a jacket? Carrying a toothbrush?" MORGAN'S WONDERLAND Because everyone needs a place to play Amusement parks should be fun for all, but until this April, they left out one important group: children with disabilities. Enter Morgan's Wonderland. The 25-acre amusement park in northeast San Antonio is the world's first fun zone designed especially for special-needs children. More than 25 activities, including a carousel, a pirate island, and customized swing sets, are wheelchair-accessible and outfitted with braille signage. Jessica Mireles, of Houston, recently visited with her five children, two of whom have cognitive disabilities. "At Morgan's, we were able to relax without any pressure," she says. "We are already planning a return trip." 5223 David Edwards Dr., San Antonio, morganswonderland.com, free for those with special needs, $5 per person for everyone else, reservations required. HILTON LIGHTSTAY Because truly going green takes guts—and money As much as we love reclaimed wood and carpets made from recycled soda bottles, green hotels need to tackle consumption, not just construction. That's something Hilton understands. In April, the company rolled out its new LightStay program, a system designed to track the impact of daily operations like garbage disposal, housekeeping, and utility costs on the environment and then adjust its practices to reduce waste. Sounds kind of unexciting, at least until you look at the numbers below. Hilton tested LightStay in 1,300 hotels over the course of a year and now plans to implement it across all 3,500 global properties by the end of 2011. Water: Saved enough water to fill more than 650 Olympic-size swimming pools Energy: Conserved enough energy to power 5,700 homes for a year Carbon: Reduced CO2 emissions by the equivalent of 34,865 cars KAYAK AND DEALBASE Because searching for a deal shouldn't take all weekend Zeroing in on the best airfare isn't as simple as it used to be. Sure, every online travel agency (OTA) aims to be a one-stop shop for low fares. But wily marketers now often hide their best fares in a hailstorm of e-mail newsletters, revealing discounts only to registered travelers. So bless the wonks at DealBase and Kayak, who have engineered speedier and more intuitive ways to uncover the cheapest flights without adding a single message to your already overloaded in-box. Sometimes you don't just want deals, you want possibilities—and that's where Kayak's Explore tool comes in. Type in your gateway, price range, and dates, along with a few parameters like average temperature, language fluency, and favorite activity—golf, beach, skiing. Instantly, a world map appears with up-to-the-minute fares around the globe. You may be surprised at which destinations turn out to be within reach. kayak.com/explore. DealBase began life a few years back as a price-comparison tool for hotel packages, but this spring it seriously raised the bar with a tracking service for e-saver fares. On the site, click on the name of your local gateway and then select from a list of Web-only deals, many of which you won't find on your favorite OTA. dealbase.com/flight-deals.

Striking expanses of coastline aren't exactly in short supply across the Mediterranean. But for some reason, only a few marquee spots—the Greek Isles, the Amalfi Coast, the south of France—get all the love. Chances are, Sardinia doesn't even make the list. You might be tempted to think of the island, Sicily's neighbor to the northwest, as a microcosm of the Italian mainland, an outpost you might get to one day—or not. But that would be a huge mistake. For starters, Sardinians don't even speak Italian—at least not as their first language. Instead, they converse in Sardo, with regional dialects that dominate in different areas—plus, there's Catalan, which has held on for 600 years in the former Spanish port of Alghero. Sardinian culinary influences are just as eclectic, pulling from French, African, Spanish, and Italian traditions. Meals revolve around fresh seafood or spit-roasted meats like lamb or suckling pig. Sure, there's pasta, but it's served with ragù and saffron or topped with bottarga (tuna roe). And the dessert of choice is not gelato, but sevada, a fried pastry filled with cheese and topped with bitter local corbezzolo honey. What's more, Sardinia doesn't even look like the Italy you know. Where the mainland trades in picturesque villages and crumbling farmhouses, Sardinia is all dramatic landscapes and wide-open wilderness. Miniature horses roam the hilly interior, amid ruins of millenia-old stone fortresses called nuraghi. And on the coast, pale-sand beaches flanked by limestone spires encircle the island like a crown. Which brings us to what's perhaps the most fun way to explore Sardinia: a tour of its best beaches. Skip glitzy, crowded Costa Smeralda to the north, where talk centers around yacht maintenance and offshore bank accounts. Instead, head to the tiny turquoise coves of the Gulf of Orosei; remote, windswept Costa Verde; or the slightly busier (but wholly convivial) resorts near Stintino. None of those beaches ever sees the kind of traffic that Santorini or Capri does. And by September, the few travelers that do make it are clearing out, leaving only white sand, blue water, and more than enough elbow room to go around. STINTINO The vibe: A bustling Italian beach scene where socializing reigns supreme. Beaches to hit: The action centers on La Pelosa, whose wide shelf of warm, clear turquoise water could be mistaken for the South Pacific. Some folks take day trips to nearby Asinara island, a former penal colony turned national park with three swimming beaches and a population of wild white donkeys. Where to stay: The Cala Rosa Club Hotel hosts Latin-dancing classes, movie nights, and poolside Mr. Cala Rosa competitions. Ovile del Mercante, Stintino, hotelcalarosa.it, from $71 with half board. COSTA VERDE The vibe: A low-key locals' area with a deserted beach around every turn. Beaches to hit: For privacy, head to Scivu, a broad, golden-sand stretch at the base of 328-foot dunes, and neighboring S'Acqua Durci, which has no road access. (Climb over the rocks at Scivu's north end to reach it.) Surfers favor the waves at 4.3-mile-long Piscinas to the north. Where to stay: Brezza Marina rents 70 modern apartments in the town of Torre dei Corsari—all with patios, barbecue grills, and kitchenettes. Viale della Torre 10, Torre dei Corsari, brezzamarina.it, from $63. GULF OF OROSEI The vibe: A quiet curve of coastline favored by intrepid Italian and German vacationers who are serious about their sunbathing. Expect pristine beaches reachable only by boat. Beaches to hit: Hands down, Cala Luna is the most stunning spot in the gulf. The pale arc of sand is nearly half a mile long, bordered by a freshwater lagoon and hemmed by cave-pocked cliffs. Coastal ferries run by Nuovo Consorzio Trasporti Marittimi depart from Cala Gonone and stop here eight times a day. They also stop at Cala Mariolu, a calm swimming and snorkeling beach of smooth, white pebbles, and pass by the limestone towers of Cala Goloritzè. calagononecrociere.it, cruises from $19. Where to stay: Half of the Hotel Nuovo Gabbiano's 16 rooms have balconies that overlook the port; guests with inland-facing rooms can get their sea views from a table on the restaurant's terrace. Piazza del Porto, Cala Gonone, hotelnuovogabbiano.it, from $105. SARDINIA MADE SIMPLE Getting There Ferries from Rome's Civitavecchia port to Olbia or Cagliari on the island take from five to eight hours and cost about $130 round trip (ilportalesardo.it). Alternately, round-trip flights from Rome to one of Sardinia's larger airports, in Cagliari, Olbia, or Alghero, start at $49 and take only about an hour. Several European airlines (including Meridiana and Ryanair) also fly direct between major European cities and Sardinia's airports. Getting Around Unlike in most of Italy, trains are scarce in Sardinia, and buses are inconvenient. Rent a car for about $60 a day (three-day minimum) from a consolidator like autoeurope.com; plan on spending at least twice as much time as you imagine you'll need to make any drive. Sardinia's roads twist and turn prodigiously (even for the Italian countryside), and it can take more than five hours to make the 210-mile trip from tip to tip. Parking Most beaches have small public lots that charge $3 to $4.50 per hour, but they're not always staffed outside the July–August high season.

READERS' TOP QUESTIONS What are volunteer vacations anyway? Really, anything that combines travel and volunteer work. You could spend a week lounging on the beach in Phuket and teaching English to local schoolchildren. Or you could rough it for a month building houses in Haiti. In short, there is a trip for any taste, and the options are growing every year. Comprehensive stats are hard to come by (while we were reporting this story, a few volunteer organizations asked us to send them numbers if we found any), but according to the most recent study on hand, from Washington University in St. Louis, more than 1 million Americans volunteered abroad in 2008, a 14 percent uptick since 2004. And as global crises—like the earthquake in Haiti, Hurricane Katrina, and the 2004 tsunami—become more visible thanks to our increasingly wired world, interest in voluntourism is growing even more. "People today feel much more connected than they ever have," says Erin Barnhart, director of volunteer initiatives at idealist.org, a website with a database of thousands of international volunteer trips. "They're seeing things happen in real time and saying, 'I want to help.'" So which trip is right for me? "You'd be surprised by how many bad matches there are between volunteers and organizations," says Doug Cutchins, coauthor of Volunteer Vacations (chicagoreviewpress.com, $19). The best place to start your search for a good fit is at idealist.org. The 15-year-old site lists more than 96,000 nonprofits and lets you customize your trip search based on 58 subjects of interest, from disaster relief to wildlife. Another good option is volunteerinternational.org, which posts hundreds of trips and vets the 10 organizations it lists according to safety standards and volunteer satisfaction. Cutchins's book is another top resource, with a handy index of global opportunities, including notes on which ones are friendly for families, seniors, and disabled participants. Once you've come up with your short list, read reviews, track down references from recent volunteers, and, above all, be realistic. "People have rather lofty ideas of what it's like to volunteer in a place like the rain forest," says Peter Slowe, founder of Projects Abroad, which runs more than 100 voluntourism trips (projects-abroad.org). "The fact is, there are mosquitoes, there are animals, and it rains a lot. Not everyone is suited for camp life." The same goes for disaster areas. "Unless you have special skills in medicine or construction, it's best to just donate money," advises Paul Clammer, who spent a week clearing rubble in Haiti with Hands On Disaster Response (hodr.org) a few months after the 2010 earthquake. "If you do go, you're there to work, often under difficult conditions. Destruction is everywhere. Your trip shouldn't be seen as a vacation—that's the last thing it is." How much should I expect to spend? Despite the fact that you might be roughing it and doing manual labor, you'll still be paying for the privilege—and costs vary to a considerable degree. Luxury outfitter Hands Up Holidays, for instance, charges $5,400 for a cushy 10-day tour of Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, followed by three days of helping local fishermen clear debris from the beach (handsupholidays.com). At the other end of the spectrum, trips with World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (wwoof.org) are effectively free. The U.K.-based outfit invites travelers to work for as many days as they wish in exchange for free lodging at farms and vineyards in 98 countries. Your only expense is the flight over. I've heard volunteer vacations are tax-deductible. Is that true? Yes, but with caveats. You can write off all trip costs—visas, flights, the works—as long as you volunteer full, 40-hour weeks for the length of your stay and do so through a nonprofit recognized by the IRS (specs are listed in Publication 526 at irs.gov). Hang on to all receipts, and keep a written description of your program in case you get audited. If the organization is for-profit (many are, so be sure to ask) or if you tack on work-free vacation days either before or after your volunteering stint, then the IRS views the whole trip as a vacation and your expenses are not deductible. Can I bring my kids along? You could—many voluntourism groups welcome children—but the real question is, will they have fun? "Kids get bored if they have to sit in the forest for three hours and wait for some bird to show up to note it in a log," says Projects Abroad's Slowe. "So it's best to plan a trip with a lot of variety in the itinerary that keeps the kids occupied with exciting little jobs, like helping to collect eggs laid by turtles." That way, you'll get some space, too—and your family will have twice as many stories to share at dinner each night. CAN YOU REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? You be the judge. 350,000+ Homes built and rehabbed around the world by Habitat for Humanity since its inception in 1976 500,000 Turtles protected by Projects Abroad in Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru since its founding in 1992 39,000+ Students taught basic English by Projects Abroad in 2009 alone HARD-WON WISDOM Three insider tips from recent volunteers. "Pack plenty of rehydration salts. They're crucial to keeping your body in balance if you're going to be out working under a hot sun." —Paul Clammer, 37, a Wiltshire, U.K.–based writer for Lonely Planet who volunteered in Haiti after the earthquake last spring with Hands On Disaster Response (hodr.org) "Come bearing gifts. If you're going abroad, pencils and notebooks, even soccer balls, go a long way with local kids." —Joann Brancato, 54, an interior designer from New York, N.Y., who built a washroom in a Ghana village in 2009 with her husband and two kids, through Globe Aware (globeaware.org) "Stay with a local host family. Mine lived in South Africa and endured apartheid. We had some incredible talks that made my experience so much better." —Emily Dennis, 24, of Nashville, Tenn., who volunteered at a human rights firm in South Africa in 2009 with Projects Abroad (projects-abroad.org)