New York’s Long Island City Booming With New Hotels

A quiet storm in the nightlife scene is gaining mainstream attraction. A silent disco is a dance party where clubgoers don cordless headphones and tune in to a live broadcast from the DJ booth. Stumble upon a silent disco, and you'll feel weird. Everyone is dancing, yet you can't hear the music. Silent discos were invented in 2005 at the British Glastonbury Festival. It was a case where the old saying—"Necessity is the mother of invention"—rang true. Event organizers were worried about upsetting local neighbors with loud bass, so they passed around wireless headphones to share music in certain circumstances. Silent disco debuted in the U.S. in 2006 at Tennessee's Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. It was a late-night alternative, allowing some people to keep dancing while campers could sleep in peace nearby. But it's only in 2011 that silent discos have gone mainstream, thanks to the equipment becoming easier to buy or rent. (Each headset and wireless transmitter costs about $35 to buy.) In late October, JetBlue hosted a silent disco at its JFK terminal in New York City. Around the same time, London's giant neo-Ferris wheel, the Eye, became a spinning silent disco, filling the pods with DJs and giving visitors a chance to listen to their beats via headsets. The London Zoo has gotten in on the act, too. To find venues at your next getaway, do an Internet search for your destination's name and the phrase "silent disco." For example, in San Francisco there's a frequent Silent Frisco party. Events are upcoming in Atlanta on Nov. 19, Memphis on Dec. 3, and Lexington, Ky., on Dec. 10. It's not every day you can quote Friedrich Nietzsche on a travel blog: "And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." In other words, partying in silence has never been so cool. SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Holiday Travel: To Go Home Or Go Away 14 Ways to Survive a Holiday Flight Trip Coach: Share Your Upgrade Strategies

Figuring out how to do an affordable ski vacation presents a conundrum for active budget travelers. Even if you can snag a discount on lift tickets online, how can you afford accommodations that aren't miles away from the mountain? And how do you avoid the overpriced bowl of chili? With Utah celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games next year, a PR team representing Deer Valley, The Canyons Resort and Park City Mountain Resort came to town. We put the question of affordability on the table. How, we asked, can budget travelers do world-class ski resorts and not break the bank? They hit me with a bevvy of ideas, based on their local knowledge. And they were quite convincing that Park City, with advance planning, can fit into the budget category — except, perhaps during the Sundance Film Festival (Jan. 19-29, 2012), when the historic silver mining town fills up with celebrities and onlookers. Transportation Big news: You can now cut rental car costs. Just launched last month is public bus service between Salt Lake City and Park City, a distance of about 30 miles. The service is a cooperative effort between the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), Park City and Summit County. Bus stops include ski resorts. The fare for the express coaches is $5.50 each way, and the buses even have WiFi. Lodging There are of course budget chain hotels — Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, et al — but Park City also has some fun hybrids. Chateau Après Lodge is only 150 yards from the main Park City Mountain Resort lifts, with rates from $110 per night for two, including private bath, HD TV, free high-speed wireless access and continental breakfast. For the truly budget-conscious, there is a dorm available for $40 per night per person. For a B&B; experience, the Star Hotel is right on Park City’s historic Main Street and serves up 11 rooms with shared bath and living room. We're told it’s like going to grandma’s house. Rates from $95 to $190. Dining Skip the $10 chili. Park City has a wealth of dining in the cheap eats category including a bunch of ethnic eateries and bakeries. Favorite local spots include A Wok Away in the Prospector Square area, serving up Chinese food, with dishes under $11. The Bridge Café and Grill, located on the Town Lift Plaza in downtown Park City, features Brazilian cuisine — a Prato Feito platter with a grilled 8 oz. Certified Angus Steak, black beans, saffron rice and collard greens, is $11.25. Near downtown, Davanza's is a top choice for hand-tossed pizza, $7.50 for a personal-size pie, $2.75 for a slice. And the locals' choice for Mexican is El Chubasco, located in the Prospector Square area, where you can get a "giant" chicken burrito for $6.95. Our sources also suggest visitors check The Park Record, the local newspaper, which frequently has 2-for-1 dining coupons. Packages and online savings The "ouch" comes for those who plan to spend more time on the slopes than après ski — a full-day lift ticket at Deer Valley, for instance, is a whopping $96. But you can save with multi-day passes, by buying lift tickets in advance, with Stay and Ski packages (if you can find one that meets your specific needs) and by checking ski discount sites — Liftopia for one has Park City Mountain tickets for December skiing from $44. More from Budget Travel: Ask Trip Coach: Affordable ski vacations Cool ski resorts Bosnia for ski bums

In the summer of 2009, I traveled to Italy for the first time with my friend and her family. Armed with our Italian phrasebooks and a few cheat sheets from my younger sister (who had studied Italian in high school), we were off, but every chance I got to actually speak Italian was met with Italians who already spoke English and tried to put me at ease by speaking my own language. Finally, on the train from Rome to Milan, I was seated with a few native Italian speakers, but I just froze up. What if they didn't appreciate me unintentionally butchering their language? I had a five hour ride and didn't want to spend it in silence, but I chickened out big time. Now that my father is planning to take my sister and me to Paris, Rome, and Venice next summer, my chance to redeem myself is on its way. I've since come across three websites that allow users to sign up and not only practice a new language, but learn it for under $100. While I haven't had a chance to seriously begin my language–learning endeavor, I thought I'd share the results from my first round of research. My plan is to select one and report back sometime after our little Italian adventure and let you know how it all worked out—if you have used any of these programs and liked (or disliked) them, let me know! Babbel.com Learn a new language on your computer, iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Languages offered: English, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. Cost: Sign up to try a course for free, then select a payment plan for the remaining lessons: Depending on how much time it takes you to work on your new language, you can be charged $12.94 each month for the one–month course, $7.45 per month for a six–month course ($44.70 charged every six months), or take the recommended three–month course for $8.95 per month—charging $26.85 every three months to your card. First impression: I tested out the first free lesson for the course in Italian. It seemed like a pretty easy set up, similar to flashcards, but with pronunciation practice as well. You can hear the phrase, understand the context, and at the same time, learn how to spell it as you go. During the review portion, you are asked to type in the correct responses, and pressing the help button will give you hints. There's no rush and if you need to start the course over again, you can. BBC Active Languages Choose which level you wish to learn—beginner, intermediate, travel or reference—and learn at your own pace. Languages offered:Greek, Chinese, Arabic, English, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. Cost: Ranging from 24.99 British pounds (about $40 USD) for the "Talk Italian Box Set: Lessons 1 and 2" to the "Talk Italian Book & CD Pack" for 14.99 British pounds (about $24 USD). BBC Active Languages also featured a wide range of language books, audio CDs and the obligatory phrasebook, all for under $50. First impression: Unfortunately, there really isn't a way for me to test these lessons out since you have to order and ship the items first. It seems like more of a traditional route with books, CDs and DVDs compared to web lessons, but was recommended on the website of my local library as an inexpensive way to learn a new language. I came across some reviews for the books on Amazon and Helium, the worst being that the lessons were hard to follow, the best being that certain users would recommend the products to beginners. Has anyone had a successful experience with BBC Active Languages? Livemocha Founded in September of 2007, Livemocha uses social media to connect native speakers to those trying to learn a new language. Languages offered: Arabic, Bulgarian, German, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Farsi, Finnish, French, Hebrew, Hindi, Dutch, Indonesian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Catalan, Korean, Croatian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mandarin Chinese, Norwegian (Bokmal), Polish, Portuguese (from Portugal and Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Czech, Turkish, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Greek, and Urdu. Cost: The free membership gives you access to the beginner and intermediate materials for any language, including the "Learn" and "Review" sections, as well as the opportunity to connect and chat with native speakers via social media. To gain access to more involved reviews, writing and speaking exercises, members can earn Tokens by assisting others in learning a language—whether you're providing submission reviews, helping with translations, creating flashcards, contributing tips, or completing coursework—or purchase them from the website to gain immediate access. For the most in depth reviews, speaking and writing exercises, members can purchase the Gold Key, allowing access to all exercises for all 38 languages, for either $9.95 for one month, or $99.95 for one year of unlimited access. First impression: The hardest part for me was sticking to my plan to learn Italian. I would be interested in refreshing my Spanish and maybe even adding French or something different like Catalan to my repertoire. I am very intrigued by the idea of getting language, pronunciation and dialect tips directly from those who speak it everyday. It's kind of like a facebook application for language–learning and the lessons are pretty intuitive to work through. Users can post photos from their location and the website helps you make friends and match up with native speakers who are willing to offer tips. Be aware that the lessons do require Adobe Flash Player in order to use them, as the non–flash version isn't quite as exciting. Have any of you used these websites yet, and if so, would you recommend them to a beginner? Tell us about your experiences below. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL What's Your Biggest Language Gaffe? Learn Spanish in a Land of Volcanoes Freebie: A fun New Way to Learn Foreign Words Online

Traveling provides ample opportunities for indulging in culinary experimentation. But what if you just want a familiar snack from the homeland? Not so fast—you might be surprised by just how foreign some of our most common foodstuffs are to our friends overseas. Some criticize the very concept of eating American chow abroad when there are so many ethnic cuisines to enjoy; others will ignore the naysayers and happily pour another bowl of Cheerios for breakfast. Regardless of what category you fall into, there's something interesting about knowing which of our foods are foreign to most other cultures. Without further ado, here are 6 foods you'll be hard-pressed to find when you travel (and the specialty shops where you can track them down if you find yourself nursing a case of the munchies). if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('b9500ce8-e8d6-4160-8eb6-19f5d8727220');Get the Poll Creator Pro widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox! Not seeing a widget? (More info) What’s your stance? Do you assimilate local flavors, stick with what you know and love, or enjoy the best of both worlds? Vote in our poll or leave your comments below. American Candy From Swiss chocolate to raw sugarcane, local sweets have a place in every society. Americans have a dizzying array of domestic candies to choose from, but in other countries their appeal—and thus shelf space—doesn’t necessarily measure up. But if you happen to be in Prague, The Candy Store has you covered, thanks to an extensive collection of sugary U.S. treats from Nerds to Marshmallow Fluff. American holidays aren’t neglected, either: if you can’t find a decent pumpkin pie in time for Thanksgiving, The Candy Store will mix one up on-site using another staple of American pantries, Libby’s Canned Pumpkin. Brownie and Cake Mix Good luck finding a brownie mix (or a pancake or cake mix) outside of the U.S. In London, the American Food Store fulfills a niche market of American cravings. Inspired by holidays in the States, the proprietors of this store aim to offer reasonably–priced and legitimate American products—not the adulterated cereals and sodas they claim are sold under the same brand names in the United Kingdom. However, perhaps the store’s greatest boon to traveling Americans is its store of dry goods: aside from prepared foods, the American Food Store sells baking necessities like Gold Medal flour, Clabber Girl baking powder and, of course, mixes from Duncan Hines and the First Lady of American cooking, Betty Crocker. Gumbo and Jambalaya The culinary ways of Americans (hot dogs, takeout Chinese) may be a mystery to Parisians, but at least Judith Bluysen understands. Since 1990 this transplant from New York has been selling American groceries at her store, Thanksgiving, in one of the gastronomical capitals of the world. Although her store stocks American products of many stripes, Thanksgiving specializes in Cajun food—fittingly so, as Louisiana culinary traditions owe much to the French. Bluysen’s on–site Cajun restaurant has been shuttered for years, but her Paris grocery still hosts Zatarain’s gumbo and jambalaya mixes, Tabasco sauce, Cajun sausages and filé powder for that authentic New Orleans taste. Turkey With Thanksgiving approaching, the thoughts of all Americans—even those abroad—turn to turkey. Tokyo is a paradise for food aficionados in many ways, but some stores and restaurants that claim to offer American food don’t necessarily live up to the promise. (Even the Denny’s outlets differ from their beloved American model.) Some items, like the aforementioned bird, are simply hard to find in their unaltered state. Nissin World Delicatessen delivers the real deal and more. The supermarket stocks its shelves with items from many western countries—German pickles, French cheese and even Italian bottled water—but its greatest contribution to the western crowd may be the store’s “Meat Rush” section, which sells meats from the United States, New Zealand and Australia, including “hard–to–find” cuts of turkey and lamb. And if you don’t mind mixing your cuisines, feel free to slap some southwest flavor onto your Thanksgiving fowl with some Nissin-supplied American barbecue sauce. American Beer Remember the Chinese toast “gan bei” (“dry the glass”)—it may come in handy at Jenny’s. A store with the humblest of origins, Jenny’s began as a fruit and vegetable stall in 1988 and has become a multi–outlet chain scattered throughout China’s capital. While Jenny’s still prides itself on its fresh produce—and even offers a rent–a–plot program at its new organic farm—its list of international groceries is extensive. Visitors jonesing for a familiar tipple are particularly in luck: Jenny’s offers bottled and canned beers from over fifteen countries, including American brews like Samuel Adams and Longboard Lager. Cheddar cheese It may not have originated in the United States, but Americans adore this British import—some even enjoy it alongside apple pie, the most quintessentially American food of them all. The rest of the world loves its cheeses as well, however, and poor cheddar can get lost in the mix. Cheeseheads in Buenos Aires can head for a branch of the aptly named Al Queso, Queso, which offers a menu of international sandwiches and wines along with its wide variety of cheeses. —Ryan Murphy MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: Two for the Road: Our Love Affair with American Food Eight Foreign Fast-Food Chains You Need to Know Dining Destinations to Watch in 2011