Student Guide to Travel

Holiday Traveling for Students

Road Rambling — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 20:56:25 +0000

Finals are right around the corner and it’s almost time to head home for Christmas break. Instead of stressing out about the travels ahead, check out this article to see ways to save money for flights home.

Some tips include:

Find the best price by using the comparison tool on Bing.
Compare the costs to a student airfare provider to see if you can find the cost of the ticket even cheaper.
Consider using a standby airfare option to cut costs.

Travel during Fake Break

Road Rambling — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:38:20 +0000

If you are interested in traveling during fake break, Elon Outdoors is taking a ski trip in West Virginia from Jan. 26-30. For more information, make sure you attend an interest meeting on either Dec. 6 or 7. The meetings are held at 6 p.m. in Koury Commons located between the Beck pool and fitness center. The cost is $500 and will include lift tickets, lodging, breakfast and transportation.

Ways to Enjoy the Holiday Season

Road Rambling — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:38:52 +0000

Elon's holiday luminaries celebration is on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in front of Fonville Fountain.

You don’t have to travel far to enjoy the holiday season. Elon is hosting a series of events in the next week to help bring in the season.

Some events include:

Thursday, Dec. 2: Elon’s Holiday Celebration with Luminaries starts at 6:30 p.m. This surrounds Fonville Fountain and will include hot chocolate and apple cider. More than 1,500 luminaries fill the campus and walkways.
Friday, Dec. 3: Elon’s electric ensemble will bring some Christmas cheer at 7:30 p.m. in McCrary. This will include Christmas songs for all to enjoy.
Sunday, Dec. 5: Moravian Christmas love feast and candle service is happening Sunday night at 5 p.m. This is located in the Elon Community Church. This is a traditional service brought in from Germany to Old Salem, N.C. by early Moravian settlers. The service includes “Morning Star” children’s carol, candles and a fellowship of coffee and the Moravian bun.
Sunday, Dec. 5: Elon’s department of music presents “A Celebration of Light” in Whitley Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 7: President and Mrs. Leo Lambert host a holiday reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Shuttles are provided from Boney Fountain at Moseley. Enjoy finger foods and have your picture taken with President Lambert that will be sent home to your family.

North Carolina Tourism Profile

Road Rambling — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 21:18:42 +0000

Traveling from city to city, tourism plays a large economic role in most states. According to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, there were approximately 27.8 million overnight trips taken to North Carolina in 2009. The Visitor Profile report also found that the state ranked sixth in the United States in terms of domestic overnight visitation.

Graph taken from 2009 Visitor Profile report.

The graph shows the top states represented for the origin of overnight visitors in North Carolina. The largest state represented is North Carolina at 36.1 percent followed by Virginia with 9.4 percent of overnight visitors. Other top visiting states include South Carolina, Georgia , FLorida, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Ohio.

Raleigh is ranked the top city visited and more than 54 percent of people come to see relatives and/or friends. Also, the summertime (June through August) was the most popular season for overnight travel with more than 35 percent of visitors.

Daytrip Visitor Profile

In 2009, there were approximately eight million visitors who came to North Carolina for a day trip. The North Carolina Department of Commerce defines a day trip as traveling at least 50 miles away from home. The majority (72 percent) of day-trippers came for leisurely purposes. Also, the main season that day-trippers come to visit is during the spring (29 percent).

When comparing the overnight visitors to day trip visitors, overnight visitors are more likely to come for leisure purposes (more than 80 percent). The graph below also shows that visitors are more likely to come visit for personal/other reasons if they come just for the day.

Graph taken from the 2009 Visitor Profile report.

Featured Friday: 31 places to go in 2010

Road Rambling — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:13:24 +0000

If you’re feeling ready for some international travel, you should check out The New York Times article about 31 places you should visit before the end of 2010. This story names some of the best places worldwide to visit and offers slideshows and other links for you to see.

Some of the 31 cities include:

Sri Lanka
Seoul
Copenhagen
Leipzig
Los Angeles
Shanghai

Local Hit: Red Oak Brewery

Road Rambling — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:05:11 +0000

For anyone who is 21 or older, this week’s local hit is just up the road at exit 138. Red Oak is a local brewery that brews three different types of beer. You can go on a tour of the brewery and try some of your own if you wish.

The tours take place every Friday at 3:00 pm (21 and up only) and are $5 per person. This price includes a newly designed brewery glass for you to keep as a souvenir.

Check out this video about Red Oak that aired on UNC-TV:

International Education Week at Elon

Road Rambling — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:25:23 +0000

This week is International Education Week at Elon. This month focuses on the Mexican culture and there is a series of events running until Friday. Some events include concerts, movies and panel discussions on relevant topics.

Click on this link for a full list of events for this week.

Best places to travel to in less than three hours

Road Rambling — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:39:23 +0000

When looking to get away for a weekend, it’s always best to start close then think of traveling outside the two hour radius if none of those destinations wet your appetite. Today, we are looking at five places from Burlington that you can go visit for a getaway weekend!

Take this survey to let your voice be heard!

View This Poll

1. Asheville, N.C.: This is a great place to travel to for some rest and relaxation. You can visit the Biltmore Estate and can explore the local shops and downtown area. Check out a previous article posted in September. (Time: Approximately three hours from Burlington)

2. Wilmington, N.C.: If you would rather see the beach than the mountains, this is the place for you! You can enjoy the beach while exploring the city for great restaurants and museums. Read this article from earlier this semester for more information on Wilmington. (Time: Approximately two hours and 35 minutes)

3. Raleigh, N.C.: The capital of North Carolina is a great place to visit and explore. You can see a show at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, have a nice bite to eat and enjoy the nightlife. For more information, this article will tell you more details about Raleigh. (Time: Approximately 55 minutes)

4. Charlotte, N.C.: If you want more of an adventure then rest and relaxation, Charlotte is the place for you! This city has the race-car arena as well as museums galore. (Time: Approximately one hour and 57 minutes)

5. Charleston, S.C.: Visit Charleston to enjoy beautiful historic plantations as well as the waterfront. This town also houses the College of Charleston, which is a historic college. If you enjoy architecture and cobblestone streets, this is the place for you! **This is out of the three hour radius, but is worth the extra hour!

Leave a comment to share your favorite place to getaway to in less than three hours!

Featured City: Hanging Rock in Danbury, N.C.

Road Rambling — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:34:58 +0000

The trail is only 1.2 miles to the top of the mountain.

This week’s Featured Friday will get your feet moving. Your next stop is up the road at Hanging Rock State Park. This is one of the several parks in North Carolina that offers a great way to exercise while experiencing wonderful trails full of waterfalls and amazing views once you reach the top.

It is less than two hours away and only requires 1.2 miles of hiking to get to the top. This is the perfect time of the year to experience the changing of tree colors as well as the crisp fall air. You have the option of taking more than four different trails to explore the three waterfalls as well as the peak of the mountain.

Click here to view a map of the park.
Click here to view activities you can do while at the park.

There are three different waterfalls you can enjoy on the trails.

Study Abroad Tips

Road Rambling — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:53:58 +0000

Before even applying to Elon University, the one thing most people highlight about going to Elon is the great study abroad opportunities that are offered. When getting to campus, this is reemphasized in the classroom and is even one of the five Experiential Learning Requirements (ELR) that is required before graduation. Study abroad is so popular that more than 70 percent of students from last years graduating class studied abroad at least once.

There are three different times students can go abroad:

Fall/Spring semesters
Summer months
Winter term

London is one of the three main centers Elon has abroad.

When choosing which program to go on, Elon offers students many resources on their site. You can see what each program includes and you can learn how much it costs and deadlines for applying. Some things to also check out are language prerequisites for specific locations, scholarship opportunities and deadlines for the Elon programs in Costa Rica, Italy and London.

Students can also visit Carlton and go into the Isabella Cannon Study Abroad office to gather more information on all programs. You can meet with an advisor to figure out what program may be best for you and can get immediate help by visiting the center for studying abroad.

Click on this article to find out other reasons why you should study abroad.

Check out this video of Heidi White, associate director of study abroad: