Candyce H. Stapen

Even though we’re barely beyond Labor Day, 

 we start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas if we want to spend less money on airfare. To save the most on flights to see friends and relatives who live in the top 20 largest markets, the travel booking site recommends we purchase airline tickets six weeks in advance.

That means booking seats the week of October 3

 for Thanksgiving and the week of November 7

 for Christmas. Do that and the average savings travelers pocket is 14% on airfare, but for some destinations passengers can save as much as 50%.

To grab savings in smaller markets, Hipmunk targets different dates. For turkey day, book now—the week of September 5--, or wait until November 14.  For Santa celebrations, we can stuff our Christmas stockings with savings by reserving airline tickets the week of October 12 or, for those who can wait it out, December 12.

Remember, that savings on holiday airfare, while significant, aren’t the only factors to consider. A booking close to the holidays may save dollars, but may also add difficulty. Cheaper fares may require boarding a midnight flight, making one or more stops en route and enduring long lay-overs. So before taking up Hipmunk’s suggestion of purchasing airfare close to the holidays, ponder the possible inconveniences. 

In the top 20 markets for Thanksgiving, Hipmunk analyzed the ticket prices within the U.S. for departures between November 23 to 26, 2015 and returns between November 27 to 29, 2015. For Christmas prices for flights within the U.S. for the same top 20 markets, Hipmunk analyzed departures between December 21 to 25, 2015 and returns between December 26 to 27, 2015.

Hipmunk’s Top 10 Markets’ Median Ticket Prices and Savings for the Holidays  

Median price of Thanksgiving tickets booked the week of October 3:

Median price of Christmas tickets booked the week of November 7:

Valentine’s Day: Which Cities Hike Prices the Most? 

Articles

Even though weâ€™re barely beyond Labor Day, Hipmunk suggests we start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas if we want to spend less money on airfare. To save the most on flights to see friends and relatives who live in the top 20 largest markets, the travel booking site recommends we purchase airline tickets six weeks in advance.

When to Buy Holiday Airline Tickets to Save the Most Money

National Museum of African American History and Culture

, a new Smithsonian museum, opens September 24, and in January a new president moves into the White House. Whether you're headed for the museum (obtain timed entry tickets ahead) or partying/commiserating post-election, a meal at Fiola Mare, one of the city’s very best restaurants, will add to your experience.

Fiola Mare's Kennedy Lounge (photo courtesy of Fabio Trabocchi Restaurants)

Fiola Mare is a treat. The seafood restaurant with an Italian flare serves some of the best food in Washington, DC Rated as the 2016 

 by Washingtonian Magazine, Fiola Mare is also expensive. For most of us that puts Fiola Mare in the celebratory category—the place to toast a birthday, a new baby, a promotion or some other special event.

We went to celebrate an anniversary (it was less costly than a weekend away, although not by much). Nevertheless, even my husband, affectionately known as “Mr. Thrifty” thought the meal was worth it. And that’s saying a great deal.

I have thought about the lobster ravioli for months. Creamy without cream (I’m allergic), the ravioli was the best I have ever tasted and worth the $50 plate. Even though my husband and I shared a half-portion, I am still dreaming:

Fiola Mare's Lobster Ravioli (photo courtesy of Scott Suchman)

Designed for two, the Grand Adriatic grilled seafood satisfies with its bounteous catch of lobster, scallops, mahi mahi, branzino, calamari and octopus. Other standouts: gragnano spaghetti chitarra (spaghetti with clams) and Under the Sea: scallops, prawns, and other shellfish in broth.

The food is fresh, expertly prepared with a light touch and plated beautifully. In addition, Fiola Mare’s setting is fun. Many fine restaurants come with a formal and fussy dining room. Not this one:

Located on Georgetown’s waterfront, Fiola Mare sits along the Potomac River, facing the greenery of Theodore Roosevelt Island.  You can dine on the deck or in one of several dining rooms. We like the biggest one with its view of the open kitchen fronted by rows of Spanish turbot, Dover sole, branzino neatly lined up on ice.

Fiola Mare is the third Washington, DC restaurant helmed by Chef Fabio Trabocchi and his wife Maria Trabocchi. They serve delectable dishes and memorable experiences at Fiola, an upscale Italian restaurant in Penn Quarter, and Casa Luca, a casual trattoria in downtown DC rated number nine on Washingtonian’s list.

Fiola Mare serves lunch Tuesday to Friday; dinner Monday to Sunday; and brunch on Saturday and Sunday.        

Washington, D.C.â€™s heating up. Whether you're headed for the museum or partying/commiserating post-election, a meal at Fiola Mare, one of D.C.â€™s very best restaurants, will add to your experience.

Great Washington, DC Restaurants: Fiola Mare

The Saguenay-St. Laurence Marine Park, Tadoussac, Canada, offers exciting whale watching within a two to three-hour drive of Québec City. Seven different species of whales inhabit the waters and, unlike other whale watching trips, you can forget about enduring an often tedious and rough hour plus boat ride before you reach whale territory.

Located on the St. Lawrence River, the marine park encompasses both the fjord and the St. Lawrence estuary. In this region, the icy salt water carried up the St. Lawrence River from the Atlantic Ocean meets the warm fresh water flowing out of the Saguenay fjord.  As the two currents mix, they give rise to a rich harvest of plankton, krill, and capelin that draws the marine behemoths on a staggered schedule between May and October.

From August through October or November, you might catch sight of a blue whale — the largest animal on earth, weighing 140 tons and reaching 98-feet in length. From May to November, look for finback whales, minke whales, and humpbacks. Belugas reproduce and live in the St. Lawrence year-round. You’re also likely to see gray seals and harbor porpoises.

From Tadoussac, companies offer whale watching trips in large boats as well as in motorized Zodiacs. The Zodiacs, much smaller than the boats, allow you to be at sea level instead of looking down at the whales. As a result, you feel closer to the animals. 

 as well as other companies offer both big boat and Zodiac tours.

Interpretive Centers feature exhibits and activities in summer. From the end of June to the end of the third week in August, the park hosts a hands-on activity targeted for kids. As part of “We’re off to Discover Marine Animals!”, budding marine biologists get to touch sea cucumbers and starfish as well as “race” sea urchins. Certified divers can go on a guided scuba tour of the St. Lawrence River.  Check the park’s schedule for days and times.

At Cap de Bon-Désir Interpretation Centre, guides lead informative walks along the shoreline. With luck, you might see several whales, including the threatened St. Lawrence beluga.  The Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre offers exhibits and films as well as guided scuba diving. The Pointe-Noire Interpretation Center is also a good place to sight whales as well as marine birds.

Combining a visit to Québec City and to Tadoussac provides an engaging mix of city and country sights in Canada.

Québec City: Where to Go in the 2016 Best City in Canada

The Saguenay-St. Laurence Marine Park, Tadoussac, Canada, offers exciting whale watching within a two to three-hour drive of QuÃ©bec City â€“ and you don't want to miss it.

Don't Skip Whale Watching If You're Visiting Canada

 magazine’s top spot for cities in Canada to visit as part of the publication’s World’s Best Awards, a reader/user generated survey. Respondents commented on how the city brings together Old and New World charm.

Overlooking the St. Lawrence River, Québec City exudes a French flair. The only fortified city north of Mexico, Old Québec (officially the Upper City, Haute-Ville, within the fortifications), has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But the Lower City, Basse-Ville

is actually the oldest part of town since it was here that Samuel de Champlain built his first settlement.  Both areas with their narrow streets, historic buildings, and cafés are great for strolls. Here are some top things to do and see in Québec.

In Québec’s Upper City, walk along the Terrasse Dufferin, a promenade with river views that’s outside the palatial hotel Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. In summer along this promenade, jugglers, musicians, mimes, and other street performers entertain passers-by.

La Citadelle, (Citadel), Old Québec’s fortress, built between 1820 and 1850, is the largest British fortress built in North America. See the French powder magazine, built in 1750, and the military prison, built in 1842, on a guided tour. The museum offers the opportunity to learn about 100 years of the Royal 22nd regiment. Watch the changing of the guard at 10 a.m. daily through Canada’s Labour Day, September 5. For tales from the past, take in an evening ghost tour, available on weekends through October 31, 2016. Some tours are in English and some are in French.

Little kids (and older ones) are charmed by the horse-drawn carriage rides through the Old City, available at the Place d’Armes. Some routes include the Old Port area in the Lower City.

Tour Parc des Champs-de-Bataille (Battlefield Park)

Just outside the city walls is Battlefield Park, the Plains of Abraham is the site where the British defeated the French in a 1759 battle. The park stretches for 267 acres along the river and the Joan of Arc Garden features colorful flowers and, of course, a statue. In good weather, join the locals who stroll, bike, inline skate, and picnic here. Summer also brings lawn concerts and other special events.

Walk the Breakneck Stairs or Board the Funicular

To get to the Lower City, head down L’escalier du Casse-Cou (the Breakneck Stairway), which is really not that difficult to maneuver as long as you go slowly. The oldest staircase in the city, it was built in 1635. You can also take the funicular, which, for young kids, descends at a just-exciting-enough 45-degree angle.

Both the Breakneck Stairs and the funicular bring you to the Quartier Petit Chanplain. Boutiques, galleries, and bistros line picturesque, cobblestone main shopping street, Rue du Petit-Champlain.

Musée de la Civilisation (Museum of Civilization

“This is Our Story” explores the history and modern lives of 11 Aboriginal nations living in Québec through their words, as well as images and artifacts. At Uprising X 25 ponder 25 events that since the fall of the Berlin Wall have changed our times, things such as gay marriage, the occupation of Tiananmen Square and Greek anti-austerity protests (through March 12, 2017). Through amazing photography, “Nanotech: The Invisible Revolution” reveals the tiny, nearly invisible things we rely on in electronics, medical treatments and even cosmetics (through April 2, 2017).

QuÃ©bec City won Travel and Leisure magazineâ€™s top spot for cities in Canada to visit as part of the publicationâ€™s Worldâ€™s Best Awards, a reader/user generated survey.