Gadling

There's still money in rental cars, according to the latest from the New York Times. In May, the average rental rate (airport) for a compact ride was $345.99 for a week – as long as you booked it seven days in advance. That's an increase of 73 percent from $199.65 in May 2008, according to Abrams Consulting Group, which watches this stuff. As of mid-June, the 2008-to-2009 change was narrower: $210.38 to $347.44 (up 65 percent).

The price increases, it seems, are our own fault. Demand is down 15 percent, which forces the rental car companies to cut their fleets back – ultimately engineering a shortage that pushes up prices. So, if we were renting more cars, they would be cheaper.

One of the side-effects of this dynamic is that cars are staying in the rental fleets longer. Remember when you'd never see a rental car with more than 30,000 miles on it? Well, don't count on that threshold any more. The average rental car's age is now up to 11 months – that has to be forever in dog years – as companies try to extract as much value from each ride as possible.

There are a few ways you can find a cheaper rental car, which you can learn after the jump.

Once your barbeque is finished and you've cleaned up the long, you'll probably want to leave the house for your next meal. You've done your share of cooking and coped with the mess. When you're looking for a restaurant to make your life easier tomorrow, check out OpenTable's list of top shops for Best American Cuisine. The winners come from 2.5 million OpenTable user reviews of more than 9,000 restaurants. And, since these are quintessentially American restaurants, you'll extend your celebration of independence by an extra day.

Since all this is so close to July 1, you can also use it as a way to stretch Canada Day a bit. The food really isn't any different anyway, except for a few moose dishes, I suspect.

Caroline Potter, billed as OpenTable's dining expert, calls this "a great time to be an aficionado of American cuisine. From a melting pot of culinary influences, today's chefs have created a cuisine that is truly our nation's own."

So, ready a long list of restaurants that will blow your independence-oriented mind? Look for them after the jump.

Naples, Florida. Bethpage Black. Pebble Beach. St. Andrews. These are the sorts of places that come to mind when you think "top spot for golf." But, Los Cabos? Mexico? Prepare to have your illusions shattered: Fiesta Americana Grand Los Cabos Golf & Spa Resort – a destination whose name you just can't say quickly – picked up the #9 spot on Golf Digest's world hotspots for golf (if you can actually call a place known for golf a "hotspot").

The golf course and resort with the long name pushed into the top 10 in the magazine's "50 Best International Golf Hotels Outside of the United States" category. The win was helped by The Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol, designed by Jack Nicklaus (or at least under his name) and ranked #1 in Latin American. The other attraction, The Desert Course at Cabo Del Sol takes #5 in Mexico, also according to Golf Digest.

Alberto Gurrola, general manager of The Fiesta Americana Grand Los Cabos Golf & Spa, is understandably psyched about the Golf Digest honors, saying, "The Fiesta Americana Grand Los Cabos Golf & Spa Resort has long attracted guests for its spectacular, idyllic background, where the desert meets the sea as well as its soothing SOMMA WineSPA and, of course, its world-renowned golf offerings."

Now, I'm not going to say that the spa is a great place to drop the wife when you dash off to play 18 holes, lest I invoke the ire of a commenter yet again. Simply, if I were married to a golfer, I'd run off to the spa while she goes out to chase a little white ball.

Chicago makes several appearances on IgoUgo's list of top hotdog establishments, but there are plenty of spots across the country where you can pick up a great hotdog. My favorite apparently made the cut – a shortcoming of the list, I guess. For me, it doesn't get better than Popo's, in Swampscott, MA, and my local shop, Gray's Papaya, is no slouch, either.

And, don't forget that there are some dogs to be found outside the United States. I've had interesting eats in Stockholm, Montreal, East Anglia, Reykjavik and Madrid. That said, IgoUgo's honor roll is packed with fantastic hotdoggeries, and you're bound to find something that satisfies the basest of "culinary" urges.

Get IgoUgo's suggestions and reasoning after the jump.

Gallery: Hotdogs in East Anglia

Culinarily inept? Well, if you are, you're not alone (and you're in good company ... with me). The Lodge at Vail, a RockResort, has exactly the solution for those of us who believe cooking dinner involves a phone call. The Colorado Cookin' package will make you a chef for a day, as Executive Chef Rahm Fama takes you through the local farmers' market and into the Cucina Rustica restaurant's kitchen for the insights you'll need to become a pro.

This deal is on through September 21, 2009 and comes with two nights (Saturday stay is required) and some great Sunday activities – from a tour of the Vail Farmers' Market to a four-course brunch at The Wildflower and a cooking class led by the top chef himself. It starts at $274 a night, and extra days can be tacked on at $149 each.

Hell, it's enough to make me consider stepping into the kitchen.

The next time you complain about the service from flight attendants, consider the opposite extreme. Jaime Daria Samia, an attendant on United Airlines, was arrested in Chicago after (allegedly) he allegedly rubbed the hand and arm of a 16-year-old passenger ... and kicked in a few inappropriate comments to make the situation worse.

The boy's father reportedly told police that this behavior persisted through the entire four-hour flight, even after the minor told Samia to stop. For not recognizing boundaries – or simply listening to the alleged victim – the 57-year-old FA will have to appear in Cook County Criminal Court on August 11, 2009 on a misdemeanor battery charge. He was released on $100 bond and is being "held out of service" pending the results of the investigation.

Keith Wright, a New Yorker (damn!) felt restricted by more than just cramped airline seating today. On a flight from Charlotte to Los Angeles, he ditched his clothing and did not respond (vocally, at least) to flight attendant requests to put them back on. The mile-high nudist also wouldn't accept the cover of a blanket.

As a result of Wright's defiance, the US Airways flight was diverted to Albuquerque, where the passenger was met by federal authorities. According to the FBI, he's now in federal custody, with a charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants. Once Wright got off (the plane), the flight continued to its planned destination.

Every story has a moral: you'll have no problem getting a blanket from a flight attendant if you strip.

Itching to learn more about high-altitude nekkidness? Click here to get the bare truth.

Let's face it: Bury St. Edmunds doesn't have a lot going on. The Abbey Gardens are the main attraction – particularly the internet-enabled bench. So, it's pretty easy to see why entertainment alternatives are generally limited. There are some fine restaurants in this sleepy eastern England town, allowing you to eat quite well. But, I prefer to go as down-market as possible. So, I made it a point to find a hotdog place in Bury St. Edmunds, and I found one fit for royalty.

King's is a tiny, dumpy establishment that reminds me of strip mall pizza joints here in the United States. It's possible to eat your dog, burger or slice of pizza elbow-to-elbow with whoever's on duty, or you can take it outside to the patio, which is considerably more spacious. I chose a third way: take it for the road. The main reason I look for hotdogs when I travel is because I can eat on the go, maximizing my time wherever I am.

The hotdog at King's was impressive in size. Unlike the hotdogs in Reykjavik and Stockholm, this sleepy British down puts out an enormous wiener, so make sure you haven't eaten in a while before trying to tackle it. As for taste, frankly, the long dog at King's just doesn't measure up. I had to wait longer than I expected, and the hotdog just wasn't tasty enough to warrant all the standing around.

I've had better.

Even with its drawbacks, though, it's still nice to know you can find a hotdog in this remote corner of the world. Yes, it is remote. For a city-dweller, the East Anglia countryside is about as far from civilization as possible. The good news is that, somehow, hotdogs made their way as far out as Bury St. Edmunds, allowing even the country folk to dine 'n' dash.

Check out the video review after the jump.

Gallery: Hotdogs in East Anglia

Arlington National Cemetery has no parallel, yet for some families, it's not enough. If yours is not resting in Arlington, then the national treasure takes a back seat to the bit of earth that matters more to you. As many people as Arlington serves, there are large U.S. cemeteries elsewhere that are profound in the numbers they protect. This becomes clear when the enormity of the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial assaults your senses. Taking their final rest in Cambridge, England, you'll find 3,812 U.S. service members – veterans of World War II. Etched in stone are another 5,127 names – their remains have not yet been located. Standing alone above this touching display is an American flag to honor the fallen men and women who never made it home.

This isn't what you'd expect in Great Britain. The nation sacrificed much of its own – service members, civilians, personal property, historic landmarks. The U.S. lives lost were many and traffic, but for Britain, the war was on its doorstep. Nonetheless, the nation is proud to recognize the help it received from the United States. And, to call Britain's show of appreciation substantial would be an understatement.

Despite lying in Cambridge, the American Cemetery and Memorial is on U.S. soil. The employees, though locals, draw their checks from the U.S. government. Their hard work – it's evident from the beginning of your first conversation with the staff – has little to do with compensation. As curator Arthur Brookes put it, "It's not hard work at all, really." Sweeping his hand across the endless rows of cross-marked graves, he emphasized, "They did the hard work." He means it, as demonstrated by the piercing intensity of his eyes.

Gallery: Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial

Intrepid Travel puts together some amazing trips, and today's deal will make them even more accessible than usual. For the next nine hours, trips will be discounted deeply ... all Intrepid trips ... more than 400 of them. Price cuts range from 15 percent to 60 percent in this rare opportunity.

Trips departing soonest, of course, come with the greatest price breaks. Book an excursion that leaves in July, and you can generally knock 60 percent off the price. Those taking off in August can net you a savings of 30 percent, with the rest of the year's trips 15 percent off.

The sale starts now and runs until 7:30 PM this evening. Each includes all accommodations and land transportation, some meals and a guide.

After the jump, you'll get a sense of how much you can save.