Update 10/22/17: The contest is now closed. Check out the winning destination here.

Ever been in one place for too long?

Today we're in travel planning mode thinking about a quick domestic getaway to help recharge the creative batteries. We're lucky to live in such a vibrant city with so much to offer, but sometimes you just need a change of scenery to gain some perspective. 

So to try something new, we're going to crowdsource our next vacation. What's the best place for a quick fall getaway to capture some memories, eat good food and recharge our batteries? Vote below on Twitter and we'll announce the winning destination on Friday! If you're not on Twitter, leave your choice of one of the four destinations in the comments below to be counted.

Help us pick our next vacation destination! What's the best place to recharge the creative batteries?

— Journey & Play (@journeyandplay) September 20, 2017

I've long been a fan of Matti Haapoja's brand Travel Feels. Some of his videos are the reason I created this site and his content is still a huge inspiration for everything I do. For the last several months, Matti has been more homebound in Toronto due to the birth of his child (congratulations!) but now he's heading out on the road again and sharing his travel gear for his trip to Norway. 

This simple setup (well, if you don't include the drone) has all the basics that you'll need for travel photography and videography. And speaking of drones, I've never been a huge fan but in a place like Norway or Iceland, it'd be almost criminal to not get some aerial footage of all that natural beauty. Just don't overdo it and leave the pesky humans out of it. 

Make sure to follow Travel Feels on Facebook for more great travel film content.

We live in exciting travel times. The world seems to get smaller every single day and our options for seeing things our parents only dreamed of are getting longer and longer. So don't just dream about that beachside resort in the south of France, get out there and experience the coastal life. Here's a few tips to get you off your couch and into your dream vacation without blowing your savings account. 

Become a Super Sleuth (or Just Use a Private Browser)

Ever looked up a certain route on a Wednesday morning only to find that when you get home from work, the price has increased by $80 each way? Odds are you've been caught by the cookie. That is, the airlines watch what flights are being searched for by checking your internet browsing metadata and adjusting pricing accordingly. It's the same reason that one funny t-shirt you looked up two weeks ago keeps popping up in your Facebook feed or next to a story on immigration on CNN.

The internet tracks you so why not work smarter and open a Private Browser window when checking flights. On Google Chrome it's called "Incognito", on Safari it's a Private Window, but what it does is keep your flight queries from checking on you. I've watched flights go up solely because I daydreamed about a trip to Seattle and kept obsessively checking flights. On a Mac, just click on File and the second option down should be "New Incognito Window", or whatever language your browser uses. Alternatively, use Ctrl+Shift+N to open an Incognito tab in Windows and ⌘+Shift+N on a Mac.

Go Incognito and save some of that hard earned cash for when you get to your destination.

Be Flexible

This works on both ends of the trip. If you can be flexible with when and where you fly into, you can usually grab some pretty amazing deals. Living in Houston gives me access to a few international airports within a 4-hour driving distance so if there's a really amazing deal that can only be had from Dallas' airport, weigh out if the drive is actually worth it or not. The increased options can net some really low prices. The same is true for where you're going. Right now it's cheaper for me to fly into Manchester non-stop from Houston and take a train to London. It might not always be like that, but flexibility means I can make it happen for a much lower cost. 

Some search engines let you look up One Way, Round Trip or Multiple Cities so play around with some different options and see what you can find. On my first trip to the U.K. in 2007, it was cheaper for me to fly into Birmingham (BHX) and then fly out of London as opposed to just going roundtrip from a single destination. Same for last summer, I went into Paris (CDG) and out of Amsterdam (AMS) and saved at least $400 on a non-stop flight.

Don't be afraid to explore a new destination and you might save some money!

Compare, Research, Compare

I love Google Flights. It searches a ton of airlines fast and usually comes up with the lowest prices for me. The ease of use keeps me coming back, but it doesn't always give me the best deal. To compare, check out sites like BookingBuddy or Priceline before clicking buy to make sure that you're getting the best bang for your buck. 

There's also fare sites like my favorite, Escape Houston, that list super cheap deals and notify you via Twitter or email when new deals become available. They currently check flights from 5 metro areas in the U.S. (Houston, Austin/San Antonio, Dallas/Fort Worth, New York/Newark and Chicago) and have dug up some amazing sales, glitch fares and more. Make sure to click through on their links when booking flights as that's how they stay in business. 

Lastly, check individual airlines for sales. Southwest Airlines has some great domestic U.S. fare sales that they don't list on search engine sites. The only way to find them is by digging a little bit on southwest.com. Many other airlines are the same way so if you have a preferred flying choice, check out their corporate site before booking on Google or Priceline.

Got any other tips for booking cheap airfare? Leave them in the comments below!

My family heritage is mostly Scottish and yet for some reason I've never set foot in the land north of England. This short travel video by Gilles Havet makes me want to book a ticket right away. Highlighting the natural beauty and landscape, Havet moves from Edinburgh to Lewis in the north with a few stops on the Isle of Skye. 

Shot on a Panasonic GH5 and Sony a6300, the rugged beauty of Scotland's coastlines comes to life. The heavy drone work is handled by a DJI Phantom 4 Pro but unlike many travel films, the aerial footage works beautifully in tandem with the mirrorless cameras on the ground. The result is a stunning and complete view of Scotland's natural wonders. You can really feel the GH5's 180 frames per second capability with the crisp slo-mo shots. 

For a complete list of locations Havet visited in Scotland, click through here. 

It’s now been over a week since Hurricane Harvey started it’s destructive turn across the Texas Gulf Coast, leaving in it’s wake tens of thousands of destroyed homes, displaced people and tired souls. I’ve weathered hurricanes before, it’s practically a part of life in coastal Texas, but this was something different. 

Harvey had malice. And two left feet that kept him from leaving the area where he was definitely unwanted. My wife and I were spared damage and water but too may friends can’t say the same. Watching my city gasp for air as reservoirs overspilled was almost too much to bear. The people of Beaumont and Port Arthur are still without a fully functioning water supply. Rockport, Corpus Christi and Port Aransas were nearly flattened by wind and rain. 

This wasn’t normal. It will take years to rebuild. 

I’ve had numerous friends from outside Texas ask how they can help and I’ve answered by pointing them to community organization like BakerRipley that will be a part of the rebuild process for years to come. But the truth is, after you’ve given your money, why not come to Houston or the Texas Gulf Coast. Whether you come to help clean up or just to experience some of the many wonderful sites, money from tourism is exactly what this area needs right now. 

Journey & Play is all about travel with a purpose, so come and see what Houston has to offer. Inspired by the stories of neighbors helping neighbors? Come see that neighborly love for yourself. We definitely need money to get the rebuilding process started, but we also need you. Restaurants, stores and attractions survive off of local patrons, many of whom will be pressed for cash as they rebuild. So why not come to Houston and help pick up the slack. 

From Johnson Space Center, our many professional sports teams and some of the best food in the world, Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast has a lot to offer. So if you’re searching for a getaway, come see what makes us different.

We may be hurting right now, but that will pass. See we’re #HoustonStrong and we’re not going to let a cataclysmic storm keep us down. Just you wait and see. 

Check out visithouston.com to learn about the many reasons you should come and visit Houston.