We’ve talked about National Geographic Books in the past, specifically Food Journeys of a Lifetime. We love these books – the writing is top notch, and the photos are exactly what you’d expect from National Geographic. Now, for a limited time, you can choose one of the three Journeys of a Lifetime books, and get it for half price from Groupon! This deal is only valid until April 9, so you have to act fast!

View at Groupon

At sometime today, Groupon will open up the sale of its latest high-end deal. Dubbed the Jet Set Adventure, for $10,000 you get a pair of Economy Class around the world airline tickets – or for $20,000 you can upgrade that to Business Class. It appears as though Groupon is only selling one of these deals, so keep checking, I guess.

View the deal at Groupon

I thought I should point this deal out, as it ends tonight at midnight. On Groupon Getaways, there’s a Southwest Airlines deal: Pay $10 for a $40 credit toward airfare on Southwest Airlines between Portland and Las Vegas. It’s a strangely specific deal, what with it being only between two cities on one airline. But if you’re near the Portland area and want to get your gambling fix on, it’s a pretty sweet deal. Instead of, say, $150 round-trip it’d be more like $120 round-trip, which is a good savings. Hopefully we’ll see more deals like this – I find them to be a lot more interesting than half-price resorts in South Beach or Barbados.

The deal ends tonight (Oct. 17) at midnight PST, so act fast. View the deal on Groupon

There’s not much time left – 15 hours or so – but Groupon Getaways has a Avis Rental Car deal. It’s a typical Groupon-style discount, where you pay $20 and you get a $40 discount on an Avis rental through the end of the year. There are quite a few details in the fine print that you should be aware of before you buy:

Expires Dec 31, 2011
Limit 1 per rental car
Valid only in Canada and United States (excluding Alaska)
Subject to availability
Must sign waiver
Shipping address required
Cancellations must be made online
Age restrictions and available car types/models vary by state
Extra charge may apply for drivers ages 18-24
Minimum 2-day rental
Not valid with rewards points, prepaid rates, or previous rentals
$200 hold for all rentals processed with a debit card
Must enter discount number ‘AWD S666500′ at checkout

So… yeah. It’s a good deal if the situation is right, without a doubt. Especially considering that there are no blackout dates. Somebody out there should be this deal, then let me know how it goes!

View the deal at Groupon Getaways

Yes, the fabled Groupon Getaways with Expedia has finally launched, and deals are live.  So what’s the verdict?  Here are the deals they have live at launch:

Temple Gardens Mineral Spa Resort in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan – C$130 for one night in a Luxury Mineral Jacuzzi Suite (C$285 value)
Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas – $89 for a one-night weekday stay, plus extras ($199 value)
Loews Denver Hotel – $99 for one night in a premium room, or $129 for one night
El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio – $79 for a one night stay ($103 value)
Pantages Hotel Toronto Centre – C$199 for a one night stay in a suite plus a $25 food voucher (C$404 value)
The Pointe Hotel in Cavendish, Vermont – $79 for a one-night weekday stay($169 value) or $99 for a weekend stay ($199 value), plus $25 vouchers for food and a massage.
Marina Inn at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach – $345 for 3 nights for two in a Grand Suite plus breakfast ($690 value)
Hotel Providence in Providence, Rhode Island – $279 for two nights for two in a junior suite plus breakfast vouchers ($530 value)
Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa – $369 for 3 nights in a two-bedroom suite plus a $50 spa credit ($677 value)
Classic Vacations: $500 for a $1000 credit for a Tahitian vacation
The Verandah Resort & Spa in Antigua – 3 nights all-inclusive for two for $695 ($1,239 value)
Eldorado Hotel & Spa, Santa Fe – $199 for a one-night stay for two, plus wine discounts ($359 value)
Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City – $149 for a two-night stay Sunday-Thursday ($359 value)

All-in-all, I’m pretty meh about these deals. The Antigua and Tahiti deals are interesting, but I’m not sure about the value. The other deals are kind of boring, they’re just typical flash travel deals. I really thought Groupon would come up with some amazing deals to bring in Groupon Getaways with a bang. What do you think? Are you excited about these deals?

Today only Groupon has a national deal where you pay $50 and you get a $100 credit at Southwest Vacations good on any 2+ night vacation package. It isn’t good for airfare only (you have to do airfare + hotel), but it’s still a quick and easy way to save $50!

Check it out at Groupon.com

The well-known daily deal site LivingSocial recently launched LivingSocial Escapes, their jump into the travel sector, but are the deals any good? While they do advertise at least 50% off, if that’s 50% off rack rates the deals aren’t that great.

For example, the headline deal here in the northwest is a one-night getaway at Skamania Lodge for $169 – a 50% savings off the normal rate of $339. According to their website, the Skamania Lodge offers their lowest level room for $169/night, but their Superior River View room is $339 (and looks quite nice). Also. with LivingSocial Escapes you also get some bonuses. For example, on this deal you get a $25 resort credit, free breakfast for two, and a free bottle of wine. That adds another $100 or so to the deal. All in all, this is a really good deal!

Keep an eye on LivingSocial Escapes – they currently have eight active deals, and claim that more are coming daily. View all the deals here!