Derwent Water: Jewel Of England’s Lake District
August 14, 2007
Derwent Water: Jewel Of England’s Lake District
by: Steven Cronin
Perhaps what surprised me more than anything was the number of foreign tongues I heard about town. Keswick was more cosmopolitan than I had imagined. It had moved with the times, but retained many of its old values. Many well-known retailers are present, but Keswick maintains deep roots to ancient past.
As appealing as Keswick is however, it’s not the main attraction in this part of the world. That title goes to a place of stunning natural beauty which has inspired artists and poets for centuries, compelling them to return again and again.
Derwent Water lies just outside Keswick town centre in the north of Lake District National Park, England. Its picture postcard looks have captivated audiences for centuries. Hire a boat and view the lake from a different perspective. It’s dotted with enticing little islands yearning to be explored. Boat hire is inexpensive and great fun for all the family.
The journey approaching Derwent Water incorporates an array of green, rolling hills separated by deep, lowly valleys. As I travelled northwards from Windermere along the A591, the clouds suddenly broke and bright sunlight flooded the valley, chasing away dark shadows settled over the vast ground. The valley seemed peaceful and content.
Discover Port Canaveral in Cape Canaveral Florida
August 13, 2007
Discover Port Canaveral in Cape Canaveral Florida
by: David G. Hallstrom, Sr.
Across the Banana River from the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island and just north of Cocoa Beach is the city of Cape Canaveral, Florida. In the city of Cape Canaveral you will find, on a protected channel just off the Atlantic Ocean, Port Canaveral.
Port Canaveral, which not too long ago was a small cargo port is now, in addition to being a major international cargo hub, one of the, if not the, busiest cruise ports in the Western Hemisphere. It is also a fun filled recreational area.
Board a cruise ship for a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7 day cruise to the Keys, the Bahamas or the Caribbean, on the 855′ Carnival Fantasy, the 952′ Carnival Glory, the 964′ Disney Magic, the 964′ Disney Wonder, the 880′ Royal Caribbean International Sovereign of the Seas, the 1020′ Royal Caribbean International Mariner of the Seas, the 916′ Royal Caribbean International Grandeur of the Seas or one of the other cruise ships that are in port. Take a 2 day gaming cruise on the Sterling Casino Lines Ambassador II with it’s 26,000 square feet of casino space, or take an afternoon, evening or full day gaming cruise on the smaller SunCruz Casinos’ SUNCRUZ XII.
How to Find Really Cheap Flights
August 13, 2007
How to Find Really Cheap Flights
by: Neal Brown
Airline competition has always been intense, but there are more and more resources available today that allow travelers to quickly compare fares without relying on travel agents. Here are a few of the strategies savvy travelers use.
First, start with the major airfare search engines to get a base idea of the lowest rates for your trip. www.qixo.com, www.orbitz.com, and quickfares.bestfares.com will do the job. Next, you’ll need to cover the individual airlines that aren’t covered by these engines. Southwest is one of these, so check www.southwest.com.
Your next step should be to check the airlines website for the lowest fare that you’ve found from the search engines. Before you do, make sure the fare that you’ve gotten includes all taxes and other fees. Often you can save a little by going direct to the airlines website.
Your ability to find the cheapest fares will depend greatly on your degree of flexibility in departure and return dates, and amount of time ahead of the trip that you start looking. With the number of routes being reduced by the airlines in order to fly at high as capacity as possible, it’s even more important to plan in advance these days.
The Cure For The Boring Family Vacation
August 12, 2007
The Cure For The Boring Family Vacation
by: Charles Brown
The words every parent dreads at home, are even worse when they are heard on a family vacation: “I’m bored.”
It’s no wonder so many parents give up on the idea of an educational, off the beaten path vacation, full of exciting memories and experiences, and opt instead to head toward Disney World.
But fear not. You can still plan a family vacation that can include things like checking out the Grand Canyon, climbing to the top of the Statue of Liberty or getting goose bumps in the Tower of London without turning your kids into catatonic vegetables.
The secret is easy: involve your offspring in the travel plans before you go.
Like all shameless psychological ploys, the trick here is to make them think the educational elements of the trip were their ideas. So gather all the information on your travel destination ahead of time. Print web pages, collect brochures, clip out newspaper articles etc. Make all of these choices look as exciting and colorful as possible - hopefully with photographs of families laughing and having great time - and then lay them all out in front of your planning committee, I mean family.
Adventure Travel to Make a Difference
August 11, 2007
Adventure Travel to Make a Difference
by: Charles Brown
Adventure travel comes in many forms, But I recently came across http://www.i-to-i.com/, which puts a whole new spin on the definition of adventure vacations.
i-to-i helps people make a difference while they see the world, by creating opportunities for people to immerse themselves in foreign culture and volunteer abroad in over 20 countries.
They offer a wide variety of volunteer experiences throughout the world, along with quality TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) training, and help thousands of people to catch the travel bug.
But they offer more than just teaching opportunities. Can you see yourself working on conservation projects like monitoring lions in South Africa? Or rescuing sea turtles in Costa Rico? Or how would doing community work with orphans in Guatemala change your life?
In addition, you have the opportunity to become a certified TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) instructor via either i-to-i’s online or onsite courses, which can lead to employment opportunities later.
So if you are looking for a travel experience to change your life, check out http://www.i-to-i.com/.
COPYRIGHT(C)2006, Charles Brown. All rights reserved.
The Perfect Vacation
August 10, 2007
The Perfect Vacation
by: Mike Michaelsen
Do your kids complain about every vacation you take them on? Does it seem as if you can’t find a vacation on which you can all have fun? Well I found an answer! Take your family on a Cruise. From the luxurious casinos to the Olympic sized swimming pool, there are 5 star ships with something for everyone to enjoy! All the outside rooms are very nice and complete with cable television, a hi-fi digital stereo system, wireless internet and a view of the ocean. Each ship has it’s own dedicated maids, butlers, crew and entertainers who make sure the stay is as comfortable as possible. The five star buffets are always open and include a wide range of delicacies, everything from Asian to Italian and even better, it’s all included in the cruise price! But if buffets aren’t your thing they have 5 star restaurants that serve only the finest foods, and if you’re a wine connoisseur you’ll want to sample some of the fine wines and champagnes imported right from France. But if eating at all these fine restaurants just isn’t for you can have the same food delivered right to your room. The ships usually contain 4 to 5 different nightclubs where you can dance the night away from everything from meringue to country. And for the high rollers they have casinos on board, complete with bars, tables and slot machines. (unfortunately no one under 21 allowed.)
The Province of Quebec
August 9, 2007
The Province of Quebec
by: Dave Lympany
As the only French speaking area in North America, the Province of Quebec is most certainly unique. Home to the separate native tribes of the Abenakis, Algonquian, Attikameks, Cree, Huron-Wendats, Innuu, Inuit, Malecites, Micmacs, Mohawks and Naskapis the first western settlers arrived in 1534. Jacques Cartier was the first westerner to set foot on the Quebec peninsula and claimed the area for France. Samuel de Champlain founded the city of Quebec in 1608 with King Louis XIV of France granting the status of Royal Province in 1663.
By the early 1700’s the British were a powerful force in the “Upper Canada” region and eventually General Wolfe defeated the French forces defending Quebec after the famous battle of Abraham Plains. The French finally ceded the rights to New France to the British in 1763 and the Province of Quebec joined the Federation in 1867. That wasn’t to be the end of the drama in Quebec as first the “Quiet Revolution” and then the rise of the separatist movement have all led to interesting times. Still a major part of Canada with abundant natural resources, Quebec is a truly diverse Province.
Adventure Tours To The Himalayas
August 8, 2007
Adventure Tours To The Himalayas
by: Charles Brown
Although only a handful of us aspire to actually climb Mount Everest in our lifetimes (AKA “Nutjobs”), I count myself among those who want to at least see this colossal peak before I die. To me, the Himalayas still represents a far-off adventure few of us actually get to see in person, but many of us have on our lifetime to-do lists.
So imagine how exciting it was for me to run across http://www.mtsobek.com/, a travel company that specializes in putting together small group adventure travel tours to the most awesome mountains in the world. No, we are not actually talking about climbing such mountains as Everest (although Africa’s Kilimanjaro is a mountain they conduct hiking tours onto), but mtsobek.com can take you on hikes and treks to see these breathtaking mountain regions.
For example, the Himalayan tour not only takes you to see the highest mountains in the world, but you will also meet the diverse ethnic people of Nepal, Tibet or Bhutan. Mtsoke.com offers nine Himalayas treks, so you can choose the adventure tour package that suits your physical condition, time and aspirations.
Stay Healthy When You Travel
August 8, 2007
Stay Healthy When You Travel
by: Charles Brown
The concept of budget adventure travel includes a lot of wonderful experiences, but one adventure you definitely do not want to have when you travel is getting sick. Not only are you far from your family doctor or your mother’s trusty chicken soup recipe; the very fact that you are in a foreign locale exposes you to allergies, germs, food and water you have no immunity to.
Here are a few health tips to either help you avoid sickness or help you cope with it once it befalls you:
–Wash your hands repeatedly throughout the day. This is the same advice you get at home during the winter flu season for good reason. Most germs are spread by contact; so the more often you wash your hands the less contact you will have.
–Get your immunization shots before you leave. Find out from the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta what shots are recommended for traveling in what country.
Using Courier Flying For Discount Travel
August 7, 2007
Using Courier Flying For Discount Travel
by: Brandon C. Hall
Unless you happen to be wealthy and have a lot of free time, chances are you wish you could fly more often than you currently can. Airfare is, of course, the most cost prohibitive element of long distance travel. Many people find themselves in situations where they know someone they could stay with in another city - so accommodations would be free - but there’s simply no way of being able to get there affordably. In terms of discount travel, there are some solutions to expensive airfares that are worth looking into if you are flexible and interested on a short visit rather than a long trip.
One of the cheapest ways you can fly is called courier flying. How this works is: courier companies exist that specialize in delivering relatively small packages quickly - things like important business documents etc. . . and what these companies want is your baggage allotment on a flight. So they will offer extremely discounted fares in order to get your baggage allotment.
