In my teens, I traveled to France with my mother, father and grandmother for a month of sightseeing with a rental car. Michael Schumacher and Formula 1 have nothing on my father and our Opel rental car. American fathers have an interesting if somewhat aggravating habit on trips. Yes, I am talking ab...

The words from this old Negro Spiritual never were more real than when I recently visited the new National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. This state of the art museum chronicles the development of the National Underground Railroad that formed a network of safe houses and th...

The Ghan is a living legend in Australian history and offers the ultimate journey through the heart of the Australian continent. Named after Afghan cameleers who originally helped open up the desert interior of Australia in the late 19th and early 20th, the Ghan is at once a luxury railway train and...

In 1999, I moved to Chita, a city in Siberia, Russia to teach for a year. After seven days of planes, trains and, well, more trains, I was ready to experience Chita in all its glory. Day 1 ? Lenin?s Revenge Riding on a train for three plus days does weird things to your equilibrium. You tend to deve...

A tsunami struck out of nowhere going down in history as the most devastating earthquake killing over two hundred thousand people. The coasts of South East Asia had been building popularity with Europeans when this occurred, understandably so tourism dwindled down after this, but not for long. Some ...

The uniqueness of Canada?s provinces makes each one worth visiting. Whether you like to ski or swim, fish or golf, visit national monuments or museums, Canada has it all in one beautiful, thirteen-province country. One of the most popular travel destinations in Canada is Ontario, a metropolitan cent...

Several months ago, in a related article, I made mention of two start up air carriers for the US market. Since then, both EOS Airlines and Maxjet Airways have taken flight and are successfully serving their passengers and making plans for future expansion. Beyond these two carriers, additional carri...

Hello, and welcome. This month`s report takes us to the western U.S. state of Oregon and some fantastic snowboarding. First a little background on the state of Oregon itself. Begin with a little prehistory by following this link to learn about Oregon and the Columbia plateau. Your journey begins...

Come summer, it?s time to go sailing in the Mediterranean. Home of the Gods and the mother of ancient civilization, the Mediterranean region boasts of over 100 miles of waterfront, dotted with more than three-dozen harbors. The French Riviera provides classic cruising conditions, unhindered entertai...

Beaches have always been a hot favorite as vacation spots. When one needs an escape from their daily chores the gusting waters at the sea provide a perfect sight to sooth the senses. Nothing is more rejuvenating than the best of U.S. beaches. Among top rated beaches in U.S. is the Fort Desoto Park?s...

The fragrance of fish, lobsters?, the sturdy Great Wall, the broken hush of winds by the Martial Arts, the grand museums and unpretentious down to earth people?welcome you to the third largest country on the globe-China. China is universally known not just for any single reason. The country has earn...

It?s the most wonderful time of the year. As we deck the halls and fill the malls, we?re filled with anticipation, joy, and excitement. The holiday season is upon us, and it?s a special time we choose to show our appreciation and share our love with the special people in our lives. However, with a...

San Francisco, a city in western California is coextensive with San Francisco County. Famous for its beautiful setting, San Francisco is primarily located on the northern tip of a peninsula at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west, the strait known as G...

On Sunday it was gorgeous. The cold front had finally passed through, the rain was gone and we had a beautiful warm sunny day without any humidity. My hostess is also a guide for the National Park System and Vinales is a nationally protected natural habitat. She had a tour planned through a side val...

Ed had a wonderful sense of humor, which came through in a few places of his creation. For instance, around the dining table, there are four stone chairs. Three are very comfortable, but the third is deliberately unbalanced and uncomfortable. Ed said that the three comfortable chairs were reserved f...

The determination of whether you should purchase travel insurance is a determination of whether you want to assume nothing bad can happen during your travels, or whether should something bad happen you can adequately resolve these unforeseen events. None of us think something bad will happen. We ass...

Capital of Andalucia and largest southern city of Spain, this dashing and romantic place is packed full of life, history and culture. Nature lovers will also find plenty on offer at the Doñana Nature Reserve and the Sierra Norte Nature Reserve. Children will delight in the Isla Mágica Theme Par...

This is a simple project that should only take a couple of hours to complete. Start by clamping the two 12` - 2x4`s. The rungs are notched into the 2x4 upright 1-1/8" so we need to mark out notches. The top and bottom rungs are 8" from the ends. This is the top of the upper rung and the bottom of th...

Chungungo is a fishing village on the Chilean coast, in most respects it is very similar to the many other small communities, strung out along thousands of miles of Pacific coastline, that depend on small scale fishing for their survival. But Chungungo is the site of an ingenious invention, the "atr...

?Yes? means ?no.? ?Now? means ?later.? My English student came by at the time of her lesson and pronounced this carefully rehearsed question: ?Will you give me 30 minutes?? I wasn?t completely sure that she meant she needed 30 more minutes until the class started or that maybe she meant she could o...

Your good health is paramount while traveling and taking simple precautions can drastically reduce your chances of falling ill. Health Insurance An insurance package that covers your health, possessions and cancellations is imperative. Immunizations Immunizations are critical ? especially if you are...

Sitting here in the cafe, 2 minutes from the Hostal Bonaire (Euro 39 for a single room) where we are going to spend the night. We left Javea yesterday around 1 pm and drove up the A7. We were just curious about the toll and ended up paying Euro 6.20 and Euro 17.75 plus another Euro 1.20 to exit just...

Successful packing is all about coordinating. Whether you are going on a business trip or for pleasure, stick with a theme. Believe it or not, you should be able to pack for a week to ten days in a carry-on shoulder bag and a 21? expandable suitcase (which could be carried on if you are nervous ab...

Luxury yachts are floating hotels at your command. They vary in length from less than 100 feet to over 300 feet, and a week?s charter is priced between $ 50,000 and $ 250,000. They can accommodate up to two-dozen guests and half the number of crew. Besides the lounge on the deck, furnished with comf...

One of the beauties of Toronto is its diversity, the fact that hundreds of ethnic groups from all over the world congregate here in this metropolis and give their distinct flavour to this urban mosaic of cultures. Since I had already taken my European visitors on a walking tour of downtown, covering...

For most of us, the basis of a car rental in Europe is the journey, not the destination. We spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars so that we can see everything that we want in the minimum amount of time available. This is what a rental car is perfect for, what it is made for, and what you shou...

Orville and Wilbur Wright were mere bicycle mechanics, yet they changed the history of mankind by inventing the first aircraft. It is amazing what one can do when you stop limiting your mind and go for it. There is probably no greater success story than that of Orville and Wilbur Wright. You can lea...

Beaches are the trademark by excellence for Spain and the Spanish beaches are many tourists only reason to visit Spain.
Who can blame them? The Spanish beaches are amongst the most wonderful in the entire world and Spain has an enormous coastline, more than 3900 km long.
It would take us t...

Spring break is probably the most anticipated holiday ever and as with all highly anticipated events, the pressure to make it perfect is absolutely huge. Let`s face it, deciding on where to go for spring break is a difficult decision to make. The Internet has so many offers it`s frightening. Pretty ...

Steamboat Springs, Colorado, or ?Ski Town? as it is affectionately known, is one of the most charming and unique vacation destinations in the United States. The town prides itself as a place that offers world class service and amenities without the high prices. For the traveler tired of being taken ...

The world is becoming smaller by the day. Flying long haul to distant locations for business or pleasure is becoming increasingly more popular. There are more aircraft, more airports to fly to and more people ready to spend half a day or longer in the air. It is quite simply easier and cheaper than ...

Need an idea for what to do on a date? Here`s how to go about finding ideas for new and unusual dates that are enjoyable and memorable. The three most usual choices for what to do on a date are dinner, a movie, and a public event such as a sports game or concert. Those activities often give the co...

Dublin, which is located in Ireland is not only beautiful any time of the year but offers serenity and relaxation. You can visit places such as the former Saint Andrews Church, and Suffolk Street. Visit some of the many museums that Dublin has to offer and discover the story and learn the history o...

What should one consider while travelling in Athens, Greece? Among them you should pay special attention to the electric current, especially if coming from the States or Canada. The standard in Greece is 220-230V AC (50Hz). Appliances from North America require a transformer and British ones an adap...

Should I book through an agent to get a hotel deal? This really depends on where on the world you want to travel, what time of year you want to travel, and how far in advance you can book your hotel reservations. You already checked the popular travel web sites. Try checking the hotels` web sites ...

So I am sitting here in a new place and I gotta hurry since I bought a $6 CUC Internet access card and I only have 53 minutes left. At any rate, the dinner at Pedro´s family on Sunday was amazing. We took the GuaGua (Public Transit System) and after about 1 hour we arrived in the area of Marinao. ...

Next to hitting a big enough jackpot to retire early, what?s the other secret wish of vacationing parents on the Strip? Freedom from ?the kids?. Studies conducted by the Las Vegas Visitor?s Bureau show that over 5 million kids visit Las Vegas each year. Camp Las Vegas is the first of its kind to off...

Australian vacations are great for extended holidays and summer fun particularly if you like the warmer weather. In fact, since Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere a hot summer in the United States will be a nice winter in the land down under. You might even think about taking an Austral...

Summer time brings a Philippe Starck-designed hotel bringing Palma?s Old Town back into the limelight. The capital of the Spanish island of Majorca it now overshadows the beach resorts. Palma ranks among most sought-after European weekend destinations partly due to the affordable renaissance flight...

Morris Island Lighthouse Can Now Be Seen in Live Video For the 1st Time on the Internet. Charleston, SC 8/31/2005 - The steady glow of a lighthouse`s protective flame has been symbolically weaved into tales of the sea for generations. These beloved stories have deteriorated into the tide over th...

Hawaii: beautiful beaches, perfect weather, amazing surf, exquisite cuisine, and one of the world`s favorite places to visit on a much-needed vacation. Here`s a quick tour of Hawaii with some highlights, hotel information and the key to an amazing Hawaii vacation. Here`s the secret: find an inexpens...

There are several key factors you must consider in order to avoid overpaying for timeshare resales. In this article you?ll learn the steps necessary for you to learn how to minimize your costs - yet still buy a timeshare that has powerful exchange value through RCI and Interval Int`l. 1. Understan...

Tuscany, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, with its architectural and artistic heritage, boasts dozens of museums, the most famous one being the Uffizi in Florence, medieval towns, and world-famous vineyards. Tuscany is pastoral Europe in its prime. Here are the top five Tuscan things to do...

I have always enjoyed long road trips across the country, perhaps because they have all the elements of a Homeric adventure. After completing basic training for the Army, I was ready for assignment to my permanent duty station. I was directed to travel from Norfolk, Virginia to Monterrey, Californ...

The South East Asian region of the world - especially Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos - has become increasingly popular as a destination for those travelers seeking a more adventurous holiday than can be had merely sipping fruity, ice-cold drinks at your typical beach resort. However, an adven...

First let`s start with how much cash Americans carry.

 
Under $ 20 .......  32%
$ 21--$ 50 .......  43%
$ 51--$100 .......  18%
$101--$500 .......   6%
$501--$999 .......  .6%
$1,000+ ..........  .5%

So, if you want to be in the rare 6%, just carry over a hundred bucks in your...

If you?ve not hosted a murder mystery party game before, the experience can appear to be a bit daunting. It really isn?t as difficult as it may first appear ? murder mystery games are very easy to host. But until you?ve got a one or two under your belt, these few tips should make your life a bit eas...

A beautiful and inexpensive place without a tourist in sight. Sound like a dream? It`s not. This slice of paradise does exist. Nestled high in the Andes Mountains of South America, Bolivia is a little-known retreat exotically spiced with a unique Latin and Native American flavor. Bolivia has a lot t...

Many people with a desire to live overseas have difficulty in deciding where to go and are sometimes in search of help in making their decisions. Cultural and other activities frequently play an important role in the decision making process. One useful parameter to consider when deciding on where to...

The most dangerous time in your life, when you are most likely to be attacked is when you are traveling in an unfamiliar area. Tourists are the favorite prey of the goblins of the world for the following reasons: They are easy to spot. Tourists make the mistake of not blending in, wearing cloth...