We're all thrifty here at The Thrift Shop Romantic. I mean, if there's a way to have big fun on little money, we know all about it, right? So that's why today I'm taking you on my Thanksgiving trip to the Florida Keys...And you'll never have to pay a dime for airfare... You won't have to worry about accommodations... And the food? It's a feast for the eyes and totally skinny on the wallet...Are yo
As I was sitting here typing my previous entry and sipping my coffee I realized that one of my friends from Canada is currently on vacation here in the USA. I need to drop her an email just in case she happens to check email while she is here. I'd love to meet up with her, but alas, I'm in the heartland of America and she, lucky duck, is in Florida!
Yes, she and her family on enjoying an
Are you planning a trip to the beautiful country of Costa Rica? There is plenty to see in this country including the beaches on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, quaint colonial towns, and lush inland rainforests. It would be impossible to see all of this with busses and taxis so you should consider renting a car. A rental car in Costa Rica will give you the ability to come and go as you please a
LinksVIRTUAL TOURPhoto GallerySpacious Full KitchenMaster Bedroom w/QueenDinetteLounge Chair Sofa turned into a BedFull BathShower/TubDouble BunksSpacious Floor PlanEntrance View w/AwningDescriptionVACATION.... In this fabulous 30 foot Travel Trailer with convenient and roomy... 14 foot power Slide-Out. Oh no... This is NOT tent camping! Relax in this self-contained 'second home' with all of the a
Not everyone’s pulse quickens to the thought of Mexico as a vacation spot. But is that too often the result of unfortunate experiences in the least suitable of all Mexico’s vacation venues?
A French friend of mine named Nick Yates once pointed out that those northern Mexico border towns so easily and frequently visited by Americans are peopled by locals much too intimid
It has been a long time since we have been on vacation. We have taken a few short trips (as in overnight) to local areas, but nothing substantial since Easter last year when we went to Tennessee. Since we are working furiously at paying off our debt (and considering moving) it will probably be awhile before we are able to take a "real" vacation, but we can always dream right!?!? My kids would rea
It has been a long time since we have been on vacation. We have taken a few short trips (as in overnight) to local areas, but nothing substantial since Easter last year when we went to Tennessee. Since we are working furiously at paying off our debt (and considering moving) it will probably be awhile before we are able to take a "real" vacation, but we can always dream right!?!? My kids would rea
Yeah! Fluffy and Fido are going on vacation with you! I’m sure they are looking forward to splashing in new streams, taking in the sun in a new window-sill or simply being spoiled in a new place. Before you leave, there are some tips you should follow to keep your pet safe. [...]
Leaving the monumental man-made vertical mayhem that is New York City and arriving at this serenely natural and horizontal setting in St. Mary's County in southern Maryland took a few days of planned detours, but the journey seemed longer. After securing a rental car near University Place and parking outside our building's entrance, we loaded the suitcases, the bag of snacks, the totes for all the
MOVING TO NEW YORK, day 7Thursday morning started with a luxurious breakfast, and hurrying into the Apple store again - the Apple website has showed us green light for stock of the new 3G iPhones in the Albuquerque store. We arrived to the store ten minutes after the opening. Only one iPhone left, and Matt signed up for the line to get it. I was a little sad that there was only one phone, but I th
By Ken MorrisIf you are planning to get onto a plan e, you need to have a great adventure. You want to do this so that you have the best time ever and so that you are not forced to deal with any accidents. There are some important things to think about when you are planning a safari adventure. There are going to be challenges to deal with. You need to plan the best trip ever and make it happe
Current statistics and forecasts indicate that travelers are coming out of their cocoons in ever increasing numbers. Travel remains the largest industry in the U.S. bringing in over $545 billion and generating 7.2 million jobs. Six out of ten Americans say they plan to travel in 2004, which makes travel a "hot topic" once again. Travel is on a positive upward trend again...with one key difference
Upon arrival on the Big Island of Hawaii, visitors may be surprised by the rich geographical diversity that can be overwhelming upon first glance. With a stunning coastline, sharp volcanic slopes, and breathtaking canyons, anyone with an affection for the great outdoors will be unable to resist t...
Kauai, the oldest and northernmost of the Hawaiian Islands, is a tropical paradise that is surrounded by the sparkling blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. Nicknamed the Garden Isle, visitors can lose themselves in the radiant flora and lush rainforests that abound around every corner of the island....
A lot of talk has been circulating around the various finance and money boards about the upcoming summer vacation season. How people are scaling back, airlines are scheduling less flights, and how the economy is affecting the vacation patterns of people. We've had our vacation to Disney planned, re-planned, figured, reconnoitered, documented, [...]
A Florida man got more than he bargained for after a nude maid he'd hired cleaned out $40,000 of his wife's jewelry.The man hired a naked maid off the internet; she charged a $100 an hour to strip down and clean his house in the buff. Somehow she managed to clean out the man's wife's jewelry while the Missus was on holiday.According to the St. Petersburg Times, the man claims the naked maid was a
Paradise on earth is how Italy is referred as across the world. Its beautiful mountains, plenty of greenery, Victorian style architecture, all make it a popular holiday destination. For people in other parts of the world, if they want to go somewhere different and unique, Italy and Tuscany is what they look for in the map. While talking to your travel agent about planning the trip, make sure to lo
Submitted By: Karen Lovendahl
Hawaii, the Caribbean islands, and Mexico. Those are all great places. But has traveling overseas ever crossed your mind? If not, it should because with help from the right people, you might find that a trip to Sweden or Greece costs about as much as a visit to Belize or the Bahamas.
Intrigued? [...]
A Quick Guide to Vacationing in Parisby James B. MarkusAs the second largest city in Western Europe, Paris is a great place to visit; over the years it has become one of the most visited cities in the world. Renowned for its modern art and breathtaking scenery a short stay in Paris is the ideal location for a romantic weekend break; the desire to stay longer is strong as there is so much to see and do.This city is also equally well known for its gothic architecture and markets; these include the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, markets, gardens and a history only matched by a few other European cities. Traveling through the city of Paris can be very enjoyable; the underground train system or Metro can take you to anywhere within the city and is simple to use.At almost 1,000 feet high, the Ei
A Holiday Guide To The Canary Islandsby Katy BivensThe Canary Islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean, little more than 100 miles from the coast of Africa. The weather is reputed to be the best in the world, a bit like Goldilocks' porridge: neither too hot nor too cold, and much the same all year. Average temperatures fall between 21 degrees in winter and 27 degrees in the peak of the summer.The most popular winter holiday destination in Europe, The Canary Islands are Spanish and tourism is the main industry. The islands offer a wide choice of self catering apartments and villas, most with pools. English is widely spoken.There is also a large ex-pat population with mostly British, German, and Swedish people moving there to retire or to make a living in the tourism industry. The coastline
Every year, the holiday season is when everyone plans their holiday, but one should realize this is when there is bound to be crowds everywhere. If you and your family have been planning all through the year and are finally ready to head off to enjoy the affordable Walt Disney World vacation, make sure it [...]
Well, I’ve been down in St. George Utah for the weekend and haven’t been online much. Was fun.. flyball tournament with the dogs.
Anyway, while I was down there I do remember having one dream. I was with a man who was smoking. And it didn’t bother me that he was smoking… but when [...]
Planning a vacation to Australia can be a daunting task. With so much to do, you will have to choose very carefully in order to get the most from the time you spend. With larger cities like Sydney, that have restaurants, night clubs, theater, and much more, you could spend your entire vacation there. Melbourne is another large city in Australia known for its tourist attractions. But if you want to see the outback, you should plan on spending a few days hiking and camping. The outback covers thousands miles and has many natural wonders to see. You will be amazed by the mountain ranges, natural vegetation, and tribes that still live off the land. If you want to learn more about the Aboriginal culture, then you will have to spend some time in the outback. You will be able to learn up close ho
Are you considering a vacation to China? Rich in culture and deeply hospitable, the Chinese people welcome tourists and it’s rich history and colorful traditions are sure to keep travelers well entertained during their stay. Visiting Shanghai Shanghai is one of China’s largest cities and is rich with activities for the visiting foreigner. It would be similar to visiting New York City in the United States. Shanghai is home to The Garden of Contentment, a 500 acre garden full of beautiful Chinese horticulture at it’s finest. The garden is divided into six separate garden cells: The Grand Rockery, The Ten ThousandFlower Pavilion, The Lotus Pool, The Inner Garden, The Hall of Heralding Spring and The Hall of Jade Magnificence. Nanjing Lu Road is a shoppers paradise. It features art galle
Do you want to get away from all of the hassles and frustrations of everyday life? Do you plan to have an early retirement? For all your business and personal needs, there can only be one place to be - Tampa. One of the best places to be retiring is Tampa, Florida. Located in the [...]
Wish You Were Here cameraphone postcards are real postcards, personalized with a user’s photo, and mailed right from a mobile phone. Users just text “WYWH” to the shortcode “69626” from their mobile phone to start using the service. They can turn the snapshot taken with their phone into a postcard by just sending the picture to WYWH.mobi and visiting a simple mobile web site to enter a personal caption, message, and address.The WYWH service then prints and mails the postcard on the user’s behalf. The service which relies only on SMS text messaging and a mobile phone browser like Safari on the iPhone needs no download.Customers can make their purchase by charging their wireless phone bill, as millions already do for ring-tones and other mobile content, or they can create an acc
There are many things to see and do in India, such as visiting the wonderful Hindu temples, the Taj Mahal, and exploring the great scenery too. India has a lot to offer as a tourist destination. It has a rich and fascinating culture which thousands of tourists go to learn more about each year. Perhaps you are one of those tourists.Unfortunately, like everywhere else in the world, India is not without its problems. Unfortunately, there is also crime, disease, and even environmental hazards. Any one or all of these could ruin a holiday for an unprepared traveler. The following tips should help you stay safe and avoid illness or injury during your holiday.Get Your Jabs!The last thing vacationers want is to get sick during their vacation. But unfortunately, there are lots of serious diseases i
Yes folks!
Full time blogging can be very tiring, you know. I have been thinking of taking some time off from blogging and go for a well deserved vacation somewhere in New Zealand! :-)
I have been searching for some great New Zealand holidays on the internet for months now and I think I finally found a great site that provides a true all-in-one package for travelers like me.
Have you folks
Realtravel.com is an excellent website providing information about travel and vacationing. The most interesting feature about Real Travel though is that the travel guide and all of the feedback, recommendations and experiences accessible on the website is are written by real travelers who have real experience traveling to the destinations that they write about.
No more artificially hyped up destinations or compensated reviews, what site visitors get are truthful reviews and experiences, whether good or bad, from just about anywhere on the globe, from popular tourist destinations like Paris right down to not so popular places like Siberia.
So check out Real Travel and discover, learn, plan, save for and share your experiences traveling the world.
By: Edmundo Nurthen If you are like most American families, it is likely that you are on a budget. With the cost of important merchandise, such as gasoline on the rise, you may find it difficult to keep yourself out of debt. If you are on a budget, the last thing that you may be thinking about is a vacation; however, it doesn’t have to be that way. If you are interested in taking a vacation you can. Each year, millions of individuals vacation while on a budget. Despite being on a budget, many of those individuals are able to vacation at some of the “hottest,” vacation destinations in the world. It may take a little bit of saving and research, but you can easily be vacationing in luxury, despite the fact that your finances may not be on track. As previously mentioned, a large number of individuals are able to vacation at popular destinations, despite being on a budget. If you are going to be planning a vacation, you mine as well make it the best vacation that you’ve ever had or
It’s that time of year! My wife and I are taking the next 3 weeks off travelling…. this time we are visiting Bejing, Shanghai, X’ian and Guilin. I’ll try to write a few posts here and there, but most likely they will have a lot to do with China. It’ll be tough being out of the loop with the stock market, as I’m so addicted to reading every piece of financial articles within my sight. The only “fix” I’m bringing with us is today’s Globe and Mail.
In addition to keeping my mind off work, I’m also bringing my new Canon Rebel XTi for a serious test-drive on this trip. You’ll notice the new Flickr plug-in on the left sidebar. If you’re into photography, please visit my Flickr account periodically and leave a few comments and suggestions.
Take care!
We just returned from a so-called family vacation. When I went to work Monday morning, I heard comments like “Welcome back. You must be so well rested.” and “It must have been so hard coming back to work today.” These were obviously not people with three kids under 4. When you have young kids, there is nothing relaxing about a vacation. For the kids its a vacation. For the parents, a vacation is actually a lot of WORK!
Our trip (I won’t use the word ‘vacation’ anymore) was to Sandbridge, a quiet beach area just south of Virginia Beach. We rented a house for the week. The house was actually quite nice, with plenty of room for all 5 of us and our minivan stuffed with gear, toys, clothes, snacks, books, DVDs, and everything else we could squeeze in.
The thing about a trip like this is that it still has many elements of a real vacation, the kind of vacation that existed pre-kids. Except those moments are very short lived, or they are combi
This is yet another one of those things I will probably never do, unless of course I win the lottery. When I was a girl I was obsessed with horses. And when I say obsessed I mean much more obsessed than most girls that age are. I lived, breathed, and slept horses. I had a few subscriptions to “horse” magazines and I spent countless hours flipping through them over and over again. There was an ad in one of these magazines for horseback riding tours through the mountains in Australia. The trip would last a few days to a week and you would camp out with your tour guide (they had a picture of him on the add, he was cute). I had this fantasy of me and my rich future husband going on one of those tours.
I used to go camping all of the time with my parents when I was a kid. Bear and I went a year ago though and it wasn’t as pleasant as I remembered. By the next morning the only thing I wanted to do was go home and take a hot shower and have a big cup of coffee. The
Many people have a lot more free time during the summer, and so they go out and travel.
This is an excellent opportunity to give a spontaneous, just-for-fun gift to show someone you love them or care.
To give a vacation gift, think about what a person needs on vacation.
Do they need luggage? Travelers going to faraway places usually need something in which to carry their clothes and to bring back their souvenirs, so a nice luggage set could be in order for your gift recipient.
Look for a sturdy set that has a variety of features. Is it made out of strong material? Is the suitcase firm? Does it have wheels to carry around easily when it’s full and heavy? Does it have an extended handle to make dragging easy? Does it have an expandable section? That could come in handy because many people frequently overpack, so that unexpected extra space comes in handy.
Also, for toiletries, you can get them a nice small toiletries bag. Made of leather or other materials, they are small
A popular vacation destination year round, make Tahoe your next vacation getaway. Located on the borders of California and Nevada, Tahoe is home to the deep crystal blue Lake Tahoe, the Sierra Nevada Mountains and entertainment ranging from galleries, museums, golf courses and casinos. A Tahoe vacation provides the perfect setting for family, friends and couples to have an assortment of relaxation and entertainment. Make the most out of your getaway and stay in a Tahoe Vacation Rental.
Imagine staying in a beautiful vacation home located just steps from the lake with your own private dock, or a ski-in and ski-out condo nestled right on the snowy slopes. A vacation rental home provides everyone with the privacy, space and amenities of a home away from home. It’s easy to find and reserve your dream Tahoe Vacation Rental within your price range and that has all the amenities to make your vacation as soothing and comfortable as possible.
(more…)
SOURCE: Eurail Group G.I.E. — Carbon dioxide emissions from cars and planes play a huge role in air pollution and global warming. In Europe, taking the train instead of renting a car or jetting around on low cost airlines is a sure-fire way to lessen the environmental impact of travel.
“If you’re concerned about contributing to global climate change, remember that rail is always a better option than flying”, advises Mr. Ian Byrne, Deputy Director of the National Energy Foundation, based in the UK .
The Eurail network that covers most of Europe with its wide range of flexible and affordable rail passes makes it easy to travel “green.” The average Eurail Global Pass Passenger, for example, travels more than 4,000 miles while using the pass. Trains covering that distance emit 0.3 tons of CO2, while cars and planes put out more than a ton of CO2. Travelers can calculate their personal emissions on the website of the US Environmental Protection Agency at w
June 14, 2004 — Throughout the week, the instructional team from Sail Caribbean, an educational sail and scuba camp for teens, joins together with Bitter End Yacht Club?s world-class watersports program.
Bitter End?s certified sailing staff and Sail Caribbean?s instructors welcome younger sailors and work side-by-side with them throughout the week, teaching them the finer points of keelboat and dinghy sailing, windsurfing, tubing and other watersports. In addition, planned snorkel trips and scuba dives depart daily to select destinations that are safe and shallow enough for younger swimmers to experience the thrill of watching underwater life right along with mom and dad.
Shoreside, families are invited to compete in daily beach games, including a beach obstacle course and tug-of-war, for prizes. In the evenings, members of Bitter End?s watersports staff and guests dine together at ?family-crew dinners.?
?These family-crew dinners are a highlight for the kids,? said Gor
Lindbergh, Da Vinci, Galileo, Martin Luther King, Jr. They thumbed their nose at convention. They spat into the wind and dared it to spit back. Each of them reached beyond the horizon and grabbed tomorrow.
Intervol and Friends Across Borders have spent this week donating their time and resources aiding and assisting local Belizeans and the Medical Services of the country. Apart from all the good work they have been doing they have also found time to explore the country.Read the Intervol Blog : http://www.intervol.blogspot.com/ for lots of pictures and stories from their week in Belize.
If you read me and are in recovery, this is kind of neat post on vacations without alcohol. I never really thought of it before, but it makes sense! I know that I was pretty stressed out about going on...
So I've been on vacation since Tuesday afternoon. I went in to work that morning for a few hours and then went to the office Christmas party at my boss's house. Afterwards, my week and a half vacation started. It's been both hectic and relaxing.
I've gotten nearly all my wrapping done - I plan on finishing today. I've made the DVD for my dad (no worries about him reading this because he doesn't
*Mary J. Blige is featured in the new Jet magazine addressing a round of rumors that has her on the verge of divorcing husband-manager Kendu Isaacs over infidelity.
"I read the page that was on my husband's pager: 'News Flash: Mary J. Blige and Her Husband Are Getting a Divorce,'†she tells Jet. "I was like, but here we are in Mexico, lying around in the sun having a good time. I said, 'This is crazy.'"
Despite Blige's denials and the couple's recent appearance together at the Golden Globes last Monday, the New York Daily News recently quoted a source stating, "it isn't a happy household there right now."
Blige is reportedly blaming former employees for planting false stories about her marriage, explaining: "That's people that come around... You hire them and then you fire them, and then they're disgruntled and then they start rumors over maybe something, like, they probably seen us having a quick argument or something like that.
When we travel with our kids (aged 8 and 2 1/2), we really try to get some type of accomodations other than the standard hotel room: a two-room suite, a two-room condo, or even a house (especially if we go with another family). This way, it really is a relaxing vacation for all. We certainly don't want to go to bed by 8:30pm each night (well, maybe that would be nice), and if the kids don't
