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August 04, 2011

How to Keep a Travel Journal

How to Keep a Travel Journal

How to Keep a Travel Journal - Tips for Writing on the Road by Pam Bauer

Looking for fresh travel journal writing ideas? Read on for tips to get you started and ideas for creating a journal you will cherish.

Choosing a Travel Journal

Choose a journal. There are many journals available, from inexpensive spiral notepads to elegant hand-bound volumes. Make sure the journal that you choose is one that you like. This may not seem important – you may think that any journal will do. But travel, along with being exhilarating and fun, can also be intense and demanding, so you want a journal that pleases you, that you want to write in, that invites you to put pen to paper. And since you will carry your journal for the length of your trip, be sure the size is right for you. If you’re packing light and moving frequently, a small, lightweight journal is best. Similarly, if you write prolifically, be sure your journal has enough pages to last until the trip’s end.

Just do it. This may seem obvious, but it needs to be said: write in your journal. Sometimes a traveler with the best of intentions can get stuck at the start. All of those blank pages in a beautiful new journal may seem intimidating, or you think your handwriting is too messy, or your words aren’t good enough. Nonsense! A travel journal is not a scholarly work. It is a record of your experiences – written by you, for you. There are no rules, and no one is grading what you write. The best way to get going is to, well, get going. Dive in, start writing and you’ll find these barriers will disappear. [Full article]

August 02, 2011

The History of Route 66

 The History of Route 66

Hit the Open Road on Route 66 by Ann Hattes

Route 66, known as the Mother Road, was a two-lane ribbon of highway extending 2,448 miles through small town America from the fresh water shores of Lake Michigan to the sunny beaches of the Pacific Ocean in California. Along the way it crossed eight states - Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

A national celebration of the route's 75th anniversary took place in July in Albuquerque, New Mexico, though communities all along Route 66 are planning festivities throughout the year.

For those who made the westward trek beginning with the Dustbowl Migration in the 1930s, Route 66 represented opportunity.  Later with the hit song, "Get Your Kicks on Route 66," and the CBS TV's Route 66 Corvette duo from 1960 - 1964, it symbolized freedom.

But mostly Route 66 is a memory for millions of Americans who've hit the open road - crossed the Mississippi, the Great Plains, the Continental Divide - and helped to shape the Southwest.

[Discover full history here]

July 29, 2011

Adventure Tours for Women Travelers

RVers Will Travel Despite High Gas Prices
Get Gutsy on These Exciting Adventure Tours for Women

Attention Women Travelers! Every have a hankering to go out and do something wild? Or have you wanted to go somewhere out of the ordinary, but just couldn’t find someone to share the experience? Well, chances are you’re not the only one. Women of adventure now have a plethora of choices for the closet thrill seeker inside you.

So, if your friends want to lounge around a posh hotel and get pampered, but you want something with more thrills & chills, check out these adventure groups and get whisked away to wherever the wind blows…

Adventures in Good Company

Adventures in Good Company

Say good-bye to the stress and clutter of daily life. Reconnect with what is truly essential. Spend a few days—or a few weeks—in the peace and splendor of some of the world’s most beautiful natural locations. Reinvigorate your mind…rejuvenate your body…nurture your spirit. And share the adventure with other active women as you laugh, support, and inspire each other to take on new challenges, both on your journey and in your life.

[Learn More]

June 29, 2011

Top 10 Beach Destinations in America

Top 10 Beach Destinations

Family barbeques, picnics, festivals and beach parties are some of the ways Americans spend the summer. Enjoy the season in true summer fashion – at the beach.  Whether looking for a quiet seascape to catch up on a novel, or a bustling coastal town filled with events and entertainment, Cheapflights.com has the perfect shore spot for you.

  • Hilton Head, South Carolina - Renowned for its East Coast vibe, Hilton Head offers quintessential beach activities for couples and families alike. Spend your days biking the 100 miles of cycling trails throughout the Atlantic island – breaking only to catch waves, soak up the sun and savor the area’s fabulous restaurants. For cheap grub, head to the Sea Shack and roll up your sleeves for affordable shrimp, crab and blackened fresh fish. At night, check out The Salty Dog Café. A $5 admission is required to get in the restaurant, situated on a resort plantation, but the nightly live music and souvenir T-shirt you’re bound to buy, make it well worth it.

  • Hermosa Beach, California - The year-round beach destination pulls out all the stops every Memorial Day weekend for Fiesta Hermosa.  Hundreds of vendors set up shop along Hermosa Avenue, Pier Avenue and Pier Plaza in downtown Hermosa for three days of great food, drinks and live music. Kids can switch between amusement park rides and sand castles until 6 p.m. nightly as parents peruse local shops and the ever-popular beer garden. If you get to town by Friday, take part in the Samburu Project’s Walk for Water, an event that raises awareness and funds for clean water initiatives in Kenya.   [Read full story]

June 28, 2011

7 Common Travel Mistakes - How to Prepare

7 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Traveling

With 17 years experience in the travel business, Ellen Paderson has seen it all. Whether her clients are first-timers going on a Caribbean cruise or veteran world travelers headed for Australia, she has compiled a list of ‘7 Common Travel Mistakes’ from which all travelers can benefit.

(1) Take along your over-the-counter medications – Surprisingly they’re hard to find. If you do find them, they’re very expensive, especially on Caribbean islands. Bring your Dr. and insurance contact info list of prescriptions and RX numbers, Carry meds with you.

(2) Check your Passport expiration
– It cannot expire within 6 months of your return travel date.
 
(3) Expired passport? Take your confirmed itinerary to the immigration office. They will issue a passport that day if your travel starts within 10 days.

(4) Check your flight schedule the night before you’re scheduled to travel to make sure flights haven’t been changed or cancelled.

(5) Leave enough time between connections -- You need at least 90 minutes to go through Customs, pick up luggage and recheck before going on the next leg of your flight. Note that leaving the U.S., you don’t need to go through Customs, but you do on the way back, re-entering the country.

(6) Notify your bank if you’ll be using a credit or ATM card outside the US. If the bank is not notified, the ATM will keep your card, and your credit card will be declined.
 
(7) Take comfortable shoes. To quote world travel expert Rick Steves, “Footloose and fancy-free is not so easy if you have the wrong shoes. Now is the time to start breaking in what you plan to wear on your next trip.” Take more than one pair of tested footwear in case one gets wet, torn or lost, or isn’t as comfy as you thought. Do you need hiking boots, walking shoes, or sandals?

[Read full story]

June 21, 2011

Asia's Top 10 Sacred Sites

Top-sacred-sites-asia 
Asia’s Top Ten Sacred Sites

Temples, Devotees and Rituals Enrich Travel to Asia

From the holy city of Varanasi in India, to the world’s largest Buddhist monument in predominantly Muslim Indonesia, to the Emerald Buddha in Thailand, this divine list of the top ten temples, shrines and places of worship portrays Asia’s most intriguing sacred sites:

1. TAKTSHANG MONASTERY (Bhutan) - Easily Bhutan’s most iconic temple and the country’s most sacred spot, Tigers Nest monastery clings dramatically to a cliff almost 3,000 feet above the Paro Valley floor.  

2. VARANASI (India) - It is said that this holy city for Hindus rests on the trident of Lord Shiva and a ritual cleansing in the holy waters of the Ganges at Varanasi absolves the believer of all sins, enabling a higher birth in the next life. Millions of Hindus make their way here annually and so do travelers from around the world.

3. SHWEDAGON PAGODA (Myanmar/Burma) - Sheathed in gold plates and topped by a 76-carat diamond, the great golden dome that rises 322 feet above its base in Yangon is Burma’s most sacred site, visited by Buddhist worshippers and monks daily. You can perform a clockwise walk around the complex that is believed to have been constructed over 2,500 years ago, praying at various stations, to complete a personal pilgrimage. 

4. DAMBULLA (Sri Lanka) - The most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples, Dambulla is a World Heritage site consisting of five caves with over 6,000 square feet of painted walls and ceilings, creating the largest continuous series of paintings in the world.

[Visit Ful List of All 10 Sacred Sites Here]

June 09, 2011

Preparing Your Car for a Summer Road Trip

Summer Road Trip Vehicle Preparation

Summer Road Trip Vehicle Preparation
Brought to you by Car Care Council

Deep down, you know your car should be checked out before hitting the road for a summer road trip, but with so many other things left to do, some folks put it off. Bad idea, says the Car Care Council, especially when motorists realize that in as little as 10 minutes, they can determine if their car is ready for long-distance travel.

The 10-minute pre-trip checkup recommended by the council includes the following:

  • Check all fluids, including engine oil, power steering and brake and transmission, as well as windshield washer solvent and antifreeze/coolant.
     
  • Check the hoses and belts that can become cracked, brittle, frayed, loose or show signs of excessive wear. These are critical to the proper functioning of the electrical system, air conditioning, power steering and the cooling system.
     
  • Check the tires, including tire pressure and tread. Uneven wear indicates a need for wheel alignment. Tires should also be checked for bulges and bald spots.

But wait, there's more to the story. Click here.

 

June 02, 2011

10 Tips to Planning an Active Vacation

Action-adventure-may15-header 

It is summer vacation planning time again and knowing how to find and vet the best options is an important step. Following are Ten Tips from a “world’s best” tour operator to take you from research to R&R as you strategize when and where to spend precious vacation time and dollars.

The first bit of advice in choosing the right tour operator is to get everyone involved and as Austin points out, “remember it’s the journey, not the destination that counts.” To help guide the consumer through the maze of vacation options, the tour experts at Austin-Lehman Adventures offer these useful tips (http://www.austinlehman.com/adventure) when starting the trip planning process... [Full Story]

Visit Road & Travel Magazine for thousands of more articles.

May 31, 2011

Is Travel Dating for You?

Travel_dating There are many types of dating — blind dating, online dating, speed dating, even meeting-a-random-guy-in-a-bar dating. However, if you are traveling alone the dating falls mostly into the meeting-a-random-guy category. If you are a frequent flyer, Travel Dating might be for you.

Courier Journal noted several travel services recently. These services connect solo travelers on planes, in vacation hot spots or even for some networking on business trips. Whether you are looking for that special someone or just someone to have dinner with, travel dating and networking services have the answer.

Continue reading "Is Travel Dating for You?" »

May 27, 2011

Are Your Kids Healthy at Camp?

Healthy_camp_cuisineWorried about what foods your kids will eat when they travel to camp this year? When you went to camp as a kid, you probably didn't serve yourself lunch from a salad bar, but that might just be changing for your children. According to the American Camp Association (ACA), the majority of children's recreation and travel camps now offer not only salad bars, but also fresher foods and healthier cuisine.

Here are 6 new ways camps are keeping your kids healthy:
1. Healthy menu choices
2. Allergen-free foods
3. Special diets
4. Classes in nutrition
5. Awareness of eating disorders
6. Interactive programs

To learn more about these programs and how to find a healthy camp, read RTM's Camp Cuisine Guide.