Archive for the ‘Adventure’ Category

Everyone loves a vacation but no one loves to air travel. It seems that with all the fees that are coming up and the long lines and waits in airports that flying anywhere seems to have little appeal to the common traveler. However, since flying is a necessity for so many vacationers there is this constant struggle to make flying less stressful and more enjoyable than it already is. So how do you do that? How do you make flying fun again? Well, while there is no concrete answer, these are some helpful tips to making air travel better for everyone involved.

You must be ready to do it right from the start. Getting to the airport with 2 and ½ hours to spare is a good rule of thumb. It won’t take you nearly that long to get to your gate and so being early with not give you the feeling of being rushed and will actually give time to settle in and be ready for travel.

Another idea is to bring as little onto the plane as possible. Sure they charge you a fee to check your bags at most airlines but it might be better than lugging all those bags around with you. The other argument against checking your bags is that there is always the potential they will get lost but if you ask the people you know that have traveled they will tell you that it’s unlikely and infrequent that they would get lost. So do yourself a favor and just check your bags and bring either your purse, multi-media bag or nothing at all and have a relaxing and freeing experience waiting for your flight.

Once you are on the plane there isn’t much you can do for extra comfort expect making sure you have some relaxing music to listen to and maybe something to read. Take with you a neck pillow so it will be easier for you to sleep. Then just enjoy the flight as much as you can and think ahead to the wonderful vacation you are about to take.

When planning your vacation you usually run into the usual suspects. There are three vacations that everyone looks forward to booking.

1. The Tropical Paradise – This is a wonderful vacation somewhere just outside the country with words like “all inclusive” and “resort” it’s a way to drop a big amount of money on a relaxing week of drinks and beautiful ocean views.

2. The Out of Country Vacation – This is just to see how a different culture lives. It’s generally over a couple of weeks and involves probably 20 hours or so of being stuck in an airplane and another 10 being stuck in an airport going through customs and worrying about your luggage.

3. The Tourist Attraction – This vacation is usually stateside and involves the big places the rest of the world goes and at the same time that everyone goes. It involves very little privacy and nothing new and genuine and nothing you can experience any ole time you’d like.

If these sound on target to you then maybe you should do something different, like take a cross country road trip. There used to be a time when people would pile into their cars with the radio and a good friend and go explore America, but those days seem to be long gone. Today there is too much emphasis on a gallon of gas and getting somewhere quickly instead of enjoying the journey.

But a road trip is a perfect way for you to experience America in a way you’ve never seen it. To be captivated by the beautiful interior of the Rocky Mountains or to enjoy the expansiveness of the Grand Canyon. You can see them from a plan but until you’ve made the journey there you can never really know what promise and wonder they hold. It’s why taking your car across country is a time honored tradition that is fading away. That why this is a call for your to not just take a vacation but create an experience that will last a lifetime.

Perhaps you have made the smart move to do something different with your vacation this year. Maybe you have decided to go against the usual place and ideas and have decided to get back to the time honored tradition of the cross country road trip. If you have then good for you. You should be excited about making the choice to enjoy the journey. There are more than a lot of places you can go by car but for you it’s about doing the trip right and enjoying every minute of the experience. If you are dedicated to doing the trip the right way and having the best memories of a vacation you have ever had then you need to follow a few road trip rules.
1. Stay off the highway – This is obviously just a title but it’s true to a lesser degree. Anytime you can take a back road you should. America is about more than the interstates, it’s the long roads that run alongside the interstate that have that personal flavor and flare that stretch through the mountains and down into the valleys and across the great planes of a great nation. Taking these really takes you through the heart of America. Use them when you can.
2. Stay Away From Chains – Every city has the usual big name places to eat. Avoid these places. This trip is about getting to know the flavor of your country and each part of the country and each city is uniquely different so take the time to enjoy the cuisine of each city. If the place has a specialty and it is something you think you would like, try it. But make sure to enjoy the food that is different than what you can get anywhere.
3. Stop When You Want – Don’t make the trip about a place to be but rather the things to see. Stop when you can and check out anything that suits your fancy. Road trips are made up of little moments and small memories that can last a lifetime.

The idea of taking a road trip evokes a romantic feeling. It’s you in your car, with your tunes and the open road. It’s you exploring the vast landscape of the country and taking on the sights and sounds and people that come along. It’s diners with worn down booths and countryside that holds more promise than you ever thought possible. It’s can be the best time of your life so you think “why not share this amazing experience with my friends?” Doing a road trip with your friends could be one of the best and worst ideas of your life depending on what ground rules you put in place. If you play your cards right you’ll be waxing romantic about this for year. If you do not you could end up never wanting to take a road trip again.

Hurricane season is from June 1 – November 30 each year although storms can form earlier or later than the designated dates. This can mean that travel to Atlantic areas during this time can be disrupted. If you plan to vacation or travel to the southern states of America or the Caribbean area during this time of year you should keep a few things in mind.

Travel insurance is an excellent resource to have in case your vacation plans are disrupted due to a hurricane or tropical storm. Most will offer reimbursement so that you do not lose your money. Cruise ships, for example, will have to make detours or go to different ports in case of a hurricane and offer travel insurance as well. Although it can be pricey at times, it’s in your best interest to be covered since a hurricane can pop up unexpectedly. Also, if you have travel plans booked months in advance, there is no way to tell if a storm may hit during that time period so again, you are covered in case of bad weather that would otherwise ruin your plans.

You can keep up with weather in the tropics by visiting the National Hurricane Center website. Not only can you view storm activity but you can look weeks in advance leading up to your trip to monitor any storm activity. Storms can still form without warning but most of them are usually known about in advance. Keep in mind that during a major storm air flights can be canceled, hotels can be evacuated and cruises can be detoured, canceled or have itinerary changes.

Most likely a storm will not interfere with your travel plans but it is a good idea to be proactive in having travel insurance and keeping up with any storm activity during hurricane season. Some seasons are more active than others but you never know when one can hit and wreak havoc on your vacation.

Road trips can be an exciting way to experience your vacation and there are more ways than one to explore this type of vacation.

One exciting road trip is to revisit a childhood journey. Perhaps your family drove to upstate New York one summer and you can recall some of the places you stopped at. Reliving that journey can be self fulfilling as well as fun for the entire family. Map out where you and your family would like to visit, eat and stay and try to have an end result in mind such as visiting the grandparents or stopping at a theme park once you arrive.

Speaking of theme parks, how about a theme park trip? Take the number of days you are traveling and try to visit a theme park or attraction every day or every other day. A good place to take this type of trip is in Central Florida where you can find Disney World, Busch Gardens, Sea World, Universal Studios and a host of other attractions that can only be found in that area.

Plan a staycation near to home. If you’re on a budget or don’t have enough days off from work to take a long trip, you can plan things to do near home. Find attractions, places to eat and places to visit within a 100-200 mile radius. Not only will you save on money by being able to come home each night but you can invest your money into your own local economy and enjoy adventures you may not have considered before. You can always rent a motel or hotel room if you want but have the option of driving home as well.

No matter what type of road trip you want to take, treat it just like you would a four star vacation. It doesn’t have to be complicated to have one of the best trips of your life.

We can’t control the weather and sometimes bad weather is a part of a vacation that could ruin your trip. However, there is no reason to let that happen.

If your family is headed to a sunny beach in the Caribbean or Florida and you suddenly get hit with rainstorms, tropical storms or even a hurricane, there are still things you can do to have fun. While some shore excursions may be canceled such as diving, boating or snorkeling trips, others can be just as fun. You can find such excursions as cooking schools, shopping trips and tours. As long as it’s safe to go out and it’s just the rain keeping you back, don’t let it. Many times the rain can be so temporary that by the time you get to your destination it has already stopped. The zoo is a good alternative since many times you can find indoor activities to keep you and your family occupied until the sun comes out. This is also a good opportunity to get out of the hotel and head to some of the local shops, bars or clubs. If the rain isn’t too heavy a tour by taxi is an alternative to keep you dry but entertained.

The sunny areas aren’t the only areas prone to storms. A blizzard or ice storm can potentially ruin a ski or winter vacation as well. Always keep games and activities available in case you and your family is snowed in.

While we can’t predict the weather and things can change from day to day, there’s no reason at all to let a little bad weather spoil your trip. Most people may only take one vacation a year so making the best of any situation is imperative. Find things to do indoors or explore the city’s shops and markets. You may have more fun than you’d think.

Travel nursing jobs are available to nurses in about every state and in multiple environments. These jobs are in the specialties of physical therapy, speech language, occupational therapy and more. They are high-paying and come with many other amenities such as free private housing and local accommodations.

This type of job comes as a pack of multiple week assignments. They can range from 2 week to 5 week assignments. The agency that processes these jobs accumulates them all over the United States. The nurse will be provided with a furnished apartment in a safe area of town and close to the hospital if the client is in the hospital.

This traveling lifestyle for nurses will not be for everyone but for the individual who is unattached and enjoys travel, it could be the perfect set up. There will be additional licensures which the traveling nurse will have to acquire for various states. These also are reimbursed by the hiring agency.

The travel nursing jobs can be found on the Internet on the websites of potential employers. These sites are easily navigable and the nurse can find a job in a state or area where he or she is wanting to work. The nurse will be able to select her specialty and the area or state where he or she wants to be or simply work his or her way across the United States. The nursing job may even be a six to nine month in a specific hospital working with multiple clients.

Another advantage to the travel nursing job is the fact that the traveling nurse will get a wide experience of knowledge from the best hospitals in the United States. The options are great because he or she has the United States as the employment field. Boredom gone, excitement and variety come on down with a career as a travel nurse.

If you have pets and are planning a vacation you may have considered hiring a pet sitter or utilizing a kennel. However, you might want to consider bring your pet along. Here are a few tips that leave open the option of taking your pet with you on your next trip.  There are many pet friendly hotels, campgrounds and resorts. Do an online search to find one in the city you plan to visit. You can also check out individual motel and hotel websites to see if they are a pet friendly location. If you are utilizing a travel agent simply ask them to locate venues that allow pets. Some resorts and spas even offer pet services such as walking and babysitting. Be sure to find out the extra costs for these amenities.  Be sure to take plenty of water or food for your pet while traveling; especially by vehicle. If you plan to fly there is a whole other set of rules you must abide by. Flying is not the prime way to travel with a pet so consider taking your furry friend if you plan to drive to a vacation spot. However, if you must fly, be sure to call the airline and inquire about safety measures and rules.  Be sure that your pet likes to travel in a vehicle so you don’t have to worry about car sickness or anxiety. If you must travel with a pet you can ask your vet about a tranquilizer or pills to calm them. These are not always necessary but it is good to know that you have that option if needed. Also inquire about local veterinarians at the location you are traveling to in case of emergency or illness with your pet.  Always obey city and country ordinances. Most every place in the United States requires that your pet be on a leash when in public. Not only is this a safety measure for others but it will keep your pet safe as well. Be sure your pet has up-to-date shots and identification tags.

If you have never been on a cruise, take heart. Billions of people have never been on one, either. The simple fact is, a lot of the world’s population would only get on a boat if they wanted to travel across an ocean and had no air travel available. The sad thing is that they are depriving themselves of a very interesting vacationing experience. And when most of the people that you know have not had a particular life experience, that automatically makes it more fun to tell your stories, because you get to explain the little things (like how you have to do life vest tests every so often).

Cheap cruises have done wonders for the accessibility of the whole concept of ocean (and river) travel for the middle class. No longer is this sort of thing just the purview of the rich and powerful. Now just about anybody can hop aboard a ship, and spend a few days living the easy life while they travel the expanses of one of the many bodies of water on which cruise ships travel. Since there are so many choices, it could be a little bit difficult for you to decide which body of water you want to explore. But then again, you are not limited to one cruise per life time.

When you choose one of the cheap cruises, you will notice that there are different activities for different people. Some people are going to want to go to shows. They have that. Some people are all about hitting the casino and placing a few bets. They have that, too — and how! While some people are all about the club scene — and there definitely is one to be experienced. Of course, some people just want to get a cool drink, and lounge around by the pool or in the hot tub. You can do that.