My Travel Blog

Top 5 Honeymoon Destinations in the U.S.

2006-03-15T07:11:00.000-08:00

You have just tied the knot, enjoyed a beautiful wedding, and are looking forward to spending the rest of your life with the person you love the most. What better way to begin the rest of your life than with a memorable honeymoon vacation to one of the top honeymoon destinations in the United States. Whether you are looking for a quiet, laid-back stay or an action-packed vacation, chances are you will find a destination that suits the desires of you and your partner for a romantic honeymoon you will never forget.

1. The top honeymoon destination in the United States has long been Hawaii. With its pristine beaches, tropical scenery and wide variety of foods, activities and tourist spots to keep you busy, Hawaii is a popular choice for countless honeymooners from around the world. Hawaii offers a number of tourism options for the various types of guests it hosts each year. Some visitors might opt to rent a car or take a guided tour around the island they are staying on. By exploring the islands of Hawaii, guests will enjoy discovering serene waterfalls and spectacular views of the beautiful beaches that lace the outskirts of the islands. Perhaps one of the most romantic Hawaiian pastimes comes in the form of watching a sunset with your new spouse. For the active couple, Hawaii offers a number of top golf courses that honeymooners can enjoy. Schedule a tee-time and play a round of golf in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Given the high volume of honeymooners and other tourists that visit the Hawaiian Islands each year, there are a number of resorts that offer a host of activities for guests as well. Spend time in the sauna or sit by the pool, play a game of tennis or attend a Hawaiian luau. The options are endless on the islands.

2. Another American honeymoon favorite can be found on the US/Canadian border. Honeymooners can enjoy the widest and second tallest waterfall in the world at Niagara Falls in upstate New York. Countless couples even choose the scenic backdrop of the falls for their wedding ceremony. Couples can also enjoy guided boat cruises around the area of the falls. For a fun night out, honeymooners can visit Casino Niagara, conveniently located right across from Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls offers a number of tourist attractions located right around the falls. However, for honeymooners who enjoy daytrips, the scenic Catskill Mountains are not located far from the falls, and a short trip over the Canadian border can offer a different view of the massive waterfall.

3. No matter what you and your partner are looking for in a honeymoon, you are likely to find it in Florida. Florida offers a number of different vacation spots that are ideal for honeymooners. Perhaps the most visited spot in all of Florida is found in Orlando at Walt Disney World. Disney World offers special honeymoon vacation packages to cater to those looking for a romantic getaway. There are even a number of Disney resorts that attract couples rather than families. If theme parks are not your cup of tea, consider a trip further south to Key West or Miami. These areas offer classy resorts, sprawling beaches, and plenty of attractions that will keep you busy during your stay.

4. When people think about visiting California, the image that typically comes to mind is crowded streets and beaches in Los Angeles. However, when planning your honeymoon, consider a different image of California. Rolling hills, pristine mountain tops, and quaint villages – this is what you will find on your honeymoon to Napa Valley. Located north of San Francisco, California Wine Country is famous for its countless wineries and classic hospitality. Stay in a cozy bed and breakfast, sip some of the finest wine in the world, and visit antique shops in Napa Valley. Honeymooners are encouraged to take a Napa Valley winery tour map, which allows you to visit some of the finest wineries in the area and also gives you a great tour of the Napa Valley scenery.

5. If you and your partner are looking for a fun-filled, action-packed vacation, you might want to try the entertainment capital, Las Vegas. Many Las Vegas hotels offer honeymoon packages for you and your new spouse. In addition to gambling, you will find shopping, nightlife, and even a short drive to the Grand Canyon, another favorite of tourists.

Whether you choose the immaculate beaches of Hawaii, the picturesque mountain views of Napa Valley, or the 24-hour excitement of Las Vegas, you and your partner will find what you are looking for with a U.S. honeymoon.

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Plan the Perfect Vacation Getaway: Tips for Making Your Vacation Stressless

2006-03-14T03:59:00.000-08:00

Vacations should be a time for relaxation and solitude. Everything should be easy and stressless. However, in some cases vacations can turn into stressful times away from home. In an effort to make your next vacation as stress free as possible, try following these simple steps to a stress free vacation.

First off, make sure you have planned your vacation well. Most stressful vacation scenarios arise because of reservations that have fallen through, flights that have been cancelled, or baggage that has been misplaced. To avoid situations such as these make sure to plan ahead as well as possible. Make sure you arrive at the airport with plenty of time to take care of checking in, getting through security and getting to your flight’s gate before your flight takes off. Most airports have lounges and restaurants where passengers can relax and wait for their flight if they are early, so do not stress if you have extra time. Take this time to sit back, have a drink and kick your vacation off early.

Be sure to relax and remember that you are on vacation. If you are a person easily upset by small things try extra hard to let them go while on vacation. If it takes a little extra time at the airport check-in desk or your bag is the last to come out at the baggage claim area, do not get stressed out. Instead, take a deep breath and try to enjoy every minute of your vacation, even if it is currently being spent at the airport. You have probably planned the trip for months beforehand so try to relax and enjoy all the hard work you have put in.

Do not let your kids get to you. Children can be anxious when it comes to vacations – especially on the way there. Choruses of “are we there yet?” can sometimes drive parents right over the edge before the fun-filled family vacation even begins. Make sure to pack plenty of activities to keep your kids occupied during the trip to your vacation destination and even during downtime. Some children may expect 24-hour entertainment while on vacation. But as many parents know, spending a few hours in the hotel room is not always a bad thing. Just make sure you always have something to fill the hands of a bored child.

Do not worry about things back home. For some people, leaving their homes can be a stressful move to make. However, planning to have someone stop by the house each day and check on things while you are gone might put your mind at ease. Just keep in mind that nothing bad will happen while you are gone and you have a reliable person who you trust, house sitting your home until you return. And be sure to get your job off your mind during your trip as well. Before leaving make sure you have designated someone to help take over your work while you are gone. By planning well you can avoid having to worry about piles of work waiting for you upon your return.

When you are planning your vacation make sure not to schedule too many activities into one day. Although it is tempting to see as much as possible while on vacation, you should keep in mind that you do not want to tire yourself out after one day. Chances are you will have plenty of time to see all the attractions you really want to see so why not narrow things down a bit. If you have too much on your plate try rating your activities in order of what you want to do most. Chances are the items at the bottom of the list can be scratched off or put off until a later trip. You never know, you might end up having time to squeeze a few extra attractions in to your vacation – but do not get stressed out if you can not find time for everything.

Last but not least try not to overwork yourself right before your trip. Try to slow things down a day or two before your departure so you are not too tired to enjoy your trip. You do want to relax but you do not want to spend the entire vacation sleeping in your hotel room either.

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Tips for Making Vacation Reservations Online

2006-03-14T03:56:00.000-08:00

What makes planning a vacation easier than being able to book everything from plane flights to restaurant reservations, all from the comfort of your own home? Hotel reservations, flights, and car rentals can all be booked online. The convenience of using the internet to make online reservations has made the world of travel plans ten times easier than before.

Before booking your vacation, make sure to do your research. If you are smart you will want to get yourself the best deals possible. In order to do this you will have to research and compare prices from airlines, hotels, rental car companies and other businesses online. The internet makes this easily done with just a few clicks of the mouse. When you set up your account with whatever company you are making your travel plans with, you will likely need a username and password. Make sure you select a username that you will be able to remember and a password that is both unique but easy to remember for you. It is important that others are not able to guess your password, in order to keep your credit card information secure.

If you are planning on taking future trips it might be a good idea to store your password with the website you are using. That way you can come back to the website and have all your credit card information ready for you when you are ready to plan other vacations. This makes the vacation planning process even easier.

Make sure you read the fine print on any travel websites. On some websites that sell airline tickets, prices can be deceiving because tickets are typically advertised at the prices prior to tax being applied. Since tax on airline tickets usually raises the price somewhat significantly, it is important to take note of the fact that the price you see first may not be the price you pay in the end.

Hotels and sometimes airlines often offer discount rates for early online reservations. It is important for you to look into these possible discounts and take advantage of them if they are available. Some hotels might offer more of a discount than others, which is something to take into consideration if you are booking online and looking to save money. If you do decide to make your reservations online, be sure to make them early. Some hotels and airlines have a cut off date after which online reservations cannot be made. For example, some travel companies like airlines and hotels do not accept online reservations made less than two or three days before the date the reservations are being made for.

To avoid any online scams make sure that the website you are using is reputable and legitimate. Do not use a website you have never heard of before, stick to the more popular travel sites such as Expedia.com which books flights, hotel reservations and car rental. Perhaps talk to friend, family or other people you know and trust who you know have booked vacations online in the past. Ask them what website they used to book their trip and find out whether or not they were satisfied.

Perhaps the most important thing to do when making reservations online is to print out everything. The website will provide you with a web receipt or email receipt following your purchase. It is important to keep a copy of these receipts in case there are any problems with the reservations once you get to the airport or hotel.

Make sure you receive some kind of email confirmation after your order. Almost all websites that sell products, including airline tickets and hotel reservations, send email confirmation to customers after they make their purchase. If you do not receive an email, something may be wrong and you might want to check into it.

If booking online makes you a little uneasy then it might be a good idea to call and confirm your reservations either a few days after you have made them or a few days prior to your trip. Providing a phone operator with the confirmation number given to you upon purchase and possibly a little more information, the operator will be able to confirm your reservations.

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Frequent Flyer Miles: How Does It All Work?

2006-03-14T03:53:00.000-08:00

If you are a frequent traveler you might have considered enrolling yourself in a frequent flyer program but you might be wondering how it all works. Put simply, frequent flyer programs allow flyers to earn free miles of flight for every mile traveled. Most people who must travel a lot for their jobs or for other reasons such as visiting family, a frequent flyer program is a very smart choice.

Frequent flyer programs are somewhat easy to understand. For each mile that frequent flyer customers travel, they earn a mile of frequent flyer miles. The catch is that they must travel on the airline that they signed up with. For example, American Airlines frequent flyers do not earn frequent flyer miles if they travel on a Delta flight. This is why it is smartest to choose one airline and stick to it, rather than trying to accumulate frequent flyer miles with numerous airlines. The more you travel, the more miles you accumulate and the more you are rewarded. Many airlines have levels, such as silver, gold and platinum, to signify the status of frequent fliers. The more one travels, the higher in rank they will rise. If your airline is affiliated with a hotel or rental car service, miles may translate into points, which can be used towards airline tickets, rental car prices, or hotel stays.

Once you have accumulated a certain amount of miles, you will be able to redeem them for rewards. Airlines typically have an 800 number where customers can speak with representatives who are familiar with the frequent flyer program. This provides convenience for customers who are looking to redeem frequent flyer miles or for customers who may have a question or concern about the program. When redeeming miles for free airline tickets, each mile accumulated is the equivalent of two cents. Therefore, in order to purchase a $200 airline ticket for free, a customer would have to have 10,000 miles accumulated, each worth two cents each.

If you do enroll yourself in a frequent flyer program, keep in mind that many programs have a frequently issued newsletter to keep customers abreast of new promotions, offers and partners. There also may be postings on the airline’s website or the frequent flyer program website, if the program has its own website. Also be sure to keep track of the points and miles you have accumulated on your own, in case the airline has a mishap with its system.

So how did the frequent flyer program begin? In the early 1980s American Airlines initiated the frequent flyer program by introducing a program that rewarded people for frequently flying on American Airlines. The airline used its database to track customers’ travel and keep track of how many miles were covered, this let them know when rewards were to be given. After beginning the program American Airlines teamed up with Hertz Rental Cards and Hyatt Hotels to make it even easier for customers to earn rewards. Soon after other airlines followed and competed with one another to have the most appealing frequent flyer program for its customers. This was beneficial to frequent fliers because it created competition between airlines to create the best program, making it better for customers.

After the programs became hugely successful in the United States, the programs expanded to international airlines as well. Some American airlines will team up with airlines in other countries to form alliances. This makes it easier for frequent flyer customers to travel abroad. If a frequent flyer is flying in a country where their airline is not available but their airline’s partner airline is available, the customer’s frequent flyer miles can transfer over from the miles flown on this flight.

The main goal of the frequent flyer program was for airlines to develop and sustain solid relationships with their customers. Frequent fliers will most likely develop a loyalty to their particular airline and will make sure that all their flights are aboard the airline’s planes. Word of mouth is one of the most successful marketing techniques and by gaining loyal, satisfied customers, airlines are increasing the chance that those customers will tell their friends and family how happy they are with the airline.

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Bargain Vacations: Your Dream Getaway on eBay

2006-03-14T03:22:00.000-08:00

Do you want to get away from the stress of daily life for a few days but do not think you have the money to do it? Think again. eBay, the largest and most popular worldwide trading website, now offers people the opportunity to purchase vacation packages online at bargain prices.

Stay at a bed & breakfast, a hotel, or rent a house or condo. Purchase a trip to visit the sunny beaches of Florida, the tall mountains of Colorado, or the tropical islands of Hawaii. The possibilities are endless on eBay and chances are that if you have a destination in mind, you will be able to surf the website and find bargain prices for your vacation.

The travel section of eBay offers six sub-categories for vacation seekers to browse through. The airline section features airline tickets that people can either bid on or buy now. The section also includes flight-related items such as passport holders and other items for sale. The section offering cruises is where you will find vacation cruises listed for sale. Take a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas or jump on a boat for five days in the Caribbean. A cruise is a great way to kick back and relax in paradise.

The lodging section is where you will find the greatest variety of vacation destinations for sale. Currently there are 310 listings in the lodging section from everything to a condo for rent in Las Vegas to a four-night stay at a resort in Montego Bay. The highest priced vacation listed was a time share at a luxury resort in Scottdale, Arizona priced at $4,800. From there prices got considerably lower with only about ten other auctions priced at over $1,000. The bargains were extremely evident. A buyer could purchase a four night stay in Tampa, Florida for just $125 – it does not get much cheaper than that.

The luggage section typically has the most auctions and sales listed of all the sub-categories in the travel section. The luggage section is where you will find great deals on luggage to take with you on your bargain eBay vacation. Travel in style to your vacation destination with brand new luggage. The vacation package section features bargain packages for your vacation. Instead of only offering lodging, the auctions in the vacation package section typically offer all-inclusive vacations, usually at resorts or on cruise liners. The final sub-category in the travel section of eBay is the “other” travel section. Here you will find all other auctions that have to do with travel but do not fit into the usual travel categories. Some auctions in this section include coupon books, rental car vouchers, and other travel gear.

eBay auctions typically last for seven days but can be arranged for shorter amounts of time such as three days or five days. When you open an auction, it will let you know what day and time the auction ends and it will also provide you with a detailed description of everything the auction includes. If you choose to bid on the auction and you do not have an eBay account you will need to open an account. It is free to open an eBay account and once you open yours, you can bid on any auction you wish.

When placing a bid, the website will tell you the current price and what the next possible minimum bid is. Once you enter your bid, you will either become the highest bidder or you will be outbid by a previous bidder whose maximum bid was higher than yours. If you are the highest bidder at the end of the auction, the vacation becomes yours to enjoy. Buy It Now auctions on eBay allow you to make a purchase right away, rather than wait for an auction to end. The seller lists a set price that you can buy the vacation for at the current time. This method is more like a standard sale of an item, rather than a bidding auction.

For people interested in bargain vacations, take the time to browse through the travel eBay section. For those who have never used the World’s Largest Online Marketplace, you will most likely be pleasantly surprised with what you find on eBay.

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