Tuesday 30 March 2010

Business Traveling

By Tammy R Scott.

 Being called away on business can be very stressful especially when you have to make your own travel plans. The last thing you need when business traveling is to find out that your luggage has been lost. If you are only going away for a few days, with careful planning you can avoid this from happening by packing everything you need into your carry on bag.


The first thing you will need to do is check the weather forecast for the area you will be visiting. If you know it will be cold then you should plan to wear the same jacket on your flight that you will need when you get to your destination. Pack thin clothes that can be layered rather than bulky clothes. Bring clothes with you that are the least amount of care and made from wrinkle free materials. By rolling your undergarments, ties and socks you will make more room for other articles. Also try to pick outfits that will require you to only have to bring one pair of shoes. Business men who wear suits could use the same jacket then they would only have to bring a couple pairs of slacks and a few shirts along with underwear and socks.

You should do some research before you make your reservations to find out what is in the area of where you are visiting and where you want to be located. If you will not have a vehicle to drive when you get there you will want to find a place close to where you will be working. Or you might have some free time and would like to be in an area where you could see the sights. You might also want to be near restaurants. Most hotels offer room service which is nice when you are too tired from a long day of working to get out, but this can be very expensive.

When booking your hotel find out if there is high-speed Internet in your room if it's a requirement for you. You should also ask if there is shuttle service or if you will be required to hire a taxi or rent a car when traveling to and from the airport and hotel. Take the time to find out all the necessary information before leaving and you will have a stress free business trip.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tammy_R_Scott

Sunday 28 March 2010

Kantishna Wilderness Trails


Only the first 14 miles of the Denali Park road are accessible to private vehicles. The best way to experience Denali National Park is by bus. The Kantishna Wilderness Tour is the premier Denali Park wildlife bus excursion. It journeys the full 90 miles of the Park Road into the heart of Denali National Park and provides many opportunities for wildlife viewing. The tour includes a hot lunch at the Kantishna Roadhouse.


The Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Washington - A Great Vacation and Travel Destination

by: Robert W. Benjamin

If you enjoy wildlife and plan on heading to Washington State then you will definitely want to check out the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. The park is situated on 723 acres on there is something for everyone from animals to meadows and lakes to trails. Animal enthusiasts and children will especially enjoy seeing the 200 North American animals that call the park home.


The Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is not like every other wildlife park you may have visited in the past. You can ride trams and tour the free-roaming area where you will be able to see woodland caribou, Roosevelt elk, deer, bighorn sheep, bison, mountain goats, and more. You can also see natural exhibits by walking the forested pathways where you will be able to see wolves, bobcats, cougars, owls, wetland animals, grizzlies, black bears, lynx, eagles, owls, and more. You can get a great deal of exercise by walking the nature trails that stretch five miles and your family will also enjoy the Cheney Family Discovery Center where kids can get hands-on.

The Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is open year round and each season provides a new experience. The animals have thick winter coats during the winter and play in the cool air. If it snows then the park is absolutely gorgeous and something you will want to see. During the spring the weather is warming up and everything begins to turn green. It's baby season, which means by summer you will be able to see baby spotted elk, little fawns, bison calves, and more. The fall is a special time at the park, too, and the leaves are gorgeous as they change to gold, orange, and red.

You may want to pack a picnic basket or eat at the Fir Bough Café. There is a gift shop, behind the scenes programs, group rates, school programs, educational workshops and more. Parking is free and the trails and all facilities are ADA Accessible. If you are in the Seattle area you can easily make a day trip as it is only 55 miles south of the city. The park is open year round , but the schedule varies depending on the season. The park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the last week of the year.

There is a website that has great information on USA Vacations and Unique Travel Spots Listed State By State and Season, the website is called: Seasonal Vacation Spots, and can be found at this url: http://www.seasonalvacationspots.com

Saturday 27 March 2010

World Cruise Prices

By Ankur Kumar Srivastava

There was a time that you had to be really rich to go for a world cruise, however things have changed. Not only that there are many facilities, which would allow you to put your finances in line, but at the same time, you have a lot of borrowing options as well. You could also take advantage of the discounted world cruise prices that are available. To know about the various promotion deals, the price cuts and the ticket clearance sales you need to have a sharp eye on the cruise searching sites over the internet as well as the individual cruise line websites. To some people this might sound like too much work, but then either you could invest time or money to have a lifetime experience cruising around the world.


I am sure that a majority of people would not mind to put in efforts to get hands on the most economical world cruise prices ever. However, wishing to do some thing is not enough if you would not know the direction to head in. Below are some tips which would help you get some lucrative world cruise prices, there by making your cruising around the world dream possible -

Try to locate a specialist who would know all about the cruises and the options available. However, we are not talking about an agent. As that would not mean discounted prices but an additional cost called commission. You need to consult a specialist and get some tips from him. The idea is to take advantage of the knowledge the person has on the subject to your advantage.

While you are looking for world cruise prices on the individual websites of the cruise lines, you should be looking for the empty cabins. As the cruise trip, which would have the maximum of these, would have the potential to extent the best possible discount. The cruises would set to sail no matter what is the occupancy for the same. And there would be the fixed expense. Once the minimum level of the tickets is sold to cover their fixed prices, they are good. However, if the opposite of the same happens, they could not mind selling the tickets at really low prices to ensure that the fixed cost is covered.

Last minute cruise deals could really prove the best economical deals. This would involve a lot of uncertainty around tour vacation plans, but the kind of deal that you shall get would definably be worth. The last minute cruise deals are really cool, as the cruise line would want to let go all the cabins that would go empty.

If you could find a Repositioning Cruise or a Freighter Cruise, you would be able to save a great deal of money on the world cruise tickets.

The pleasure of the tour would be doubled with the discounted world cruise prices but then it needs you to invest some time and effort to hunt down one.

If you are looking for World Cruise Prices then feel free to visit World Cruise Prices.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ankur_Kumar_Srivastava

Park and Go to Your Bucket List Destinations Across the US

By Ari Marcellino

The Bucket List did great at the box office, but the "must see" destination list in the movie did not include any places in the U.S. To correct that omission, here are some iconic destinations that are worthy of any Bucket List. So get out your own list, or start one right now, and add some of these to your list of places to go before you "kick the bucket." Because you don't have to leave the country, you can save flight time and money. Make sure you reserve your parking spot ahead of time to save money by not paying for an expensive parking spot at the airport. Off-site, private parking is safe, secure, and convenient. A shuttle picks you up and brings you right to the airport. You don't have to lug your bags across a giant airport lot!


Chicago - Remember Vince Vaughn's character in The Break-Up? He was a tour guide for the Windy City, and Chicago is definitely a tour-worthy destination. Navy Pier is the Midwest's top tourist attraction, thanks to its boat tours, boardwalk, and giant Ferris wheel. Enjoy Chicago via a sightseeing bus, river boat, or lake cruise. Now you can even tour the Windy City by segway, a small personal transportation device that is self-balancing. To see the historic neighborhoods and enjoy tasting new culinary delights, take a Food Tour.

Washington DC - There are plenty of free attractions and cheap activities in DC, making this the ultimate experience for those on a budget. The Smithsonian's National Zoo is free and open every day (except Christmas Day). The kids will enjoy seeing the National Mall, thanks to the kid-friendly tours offered by DC by Foot. The National Geographic Museum offers free exhibits on a range of topics. And of course, the real reason you go to DC is to see the historical landmarks. Once you visit the National Mall and Memorial Parks, you'll walk away with a better appreciation for American history.

Grand Canyon - The Grand Canyon in Arizona is one of the most breathtaking spots on earth. Situated in the Grand Canyon National Park, you can see the Inner Rim by backpacking or riding on a mule to Phantom Ranch. There are three river trip options in the park, including smooth water and whitewater raft trips.

New York City - You'll never run out of things to do in NYC, and even the hardest to please traveler will find something of interest here. Times Square is one of the most popular destinations on any tourist's list, both inside and outside the U.S. The Statue of Liberty is the ultimate American symbol and has recently reopened for visitors. TV buffs can attend a free taping of one of their favorite TV shows while art connoisseurs can browse through over two million pieces of art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Hawaii - You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't think that Hawaii is gorgeous. When you're there, be sure to walk the hiking trail into an old volcanic crater on the Kilauea Iki Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. On Kauai's Napali Coast, you can get incredible photos from an air tour, bike ride, or guided hike.

Niagara Falls, NY - This city often gets forgotten on must-see lists, but it's worth a second look. There's the obvious stuff to do, like enjoy the roar of the water on a Maid of the Mist boat ride - but there's also the less obvious city attractions, like the Niagara Wine Trail.

The list could go on and on, but these are some of the ideal spots to see before kicking the bucket. It's as simple as reserving your parking spot and flying to your favorite destination.

For more information on how you can take advantage of LAX parking deals or other parking deals at the airport, please visit http://www.airportparkingconnection.com/.

Tuesday 23 March 2010

Traveling with an 8- to 17-month-old

Reviewed by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board.


By the time your baby is 8 months old, she's become used to her surroundings and familiar faces. Travel can disrupt her sense of security and routine, especially when visiting an unfamiliar place or meeting lots of strangers. "If your baby has to eat, sleep, and play in a way she's not used to, she can get really cranky and difficult, and who can blame her?" says Susanne Denham, a child development psychologist and professor of psychology at George Mason University.

When you think your little one is ready for a change of scene, make sure you build up to it slowly, and schedule plenty of downtime away from all the strangers to let her decompress. At this age, she realizes she's in a new, strange place, but she hasn't grasped the concept of travel yet. To make your trip safe and successful, consider these tips:


Health and safety.
 
• Before you travel, find out whether your accommodations can be childproofed before you arrive. If not, bring your own childproofing kit that includes doorknob covers, plastic outlet covers, and pipe cleaners or twisties to secure drapery and electrical cords. If you need to travel light, masking tape or duct tape provides a quick fix for most danger zones.
 
• Prepare a first-aid kit so you'll have the supplies you need for dealing with minor medical problems while traveling. Be sure to take along any prescription medications that your child requires, even if only on occasion. (It's always when you leave the inhaler at home that your little one has an asthma attack at Grandma's.)
 
• Fill out an emergency sheet containing contact names and numbers and your child's health information, including the names of any medications she takes, so it's handy if needed.


• Take a hat for your baby or toddler to shade her from the sun in warm weather or keep her head bundled in cool weather. Sunscreen is a must, too, if you'll be spending time outdoors — no matter what season. Use sunscreen of at least SPF 15, with both UVA and UVB protection.

• In the car, your baby should always ride in the back seat — in either a rear-facing, infant car seat or a convertible infant-toddler car seat (which can face either the rear or the front). Before you leave, make sure the car seat is properly installed and that the seat's belts are correctly threaded. Make sure the harness fits your baby snugly and securely.

• Get removable shade screens for the car's side windows — available at baby supply and discount stores — to shield your child's eyes from the sun and keep her from getting too hot. Peel-and-stick shades are more secure, and therefore safer, than those that attach with suction cups.

• Keep your baby or toddler as safe as possible when you take public transit (like a bus, train, or taxi) by bringing along a car seat. The car seat will provide some protection even when there are no seat belts to strap it in.

• If you've paid for an airplane seat for your baby or toddler, bring an FAA-approved car seat for your child to sit in (this is the safest way for young children to fly). If you haven't bought a ticket for your child, you'll be able to use the car seat only if there are empty seats on board. (For more about flying with a young child, see our list of questions to ask your airline ahead of time.)

• If your baby or toddler seems to be experiencing ear pain from air pressure changes during takeoff and landing, encourage her to breastfeed or suck on a bottle, pacifier, or sippy cup. If she's strapped into a car seat, it's better to have her suck on something from there than to breastfeed, since it's safest for both of you to be properly restrained. Keep in mind that not all young chldren need rescuing from ear pain — there are no firm medical guidelines on the topic, so just use your judgment. If your child is sleeping soundly, leave her be and she might get through the takeoff or landing without any trouble. (She'll wake up and show her discomfort if she's bothered.)

• If you're crossing time zones and are worried about upsetting your little one's schedule, take steps to fight jet lag like shifting her sleep hours for the few days leading up to your departure and exposing her to sunlight once you reach your destination. Try to avoid overscheduling the first few days of your trip, since you can't predict how disrupted your child's rhythms might be.

Adventure Travel Alaska

By Lanette Higham

There is adventure in Alaska. The Kenai river is a fisherman's paradise. The fish are abundant the wild life is unsurpassed in the lower 48 states. I call it the United States wild kingdom.


If you are driving to Alaska you will enjoy the Denali Highway not a highway but a gravel road with a recommended speed of 30 mph. Starting at Paxon this road takes you on a 134 mile adventure along the Central Alaska Range. The fishing is descent and you will see the wild life moose, grizzly bear, and caribou are fairly common.

There are developed campgrounds at Tangle Lakes a favorite of canoeist's. The lake is the head water of the Delta River a canoe trail. This is a stretch of wild Alaska that is pretty much unspoiled, relatively accessible and beautiful.

Kenai Peninsula is located south of Anchorage the area is separated from the mainland by Cook Inlet on the west and Prince William Sound on the east. The Kenai Mountains run down the southeast spine of the peninsula giving you a view of the 7,000 ft beauty. The Kenai Mountains are part of the Kenai Fjords National Park. The Kenai Peninsula has many glaciers in it's eastern and southern portion. Sargent Ice field and Harding Ice field are both found here.

Kenai River is famous for it's 105 miles Salmon fishing. The salmon here if you want to catch the big ones 40 to 85 pounds start their annual run in mid July. Silver Salmon popular with the locals for their big size run early August to late September. Beluga Whales can be viewed in early spring feeding on the Hooligan fish a mile up the river. Bear and moose are also to be found in the area.

Hotel accommodations here are available and many of them offer close access to the wilderness lakes that can only be accessed by pontoon equipped bush plane. You can pick up on a fishing charter and catch halibut. If you enjoy riding a horse you can take a horse on a 5 day trip into the wilderness or just an afternoon and catch your limit.

If you are looking for adventure Alaska is calling you. You will never regret the trip. I recommend traveling there in mid summer for the milder season

For more free adventure tips sign up for my newsletter at http://123gotravel.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lanette_Higham

Sunday 21 March 2010

Alaska Bear viewing Tours of Katmai.

    Let’s take an on-line voyage to a Bear viewing of Katmai National Park in Alaska.

The bear running straight the visitors.

The Alaska bear viewing tours operate within the federally protected Katmai National Park & Preserve and the Alagnak Wild & Scenic River. Alaska Adventures Bear tours offers Lodge based packages along with Boat based Wildlife Cruises and Alaska bear viewing wildlife photography tours on Naknek lake and the famed Brooks River falls. The operators have been offering Bear viewer and outdoor enthusiasts lodge based, jet boat, raft, and custom Alaska bear viewing photography expeditions for the pasts 20 seasons with over 1500 happy clients guided since 1985 in Katmai Park Preserve.

Below the New in 08 Alagnak River lodge in Katmai along with 8 guest cabins and our new Katmai VIP LODGE offer guests all the comforts of home.


Let us guide you to Alaska bear viewing.


The veteran Alaskan bear viewing guides will take you into the heart of Katmai National Park. Alaska Adventures offers many of the tours away from the tour groups, large camera crews, and park rangers directing bear viewing traffic. Viewing bears in their natural habitat is the Parks specialty and passion. Alaska Adventures bear viewing tours is your instrument which to explore the most untamed and wild places on earth. Here you will have the opportunity to view and photograph Alaska brown bears. The bear viewing specialists live inside Katmai National Park & Preserve where the brown bears superhighway is carved into the landscape and are ready to make your Alaska bear viewing tour surpass your wildest dreams. During the Alaska bear viewing tours you will have the chance to take world-class pictures and professional grade movies that will amaze all.

Alaska Bear Tours.


Whether you choose a 5 day lodge based bear viewing package or a seven-day deluxe bear viewing Cruise package Alaska Adventures offers the highest quality of wilderness bear viewing available in all of remote Alaska. For the more adventurous bear-viewing enthusiast we will customize a bear-viewing package to meet your precise needs. This may include: day raft trips, jet boat tours, family camping, wildlife photography and flight seeing tours. What separates the Bear tours from the competition is that they own and operate 3 full service fishing, rafting, and Bear viewing adventure based companies located in the heart of Katmai National Park and have the ability to custom tailor each groups private vacation.


There is a natural pull that you feel, just like the bears, to the rivers and lakes of Alaska. The Alaska nature and bear viewing tours appeal to those escaping and vacationing to a place ideal for the romantic individual exercising the art of nature photography and to others just wanting to pick up a little grace through these wonderful awakenings in nature from one of the Bear tours.


The Brown Bear’ photo

Running Bear photo


River Valley


Bear Cub


Alaska views


Bear and you…



Bear and flowers...


Alaska Mountains


Mountain’ Reflections


Eagle Flying

Saturday 20 March 2010

Sea Kayaking in the San Juan Island

The San Juan Island are proof positive that not all great island-hopping adventures take place in sun-soaked tropical waters. A close-knit archipelago of 743 islands in the not-exactly-balmy waters of the Puget Sound, the San Juans offer stunning vistas, brilliant sunsets, and fir-clad shores. Though ferries shuttle between a few of the sixty inhabited islands off the coast of northwest Washington and southern British Columbia, only in a sea kayak can you discover nestled coves, hidden inlets, and see up-close the abundant marine life that make a journey on these waters so special.

The San Juan Island

The big surprise for most first-time sea kayakers coming to the San Juan Islands are the feisty currents that flush with the tides through the channels of the Puget Sound. Because the islands are really the tops of a mountain range within an inland sea, every time the tide changes – and it can be a change of 12-15-ft – the water flows in an out between the islands with the force of river rapids. Exiting but treacherous, the currents bring food for the many marine mammals that thrive in the island waters. With a large number of both resident and transient orcas in the islands, whale-watching is popular pursuit, and your best chances of seeing an orca in the Lower 48 will be on the west side of San Juan Island from June through September. Dall’s porpoise, minke whales, harbor seals, otters, elephant seals, and sea lions are also commonly spotted; it’s easy to see why Hacques Cousteau ranked the area one of the best dive spots in the world. Topside, you’re likely to glimpse deer, sea and shore birds, as well as bald eagles, with over a hundred nesting on the mountainous and the forested islands.


Rumor: Sailing Charters

Mac Millin Restaurant


Looking to the north on Mosquito Pass

Friday 12 March 2010

Travel Trough Time

The Klondike gold rush began in July of 1897 when two ships docked in San Francisco and Seattle carrying miners returning from the Yukon with bags of gold. The press was alerted and papers carried the story to the masses. The matter changed the history of the Yukon forever. Within a six month approximately one hundred thousand miners, prospectors, storekeepers, adventurists, saloon keepers, bankers, gamblers and prostitutes poured through snow-choked mountain to stake their claim to fortune at the Yukon. River. And only thirty thousand of them completed the expedition.


The easiest and more expensive route to the gold fields was by boat upstream from the mouth of the Yukon in western Alaska. The most difficult route was the "All Canadian Route" from Edmonton and overland through the wilderness.



The most common route taken by the stampeders to reach the fields was by boat from the west coast of the continental U.S. to Skagway in Alaska, over the Chilkoot or White Passes to the Yukon River at Whitehorse and then by boat 500 miles to Dawson City.
 
The Chilkoot Pass trail was steep and hazardous. Rising 1,000 feet in the last ½ mile, it was known as the "golden staircase": 1,500 steps carved out of snow and ice worked their way to the top of the pass. Too steep for packhorses, stampeders had to "cache" their goods, moving their equipment piecemeal up the mountain. Stampeders who gave up often did it here, discarding their unneeded equipment on the side of the trail.



Those who survived the perilous travel mostly found disappointment once they reached Dawson City. Locals had already claimed all of the gold-bearing creeks and claims of "gold for the taking" were grossly exaggerated. Many stampeders headed home, some worked for others on the claims and still others stayed to work in Dawson City.
 
Dawson was the last stop in the Klondike Gold Rush. When miners got to Dawson they would stake a claim and start mining for gold. If they didn't find any at that particular claim they would stake another claim and start again. If they happened to find any gold they would keep on mining until winter came. Some miners would go back to the lower 48 and some might stay through the winter in Dawson.

Today a tight-knit town of 1,500 people and the Yukon’s second largest community, Dawson City is a colourful place where you can still meet placer miners, dog mushers and other Klondike characters. Dawson City is in many ways just as it was at the height of the Gold Rush in 1898. The streets of this authentic frontier town are lined with wooden boardwalks, and you can sense the grit, heartache and golden dreams of the Klondike Gold Rush as you meander down Dawson City's streets.


The gold seekers still visit Dawson City for the fortune today.

Dawson City, Yukon is the the vital part of the world-famous Klondike Gold Rush.







Saturday 6 March 2010

Lets Take a Flight Tour to Talkeetna

Talkeetna is a part of Alaska, located halfway between Anchorage and Denali National Park. Talkeetna is what most of us imagine a small Alaskan town to be, fun and funky, and full of wild variety of characters!




Talkeetna has an outstanding panoramic view of the Alaska Range and is the best spot to view and photograph Denali - the big one, so have your cameras ready!



From Talkeetna airport you may take a flight tour, enjoying wildlife viewing of North America.

Hudson Air Service Inc. can offer you wide range of tours starting from $190. 00 per person. The flight voyage time if approximately 1 hour. The aircraft will take you through the stunning Great George of the Ruth Glacier, Alaska’s deepest gorge. A landing at the peak ringed Ruth Amphitheater can easily be included and will add about a half hour of your flight. Over the Tokositna River area at the base of the Alaska Range offers an opportunity to view moose and bear in their natural habitat.

Lets start a tour.



Walk on a Glacier


Flying to Denili


Tours Map


Snow covered glaciers


Alaska Tours is the best one rather than Hawaii !



Friday 5 March 2010

America journey handbook

Hollywood and Oscars ceremony, George Washington and Independent, New York and Broadway… thanks to newspapers and postcards everybody now have a lot of feelings of the country. Nobody will forget Statue of Liberty, hire ways, casino in Nebraska, capital city, and White House, country music and hard rock festivals in Woodstock.



The country is an extraordinary territory edged by Pacific and Atlantic oceans and spread a tons of miles from the West to the North and from the East to the West. The millions all over the world have come in America in search of the freedom and democracy. Now America is a most powerful country in the word with the most active and creative peoples, with the different culture and historical traditions as well. The different as above is a main reason of America’s power.

Gigantic area of land, mountain, groves, deserts, the broad valleys in a mountainous regions, historical places to visit, museums, America has it all, plus a lot, lot more.


Sooner than Columb coming to the America in the XV-th century, the North part of the country was occupied by Indians, who had moved crosswise the sea connecting Russia and America. The main population mostly from Holland, Germany, Sweden came to America in the beginning of 1850. The state Constitution gave all of them equal political and economic right. That’s was very attractive for all other people in Europe, were they feel the giant press from local monarchy and oligarchs’.

The borders of America looks like present days, except Alaska and Hawaii since middle of the XIX-th century