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Archeological Dig Vacation

1/27/2014

So, you have tried all the "normal" vacations and are looking to add a little history into your trip. Well you are in luck. There are vacations in which you can incorporate an actual dig with some free time to explore. Some of the sites are done during the early morning and day time hours and then you are able to explore and play at night.
There are several organizations, and even tour companies, around that offer this type of hands-on tour. Some are for the more experienced, but quite a few are available for beginners and families. If it is a beginner tour, you usually spend the first part of your trip learning how to dig correctly. The best thing to do is to decide where you want to travel or a historical area you wish to explore and then look up what digs are taking place in that location. Many of the tours are in the summer months, but a few are year round.

Programs:
Maya Research Program
Volunteer Guide
Archeology.about

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Ireland Pubs, Distilleries, and Brews.

1/20/2014

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Ireland is a beautiful place to visit with many different options to create a ThemeTrip around. This ThemeTrip explores the famous pubs and breweries that you can visit. Ireland was once known to have some of the most noteworthy brewing houses around. Each county or town touted strong, independent brewers which were a source of pride for their respected County. When some of the larger brewers grew, the smaller independent places were squeezed out. Ireland is now on the verge of rebuilding their glory days with ales and stouts that can rival the popular Guinness and Smithwicks.

The Brewery of Fireland Tour company hosts a 5 day tour that starts in Dublin and ends in Dublin. You will visit over 8 microbreweries along with visiting some of the more famous sites on your journey, this is a true Irish Brewery tour. They sprinkle in a bit of fun and food and you are all set.

Jameson Whiskey is synonymous with Irish Whiskey and they have tours in both Dublin and Cork. "Our old distillery is a unique experience with some of the buildings dating back to 1795. Take a journey through history and see the old kilns, mills and malting, water wheel and old warehouses." Of course, one of the most common questions have been answered, "All of our tours end with a complimentary glass of Jameson whiskey, and for the few lucky selected volunteers, there’s the chance to take part in a whiskey tasting, but if you simply can’t resist until then we can arrange a private tutored tasting for you, also."

How about a Guinness Tour in Dublin? You can take a tour of the brewery, taste some wonderful Guinness-inspired Irish cuisine, or you can become a Guinness Connoisseur with an exclusive Guinness experience.

If you can't make it all the way to Ireland, check out their online Guinness recipes on the Guinness website!

Old Bushmill has been the oldest working distillery in Ireland for over 400 years. Tours are done by reservation and are located in county Antrim in Northern Ireland. According to their website "You can even take home a bottle of our Distillery Reserve 12-year old Single Malt Whiskey, which is available only from our gift shop, and as souvenirs go, I don’t think you can get much better!” I think it would be worth a trip just for that opportunity.

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San Antonio Riverwalk

1/13/2014

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I had put off going to San Antonio for quite some time. Not because it did not sound interesting, just that we had so many other things on our to do list. Let me begin by saying we should not have waited. This fun city is bustling with things to do. Just spending a few days wandering the Riverwalk could have made us happy. Get a hotel on the Riverwalk and you wont even need a car. We were able to hit tons of fun bars and restaurants right out our hotel doors.

We chose to go on St. Paddy's Day weekend and I highly recommend this especially because they turn the river green in the morning and then they even have a water parade. I am not saying it is the fully-decorated type of parade, but more of a leisurely stroll of boats throwing out beads. We actually went to an English Pub (Yes, I know there are plenty of Irish ones but they were packed and we bought their tickets to ride their float and have a free drink for about $20 pp). So, armed with plenty of beads to throw, we got to tour the waterways. On certain days, they also have arts and crafts fairs along the Riverwalk and you can buy a glass of wine at the local wine spot and take it on your walk in a plastic cup. We walked to the Alamo, which was interesting in itself, and then did the fun touristy things like go to Ripley's believe it or not, the big outdoor mall, and the souvenir shops. We also did a ghost walking tour which was pleasant, but not the creepiest I have been on. They also have a dining-on-the-riverboat option that might be worth checking out. If you need to leave the Riverwalk area, you can head to Six Flags for the kids as well.

Places to see:
The Alamo
Maddogs Pub
The San Antonio Riverwalk

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Unique Spa In Japan

1/6/2014

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This spa is simply unbelievable and certainly worth writing about as a unique journey to take. The Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Spa in Japan is a mecca of the most interesting types of treatments and rituals. They have a Sake bath in which there is a constant dripping of real Japanese Sake from a cask overhead. The claim is that sake is good for your skin. Hum... and maybe good for your spirits as well.

Sake is not their only beverage spa specialty, they also have a green tea spa with a huge tea pot pouring green tea into the hot tube that they say contains "Catechin, a powerful anti-oxidant fighting tumors as well as enhancing the immune system. Also, good for the skin" , a genuine wine filled spa, and one made with real coffee to help with fatigue. Yes, I am serious, and this is only a few of their unique treatments. They also have an outdoor slide spa. You really need to check out their website to get the complete feel of what they offer.

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Travel Ideas!

Archeological Dig Vacation

Ireland Pubs, Distilleries, and Brews.

San Antonio Riverwalk

Unique Spa In Japan

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