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Alaska by Train

3/10/2016

Most people think about cruising when talking about going to Alaska, but there is another way that gets you to the inside of Alaska's frontier: the Alaskan Railroad. Choose from a 1-day tour to a 12-night adventure. Many of the tours start in Anchorage, which is the main hub, and from there you can explore by train staying in areas such as Denali or the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. You can also fly in and out of Fairbank.
With a railroad adventure, you get the opportunity to tour Alaska's National Parks, the Glaciers, or even take a day or two and backpack on their "Rails and Trails". Alaska is home to many different types of wildlife like grizzly bears, grey wolves, the red fox, and caribou, just to name a small few. Most of the wildlife is right at your doorstep no matter which package you choose.
Perhaps you just want to take the train and stay a few days at one of the beautiful resorts along the way. There are plenty from which to choose. Here are two of the Princess Lodges that you might consider.

Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge: a luxury Princess resort with its
riverside accommodations and viewing decks. Learn about the sport of sled-dog racing or take a helicopter tour. The list of activities are endless.

Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge: features stunning mountain views
and is situated at the Wrangell–St. Elias National Park. From here,
you can take optional tours for sightseeing, copper mines, or even rafting. For dining, perhaps you want to try one of the two river dining view
restaurants.

For information on trains, tours and resorts check out:
http://alaskarailroad.com/Vacations/tabid/121/Default.aspx
http://www.princesslodges.com/
http://www.princesslodges.com/denali-lodge.cfm
http://www.princesslodges.com/alaska-rail-tours.cfm

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All-Inclusive Resorts-Why choose one?

10/14/2015

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A couple years ago, a few friends, my sister's family, and my family decided we all wanted to do a group vacation together. Well as fun as this sounded when we were all excited discussing our dream trip of kicking back on the beach with a cocktail in hand, the reality is that you have to be pretty brave to travel with different personalities on a 7 day adventure. So you say, "we always have a great time together, we would be fine" and while that is probably very true, having a blast every once in a while during a night or even weekend get-away can turn into a bloody nightmare when you find yourself stuck with someone that turns out to be a nightmare travel companion.

We realized that our friendships were more important then taking any risks of problems so we decided the most important thing was going to be making it as low stress as possible in terms of keeping the activities all in one place and not making a lot of impromptu trip decisions when we were there. Any trips away from the resort needed to be pre-planned and pre-paid. When you have so many different tastes in hotels, food, entertainment, and party life, the best thing to do is find activities that can hit a bit of everyone's preferences. All-inclusive resorts in this case are one of the very best answers and a true friendship saver.

The hard reality of vacations is that money is probably the first thing to cause a rift. Whether it is between husband and wife or one couple being in a tight spot and feeling the pressure of the remaining group to spend more then they are comfortable with. This is exactly why an all-inclusive can keep your friendships intact. Believe me the upfront cost is more expensive and can seem almost unreasonable thinking "I would never spend that kind of money if we just wing it", but you will, and you do. You might save a little on the pocket but you may lose more in your relationships with animosity. Now I am not saying you can't travel to a non-inclusive with your best buds you have always known and would live with, I am talking about that group of your newest best friends or even some family reunions. This way each person can book the room that fits their budget, you can all eat at the same place without fighting over the tab, put your pocketbooks away during the trip for the most part, and enjoy all the entertainment you want as a group or even splitting off.

We chose to go to Turks and Caicos at the Beaches Resort since we were taking the kids along. I also love Sandal's Resorts but that is a resort for couples only, no kids allowed. Our rooms ranged from the beachfront 3 bedroom (not mine of course) to an inside second floor room. The grounds were as secure as could possibly be so the kids had a bit more freedom. We had great food, lots of drinks and fun at the pool bar, a few of us tried the inclusive diving, jet-skis, kayaks and even sail boards. All meals were included and they have a non-tip policy so you leave your wallets at home. Food 24/7 and a good variety of options. In the evening they offered activities for both the kids and the adults so those that wanted to go went out and those that did not relaxed in their room with a good book. No driving, no fuss. There are several all-inclusive resorts especially in Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. All of the families and the kids talk about this trip to this day and yes, we all made it out as a group. Sure there were a few hiccups as there is with any big group travel but no one ever had to worry about overspending once we arrived. Remember, movies make it look easy to travel together and heck, even Gilligan's Island they all were stranded together and hardly argued, but that is TV, not reality! Make sure where ever you go as a group you at least try to stay in the groups budget if you can't do an inclusive. Great friendships are hard to come by and it is never worth causing someone to feel out of their comfort level.

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San Diego Safari Park

8/15/2015

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We decided to check out San Diego Safari Park since we have reviewed a lot of the other zoos and wanted something different. First, let me tell you, there are so many options to buy as add on packages! I scoured all the available reviews I could find and ultimately chose the "Behind the Scene" tour. Not necessarily because it sounded the best, the caravan looked interesting as well, but because of the need for limited walking and wheelchair capability for one of our travelers.

I purchased the tickets online for $75 each, not including the mandatory entrance
fee, which cost $45. At this point, I wished I had found coupons. The catch was, I had to know exactly which day in our four day vacation we would be going. Fingers crossed nothing would come up that day, I decided to take a risk.

Main zoo review: The zoo is very large and beautiful. Expect a lot of walking. The animals were located all over the paths and you can take the included tram which takes riders to the out of the way exhibits. We went on a great day which was off season. Limited number of people. I rate this "zoo" high because it feels less like a zoo and more like a habitat.

Behind the scene review: I loved this experience. Our tour guide Aaron was knowledgeable and helped the kids find the Bingo items that were on their list. (We made bingo cards for them to find items like "Find an animal with hoofs, Find a predator, Locate an animal that is from Africa). Aaron was engaging and made our tour both educational and fun. We even got a very close encounter with the tigers that were being fed.

Overall summary: A great day and great zoo! One of the best walking things we saw was the animal handlers in a few areas that were set up around the park. They talked abut the animals while having them in an open enclosure. I loved this! We saw a Big-Eared Fox and a Black Milk Snake very close up. As for the add-on tours, I really do not think you have to buy one of them enjoy the park, but it was perfect for us.
* Just a side note, the small bottled waters were almost $4.00. Yes, that is very high but they let us know it was not-for-profit and all monies went back to the animals. That made it a bit less of a sting.

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Weekend in San Francisco

4/16/2015

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Spending a weekend in this very busy city will keep you on your toes, but it is doable. I don't really recommend a car since parking alone can be outrageous and there is plenty of transportation, but if you must, consider a smaller car for parking spots and with good GPS.

We stayed at the Radisson on Fisherman's Wharf and found this to be a great choice because they have an exit right out to Fisherman's Wharf, right across from Boudin's. If you have never heard of Boudin's it is an A-Mazing restaurant for their delicious clam chowder in a fresh sourdough bread. This location is also, for many, (but know your own limits) a perfect walking distance to the cable cars on the wharf and down the street from Pier 39. The hop-on-and-off bus also comes right to their front door. For wheelchairs, we found that it worked well for a quick exit but make sure you stay on the ground floor for better access.

In a quick weekend, we were able to walk over to the Red & White fleet and jump on an audio boat tour around the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. We enjoyed a meal on the wharf, dined on fresh seafood right from the vendors, walked around Pier 39 for shopping and lunch, hit up Ghirardelli for a chocolate sundae, and had a lovely anniversary dinner for my in-laws at Scomas. If you take the Hyde-Powell Cable car, you can also get off on Lombard St. (The crooked street) and walk down.

There are many car transportation companies that will take you back and forth from the airport and we were quoted $59 for each way (4 people). If that seems high, remember that everywhere charges for parking, not including the rental car rate and gas. Our hotel charged $45 a night to park and the Pier 39 is $8.00 an hour.

http://www.radisson.com/san-francisco-hotel-ca-94133/cafisher?s_cid=se.ggl.rad_cmp16
http://www.redandwhite.com/
http://www.scomas.com/
http://www.sfcablecar.com/

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Paddlewheeler Adventure

3/18/2015

2 Comments

Have you ever considered a Mississippi River paddlewheel cruise? I have been on a few paddle-wheeler day-trips, but they were more of sight-seeing adventures in places like New Orleans, so spending a few days aboard one would be incredible.

A paddle-wheeler adventure would make an awesome family-reunion activity or even a multi-generational trip.
Since there are not as many high-energy activities on this style of cruising, as opposed to maneuvering around one of the mega-sized cruise ships, you can spend time relaxing and bonding as a family. Enjoy a slow-paced and luxurious trip through time while hanging out on the top deck viewing the passing country side or even relaxing in the library reading a Mark Twain book. Bring along some family games or cards to enjoy with your family while taking in the views.

If you are looking for authentic paddlewheeler, check out the Queen of the Mississippi. They have several itineraries to choose from and you will find well-appointed staterooms with complimentary room service including High Tea in the afternoon. This particular paddlewheeler has an exercise room and a putting green, so you can make sure and stretch a bit from all the relaxation.

Visit Americancruiselines for more information

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Australian Trip Down Under- Disney Adventure.

9/8/2014

3 Comments

Australia not only has some of the most friendly people, but they also boast about having the most venomous creatures in the world. Even the adorable platypus is venomous. That should not, however, prevent you from taking a trip to this amazing place!

We had the incredible opportunity to travel there and experience the Great Barrier Reef, Ayers Rock, Sydney, and Cairns. This is a mecca for kid-friendly activities and family travel. We began our journey after touching down in Cairns. In Cairns, there is a fun and educational tour to Hartley's Crocodile Adventures in which you can cruise in their crocodile lagoon and learn all about these reptiles. We had dinner there and, yes, crocodile was on the menu! It was here, in Northern Queensland, that we donned our smurf suits (blue from top to bottom wetsuits, including our heads, but not our face, to prevent venomous Irukanji jellyfish stings since we were there in their summer and they come out in June).

Next stop, Ayers Rock, a short flight away for our Aboriginal adventure. At Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Center, we learned about their culture, song and dance, as well as tried our hand at throwing a boomerang and spear. If you want to get a bird's eye view, try a gondola ride at Barron Gorge National Park. One of the highlights of this trip was hiking part of Ayers Rock and seeing the hieroglyphs, which really captivated the kids on the tour. Ayers Rock is also known as Uluru and it was here that I also took my very first sunset camel ride. It was a little awkward, and my camel was quite boisterous, but it was an amazing journey across the vibrant colors of the desert.

Next, on to Sydney, where we saw the Opera House, took a jet boat ride on the Sydney Harbour, toured the town on the Bonza bike tour, and visited what was, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful zoos I have ever been to, The Taronga Zoo.

This is a tour that you can create on your own, but Adventures By Disney also has a completely guided tour through Australia and they know all the ins and outs of the area. I was amazed, not only by the history of Australia, but also by the unique animals that call this place home.

www.adventuresbydisney.com www.tjapukai.com.au www.crocodileadventures.com

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Scotland Loch Ness Monster Tours

6/16/2014

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For generations, Scotland has been known for its grand stories of the illustrious Loch Ness Monster. Movies have been made about sightings and one of the more well known fishing shows even spent a week in the cold trying to catch the Loch Monster on film. If you happen to be heading to Scotland, or even close by, you might want to consider a Loch Ness hunt.

There are several tour companies that cover all things Loch Ness, from day trips to multi-day tours through the Scottish Highlands. On these tours, you can choose to travel from Edinburg to Loch Ness, or else you can decide to stay in one location around the immediate area for a few days. Some tours offer a free bit-of-whisky to help prepare you for your monster search. Hum, I am guessing it's possible to see a lot of monsters after some of the lovely whiskeys Scotland is known for.

If a tour trip is not what you prefer, consider a Loch Ness cruise aboard the Royal Scot. We love their description on their website. "Mad about Monsters? Then our daily and evening Loch Ness cruises are for you! Our live commentary will take you on a journey through the local history, nature, and local folklore of Loch Ness, including a presentation of our onboard hi-tech Sonar equipment to help you peer into the depths to see if you can spot our favourite monster of the deep, Nessie! You may even be as lucky as our very own Operations Manager, Marcus, who recently won £1000 in a photo competition for the best sighting of the Loch's famous inhabitant - Nessie!"

Based on their description, they sound like a fun group. Check out their website for the entire ordeal of the operation manager. I like that they have onboard sonar equipment for the search instead of just being a regular, over-the-water hunt. Either way, if you see something or not, this would make a memorable sightseeing cruise.

lochness(dot)com
cruiselochness(dot)com

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South Dakota Discovery

5/26/2014

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South Dakota's Mount Rushmore is a stunning granite sculpture of four of the past United States Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. This 60-foot sculpture is absolutely stunning, but it is not the only amazing site to be seen or toured in this area.
If you are planning on taking a trip to South Dakota, some of there other stops you might want to consider are:

Black Hills: Granite-core mountains in the Great Plains that Rise 7,244 feet make up the Black Hills. Many of the treasures of the Black Hills are not visible on its surface. With some well-versed guides you can get a fulfilling Black Hills experience.

Badlands: Badlands National Park, with 244,000 acres, is a , dramatic natural barrier sculpted into stark pinnacles and gullies by the natural forces of water. While some may say it is not "beautiful", its beauty is in the stark and dramatic work of Mother Nature.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Homestead: Visit the place where Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote many of her "Little House On The Prairie" books! Enjoy a good old-fashion fun-filled day with covered wagon rides, exhibits, activities, and even a 1880's school session.

Jewel Cave National Monument: Jewel Cave is currently the third longest cave in the world. This stunning underground world of cave formations also has some unique recreational opportunities such as a hiking experience. If you have never experienced viewing a cave, it is a memory not soon forgotten.

Deadwoods: The discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1874 set off one of the last great gold rushes in the country, and this year is also when Deadwoods were born. What started as a small gold camp became a town of outlaws and gamblers. This location is where the term "Dead Man's Hand" took root. Now it is a gaming place with 80 gaming halls at which you can try your luck.
You can also visit Calamity Jane's resting place as well at the Mount Moriah Cemetery.

Mitchell Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota: During the summer months, the "world's only Corn Palace" has free guided tours of this unique place. The murals, as well as the designs covering the building, are made by local artists, change in theme every year, and are made from actual corn and other grains.

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Welcome to Mayberry, North Carolina

4/21/2014

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There is a place in North Carolina, about 3 miles South of the Virginia state line, called Mount Airey and it literally is all things Mayberry. Since this is the place where Andy Griffith grew up, it stands to reason that it should feel like Mayberry. A friend of mine told me about this gem and I could not believe a place like this actually existed. Sure enough it does! They have an Andy Griffith Collection at his namesake Playhouse, rides in a Ford Galaxy that have been painted to resemble the one used in the show, a barbershop named Floyds, old fashion shops, and lots of events and activities that surround the good old days.

Sept 25-28, 2014 they have Mayberry Days. This is a full festival for those longing for simplicity of days gone by. Enjoy a bottle of pop, play some checkers, watch the parade, and listen to some great music. Plan well in advance to make sure you can get a great hotel. This would make a memorable anniversary idea for your parents or grandparents with fun for the whole family! Now, if you can't get to Mayberry, you can always go on their website and send yourself a postcard like I did for my picture. They have plenty to choose from.

We made our own postcard right on the Mayberry website. If you can't go to Mayberry you can always make one of your own on their Mount Airey website.

Thanks Mary for your recommendation!

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Safari in the USA

12/30/2013

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By now, most of you know that I do not usually recommend trips based solely on a specific place, but, in this case, Safari West can be a good base camp for your Safari themed vacation. Safari West, a "Sonoma Serengeti", is located in Santa Rosa, California.

This place would be an awesome ThemeTrip on its own is because the activities and opportunities they offer allow you to stay at this one location and feel like you are on your own safari camping trip. With animal viewing, sleeping in luxury "Safari" tents, (they even have electric blankets to keep you nice and warm at night) and enjoying safari ranch style BBQs, it is a one-stop adventure. The tents are built on high wood platforms to give you the feel of staying in an actual camp and they have the look and feel of what you might experience if you were to agree to a lot of different immunization shots and very long plane flight. There are birds in open-air aviaries, hoofed-animals, carnivores, and even reptiles to view. They have a good selection of primates and rodents as well.

This is a good ThemeTrip for a ladies weekend adding with wine and chocolate, for a teen-friendly camp experience, or for an educational kids' camp, you can do a photographic workshop or even include a wine-country adventure by adding a wine tour straight from camp. Basically you can take an "African Safari" in wine country. Did I mention you can also get a massage while you are there? Yep, a real rugged and outback vacation that I could enjoy!

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Travel Ideas!

Alaska by Train

All-Inclusive Resorts-Why choose one?

San Diego Safari Park

Weekend in San Francisco

Paddlewheeler Adventure

Australian Trip Down Under- Disney Adventure.

Scotland Loch Ness Monster Tours

South Dakota Discovery

Welcome to Mayberry, North Carolina

Safari in the USA

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