Archive for July 21st, 2009

Cabrillo National Monument

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Located in San Diego California, the Cabrillo National
Monument provides a historic lighthouse with plenty
of activities. There are great views here as well,
with tidepools, flora and fauna, whales to watch,
and even military history.

The Monument offers hiking along designated trails,
bicycling on paved roadways, and swimming within the
park boundaries. Fishing is permitted here as well,
with hook and line – although only one fish may be
taken. When walking the trails and exploring, make
sure to be on the lookout for cliff areas, as they
can be very unstable.

A lot of visitors come to the National Monument to
enjoy the breathtaking views of the San Diego Bay and
the Pacific Ocean. Because of this very reason, the
park has become of the best harbor views anywhere in
California – or the world for that matter!

The tidepools are great to see here as well, although
you should always be careful. Even though they are
great to admire, the surface may be very slippery.

Anytime you are in the San Diego area, a trip to
the Cabrillo National Monument is more than worth the
time. You can walk the trails, have fun, or just
enjoy the breathtaking views of San Diego that only
the Cabrillo National Monument can provide you with.

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Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

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Costa Rica Tourist Traps

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Costa Rica has a great tourist industry. They are welcoming and friendly and in most cases they are honest and genuine. But human nature being what it is, sometimes we end up getting less than we bargained for. The following are just a few tips on what to look out for before you pay out of pocket.

In most cities these days, when the local cops aren’t busy they park in a discreet spot and scrutinize drivers to see if they can catch them in an infraction. One person I read about got stopped for speeding and the cops told him that it was an expensive ticket. The cop told them that for $100 he would look the other way. Later he was told that he could have settled the ticket at any Bank of Costa Rica.

This is a great example of why you should take the bus and taxi whenever possible. You may think you are free with your own vehicle but you won’t be very free if you are stuck in a hole on a dirt road in a foreign country. Just figure into your budget, taxi and bus fare. Always hide extra cab fare on you somewhere just in case of emergency.

Another trap is that using travel agent doesn’t always pay off. You could end up paying as much as $50 a night more on your lodging because of the travel agent’s cut. Go ahead and book your own rooms and make payment arrangements. Also try to find out the distance from your hotel to your destination. Why pay a cab to drive half a mile when you can walk it, unless it’s raining of course.

This next thing isn’t necessarily a tourist trap but you should know about this ahead of time. In the Monteverde Cloud Forest there are the attractions of the Sky Bridge and Canopy tours. A sky bridge is a bridge made over the tops of the trees. Canopy Tours are like ski lifts, the canopied car moving on a cable from tree to tree. The idea being, that you are able to see a great variety of wildlife from this vantage point. I hope you don’t have vertigo.

You are walking off into a bridge into the trees and the clouds, or your are taking the Canopy ride through the clouds but your purpose in doing this is to be able to see the wonderful wildlife. You will see nothing unless the clouds clear. It does cost you money to get across the bridge and to ride the Canopies but why pay the money if you can’t see anything. Better to wait until you have a clear day.

The next one is really important. Look before you sit when using the restroom in remote locations. One lady said that someone had stolen the toilet seat and she had no place to sit. To make matters worse there was no toilet paper. So my advice to you is to always go to the restroom in a store or restaurant if you have the chance before going into on tours and always, always take some toilet paper.

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