USA – Copper Mountain

Copper Mountain was referred to as the best ski slope in North America by the US Forestry Service, for its amazing resources and ability to cater for beginner, intermediate and expert skiers. Based only 120 KM from Denver airport and with 160 metres of pure skiing fun, Copper Mountain is the only place to go skiing in America.

With a 3 Kilometre base and a summit of nearly 4 kilometres it is no wonder the slope is big enough to handle over 30,000 visitors on a monthly basis. With twenty two lifts the Copper Mountain is renowned for its 6 man high speed lift, 5 doubles, 5 triples, surface chairs, quad lifts, tubing zone and even quad lifts that can travel in excess of 40 kilometres per hour.

The upper lifts close at 1500 every evening, meaning you get 30 minutes to complete your last run before your days skiing is over. Opening at 9am in the morning Monday to Friday there is no excuse for not getting an early start. At the weekends the lifts open around a half an hour earlier, making it much easier to fit more skiing into your day.

In total Copper Mountain covers two and a half thousand acres, and stands nearly 800 metres tall. With 125 trails in total, 18% cater for expert skiers, 36% for advanced skiers, 21% for beginners and 25% for intermediates. The snowfall in Cooper Mountain is also something to be reckoned with; the total snowfall in November to April of 2005/2006 was 283.58, with March appearing to be the best month for snow. Although April to November provides the best snow, Copper Mountain also has an avalanche machine keeping the slop active for around 12 months in the year. This machine works by releasing a gas that turns water into snow. The machine provides genuine powdery snow that can even be altered to be icier, or softer to meet the needs of the skiers.

The Copper Mountain is set to be active for 12 months of the year, as of some point in the next two years, whilst plans are also unveiled for an indoor facility. The massive success of Copper Mountain is said to be partially attributable to hosting world snowboarding events, and also offering other activities such as snow tubing which is becoming increasingly popular, as well as snowshoeing, hiking, biking and snowmobile vehicles.

When I last visited Copper Mountain major regeneration work had just begun. They had started re-building the lift, their were hotel and lodging developments, and they have even started investing in real estate. From what I understand you will be able to buy a property overlooking the amazing slopes in a small amount of time. They had also seen the importance and the market that exists for training skiing. When a facility has the best training facility, new skiers are more likely to come along, learn how to ski at Copper Mountain and then come back year after year. They have built a complex that will house and support their training team, and they intend to offer lessons for a great price to encourage people to learn how to ski at Copper Mountain.

Copper Mountain is also home to freestyle snowboarding facilities which are becoming increasingly with teenagers looking to get started in winter sports. The snowboarding facilities include ramps, half-pipes, jumps and runs, whilst also being flood light, allowing the facility to operate much later than when the lifts stop functioning.

If you have never been to Copper Mountain then you will soon realise why it is rated as the best Skiing facility in America. Did you know that many film scenes have been completed on this mountain? It may also surprise you to know that this is usually completed when there is no snow on the mountains, and an avalanche machine generates snow in the absence of a any skiers or tourists.

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Universal Studios Tours Park Information

If you are planning a trip to Universal Studios Tours, you need to know specific information about the park before you arrive. If you have special needs, you may need more information than usual, and you should contact Guest Services and inform them of your special needs prior to your arrival.

You may purchase tickets in advance either online, or over the telephone. Tickets can also be purchased at Ticket Master Outlets and through travel agents. You may also purchase tickets at the gate. General one day admission costs $55, and those under forty eight inches tall are charged $45. Children under three are admitted free of charge. VIP Studio Passes are available on a limited basis, and are not available for children under the age of five. The cost for VIP Studio Passes is $149 per person. Annual tickets are also available, at a discounted rate.

Universal Studios Hollywood is located in Los Angeles, California, at 100 Universal City Plaza. This is easily found right off of Highway 101, which is often called the Hollywood Freeway. The park is about ten minutes from the Los Angeles downtown area.

Only paid parking is available. It costs $10 for cars and $11 for recreational vehicles. You can also get preferred parking, which is closer to the entrance for $17. Free parking is not available on the Universal Studio grounds.

Realistically, it takes a full day to see all of the attractions in the park. However, if you dont have a full day to spend at Universal Studios Tours, you should purchase the VIP pass, which will allow you to move to the front of the line for all rides and attractions. This cuts down wait times in lines significantly, and allows you to see all of the attractions much faster.

Dont allow the rain to ruin your parade! The park remains open even when it rains, but if severe weather is an issue, many shows may be cancelled or relocated. In the event that the park must close due to whether, a rain check will be issued. A Universal Studio rain check will be issued if over 1/8 of an inch of rain falls before 2pm, and it is good for thirty days.

Again, if you have special needs that may need special accommodations, please contact Guest Services by telephone prior to your visit. Some accommodations can take up to two weeks to arrange, so the sooner you contact Universal Studios Tours with your special needs request, the better the staff will be able to serve you.

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Save Money with a Timeshare for the Holidays

Anyone that travels over the holidays knows that accommodations are generally more expensive than during other times of the year. They can also sell out fast if you dont make your reservation very early. One way to save money when you travel for the holidays is to invest in a timeshare. They are available in most locations that people often travel to for a holiday vacation.

What you may not be aware of is that may other towns and cities around the world have timeshares too. This means if you are going to visit friends and family for the holidays you can still get a great price on a timeshare. You definitely will need some time of your own while you visit for the holidays and you dont want to crowd other people in their home. A timeshare property can be a home, apartment, condo, and even a hotel.

For those of you not familiar with timeshares, they involve a group of people buying property together. Each person is an owner of the property and they get the privilege of using the timeshare for a specific period of time each year. You have the ability to sell your timeshare at any time so you arent obligated to keep it forever if you dont want to continue using it.

You also have the right to sublet your timeshare when you are authorized to use it. This means if you decide to travel somewhere else for the holidays or to stay home you can let someone else use it. This way they get a great deal on their accommodations for the holidays and you arent out any money since you didnt use it yourself. You can advertise your timeshare slot online and likely get plenty of excellent responses right away from interested parties.

If you dont have time to purchase a timeshare right now before you travel for the holidays you should take a look online at those that are being sublet. This way you can take advantage of the availability of the property for your holiday travel. This is also an excellent way to find out about the different types of timeshare properties in that area that you may want to invest in down the road.

You may be surprised to find that you can also purchase timeshares from various hotel chains. The most popular one is Marriott and you can transfer it all over the world. This means you can travel anywhere you want for the holidays and take advantage of your timeshare at the local Marriott hotel. Since this popular hotel chain is very common you will likely find one nearby.

It is very wise to take your time looking for the right timeshare to use over the holidays though. You dont want to get yourself involved in a scam and find out the actual property doesnt even exist that you have paid for. Take the time to research information about the company and check with the Better Business Bureau. This way you know who you are dealing with.

Take your time to read over all the details of a timeshare property before you invest in it. Dont just take the sellers word for it that you will be able to use it over the holidays when you want it. Make sure you have all that information in writing. Dont be pressured into signing paperwork either until you have had the time to read it. They will often tell you that other people are interested in the timeshare to get you to make a rash decision.

You will be able to save plenty of money when you use a timeshare for your holiday travel. However, you will only be able to do so if you take your time to research what is offered. This way you can make an informed decision to purchase the right property for your holiday travel needs and for your budget.

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