Month: November 2009

How to Find the Best Summer Vacation Deals

The current state of the economy has many Americans in a financial pinch. If you are one of those individuals, you may consider putting off your annual summer vacation. The good news, you dont have to. You may have never given any thought to travel deals and discounts before, but you should now. By knowing where to look and what to look for, you can significantly reduce the cost of your summer travel. What steps should you take?

Think outside of the box. Many of us have a dream vacation destination. In fact, we often have more than one. If you do, dont decide right away. Estimate the cost of traveling to the Caribbean or Hawaii. If you like both, why not see which is the cheapest option? Speaking of your destinations, consider traveling to locations where the summer is their off-season. A good example is with Denver, Colorado. It is busiest during the winter for ski trips. There might not be any snow, but you can get great deals on hotels and airfare.

Aim for a weekday trip. Luckily, many American take weeklong summer vacations. Schedule your summer vacation to start on Saturday and end the following Friday. You will spend most of your nights at a hotel during the week. This automatically means lower rates. The same applies to restaurants in popular resort communities. You are likely to find more and better daily specials throughout the week.

Look at what is happening around town. You are planning a summer vacation. You are automatically traveling during peak travel season. For that reason, you fill find higher costs for flights, gas, car rentals, and hotels. However, there are certain times you want to avoid, like the weekend of July 4th. Once you decide on a destination, use the internet to research ideal travel dates. It is best to avoid times when there is a big sporting event, a concert for a popular musician, or a big hobbyist convention. The hotels not only charge higher rates during these times, but there is likely less room available.

Get started with online travel websites. Online travel websites are nice. Not only do they allow you to compare the cost of 50 hotels or more in a matter of minutes, but they also sell travel packages. Unfortunately, online travel websites dont always offer the best deals. You usually get the better deals only when booking travel packages. For just hotels or just airplane tickets, visit online travel websites and request a free quote. Then, head to the website of the hotel or airline in question and request another quote. They should be similar. If not, opt for the better deal.

Dont wait until the last minute to find the best deals. Many first-time travelers mistakenly believe the last minute is the best time to find the greatest deals. Yes, many airlines and hotels offer last minute travel deals, but this is very risky. As previously stated, you are vacationing in peak travel season. During the summer, it is easy for airlines to fill flights and hotels to fill rooms. Last minute travel deals arent guaranteed and you shouldnt risk it. If later see the cost of airfare or your hotel decrease, contact the company in question to get a refund for the difference. A refund isnt guaranteed either, but at least your travel plans are made.

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1000 Lakes

When you hear the phrase Land of 1000 Lakes, what comes to mind? Well if it is the great state of Minnesota, you may have already known that this is the nickname of this wonderful part of the American experience. Minnesota is nestled up near the Canadian boarder and represents one of the great undiscovered secrets for sightseeing and vacation fun in this country.

When you decide to book Minnesota as your vacation of choice, you are showing some shrewd knowledge of Americana that not many have taken the time to learn about. Because Minnesota is one of the most beautiful states in the union both for beautifully tailored modern city scenes and for breath taking outdoor adventure as well.

The twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are nestled into the Minnesota landscape quietly producing one of the most diverse and sophisticated city experiences in all of America. While you might not have been looking, Minneapolis and St. Paul have quietly developed some pretty serious claims to fame including

*The classic situation comedy The Mary Tyler Moore Show had its fictional location occurring in Minneapolis. The scenes of snow falling and the way people cope with such a climate became a subplot for that show.

*The wonderful radio variety show A Prairie Home Companion originated and is still often broadcast from St. Paul, Minnesota. This wonderful, one of a kind show often gives loving lampoon the quirks of the Scandinavian and Lutheran cultures that are well ensconced in Minnesota life.

*Minnesota is the only state to ever elect a professional wrestler, Jessie Ventura as governor. And he did a pretty good job.

*The exciting rock musician Prince is a product of the Minneapolis music culture.

There is a lot to see and enjoy in the rustic Minnesota landscape and in these modern cities that make up the urban centers of this wonderful state. You might be temped to save your trip to Minnesota for the summer time. But you may want to actually change that plan as Minnesota can provide some experiences in the dead of winter that are not to be missed.

Ice fishing is a Minnesota specialty and one you may want to book a guide to enjoy first hand. There is nothing like sitting in a heated shack out in the middle of a frozen over lake and fishing through a hole to bring up a big catch for making a memory that you will be telling people about for years to come.

Then when you head into town, be sure to be in Minnesota when Minneapolis holds their annual Ice Festival. The entire city turns out to admire magnificent ice sculptures that the talented artists create right there in the middle of the city. But any statue they make will pale when you watch with wonder as the workman in Minnesota construct the mammoth Ice Palace that you can wander through just like a castle in old Europe. You will marvel as that Ice Palace actually can be heated and people can book rooms and stay over in it once the wizards that make this marvel happen do their stuff. And to think, if you come back in six months, that amazing structure will melt away like yesterdays ice cream cone.

You can see that overlooking Minnesota as a destination of choice for unique sightseeing and vacation excitement is not a mistake you want to make. We have only scratched the surface of the great fun you can have on your trip to the great white north. So make your plans to get up there and enjoy this very unique place with their rich Scandinavian Lutheran culture. And who knows, maybe you will learn how to carve out a small sculpture from the ice in your refrigerator before you leave.

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Horse Riding On Your Mauritius Vacation

Even if horseback riding has been a basic part of your lifestyle since you were a child, as it has been for many Americans, it is something which has just recently begun to become popular on the island of Mauritius. The newfound interest in this sport is one reason why it is something you should try during your Mauritius vacation. You may be delighted to see how quickly the interest has grown in your longtime favorite sport. It will certainly add a touch of adventure to your vacation!

One evidence of the growing popularity of horse riding is the availability of a horse riding vacation package. This package will give some knowledge and experience to a person who is essentially unfamiliar with this sport. On Mauritius, it will not matter if you are not an expert at horse riding, because until quite recently the sport was virtually unknown on the island. If you are a skilled rider, however, you will not only gain much enjoyment from this experience, but you may also be able to give a few horse riding tips to those who are completely unfamiliar with the sport!

When you select a horse riding package, you will stay at a lovely little guest house which is specially reserved for the horse riders. You can have a ninety-minute ride around the farm, where you can view a variety of wildlife from atop your horse.

After you have learned and experienced the basics of horse riding, you and the other horse riders will venture further out into the countryside, where you can ride through a delightful country village and enjoy the picturesque scenery. When you ride through the countryside, you will surely agree that it is one of the most beautiful that you have ever seen and being able to see it all from atop a horse will make it all even more enjoyable.

The horse rides occur three times per day. You can sign up by yourself, or book the trip for your entire family. These longer rides, which last between two to three hours, also include a delicious lunch beside a sparkling-clear river for all of the horse riders.

If you had not thought about incorporating horse riding into your vacation plans, it will surely be a worthwhile prospect. Whether you have been horseback riding throughout most of your life, or if it will be a brand-new experience for you, it is one which you will certainly enjoy.

At present, horse riding which is available to the public is located in the north region of Mauritius. It is considered to be a means of seeing the sights, as well as enjoying the horses. With this relatively new sport’s fast-growing popularity, the horse riding holiday packages are expected to increase in their availability.

In the meantime, if your Mauritius vacation destination is focused in the northern part of the island, you will have a lot of fun if you put a horse riding package on your vacation agenda.

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