Let’s Plan Our Holiday

Terror … behind … the Walls! How much spookier can you possibly get? Nor do you have to spend a fortune or rush your time, because this event takes place during select dates throughout both September and October, in none other than Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Terror behind the Walls takes place in a former prison — you can’t get much scarier than that! It is no wonder it is considered one of the spookiest and most macabre haunted houses in all of the United States.

The Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania is home to this event, and it has been the force behind the fright of all kinds of horror fans for almost twenty years. The wonderfully grotesque and creeptastic attractions span eleven acres.

And for those of you with kids, there are specially designated family nights that aren’t quite so horrific!

It may be a little hard to believe that there is a town in Minnesota which touts itself as being the absolute Halloween capital of the whole wide world, but the town of Anoka, Minnesota does just that, and with very good reason!

Not only that, but Halloween gets a family friendly renovation in Anoka, and the tradition gets much, much bigger and much, much better every single year! There is a Miss Anoka beauty pageant, the favorite Orange Tie Ball, a pumpkin carving contest, the Gray Ghost Run, a chili cook off, plenty of ghost tours, and the Grand Day Parade!

So what are you waiting for? Why not celebrate the spookiest day of the year in a family friendly fashion, at an all but month long event packed with tons of fun!

Ah, Madeira, how I wish I were in your majestic, marvelous boundaries right now. Some of us would before the warm winter sun without baking hot beaches, and if so, Madeira is the place to go. It is known as the isle of eternal spring, you know. The seaside is located down a fairly steep slope, so if you want to loaf around, you can do it on a charming terrace.

The golf here is world class, you can enjoy winter luges, and there is plenty of landscape to explore, whether you want to mosey or actually hike.

You can play billiards, take lessons in the tango, take it to the courts for tennis — just about anything your heart desires, while enjoy peaceful, 68 degree temperatures.

Invariably, every time you purchase airline tickets, one of the options before paying is travel insurance. And like most optional expenses, many people waive the expense, choosing rather to save their money. Others are sufficiently afraid of disaster that they do buy insurance. So this article does not set out to choose one opinion over the other, but rather, to educate on the basics of travel insurance.

Several types of travel insurance exist. The three main types are:

• Trip cancellation which may be used in the event of terrorism, natural disaster, tour company, hotel or airline bankruptcy, poor weather, or emergencies that require cutting a trip short or canceling the trip.
• Coverage for medical expenses and hospital bills is important if one suddenly falls ill while away from home, or has an accident which requires treatment. It is important to remember, however, that when deciding on the amount of insurance, the dollar value in your resident country is not relevant. Coverage should be in line with expenses in the destination country where the accident might occur.
• Reimbursement for non-refundable tickets and missed connections.

Policies are significantly different depending on the insurance company. Coverage, price and benefits will vary. Some insurers offer certain standard benefits such as compensation for accommodations, transportation and lost, damaged or delayed baggage. But do not assume that every policy offers the same advantages.

Further, policies are valid for a specified time frame. Some durations are as short as a day which would accommodate travelers crossing the border from the US into Canada or Mexico for a short jaunt, for example. Others may be as long as a year. But if you decide to stay longer and allow your policy to elapse, you will lose your benefits for the uninsured duration.

[Read more →]

You want to know about a beautiful winter holiday spot? Then you have absolutely got to know about Barbados. It is absolutely the best place to go to enjoy the best winter sun. It is popular, it is quite easily accessible, and it is nothing less than a classic destination.

While Barbados is known for showers during the summer months, those are over and done with by the time the winter arrives. We are talking temperatures reaching the 80s here, people.

On the posh west side, you can find the best hotels — this is the side of Barbados known as the Platinum Coast, after all.

If you want simplicity, you can find that. If you want high class luxury, you can find that too.

It may only be October, but grey skies and snow flurries will be here soon enough, and a lot of people will want to go on a winter holiday to a place where the sun is warm and the sand is white.

Anguilla is an excellent place for that. There are few diversions but plenty of temptations. There are thirty three beaches and greater than seventy restaurants. There are some of the finest wine cellars in the whole Caribbean.

There are fantastic spas, beautiful art, and stunning views. Without a doubt, this is precisely the place to go if you like your relaxation paired with a whole lot of luxury.

There is a reason Robert De Niro loves Anguilla so much, you know.

Last but most definitely not least, we set our sights on New England. Specifically, we look towards Killington, Vermont, which now boasts seven mountains, thanks to the addition of the incredibly unique Pico.

In the eastern United States, Killington is without a doubt the biggest ski destination. With just one lift ticket, you have access to no less than two hundred trails.

Furthermore, this is a very dependable destination. Killington likes to say that it has greater snow making coverage than any other eastern resort has in actually, ski worthy terrain.

And after skiing, hey, you can enjoy some sauna time, you can eat at one of the hundred restaurants around the area, and you get to enjoy all the inherent, unquestionable beauty that New England has to offer.

Utah is full of all kinds of fantastic skiing destinations, so it is quite hard to just pick one of them. However, by all accounts and reviews from ski enthusiasts, the town of Solitude, Utah, boasts some really spectacular skiing. Just as the name of the resort location suggests, you can enjoy all kinds of tranquility when you plan your holiday in Solitude.

The lift lines are not long, the runs are not crowded, and the views of the vistas are nothing less than panoramic. Coming from a summit of over ten thousand feet, they should be absolutely stunning!

The resort features over a thousand acres, sixty four ski trails, and twelve miles designed for perfect cross country skiing.

Given the fact that Solitude is only about thirty five miles away from the Salt Lake City International Airport, it is a very convenient destination as well.

Ski holidays are great favorites once the fall comes to path and the winter looms close. There are a number of absolutely beautiful skiing destinations located around the world — even if you cannot afford to try out some of the luxurious European resorts.

Whistler, in beautiful British Columbia, is one of them. It is one of the biggest skiing destinations in all of North America, but in spite of that fact, many skiers do not even try the slopes there.

What this means for you is that you can really have a chance to enjoy the beautiful location. It is quite close to Vancouver, there are one hundred different trails to explore, and in addition to traditional skiing, you can try fresh track, dog sledding, heli-skiing, snow shoeing, and ice fishing.

While Naples is by far one of the prettiest places to take a vacation, I can absolutely say with confidence that Venice is better.  Not only is Venice one of the main cities in Italy but the waterway that divides the city up is absolutely breathtaking.  The waterways in Venice act more like a novelty than anything.  They are basically the roads in Venice. 

While the scenes are right out of a painting it seems, the beautiful landscape is just the beginning when you enter Venice.  There is also the food, the shopping, the hotels and of course all of the people.  People in Venice are very, very nice, so warm, so welcoming and certainly some of the best!

So if you are looking for a cool, chic and hip vacation – Venice is the place for you!