Mike's Travel Blog

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

A walk down the ‘Strip’ is a real ‘must do’, have a look at the amazing and extravagant buildings that have grown up out of the dessert. You will also find exciting rides, and experiences. There are world famous exhibitions. You can see fish and birds in artificial habitats, or explore out into the dessert. Whatever your taste the pyramid shaped Luxor is a great base.

If you want to jump right into the splendors of the American lifestyle, you are probably going to want to hit up one of the big cities. New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and LA are excellent international hubs for culture and entertainment. If you want to dig deeper into the American landscape, I suggest traveling to the heart of the country. Missouri is smack-dab in the middle of everything and has several underrated cities which offer a true American perspective on things.

Kansas City

If there is one thing any foreigner needs to do while they’re in the Midwest, it’s to eat the BBQ at Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City. You don’t need an app on your prepaid phone to find a location while you’re in the city. Most of the locals hold this place to heart and will probably join if you decide to dine there. According to the company website, presidents Harry Truman (from Independence, MO) and Jimmy Carter have eaten there as well as celebrities like Steven Spielberg and Jack Nicholson.

Hannibal

Hannibal is the hometown of one of America’s most prolific authors, Mark Twain. It is also the setting for his most famous work, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. A visit to Hannibal will allow you to get a glimpse of what life was like when steamboats ruled the Mississippi. While in Hannibal you can visit one of the many Missouri wineries and watch bald eagles swoop up prey from the river while you enjoy a glass of wine.

Branson

Branson is located in the southwestern corner of Missouri, almost touching the Arkansas border. It is renowned to be the country music music epicenter of America. Performers of past and present set up residency in elaborately built theaters which sprawl up and down Highway 76. If country music isn’t your thing, there are water parks, mini-golf courses, and even an colonial based theme-park called Silver Dollar City which will surely give you a dose of Americana.

St. Louis

Baseball is a serious business in St. Louis. The only thing that the residents of this city by the Mississippi take more seriously is beer. With the Anheuser Busch Brewery located in direct proximity to Busch Stadium, home of the Cardinals, you can bet that the two tend to intertwine a great deal during home games.

Traveling around the Midwest can be more of a vacation than actually visiting the busy cities on the coasts, and it can also provided the down home, comfortable feel needed to relax.

You may know St. Lucia as a romantic travel destination. A place to go on a honeymoon, or getaway for two. This is true, but St. Lucia is much more than that. The natural landscape of the island of St. Lucia is also perfect for adventure. Soak up the sun on the palm-fringed beaches and enjoy breath-taking views in between exciting excursions.

You can truly have the best of both worlds in St. Lucia; romance and adventure, but don’t keep it to yourself, make it a family affair. You can bring the kids to explore all this tropical paradise has to offer. Climb mountains, go deep underwater, check out the rainforest or ride horses along the coastline. Families are welcome at many of the resorts, some even have on-site water parks.

Family friendly things to do on St. Lucia

Canopy rides. The ultimate adrenaline rush can be found in St. Lucia. Fly by giant Banyans and enjoy elevated views of both the Caribbean Sea and historic towns. Several different zip lines to choose from which allow you to not only feel the rush as you whiz through the air, you can also take air-borne photos of coconut, plum and mango trees.

ATV adventures. ATV’s give everyone in the family a chance to observe the landscape, while cruising through trails, rivers and plantations.

Kite Surfing. St. Lucia is known for having the perfect windsurfing conditions. Ride the winds as you surf clear blue Atlantic Ocean.

Biking. Ride along the steep mountain trail. Perfect for both first time riders as well as their more experienced counterparts. The custom trails have varying levels of difficulty, those who want to be challenge can really push themselves, while others can simply coast.

Diving. Do not miss the natural beauty lying below the water. St. Lucia offers diving tours for beginners and experts alike. There are also night dives and short day trips.

Horseback riding. Trail ride along the scenic coast line. You can even take a dip with your horse in the crystal clear ocean water.

Segway experience. St. Lucia Nature Trail Experience is a safe way to take in the sites around St. Lucia. Learn from the friendly guides as they lead you Go through a nature trail located on the US WWII military base on St. Lucia.

Waterfalls. You can take a refreshing dip in the cold water behind impressive waterfalls, or see the waterfall from above during an exciting helicopter ride.

Parents can get away for a while to enjoy some couple time on the island as the children are cared for at one of the resorts. Many activities are planned throughout the year for kids of all ages. While the kids are entertained, couples can take part in a couples massage, soak up some rays, or simply share cocktails. When everyone comes back together, everyone will feel more refreshed.

St. Lucia has plenty to offer everyone. The resorts and activities are designed to give tourists the very best experience, and they do not disappoint.

Click here for great deals and offers on st lucia holidays and at the sandals regency st lucia.

People love to take a Europe Vacation, but many aren’t aware of the diversity of options when getting around. When you’re busy seeing the sights and just trying to get around from place to place, there’s not much planning when it comes to getting there. Far too often, people end up paying way to much and spend a lot of time climbing in and out of taxis. Though this is one of the easiest ways to get around, it’s good to explore all of your transportation options, whether it’s for a different experience or you simply want to save money:

Train System

When you get tickets for the Interrail system in Europe, you have the chance to travel all around the continent far more affordably than if you were to fly or drive everywhere. You can buy these train tickets online through their site. You can check-mark each country that you want to visit and the time frame that you want to be there, and you’ll get a detailed itinerary for your trip around the continent. You can also book your tickets to cover a period of time and just hop on the train whenever you want to leave a specific location. This gives you total freedom of travel so you’re not tied down to a set time-schedule. You will, of course, have to find accommodations for wherever you’re traveling, but you can find affordable lodgings through other sites.

Biking Tours

This is an option for the more adventurous traveler, but is becoming a more popular option for people wanting to get a more hands-on experience with their vacation. Other similar options include back-packing, but this might not be as desirable for a family vacation. However, there are many campsites that backpackers and bikers can use that offer all the amenities that you need. You can travel all throughout Europe and see the beauty of its landscape in a more personal way.

Bus Tours

Another affordable option that gives people lots of opportunities to see the countryside and scenery is through bus tours. This is a popular option among many people vacationing in Europe. There is, however, a more strict time-frame that you are allowed at each destination, but the benefit of being able to see a large portion of areas in you vacation is very attractive to people who don’t get to vacation in Europe often. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a lot of places while making it cost effective. One of the downsides to this option that many people argue is that a bus tour gives travelers a more touristy experience. Some like that and it really depends on what you’re wanting to get our of your vacation.

However you choose to experience your vacation is up to you, but realize that there are many options for people vacationing in Europe. You don’t have to be tied to a specific city or country during your next visit. Consider other these, and other, transportation options to give a little diversity to your next trip.

Imagine walking along on the wonderful beaches in the Caribbean, you can relax your mind and have a tiny bit of Caribbean’s sun. It’s really tempting, isn’t it? But you must be wondering how much it all costs. If you want to have such enjoyments mentioned earlier, then you go to sign up to Apple Vacations all inclusive packages. Apple Vacations offer you a package that includes everything from airfare to hotel transfer and all it between in an affordable cost. Your vacation on the Caribbean’s Coconut Coast With Apple Vacations must be pleasantly superb.

Vacation on the Caribbean with Apple Vacations is a really good deal. Apple Vacations handles everything you need while you are on a vacation especially in the Caribbean. You don’t have to think about anything but enjoying your vacation, relaxing, and having fun with all the beauty of the Caribbean. If you want to be in such luxurious place somewhere in the Caribbean, then you need to stay in Antigua. In the meantime, if you are looking for such cultural beauties then Jamaica is the ideal place to go. In nut shell, you can get everything in the Caribbean. It’s time for you to make up your mind, and join the Apple Vacations all inclusive package.

Out of all the major Australian cities, Brisbane is the least-known – it’s not ‘the first and the original’ Sydney, ‘ultra cool’ Melbourne, ‘the northern one’ Darwin or ‘Gold Rush’ Adelaide. It’s not even ‘miles from anywhere interesting’ Perth or ‘most underwhelming capital city ever’ Canberra. Brisbane is the oft-overlooked ‘other’ city, apparently notable for its convenient location between the surfer-friendly Gold Coast and Australia Zoo, and for being the far-away place Neighbours characters are conveniently shipped off to when soap life gets rough. Oh, and those floods happened there too. However, now that the city’s been cleaned back to its usual eclectic vibrancy, there’s no reason at all why Brisbane shouldn’t hit the tourist radar for its cultural attractions and historic appeal. In fact, it’s about time that Brisbane really came into her own as a diverse and appealing city to visit.

Compared to other major cities, Brisbane is fairly medium-sized; its CBD (central business district) is small and intensely clustered with skyscrapers, while the remaining majority of the cityscape is the sprawl of suburbia. The inner city plays host to a fusion of old and modern, with buildings dating back to the colonisation of the area and modern feats of architecture comfortably existing side-by-side as though always planned that way. Check out the Post Office, one of the most central buildings in the entire city, and the grand City Hall and Parliament House. Discover the many museums on offer, especially the Queensland Museum on the South Bank. Brisbane also has theatres, cinemas, art galleries and music events galore, enough for any culture-hungry visitor.

Fringing the CBD are parks and green areas, including the City Botanic Gardens and Roma St Parklands, both luscious spaces to stroll through. Dead centre is the thriving Queen St Mall, a commercial and shopping paradise; anything and everything can be found here, from national department stores to thrifty, ephemeral designer boutiques. Across the river from Queen St is the equally commercial but much more pleasurable South Bank. Combining parklands, public access lagoons and truly excellent street food, Brisbane’s South Bank is a weekend favourite for locals to visit (and, incidentally, kicks London’s South Bank to the curb in terms of attractions). To the north is Mt Coo-tha, offering a breath-taking view across the city and botanic gardens to boast about.

Brisbane is an ethnically diverse city, which is reflected in the quarters of the city, and particularly in its cuisines. Fortitude Valley is Brisbane’s Chinatown, filled with dim sum restaurants and slightly offbeat shops to rival China’s own, and is also a nightclub hotspot for the raging Saturday night crowds. Korean, Italian, Chinese, Thai, Australian and Greek foods feature highly in the city’s menus, alone and fused together, and will satisfy any foodie.

The city has a lot to offer the intrepid tourist. From gorgeous walks through its parks to adventure sports on the river and cultural highlights such as Riverfire and the Ekka (annual Royal Queensland Show – not to be missed!), there is something for everyone here.