Gift A Vacation This Holiday

For Information About Where To Get Travel Gift Certificates, See The List At The Right....

Sam

Looking for a gift that will be remembered long after the ribbon is off the package? How about a vacation?

Whatever the reason or the occasion, you can help someone you love fulfill their wildest travel fantasies.

Do you have a workaholic family member? Give him/her a well deserved relaxing vacation to a ski resort, or a island spa?

Instead of buying yet another truckload of tired toys or electronic equipment for Christmas, how about a family vacation to Disneyland or a dude ranch?

Struggling to find an appropriate wedding or anniversary gift? How about a romantic seaside get away?

Stressed out angry teen? Outward bound offers adventure vacations that will help teens get their emotions under control and develop self confidence and independence.

Your favorite student wants to study in another country? An educational tour or foreign language study could be just what they want?

New baby in the house? Mom and dad would enjoy a weekend away at a Bed and Breakfast!

Dad retiring? Get together with your siblings and surprise your parents a once-in-a-lifetime trip around the world.

Whether your gift recipient is young or old, single or married, adventurous or relaxed....there is a vacation just for them.

Giving the gift of travel can be a little tricky. It is essential that you give an "all inclusive" gift. If you just give airline tickets, it may cost the recipient more for food and lodging than it cost you for the ticket - what kind of a gift is that?

If you are going to give an actual ticket to somewhere, you must know the recipients taste and time schedule.

The best way to give the gift of travel is with a travel gift certificate. You can contact a travel agent, or check out the following online sites for gift certificates.

An important part of gift giving is the package. With a gift certificate you can get really creative. You can hide the certificate in a plastic airplane or cruise ship. A romantic weekend in a box of massage oils or chocolates. You might tie a card with the certificate inside to the handle of a piece of luggage. You can gear the wrap to the destination, for example, wrap a gift certificate to a Hawaii trip around a pound of Kona Coffee, or a world trip around a globe, or a trip to New Zealand in a video of The Lord of the Rings.

Give way to your imagination and give the gift of dreams - travel vacations.

Want A Baby? - Go Skiing

If you have come upon a time in your life when you have a nesting urge, this one fantastic way to follow that desire. Maybe you'll conceive a Bode Miller. You can also do some skiing as well
Sam


They work to warm you up before and after .....
For skiers and their companions, what happens on the slopes is only part of the story. Cheerful accommodations, fine food, and good prices can add immensely to a winter vacation. Here are some possibilities:

The Teton Mountain Lodge in Jackson Hole, Wyo., certainly wasn't striving for subtlety in naming its offering the four-night Procreation Ski Vacation. Included are a couple ' s massage treatment, an in-room candlelight dinner for two, and champagne and chocolate on arrival. Couples stay in a junior suite with a fireplace and also get two days of skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and a dogsled trip to Granite Hot Springs

Read more here.....

Bargain Shopping For Travelers

Did you ever wonder where all the lost luggage went. Well now you can buy it at fantastic discounts.Always wondered where that piece luggage of mine went that included an expensive camera and most of my clothes. Needless to say I had to buy a new wardrobe before I could attend a business seminar.

Sam


Shop Till You Drop: The Unclaimed Baggage Center - Scottsboro, Alabama, USA
By: Courtney S. Ries

I'm a bargain shopper.Ask any of my friends - if there's a market, a craft center or even a sale in the oh-so-less-exotic mall, I'm there. I think the whole 'get a deal' affliction must be a thing in my genes, passed down through my mother's side. You put my mother in a store with only $500 items, and she'll find the one, amazingly cute thing that's 90% off.On the road, one of my favorite things to do is track down the best deals on the most unique gifts I can find. However, I've never gone out of my way to shop in America. All that has been changed by one trip to the bargain-hunting Mecca known as the Unclaimed Baggage Center.

Beer Shots USA - Microbrews and My Friend Ben

When I get a few too many beers in me (yes, it happens) I just LOVE everybody. No one is a stranger and I make many "friends". I think that my friend Ben, may have received the same effects from his pub time. Philadelphia - his hangout - is called the city of brotherly love...could it be the suds?

My tastes runs dark. Not necessarily the brew of choice for many Americans who tend to like the light beers. But give me a smooth dark Guiness, with a creamy foam, at the right temperature and I will be your friend forever.

Thanks to Kevin Cowherd for this article about my friend Ben...

Sam



A lot of people don't know this, but beer aficionados have always revered the great Benjamin Franklin.

"Ben Franklin?" you say. "Short guy with bifocals? Crazy long hair? Statesman, inventor, scientist, signer of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution?"

Yep, that Ben Franklin.

For it was Franklin who was credited with writing the greatest beer-marketing slogan of all time, when he wasn't busy being one of the Founding Fathers and one of the most brilliant, accomplished men of his time.

"Beer," he purportedly stated, "is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

To read more about the city of bubbly love. . . http://www.baltimoresun.com/travel/bal-tr.phillybeer29oct29,0,2796307.story?track=rss

Wine For The High Flyer

Thinking about cool things to do. How about ten places in the guiness book of records. Heres one that sounds exciting


CANOE -- CNEWS - Weird News: CN Tower has world's highest wine cellar: "
CN Tower has world's highest wine cellar




TORONTO (CP) - The world's tallest free-standing structure earned a new spot in the Guinness Book of Records on Wednesday when it was recognized as having the world's highest wine cellar."

Are You Getting Ripped Off?

Iused my credit card all the time in Europe butI just read this article on credit card fees I might be getting screwed-what about you



ABC News: The Sleaze of Credit-Card Fees: "May 15, 2006 -- Recently, travelers returning from Europe have opened their mail to discover they paid more for their trip than they thought they had. Over the last couple years, banks have dramatically increased the fees they charge for overseas transactions using credit and debit cards. While these fees are legal, they're basically a slimy way for credit card companies to wring a few more dollars out of their customers"

ABC News: Top 10 Sky High Thrills

Here's An Exciting Top 10 List...

Sam

ABC News: Top 10 Sky High Thrills: "

July 28, 2006 — The summer is a wonderful time to get away from it all.
So, how about getting above it all, too? 'Good Morning America' teamed up with National Geographic Adventure Magazine to bring you the Top 10 sky high thrills in the United States. "

Talk About Budget Air Travel!

This is the kind of thing I'm talking about. If you are "in the know" you can pretty much travel for up to
one year on one ticket.!

Sam

Seven cities, one ticket
Dominic Littlewood headed for France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Greece,
all for the price of a single ticket!

To read how he did it and how you can too.....http://www.bbc.co.uk/holiday/travel_advice/sevencities.shtml

Flying the Plaid in Scotland - a likely contender.

This would probably come under the category of adventure, but knowing the Scots, it could be under party destinations also..


Members of the Scottish Mountain Paragliding Club elevate their sights with some flying practise above Hillend Ski Centre - sent in by Brian Steele

OK, before I do this, I'd want to make sure I don't have to wear a kilt on the trip down....to cold and breezy!!

Sam

PS. Just a quick search on Pub in Edinburgh brought back all of these....my point exactly!

Edinburgh: Bannerman's; Bert's bar; Bow bar; Canny Man's; Cumberland Bar; Clark's Bar; Drew Nicol's; Golden Rule; Greenmantle; Guildford Arms; Halfway House; Hampton Hotel; Holyrood Tavern; Kay's Bar; K. Jackson's Bar; Leslie's Bar; Malt and Hops; Oxford Bar ( http://www.oxfordbar.com/); Robbie's Bar; Royal Ettrick Hotel; Smithie's Ale House; Southsider; Stable Bar; Starbank Inn; Merman; Caledonian Sample Rooms; Homes Bar; The Cask and Barrel; Mather's; The Cafe Royal; Bennet's, Milne's; Old Chain Pier.

R U Chicken?? Fear of Flying...

When i fly my knuckles are white from hanging on so tight
- Sam

If you are looking for perfect safety, you will do well to sit on a fence and watch the birds.

- Wilber Wright

How safe is flying?

Vivian, my son's best friend introduced me to her father. His first remark was, “Oh, you’re an airline pilot. I have never flown in all my life because I am so afraid to fly. Honestly, I feel safer traveling in a motor car than an airplane.”

Vivian’s father is 65 years old. He has never traveled by air, and was rather embarrassed to have confessed his fear of flying to me. Well, he is not alone in this world. Michael Jackson, Mohammed Ali, Cher and many others are fearful flyers too. . . . .



To see rest of article go to http://www.geocities.com/khlim777_my/
ashowsafe1.htm#How%20safe%20is%20flying?

Stupid Trick At Airport - Not Funny!

Always looked like a lot of fun to me - but no guts . .

Sam

Travel Tip: Don't Ride the Luggage Conveyor Belt
Posted Oct 30th 2006 7:56AM by Adrienne Wilson


There are few bold, ridiculous and stupid things you can try at an airport these days without getting in trouble. Taking a ride on the luggage conveyor belt as a young lad by the name of Chris Jackson did, is a huge no-no. The 23-year-old . . .

TRAVEL TIP:Never Push Unknown Buttons !!!

Hey guys thought you might want a quick laugh:

On a flight to Chicago, a gentleman had made several attempts to get into the men's restroom, but it had always been occupied. The flight attendant noticed his predicament. "Sir, she said, "You may use the ladies room if you promise not to touch any of the buttons on the wall."
He did what he needed to, and as he sat there he noticed the buttons he had promised not to touch. Each button was identified by letters: WW,WA,PP, and a red one labeled ATR.
Who would know if he touched them? He couldn't resist. He pushed WW. Warm water was sprayed gently upon his bottom. What a nice feeling, he thought. Men's restrooms don't have nice things like this. Anticipating greater pleasure, he pushed the WA button. Warm air replaced the warm water, gently drying his underside. When this stopped, he pushed the PP button. A large powder puff caressed his bottom adding a fragile scent of spring flowers to this unbelievable pleasure. The ladies restroom was more than a restroom, it is tender loving pleasure. When the powder puff completed its pleasure, he couldn't wait to push the ATR button which he knew would be supreme ecstasy.
Next thing he knew he was in a hospital as soon as he opened his eyes. A nurse was staring down at him with a smirk on her face. "What happened?!" he exclaimed. "You pushed one too many buttons," replied the nurse. The last button marked ATR was an Automatic Tampon Remover. Your privates are under your pillow."

I Blew It!

OK - now I think about this a little better, the challenge should have an end date....say Jan 1, 2007.

I'm also sure that I should have some categories. So if you have some suggested categories, let me know. So I will select
the top from each category - that will give me ten. I will attempt to take a vacation to each one in the following year. What Do the Winners of Each Category Get? As for now, nothing. But stay tuned on that! Pictures are helpful if you have them!

Here Are Some categories To Think About:

1. Party Vacations

2. Get Away From It All Vacations

3. Tours

4. Adventure

5. Exotic

6. Educational

7. Cruises

8. Luxury

9. Budget

10. Your Choice

Challenging All Travelers

Hello there!

I am single, 29, and I like to travel. I’ve traveled with groups, I’ve traveled alone, and I’ve traveled with a gorgeous….(that’s another story). OK, I know there are millions of you out there who are just like me!

So, I decided to issue you all a challenge! I am looking for the best of the best. Tell me where YOU like to travel
and why.

Are you up for the party, the adventure, the solitude or the friendship? I want to know the advantages, and the pitfalls. The highs and the lows. I want budget and I want luxury. Show me something wonderful, show me something unique. . .


The idea being, that when this challenge is complete (I don’t know…I haven’t figured that out yet) I would like to pick the top 10 and actually GO.

So there it is, what have you got in mind?……