To find the Top 10 festivals to visit on holiday you have to look at the type of festival you want to see. There are hundreds of Festivals all year round and choosing just ten may be a hard thing to do but here are some you might want to consider.
San Fermin and Oktoberfest are on the list due to their variety of events and of course popularity, with their nomad marriage festivals, and camel wrestling. Next is the San Fermin, in Pamplona, Spain, this is where the yearly bull running takes place in July. Then we have the Cannes film festival, in France this festival is held in May and filled with stars and wannabes, better-dressed tourists, photographers and yacht owners. There are plenty of free movies, aperitifs, and more for all to enjoy.
On the Top 10 festivals to visit on holiday is Carnival, Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil if you want to be with the King of Carnival then this is where you have to be. It is a four-day celebration of Lent and a great place to dance, sing, and enjoy plenty of fun activities. If you want to be a part of this celebration then just grab a samba costume, and dance away.
We of course have the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage celebration, in the United States in the months of May and June on the Top 10 festivals to visit on holiday. Here there is a gathering of bands from New Orleans that all play in the same location. Whilst listening to music, there is food and flavous of the Deep South to enjoy.
Another location on the Top 10 festivals to visit on holiday is Calgary Stampede, Canada. Here you will live and experience the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” which is held every July. This 10-day event includes concerts, rodeos, chuck wagon races, agricultural competitions, and pancake breakfasts.
There is also the Cure Salée festival, in Ingal, Niger. Here you will see the marriage festival among the Tuareg and Wodaabe nomads. This allows the young women to choose the man they would want. The men on the other hand line dance and roll their eyes at the ladies. This September event has camel riders, music, races, songs, dances and storytelling.
It is impossible to ignore the Abu Simbel festival, in Egypt; this had made it on the Top 10 festivals to visit on holiday due to the unique meaning and start-up behind it. This marks the anniversary of Ramses II rise to the throne on his birthday. You will find that crowds of people have come to this event twice a year on February 22 and October 22. This event also made it into an Indiana Jones rv movie.
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directline-holidays.co.uk provides you with the latest holiday offers, essential holiday information & reviews on destinations worldwide.
Here is some information on the current Swine Flu outbreak that has affected Mexico, the United States, New Zealand, Scotland and Israel so far.
If you are about to take a vacation you will be very concerned to find out the facts about Swine Flu and any precautions you should take to protect yourself.
1. Swine Flu has been known since 1976, when it began among members of the US army stationed at Fort Dix. One soldier died within a day of the first symptoms. The latest outbreak is a new form of the Swine Flu virus, combining genetic material from pigs, birds and humans in a way that has not happened before.
2. The mortality rate for Swine Flu is ten per cent if there are no complications or existing conditions that can make the effects more severe.
3. So far in Mexico there have been 1000+ people affected, and at least 150 have died. As of 29 April there have been no deaths from Swine Flu outside Mexico. Symptoms of those infected in other countries have been mild, leading doctors to believe there may be additional factors in Mexico that have caused the illness to be more severe there.
4. Students returning to New Zealand from Mexico have reported flu like symptoms but none of them has been identified as suffering from Swine Flu so far. The United States, Canada and the European Union are telling people to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico. Holidaymakers already in Mexico are returning home early as a result of the Swine Flu outbreak.
5. In the United States there have been 20 confirmed cases of Swine Flu, and 6 in Canada. There have been no deaths from Swine Flu in these countries so far. Anyone who received flu vaccinations in the US last winter will have some protection against swine flu. In Scotland a couple who spent their Honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico, are recovering in hospital from suspected Swine Flu. Other countries where there have been confirmed cases of H1N1 include New Zealand, Israel, Spain, Germany & Costa Rica.
6. The World Health Organisation has classified the situation as a formal public health emergency of international concern. It says that a pandemic – a global outbreak of a serious new illness – is still not yet inevitable. However the WHO warns all countries to prepare for the worst, especially poorer developing nations.
7. If you are affected by Flu symptoms you should not go to hospital or a medical centre as this simply spreads the infection. Instead, call the local health authorities to obtain treatment with Tamiflu or Relenza, which are helpful in combating the Swine Flu virus.
When planning a trip or vacation in a tropical climate such as Mexico it would be a good idea to know when and where hurricanes occur. Hurricanes and more generally, tropical cyclones occur in seven distinct areas around the globe. Several hurricane formation basins are much livelier than others and manufacture many more tropical storms and hurricanes.
How Hurricanes Form
When comparing formation zones, some tropical cyclone basins have a greater duration and time frame in which tropical cyclones may occur during the year. How hurricanes form; most tropical cyclones form from a disturbance in the monsoon trough. However the north Atlantic basin is significantly different though, due mainly because most of these hurricanes form from easterly waves of which originate from Africa
Hurricane Season Forecast
The North Atlantic Ocean, hurricane season begins: June 1 through to November 30; and becoming more active in mid August through the latter part of October. Locations included in this region are the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
Hurricanes may also affect the southern and eastern U.S., the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Bermuda, eastern Mexico, and eastern Canada.
The Eastern North Pacific Ocean, hurricane season begins: May 15 through to November 30. The Eastern North Pacific Ocean is known as the second most active region for tropical cyclones in the world. Included in this basin are the popular tourist destinations and resorts of western Mexico and Cabo San Lucas.
Pacific Hurricane Season
The Northwest Pacific Ocean, Typhoon season: Year round, and is the most active basin in the world. Most typhoons form July through November. Guam, the Philippines, southeast China, and Japan are all within this zone.
The Bay of Bengal or, Arabian Sea, harsh Cyclonic storm season: Early April through the end of December. This basin has a double maximum because of the monsoon through moving through at two different times of the year. Maximums occur from mid April through May and from mid September through mid December. India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar are all affected by these tropical cyclones.
The Southwest Pacific Ocean, mid October through May 1 is considered Severe Tropical Cyclone Season. These tropical cyclones may affect eastern Australia.
The Southeast Indian Ocean, mid October through May is also considered Severe Tropical Cyclone Season. These tropical cyclones may affect northern and western Australia. Mid January, and mid February through early March, this basin has a double maximum.
The Southwest Indian Ocean, October 15 through May 15, is Tropical Cyclone Season. These tropical cyclones may affect Madagascar and southeastern Africa. Mid January and mid February through early March has a double maximum.
Prior to your travel plans it would be wise to learn more on Where do hurricanes occur and hurricane preparedness by visiting Hurricane Preparation webite.
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Anita McKenzie is an experienced internet marketing expert; Anita’s focal point is the promotion of travel, tourism and credit card machines business to Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Visit Virtual La Paz – virtual-la-paz.com
The chicken-and-egg question guests often ask at La Quinta Resort & Club is which came first: the city of La Quinta or the resort? The answer is neither. The Spaniards came first when they created a base in La Quinta along their route to the San Gabriel Mission.
Several centuries later, along came big shot Bay-area businessman Walter Morgan, who chose to build La Quinta resort pretty much where the Spaniards had their base. It was much later that the city of La Quinta was named for the resort — one of only two cities in the country to be named this way. The other is Beverly Hills, named after the famous Beverly Hills Resort.
The area Morgan chose for his resort is in the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains near Palm Springs and, today, La Quinta Resort & Club has become a massive 42-acre collection of casitas, golf courses, swimming pools and tennis courts that, for the first-timer, requires a roadmap to navigate. Charming Spanish architecture and abundant vegetation weave a colorful tapestry against the mountain backdrop, making La Quinta Resort & Club one of the prettiest spa resorts you’ll ever see. It’s the perfect choice for a California vacation of any length.
Our trip from San Diego to La Quinta was quick and easy using the back route through the parched landscape near Anza, culminating in a 10-mile winding, downgrade taking vehicles about 5,000 feet down to the desert floor where temperatures were nearly 20 degrees hotter than on top of the grade. Any trip to Palm Springs during the spring and summer requires a little pre-planning to manage the heat. You don’t just show up and stay on the golf course all day in triple-digit temperatures.
The locals in the Palm Springs area have learned to time outdoor activities so that they’re accomplished in the relatively cool mornings. In some cases, afternoon activities will work if you know, for example, your golf course will have shade. One of the La Quinta courses always gets covered in shade from the Santa Rosa Mountains at 3 p.m. each day.
“Managing the weather here is just a matter of keeping hydrated and wearing sunscreen,” explained Sara Harper, La Quinta’s Director of Marketing Communications. “And the nights here are so unbelievably pleasant.”
We hit an unusually hot weekend for spring — it got as high as 108 degrees — but we noticed that the heat really didn’t get uncomfortable until early to mid-afternoon. As they say, it’s a dry heat in the Palm Springs area, and the 90-degree temps in the morning hours felt downright refreshing.
But there is no question that your time at La Quinta Resort & Club — whatever the time of the year — is bound to involve some serious submerging in one of the resort’s 42 swimming pools. No, that’s not a typo — La Quinta not only has 42 pools, but 53 hot tub spas. Many of the resort’s casitas have their own swimming pools, but other casitas are grouped around one or more mid-size pools where there seemed to be plenty of room to swim and ample deck chairs to accommodate anyone who wanted to lay out in the desert sun.
Our “starlight” casita was a spacious upstairs unit in a two-story building overlooking one of the swimming pools. Floor plans at La Quinta offer more than the usual amount of space — 450 square feet or more — and that, along with the high ceilings, gives a feeling of openness. An incredibly comfortable king bed, hide-a-bed, desk and audio/video entertainment area were in the main room; the bath area was equally comfortable with an over-sized bathtub, walk-in shower stall, double vanities and a separate room for the commode.
Casitas each are decorated with a Southwestern flair. Mexican influenced pottery designs, wrought iron mirror frames and bed treatments with browns, reds and yellows created a fiesta of color in our casita’s main room. Outside on the deck were lounge chairs, a table and umbrella to enjoy the outdoors in total privacy.
The casita buildings are connected by a maze of walkways that will keep you reaching for your hotel map. These sidewalks also are a primary thoroughfare for the golf carts and bicycles driven and ridden by resort employees as they spread out all over the vast complex that totals 800 casitas altogether.
Back when Walter Morgan first built the resort in 1926, the resort plan was a bit more modest — only 20 casitas, although he did build the valley’s first golf course. La Quinta Resort was created to lure Hollywood stars to the Coachella Valley where they could get away from the studio and relax in privacy — which of course was one reason the whole Palm Springs area eventually turned into a playground for the Hollywood elite.
At La Quinta, the list of Hollywood stars was impressive — such lminaries as Clark Gable, Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Katherine Hepburn, Eddie Cantor and Shirley Temple were regulars. Greta Garbo had a house on the property, and Frank Capra wrote many of his movie scripts in the same La Quinta casita that today has his typewriter and one of his scripts awaiting the lucky guest renting that particular casita.
Hollywood stars still come to La Quinta today because, like many KSL Resorts properties, this resort is laid out in a campus style that allows a celebrity to avoid entering through a main entrance or elevator — the stars just drive right to their casitas, parking a few steps away and then get lost in the resort during their entire stay. This layout also is beneficial for everyday vacationers who don’t want to be bothered by convention and other group activities; when conventions are held at La Quinta they are held in areas where regular guests aren’t likely to even know they are there.
Sports celebrities, too, are in abundance — especially tennis players. La Quinta tennis pro Mike Casey has relationships with many world-class players who periodically will train at La Quinta. With 23 courts — clay, grass and hard surface — the resort has become popular also for ordinary people who just want to improve their tennis game. Many of the courts are lighted, which means the players can manage the Palm Springs heat by playing at night.
For golfers, La Quinta offers five courses, including three designated as PGA West.
For those of us who just want to relax and enjoy great food, La Quinta — as near as we could tell — fills the bill there, too. We only had time to sample the Adobe Grill — which served scrumptious and authentic Mexican cuisine — but the resort also boasts Morgan’s, a premium steakhouse, Azur by Le Bernadin seafood restaurant and the Spa Bistro, offering spa cuisine to make your stay as healthy as it was fun. Actually, including the golf courses, there are seven restaurants at La Quinta.
Another major draw at La Quinta is Spa La Quinta, where guests are offered many treatments borrowed from the area’s Native ancestors. One of the top spa resorts in Southern California, this resort puts emphasis on outdoor spa treatments under the desert sky to add to the serenity and relaxation of the experience. Inside the spa facility, you’ll also find the Yamaguchi Salon, which is internationally known for cutting and coloring techniques that integrate Asian Feng Shui philosophy into these services. Those who enjoy spa vacations will enjoy La Quinta.
La Quinta Resort & Club has come a long way from the time in the 1500’s when it was the “fifth stop” on the way to San Gabriel Mission. Today it’s the first and only stop for many discriminating guests from around the world.
AT A GLANCE
WHERE: La Quinta Resort & Club is about a half-hour drive southeast of Palm Springs or about 128 miles from Los Angeles. It is one of several fine spa resorts in the Palm Springs area.
WHAT: La Quinta is renowned as a vacation and getaway destination for California residents as well as those seeking relief from mesothelioma. The combination of activities—and the new popularity of spa vacations—makes La Quinta a popular choice.
WHEN: Year-round, but check for special travel deals and vacation packages during certain times of the year. If you have last minute travel plans, be sure to ask for any special rates. The best deals in the Palm Springs area are during summer months.
WHY: So many activities and so much luxury and quality all in one location — a California vacation spot that appeals to the entire family.
HOW: For more information on La Quinta Resort and Club, phone 1-800-598-3828 or visit laquintaresort.com.
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Cary Ordway is a syndicated travel writer and president of Getaway Media Corp, which publishes websites focused on regional getaway travel. Among the sites currently offered by GMC are californiaweekend.com , covering California travel destinations, and northwesttraveladvisor.com , covering Pacific Northwest travel destinations.
It is easy to enjoy luxury travel to Dubai, but first you have to find it. Many tour companies are offering trips to Dubai, but in order to cut costs you will have very little leg room on the plane, and are packed into planes, buses and hotels with dozens of other travelers reading Colonix reviews. It’s not so much fun as an ordeal sometimes. However, there are some good operators around, with professional planners that can give you everything you want, so more on these later.
First Dubai. Part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there is more money invested in its development than any other construction site in the world. One of its largest projects currently underway is the Three Palms, three artificial islands constructed in the shape of palm trees, with the top of the tree forming a breakwater to protect each island. Although each palm will be multifunctional, the Jumeirah will focus on international hotels, the Jebel Ali on entertainment and leisure and the Deira on residential use. They have been described as the 8th Wonder of the World.
Dubai also boasts the tallest building in the world, the Burj Dubai, but that is not why you would be there – you can see tall buildings and islands anywhere in the world. No, Dubai offers a lot more, including the famous souks, or markets, the gold souk and the spice souk being two of the most popular with tourists. The gold souk is particularly well attended, where the glittering treasures on offer are largely sold by the gold weight rather than the work put into creating the piece. There are fantastic bargains to be had here. The spice souk offers frankincense and cinnamon, and everything else in between, and epitomizes the mystery of the Middle East.
Don’t forget that luxury travel to Dubai must include a visit to the desert, and there is more to do there than you would think. There are many ways to explore the desert, from the modern 4×4, or 4WD, to the more traditional camel, and you can also sand ski and sand board, although falling into the sand at speed is not as pleasant an experience as you might think. Best to stick to archery, falconry or one of the other popular local sports, but try to visit an oasis if you can.
Dubai consists of the old and the new, and no trip there would be complete without a visit to one or more of the museums. The Dubai museum itself presents the various treasures, including skeletons, found during digs in the area, and the historic Dubai creek is also worth a visit. On the Bur Dubai side of the Creek, the Grand Mosque Dubai is one of the largest mosques in the United Arab emirates, and can accommodate 1200 worshippers. It contains 45 domes, and looks spectacular when lit up at night.
When visiting Dubai keep in mind that it can get very hot, so make sure that you wear loose fitting clothes. It is also a Muslim city, so dress conservatively, particularly if you are visiting rural areas where you could get into serious trouble if you wear anything too revealing, particularly the women. Enjoying luxury travel there is the same as traveling to any other foreign country: respect their way of life and their customs and laws, or you might be made to feel unwelcome.
The weather in Dubai is best between November and April, so arrange your tour for then, while it is pleasantly warm. Temperatures can exceed 40 degress Celsius in the summer months. Unless you are aware of, and able to observe, all the codes of conduct needed during the month of Ramadan which is very strictly observed in Dubai, you are best to avoid this period, even though hotel prices are slashed to about 50% of normal.
The basis of any luxury trip is the service and the comfort of travel. You should make sure of business class flights at the very least, and if you can find a travel planner that can offer personal service such as your own limo driver, and also the very best hotels and food, then that is where the luxury will come from.
When you enjoy luxury travel to Dubai, you are enjoying the very best in one of the richest cities in the world, if not THE richest, and you will certainly be rubbing shoulders with some of the richest people in the world. So enjoy it.
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Luxury travel to Dubai has to be booked through a company able to offer a luxury service, such as personal transport for couples and business class flights. Click on ultitude-travel.com/enjoy-luxury-travel-to-dubai/ for further details of such luxury travel to Dubai and elsewhere.
Why Choose To Rent Holiday Homes, Holiday Villas And Vacation Rental Properties In Florida?
Could there be a more exciting and pleasure filled family holiday destination in the world than Florida?
Located in the South Eastern part of the United States, Florida, also known as the “Sunshine State” has developed a reputation over the last 40 years or so as the number one tourist destination on the planet.
Without doubt, the best way to see this fabled state is by basing yourself in one of the many holiday homes, villas or holiday vacation rental properties, which can be found all over the state.
One of the main reasons behind Florida’s popularity is of course due to the fact that during the late 1950’s, Walt Disney chose to build the now iconic Disney World entertainment theme park complex in Orlando and the surrounding areas.
This has given Orlando the well earned tag of “entertainment capital” of the world and as anyone who has been there will tell you, there is simply no other place like it for the sheer scale and variety of entertainment and things to do for people of all ages, size and background, for children, teenagers, young couples and, of course, families.
Whilst Orlando may be the “epicentre” of the entertainment action, there are now several areas where you can find superbly appointed luxury holiday homes to rent including holiday villas and holiday apartments to rent as well as all manner of self catering accommodation and vaction rental properties in new and fast growing communities such as Kissimmee, Lake Buena Vista and International Drive.
These vacation rental properties are an ideal place from which you can go out and see all of what this area has to offer. There are holiday villas to rent with their own private pools set in beautifully manicured and gated communities as well as holiday homes and vacation rental properties which back onto superb championship quality golf courses. Did I mention that there are more golf courses in Florida than there are days in the year?
But Florida is not only about Disney World and its numerous theme parks, water parks, movie studios, designer and themed hotels,far from it. Florida covers a land mass of over 58,000 square miles and offers an amazing range of attractions to explore and enjoy.
Drive west down one of the many Interstates and you will arrive at the Gulf coast resorts of St Petersburg, Tampa and Clearwater. There are literally hundreds of beautiful holiday villas, holiday condominiums, and all manner of self catering accommodation to rent in these resorts.
Continue a little further South and you will happen upon Naples with its pristine beaches and warm seas and the Everglades National Park which is where you will find the natural habitat of the oldest of Florida residents -the manatee, alligator and crocodile.
At the very bottom of the state, just 50 miles off the coast of Cuba, are the fabled Florida Keys. Adopted home of the author Ernest Hemmingway, the Keys are more reminiscent of the Caribbean in style, culture and feel as the atmosphere is very relaxing and laid back.
Compare this with the largest city in the State, Miami, where Spanish is spoken almost as widely as English. Miami is full of art deco tradition and heavily influenced by the Spanish and Latin American cultures.As a party town and place to let your hair down and experience “la vida loca”,then Miami is a city with no equal.
If you should ever tire of the central belt of Florida which is Orlando, take a day out to visit the Atlantic coast on the East side of the State. The waves here are great for body surfing and you can also visit the NASA Kenedy Space Centre. For a taste of real,down to earth coastal America, head for Coco Beach where you can drink Budweiser eat delicious key lime pie on the pier which juts out into the tempestuous Atlantic surf!
Truly, Florida is an amazing “must ‘go-to” place. But avoid staying in hotels and motels if you can. Renting a new and well appointed spacious holiday home or villa or vacation rental property or for that matter any other form of self -catering accommodation will give you and the family the freedom to come and go as you please which will allow you to make the most of what the “Sunshine State” has to offer.
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The Author, Paul Mitchell, is an independent consultant to the travel industry . He is co-owner of the holiday property rental website – letsbookaholiday.com
To see a fantastic range of holiday homes, holiday villas and vacation rentals throughout Florida, or if you own a holiday villa or vacation rental property and would like to advertise your property, please take a look at his website- letsbookaholiday.com
Charming La Conner is picture-postcard NW destination
Venture into the northwest part of Washington State and it’s like vacationing on the National Geographic Channel. Without question, you’ll find more picture-postcard settings in this part of the state than any other – which is really saying something, considering the rave reviews about Seattle and other parts of what is arguably one of the union’s most scenic states.
In Northwest Washington, the mountains, the sea, the farmlands, the islands all come together in a breathtaking mosaic of colors and terrain, a feast for the senses that is evident in every direction you look. It’s no wonder that many people who live up here are actually part of the Puget Sound workforce, shuttling back and forth from their Seattle-area jobs but figuring it’s well worth the hours spent in the car each day if they can live where every time they look out their window or walk down the street, the scenery is as spectacular as a painting.
About half way between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. is the little village of La Conner, a town just a bit off the beaten path because you have to take a left here and a right there, and travel a few miles from the freeway on country roads to reach the town’s idyllic setting. If you’re driving straight through to Seattle or Vancouver, this is one of those gems you will miss unless you know it’s there.
When you get to La Conner, don’t expect to find a bustling seaport or a lot of hub-bub – it’s a town in the true sense of the word, a tiny enclave built along the Swinomish Slough – or rather Swinomish Channel as it was later renamed. The channel gives La Conner much of its color and atmosphere, a distinct seaside ambiance that comes from watching the fishing boats and pleasure craft navigating the channel toward Anacortes and then out to the world-famous San Juan Islands. The Rainbow Bridge is the Golden Gate of La Conner, standing like a sentinel over the town and a must-inclusion in any respectable photograph of the city.
With its historic buildings, a colorful downtown assortment of channel-front restaurants and intriguing shops, La Conner is a prime destination for the stroller – i.e. the person who just likes to stroll casually through town, soaking up the saltwater scents and sounds as seabirds sweep overhead or visitors enjoy good conversation and a drink out by the channel. It also will come as no surprise that the local aesthetics are a big attraction for artists of every type including famous residents such as author Tom Robbins.
The best way to savor the town is to spend a little time in La Conner – day trips are nice, but an overnight lets you unwind and start doing things on “La Conner time.” Things just seem to move a little slower in the village, and we found the La Conner Channel Lodge to be tailor-made for this kind of outing. As the name implies, the lodge is right on the channel and offers great views of the Rainbow Bridge and the frequent boat traffic on the channel.
When they designed the La Conner Channel Lodge, they went with a Cape Code type of shingle exterior that fits the location perfectly. Inside, the units are quite unique and unusual in the way that they are not just rectangular but of varying lengths and widths with distinct rooms and angles. In our room a fireplace with two stuffed chairs and a table were positioned at an angle, while across the room a bench seat was built into the wall. There was plenty of room for a king bed and a window nearby that looked out onto the channel. A small lanai allowed us to sit outside and watch the slow-cruising boats that seemed only a few yards away.
Another big plus at the La Conner Channel Lodge was the bathroom area which offered a Jacuzzi style tub stylishly situated in a room that used dark and gray marble and tiles, as well as dark wood accents to give the room a luxurious look and feel that helped make this getaway seem extra-special.
La Conner’s history is evident in the buildings downtown and the historic homes that are located throughout the residential areas. With just 900 residents, the town is small and visitors can walk the neighborhoods and, because of the town’s hills, get some good exercise doing it. At the top of one hill is the Skagit County Historical Museum, which has many reminders of the city’s past including American baskets, Shirley Temple dolls and a rich collection of historical documents and photographs.
One of La Conner’s most historic buildings is the Gaches Mansion, which was constructed in 1891 by George and Louisa Gaches as their residence. Over the years, the mansion changed hands several times until it was opened to the public as the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum in 1997. The first floor of the museum is decorated in Victorian era furnishings, while you’ll find the main exhibition space on the second and third floors. The museum offers new exhibits about every eight weeks, and features quilts and quilters from around the world – in fact this is one of only 12 such museums in the world.
La Conner also is a good base of operations for short drives to many scenic locations in the general area. For example, about 15 miles to the west is Deception Pass State Park, a 4,134-acre marine and camping park with considerable shoreline, both freshwater and saltwater. Deception Pass is a popular destination for locals because it’s so picturesque with the rugged cliffs and churning waters below. The old-growth forest and shoreline offer spectacular views.
Just to the southeast of La Conner is the 13,000-acre Skagit Wildlife Area, which is primarily tidelands and intertidal marsh habitat. Visitors can view 180 species of birds, including bald eagles, golden eagles, and osprey. Also seen in the area are coyote, raccoon, opossum, skunk, beaver and muskrat in addition to many other species. Local residents use the Wildlife area for hiking, birdwatching, photography and canoeing. There are six developed access sites and 12 footbridges in this low-lying area.
Larrabee State Park, in the Bellingham area, is an easy drive north from La Conner and features 2,683 acres with a scenice saltwater shoreline on Samish Bay. The park features two freshwater lakes as well as tidelands and coves.
La Conner is a fun and picturesque destination any time of year, but perhaps the most beautiful time to visit is in April when the area comes alive with the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Acres and acres of daffodils, tulips, irises, and lilies are on display at this special time of the year. The flower-viewing season begins with daffodils in mid- to late-March, followed by tulips in April with irises and lilies continuing into mid-May. Events include a big street fair, parade, quilt walk and many other festivities both in La Conner and in nearby Mount Vernon.
AT A GLANCE
WHERE: La Conner is about 65 miles north of Seattle and is easily reached by taking the Conway exit off Interstate 5 and following the signs for La Conner.
WHAT: La Conner is a charming historical village with a population of only about 900 people, but with an excellent selection of shops and restaurants as well as some good choices for quality lodging. It has the feel of a fishing village and features picture-postcard scenery. WHEN: This is a year-round destination, but will be much quieter mid-week and in the winter months. Conversely, it may be harder to get lodging in summer and on peak summer weekends, especially around the time of the Tulip Festival in April.
WHY: La Conner offers just the right combination of ambience and solitude with sights and sounds that are bound to stir your passions.
HOW: For more information on La Conner, call the La Conner Chamber of Commerce at 360-466-4778 or visit laconnerchamber.com. For information on the LaConner Channel Lodge, call 360-466-1500 or visit laconnerlodging.com.
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Cary Ordway is a syndicated travel writer and president of Getaway Media Corp, which publishes websites focused on regional getaway travel. Among the sites currently offered by GMC are californiaweekend.com , covering California travel destinations, and northwesttraveladvisor.com , covering Pacific Northwest travel destinations.
So what exactly is the difference between an apartment and condominium here in Thailand? I get asked this question so many times, I thought it’s best to settle it here once and for all. The difference is simple. An apartment is owned by an single entity or individual where all units are for rent only, whereas a condo comprises of many units that are owned by different individuals. Condo units may be for rent or sale.
I find that Hua Hin apartments units also tend to be larger and more spacious than condo units, simply because condominiums are sold for a profit, thus it is only natural that the developer tries to squeeze as many units into one building. I suppose this is the case anywhere on the world and condo units can only get smaller with the rising construction costs.
However, there is a utility surcharge for all Hua Hin apartments that can be quite significant when you total that all up at the end of each month. Electricity charges direct from the M.E.A. is 3.75 baht per unit and apartments tend to charge between 4 – 7 baht per unit depending on the grade of the apartment and the facilities it offers. Water is usually charged a flat rate of 1,000 – 1,500 bht per month in apartments, when really it rarely costs a family more than 500 bht per month for water.
For apartments, all repair and maintenance costs are included in the rent, however with condos, depending on your landlord, most private contracts stipulate that the tenant is responsible for day to day, minor repairs not exceeding 2000 baht each time.
The other thing many tenants are concerned about is getting high speed internet connected at home. ADSL in Thailand comes through the telephone line. Thus, as long as there is a land line at home, you have a chance to be connected to the ADSL world. However, if your rental unit is an older property, chances are your phone lines will be in analog which makes getting ADSL impossible. The only way around that would be install a new, digital line yourself which is a pretty painless process and takes a week or so to be installed.
Majority of rental properties come internet ready. Meaning, there is a digital phone line installed where you can easily apply for an ADSL account with any local ISP. Yes, most private landlords prefer the tenant to apply for the internet connection under their own name. Internet charges are rarely included in the rent unless indicated specifically on our website or during final negotiations.
This is the same case for long-term stay apartments. Internet line is connected when you move in and disconnected when you move out, until someone else takes over the unit. However, serviced apartments are a difference case. Since they operate like hotels, wireless internet is usually readily available when you check in and included in the rental rates.
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Maddy Barber co-owns Hua Hin Finder, a professional residential leasing and property sales agency that has been selling homes in this beautiful sea side town for over 5 years now. Search properties for sale and rent in Hua Hin at huahinfinder.com
Posted April 30, 2009 
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