Cool off in Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park in Orlando

It can get hot in Orlando during the summer, but it is easy to refresh yourself and get some thrills in the process if you go to Disney’s Typhoon Lake Water Park. This is one of two water parks at the Walt Disney Resort located near Orlando, Florida.

Typhoon Lake is home to many attractions such as the fast moving water slides and a children’s area with child-sized rafts. As it is a Disney creation, the whole layout of the park is very imaginative. In fact there is even a bit of “legend” behind the park’s layout.

The creators of the park say that “once upon a time” there was a typhoon that wrecked havoc with surfboards, houses and even an old shrimp boat that now sits precariously perched on a volcano at the Typhoon Lake Park.

Continuing in this way, the park’s creators say that the “typhoon” also helped to create the water slides and rivers and rapids that fill this park.

You may or may not believe in legends, but if you like getting wet and whirling about on exciting rides then you will enjoy your visit to Typhoon Lake. You can choose from nine watersides, and if you are thrill-seeker then try the one with vertical drops or the Surf Pool with six foot waves. Snorkeling with real sharks at the Shark Reef and colorful tropical fish should also give you something to talk about when you get home.

Here are few of the most popular rides at the park: Castaway Creek: Would you like to ride on inner tubes on an almost-half mile river ride? This ride will take you through rainforests, waterfalls and other exotic locales. Children cannot travel alone on this ride and must be accompanied by an adult.

Gangplank Falls: Inner tubes are the vehicles in this ride. But these are not your ordinary inner tubes, but giant four person family sized rafts that will take you down three hundred feet of rapids, rocks and water.

Humunga Kowabunga: Speed is the main feature of this ride. Your vehicle will be going at up to 30 miles per hour when you go through this slide that winds its way through more than 200 feet of caves. Youngsters below 4 feet tall are not permitted on the ride.

You are going to get wet at this park so there are special arrangements for that. This includes dressing rooms with lockers and showers. You can get a locker for five dollars per day and you also have to pay an additional $2 as a key deposit. Life jackets are given free of charge, but a driver’s license or credit card must be left as a deposit. You are not allowed to bring your own life jackets, tubes or other floating devices, on advice from the OKC lawyer.

If you like the water and if you like thrills and if you want to cool off and have a lot of fun, then Typhoon Lagoon Water Park is a must-visit destination when you make your Orlando vacation.

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Mark Whichard is an Orlando tourism expert and writes frequently about attractions in and around Orlando. He is the proprietor of DisneyRents.com You can get great deals on Orlando Vacation Home Rentals at this website http://www.disneyrents.com

Dining Out in Orlando: From Budget to Fine Dining

One of the pleasures of any vacation is trying out the cuisine of a particular locality. If Orlando is your vacation destination then you will have a wide choice of restaurants to choose from. It would never be possible to give a complete survey of the dining possibilities in Orlando or any city in only one article but here is a sampling of low budget and high budget restaurants that have proven popular with visitors to Orlando.

Since I am writing this during a time of economic recession let me start with the low budget restaurants. These are places where you can get a good meal but not dent your wallet too much.

Bubbalou’s Bodacious Bar-B-Cue Ribs

Bubbalou’s Bodacious Bar-B-Cue Ribs are the main dish here, and this restaurant has been voted as Central Florida’s best barbecue restaurant by readers of the Orlando Sentinel. The food is cooked on an open pit and there is more than just spare ribs on the menu. You can also get barbecued chicken, lamb and smoked turkey. Beware of the special hot sauce that is served here, it is really hot! You can find this barbecue restaurant at: 5818 Conroy Rd., Orlando, FL 32819

Thai Thani

The food here is not native to Central Florida, but it is authentic Thai food served up in an atmosphere that will transport you to Thailand. If you are already a fan of Thai food then you will want to dine at this restaurant, and if you would like to try out Thai food to see what it is all about, then this is a great place to do it.

Hard Rock Cafe Orlando

If you have been to the other Hard Rock Cafes around the world then you will know what to expect here, reasonably priced food in a rock ‘n’ roll themed environment. Orlando’s Hard Rock Café is located in the Universal Studios CityWalk area and it is the biggest café of this worldwide chain and also has the largest collection of rock memorabilia in the entire chain. If you like munching on a hamburger and gazing at an original guitar from one of your rock heroes, then be sure to visit Orlando’s Hard Rock Café.

Now let’s look at some of the higher-end restaurants that are popular with local residents and visitors alike.

Hemingways

As long as you are in Florida then you might as well get into the magic of one of Key West’s most famous residents, the writer Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway’s is decorated with the rods and reels, stuffed trophy fish and nautical trinkets of the writer who gave us the classic “The Old Man and the Sea.” The cuisine is regional and includes coconut shrimp and paella. A typical meal will cost you about $40. The restaurant is located at Lake Buena Vista 1 Grand Cypress Blvd. The disability appeal of this venue is the fact that it is fully accessible.

California Grill

If you want to go to a restaurant voted as Orlando’s most popular, then this is the place for you. You can find it on the 15th floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The cuisine is supervised by a famous chef, Cliffor Pleau, who is constantly at work creating new dishes. In addition to fine dining you also get a bird’s eye view of the entire Disney theme park. The attire is strictly informal and you can dine in your shorts and Disney tee shirts. The price of a typical meal is $40.

Christini’s

As long as we are talking about high-end dining let’s finish with a restaurant where the prices are high even by expense-account standards. This restaurant is known for elaborate meals and its huge wine list. The dining takes place in an extremely romantic setting with musicians strolling about. You will think that you having a night out in Italy. If you want to impress someone and can afford to spend around $50 for a meal, then head on out to South Orlando 7600 Dr. Phillips Blvd.

Take note of these restaurants and give them a try when you visit Orlando, choosing according to the ones that best fit your taste and your budget

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Mark Whichard is an Orlando tourism expert and writes frequently about attractions in and around Orlando. He is the proprietor of Quality Villa Rentals and you can get great deals on Orlando Vacation Homes at this website http://www.qualityvillarentals.com

Rent Disney Homes Rather Than Pay a Fortune in Hotel Bills

Increasingly many families are choosing to rent Disney homes in preference to staying at some of the expensive hotels in and around the neighborhood. Enjoying a family vacation in Orlando, perhaps spending much of your time in Disney World, can be an amazing experience for the whole family.

However, whilst the days may be filled with rides, entertainment and fun, all too often there can be problems. If you choose not to rent a private vacation home near Disney World, then almost certainly you’ll be forced to pay exorbitant fees at one of the nearby hotels. Quite apart from being very much more expensive, difficulties can arise, especially when families become confined to a single room for a week or more.

If you have very young children, then almost certainly you’re familiar with how excited and energetic they can become! This can be endearing for a while, but being cooped up in a single room for up to two weeks can easily turn your family holiday into a boot camp. Within a hotel there is little to do except jump up and down on the beds, run around like headless chickens and disturb guests in nearby rooms. And as for the children!

But the problem doesn’t grow any smaller as your children grow bigger. If you have teenagers, then you’re probably aware of them wanting their own space. This means that while you aren’t out and about within Disney World, your children could well be roaming the neighborhood. Most parents will feel a little uneasy about this – either from the point of view of the welfare of their children, or the welfare of the neighborhood!

The third issue concerns costs, because in almost every hotel you will find that you’ll be paying extra for having the children with you, and the more children you have, the more expensive your vacation becomes. Many families like to go away on holiday with close friends or extended families, and when two or more families head off to Orlando, hotel expenses can become very significant, which may well put off potential visitors.

However, the option to rent vacation homes near Disney World has become more popular recently, and a growing number of families have been discovering the wealth of advantages in making the switch from hotels to Orlando vacation homes. Renting a private home near Disney World takes all of the problems which hotel accommodation incurs, and turns them into positive advantages.

For younger children, there is a clear benefit in staying at a private house in Orlando rather than a single hotel room. They are able to run around, let off steam and enjoy themselves without causing your blood pressure to rise as quickly as the hotel bills. Most private homes available for renting near Disney World include up to seven bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms and a kitchen, and even gardens, private pools, garage flooring and spas.

Imagine being able to relax on your own patio after a hard day at Disney World, a cool glass in your hand, and your children happily wearing off any excess energy by running about the garden or splashing in the pool. Surely this should be what a vacation feels like, rather than being squashed into a shoebox?

The advantages continue as your children grow older. Teenagers who would otherwise be confined to a hotel room will usually feel the need to get away and do their own thing. This is quite natural, and from the parents’ point of view gives them a break too.

If you choose to rent vacation homes near Disney World rather than hotel rooms then your teenage children will be able to enjoy their own space, have their own bedroom, and perhaps even spend time in the pool or spa. This gives you and them the break from each other you’ll need now and then. But even better than this is that you’ll actually know where your kids are. Rather than having them wandering around the local streets, they’ll be safely at home with you.

It is only natural to assume that having a holiday where both you and your children can relax and enjoy yourselves, rather than being stuck with each other in a single room for two weeks, will cost more. However natural this assumption may be, it is quite wrong. This is the third real advantage of renting Disney homes rather than staying at a hotel. The costs are far cheaper in many cases. If two families share a single home with seven bedrooms, then this will often work out at around fifty dollars per adult per night, with children costing nothing.

So if you’re thinking of heading to Orlando or Disney World, and are concerned about coping with your kids for two weeks, or the expense of hotel accommodation, consider the option to rent Disney homes instead, giving you privacy, comfort, peace of mind, and a good deal more spare cash as well.

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Mark Whichard is an Orlando tourism expert and writes frequently about attractions in and around Orlando. He is the proprietor of Quality Villa Rentals and you can get great deals on Orlando Vacation Homes at this website http://www.qualityvillarentals.com

Rev up your RV for Great Road Trip Adventures

Spring is the teaser season where Road Trip Planners begin by airing out their RVs for some exciting road trip adventures. Even those who don’t own an RV yet, start checking out the rates and options for RV rentals.

RV vacations offer another plus for traveling in an RV: Tour in a bathrobe. Imagine driving up Pike’s Peak, dressed in pajamas with pillow creases still indented in your left cheek and you can imagine the convenience. Going on a family RV road trip offers a huge advantage. Restaurant dining costs for a family of 5 for breakfast, lunch, and dinner runs conservatively $250/day. You can cut that expense by 60% by utilizing the kitchen in the RV. Not to mention the comfort of not having to dress for dinner (or wait around for everyone else to dress). Plus, you save time by not having to search for kid-friendly restaurants at each destination.

WHERE TO GO: Because of the increasing popularity of RV traveling, you’ll find many parks and campgrounds all over the United States. Here are a few RV spots to consider adding to your road trip planner:

* RIVERS END CAMPGROUND AND RV PARK on Tybee Island (near Savannah, Georgia). One of the Good Sam parks, 150 individual sites are available and all are within blocks of the beach and the river.

* SOUTHERN COMFORT RV RESORT in Florida for the full resort treatment including 24-hour security, a swimming pool, bingo nights and musical performances.

* LAKE HAVASU RV PARK in Arizona is right by the lake and is a wonderful spot to stay for the duration of your vacation but you get the bonus of being close enough for to the Joshua Tree National Park, the Mojave National Preserve or Phoenix for some great day excursions.

OKAY, WHERE ELSE CAN I GO WITH MY RV?
Where ever you want! However, for the cream of the crop, read a few of our past blogs on two Top RV Road Trip Destinations to add to your road trip planner. Both are tremendously fun and both are in spots where you’ll see some of nature’s finest offerings.

* COLORADO FAMILY ROAD TRIP: Colorado is located in the Rocky Mountains. This area offers a fabulous family adventure road trip with activities like a Dinosaur Museum in Fruita, rafting in Durango, the gorgeous Estes Park, and two National Parks: The Mesa Verde National Park and the Rocky Mountain National Park.

* GOING WILD WITH AN ALASKAN ROAD TRIP: Alaska is a land of vast mountains, colossal blue-white glaciers and an abundance of wildlife with activities unique to the state. This combination earns an Alaskan Road Trip top honors for many travellers.

RV travel makes sense for couples, friends, families, even a caravan of families using the best rv financing to fund a truly unique family reunion. There’s no time like the present to grab your road trip planner and rev up your RV!

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Family Vacations in Hawaii

Hawaii is a great resort for any family vacation. When you have worked hard throughout the year it really is a big move to finally make the decision to go on that perfect beach holiday. Beach vacations are always a perfect option for family holidays and Hawaii is one of the most popular beach resorts around the world. If you are planning a vacation anytime soon you may want to consider all of the options available. You may choose to stay in a hotel or even participate in group tours, but for some of us the best option will simply be finding a rental that is able to accommodate you and your family.

When you think about a family vacation there is always a lot to consider – when you can go, how long for, and whether you will be able to schedule time away from school and work. Once you have sorted out all of these issues you will then need to consider which home you want to rent, and this will need to be big enough to accommodate the whole family. Things will be much simpler for you if you choose a home that has it all – large living space, a dining room and even a laundry room withbathroom safety products.

Once you arrive in Hawaii there are a number different things to see and do. There are so many tourist attractions that the only problem you will have is in deciding which ones to see. As well as family events, Hawaii can also be the place for a perfect honeymoon, and if you had your honeymoon in Hawaii then you will already have some idea as to what you might expect out of a family holiday. There are many top locations for action packed holidays, including Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai.

Whether this is your first trip to Hawaii or whether you have been there five times already you are guaranteed to find new and exciting things to do there. Of course, here are the beautiful beaches and the great games you can take part in. The beaches themselves are a great place to relax, with calm seas and beautiful sands. The water is safe for children of all ages, and all kinds of experienced swimmers. The hoopla is great fun, and your holiday will only be made better when you have the chance to win some fun prizes.

As you can see there is a lot to do, and Hawaii is a popular destination for tourists from across the world. Family holidays can create great memories that will be treasured for years to come, and there are also some great sightseeing tours for the adults as well as the children. The weather is just beautiful, and all of this can be made amazing by renting a beautiful beach side property. Just start looking at all of the options available and make that dream holiday in Hawaii become a reality.

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Great travel and vacation ideas.
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Learn more about air booking and car rental tips.
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How to Avoid Altitude Sickness in Breckenridge Colorado

If you’re traveling to a high altitude ski destination, such as Breckenridge, Colorado this winter, it’s important that you bring along a thorough understanding of how higher elevations can affect your travels. With a base elevation perched at 9,600 feet above sea level, Breckenridge is one of the highest ski towns in the American West.

Most travelers will find that the altitude of Breckenridge has a relatively mild effect on them. It is not uncommon to notice a slight headache or have a bit of trouble sleeping for the first two to three days after arrival. Unfortunately, some visitors will experience more severe symptoms including nausea, vomiting, significant headaches and shortness of breath. The good news is that by following a few simple precautions, most travelers can mitigate the effect of altitude to the point that they are barely noticeable at all.

Visitors who believe they may be prone to the effects of altitude should consult their family physician before heading to Breckenridge. He or she may prescribe a drug known as Diamox. This prescription is taken for two days prior to your arrival in Breckenridge and for the first three to four days of your stay. It can help to mitigate the most noticeable symptoms of high altitude. Children may also receive a prescription for Diamox in smaller doses than those given to adults. You should also inquire as to whether Breckenridge’s altitude may exacerbate any health conditions that you already have.

Prior to arriving in Breckenridge, visitors should increase their water intake and be sure to remain well hydrated during the course of their stay. The body’s adjustment to higher elevations is accompanied by fluid loss. This is the result of an increased respiration rate, and with it, greater amounts of water vapor are exhaled. Try to consume a minimum of one hundred ounces of fluids each day to retain the level of hydration needed by your body. A diet that is high in carbohydrates will also help with acclimatization, as these simple sugars are more easily digested by your body, allowing it to focus more energy on adjusting to altitude. Avoiding caffeine and alcohol will also help, as they can contribute to dehydration.

Spending a night in Denver before traveling to Breckenridge can also be an effective method of acclimating. At an elevation of 5,280 feet, Denver offers an ideal median altitude to adjust to before moving on to higher elevations.

After arriving in Breckenridge, it’s a good idea to take things easy for your first day or two in town. Exhausting yourself by skiing from the time the mountain opens to the time it closes can bring on the symptoms of altitude sickness, even days after your arrival. Light activity is better for acclimating than bed rest, even if you do not feel well. Lying in bed or sleeping decreases the body’s rate of respiration which can actually amplify the effects of altitude sickness. Even if you’re not feeling one hundred percent, a short walk around town will help your body adjust to its new surroundings much faster than trying to sleep off symptoms. You may even want to visit a local “oxygen bar,” where for a few dollars, you can breathe an oxygen concentration resembling that of a much lower elevation.

Although altitude sickness has the capacity to put a damper on your ski vacation, understanding the simple steps that can be taken to avoid it ought to make your adjustment to Breckenridge’s elevation a much easier one. It is important that guests remember not to “overdo it” when it comes to activity, alcohol and caffeine, while increasing their consumption of hydrating fluids. By following a few simple precautions, you can ensure that your next ski or snowboard vacation in Breckenridge is a spectacular one. Most importantly, if symptoms of mountain sickness do not improve within a few days of your arrival or worsen, consult a local physician, as this may be a sign of a more dangerous condition known as High Altitude Pulmonary Edema.

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Ben Kelly is a resident of Breckenridge Colorado and enjoys snowboarding, hiking, mountain biking and fly fishing in the Colorado Rockies. He is the owner of Summit Vacation Concierge and can provide expert local advice on Breckenridge Lodging, Ski Vacation Packages and Activities.
http://www.summitconcierge.com

Exploring the Four Corners: Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah

Not everyone can explore the four corners of the Earth in one lifetime, but a Road Trip Planner can definitely plan a journey to the Four Corners of the United States. Nowhere else can you physically BE in four states simultaneously so make sure this road trip makes it on your “Places To See” list.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: An excellent time to plan a road trip to this region is during the Fall because the red, orange and brown of the landscape will remind you of Fall Colors. Late Spring is also nice as is the summer if you have a tolerance for dry heat and have an ample supply of bottled water.

WHAT STATES MEET WHERE? Southwest Colorado, Northwest New Mexico, Northeast Arizona and Southeast Utah. There’s even a Four Corners Monument to mark the spot. Hand, hand, foot, foot & you’re officially in four states at once.

WHAT KIND OF TERRAIN CAN I EXPECT TO FIND? The Four Corners is actually part of the Grand Circle (which includes the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef, Natural Bridges, Hovenweep, Arches National Park). What you’ll find is plains stretching into the horizon in golden hues. And russet plateaus jutting up out of the earth in chaotic yet curiously patterned ways. This terrain is ancient; a land of Native Americans, a western frontier set in a rough and tumble landscape.

WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES CAN I DO THERE? This region offers such variety that it makes a great trip for families, couples, or a group of friends so you’ll have no trouble filling your Road Trip Planner with activities suited to your particular road trip. Explore places like archaeological digs, cliff dwellings, historic railroads, and western towns. Two of the corners are in the Navajo Nation and the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation. You’ll also find an abundance of National Parks in this region.

HIGHLIGHTS IN SOUTHWEST COLORADO: Cortez is considered the archaeological center of America and is the near the Mesa Verde National Park. It’s the first national park set aside to preserve the works of people, in this case, the ancient Puebloans and its history spans 14 centuries. FESTIVALS: Check out the festivals happening year round in this region like the Mesa Verde Country Food, Wine & Art Festival, the 9th Annual Mesa Verde Country Indian Arts & Culture Festival, or the Ute Mountain-Mesa Verde Birding Festival.

HIGHLIGHTS IN NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO: A different Southwest flavor can be found in New Mexico. Sparsely populated with a strong blend of Spanish, Mexican and Native American cultures, some parts of New Mexico may very well give you a sense of what the pioneers saw when they first cast their eyes over this mountain-desert land. Farmington is the closest city to the Four Corners but add Santa Fe and Albuquerque to your road trip planner to sample the different influences found here. BONUS ACTIVITY: Take a ride on the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, the world’s longest aerial tramway and glide above deep canyons and over breathtaking terrain for a unique vantage point.

HIGHLIGHTS IN NORTHEAST ARIZONA: For a deep Navajo experience, add Monument Valley to your road trip planner. Explore the rock formations, buttes, mesas and canyons in this tranquil valley. Some of these spires pierce the sky like needles (excellent photo op). BONUS SIDE-TRIPS: Further west, but well worth the 3 ½ hour drive is Lake Powell, a popular swimming/boating destination. And from there, you’re only 2 ½ hours away from viewing the Grand Canyon’s south rim, a spectacular natural wonder.

HIGHLIGHTS IN SOUTHEAST UTAH: Here’s where you’ll find the “Old West”. Bandits, cattle rustlers, outlaws, and the lawmen who tracked them down to justice; all called this part of Utah their home. Add Moab to your road trip planner for a real Wild West experience at the Bar-M Chuckwagon Live Western Show, which includes the Bar-M Village, a dinner show complete with a cowboy supper giving nutritional health supplements. BONUS FEATURES: Three major national parks also call this region home: Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park. Another popular spot, and even closer to the Four Corners, is the Canyondlands National Park.

Exploring the Four Corners is truly a rewarding experience. The Wild West flavor combined with the Navajo and Ute cultures, infused with Puebloan history and all this set against a starkly etched landscape will give any Road Trip Planner a good taste of the Southwest.

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Tripwiser is a free trip planning service that leverages the collective wisdom of users and makes trip planning interactive and enjoyable.
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La Quinta is luxurious Palm Springs alternative

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.

Florida family vacations by the beach

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

La Conner waterfront

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.