Oct 21, 2009 1:13 - By: Phil Corless
Glenwood Hot Springs Pool
Glenwood Springs, Colorado, is home to the world’s largest natural hot springs pool. Perfect for those cold winter days. Or, in our case, a blizzard-like spring day. As the snow fell that afternoon, there was no better place for my wife and kids to be than in the balmy 98-degree water of the Glenwood Hot Springs.
A Wordless Wednesday contribution.
Photo by Phil Corless
Oct 20, 2009 16:31 - By: Jkhalsted
Ireland is known for hospitality, pubs and craic (pronounced crack it loosely translates to fun or to have a good time). Unfortunately, too many travelers miss out on the craic. Allow me to help you find it and make your Irish holiday one filled with fond memories.
Photo by Jody Halsted www.havekidwilltravel.com
10) Drive yourself. This is truly the best way to tour Ireland. The pace is your own. You can follow the intriguing sign for hot tea and scones or try to find the castle you think you see in the distance. In Ireland, getting lost is half the fun. Really. The only time to avoid driving is in the city of Dublin (they have fabulous public transport) or if you want to do the Ring of Kerry (though I recommend skipping that and driving the Dingle peninsula). Think of it this way; do you want to meet the Irish or other tourists?
9) Get off the highway. Unless you are in a hurry to catch your flight, get off the highway. Many of the greatest sights in Ireland are far off the beaten path (Glendalough, the medieval town of Kells and the Burren to name only a few). Sure, you may get lost (see tip #10) but in Ireland you don’t remain lost for long- it’s not that big!
8) When you visit a pub sit at the bar. It’s a fact- locals sit at the bar; tourists sit at tables. So grab a seat and say hello. You’ll surely make a few friends if you buy them a pint and you’ll be invited to join in on the craic. If you’re traveling with kids (as we do) sitting at the bar isn’t the best option. Pick a table as close to the bar as possible and order your drinks from the bartender. Strike up a conversation. If you’re lucky the craic might move to your table! Read More »
Oct 20, 2009 10:19 - By: Britt Reints
Lake Como, Switzerland
I was 16 years old when I visited Lake Como, Switzerland.
That was over *cough, cough* a lot of years ago, but it’s a place that instantly carved itself into my heart and I vowed before leaving to return someday. I have traveled to many places since then, and Lake Como remains one of my favorite locations on Earth.
Lake Como is located between Milan and Switzerland and my visit there was a short day trip in the middle of an Italian vacation. We made our way to the town of Como from Milan and spent time shopping in the village before touring the lake itself. Read More »
Oct 19, 2009 14:18 - By: Laura Charon
The view of Flagstaff from the top of Mars Hill.
Last weekend my husband had to work up in Flagstaff, AZ, about two and a half hours north of our home in Chandler. I availed myself of the opportunity for a free hotel room, and drove up to join him on Friday night.
Saturday I set out to explore the lovely city of Flagstaff. I wanted to enjoy the wonderful fall weather to its fullest, so I decided a bit of hiking was in order. After perusing the area map provided to me by the hotel, I found one of the entrances to the Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS, pronounced “foots”).
Read More »
Oct 19, 2009 4:09 - By: P. Ling
Until a few years back, a vacation meant piling the kids into the back and hitting the road. But times change, and now you have a whole new bunch of requirements to fulfill before you can even think about the beach, a cold beer and some peace and quiet.
Beach Vacation
If you don’t want your neighbors and colleagues to look down on you, follow this list of ’friendly’ things that your vacation has to be.
1. Environment-friendly:- It’s bad enough that your vacation destroys your entire year’s savings. Don’t let your vacation be blamed for the destruction of the earth. Find a destination which cares about their surroundings, get a green hotel, try to avoid trips by air and don’t do stuff which will be harmful to the environment – like wasting water, and leaving trash and beer cans in the outdoors or on the road. Read More »
Oct 17, 2009 7:28 - By: Whit Honea
This is an American Airlines gate in the Seattle-Tacoma airport that was hand-decorated by American Airlines employees on their own time. The gate is where one child’s dream vacation started earlier this month as they boarded their WishFlight. Read More »
Oct 16, 2009 15:28 - By: Whit Honea
Rolling Clouds and Leaves of Fall Outside of Seattle
I’m not going to lie. I took these photos in my front yard about 30 minutes ago. Sue me.
The point is that there are many reasons to get in your gas-guzzling car and drive around our wonderful nation right now, namely really pretty trees. Read More »
Oct 16, 2009 13:19 - By: Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Digging in the dirt at the Fossil Fair
October 31st might signal Halloween treats to you, but for South Carolina science fans it’s also a day of archeological fun at the South Carolina Fossil Fair hosted at the Ocean Lakes Family Campground’s Recreation Building in Myrtle Beach. The day-long event features a mock dig site, PCS Phosphate Mine, a fossil hunt and lots of bones. Experts from the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History will dust off your discoveries and identify the fossils.
Start at the mock dig site where a museum specialist will illustrate how to create a plaster cast to move a specimen from the dig site to a museum. You can observe how the fossil is removed from the plaster and prepared for display. The fun part is that you get to help clean the specimen. Read More »
