Vacation Destinations In The US

The Travel Channel was running a show on vacation tips in Las Vegas: I was of course enthralled: there is just something about Vegas that pulls people there, I guess it’s the mystique or the What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas thing, nonetheless the show provided some great Las Vegas vacation tips that I could relate to:

1.) ATM Machines: Don’t use em’ unless you absolutely have to: Most ATM’s charge about a 10 to 20% surcharge: it’s not just 1.50 to withdrawal money: that fifty dollar withdrawal could cost you sixty bucks! Alternative: write a check at a casino for them to cash, most will do it with a valid ID.

2.) Transportation: There are plenty of public transportation options on the las vegas strip including taxi, bus, the new double decker busses (the Duece), monorail and of course your own vehicle or a rent-a-car.  The traffic on the vegas strip, ridiculous.  It can take about 30 minutes to get 1 mile in some instanstances: there are about 80,000 cars in that area each day at all times.  Recommendation: public transportation or hoof it to the next casino. You’ll get there quicker.

3.) Myth: Las Vegas Casinos do NOT pump oxygen into the casino to keep you alert.  (I actually believed that one until last night.) 

4.) Myth: Prostitution Is Legal In Vegas.  NOPE. Despite all of those eager folks who hand out those annoying cards on the sidewalks say, prostitution is not legal in Clark County Vegas.

5.) Tip: Gambling Chips In Vegas: They are essentially worth nothing outside of the casino: while some vegas casinos will accept other chips (typically owned by the same company) most will not honor competitor chips.  Also, if you are tipping your hotel staff, tip them in CASH, not Chips.

6.) Smoking: if you are a smoker (which I am) Las Vegas has recently passed a law stating that there is no smoking in bars or restaurants that serve food, also most las vegas casinos will not permit smoking in the poker rooms. 

7.) Gambling and the IRS: They have to get their hands in their somehow right?  If you win over 1200.00 from slots,  the casino will have you fill out a special form claiming your earnings to the IRS: The rule is different on the gambling tables: I believe the cut off was 10,000 a day.

8.) Players Card: If your casino offers the players card, take advantage of it and use it in EVERY slot machine that there is. This tells the casino how much you are playing and this is where all of those hotel comps starting coming into play: the more you gamble, the more they give you.

9.) Average losings: If I recall correctly, the average dollar loss per person while on a vacation getaway in Vegas was around $600.00.

10.) Luxor Tip: I do remember this cool tip from the show last night, my friends and I played a lot at the Luxor: if you call 24 hours ahead, you can ‘reserve’ your own blackjack table, whether you are a guest at the hotel or not.  There is a buy in per person limit, etc. so be sure to check it out.

Hope this stuff helps, remember to hunt for the best Las Vegas vacation packages, you can find some real value if you look hard enough: Vegas Vacation Getaways.

You guys know I’m all about the value and more importantly, those quick weekend warrier vacations: The misses and I just hit Fort Lauderdale last weekend.  We took off on a Thursday, drove down from Orlando and checked into our hotel.  I have driven through Fort Lauderdale in the past and remember seeing numerous amounts of high end yachts (which I drool over….) tucked into their slips just anxiously awaiting an invitation to cruise the tropical Atlantic.  Our hotel was beautifully decorated and was close to Las Olas Blvd. where there was shopping galore for my wife to enjoy. (note, for my WIFE to enjoy…..) I enjoy looking at fine art which I know I can’t afford, but there were plenty of great walk in galleries to check out: also, I do enjoy the Tommy Bahama store (which again, I can’t afford, but love to dream….). After some intense window shopping, we made our way over to Timpano Chophouse for a martini and dinner. A wonderful dining experience! Make sure you try the Rock Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli, unreal!

After dinner, we walked down to the white sandy beach, I enjoyed a cigar and a glass of port (my favorite combo…) while my wife kept reminding me that we should move to the beach (as soon as I make my first million of course). We retired and then headed to the marina so I could dream about owning my own yacht.  Later that afternoon, we went to check out the Fort Lauderdale Musuem of Science and Discovery: one of my favorite exhibits was the Everglades exhibit: hands on stuff, lots of neat info on how restoration is being incorporated, etc. My wife also enjoyed the new Imax presentation of Sharks3d…. cool stuff. My daughter would have really enjoyed some of the hands on exhibits, so we will be back with our little princess shortly!

With a beautiful breeze blowing and a bit of sunshine, we had to at least say that we hit the water, so on our last day we took a Water Trolley, purchased the day pass and just went exploring.  The trolley stopped at all major sites, etc., and was always available once we were ready to move on to our next destination. I do want to come back and do some deep sea fishing here, so I’ll be sure to give you an update after that.  All in all, come to Fort Lauderdale for the shopping, the culture and the water.  With jet skis, boating, beaches, para-sailing, etc., you can’t go wrong if you’re looking for a bit of tropical escape.

Ahhh, fall is in the Air in Orlando. At least in my head anyway.  Lately we’ve had nothing but weird rain and higher than usual winds.  While the temperature hasn’t quite dipped below 85 yet, it does definitely feel better than 99 degrees with the heat index being 106. So, a stroll down memory lane is in order: I’ve mentioned previously about my lovely wife’s and my trip to the Pocono Mountains : If you have yet to experience fall in all of it’s splendor and are in the mood for a bit of romance, consider a short vacation trip to the Pocono mountains.  You can find many special Pocono Mountain vacation packages, especially this time of year.

Be sure to check some fall foliage reports prior to booking your vacation getaway: here’s one here>>. Of course, you could always go during the winter and see the snow, that will definitely be my next trip.  Beautiful place.

Man am I sick of humidity.  Of course, I do live in the tropics and should be used to it by now, but there are two seasons here in Orlando Florida that I look forward to more than anything… There’s something refreshing about walking outside in the morning and feeling a change in the air, minimal humidity!  It starts cooling down here in Orlando around October 15th, by then we are typically starting to receive very welcomed cold fronts from up north.  After enduring intense heat, monsoon rains and sticky humidity, there is truly nothing better.  Here’s the best part, my family and I start to hit the Orlando attractions much more frequently: we renew our Annual Disney passes and try to make a few short weekend getaways, even staying at a hotel.  We only live about 45 minutes from Disney, but it is great to pack it up for a weekend and just enjoy the weather and the fun, plus many of the hotels in Orlando offer lower rates and packages during this less busy season.

As I mentioned before, I’m a travel channel junkey, they had a whole bunch of Disney related specials on this weekend: we were getting work done in our house over the weekend and I was kind of trapped in a bedroom with my dog and the TV…. Anyway, I learned some neat stuff about Disney: If you make your way down here for an Orlando vacation, try this out: See how many hidden Mickey Mouse earsyou spot!  The Disney Imagineers must have a great deal of free time on their hands, but they have created a type of quest for all to find the hidden Mickey Mouse ears. One other thing that I didn’t know about: Disney offers behind the scenes tours:  this would be really cool to go on, they don’t show you everything obviously, but it’s a great way to see some of the mouse guts (so to speak.)  Lastly, did you know that you can hire a yacht and take a romantic cruise on the Disney Lagoon? They actually provide you with a chef, fine wines, etc.  Too rich for my blood, but, would be a great honeymoon or anniversary idea.

If you are looking for a great family vacation idea, consider hitting Orlando in the fall: it’s not as crowded and its certainly more comfortable outside: this is why we live here!

We had the chance to visit San Diego for a wedding recently, a distant relative, but nonetheless a great opportunity to go out west… I had never been to California and was quite excited.  Thank God for Grandma because she offered to take our two babies (doggy and daughter…) for the week. Air fare to San Diego can get a bit steep from Orlando, so we did some homework to find some good San Diego vacation packages for hotel accommodations. 

I had heard a lot about San Diego and even watched some stuff on the Travel Channel (my new favorite station.)  What stood out most to me was the weather, beautiful! The average temperature in San Diego is 70 degrees which was a more than welcome feeling once we stepped off of that airplane.  One caution in San Diego which I encountered quickly was that no one really seems to know how to drive… Be careful.  Not that anyone in Orlando really knows how to drive, but this place was unreal.

Stuff to do here: I love boats, every-time I get near the water I relax, boats seem to have that same effect on me so I talked the wife into visiting a maritime museum that we found: Some cool ships including an India Merchant ship on display.  We also got to stroll through a very historic portion of San Diego entitled the Gaslamp District.  Lots of rich history, make sure that you stop by the Horton Grand, a historic hotel where even the hotel staff dresses the part of 19th century Victorian.  Lots of nice shops, quaint and such.  (My wife of course loved this portion.) No one should leave San Diego without first going to the San Diego zoo, our vacation package actually offered us two tickets to the zoo and we couldn’t turn it down.  (I kept having flashbacks though of three’s company… Jack Roper and such..)  Being from Orlando, it does take a lot to impress me attraction wise, but I really enjoyed our visit here, polar bears, koalas, a safari ride and just a pleasant day exploring the zoo.

After the wedding festivities, etc., (and a few too many glasses of champagne) we headed back to our hotel room for a well deserved rest and then back to the humidity in Orlando.  While it was a quick getaway, we certainly had some great together time, and of course, there’s nothing better than a wedding to remind you of how valuable your relationship is.  This is a trip that you need to take!

I’m kind of liking the top ten idea, but don’t worry, I won’t make a habit of it.  Again, my family and I had a blast on our short vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains, here are ten things WE think you should do while there:

1.) Great Smoky Mountain Nationa Park : A must see, especially when those leaves start to turn colors!

2.) (From my wife…..) Visit the Day Spa at Pine Mountain

3.) As mentioned before: Go To DollyWorld! (if you’re in to all that….)

4.) We enjoyed the rail road trip: (pretty scenery and good food as well!)

5.) Relax. (Did a lot of that, the peace and quiet and mountains helps to put life in perspective.)

6.) Identify animal droppings on the trail. (Ok, my daughter is really into that…..)

7.) If you’re a gambling type, there is the Harrahs Cherokee Casino & Hotel 

8.) Eat, eat and eat some more.  If you’re a breakfast lover, check out flapjacks…

9.) If you enjoy historic stuff, you’ll want to check out the biltmore estate in Asheville.  Gorgeous and they have a harvest celebration which could be a great 3 day weekend vacation!

10.) Breath Fresh Clean Air, and in my case, air without humidity (change of seasons required….) Enjoy your trip!

As mentioned previously, I’m not a huge fan of the beach or the sun: but I found some other cool stuff you could in Myrtle Beach:

(I haven’t personally been to these places, but know FIRST hand that making sure that your whole family has fun is Key!)

Alligator Adventures : See some gators, Crocs, exotic birds and snakes… (or come to Florida and see it for free!)

This looks Cool: Carolina Jeep Tours : Enjoy riding around safari style and see the sites around Myrtle Beach.

We saw this place, but didn’t get to visit: Family Kingdom : Seaside Amusement Park.

Talk about a gorgeous place to go: Myrtle Beach has been one of the most popular beach vacation destinations for years.  We decided to go see what it is all about about 2 years ago, and from what I’ve heard, it’s only gotten better.  I’m not an avid golfer, but I do like to swing a club now and then, so selling this one to my wife had to involve great dining and stuff to keep my daughter amused.  I planned for at least one morning of golf while we were there, but made CERTAIN that there was a day spa for fingernails and other grooming essentials.

We arrived on a Thursday night and checked into our hotel: We were toast after the drive : About 455 miles from Orlando. (check out this cool tool….) so we decided to find somewhere relaxing to eat:  I was in the mood for seafood and we found Bennett’s Calabash Seafood 3 : Unreal seafood: a lot more noise than I would have preferred, but the hushpuppies and shrimp were truly delicious.

Friday morning I played a round of golf and we decided to meet back at the hotel around 1 for our next family outing: the beach…. I’ll be totally honest, getting sand in all major orifices is not usually my idea of a good time, but my daughter loves to build sand castles, so I sucked it up a bit.  I will say, very relaxing, very peaceful and after a dip in the ocean I retired to my lounge chair for a quick nap.

We spent Friday evening just strolling the beach and took a dip in the pool.  We were then off to a fun filled Saturday of water park fun. We had a blast and I spent the best part of the day in the lazy river, nothing better…. After an adventurous day we were spent.. Had a great dinner at the hotel and decided to hang out in the room and watch some wiggles so the little one could get some rest.  We were up bright and early and heading back home to Orlando on Sunday.

All in all, a nice little relaxing trip, I really enjoyed just a change of scenery and the hush puppies (memorable…) The whole family had a great time and we still to this day about the mammouth sand castle that we constructed on Myrtle Beach. My daughter thinks it’s still there, so I’ll have some explaining to do on our next visit.  Highly recommended though, I would probably get bored there for a week, so the quick weekend trip was just what the doctor ordered.  No emails, no customer phone calls, good stuff. 

If you’re looking to get away for a quick respite, check online for some hotel package offers.

As promised: I’m back with some more great vacation destination tips: this time in Orlando, Florida.  If you’ve been reading for a while, you know I live in Orlando so I get to see the sites frequently: Also, if you’re looking for vacation packages make sure you check this offer first….

So here’s my top ten list of things to do while in Orlando:
1.) Go To Disney (duh!): Magic Kingdom and you have to check out Epcot (my wife’s personal favorite.) Magical Vacation Package
2.) Hit Universal Studios : two parks over there : Universal Studios and Islands Of Adventure. Both cool.
3.) Go see Shamu : Sea World is always a crowd pleaser, PLUS, they have FREE beer in the hospitality suite. (should actually get the number one spot for that reason….)
4.) Drive On I-4 : Everyone should experience this at least once.
5.) Dine at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at Universal CityWalk. Great atmosphere, GREAT cheeseburgers.
6.) If you love to shop: Mall at Millenia (close to tourist area.)
7.) Take a helicopter Tour : Off of I-Drive in Orlando, amazing!
8.) An Airboat Ride at Boggy Creek (minutes from Orlando) is amazing, especially if you’ve never seen a gator! The way to see old Orlando.
9.) Go to the Beach : Cocoa Beach is only about an hour drive from the tourist area.
10.) One of my favorites: Gatorland : See more gators, snakes, swampy stuff.

Hope this helps, back soon.

About three years ago, my wife and I decided that we needed a bit of romantic mommy and daddy time, we looked all over the place (and I was getting sick of the tropical climate in Orlando), didn’t want to go the beach : what I knew I wanted was that crisp chilled autumn air… But where? My parents had taken their honeymoon in the pocono mountains and I remember them always talking about how much fun they had there, so I started digging around online and found some vacation packages that we could swing.

After trucking the dog and reluctant daughter to Grandma’s, we were off to the airport.  We left sticky 88 degree temperatures on a Thursday in Orlando and three hours later, ended up breathing the crisp cool autumn air.  My wife had never seen the leaves change color (a native Floridian…) so there were plenty of oohs and aaahs once we made our way up to the hotel.  The scenery there was amazing.  I’m originally from New England and had always missed the leaves changing, there’s just something romantic and peaceful about the whole process.

One of my wife’s concerns was being bored in the Poconos, I assured her that there were plenty of things to do and that we would not be bored!  We needed some time together to rekindle some romance, so the Poconos were exactly what the doctor had ordered. We immediately went to the concierge desk and started building our day: a bit of horseback riding, a nature trail, some time in the day spa (for the misses.. I’m such a good husband…) and some wonderful memorable meals.

Probably our favorite experience was going for an evening stroll in the woods: with minimal mosquitoes in there and that cool crisp air, I was in heaven.  Of course, my wife got cold after about 10 minutes (thin blood…) and we came back to the hotel, hung out by the bar and enjoyed each other’s company in front of the fire-place.  We truly got to reconnect and just enjoy each other’s company, the atmosphere was perfect, the leaves were gorgeous and the hospitality staff throughout all of the sites were friendly and were truly there to make certain we enjoyed our stay.

In my humble opinion, if you’re looking for a nice romantic 4 day vacation getaway, the Pocono Mountains are the place to go: Make certain that you pack warm clothes, get some nice walking shoes and come ready to relax.

Next time, I’ll highlight some of the many activities that we found up there….