PAW; Pet-friendly Accommodations Worldwide provides a new resource for luxury, pet-friendly travel and criss-crosses the country spreading the word!
Janine Franceschi, owner of PAW; Pet-friendly Accommodations Worldwide, and her Irish setter, Beau, have logged over 5000 miles, (and counting) touring the country to promote the booking site of the only collection of luxury, pet-friendly hotels on the Web today, www.luxurypaw.com and they want to make sure YOU hear about PAW.
The dynamic duo travel the American highways and byways in their red “PAW”-print-adorned Honda Element, on loan from the Honda Corporation, on a mission to reshape the notion of pet-friendly travel, one hotel and one pet owner at a time. Their message? It is no longer necessary to sacrifice the level of amenity and comfort you want when you travel simply because you choose to travel with your pet. Finding and booking gorgeous pet-friendly hotels just got a whole lot easier!
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Austin-Lehman Adventures Suggests Two Gifting ‘Wows’ This Holiday Season
A staple of a comprehensive, active and culturally authentic vacation with Austin-Lehman Adventures (ALA) is the wow factor that its guests experience. When combined with insiders access to the end of year festivals of Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico, ALA guests stand to give and receive more than the usual holiday gifts.
“What better time than the Christmas and New Year holidays to break with old traditions and create a new set of stories to be told and cherished for years to come,” says Dan Austin, director and co-founder of Austin-Lehman Adventures.
While Austin points out it might spoil the surprise if all were revealed in advance, two of the many ‘wows’ guests can expect on ALA’s Oaxaca itinerary include a rare glimpse of secret recipes and techniques during an exclusive cooking class at Oaxaca’s Instituto de Cultura y Cocinar and a visit to the village of San Martin Tilcajete where master carver Jacobo Mendoza treats guests to a private demonstration and showing.
On the Chiapas itinerary, the ‘wows’ include shopping for one-of-a-kind indigenous handmade treasures along the cobblestone streets of San Cristobal de Las Casas and a private visit to the home of a traditional back-strap weaver in the Maya highland town of SanLorenzo Zinacantan.
While limited to just 12 guests, ALA reports that space is still available on their two upcoming holiday trips:
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
IMMERSE AND RENEW WITH A PAMPERING SPA AND YOGA RETREAT AT LORETO BAY
LORETO, Mexico - Stepping out from the protective shade of a thickly thatched palapa, you greet the day with a sun salutation of warm rays of sunshine peaking over majestic mountains and dancing upon glistening waves. Conveniently positioned between the Sierra de la Giganta mountains and the Sea of Cortez, Loreto Bay Resort, an 8,000-acre community neighboring the quiet fishing town of Loreto in Baja Sur, Mexico, offers its newest escape: a three-night spa and yoga package that introduces guests to the quieter side of Baja.
At just $880 per person, the spa and yoga relaxation package calms both mind and spirit with three nights of luxurious guest room accommodations at the Inn at Loreto Bay; a full meal plan of healthy offerings, including three daily low-carbohydrate meals and all-natural beverages; multiple yoga sessions with a certified yoga instructor; one facial and reflexology treatment; a full one-hour massage; a choice of one manicure or pedicure with foot or hand therapy; one back and neck massage; and other relaxation services.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Austin-Lehman Adventures Makes Panama
Accessible to Active Families on Three New Departures
New for 2009 on Austin-Lehman Adventures’ (ALA) list of iconic destinations for families is a 9 day / 8 night Panama Family: Reef & Rainforest Adventure with three departures scheduled in spring and summer breaks beginning in April.The per person (double) rate is $3,498 (single supplement $780), with children ages 7 and up at $3,148 for first child and $2,798 for each additional child. Departures are Apr. 11-19; June 27-July 5 and July 11-19.
While trekking through a rainforest or flying overhead the canopy in an aerial tram, guests have the opportunity to see monkeys, toucans and elusive wild boars, hike to the top of Volcano Baru with views of the Caribbean and Pacific from the summit and explore the engineering feat that is the Panama Canal. There are also cultural and scientific visits to a coffee plantation, butterfly farm, ancient ruins and more.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Travel mishaps can happen to even the most seasoned travelers. When one frustrated Fodor’s member recently vented about booking the wrong flights for an upcoming trip, several fellow Forums posters empathized by disclosing their own slip-ups. Check out some of the do’s and don’ts that came out of this group confession.
From Fodor’s Forums: What’s your biggest travel mistake?
- Do look carefully at flight times and dates before booking.
- Do hold your tongue and check your flight’s seating chart.
- Don’t postpone travel to a destination with favorable currency exchange rates.
- Don’t cancel the credit card tied to your reservations.
- Do take a good look around your car before setting out on a road trip.
- Do a mental run-through of your departure day ahead of time.
- Do consider the season of your destination.
- Don’t assume just any hotel in a beach destination will do.
- Do book a room for every night of your stay.
- Don’t assume your hotel room’s rate won’t change.
- Do update your driver’s license.
- Do carry a good map with you at all times.
To read the full info-packed article, complete with reader tips and explanations, click here.
For more great tips; up-to-the minute travel advice and trip planning information; user ratings of thousands of sights, hotels, and restaurants; and one of the most established and lively travel communities on the web, visit Fodors.com.
Source: Fodors.com
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Island Vacations – Easy on the Pocketbook
See a National Wildlife Refuge
When vacationers think of islands, many envision far-off and expensive destinations. Yet, the National Wildlife Refuge System – a network of public lands that spans about 97 million acres – offers a range of island destinations. From Alaska’s remotest islands in the Arctic Ocean to the subtropical “Spanish Virgin Islands” of Puerto Rico – as well as others scattered across the country — the Refuge System’s islands provide essential habitat for a vast array of birds and other wildlife. They offer enhancement to visitors who venture off the beaten path to experience them. The National Wildlife Refuge System is composed of 548 national wildlife refuges, with at least one in every state.
Ohio River Islands Refuge, Pennsylvania
It’s only 35 miles from Pittsburgh, but a world apart. Phillis Island, in Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge, is a popular stopping place for recreational boaters to picnic on the sandy beach, fish for bass or simply watch the river go by. In fall, hunters pursue waterfowl or archery hunt for deer that swim to the island.
Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge stretches 362 miles of the upper Ohio River, from Pennsylvania to Kentucky, with 22 scattered islands and three mainland properties. While most of the islands are accessible only by boat, Middle Island, near St. Marys, WV, has a bridge with road access. This is the most commonly visited island in the refuge, and the largest at 235 acres.
The refuge, created in 1990, aims to “protect the Wild Ohio” by conserving habitat for migratory birds, freshwater mussels and other wildlife along the river. “The Ohio River has been regarded as a resource for industry, not so much a resource for wildlife. Now we see it has multiple dimensions,” says Visitor Services Manager Janet Butler. The Clean Water Act of 1972 improved the Ohio River’s water quality, reviving wildlife populations on and along the river, and making it more appealing for recreation, she says.
The islands of Ohio River Islands Refuge are among thousands within the National Wildlife Refuge System. For more information about the Ohio River Islands Refuge see http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=51660
Here is a sampling of some of the Refuge System’s other island jewels:
Oregon’s Spectacular Coast
From nearly every viewpoint on the Oregon coast, colossal rocks jut out of the Pacific Ocean creating postcard images. These rocks are protected as part of Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge includes 1,854 rocks, reefs and islands and two headland areas spanning 320 miles of the Oregon coast.
From April to August, the rocks and islands are covered with birds. The majority of Oregon’s estimated 1.2 million seabirds, including 13 different species, breed on the refuge. “They pack on any available space during breeding season,” says Visitor Services Manager Dawn Grafe. Seals and sea lions also use the rocks as “haulout” sites for resting and pupping. Simpson Reef near Charleston frequently hosts 6,000 seals and sea lions.
The birds and marine mammals found on the offshore rocks, reefs and islands are extremely susceptible to human disturbance, so the rocks are closed to the public year-round. But visitors get phenomenal views of the refuge and its wildlife from many state parks and other open spaces along the mainland. Mainland sites with viewing decks overlooking seabird colonies include Ecola State Park, Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, Heceta Head State Scenic Viewpoint, and Harris Beach State Park. Coquille Point, a unit of Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, is also open to visitors.
One unit of the Oregon Island Refuge that is open to visitors is Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge, where people can see one of the few remaining stands of coastal old growth forest in Oregon and the state’s largest Sitka spruce, estimated to be 700 to 800 years old. Visit Cape Meares Refuge between April and June each year, and see the fastest animal in the world – the peregrine falcon – raising chicks along the rocky headland. A pair of peregrine falcons has nested on the refuge since 1987. Hikers can enjoy several trails that wind through the headland and old-growth forest.
Also open to visitors is Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach, the best known island of Oregon Islands Refuge, which juts 235-foot out into the ocean. At low tide, visitors can nearly walk up to it and explore nearby tidepools while tufted puffins fly overhead. Spotting scopes are available so visitors can get close-up views of the puffins.
For more about Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, see: http://www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/oregonislands/index.htm.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".