Hot Spots

Navy Pier on New Years

2008-12-14T21:24:00.000-05:00

Every year for New Years my family always plans something fun to do. Sometimes it's just during the day on January 1 and other times we spend the night places. Two years ago my family and I went to Chicago. We had a great time; we arrived on the 31st at the W hotel. I've talked about the W in New York previously, but had never stayed at a W hotel until Chicago The W, like the one in New York, has a very modern feel. I recommend staying at a W if you ever get the chance. My favorite part was the pool. It's heated indoor and has views overlooking Lake Michigan and Navy Pier. We didn't spend much time at the hotel because it was New Years and we were spending time around the city.

For New Years Eve we went to Navy Pier. We walked around during the day and did a little shopping. At night there was a firework show. It was really neat the fireworks were set up in the sky over Lake Michigan and they even had music playing. It was just a fun night. It was nice because the W hotel is really close to Navy Pier so it was a quick walk home. The next day we did a little shopping around the Water Tower Mall, but mostly sight seeing around the town. It was a short trip to Chicago but very fun.

Road Trips

2008-12-14T21:02:00.001-05:00

As the holidays are approaching us quickly, traveling is going to be on many peoples’ agendas. Whether it is traveling to a family member’s house for the holidays or going on a nice vacation, many people will be doing it. And thank goodness, the gas prices have been going down. With that being said, road trips are becoming much more popular for travelers than flying. Another reason, besides the gas, that is attracting more travelers to take a road trip is that the U.S. highways are safer than they’ve ever been. Highway- related fatalities are expected to reach a record low in 2008. This would mean that the number of fatalities would go down 10 percent. This is great news for the many travelers who’ll give in the price of flying these days for hours driving this holiday season!

Winter Only Hotels

2008-12-14T16:40:00.004-05:00

Although there are a number of us who want to escape the cold during the holiday season and find a beautiful hotel in the tropics, there are some of us who want to enjoy the cold, winter season while it lasts. So, for those of you who enjoy the winter wonderland around the world, here are some great places that you can get away to and soak up the snowy, white season.

1. The Ice Hotel- This hotel is located in the village of Jukkasjarvi, which is just north of the Arctic Circle. Here, there is no need to worry about how out-dated the hotel is. Each year, artists and builders create this hotel by using water from a nearby river. Rooms and suites are created by fantastic artists and architects, which create extravagant settings. They feature things such as frozen whirlpools, ice sculptures, and translucent beds.

The way that this hotel is created every year is what makes it one of a kind. I would really recommend this hotel for a holiday get- away if you ever have the chance to go there. This place thrives on the cold, snow, and ice, so it is only available in the winter season. This year, they are building an addition of an Ice bar which gives guests the option of a glowing lounge that has icy booths covered in fur throws. You definitely cannot be afraid of the cold, or winter season to stay here, but it seems like it would be quite an amazing experience.

2. Hotel de Glace- This is America’s only ice hotel and it is absolutely breathtaking. Guests that stay have to be warned that by staying in an ice hotel, they will be spending the night on a bed made from a solid base of ice. But, there is no need to worry about sleeping here and freezing because the hotel provides their guests with an arctic-ready sleeping bag and a specially designed hotel bathroom that is heated. The Hotel de Glace also offers a Nordic relaxation area that has hot tubs and a dry sauna. The guests that come here usually only stay one night because that is enough to get the experience. However, if you would like to just see the only ice hotel in America, there are tours offered during the day. The hotel is only open from January through March because it also thrives off of the cold, winter season. I think this place would definitely be worth the visit, especially because it is the only one in America, but personally I don’t know if I could stay more than the one night that is recommended.

3. Hotel Garni Bel Ami- This hotel puts guests on the slopes of the Silvretta Galtur ski area that is tucked away in the Austrian Alps. Here would be a perfect ski vacation destination with absolutely breathtaking views. The rooms that they offer are all furnished with natural wood beds and armoires, which give a perfect winter-wonderland feel. They are moderately priced, but also include access to the hotel’s steam and sauna facilities. This is a winter only hotel, which means it is only open from December to April each year. They do offer really good deals that include lift tickets to the ski area that is right next to the hotel, with a seven day stay. This is another great opportunity to visit one of the highly recommended winter only hotels. It seems that this one would be better if you are up for a ski vacation, rather than to a winter hotel. Either way, this is another place that if you are ever able to visit, would be amazing.

4. Arlberg Hospiz Hotel- This hotel is also located in the Austrian Alps, but it is one that is much more historical. The St. Christophe hotel houses single, double, suite and apartment style rooms and offers an extravagant spa area with both Eastern and Western spa treatments available. Also, the Alberg Hotel has an indoor pool, fitness facilities, and plunge pools. The views of this hotel are of immense snowdrifts and steep slopes of the surrounding mountains. The hotel iteslf is upscale, with rates that usually hit 600 euros per night. If you are looking for an upscale hotel like this, I’d suggest that you are also into skiing. This is recommended for the intermediate or better skilled skiers because of its surrounding activities, but would be a great hotel if it fits your price range.

~Don't Get Upset~

2008-12-13T17:21:00.004-05:00

Traveling can bring out the best and the worst in people. The main thing is to work through the problems and to enjoy where you are and the people you are with. If we let every little thing, that comes our way, get us down and frustrate us, then nothing would get done and life as we know it might as well just end. Don’t let your circumstances get you distracted from your main goal. When you travel, you will enjoy yourself much more if you take it all in. Try getting to know local people, places, and the culture. It never hurts to make connections with people that you may never see again; worst case scenario, you end up making a new friend. Take the plug and do things you don’t normally do, it is a vacation; you don’t get to go on them very often so make the most of every one. Good luck in your endeavors!

Top 10 Traditional Christmas Songs

2008-12-12T13:34:00.005-05:00

Christmas songs can usually be heard the day after Thanksgiving up until Christmas. By the time it finally roles around the songs can be quite over played. It seems like they are always playing the same ones even though there are tons to choose from. Here is my list of the top 10 traditional Christmas songs (in no particular order).

1. White Christmas - Irving Berlin wrote this song but the 1940's but it wasn't until 1942 when Bing Crosby introduced it in the musical Holiday Inn. It was at the top of the music charts for eleven weeks in 1942. It became the only song in history that has had three different runs at the top spot on the music charts.

2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - This song was originally written from the Santa Claus story about his reindeer. Harry Brannon first sang it, but Gene Autry recorded the version most played in 1949. This is one of those songs you learn when you are little but it stays with you and you are never old enough to sing along.

3. Jingle Bell Rock - It was written by Joe Beal and Jim Boothe but was released by Bobby Helms in 1957. Jingle Bell Rock is often interpreted as a mix of Jingle Bells and Rock Around the Clock. This is also one of my favorite Christmas songs.

4. The Christmas Song - This song was written by Mel Torme and Bob Wells. Nat King Cole made the song popular in 1946 when they recorded it. They received a Grammy for the song in 1974 and since then is still a greatly played hit.

5. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - This song was first introduced in 1944 in the musical Meet Me In St. Louis. Hugh Martin originally wrote it, but it wasn't until Frank Sinatra recorded another version in 1957 that it really took off. Today Sinatra's version is the most widely heard.

6. Jingle Bells - This is also one of my favorite Christmas songs. It's another one of the first Christmas songs for kids. James Lord Pierpont wrote it in 1857. The version today has been changed slightly but it still has the same meaning it did many years ago.

7. Winter Wonderland - Felix Bernard wrote this song in 1934. Today over 1,000 people have recorded their own versions of it. It is an oldie but still a favorite of many. This song always puts me in the mood for Christmas. I can just picture everything all Christmas like outside.

8. Let It Snow - Another one of those happy Christmas songs, I think it's best during the first snowfall of the year. It was written by Sammy Cahn in 1945. Frank Sinatra's version is most widely known and played during the Christmas season.

9. Silver Bells - It's a very catchy song written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. It was Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell that made the song popular in the movie The Lemon Drop Kid. It has also been recorded by a good number of other artists. It's a good song to get you in the mood for Christmas.

10. Hark the Herald Angels Sing - It was first written by Charles Wesley. This song was a very popular caroling song. It reminds me of Christmas Eve church service. I've sung it every year ever since I was little.

~My Three Favorite Comfort Foods For Winter ~

2008-12-10T23:44:00.007-05:00

I love cooking, but rarely get the chance to. Winter is one of the few seasons that I actually get the chance to take the time to prepare food properly. My top three favorite comfort foods are ones that I always make every winter and I love sharing with my family.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup- I love this soup. My mom and I, when I was younger, loved to try out different recipes and see what we liked best. We found this recipe at AllRecipes.com. It wasn’t hard to follow the directions and all of the ingredients were easy to find in the local grocery store. We were surprised that it was quick and easy to make, it only took us about forty-five minutes to make it the first time, and now we know it so well that it takes even less time. I love how creamy the soup is and it really fills me up quickly. That just means there are plenty of leftovers.

Indulgent Macaroni and Cheese- I don’t mind Kraft Mac and Cheese, but anytime I get to make this indulgent macaroni and cheese I take it. Now Kraft has the easy mac, that gives you less preparation and cooking time that you have to worry about, but it lacks the cheesy goodness that homemade mac and cheese has. Yes, I will admit that there is a lot of cheese, butter, and cream but you don’t have to tell your doctor. Seriously every once and a while, I have to indulge myself with real macaroni and cheese, not something that comes out of a blue box.

Biscuits and Gravy – I love my dad’s biscuits and gravy… I don’t know how he does it, but he can make the best I have ever tasted. All I have ever seen him do is take the Pillsbury home style biscuits, pop them in the oven and then he makes his own special gravy sauce, which he won’t tell me how he does it, and some sausage. Every winter when I come home and he has time off of work, he will make them, but it’s so far and in between that it seems he never makes them anymore. I always love to see my dad in the kitchen in the mornings, but usually he kicks me out. They are still more fattening than most biscuits and gravy, but how can something that taste so good be bad?

Top Ten Christmas Toys 2008

2008-12-09T19:30:00.007-05:00

Now, this list is going to be mostly for kids, hence the word toys. So parents if you can't think of anything to get your little ones, here is the top ten toys in 2008.

1) High School Musical Toys

Every little girl, and I'm sure some boys are going to be looking for anything containing the cast of High School Musical. The stores have everything from dolls or "action figures" to clothes, back packs, bags, video games, and pretty much anything you can think of with the cast on them. In 2006, it was the original High School Musical, Then in 2007 it was High School Musical 2, and in 2008 it was High School Musical 3:Senior Year. Over these three years, manufacturers have taken great advantage of what the little ones like.

2) Star Wars Toys

Star Wars has been popular since even before I was born. Everyone has taken advantage of making money off of Star Wars in many ways. From one of the six movies, to toys, clothes, and a lot of other things.

3) Bakugan Warrior toys

These are at the top of my 9 year old cousins list. This is all he has been talking about for the past month. Bakugan Battle Warriors is a Japanese anime series that aired on Cartoon Network in February of 2008. I am sure my cousin will have tons of these under the tree Christmas morning and they are cheap toys that you should look into buying for your young ones.

4) Ben 10 Toys

Ben 10 is a series on television that aired on Cartoon Network in 2005 and has wooed many kids since then. His Omnitrix is a watch-like alien device that transforms Ben 10 into the alien of his choice. This watch is the most famous toy on the shelfs for Ben 10. They also have action figures, cards, and games that all contain Ben 10 in some way.

5) Doll With a Musical Potty

For children who don't yet know about video games, computer games, or any games for that matter, you should deffinitly look into this. This doll made its debut in 1991. It crys, and goes to the bathroom on a special toilet. The newest version of the doll has its own light up, musical potty. It is expected to be the number one gift for 2008.

6) Nintendo DS Lite

This dual-screen handheld console has 2 LCD screens inside of the clamshell-like design. The top screen is a viewing screen while the lower screen acts as a touchscreen. This is every kids favorite toy. There are all sorts of games from cooking games for girls to Ben 10 and StarWars games for boys.

7) Sesame Street Toys

Sesame Street is the longest running childrens program and aired in 1969. Elmo Live is the newest Sesame Street Toy. Elmo Live dances and sings all by himself and he really gets the kids to dance and sing with him.

8) Cupcake Maker

This is your oportunity to get your children started cooking. It is fun, yet educational and every kid would love one. It will teach them to measure and cook, but they will also have fun by decorating their own creations and getting to eat them in the end.

9)Roary the Racing Car

With this new television show for kids, you can expand their imagination and get them the Roary the Race Car Silver Hatch Turbo Race Set, or you can get them their very own Roary the Race Car bicycle with sounds. The options are endless.

10) Dolls!

For any little girl, she would always love any type of doll. Anything from the new Barbie to Hannah Montana doll to The American Girl Doll. Any girl would take any kind of doll and be happy. When buying a doll for your little girl always make sure it is the latest version or the one that she has been looking at for a long time. Nothing is worse than having your little girl take her new doll to show off and her friend has a newer version than she has.

~Driving in Snow~

2008-12-09T10:08:00.004-05:00

My senior year of high school I had one of those wonderful days gone down the drain. It was a Friday morning the week before finals and it had been snowing all night. My little brother and I were praying for school to be cancelled, we were both glued to the tv and we were trying to be patient as the bottom of the screen flashed all the other schools that had delays or cancellations. Time seemed to slow down as the schools flashed by and ours got closer. Finally, it came up…But we only had a two hour delay. Both of us were disappointed, but we tried to make the best of it. We reverted back to our childhood days of playing in the snow, we attempted to make a snow man, but the snow wasn’t sticking very well. We didn’t let that get in our way; we were just glad that we weren’t in school and continued to play.

My mom came outside and told us that breakfast was ready and that we should be getting ready to go to school. To our disappointment, the school had decided that the roads were clear enough for everyone to still go to school. My little brother and I ate our breakfast, got ready for school, hopped in my car, and we were off. My mom made us leave a bit earlier than we would have normally on a two-hour delay day because of the roads still being a bit icy and me not having much experience of driving to school in the snow.

I was driving a good thirty miles per hour, just to be safe and we were about half way there, when there was a truck coming at us. I thought that he would be just as careful as I was, oh boy was I wrong. The driver of the truck with his four wheel drive was going forty five in what is a thirty on a good day. He started to weave and gained control, but he was on my side of the road. I was freaking out and I could see that the other drive was too. The drive of the truck tried to get back on his side of the road, but he was still a bit on my side. I tried to move over more on my side of the road, but there was nothing there. I ended up jerking the wheel too much and then over compensated and ended up in a ditch, half way between home and school, and with no cell phone.

When I was calm enough to get myself together and after I made sure my little brother was ok, I got out of the car to see where the truck driver was. He was just driving along, on his way to where ever and didn’t stop to help us or see if we were ok. I was pissed off to say the least and my good morning turned into a really stressful day. One of my best guy friends from school was driving by and he stopped to help us. He had a jeep and a tow rope in the back of his jeep, so he hooked the tow rope up to my car and pulled me out right then and there. After he had pulled us out he helped me look at my car to see if we could make it to school or if I should drive it home. We both felt that it could make it to school and we had to get there soon otherwise, all of us would be late.

After school that day, I called my dad and told him what happened and of course he was furious, but glad we were alright. He came to school to make sure that we made it home safely and then he checked my car for any damage. Thankfully nothing had been damaged other than my nerves. Since then I have hated driving when there is snow on the roads, but I now take the proper steps to make sure that I can make it to where ever I am headed safely.

Don't Forget to Visit the Islands

2008-12-07T22:53:00.006-05:00

Although Spain is a huge country and its mainland offers everything you could want from vast country crop fields to towering mountains for rock climbing, it has something more. I'm talking about the islands that are off its coast, these islands will for certain take your breath away with the exquisite views they offer, the beautiful beaches and hot sun that give you that perfect "toasty" color that we always want to have and a lot in entertainment. I've never been to any of them, in fact I've never been to Spain but I do know about the islands because recently my dad was offered a job at Ibiza so I had looked them up. There are two clusters of islands surrounding the coast of Spain, these are the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.

Balearic Islands: Just 85 km off the coast of Valencia, you will find this collection of islands. Much like Hawaii, it consists of separate tiny islands these being: Menorca, Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The most famous of the four are Mallorca and Ibiza. Mallorca is quite known for its sightseeing such as the Museum of Mallorca and also diving at Drach and Arta, which are two natural underwater caves which offer a whole different view of the ocean world. Ibiza on the other hand is known a lot for its nightlife, the worlds most famous Dj's play there at some awesome clubs and people just dance the night away listening to pure techno and house. I definitely want to visit Ibiza in the future and enjoy a night of pure euphoria with Dj Tiesto and Paul van Dyke which are just two of my many favorites. Now Many people think that in a week they will be bored because its just a tiny island and the beach gets old after a while. Well for me the beach never gets old, but for those who want more than a suntan, don't think that these islands have nothing to offer. They have everything from museums, monuments, national parks and recreational entertainment. Like I already mentioned you will find the Museum of Mallorca, which is a museum focused a lot on archaeology. The museum is a 16th century mansion which is known as "Casa de la Crisitana" meaning "House of the Christian" which offers you to see a variety of pieces from the Talayotic to Moorish settlers. There is a vast collection of weapons and ornaments of religious symbolism from the islands first settlers. I have heard great feed back on this museum and its tours, I would definitely go because not only do you get to see beautiful art but at the same time you get a 101 history class of the island itself. Now if you want to get a little wet go to the Drach caves. Its an impressive view of nature, I just stared in wonder at the picutre, I find so cool and interesting that its something completely natural, nothing man made just all nature. Its actually a set of four caves linked together: the cave of the French, the White Cave and the Black cave and the Luis Salvador cave. The tour involved a complete look around the caves and also offers a classical music concert at Martel Lake. If you want to play a little sport and stay active during your vacay then come and play at one of the many golf courses. I looked into this because my dad is a golf fanatic so this would obviously be in his itinerary. There is the "Son Vida Golf Club" which sort of means "The Life" golf club. It offers a 18 hole course, its a coastal course so you will enjoy beautiful beach scenery and enjoy a cool island breeze. So get those handicaps ready for this 72 par golf course.

Canary Islands: Now the Canary Islands is a much bigger collection of islands, the seven main ones are: Tenerife, La Gomera, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, El Hierro and Ferteventura. Unlike the Balearic Islands which are located in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands are very close to Africa's border thus being in the Atlantic Ocean. What I love about these islands its their geography. In the past the islands faced a lot of volcanic activity so the scenery will range from sandy beaches to landscapes with craters, volcanic cones and rocks. Also the islands offer the spectacular view of Spains tallest mountain peak; Mount Teide stands at 3,718 meters which is about 12,198ft. During my visit at Gran Canaria I would visit "Casa de Colon" a museum that offers the complete history of Christopher Columbus and the islands relationship with the Americas. The museum is divided into five different sections relating to the discoveries of the New World. Now if you didn't know Spain is known a lot for its strong devotion to Catholicism, so the country hosts some of the most biggest and most decorated cathedrals. The Cathedral of San Cristobal at La Laguna, or "the Lagoon" was built on a hermitage back in 1511. Other pieces have been built over the next centuries and a reconstruction was already done in 1825. It was actually first a church, called the Church of Remedies, but then after the Canary Islands bishopric was separated from the Nivar diocese it was converted into the Cathedral that it is today. All of this history is explained to you upon your visit. Finally you have the beaches. Now I thought how the beaches would look like on an island with so much history of volcanic activity. Would they have sand or would they just be rocky cliffs? Don't worry about it. The beaches are beautiful! The beach of "The Teresas" is one where you will find fine golden warm sand. This one is actually a personal favorite for me since it was a two breakwaters and also a man made bar to shield away the strong waves and the traffic of the busy sailing life found at these islands. This makes it a great calm beach to take little kids and it offers snorkeling for entertainment as well. Advice that I do offer, is that you should check with your hotels to learn which are the topless beaches and which are not, I don't think you would want your little children to see what doesn't have to be seen.

As you have probably noticed I love the idea of visiting these islands in the future. It sounds like pure fun, great sights to visit and a lot of history to learn. Give it a try if you have the opportunity, you never know what you might be missing out on.

"Tapas"

2008-12-07T22:50:00.002-05:00

The food that we taste here in America as “Spanish” is far from the authentic Spanish food. The food of their culture is full of hams, sausages, and cheeses. A common thing to do is to go for tapas. These are enjoyed in bars all over Spain. People normally eat tapas in the evening, either before or after an evening meal, but not as the main meal. Tapas are snacks that you eat while having a drink at the bar. Each bar specializes in its own unique snacks, or tapas, and it is usually worth going from bar to bar to sample each one. Even though they are now to be found in homes and professional restaurants, tapas have maintained an informal spirit through their name. If you ever plan a trip to Spain, I highly suggest to dip into the authentic cuisine of the Spanish culture. Try going to a local bar before dinner and enjoy a casual conversation while eating some tapas.

Travel into Holiday Giving

2008-12-07T22:24:00.002-05:00

As the holidays are approaching, I figure a common motive for a lot of people is giving. This year, as were thinking of holiday travel, maybe we could add in a little extra time to travel outside of our norm and help others. Specifically, at college campuses, many students’ budgets are not necessarily high. Although we don’t all have the money to be giving, we can lend a hand in many other ways. A prime example of something that college kids could do is volunteer at local organizations. As young college students we have more energy and free time than we ever will (even though many students don’t believe so). Helping others without money incentive can help you learn a lot about yourself, and also can utilize your skills to impact another life. Lt. Col. James Doolittle, who organized retaliation efforts from Pearl Harbor, said, “nothing is stronger than the heart of a volunteer.” Here are some examples of opportunities for giving: YMCA, YWCA, work with a Humane Society or a local Zoo, or help organize Project Move Out, food drives, sponsor a child, or other events such as the Boiler Volunteer Network (BVN).

Spain Experiences

2008-12-07T20:43:00.002-05:00

I have never been anywhere in Spain, however a few of my closest friends have been there and have absolutely loved it. I have had 4 guy friends, all 18 years old, and 2 girl friends, both 18 years old as well, that have traveled to parts of Spain. In fact, the reason they have gone there is either to visit the exchange student that we hosted in our hometown, or to be an exchange student there themselves.

The boys that went there could not get over how different the daily lifestyle is. They all said that, compared to the United States, it is much more lively. Everyone walks to where they want to go. In fact, one of my friends (who is very athletic to begin with) lost 10 pounds just from walking everywhere. Also, at night everyone gets together and parties in the streets of the city. The teenagers there act a lot older and do many more “adult activities” there than they do in the majority of the parts of the United States. One of the boy’s favorite nights was when everyone gathered along the beach in Madrid and there was a concert. He said that he couldn’t see the end of the people because there were so many within the crowd. In my opinion, that would be a really fun thing to see. Besides the concert and parties in the streets, here are some of the other favorite things they did:

Las Ventas Bullring: Here they went and saw authentic bullfighting. This place, called La Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas was actually built in 1929 and the first bullfight was in 1931. This place holds a maximum capacity of 25,000 people. It is located in the east of Madrid. A lot of people, including them, usually get there by using the metro. In their opinion, it is sad to see the bulls get hurt, or worse yet the masters get hurt, but it is a real art and it is a tradition. From research, I found that the best time of year to go there and see a bullfight in Madrid is during the months of May and June. This is when San Isidro takes place, which is the worlds most famous bullfighting festival. In my opinion, it would be a little too gaudy for me to take in, but if you don’t mind that stuff then I think it would be a great thing to do to take in part of the culture in Spain.

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium: This stadium is known as Real Madrid’s home ground. It is an Elite Stadium that is known for hosting Spain’s premier football team. If you’re not at the stadium to watch an actual game, then there are tours that are given of the stadium because it is so magnificent. Besides the tours and the games, the stadium is also known for a stage ground. For example, Bruce Springsteen played in the stadium in the summer of 2007 and 2008. If you are not going there for a tour, then I would suggest buying tickets ahead of time because depending on who is entertaining for the day/night, they may sell out fast.

The Corral de la Morería: This is the oldest flameno show restaurant in Madrid. It has an air-conditioned premise that features a real Castilian style setting. They have a maximum capacity of 150 people so it would be best to make reservations before hand in order to make sure you have a seat. They have shows on Friday and Saturday and the cost of going is 36 euros. During the week, they also have featured shows but they only cost 34 euros. Both prices do not include dinner. Their show features 8 well known prestigious artists that perform for approximately one hour. The friends of mine that went were both females and they loved it.

Differences Spain vs. United States

2008-12-07T14:01:00.010-05:00

When planning a trip to another country there is a lot to keep in mind. If you have never been out of your own country it can be quite different when you arrive somewhere else. Almost every country has differences from your own. It's a good idea to research about the place you plan to visit before you actually go there.

Spain and the United States have a lot of differences. One of the major differences would have to be the spoken language. In Spain Spanish is the primary language and English is in the U.S. One tip I have is to purchase a book that can help with easy common phrases you might need. The Easy Spanish Phrase Book is a good choice. It offers 770 basic phrases for everyday use.

Currency is another difference between the countries. The euro is used in Spain while the dollar is used in the U.S. One euro is equivalent to a little over a dollar. A good suggestion is to use a currency converter before you go so you have an idea what you are paying for everything. The exchange rate is always changing so make sure you check right before you go to get the most accurate results.

The time difference between the two countries can be quite hard to get use to. The time difference from Chicago, IL to Madrid, Spain is 7 hours. Other areas in the countries can give or take a few hours depending on where you may be. A tip I have is as soon as you arrive at your destination start going off the current time. This may mean you loose hours of sleep or have to try to sleep earlier than normal, but in the long run you will get adjusted more quickly.

There are plenty of other little differences between the two. Spain has a parliamentary monarchy while the U.S. has a federal democracy or in other words a constitution based federal republic. The U.S. is way bigger than Spain. Spain is only about twice of the size of the state of Oregon. There are even many more differences. These are just little things to keep in mind before planning your next big trip. With a little bit of research you will be on your way.

SNOW!!

2008-12-07T04:17:00.003-05:00

As everyone in the northwest has noticed, there has been a lot more snow, a lot earlier, than many people can remember. Some people look at snow and think one of two things, either I like snow lets go play and have fun, or I do not like the snow and how am I going to get to work/school. So I thought, why not tell people about fun things they can get their kids or friends to do in these wintery months.

Now I know when I was in high school, middle school, and elementary school, I would wake up in the morning and hope for a snow day as soon as I saw snow on the ground. This rarely happened as our school system would only call a snow day if there was a blizzard outside and it was impossible to get around in. But, those few times we did have a snow day we had a blast.

First of all, the funnest thing I think to do is building a snowman. Everyone knows how to do this and you don't really need anything to do this. All you really need is snow. We used to have a contest on our block about who could make the most creative snowman. We would use all sorts of things we could fing in the house. One year, when me and my brother were younger, we thought we would for sure win this year. So when the snow day came around, we were ready. All the kids on the block would run outside and start building their snowmen. My brother and I built our snowman so big we had to have all the other kids come help us put all the pieces of the snowman together. It was twice the size of me, not to mention I was only 7 years old and farely short. Next, we would run inside and get all of our stuff for the creative part of the snowman. We used chocolate for the eyes (we couldn't find any buttons), a carrot for the nose, and more chocolate for the mouth. Then, we found my mom's favorite scarf, which didn't make her very happy, my dad's old coat, a pair of old snowpants, and old boots. Then came the creative part of our snowman. We decided to build a little snow village. So, we built a couple tiny houses and a school and a few more tiny snowmen. Then it came time to when all the parents would judge the snowmen. When they came to ours they were a little confused about why we built the huge snowman and a tiny town. We simply explained to them that the big snowman was, in our mind, kind of like Godzilla and he was going to come around and stomp down the little town. As we were explaining this, me and my brother walked around the yard and stomped down all the little buildings and people to show how it worked in our minds.

We did not end up winning the contest because it was a contest on best snowman, not what you could build up around the snowman. I do not remember whose snowman actually won, I just remember our snowman and how silly it was that we thought our original old snowman would have actually won.

Another thing I remember from my childhood around Christmas time was building the gingerbread house. This is a tradition that my family and I do every year. I think all families should do this because it was always fun to do. There is a kit you can buy at the grocery store with all of the pieces that you need. It has the walls and roof made out of graham crackers and you put the pieces together with frosting, which was my favorite part. Then you used the frosting to stick on all the candy to the outside of the walls which looked like decorations on a real house. Then on Christmas Eve we would leave it out for Santa to eat and he would always leave half of it for us to eat on Christmas Day.

The third thing I remember from Christmas time is sledding. We would wake up in the morning and get our snow suits on and put our hats, gloves, and boots on and go grab the sleds from the garage. Then we would meet up with all the kids on the block and go down the street to the hill in our neighborhood where we would meet up with all of the other kids on our block. Then we would spend what seemed like the whole day sledding down the hill and then carrying our sleds back up to the top while we avoided getting hit by the kids coming down the hill still. We would eventually get too cold and all go back to our houses to drink hot chocolate and eat lunch.

Also, who could for get the snowball fights? I aways ended up running home crying because one of the kids would throw a hard snowball at me and I was always the youngest one on our block so, of course, I would always get hurt. But, every year I would at least attempt to have fun and would always get a few good hits in before I got hurt. We would build up bunkers all along the block for us to hide behind during the fight. Then, we would make a ton of snowballs and hide them behind the bunkers so we had a fresh supply when we needed them. Then the fight would begin and everyone was on their own. Noone ever ended up winning because it would either get too cold or too late and we all had to go home to get changed and warmed up.

These are just a few things that you could look forward to doing when the snow gets heavier or you can look online and there are multiple other ideas for fun things to do.

Top Ten Cities to Visit in Spain (6-10)

2008-12-07T03:48:00.003-05:00

I had talked about the top five cities to visit in Spain a couple day ago. Here is the continued list of cities 6-10.

6) Valencia-

Valencia is the number three most populated city in Spain. But, it is very small for being so populated. Even though it is small, it has a lot of activitied to keep you entertained for a couple days. While you are here, don't forget to try the Paelle Valenciana. This is the dish that most people think of when they think of Spain, that is, if you come from the area or know the area well. This is because the dish was originated in Valencia. Valencia also hosted the America Cup in 2007 and the Formula 1 European Grand Prix in 2008.

7) Cordoba-

The mequita, or mosque, is the cities main attraction. But, the places around it are just as equally attractive. It also contains many religous architectures, civil and militay architectures, and archaelogical sitings.

8) Santiago de Compostela-

Most people come here to see the Camino de Santiago. Which is Santiago's main church, and is one of the oldest and most beautiful churches in Spain. The amazing, green countryside in Santiago is also well worth seeing.

9) San Sebastian-

San Sebastian is home to one of the most attractive beaches in Spain. It also is home to beautiful scenery, lively people, a diversity of entertainment, rich cultural activities, inovativ cuisines, major music and film festivals,

10) Salamanca-

Salamanca is located two and a half hours north-west of Madrid and is a beautiful university town.

2008 Best Christmas Gifts for Girls

2008-12-05T13:29:00.005-05:00

The Christmas season is here once again. Before we even realize it, it will be days before Christmas and the panic will set in. This has happened to me many times; I procrastinate long enough to where I'm shopping on Christmas Eve with everyone and their brother. The thing I hate is searching for a present that is sold out in almost every store. This year I've asked all my family for the lists early and I plan to get everything done before the rush sets in.

There are so many more toys out than there ever use to be. It can be overwhelming. Shopping for little kids can be the worst. A recommendation I have is to check out the Toy Retailers Association's (TRA) list of the predicted most popular gifts for kids each Christmas season. It helped me out a lot last year when I was trying to decide what new toy to get my little sister. The list is out for this year and there are plenty of things to choose from. Just a few from the list that I think sound pretty cool include:

Rescue Pets Swim to Me Puppy

This puppy is from the brand Rescue Pets; it's an adorable little dog that enjoys swimming. He's a plastic dog and as soon as you set him in water he begins to swim and doesn't stop. He comes with a towel, goggles, and an adoption certificate. This toy runs around $30.

Baby Born with Magic Potty

It's a great toy for little girls. This is a realistic baby that allows girls to pretend to be mothers. Each baby drinks, eats, pees/soils her diaper, cries, and moves her arms/legs. It's a great toy for girls to play with and mimic their moms. The price is around $30.

Barbie and the Diamond Castle Princess Liana Doll

Just like the High School Musical dolls, this doll sings song from the movie "Barbie and the Diamond Castle." Each doll comes with an ordinary dress that magically transforms into a fancy one for singing. Runs around $12.

Elmo Live

Elmo Live can be never endless fun. Elmo tells stories, jokes, sings, and dances. He is always doing something new. He is very realistic, his mouth moves as he talks, he waves his arms, and even crosses his legs. It's a little pricey, around $60, but I'm sure your girls will love it.

Besides these toys there are many other to choose from. Some others worth checking out are Bratz Girlz Really Rock Dolls, Littlest Pet Shop VIPs, Chou Chou My First Tooth, and Fur Real Biscuit, My Lovin' Pup.

~Activities For The Entire Family In Madrid~

2008-12-03T22:40:00.010-05:00

I have wanted to go to Spain, but when I was younger, I didn’t even know what Spain was or even in what general direction it was in. Traveling places with children can be a chore no matter where you are going, the supermarket, Grandma and Grandpa’s house, or even out to dinner. Traveling with children to a whole new country is an entirely different leap of its own. I know that I wouldn’t be bored going to all of the monuments, exploring Spain on foot, and wining and dining in the magnificent restaurants. But for a child, these things can seem pointless and very tiresome. I realized that even though that might be my dream vacation, that isn’t the same for families with children that are a bit younger. Here are some activities that the whole family can enjoy without getting bored:

If your family isn’t too afraid of heights and your children are old enough to sit still for about fifteen minutes, then you might look into seeing Madrid at a bird’s eye view. Try taking the cable car (“el Teleférico”) that was built with the amusement park (Parque de Atracciones). You begin your journey in on the Paseo del Pintor Rosales street and it takes you over the River Manzanares and into the Casa de Campo Park. While you are up there, you can see many of the attractions and even take photos from several different angles. The cabins reach a maximum height of 40 meters off the groujd and the length of the ride is 2.5 kilometers which takes just over ten minutes from beginning to end. The Teleferico runs every day from April to September and weekends during the other months. Their website as much more details.

The second place is the Madrid Zoo and Parque de Atracciones (Amusement Park),and they are located in La Casa de Campo de Madrid . Along with the amusement park, there is a Zoo and it was merged with the Aquarium in 1995. Madrid Zoo and Aquarium is considered one of the most modern and important zoos in Europe. The Parque de Atracciones has six distinct adventure zones, filled with exciting adventures and activities. There's the Naturaleza or Nature zone, the Maquinismo or Automation zone, the Tranquilidad or Tranquility zone, the Infantil or Infant zone, the Gran Avenida or Grand Avenue zone, and the Trispace Virtual or Virtual World zone. This is one of the largest theme parks in Europe. It is open from mid-April to mid-September, opening every day at 12 noon. During the winter months of the year it is only open at weekends. It attracts 2.2 million visitors a year, employs 350 people, and has around 40 attractions. It would be fun for the whole family; honestly how many chances will you have to go to an amusement park in another country?

When traveling to Spain, make sure to the time to do activities that the entire family places that everyone can enjoy and spend time together as a family. For more ideas, you can visit Go Madrid and finding more activities for the family.

Top Ten Cities to Visit in Spain (1-5)

2008-12-03T22:26:00.009-05:00

1. Barcelona

With it's Gaudi architecture, Las Rambles, and the vibrant city life, Barcelona is by far the top city to visit in Spain. There are many types of tours you can take while in Barcelona. You can take a walking tour where you have a personalized tour with many different focuses throughout the tour. There is also a Mp3 Tour. During the Mp3 tour, there are many advantages compared to a walking tour. You can take these tours at your own pace. Whether you just want to take it slow and make it last all day, or make it into a multiple day tour, you can do whatever you want. If you don't like bus tours, and walking tours take too long, you can take a cycling tour. Or you can choose a scooter tour if the bicycle tour take too long for you. You can also take a Tapas Night Walking Tour on this tour, you take a walk down the streets of downtown and are able to stop at a few of the bars and cafes if you would like. Don't forget to take a walk down Las Rambles, which is Barcelona's most famous street. You can find the famous Las Rambles Street Performers all along the street. Feel free to stop and listen for a while.

2. Madrid

Madrid gets many mixed emotiong from different people. Some people find Madrid very exciting and interesting and others just simply don't like it. Madrid is the capital of Spain and most people use this as a starting point when visiting Spain. Madrid does have more bars and cafes than Barcelona and more neat little areas to enjoy a cup of coffee. Also, depending on where you go, it is also a little bit quieter than Baarcelona. If you really wanted to accomplish everything there is to do in Madrid it would take a few weeks. Make sure you plan ahead and determine what you do want to see and which things you want to see the most.

3. Granada

With its Moorish Alhambra fortress, the free tapas, and Moroccan tea houses you will never want to leave Granada! The Moorish Alhambra fortress is a complex in the hills above Granada. It is where the seat of government was for ruling the Moors until they were exiled in 1942. The Alhambra was later the home to Catholic kings. All of the architecture is a mixture of the earlier Arabic sytle and later Christian modifications. When you add some of the most beautiful gardens you have ever seen to the view of this fortress, you have got your self an amazing day.

4. Seville

Seville is hot in more ways than one. Not only do the temperatures in the summer reach almost 120 degrees ferenheit they also have the Alcazar and Cathedral that are extremely enchanting to view. Seville is the spiritual home of bullfighting and flamenco and it has the most beautiful gardens and buildings in all of Spain. If you are going anywhere in Spain, you have to see atleast one bullfight. This is what Spain is all about. It also has the Semana Santa celebrations at Easter which are famous all over the world. Try to avoid Seville in July and August unles you can stand temperatures of 120 degrees ferenheit!

5. Bilbao

This is home to the Guggenheim Museum, one of Spain's most important museums. It is also a great place to sample excellent pintxos, the Basque country version of Tapas. Bilbao used to be a small industrial city with little more than that. Until they built the Guggenheim Museum. Although it doesn't have the beautiful beaches, it is a must see just to visit the museum.

I will post cities 6-10 later this week so make sure you check back up to get the rest!

~Restaurants in Madrid~

2008-12-02T16:41:00.007-05:00

I have never personally been to Spain, but I have wanted to go for the longest time. I haven’t had the time or the funds to go, because when I plan on going to Spain, I plan on being there for quite some time. How could you go to Spain for just a few days? I would have to stay for at least a week and a half, and that’s just to take in the culture and atmosphere. I know that when I do go to Spain, I will most definitely be visiting two restaurants. Combarro and Chantarella are both two of the most exquisite and delicious restaurants in Madrid.

Apparently, there are two Combarro restaurants in Madrid, located in Ortega and Gasset, which are very central and not difficult to find. Both restaurants are luxuriously decorated and almost breathe taking. For over thirty years Manuel Domínguez has been in charge and has had a lot of experience with food from Galicia. The restaurants serve nothing but the best products from Galicia daily, also inside there is a live fish tank, so you know exactly where your dinner came from and that it is fresh. Some have said that this restaurant has the best quality of seafood and fish that can be found in Madrid. The menu contains some recovered traditional Galician dishes along with new recipes to compliment the traditional flavors. To accompany the delicious food, they also serve some excellent white wines from Galicia.

And that is just the food, I the reviews that I have read online have been really good. To find out more about Combarro, you can visit their website. They have a lot of information about their restaurant, mind you that it is in Spanish, but don’t let that get you down. If you are planning on going to Spain anytime soon and would like to eat at Combarro, then I suggest that you make a reservation. You can even make a reservation on their website, it’s easy and well worth it I’m sure. From what I can tell this restaurant is gorgeous and I hope I am able to go have the opportunity to eat there.

Chantarella is my second pick; I read about Chantarella and instantly fell in love with it. I haven’t even seen a picture of the restaurant, but I want to go anyway. This restaurant is near the Plaza de España and is run by two brothers, Enrique and Alvaro Díaz (they are pictured both on each end and their business partner in the middle). These brothers aren’t afraid to take risks and work through the rough patches. The restaurant has only nine tables in a narrow room that is awkwardly decorated in vibrant primary colors. Their creaky front door, cracked olive bowls, and well worn menus are just some of the things that make this restaurant a gem that I hope to truly appreciate one day.

The Díaz brothers use a symbol of a mushroom for their restaurant which is appropriate, due to their gutsy, rootsy cooking that has a light touch of modern styles of cooking. From what I have heard, Chantarella is packed full every lunch and dinner, which isn’t hard for me to believe. It is necessary to put a reservation in up to a week in advance, which seems so crazy for the general laid back atmosphere of Madrid. They are open weekdays from 1pm-5pm and 9pm-midnight. They are closed Saturdays and Sundays.

I really can’t wait to visit Spain and to be able to eat in such amazing restaurants like Combarro and Chantarella. I know that they are a bit on the high end of price ranges, but when in Spain, you will spend mucho. Whether you meant to or not.

Thanksgiving Break with some friends

2008-11-30T22:07:00.004-05:00

I just got back from my Thanksgiving vacation and I find myself literally dead, well from exhaustion. Originally we went to Miami in order to catch a little sun and party at the clubs, but on Friday we found ourselves taking a 4 hour road trip to Orlando. The 4 hour ride sucked, I slept much of the way, but honestly it was completely worth it. On Friday they took me to The Magic Kingdom where I had never been before. The moment I stepped inside I was a little girl all over again. It was so neat to see all the Disney characters that I had once sat on the floor and watched their movies over and over again. You could spot them all over the park taking pictures with all the little kids, I didn't get the chance to get a picture because the lines were so long and my friends and I obviously wanted to get on all the rides. The rides were pretty cool too. Finally I got the chance to ride on the famous "Splash Mountain" of which all my friends had talked about and it was great! The line was long, but again it was worth it. The whole set of characters and story line before the big fall is really cute and very well put together, it makes you feel like you are actually in this little cartoon world. Then the big splash...HILARIOUS and REFRESHING! I just loved it and even decided to buy those picture packages for the whole group. My other favorite was Space Mountain which was really cool because you find yourself in this roller coaster where you cant see anything because its all pitch black. In this one I couldn't stop laughing because my friend who sat in the back was screaming the whole ride, and the funny part is that friend is a guy. By the end of the night we were all starving so we decided to buy one of those turkey legs and "OH MY GOD, what a turkey leg!". It was huge, like they just took it off a Flintstones cartoon or something. So after our bellies were all filled up we decided that it was time to go because the next day we would be waking up early in order to go to Islands of Adventure. We said goodbye to The Magic Kingdom while the final parade was going on which was beautiful there was glitter, lights, dancers and the castle was "picture perfect".

Now Islands of Adventure was a whole new deal. This place was insane with all the crazy rides and whats even more crazy is that we all decided to get on ALL of the rides. From Dueling Dragons to Spider-Man and the Hulk we were busy all day walking from one end of the park to the other. The lines actually were not bad at all the most we had to wait was 40 minutes for Spider-Man which was a lot better than I expected since its 3D and not really a roller coaster. Then end of the ride is great, you find yourself falling off a skyscraper and it feels so real that its kind of scary. Now the Hulk is another really powerful ride which you should not pass the opportunity of getting on even if it looks a tad intimidating. What I do advice for anyone who is planning on going to the park soon is to take a bag with extra clothes. My friends and I decided to do all of the water-involving rides at the same time so that we would only get wet once and by the end of it when we got out of Popeye's ride we were drenched. And when I mean drenched I mean like soaking wet, shirts and hair dripping water. The point is that the day was pretty windy so we were all shivering from the cold, four of them went back to the cars in order to change and I stayed behind with my best friend and we regretted it, because obviously it took us a long time to fully dry off. Besides the goose bumps the water rides were super fun. Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls, Popeye's and the Jurassic Park ride were some of my favorites. Well actually I loved the whole park. I dont know if it was the fact that I had never been to any of these two parks or maybe the people that I went with made the trip so much funner, I just enjoyed my time so much at these parks that I cant wait to go back and test some more rides. I really think that its a great way to spend time with family and friends in a safe and happy environment. So just go and remember what I always say: bring your cameras!

West Edmonton Mall

2008-11-30T17:48:00.005-05:00

I have been to Canada more times than I can count. I have family that live in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, which is right over the border to Canada. Usually once a summer my family either travels there to see them or their family comes to the United States to see us. I have also traveled to and toured around Toronto and Niagara Falls. Both were pretty short trips but enough time to see some of the main sights. In Toronto my family and I saw the play Mama Mia. It was my first big play I've seen and it was amazing. Niagara Falls was pretty neat too. We took a ride on the Maid of the Mist, which is a boat that takes you right up close to the falls. You actually get so wet you have to wear ponchos. I love my family trips to Canada, but one place we haven't been that I'd really like to go is the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta.

The West Edmonton Mall is the largest mall in North America and the forth largest in the world. It has over 800 stores, a waterpark, amusement park (Galaxy land), indoor lake, movie theatre, and ice rink. It is definitely more than a one-day trip. It seems a little overwhelming to me, but I wouldn't have to do everything there is to offer. Just being there would be a lot of fun.

The waterpark is North America's largest indoor waterpark. It is known for its wave pool, which is the world's largest indoor wave pool. The waves can be up to 2 meters high. The Twister is the tallest slide, reaching a height up to 83 feet. Tube rides are also available.

Galaxy Land as you might have guessed, is the world's largest indoor amusement park. As of right now there are 24 rides and attractions. New ones are currently being developed. I think the nice thing about the amusement park is the rides are rated of levels. There are 8 beginner rides, 9 intermediate, and 7 thrill. Beginner rides, such as the carousel, would mostly be for younger kids or those who might not have been to an amusement park. Intermediate rides can be roller coasters with no loops or spin rides. The thrill rides are more advanced. They include most of the big coasters. Mindbender is one of the most popular coasters. It has tons of twists, three vertical loops, and many more surprises. I will definitely go to the amusement park when I visit the mall.

My cousins have actually been to the mall. They two places they visited were the amusement park and waterpark. In the waterpark they said the wave pool was one of the best things there. The waves are so high you feel as if you are on top of the other kids farther back than you. In the amusement park they liked the Mindbender and Galaxy Orbiter, another coaster that intertwines with the Mindbender.

A Winter Vacation in Canada

2008-11-30T15:11:00.004-05:00

Canada is a great place to go and enjoy some fun winter sports. For a family that wouldn’t mind being active and engaging in some fun winter activities, I think that Canada would be a great winter vacation. Canada has both downhill and cross-country skiing that can be found in numerous resorts. Most cities in Canada are close to ski resorts, which makes it very convenient. The prices of the ski passes at the resorts tend to be relatively low priced, which is great for a family trip. Of course, you have to not mind that you won’t be getting out of the cold for this trip. But otherwise it would be great for some outdoor fun.

Purdue vs. Oklahoma

2008-11-30T14:46:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago I had written a post about Purdue basketball and how good they should be this season. The regular season had not started yet but there had been a few pre season games that had already let them show their talent. Robbie Hummel and E’Twaun Moore have both been the leading scorers for the majority of games so far, just as predicted.

Before Friday night Purdue was 5-0, however on Friday Purdue had their first loss against Oklahoma. They put up a great fight against them, who were ranked number 11, but just couldn’t pull through in the end. "This stinks," Painter said. "We felt we had the game and it slipped out of our hands." There were many lead changes, ties throughout the game, and even an overtime- that just showed this game was a great match up.

From the Purdue side, there were quite a bit of fouls against us. In total there were 46 against Purdue and 5 against Oklahoma. In my opinion this had an impact on the game and the score. Although Oklahoma missed a lot of the free throws (especially in the beginning) it still gave them a number of free points compared to us. Whether this was a major factor in the end result, it is hard to say, but I feel that when you have two great teams like these and the free throws are that spread apart, there has to be something wrong with the refs’ calls.

"I talked to our guys afterward about how games are called. It's like injuries. You can't control it," Painter said.

E’Twaun Moore had another great game scoring a total of 22 points. Robbie Hummel also did a good job with only 10 points but a total of 9 rebounds. Hummel’s low scoring resulted from only being able to get in 24 minutes because of foul problems. As I mentioned before, there were a lot of them.

This was a really close game for both Purdue and Oklahoma which ended with a score of 87-82 (Oklahoma). It was a tough one for both of them with such strong teams. I don’t think this will have an impact on the way Purdue performs in the future. There are some tough teams we are scheduled to play soon, but I think that Purdue just proved that they could put up a good fight. I look forward to seeing Purdue vs. Duke at Purdue on December 2, 2008. The game starts at 9 PM ET. Let’s go Boilers!

~Niagara Falls~

2008-11-27T09:47:00.004-05:00

Niagara Falls is known as the as the "Honeymoon Capital of the World." Over 50,000 Niagara Honeymooners arrange their honeymoon there a year. Now don’t think that just because you are single or have a family of six, that you can’t go and visit Niagara Falls. I just suggest that everyone at least once in their life goes to Niagara Falls and stares in awe of its grandeur.

My family went to Niagara Falls, but we were on the Canada side of the Falls. My dad’s best friend in high school, they were always getting into some sort of trouble, lives in Ontario, Canada. He and his wife suggested that we come up and visit when my dad had time off work. The only time my dad had any time off work was just around Christmas, so Christmas of 1998 my parents loaded us up and we drove to Ontario, Canada. I was so excited, I always thought that leaving the United States would be so wonderful and that I would meet a girl that was just like me, but only she would have a cool accent. The whole drive up I was trying to picture this girl and I confusing our parents and becoming best friends forever.

We arrived at my dad’s old friend’s house and to my disappointment, he and his wife didn’t have a daughter that looked like me, they didn’t even have kids. I was very much disappointed, but because they didn’t have children, they spoiled us rotten. My parents hadn’t gotten us very many presents because we weren’t home for Christmas and the trip was a sort of vacation so we didn’t have room for presents anyhow. I was kind of upset about not getting any presents, but when we got settled in and I saw that there were presents under the Christmas tree that had my name on it I completely flipped out. I got just about everything that I had put on my Christmas list.

For New Years Eve, my parent’s anniversary, the couple we were staying with took us kids to Niagara Falls to ring in the New Year and to see the falls all decorated for Christmas. It was absolutely breath taking; I couldn’t believe how gorgeous the falls were. I wanted to take it all in and never forget a single moment there. The falls were more magnificent than any picture could show and the sheer noise of them was exhilarating. I wish I could go back once a year, I had so much fun.

They had to drag me out and strap me in the car quickly otherwise I don’t think I would have left. When we met up with our parents later that week, I told them all about the falls and how we should stop by there again on the way home. Unfortunately, they were out of the way for us and my parents knew better than to take me back especially since leaving without me not crying would impossible. Going to Niagara Falls is still on my list of things to do, hopefully its sooner than later.

Sandstone Grillhouse in Canada

2008-11-27T02:59:00.002-05:00

Sandstone Grillhouse is the number one rated restaurant in Canada according to TripAdvisor. Located in Niagra Falls,Ontario, the majority of the reviews on TripAdvisor have said nothing but good things about the restaurant. It used to be known as Tony's Place, and before that it was known as the White House Restaurant. In 1998, the owners daughter opened her own restaurant right next door, called After Hours Bistro. In 2007, the two restaurants combined and sold After Hours Bistro and renovated Tony's Place to become Sandstone Grillhouse. They took the design and delicacies of After Hours Bistro, and the service and style of Tony's Place and created and amazing restaurant.

A Cruise for the Holidays

2008-11-23T22:26:00.002-05:00

So as the holidays are approaching, many families are looking for nice vacation spots to get away. The last two Christmas breaks, my family has taken a cruise with Royal Caribbean. Both times we took the Mexico route and went to Cancun, Belize, and Cancun. Now, my mom, dad and I all love to sit out by the pool. However, my 15-year-old sister hates lying out and would much rather be in doors. Believe it or not, we all were 100% satisfied and happy throughout the entire trip.

The first cruise was absolutely amazing and the weather was beautiful. The second time, the weather was horrible. It is really hard to predict this time of year what the weather is going to be like because it can either be hot and sunny or cold and windy. In fact, the second time we went (last year) it was about 65 degrees and so windy that you would not have even wanted to stop outside.

The great thing about a cruise, though, is the fact that you can still find fun on the ship. During the day we went to the casino and participated in the day games such as BINGO. There really is so much to keep you active on the ship. For the kids, there are different clubs that they can go to based on age. The clubs all have leaders that are really fun with the kids and have events planned by the hour.

Once the day is over, it gets even better because the dinners are fantastic. The dinners are 5 courses in which are pretty much planned out each night, with a few options. There is at least one dinner, the captain’s dinner, in which you dress in formal attire. It is always fun to dress up and see everyone else. After dinner, there are many different activities that you can participate in. You can pretty much find anything from shows, karaoke, and live game shows to relaxing in the bar.

When the weather is good, I can tell you that you will not be bored on the ship. If you are a sunbather, like me, they have a ton of chairs around a pool to lie out and poolside activities that go on throughout the day to keep it fun. I had just as much fun during the day as I did at night.

My best advice for a family vacation during the holidays is a cruise…especially if you cannot decide on an exact location. The great part about a cruise is that you can pick one that goes to the few places that you want to travel to, but all in one trip. The time is short and goes by quickly, but I have enjoyed every cruise that I have been on whether it was hot or cold outside.

Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino

2008-11-23T20:02:00.004-05:00

I've only been to New Mexico once and it was when I was a lot younger. I've always loved going out west and I even want to move out there later in life. New Mexico has always interested me. I never hear of people going to take vacations there. Everyone's always going to Colorado or Arizona it seems. I'm thinking of taking a trip to New Mexico this summer.

I've heard about many possible places to stay, but as of right now I think my first choice would be the Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino, located in Santa Fe. As of right now it is the largest casino hotel. I would stay here because there is a lot to do. The resort has a casino, nightclubs, places to eat, live shows, and their very own golf course. The nice thing about the resort and the wide variety of things to do is that there is something to do for everyone at reasonable prices.

The hotel has a fun atmosphere. A small Mexican tribe, the Pueblo of Pojoaque, built it so a lot of the decorations and looks are authentic. There are two pools and each was built to resemble Roman baths. They have large columns around the pools and fountains pouring into the pools. It seems really cool. The rooms also look very homey. Even though the hotel is Indian themed the rooms are very modern looking. They have the authentic Indian pattern as comforter. The desks and tables are all carved and painted to look old. The Buffalo Thunder Resort is the place to stay if you're looking for a modern Indian resort and want a lot to do all at your hotel. It looks like a very unique experience; I can't wait to go.

My Top 3 "Must Go See's " of Puerto Rico

2008-11-23T19:43:00.006-05:00

Its so cool to see that on the 2008 November issue of TripAdvisor Puerto Rico landed as #4 of Top Islands to Visit. Its always very nice to know that the country where you live is being recognized for its beauty. That is why I decided to take a little advantage of the situation and list my personal favorite places to visit while vacationing in "La Isla del Encanto" which means "The Island of Enchantment".

1. The Beaches: #1 attraction for me in Puerto Rico. We are surrounded by water so we get to enjoy some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. My top three favorite beaches are: Ocean Park, the Hilton Hotel beach and Flamenco Beach. All three are amazing but I choose between the three depending on what I want to do at the beach that day. Ocean Park is in an area called Condado, its just about half an hour from Old San Juan. This is were the locals, especially teens, tend to go with all the friends from all the different high schools and universities in order to enjoy a day together under the sun. It tends to get extraordinarily crowded so get there early. People bring their own chairs, stereos and the most important thing, the cooler. Everyone brings them full with beer, but if you happened to forget it or maybe run out no worries, these three old men are always walking by yelling "Agua, Cerveza, Pina Colada" which means "Water, Beer, Pina Colada". I would say that to relax this isn't the right beach, instead go to the private beach at the Hilton Hotel. The problem with this one is that you need to be a guest at the hotel or have some type of connection to get a pass and be able to get in. The reason for its exclusivity is the beach itself. Its a small very calm beach, it has a barrier made of rocks that breaks the waves before they hit the shore so you can just lying on the warm with the breeze hitting you and the sound of the water is a great way to take that stress off you shoulders. And the last one is Flamenco Beach a long narrow beach in one of Puerto Rico's islands Culebra. This one is BEAUTIFUL! There are two ways to get to Flamenco Beach: a "paper like" airplane from east coast city Fajardo or the ferry boat. I prefer the ferry because you sit up on the top deck and you are able to start working on that sun tan even before getting to the beach. Once you get there, you will find tons of SUV's aka the taxis that are waiting to drive you to Flamenco Beach. When you finally reach Flamenco after like a 20 minute ride don't panic if you run out of breath. This is normal at first. The water is so clear that you can see even the tiniest little fish swimming, the sand is white and if you happen to go on a good day, there is not a single could in the sky. At Flamenco you can do anything: snorkeling, read a novel, play some soccer...whatever you want. If you happen to love it so much there are two nearby local hotels that offer accommodations.

2. El Yunque: I've been to El Yunque about three times already and every time I go I still get that feeling of being in a magical place. The vegetation that surrounds you is so intense that you cant help but to just be in "aw" from the moment you enter it to the moment you leave. You see all types of trees from the Sierra Palms to the variation of epiphytes, tree orchids; and if your lucky you may spot 2 of Puerto Ricos endangered species: the Coqui, which is a tiny tree frog and the Puerto Rican Parrot which is feathered with bright colors and sings a beautiful melody. The experience at the forest is free unless you want an official tour guide, then you have to pay $5 per person. Personally I like going on my own with a group of friends, the different paths along the mountain are well labeled and there are always people walking by making sure that you are okay. Best advice I can give you is wear a bathing suit underneath, then a T-shirt, some shorts, a worn out pair of sneakers that you don't mind getting wet. Oh and don't let me forget the backpack! Be sure to take one have towels, plenty of water bottles, the camera and snacks to make you hike a bit more enjoyable. The rocks are slippery from the moisture and moss. There is a lot of elevations and tree branches that you need to either jump or duck in order to pass on. Why did I mention a bathing suit? Well that is because one of my favorite things of El Yunque its the natural waterfalls that over the years have been created ending up in small rivers and lakes. The water is really clean and crystal clear. Trust me that when you see you will want to jump in immediately, just be careful because the water is very very very cold!! The rain forest is open 7 days a week and its closing time is 6PM since it gets dark after that and I would just really not like to be in a big dark forest all by myself.

3. Bioluminescent Bay in Vieques: At yet another of Puerto Ricos offshore islands, you will find another of my favorite wonders of the island. This one is a night activity and it turns into a night like no other. The bioluminescent bay offers an experience that makes you believe you are hallucinating. Get in the water and all the water you touch turns into a blue/green phosphorescent color! Is this girl tripping us you ask? Nope, I'm not. There is this whole scientific explanation behind this phenomenon with complicated terms that I cant even pronounce, so I'm going to give you the info for dummies. There are these microorganisms that are like half plant half animal, that when you agitate them they release a chemical that reacts with the water to form the fluorescence that we see. The best nights to go is when there is no moon, this way you are literally in a black hole and you can truly admire the beauty and coolness of these little creatures and what they create. To get to Vieques again you can take a ferry or an airplane. I wouldn't advice to go an do this alone if its your first time, there are locals all over the place who tell you at what time to meet up with them and they take you to the bay. By the way these locals are so nice and are all into reggae so you'll be listening to Bob the whole night. So come and jam with us under the dark sky.

These are my personal favorite. But trust me when I say that Puerto Rico offers much more. All I can say is come on over and make a favorite list of your own. :)

~A Win Lose Situation~

2008-11-23T19:09:00.006-05:00

My little brother was a boy scout throughout his high school career and loved it. One of his favorite trips that he took with his troop was to Philmont, New Mexico. More than 860,000 Scouts, venturers, and leaders have experienced the adventure of Philmont since the first camping season in 1939. Philmont is full of history, knowledge, and opportunity that can’t be experienced in a more appropriate atmosphere.

The summer just before my little brother’s turned 14, his Boy Scout troop went to Philmont. They were gone for two weeks but stayed in Philmont for only a week, the drive there took a long time, and they camped along the way. He was kind of nervous as he packed for his trip, he was really excited, but he had heard about all of the different types of wildlife that have been found in Philmont. He tried to act all confident and calm, but I could tell that he was a little nervous about making sure that he never got lost or left behind. My mom was a mess, she couldn’t believe that he precious baby was going to be gone for so long and that he was going all alone. My dad tried reassuring her that nothing was going to go wrong and that we have known and gone to church with his troop leader for years and that he would be in good hands, she wasn’t convinced. I on the other hand couldn’t wait for him to be gone, that meant that I could watch whatever I wanted and get online anytime I wanted without having to worry about taking turns.

While my dad drove him to his troop master’s house, I took a look at his room and notice that most of his things were gone; it looked like he packed his entire room and taken it with him. My mom was, of course, very emotional and she cried until my dad got back from dropping him off. I had never seen her like this and couldn’t believe that she was so emotional. I had a blast during those two weeks, I played on the computer, watched tv, had a sleep over that wasn’t interrupted by an annoying little brother. It felt like had the house to myself because my two older brothers had summer jobs, so they were gone most of the time. I loved it!

As soon as I was getting used to have command over the tv and having most of my parents attention, my brother returned. It wasn’t fair, once he walked in the door, everything that I had worked so hard to gain in those two weeks melted away. All anyone wanted to hear or talk about was his trip. I wasn’t too upset about not getting a ton of attention, just so long as everyone knew that things were being ran differently now. That didn’t last at all, my little brother and I went back to our old ways of fighting about everything and my two older brothers were finished with their jobs for the summer and of course felt that they needed to let some of their frustrations out on me.

At least I had two weeks to be the princess of the house and rule in any way that I felt was necessary. I eventually got over it and we worked everything out. I love my brothers and now that we live so far apart, I am looking forward to spending the holidays with them and catch up.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

2008-11-23T18:58:00.003-05:00

Albuquerque is a really popular place to travel to within New Mexico. A great thing about it is that they offer a lot of different lodging options. Albuquerque has everything from amazing luxury hotels to budget- friendly inns. A lot of other travel blogs say that when you are looking for a hotel in this area, it is important to remember that the hotels can widely vary depending on the neighborhood your in. If you are downtown it is likely you’ll find nothing but upscale and flashy hotels. These are especially common for business travelers. The Hyatt Regency Albuquerque is a perfect example of a hotel here. If you go uptown, it is more of a shopping area. The hotels in uptown Albuquerque are there to accommodate leisure travelers. The Sheraton is a good example of a hotel you would find here. Then, there are the hotels around the airport (ABQ Airport and UNM specifically) that are for easy access to the airport and offer budget- friendly hotels as well. These hotels are also good for overnight business travelers. Finally, right near downtown is the Historic Old Town. If you are a shop-a-holic and a fan of antique this is a perfect spot. This place has a ton of beautiful boutique hotels that are full of Southwestern appeal and beauty. I think that by booking a hotel in Albuquerque there are so many options for price and atmosphere that it would be hard to go wrong.

Outside of the wonderful array of lodging options, Albuquerque’s dining is nothing but spectacular. The food is definitely aimed for fans of South American and Mexican flavor….but then again it is New Mexico. A big hit, that was recommended in an Albuquerque blog is, Los Equipales. It offers a fantastic menu that is full of authentic Mexican food. McGrath’s is another hotspot in the restaurant atmosphere, which takes another take on favorite southwestern foods. Here they blend American favorites with an Argentinean spice. For an outstanding Italian meal, Le Café Miche and Scalo would definitely be worth a reservation. Personally, Le Café Miche sounds like it would be my choice by the number of great reviews it got.

There are a variety of activities that appeal to both locals and tourists throughout the year in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their biggest event is the International Balloon Fiesta, which is held in early October. It is the largest hot air balloon gathering and is the most photographed event of any kind in the world. There are also hundreds of national and international performances that take place throughout the year. The nightlife activities in Albuquerque rage with Southwestern flair. There are all sorts of places that you could go to and be able to find anything from a sophisticated bar to a big- city style club. Whatever atmosphere you choose to be in you will still have a great time here and find yourself in a diverse scene. Two favorites of locals are Billy’s Long Bar and Kelly’s Brewery, where you could find “easygoing fun”. They both had great ratings by different travel blogs for the Albuquerque area. The UNM students recommend and The Library, which sound like they would have an atmosphere of a younger crowd, but would still be a great place to check out for some fun at night.

Top 10 Island Escapes

2008-11-22T20:46:00.006-05:00

TripAdvisor has announced their top ten island escapes for November, 2008.

1)Maui, Hawaii, United States

Have you ever imagined watching the sunrise from on top of a 10,000 foot volcano, or swimming under waterfalls, or hiking through craters and relaxing on white, red, or even black sand? If any of these things are what you are looking for then you need to visit Maui. You can hop on a catamaran, which is , to go snorkeling or scuba diving. Or you can go golfing, dining, visit the winerys, museums or just sit on the beach and enjoy your favorite drink. Though, the most popular thing to do on this island are the Safari Boat Excursions, which I would suggest looking into before you visit.

2)St. Lucia, Carribean, North America

This is a small carribean island that is fun for families and honemooners. Activities range from relaxing things, such as sunbathing on golden-sand beaches, visiting colonial villages, or soaking in thermal baths, to more active things such as, ziplining through the rainforest canopy, windsurfing in the clear blue water, or climbing a dormant volcano. You can also experience the unique activity of walking between the steaming sulfur springs of volcanic Mt. Soufrière. Also, every Friday night you can join the locals for outdoor dancing and seafood dinners.

3)Santorini, Cyclades, Greece

Santorini is located in the southern Aegean's Cyclades islands. It curves around a giant lagoon and a caldera left by a volcano eruption. Hydrofoils, ferries, and catamarans connect the island to other islands in the Cyclades and to the main land. They also have an amazing night life around the island with fun filled night clubs and even disco clubs.

4)Puerto Rico, Carribean, North America

People interested in cultural areas will love visiting La Isla's heritage and history, from Old San Juans charms to folk art and festivals in the outlying towns. Coffee plantations, colonial towns, beaches, bars, and restaurants are waiting to be explored by all visitors. Old San Juan is a very atmospheric place to wander. Or you can experience life at a different pace with rainforest hiking, scuba diving, or swimming.

5)Jamaica, Carribean, North America

Jamaica is home to a melting pot of African, Asian, European, and Middle Eastern cultures. You will see this in their strong crafts and traditions, performing arts and distinctive dining options. You can go to the famous cliff jumping spot at Negril Cliffs or take it a little easier on the long beaches, protected coves, rugged mountains, waterfalls, caves, with chances to play in the surf, ride horses or even swim with dolphins.

6)Bora Bora, Society Islands, French Polynesia

Bora Bora makes quite the first impression when you look out at the beach and see turquoise lagoons from all around the island roads which traces its 19-mile circumference. This place may be small but there is a lot of things to do. You can dip your feet into the water at the Lagoonarium, the diving center, the coral gardens, or the leopard rays trench. At the end of the day, you can sit on top of the 2300 foot Mount Otemanu and look around at all of these watery wonders, or view them while taking a walk through the palm-studded Matria Point.

7)Bahamas, Carribean, North America

The Bahamian Archipelago containing over 700 islands and cays includes the popular cities of Freeport and Nassau. Freeport offers great shopping experiences and many casinos. Nassau also offers great gambling activities and the Ardastra Gardens Zoo. In the Bahamas, you can experience swimming with dolphins and sharks, or snorkeling in the pristine reefs are just some of the fun things you can experience while in the Bahamas.

8)Phuket, Thailand, Asia

There is a rainbow array of colors to view while your vacationing at Phuket. You can see anything from blue lagoons to pink sunsets to orange-robed monks. Transportation includes three-wheeled Tuk Tuks, taxis, buses and long-tailed boats. The south coast contains the most popular beaches here while the north coast is more tranquil. Diving, snorkeling, surfing, and sailing are just a few of the active sports that people can engage in while visiting Phuket. If you want to stay on the land, forested hills, mountains, and cliffs wait to be explored.

9)Turks and Caicos, Carribean, North America

When you visit Turks and Caicos, you can island hop by ferry or you can stay on one island and ride around on a rented bike or scooter. This island lures people in when they see that Turks and Caicos' eight major islands contain the longest coral reefs, 230 miles of snady beaches, crystal clear waters, and a bounty of dive spots. This is all located just east of the Bahamas. The bird sanctuary French Cay, underwater Columbus Landfall National Park or the Caicos Conch Farm are among some of the major attractions of these islands.

10)St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, Carribean

St. John had many things to do, just like most islands. You can do all sorts of things from visiting specialty shops to National Parks to gorgeous beaches. I would love to go to this island because there are many shops to stop at along the way, and that is one of my favorite things to do.

When I think of a island, the only things I can think of are beaches and oceans. But, after doing a little bit of research on these top ten islands, I realized there is a lot of other things to do, as well as beaches and oceans. I would have never guessed how many things you can do on these small little islands. So when your thinking of your next vacation, check out some of these places and all of the things you can do while your here!

P.S. Make sure you check out the "Before you go" section at each of the sites so you know what to expect when you get there!

Torinos @ Home

2008-11-21T22:57:00.003-05:00

http://www.torinosfoods.com/ is a great Italian bistro and deli. They have amazing panini's, italian sandwiches, salads, specials, and more. Torino's is located in downtown Santa Fe and was placed at number one on TripAdvisors top restaurants in Santa Fe. They have all kinds of great homemade Italian food. They have excellent pastas such as tagliatelle with either marinara, pesto, bolognese, or blue cheese sauce. You can get combos of your choice with either a sandwich and a house salad, a sandwich and soup, a sandwich and dessert, or soup and a house salad, you can get any of these combonations for only $9.50. You can choose from any of the sandwiches on the menu or you can make your own panini, which sounds very appetizing to me. Torino's is opens at 8AM when they only serve coffee and brownies, and then from 10:30 to 4PM, they are open for lunch. So make sure if you are in Santa Fe you stop at Torinos @ Home to get your lunch!

The Four Corners

2008-11-20T19:45:00.005-05:00

When I was little I took many summer trips with my family out West. We've taken trips to South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore, and Wyoming to stay at Yellowstone National Park, but we've also stayed in Montana, North Dakota, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. I have quite a bit of family in Colorado so I've stayed there on many occasions. One of my most memorable trips out West includes my stay in New Mexico and our trip to the Four Corners.

The Four Corners, is the only point in the United States where four states touch. People visiting can be in four states at one time. When we went there is was very busy. We had to wait around for our turn to get up close and stand in all of the states. I'll admit it's kind of neat to say I've stood in four states at once, but I think the whole thing is a little overrated. Some people there were a little too excited.

After our day at the Four Corners we stayed in Bloomfield, New Mexico at the Best Western Territorial Inn. For the most part it was a nice hotel. All throughout the lobby and main floor there are painted murals of old western scenes high on the walls. I liked how it gave me the old western kind of feel during my stay. I also liked how the hotel offered an indoor pool and hot tub. It was nice to come back after a day of walking and just relax. When I heard the hotel had a exercise room I was excited to try it out, however, after seeing it I didn't. It was very small and didn't have much to offer, only a few machines. Our hotel room was pretty much the typical hotel room with small beds, a little couch to sit on, and mini fridge. There was nothing great about it. It would be hard for big families. The Best Western is not bad for a one-night stay, but I wouldn't recommend it for a long stay.

Four Corners

2008-11-19T21:25:00.004-05:00

Andiamo! is one of Santa Fe's favorite restaurants. Santa Fe is located close to the four corners area. This is the only place in the United States where it is possible to be in four states at once. These states are New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. The name comes from the four corners monument which is places where the four states touch. Andiamo serves high-quality italian-inspired food at reasonable prices. They also promote the work of local talented artists by displaying pieces of work for the customers enjoyment.

In 2003, tom Hill from Local Flavor quotes:

"With not a lot of hoopla or fanfare, Joan Gillcrist and her staff have been satisfying locals with their rustic Italian fare for almost eight years. The focus remains on fresh ingredients, with a selection of appetizers, pizzas, pastas, and meat entrees. The menu changes every few months as seasonal ingredients come and go. One of the genuine attractions of Andiamo is its wine list. In addition to great food and great wines, Andiamo has a certain feel to it that is seldom found in other restaurants."

In July of 2004, SantaFe.com quotes:

"Andiamo!, tucked away on Garfield Street in the same modest house that was once the Garfield Grill, is a favorite dinner spot for locals and a word-of-mouth surprise for visitors. The wine menu has a depth and variety to mirror the menu which, we can honestly say, does not have a weak link. Service is efficient and friendly, portions are generous. This is a comfortable, trustworthy place to bring out of towners."

Andiamo can seat parties of 12-70 people but you have to call ahead of time and make reservations. For these bigger parties, they have a price-fixed basis only. If you call ahead you can arrange a set menu for your party.

~Need Help Getting There?~

2008-11-18T10:23:00.005-05:00

If you are traveling anywhere for Thanksgiving or Christmas, then I suggest you get on that right now and that you use a Trip Adviser. I have never been to New Mexico, so I was trying to figure out how to best advise those who wanted to go, but I didn’t know where to start. I was just messing around on the internet and I found three websites that were willing to help me find a flight plus a hotel to stay in. Orbitz, Hot Wire, and Expedia were all really good sites to help find the right package. All I had to do was type in from where I would leave, where I would like to arrive, and the dates for the trip. I could even add more information if I wanted; if I wanted to see how much it would be for one or six people I could just type it in. All three websites have a rating system for all the hotels listed. People that have visited these hotels comment on the hotels and rate them. This is helpful because people if they really liked the hotel or if they didn’t, then they comment and don’t hold anything back. There are also pictures of the hotels and a list of the amenities.

Just to try it out, I said am “planning” on flying to Albuquerque, New Mexico from the Indianapolis Airport on November 25^th to the 29^th. After I had entered that data, I just hit find and the websites did the rest. I was really surprised by the results, I thought since it was such short notice that the prices would be higher, but the prices seem really reasonable.

Orbitz was very helpful and my favorite website. The website had a list of the highest rated hotels first and then where the prices are listed, there were six different prices. These different prices were for the different airlines that fly to Albuquerque. The flights are listed from least expensive to the most. So, if you wanted to fly with America Airlines, but weren’t sure if that was the best deal, you don’t have to worry, because Orbitz has already done the leg work for you. I could get this information for very little and it was all organized and made sense.

All three websites gave one hotel very high marks and said that it has the best deals for the best quality. The Hyatt Regency Albuquerque, It received a 4.5 out of a 5 rating system. The price: $423 per person (All taxes and fees included), it includes: 1 room for 4 nights. The hotel features: Fitness Center, Pool(s), Restaurant(s), Business Center, High-speed Internet Access and it is only four miles from all the action. It’s on the higher end of the scale, but it seems to be well worth it. I highly suggest to anyone that is traveling and unsure of how they are getting there and where they will stay, to try using these websites.

Charleston, South Carolina

2008-11-16T22:51:00.003-05:00

Charleston, South Carolina is rated one of the top travel destinations. It is known for its picture perfect views, especially around this time of year. It is located right near the waterfront and has many nearby beaches. Also, I’d really recommend going to see the site of the first shots of the Civil War. Fort Sumter remains one of the most popular destinations for this.

The cooking in South Carolina is also one of its treasures. They are known for Low Country cuisine that includes shrimp, grits, chicken and biscuits, and seafood. The restaurant industry has recently expanded to add a little bit more contemporary cookery but still remains predominantly Low Country cuisine.

Downtown Charleston has a ton of shopping, nightlife, and dining opportunities. Although it is an older city it is constantly pulling in new energy with an increasingly cosmopolitan area. This place is probably not ideal for a family vacation or a romantic get away. But, for a history buff that is wanting adventure around some amazing scenery, this place would be perfect!

Hilton Head Resort

2008-11-16T19:22:00.003-05:00

Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort is just off the coast of South Carolina on the white sand beaches of Hilton Head Island. This resort is known as a tropical paradise. They are located right on the beach and also have a beautiful pool area. Hilton Head is really respected for the golf and beachfront, so I’d really recommend this to a romantic couple for a get away. The hotel itself also offers world-class dining, the largest guest rooms on the island, and fully equipped function rooms. There are activities for the kids, however I don’t know how much there is for them to do outside of the hotel’s activities. The resort has beautiful beachfront scenery for just about everything that you can do here.

The spa is another major aspect of the resort. They offer massages, body treatments, skin care, and nail care. Hilton Head Ocean Tides Spa is known for their treatments to reflect the elements of the coastal setting. The spa services are offered daily from 9 AM to 7 PM. You should make an appointment before you arrive there (two weeks prior) just so you are assured a spot. Keep in mind that you can also make an appointment request for sunrise and evenings as well!

Golf and Tennis are two other major hits at the resort. Many couples go there strictly to golf or play tennis. They offer challenging courses right along the sea and have a nationally ranked tennis facility right there. There are three golf courses that are 18 holes each. There are 25 (23 clay and 2 ProBounce) tennis courts with a well-respected staff that is there for lessons as well. There are daily tournaments going on here that you can also join in. These activities are perfect for a couple to engage in some physical activity and have fun at the same time.

I have a friend that stayed here a year ago and she said it was absolutely amazing. The views were gorgeous and the sand was so clean and white. She said it was really relaxing and enjoyable and definitely worth the trip!

Myrtle Beach

2008-11-16T17:39:00.003-05:00

South Carolina holds one of the greatest family vacation spots, in my opinion.
Myrtle Beach is located on the coast of South Carolina and has an amazing array of things to do for all ages. The best hotels are located along the strip of Myrtle Beach and offer a ton of beach side activities. Whether it is a get away for the two of you or a family vacation, the resorts offered are great.

If you plan on doing more beach activities then I would suggest staying at the Myrtle Beach Resort because it offers a ton of pool space and beach front with its property. However, if you plan on going to the amusement park or off the beach a lot, most likely with a family, then I would look into the hotels that are closer to whatever you plan on doing. Specifically, if you plan on going to the amusement park, I’d suggest staying at the Bar Harbor Resort. It is only three blocks away from Family Kingdom and it caters to families.

The amusement park itself is called Family Kingdom. It is a really special place for families to go and have fun on the rides and enjoy the beautiful scenery. It has more than 30 rides including their famous wooden roller coaster and South Carolina’s largest ferris wheel. The best thing about the ferris wheel is the fact that it gives you an amazing view of the ocean. There is also a fantastic water park where you can go if it is too hot out for the roller coasters. The water park is only open from May 30 to August 31, but the amusement park is open from March 21 to September 27. You can get admitted into the park for free just to enjoy all of the sights and sounds. In order to ride the rides and participate in the fun, the best value is the Amusement Park and Water Park Combo Pass. It is 32.35 (plus tax). This gives you one amusement park all day unlimited ride wristband and one water park all day unlimited ride wristband. You can use them on the same day or different days. Other prices and deals are available either at the park or online.

This location seems ideal for families with younger children who would enjoy an amusement park and beach. I’m sure it would be great for couples wanting to get away, but for another family vacation spot I’d really look into this! My advice is to go during the months of warmer whether (May to September) because it will give you more options during the day.

~Water Tubing- Is Not All Fun and Games~

2008-11-15T21:29:00.006-05:00

Have you ever been Tubing before? I went tubing once… Let’s just say it wasn’t the most pleasant thing in the world. I guess I just can’t believe that some people actually find tubing entertaining. Yea, it is hilarious to watch people go tubing, but it’s not that much fun trying to hold on to a inflated tube of rubber, while a speed boat is whirling you around. Not to mention there is a rope, which so happens to be the thinnest rope known to man, connecting you to the speed boat. The goal of the driver of the speed boat is to try and hit every wave and to get you to fall off. You have one simple job, just hold on.

When I was thirteen, my family went on vacation and the lake we were staying at had a boat with a huge tube for tubing. My dad gave permission to my oldest brother; he was eighteen at the time, to drive us around the lake. My First Mistake: I listened to my older brothers. I should have known something was going to go wrong when I saw their faces. Well, when my two older brothers talked me into letting them drive and me be the one on the tube, it sounded kind of fun. Second mistake: when I got in the tube, I sat Indian style with my legs crossed and I could barely reach the handles on the tube. My oldest brother told me that was the easiest and most comfortable position and that everyone sat like that and I would get the hang of it. Third mistake: I let my brothers do the driving. One brother drove while to other was facing me and was in charge of telling the other to speed up while looking for the biggest waves.

As soon as I sat down and I heard them reeve the engine, I knew I was in trouble. They took off at a good pace; I thought I had things under control that was my fourth mistake. They kept speeding up and all I could do was hold on. I was too scared to even scream, my heart was in my throat, and I couldn’t see because of the water from the boat was spraying me in the face. After holding on for what seemed forever, they finally slowed down and went back to the dock. My arms were killing me, my hands were glued to the handle bars and couldn’t relax, and I could barely breathe because of all the water I had swallowed. I of course went crying to my mom and my brothers got in huge trouble and they eventually got me back for ratting them out. I learned many things on that trip, but most importantly I learned to let others go first and then decide whether I wanted to do it or not.

Mini Golfing in Myrtle Beach

2008-11-15T17:51:00.007-05:00

One of my favorite activities to do is miniature golfing. I've never been to a town in South Carolina that didn't a miniature golf course or one near by. Myrtle Beach is known for the many golf courses it offers. Some mini golf courses worth checking out are:

Hawaiian Rumble - Golf Magazine rated it #1 mini golf course in America. It's home to two national tournaments. It's known for its Hawaiian theme, and as soon as customers arrive at the Hawaiian Rumble they receive leis. Holes range in difficulty; the hardest hole may be the one with a giant volcano, where you have to putt through it. It's good for all ages.

Rainbow Falls - It may be the oldest mini golf course left in Myrtle Beach, but it's still worth checking out. Rainbow Falls is an animal themed park. Some holes have dinosaurs, sharks, or octopuses you have to putt through or around. Good for little kids as well as adults. Prices are $8 for 18 holes and $12 for an all day pass. Children 4 and younger get in free.

Jungle Lagoon - The Lagoon offers two 18-hole courses. As you can probably guess they are both themed as a jungle. They have caves, waterfalls, fountains, and tropical plants. Children especially like all the props here. Good for all ages. It's only two blocks from the beach and from a special course lookout you can get an ocean view.

Myrtle Beach

2008-11-15T16:01:00.005-05:00

When deciding where to stay in Myrtle Beach it can be overwhelming. There are so many different types of places to choose from. My recommendation for a great family place at a reasonable price is Monterey Bay Suites.

I stayed at Monterey Bay with my friend's family a few years ago, and I was really impressed. The whole hotel is very nice. My favorite part of the hotel was the pools. There are two pools, one indoor/outdoor on the oceanfront and another on the 10th-floor sundeck. There is also a children's pool, hot tub, and 140-foot-long lazy river. The pool that is on the ocean is a lot bigger than the one on the 10th floor, but they are both nice. I'd say the 10th-floor one is nicer if you are looking for a quieter place.

Rooms are a good size. They have a full kitchen, so we were able to cook a few meals in during our stay, which was nice. One thing I liked about the rooms was they had a separate living area. I thought the bathrooms were a bit small though. Besides the bathroom, the rest of the room was great. I would definitely go back.

Themed Restaurants

2008-11-15T02:42:00.002-05:00

Myrtle Beach has many themed restaurants my family and I have been to a couple of these and enjoy them very much. One year we visited the Planet Hollywood restaurant and

Cheeseburger in Paradise.

Planet Hollywood is only open seasonally so make sure you call ahead to make sure they will be open when you plan on visiting. They have a very wide selection, so even your picky eaters will be satisfied. My favorite part of the restaurant was the gift shop. I love shopping and I like to pick up a souvenir when I visit new places, whether its a t-shirt or a little bobble head that reads "I visited Myrtle Beach!" Planet Hollywood has amazing steaks and fajitas, as well as great seafood such as shrimp and mahi mahi. They have got Non-alcoholic coolers, which were my favorite when I was younger. They have a new one called Finding Nemo that is made with Blue curacao(non-alcoholic), peach, pina colada, and Sierra Mist. This one sound very good to me and I think I will have to try it when we visit this year.

Cheeseburger in Paradise was one of my brothers favorite places to visit. Jimmy Buffet's song comes to life at Cheeseburger in Paradise. There cheeseburgers have made them famous but there house specialties are made with the spices of the carribean. You have to try the Mini-cheeseburgers, Jerk Chicken Wraps, and Chocolate Nachos. You may be thinking to yourself, "Chocolate Nachos?" They are AMAZING! It is a flour tortilla, fried, sweetened, and covered with chocolate, strawberries, and sprinkles. Also these are served with ice-cream for you to dip them in. This is another place that has a gift shop, which was my favorite place.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

2008-11-15T02:16:00.003-05:00

One of the most famous seafood restaurants in Myrtle Ceach is Admirals Flagship Resaurant. It is located in Murrel's Landing. A customer from Winston-Salem, North Carolina writes that they have been coming here since the restaurant opened and have never had a bad meal. They also mention how people use to line up around the porch and into the parking lot to wait for a table. I, however, don't think I would ever wait this long for a table. The lines aren't nearly as long anymore, many people are now saying they never have to wait very long for a table. Another customer from Gretna, Virginia wrote that the fried apple sticks were to die for, along with the shrimp and vegetables. This customer also says that they have never had cold food on the buffet. Which is always a plus. Another customer from Buffalo, New York says that the crab legs are "honestly the best thing on the menu." As you can tell people from all over the United States have visited this restaurant and noone has said anything bad about it. This place seems really good and I think my family and I will have to visit it on our next trip to Myrtle Beach.

Carowinds South Carolina

2008-11-13T15:38:00.007-05:00

Ever since I was little my family has been taking family trips to South Carolina to visit my family from Asheville. My cousins are around my age so we were always planning fun things to do. One of the best times I've had there was when I was little and we went to Carowinds, an amusement and water park.

To make the best out of our trip, the night before we stayed at the Comfort Inn at Carowinds. It's located right next to Carowinds, so I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to stay right nearby. The Comfort Inn wasn't the best hotel I've ever stayed at, but it was decent. The rooms were decorated kind of old fashioned, but it was a good size. The type of room we stayed in had a kitchen area with a stove and microwave. It would be nice if you were thinking of preparing a meal inside. The one thing I didn't like about the hotel was there was no indoor pool. We were lucky we went when it was warm out, but at night when it was cooler it was almost too cold to swim. We all went to bed early because we planned on getting an early start the next day. The hotel offers breakfast in the morning, which was nice to grab something quick and be on our way to Carowinds. Amusement park food can also get expensive for a group of people.

Carowinds has a lot to offer. I remember almost being overwhelmed, but I was little at the time. They have all kinds of shows, thrill rides, and water rides. The first half of the day we did all dry rides. The Afterburn was one of my favorite roller coasters. It even ranks as one of the top 30 steel coasters in the world. This is the type of coaster your feet get to dangle, which makes it better in my opinion. It's a bit scary since it gets up to speeds of 62 mph. My sister was too afraid to ever go on it. Another one of my favorite rides was the Scream Weaver. It's a large wheel that spins horizontally and vertically. There are many places to eat at the park. We ate a quick lunch there and went to the water park.

The water park has different things for the whole family. Jackaroo Landing is a three-story jungle gym for little kids. The Crocodile Run is just like a lazy river, and of course there are many slides. My favorite was the Awesome Aussie Twister. It's a tube ride that takes you into total darkness. My first time going on it I was a little scared since I didn't know what was ahead of me. I rode it many more times and it was still fun. We stayed until almost closing time at the park. It was a really long day, but it was so much fun.

~How to Pack Video~

2008-11-13T11:38:00.003-05:00

Sometimes, it can be hard to find the motivation to figure out how to even start packing. Then once you think you have packed everything, you find your socks, shampoo, and deodorant on the bed and there is no room in your bag. What do you do? I get frustrated and either flip my suitcase and repack everything or just shove the rest of the things into my suitcase and pray that my suitcase doesn’t explode. I found a series of videos on You Tube about packing. The lady on the video is a bit monotone, but once you get past that, she has some really good ideas.

I have always loved traveling, just not with my family. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and would go to the end of the world for any of them anytime, but I can only handle so much time in a minivan with my parents and three brothers. Sometimes the ride was better than the beforehand preparation. Everyone in my family is very strong willed, especially my dad.

My dad is one of those people who when he packs, there is no better way than his way. He takes the smallest suitcase and puts his three outfits in it for any two week long vacation we happen to be taking. He doesn’t even consider where he is headed and what the weather may be like. He will take a pair of shorts, two pairs of pants, two t-shirts, one long-sleeve and whatever socks he can find. Whatever tennis shoes he puts on the morning of the departure is what he will wear every day. Then when we get to Grandma’s and Grandpa’s house in Colorado for Christmas, my dad is complaining about how my mom left out all of his warm clothes and he didn’t pack them because my mom brought her entire closet.

Which is just an over exaggeration, but it makes my dad feel better about himself and gives him someone to blame. My mom always tries to warn him that he should pack this and that, but he is a typical male who knows what is best. The past two trips to my grandparents in Colorado has resulted in my dad buying two coats, three pairs of gloves, a pair of snow boots, and five pairs of thermal socks. I am pretty sure that he could have saved a good $175 on both trips. That hasn’t stopped him yet. In recent years, my grandparents have started visiting us. My mom was so thankful, now she can avoid the whole packing dilemma and save a couple hundred dollars now. I know she is thrilled and I know I will be there when she decides to spend the extra money. ; )

~Traveling With Liquids~

2008-11-10T23:03:00.007-05:00

Headed to the beach, well don’t forget to either buy or take some sunscreen. Trying to make sure that you are taking enough sunscreen or shampoo to last you through your week long vacation can be difficult to predict. If you are trying to pack your luggage and you aren’t sure how to pack liquids (shampoo, sunscreen, etc.) you aren’t alone. It can be complicated to try and understand what is allowed or what’s not now a days. Transportation Security Administration’s Website can be difficult to comprehend.

“Starting Sept. 26, 2006 - Air travelers may now carry liquids, gels and aerosols in their carry-on bag when going through security checkpoints.
With certain exceptions for prescription and over-the-counter medicines, baby formula and breast milk, and other essential liquids, gels, and aerosols, the following rules apply to all liquids, gels, and aerosols you want to carry through a security checkpoint.

1. All liquids, gels and aerosols must be in three-ounce or smaller containers. Larger containers that are half-full or toothpaste tubes rolled up are not allowed. Each container must be three ounces or smaller.

2. All liquids, gels and aerosols must be placed in a single, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag. Gallon size bags or bags that are not zip-top such as fold-over sandwich bags are not allowed. Each traveler can use only one, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag.

3. Each traveler must remove their quart-sized plastic, zip-top bag from their carry-on and place it in a bin or on the conveyor belt for X-ray screening. X-raying separately will allow TSA security officers to more easily examine the declared items.”

I keep on rereading this and I can’t get a clear idea of what it means I can take. It can be really hard to try and pack every liquid that you will need for a weeklong vacation into a three-ounce container and trying to make sure that you follow the proper procedures. Then you have to be sure that you don’t pack that Ziploc bag at the bottom of the suitcase, otherwise you will be digging around your carry on while people behind you are trying to wait patiently while looking at their watches. I don’t know how people can deal with that sort of pressure, I would be so nervous that I wouldn’t get through security or that they would stop me and search everything.

It seems a bit extreme at times, and I know they only want what's best for us, but I am not carrying a bomb in my fingernail polish bottle, so don't pat me down. If that happened I could miss my flight, get split up from my family, or be incarcerated and totally be screwed. I would have to just play it safe and not take any liquids if at all possible. I can’t stand the idea of ruining my or my family’s vacation just because I didn’t pack my shampoo bottles correctly. It may be a bit more expensive, but I would much rather be safe than sorry. If anyone has a more clear idea on how this system works, I am more than willing to hear your suggestions.

Folly Beach

2008-11-10T20:20:00.004-05:00

Eleven Center is one of the restaurants that I have been to in Folly Beach, South Carolina. I really enjoyed this restaurant but it is not a place for picky eaters. When me and my family went, we were visiting my uncle who lives here. This is one of their favorite restaurants along the beach. This restaurant doesn't serve a full entree for each person, which is one of the things I did not like about Eleven Center. Their menu consists of appetizer size portions that you share with everyone at your table. I really enjoyed the food and I tried alot of things that I never would have tried if I were able to get my own entree. They also have amazing wine, which is why we went. My uncle always gets his wine from Eleven Center. He says it's the best wine in the area.

Taco Boy is also a great place that we went to in Folly Beach. When we went here it was in the middle of the day around lunch time. The restaurant was somewhat busy but they have a lot of seating so there was no problem for them to fit us in, even with a group of 8. They have got amazing nachos with beans, beef chicken or pork, cheese, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. They also have just about any kind of taco you can think of. They have the normal, beef chicken or steak tacos, fish tacos, shrimp tacos, and vegetarian tacos.

When the Past is still Present

2008-11-10T20:18:00.002-05:00

There are some people who believe that ghost stories are just another type of distraction from real life but others think differently. For those who are not scared to believe that spirits may still linger along the living and may even dare to come up to close to one then Charleston, South Dakota is your town to visit. Apparently the town has a couple of sites were supernatural activity has been documented to exist. The Post Office, the Old City Jail and the ancient graveyard are some of the sites were the believed spirits of murdered victims, pirates and other town members have been believed to be seen. Due all of this ghost talk and legendary tales various people decided that it would bring good business to make up some tours that led you throughout the town in seek of a personal introduction to some of the towns ghosts. Here are a couple of tours carried out by different companies for you to look into if this whole ghost talk hasn't scared you already.

1. Bulldog Tours: (843) 722-TOUR. The whole "bulldog" thing had already made me think that this company was hardcore and when I read the sites they visit during the tour my hypothesis was proven correct. They believe themselves to be the only ones with access to one of the dungeons and one of the towns most ancient graveyards. The tours they offer are the following: The Dark Side of Charleston, the Haunted Jail Tour, the Ghost and Dungeon Tour and the Ghost and Graveyards Tour. The tours are obviously carried out at night ranging from a starting time of 8 to 10PM. And the fee is $18 per person.

2. Tour Charleston: (873) 723-1670. This tour appeared to be more well rounded. They not only give history of the town regarding the local superstitions and the haunted building but also speak of the towns restaurants and lodging. Charleston Tour includes offers two different ghost tours but also includes "The Pirates of Charleston Tour". During this tour you learn about the great pirate king Blackbeard and you get to revisit where the last battles of the "Golden Age of Piracy" took place. Tickets are again $18 and tours are also carried out at night.

3. The Original Charleston Walks: Offering the Ghosts and Legends of Charleston tour, they claim to have been the original ghost walkers of town. Some of the tours include: John C. Calhoun's grave, Charleston Harbor and the site of the Great Earthquake. Something that caught my eye with this company was that they take a lot of pride mentioning how friendly and knowledgeable their tour guides are, so I thinking the should be pretty good. Tours are offered all year except on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. Tickets are $18 and tours are at night.

Feeling any goosebumps yet? Reading about it might not be scary at all so lets see if now you dare to pick up the phone, make your reservation and visit the ghosts in person to see how your feeling then. BOO!

Drive Safely

2008-11-09T22:37:00.004-05:00

Daylight savings has already hit in so that means that winter is back and bringing back with it the icy roads. The Minnesota Department of Transportation has already posted on its website a series of tips on how to prepare your car for the snowy roads ahead in case of emergency:

--How to prepare for winter driving: The first thing they advice you of is how to get your vehicle winterized. What does this mean? Be sure to have a winter survival kit in your car at all times this consists of: flashlight, blankets, first-aid supplies, high in energy snacks, cell phone and spare change. Also you should equip your car with booster cables, flares, a shovel and a windshield scraper. Be sure to always leave your home with at least a half filled up tank of gas and call a friend or family member and let them know that you will be traveling so they can be on the look out.

--Winter driving tips: When driving drive slowly and stay behind the snowplows. Have your headlights turned on and your cruise controls turned off. Before and on the road be sure to keep in contact with Traffic and Roads Condition to know the latest updates on what roads to take and those that are blocked.

--What to do if you are stranded in a winter storm: The first thing you should do is to stay in your care, that is the safest place where you will be. You should always have a circulation of fresh air inside your care. The cold is a sacrifice that you will have to make if you don't want to pass out by breathing in pure carbon monoxide fumes. So keep your exhaust pipe free of snow and your window opened a tiny bit. When inside the car try to move as much as possible. Rub your hands and feet for both warmth and blood circulation. You should loosen any tight clothing for better circulation an if not alone cuddle with the other person to share warmth. And if you are lucky enough to have a cell phone with you that has both battery and signal then call 911 for help.

My personal advice for you when driving under certain condition is to just keep your eyes open at all times and your full attention 100% on the road.

Purdue Basketball

2008-11-09T22:27:00.004-05:00

The season is finally here. Purdue Basketball 2008-2009 will hopefully be one that everyone remembers for some time. Coming into the season, we have all five starters back from last year’s squad that finished the season with an impressive run to the second round of the tournament. We are currently ranked preseason 11 out of the top 25. We also are predicted to run the table in the Big Ten Conference. Look out for preseason Player of the Year Robbie Hummel and Second Team All Big Ten selection E’Twaun Moore to continue their success on the courts. Junior Chris Kramer (Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year) comes back in his third year as the starting point guard. He anchors this team which prides itself on the defensive end of the ball. I can’t wait for the regular season to begin. Go Boilers!

Random but Fun

2008-11-09T21:11:00.002-05:00

Many times when we travel there are these "must see" places that are just a tradition to visit, like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Statue of Liberty in NY and Disney when we go to Orlando. All of these places are great to go and spend time and take loads of pictures, but haven't you ever thought of all the other places that are out there and we have just never given them a chance because we are so caught up with the traditional? Well trust me when I tell you that I am going to convince you to go to some of the most random places you could have ever imagined to visit when traveling to Minnesota.

1. Twine Ball Museum: Darwin, MN.(320) 693-7544. Apparently in 1950 there was this one guy Francis A. Johnson who had nothing to do with his life, or at least not very interesting, that he decided to wrap twine to what became the biggest ball of twine made by a person. He would wrap for 4 hours each day for a total period of 29 years! Now do you understand why I believe he had nothing to do? The product of his creation was a ball with an 11ft diameter and a total weight of 17,400 lbs; that is a total of 70 baby elephants put together on a scale! So now the museum has put the ball in a plexi-glass gazebo for tourists to come and admire the creation. The museum is open all year round including Memorial Day and there is a zero fee for entry.

2. Spam Museum: 1101 North Main Street Austin, MN 55912. (507) 437-5100. Everyone has heard of SPAM before and seen the ridiculous commercials. Now you can come to the museum where you will find over 400 labels of all SPAM and Hormel food products along the companies 117 years of history. You enter the "World of Spam" all you see is SPAM, literally. You even get to pack your favorite canned meat in a 12oz. can. Now let me warn you that when you enter its SPAM all the way, I mean the people that work here are obsessed with it. The website shows that the SPAM museum is the "Center of Civilization" all I mean is that I imagine this place to be a little weird, in a very funny way. Admission to the museum is free.

3. Paul Bunyan Land This Old Farm: 17553 State Highway 18 Brainerd, MN 56401. 218) 764-2524. If you are a fan of the legendary Paul Bunyan or your kids just cant get enough of that bedtime story, then be sure to come here. A 26 ft statue of Paul Bunyan greets you at the entrance of the farm and even greets your children by name. The farm is filled with all types of attractions like roller coasters, maizes and this Halloween it even had a Paul Bunyan haunted house. Reservations can be made for large groups or birthday parties that you want to host at the farm. The prices are nearly all close to $10.95.

4. LARK toys: 171 LARK Lane Kellogg, MN 55945. (507) 767-3387. The LARK shop is a really neat place to bring the kids over. It is a family-run business which offers over 20,000 sq ft of fun and is considered to be one of the largest independently run toy factories in the country. Its open year round except in Easter and Christmas for kids to come and enjoy playing with wood crafted toys. The factory has a cafe with a carousel, an 18-hole mini golf course outside and also for those days that its not too cold kids get to ride a mini train as well. The general admission is free but you do have to pay for the rides. The carousel is$1, the mini golf is $5 adults and $4 children, the train ride is free.

5. Milk Carton Boat Races: Citywide Minneapolis, MN 55414. (612) 338-3807. In 1940 there were some very creative people who decided to start the tradition of collecting their used milk bottles in order to build boats and race them. The idea has become famous and now every year in Minneapolis people come together to race their boats at Lake Calhoun. The winner is the a decision based not only on the speed of the boat but also on the creativity the group has put on building such boat. If you go to the site its actually very funny when you look at the pictures, some of the boats I saw were floating dragons or milking cows and the people who navigate them dress up too! The whole activity consists of 50 events, parades where up to 800,000 people have attended and a night closed off with fireworks. The events start on July 12 and end on July 27.

You have all these ideas now so don't waste any time now planning your trip. Go on and enjoy the randomness!

The Mall of America

2008-11-09T20:10:00.002-05:00

The Mall of America doesn’t have the title for no reason. It is the most amazing shopping center that I have ever been to. The size, the amount of shops in it and the activities/restaurants that they offer blows my mind. You cannot possibly go there and not find a store that you will find clothes in. They have just about every store that any regular mall around town would have and more.

Even being the shop-a-holic that I am, my favorite part of the day was riding the rollercoaster in the center of the mall. What a better way to break up your day by taking a ride on a coaster. This to me is such a perfect addition to the “Mall of America” because it is a great “reward” for the little ones. Normally taking children along with you on your shopping trip doesn’t sound like a good idea. However, with the mini park right inside, it does enough to keep them want to go back for more. When I went I was about 15 years old and the concept to me was still fun. This seems like it would be great for a family trip.

After all the shopping and the rollercoaster riding, we ate dinner at a restaurant called Julian’s. This is one of my favorite restaurants. They actually have one in Arizona that I have been to many times and it never gets old. The great thing about it is that it’s perfect for all ages. For the adults there is a sports bar and for the kids there is a huge arcade to have fun in. In the middle of the restaurant are booths and high tables for families that are there with their kids. Again, coming from a 15 year old at the time, I still had a blast. The arcade isn’t just a normal arcade, it has a ton of virtual reality games along with multiple television screens that are the size of a whole wall in which you bowl on (this is always my favorite). Outside of the big kid arcade, the food is actually delicious. I know arcade restaurants usually do not have the best food but here it is great. My favorite dish is the Julian’s Chopped Salad but I know there a ton of other great items on the menu. I’d really suggest this restaurant. Let me know what you think of it.

When TV Shows Take a Little Piece of Your Heart

2008-11-09T20:03:00.003-05:00

This week on Grey's Anatomy, the writers apparently decided to make all of the viewers feel some type of sadness. I wasn't able to see the episode "Rise Up" on Thursday but my neighbors had mentioned to me that the episode had been a great one and that they had gotten teary eyed. Now these neighbors aren't just neighbors its a group of 4 of my closest GUY friends. When they told me that they had almost cried I knew that I was in for an emotional and unforgettable episode.

So I just saw the episode and it was a great one. I mean there was so much going on that it was all hard to take in. With episodes like this I find it amazing how these writers are so good at what they do that they make us the viewers actually feel what the characters are going through in the show. There was competition at work, the mourning of a loved one, guilty conscience and the everyday struggle of trying to keep work and play separate. It was a sad episode for me because you had Dr. Bailey see and old man loose his wife when she is herself is trying not to loose her loved one, then you had Izzy having all these flashbacks of her previous fiance while she is trying to save a man who never got his heart transplant because she had stolen it a while back for her fiance who unfortunately died anyways, and finally you had the interns and surgeons fighting there way to win the prized "solo" surgery because of course they want to be the best they can be. I just threw a bunch of information at you, sorry about that but that's the most concise summary that I can come up with and it was what touched me the most. Here is a video that shows you a little bit of everything that went on:

Tiger Sushi

2008-11-09T16:33:00.002-05:00

Tiger Sushi is a hot little sushi bar that is located inside the Mall of America. They have a strong reputation for creating a twist of cultures and flavors. Tiger Sushi has amazing sushi and sashimi, as well as a full menu of soups, salads, spring rolls, potstickers, grilled chicken and beef kushiyaki, wine, beer, and sake. The atmosphere is very sophiticated and contemporary but the energy is very lively and playful. And the sushi is, of course, legendary. They also have catering and party trays available for you to look into.

A Quick Weekend Getaway

2008-11-09T16:26:00.005-05:00

I was in Schaumburg, Illinois this weekend for another one of the girl's trips I go on. It was my mom, sister, and aunt. It was my mom's birthday a few weeks ago and the one thing she wanted was a trip with us.

Well Saturday we all met in Schaumburg and spent the whole day shopping in the Woodfield Mall. It is actually a huge mall; its three levels. The store selection is pretty good too. We spent the whole day there, 6 hours. None of us bought too much, but it was nice to look around. All of the Christmas stuff was out. It kind of put us in the Christmas spirit, plus is was freezing out.

We stayed at the Hyatt Place. It was a very nice hotel. When you walk in its decorated in earthy tones and decorations. One thing I had never seen before was express check in, so we were able to just check in ourselves which was nice. The room was decent size. There was two parts to it. A bedroom part and another place with a couch and desk where you could just relax and talk. I didn't look around the hotel too much since we didn't get there until kind of late, but I do know they have a pool somewhere there. Our trip was short but fun, and I even got an early start on my Christmas shopping.

Bubba Gump!

2008-11-09T16:21:00.002-05:00

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is located in the Mall of America in Minnesota. There is also a location in Chicago that I have been to. This is by far one of my favorite restaurants. It is based off of one of my favorite movies, Forrest Gump. This restaurant is a shrimp lovers dream come true! They make their shrimp boiled, fried, baked, steamed, any way you like it. If you don't like shrimp but still want seafood, Bubba didn't forget about you, they also have an assortment of other favortie seafoods. Now let's say you don't like any seafood at all, they didn't forget about you either. They also have chicken entrees and steak entrees. My favorite part about the restaurant is the "Run Forrest Run" and "Stop Forrest Stop" signs that they have located on your table so you can tell your waiter/waitree when you need them without trying to yell over the crowd. I also enjoyed the fun atmosphere that you experience from the moment you walk through the door. This is by far one of my favorite place to eat.

IU Bloomington

2008-11-09T14:48:00.003-05:00

This weekend I was in Bloomington, IN and I realized how beautiful it is! I had been there before but it was during the winter. I had never been to IU Bloomington for the fall season, which was when I heard it was so beautiful. The campus, especially during the fall, is gorgeous. Just to take a trip there in order to see the surrounding views would be worth it.

We went to the main strip, Kirkwood, at night on Saturday and it was so lively. The area has so much to offer that I think I could spend a day there alone. The strip has a ton of clothes stores that range from IU gear to the newest trendy outfits. Aside from the clothes stores they have many other shops that sell furniture, lamps, accessories… it was great!

Besides the shops, there are tons of restaurants and bars to go to. We went to Malibu Grill for dinner and it was so good. Everyone at my table couldn’t stop talking about how good their meal was- and we all had different plates. The food there is a little pricy- I’d say to expect $15 a person- but it is so worth it. The menu has chicken, steaks, pork chops, salads, pasta, and much more. Almost anyone could find something to eat in there. If you decide to walk down Kirkwood and eat at Malibu Grill, I would highly recommend the Thai Chicken Linguine. It wasn’t too spicy but it had just enough kick to it that gave it the perfect flavor. Also, if you go, the only reservation you can make is a 20-minute call ahead of time. Even though we called ahead 20-minutes, we still had to wait an hour. I promise, it was worth it and the time goes by pretty quick.

~Helping the Minnesota Zoo~

2008-11-09T08:41:00.004-05:00

Whenever I go to the zoo, I always feel bad that I can’t take the animals home with me. Seeing all the different exotic animals makes my want to own a baby tiger or a penguin. I have wanted to have the chance to help the zoo and the animals, I just never knew how. We were planning our trip to Minnesota, and I was looking up information about the Minnesota Zoo. Well I found, on their website, a place where you can donate money to help the zoo and in a way, take a piece of the zoo and animal home with you. “With any animal sponsorship of $50 or more, you will receive a sponsorship certificate, a photograph, fun animal facts, and the satisfaction of knowing you are making a difference! At the $100 level, you will also receive The World That We Want by Kim Michelle Toft, a children’s book about conservation. At the $250 level, you will also receive a personalized plaque!” I got one for my seven year old cousin. He loves sharks and he was so excited. He knows all of the fun facts by heart and it came with a plush whitetip reef shark. I felt so good about getting him a fun present and still being able to help out the zoo.

~Pesky Mosquitoes~

2008-11-08T15:14:00.003-05:00

Between my sophomore and junior year of high school I went with my family camping in Minnesota. I was so excited, I had never been there and my mom told me all about the beautiful lakes and how at some of the lakes were amazing for fishing. I have always been a tomboy and my mom was too when she was growing up. My grandfather, before he retired, ran a Boy Scout camp in Colorado Springs. So while my mom was growing up, she would spend most of summers camping out and just hanging with the boys. My mom passed her tomboy genes on to me and we couldn’t wait to go camping.

The camp ground we went to was gorgeous, there weren’t many people there and the lake was huge. We set up camp in the late afternoon and we were getting ready to start dinner, when the mosquitoes came out by the thousands. I couldn’t believe how many there were. Within minutes I had a dozen bug bites and couldn’t stop scratching and the bug spray wasn’t helping. We had to retreat to our tent, but someone (a.k.a. my little brother) forgot to zip the tent up all the way, so the mosquitoes still got in our tent! That first night was miserable; I could feel the bug bites and couldn’t stop starching them. Then next morning we made a special trip to the closest bait shop, that was a thirty minute drive from camp, to see if they had a solution to the misquotes. Of course the guy behind the counter wasn’t aware that there was a misquote problem. He had lived in Minnesota all his life, so he was use to the mosquitoes. He didn’t have any useful tips. So we just had to deal with the mosquitoes. Other than the mosquitoes, our trip was incredible. We had time to just relax and enjoy the stunning scenery. We want to go back sometime, but we will just have to find a way to discourage those dreaded misquotes.

top 10 fun places in America!

2008-11-05T20:49:00.008-05:00

Top 10 places in America-

1)New York City

2)Boston

3)Chicago

4)Los Angeles

5)Seattle

6)San Francisco/Oakland

7)Minneapolis-St. Paul

8)Pittsburgh

9)Philadelphia

10)Providence

This study was conducted by Bizjournals, the only media division of American City Business Journal. The whole goal of this study was to find a wide variety of fun things to do the America .

The number one place, of course was New York City. New York City adopted the name The Fun City in the mid-1960s. They have an excellent array of recreation and entertainment options. New York City got top spots in three of the seven catagories; food and drink, culture, and low-impact sports. It came in second for popular entertainment and third for high-impact sports. New York City has 439 performing arts companies, that is more than the three runner-ups combined, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas.

Boston was names the second "funnest" place in the America. They got the top scores in shopping and high-impact sports. They got first in these two because they have tons of shopping, which you would know if you lived there, and they have a lot of fitness and easy to access ski hills. They also scored seventh in food and drink, sixth in culture, seventh in popular entertainment, 34th in gambling, and seventh in low-impact sports.

The next three top places were (11)Miami, (12)New Orleans, and (13)Las Vegas. This was a surprise to me that they didn't make the top ten because they are all warm places. Vegas really surprised me that they were so low because that seems like a very popular place.

The Top Cities in the Seven Catagories were:

Shopping-Boston

Food and Drink-New York City

Culture- New York City

Popular Entertainment (including spectator sports)-Los Angeles

Gambling- Las Vegas (of course, no surprise)

High-Impact Sports (such as skiing and fitness centers)-Boston

Low-Impact Sports (such as golf centers and bowling centers)- New York City

~Mall of America~

2008-11-04T21:49:00.011-05:00

I have visited the Mall of America, which so happens to be the largest, fully enclosed retail and family entertainment complex in the U.S. I had no idea how big it was until we pulled up to the parking lot; even then, I didn’t know what I was in for. My mom and I definitely had a game plan going in. My mom has been to the Mall of America before, so she had some tips on how to shop there. We mapped out what stores we wanted to visit and found the best routes to each store. We had read online, that spending 10 minutes in every store would take a shopper more than 86 hours to complete their visit to Mall of America. I love to shop as much as the next girl, but 86 hours in a mall…Not to mention that there is no way that I can find clothes, try them on, and get the best deals in under 10 minutes. Thankfully my mom and I wanted to go to most of the same stores. My dad and my little brother decided their time would be best spent at Nickelodeon Universe and all of the sports stores.

After a few hours of shopping, my mom and I decided that we needed to take a break and just sit and relax. We met up with my dad and my little brother and decided to stop at Caribou Coffee. It was a really cute coffee shop that had a relaxing atmosphere that helped us unwind for a little bit. We exchanged our shopping experiences and heard about the adventures on the rides. It was fun to be able to do something that my mom and I enjoyed and not have to worry about my dad and little brother being bored. After we finished our coffee, us girls of course did more shopping. Two hours, 3 blisters, and another cup of coffee later, my mom and I couldn’t shop anymore. Our hands and feet were killing us, our arms were about to fall off and I could barely move my feet. But I had a sense of accomplishment and I had gotten some really great deals, so I wasn’t complaining too much. Later we found out that the walking distance around one level of Mall of America is .57 of a mile! No wonder I was so tired…That’s a long walk considering we visited each level and got lost a few times.

I had the time of my life and got really great deals, what more could a girl want. My mom and I still talk about how much fun we had and we are planning a girl’s trip back to the Mall of America. There was something for everyone there and for really good prices. I suggest that if you are a true shopper, that you have to visit the Mall of America at least once.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

2008-11-03T16:31:00.000-05:00

With all the shows on TV these days I never know what to watch. It seems like there's a new show coming out every week. I'm not into all the dramatic shows like Grey's Anatomy, House, or Desperate Housewives. Now don't get me wrong, I was a huge OC fan, but ever since then I've sort of jumped ships.

One show that has really caught my attention and I've just started watching is, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. I had heard of it last year or so, but I never really bothered to watch it. A couple of weeks ago I was hanging out with one my friends who really likes it, so I was pretty much forced to watch it. Lets just say since then I've completely caught up on all of the episodes this season, and I guess you can call me a regular in terms of watching the show. It's kind of a Seinfeld like show. There is a lot of humor in it and each episode has a main story but also little side stories that all intertwine.

It's mostly based on five characters. Dennis and Dee are brother and sister, their dad is Frank, and then there are Charlie, and Mac who are their best friends. They all own this pub named Paddy's Pub in Philly. Basically it is about their lives as they run this pub and they are always doing crazy things. One reason why it's very catchy is the characters are very down to earth. They are like your everyday people.

One of my favorite episodes so far has to be The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis (episode 2). In this episode we see in every great team there is always a Brain (Mac), a wildcard (Charlie), the looks (Dennis), and the muscle (Frank). With the gas prices rising they set out to find a way to benefit from it. They try to get a loan to buy gallons and gallons of gas to sell in the future when the gas prices are even higher. One of their plans involves selling the gas door to door. If girl scouts can sell cookies why can't they sell gas?? In the sidelines of this episode we have Frank trying to torture Dee because he thinks she is trying to kill him to get an inheritance they were plotting to get from another family member. Lost yet?

I would definitely recommend checking this show out and give it at least two episodes to decide if you really like it or not. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is on Thursday nights on FX at 10 PM. Sometimes I forget or just don't have time to watch it, so the nice thing about this show is all the episodes are offered online, at the FX website.

Surfer's Paradise!

2008-11-02T22:23:00.003-05:00

Let's say you go to Surfers Paradise, of course your going to want to surf. Right? Maybe not, there are many other things to do around here too.

QDeck is the highest point above the Gold Coast with a stunning 360 degree view. QDeck is the world tallest residential tower rising over 300 meters into the sky, there is an amazing view of everything from the surf, to the hinterland and beyond. The lift from the ground to the 77th floor only takes 43 seconds! You won't even realize your there yet and all of a sudden the door opens. The building is taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Chrysler Building in New York City!

You can also take the Aquaduck for a great tour of the coast. This is a one hour land and water tour that catches everyone's attention. The Aquaduck is something that is fun for kids and adults. Riders say the funnest part is when the bus starts to drive into the water and turns into a bus!

Want to go down under?

2008-11-02T22:04:00.008-05:00

One of the top things to do in Sydney, Australia ,according to TripAdvisor is to do a bridge climb. This is a fun way to see all of Sydney. This is done on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and you get to climb 1439 steps to get to the top of the bridge. There are many different types of climbs that are open from dawn to night and are assissted by a dedicated team of climbers. A hint to all guys: this is a great way to make a marriage proposal!! Over 1100 guys have already done a marriage proposal on top of the bridge! Many celebrities, such as Mandy Moore(actress/singer) and Keith Urban(country singer) both shown below, have also accomplished the climb.

Another hot spot in Australia is Boutique Wine Tours. They do not have a set itinerary, they customize each day according to what the group wants to do. They have over 130 wineries for people to view. You can let your guide make suggestions or you can make your own as you go along. You may also include cheese, olive, chocolate, or fudge tastings along the way. If you are traveling with a group of friends you can get your own personalized charter or you can go by yourself with a group picked out for you and make friends as you go along. On this tour there are many different things you can do along the way. There will never be a boring day in Australia!