Where? Oahu and Maui
“ When my husband and I got married we went to Oahu and Maui for our Honeymoon. We had the best time there and I highly recomend it as a must do before you die trip. The scenary is Breathtaking, and the people are so very nice, it really is a dream trip.”
-Jessica S.
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Where?Negril, Jamaica
“ Jamaica is the land of my heart! My husband and I were married on Negril Beach in 2004. How beautiful it was! Barefoot in the sand saying our vows. Jamaicans are wonderful, spiritual people. Sunsets are spectalular and Yum Yum Jerk Chicken and Dirty Bananas.”
-Patty D.
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Where?Alaska
“ One of our last big eco-adventure trips before we started having children was to Alaska. We really wanted to see as much of the Alaskan wilderness as we could. Rather than do our travels on a large cruise ship, we found a small boat cruise line – http://www.cruisewest.com – most of their boats hold 60-140 passengers – and we were able to get into many areas that the larger cruise ships cannot access. We were able to get close to calving glaciers and floating icebergs with harbor seal pups sitting atop. For the boat portion of our trip, we cruised the Inside Passage. We started in Ketchikan, and cruised through Petersburg, Sitka, Skagaway, Haines, Frazier Island and Juneau with many wonderful stops along the way. Each city had its unique aspects. Petersburg is a town with lots of Russian/Ukranian shops (and as a half-Ukranian individual, I picked up lots of wonderful pieces). Skagaway is an old gold rush town and had its own charm. While each destination was beautiful, we went to see the animals, and we were not the least bit disappointed. Breaching grey whales was a daily occurrence. Bald eagles were everywhere, sitting atop buildings, in trees, literally everywhere. We had quite a few close, but safe, encounters with grizzlies. We kayaked through one sound near Petersburg and ran into two groups of bears, including a female and her three cubs. After we finished our cruise, we flew to Anchorage and did our own little excursion. We did our trip early in June which was too early to see the grizzlies fishing for salmon. After much research, we found a gentleman who had been running grizzly trips out of Homer to Katmai National Park. Prior to salmon feeding, the grizzlies gather to mate. We took a float plane to the central area of Katmai National Park. On one side of the Katmai River, moms and cubs, the very young and very old bears live; the other side are the males and females of mating age. We were on the Momma bear side. At times, we were within 15 yards of grizzlies. Because our guide had been doing this for years, he knew bear behavior and did not carry a gun, but carried flares and firecrackers to scare off anyone that got a little too curious. He only had to pull those out once on our trip, but never actually had to use them. We sat at the top of a little dune, and we could miles and miles around. At one point, we were able to count 70-80 bears (most were on the other side of the river). We ended our trip with a visit to Denali National Park where we were lucky enough to have the clouds part for a few brief minutes so that we could see the peak of Denali. We saw lots of moose and other smaller creatures on this leg of the trip. This is definitely a trip that I hope to take both of my children on in the future.”
-shirlchave
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Where?Myrtle Beach, SC
“ There is nothing like a great vacation! Although I have not had the great experiences of visiting many non US destinations, I have had my traditional visits to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the past 20 years. This destination is an all around family ventures. From year to year you will find many new attractions. Broadway on the Beach, is for all of your shopping needs and also provides wall to wall attractions as well as many activities for the kids (including mini golf, aquariums, dining at nascar cafe, and other large well know restaurants). This is only one fabulous place amongst many. There are many other attractions such as amusement parks, beaches galore, entertainment every 5 feet, and plenty of resorts, waterparks, beach destinations and more. If Myrtle Beach has not already made a "popular" name for itself, coming in 2008 is the GRAND Hard Rock Amusement Park. In all of my years of traveling to this destination, this park will be the number one attraction, by far. If you are looking for larger and more amusing, The Hard Rock will fulfill all of those needs and more!”
-Roxeanne R.
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Where?Washington D.C.
“ In the summer of 2007, I went to Washington D.C., and it was a blast! My family and I left from Virginia at 3:00AM after visiting some friends. We wanted to make three full-days from Washington D.C. We seemed to arrive in Washington D.C. just at the right time. President Bush was being escorted in his presidential car just as we arrived there. You could easily tell it was him by the long line of police cars and motorcycles. We then got lost (like every other tourist) and found a park ranger to help us decide where to park. He gave us directions to where we could find a parking spot. Once we were parked, we have a walk around the lake until we got into the city. From there, we decided to visit the Holocaust Museum. To be honest, it wasn't that great (the museum requires tickets - if you want to get in there be there by 9:00am). It was mostly all walls filled with reading and videos you watched. Our next stop was the Bureau of Engraving & Printing. This also requires tickets, so try to get there early also. Here they take you through a guided tour that shows you how money is made. You are behind glass watching the workers as they examine for any flaws in the money they make and replacing the machine with new sets of paper. You literally want to break the glass and take the money when you see the twenty-dollar bills being made. Our next stop was the hot dog stand. It was lunch time and we had nothing to eat. Try not to look at where the hotdogs are stored when they pull out your dog (mine was stored in nasty yellow water with a string floating in there). After this, we went to the other main attractions like the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. Try to get a picture of the Washington Monument from the Lincoln Memorial with it reflecting in the "Reflecting Pool". I also recommend if you are staying for two days or more you buy the two-day tickets for the "Tourmobile Sightseeing" buses. It's a great package-deal and you get voice narrated tours. It stops at many different museums and memorials, and you can get on and off as many times as you want. They pick up every 15 minutes. There are many more places I haven't talked about that are in Washington D.C., but I can't talk about my whole three-day experience! If you take the Tourmobile Sightseeing, you will see almost everything there is to see in Washington D.C.! QUICK NOTES: * All tickets in Washington D.C. are free. * To go up into the Washington Monument you have to get in line for a ticket. Tickets are given out on a first-come-first-serve basis. Once they're gone, good luck getting one until the next day. BE THERE BY 8:30 FOR GUARANTEED TICKET! * Be sure the hotel/resort you are staying at has a FREE PARKING GARAGE. If they don't be aware you are going to have to pay extra to park in their garage. Our resort, Four Points by Sheraton, screwed us over big time when we learned it was $28.00/day to park in their garage. This was not advertised at all in the ad we received from them. * Have fun!”
-Drew
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Where?Dominican Republic
“ When I went to the Dominican Republic a few years back i truly had an experience of a lifetime. The life style that they live is so different then my average everyday life. My family and i were on spring break and we were heading there to stay in an all-inclusive resort. Just getting to the resort was a vacation itself. Starting at the open ended airport, with really no organization, just a big open hut with bag drop offs. We were then trying to speed-walk all the way around the airport through the blistering crowd, just to find where the buses were that would take us to our resort. There were tons of people just grabbing our luggage and trying to impress for tips. Of course we were nice and handed them a few bucks. Then came the bus ride. Our bus driver was absolutely crazy. We drove down the wrong side of the road, going 30 over the limit about 95% of the drive. My family and i, and some other Americans were truly shaking out of our clothes. There were people walking up and down the streets holding weapons like it was no big deal. It was scary, but the experience was one of a lifetime. We soon got to our resort and it was gorgeous! Awesome service, cleanliness, and fun! The vacation was one that i will be sure to never forget!”
-Joe
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Where?Maui, Hawaii
“ The first time I traveled across an ocean was in May 2007, when I went to Maui to get married. My now-husband and I had both always wanted to go to Hawaii, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity since we wanted a small no-fuss wedding. We had a sunset ceremony on the beach. The wedding was perfect, and we spent the following week on the island doing pretty much everything we could in the time we had. We drove up to the summit of Haleakala, a huge volcano, and watched the sun set into clouds. It was crazy being so high up in the sky! We also drove the Road to Hana which ended up being stressful but we did see some beautiful beaches and waterfalls. We went on a high-speed rafting trip which included snorkeling (which I found out I'm awful at), looking at caves formed from lava, and even searching for dolphins, which came right up to our raft. Of course we also spent time relaxing in the sand. The beaches in Maui are so nice and not too crowded, and the water is the perfect temperature. The food is good there too. We went to the Old Lahaina Luau where we had all the Hawaiian food we could eat, and pretty much everything I tried was really good. I loved every minute of being in Maui and definitely hope to be able to go back soon.”
-kristy2520
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Where?Restaurants in Belize City
“ Though not as cheap as some neighboring towns and countries, there are a number of restaurants in Belize City that offer good food for less than U.S. $15 a meal. Restaurants included in this guide are popular among and suitable for various travelers, whether he or she is on La Ruta Maya, "The Gringo Trail," or something in between. Chon Saan Palace Restaurant, 1 Kelly Street Though not of the typically cheap Central American fare, Chon Saan Palace Restaurant, open since 1974, offers a good deal on delightful Chinese food. The typical meal costs anywhere from $8 to $15. The air-conditioned dining room (though take-out is also offered) and menu with more than 200 items such as Crab Claws Chinese style, offer some of the best seafood and Chinese on the continent. Dit's Saloon, 50 King Street For less than $10, enjoy pastries, rice, beans, and teas in an unique environment: cafe and saloon. Fresh juices are also offered, and it's a nice change for anyone wanting to sit down and dine over a tablecloth. Macy's Cafe, 18 Bishop Street Reminders of Harrison Ford's presence during "The Mosquito Coast" filming over 20 years ago are still around in this Creole eatery. There is a photo of him and he liked the table by the door on his many visits to the still-affordable place, with bills usually under $10. Delicacies include armadillo and iguana, but there is also more traditional fare. Tala's Lebanese Restaurant, 164 Freetown Road Chicken kabobs and tortillas go together well at this spot, which also offers garlic bread, French fries, and lesser known dishes. Salads are also highly regarded, and though one may feel like they're eating in Beirut, it's a short hop and a bill of $10 or less...far cheaper than airfare and red tape of going to Lebanon. Big Daddies, Second Floor, Commercial Center Back to typical Central American prices, breakfast and lunch is normally $3 to $5, and one can soak up the sights of boats on the harbor while eating. Their version of pancakes is fried tortilla dough, eggs, beans, and bacon are breakfast, and burgers and cafeteria-style lunch service lasts until the food runs out.”
-Stephanie M.
Question! Belize is a trip we have not been able to do, but hope to in the future. What did you do while you were there? Dive at all?
-Shirlchave
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Where?San Francisco
“ Back in May I went on my first solo business trip to San Francisco. I was so excited to be away from home for a few days...away from hubby and the kids! I am not a seasoned traveler by any means but I made it to the airport, through security and on my flight. To my surprise, the seat next to me was open so I was all excited that I could just stretch out and veg for the next 4 hours! Well, all of a sudden the flight attendant opens the door to the plane and this little old lady comes hobbling down the aisle and wouldn't you know her seat was the one next to mine. So instead of vegging out for four hours, I got to listen to this little old lady's stories for the entire flight! She was a sweet lady and the rest of my trip was great...and I had an open seat next to me on the way home, so I guess I can't complain too much!”
-Jenny
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Where?New Orleans
“ Our last vacation The family and I went to New Orleans. It was awesome to see how they are rebuilding and still keeping traditions alive. We went during Mardi Gras and I have never seen anything so wonderful. My daughters got a kick out of the street performers and I nearly went broke passing out dollars. We are planning to go back the beginning of next year!!”
-Donnie
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Where?Smokey Mountains
“ The best kept secrets are those attractions hidden above the mountains, and between the oceans. Now, to that introduction, one of the best kept secrets, I have found to date, is the adventures hidden in the Smokey Mountains. The Smokey mountains? Yes, this is not only a place for sight seeing, biking, exploring, hunting, fishing and you other outdoor adventure activities. I am please to say that there are numerous landmarks and attractions that go beyond your normal "mountain" activities. There is first the town of Gatlinburgh. It is a smaller quaint town, but touristy at the same time. There is always entertainment around, children's activity zones, and unbelievable dining...mountain style of course. If you are not the mountain type...there are also your regular trendy restaurants as well. Also located in the Smokies is the town called "Cherokee". This is a town full of Native American culture, from all the stores with hand made items, to all of the Native American traditions. It is not uncommon to see the "regulars" suited up in their beautiful costumes. Lastly, but not at all the last attraction here, is the wonderful town of "Dollywood". You got it...named after Dolly Parton, who was born and raised in the area. Besides the enormous shopping outlets, you will find a rather large amusement park for a day of family fun, water parks, and other family related activities. If you have just thought of the Smokey Mountains as another outdoor adventure...there is plenty of secrets hidden in this North Carolina/Tennessee Travel Destination! By the way, be sure to visit the casino when you spend the day at Cherokee!”
-Roxanne R.
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Where?California
“ I can remember traveling to my sisters out in California. Was a very long trip, from Wisconsin here, but well worth it, The beauty of the state, the gorgeous orange trees were out of this world, and for the most part the people were kind and helpful. I've been there a few times, and each time always enjoyed it.”
-John W.
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