9 Things Travel Companies Must Pack Into Their Websites

I have a few relatives, who see traveling as a huge waste of money. “You go, you spend lots of money and then you come home. And, what do you have to show for it all”? Poor Uncle Joe; he never took a vacation more than 100 miles away from his own front door. He certainly missed out on one of life’s great experiences – traveling the world and marveling at the many wonderful things in life that can stimulate our senses. The Sights. The Sounds. The Smells. The Tastes. The Feel. Merveilleux!

Years ago, many of those from “the greatest generation” primarily spent their vacations visiting and staying with out-of-town relatives. Some went away just to escape the sweltering heat of the city. Others often chose modest getaways that weren’t too far from home or too expensive to visit. The accounts of their vacation experiences have become legendary. Are they not best remembered by the home movies and slide shows, which inspired so many of our parent’s most artful excuses to “make it an early night?” Anything to beg out and avoid the boredom of watching those same embarrassing old films of Aunt Rose in her bulging, one piece bathing suit. And, did they really care enough to need to find out what some squirrel did with an acorn in the Pocono woods five years earlier? Neither scene was ever inspiring enough to trigger a copycat vacation booking by my parents.

Times certainly have changed. Today, almost everyone looks forward to a memorable vacation. The word “memorable” is strongly emphasized, since huge numbers of people now go on vacations to emotionally “connect” with interesting and often exotic places and peoples. And, we all seem to want to share our wonderful experience with others – but, not by way of …

Ski Report – El Nino Dumps on El Tahoe! You Should See Lake Tahoe’s Highest Peaks

The classic Tahoe dump is happening right now. It’s the kind of snowfall that will be recalled for years to come in a litany of tall tales that start with “Do you remember the snow of January 2010?”

A series of winter storms that began during the Martin Luther King holiday on January 17 delivered a couple of feet of snow to Lake Tahoe’s highest peaks and nearly a foot at lake level. But that’s just the beginning. As the week progresses, the storms are expected to become more ferocious, with colder temperatures and more precipitation. By Saturday, the Sierra crest will most likely have 10 feet of fresh snow. Forecasters are expecting this to be the most snow-producing series of storms the Sierra has seen in the last five years. It looks like El Niño is here to stay for the rest of January.

As of Tuesday, January 19, Alpine Meadows, Boreal, Northstar-at-Tahoe, Kirkwood, and Squaw Valley are reporting more than 20 inches of new snow. Sugar Bowl and Sierra-at-Tahoe are reporting 18 inches, and Heavenly has nearly a foot of the fresh stuff. So far this year the Tahoe resorts with the deepest snowpacks-all greater than 80 inches–are Alpine Meadows, Kirkwood, Squaw Valley, and Sugar Bowl. The southern Sierra is enjoying the benefits of the same weather pattern. Mammoth Mountain reports 33 inches of new snow since the week began, and boasts a base of up to 90 inches. Nearby June Mountain has received a foot of fresh snow. The eastern Sierra above 7,000 feet is expected to have 5 to 7 feet of new snow by late Saturday.

The strongest weather is expected to arrive late today, with heavy precipitation and high winds carrying over into Thursday. After a break on Friday and Saturday, more snow is …

The Timeshare Dilemma – An Industry in Decline?

Timeshares were all the rage in the later part of the last century. Timeshare companies were making money hand over fist offering a way for regular people to own a place where they could vacation every year or trade with others if they wished to go somewhere else. Now, with people losing their jobs and homes, the bloom is off the rose of timeshare ownership. What are the problems and can people still get good deals for vacationing?

Owning a timeshare is a financial commitment. You are basically buying a townhouse for a week or two and are responsible for maintenance, insurance, taxes, and upkeep in addition to the mortgage you took to finance the purchase. This is great when the economy is good, but you can see a lot of timeshares for sale right now because it is a financial liability that people can’t carry around in hard times. Trying to get rid of one in a saturated market means you will not be able to get what you paid for it, so you are still carrying debt even if you manage to find a buyer.

Using a timeshare is restrictive. You are only able to buy whatever week is available so you are limited to taking your vacation during that time every year, you have the same unit every year unless you pay extra to switch locations with another owner and you are limited to the resorts that have sharing agreements with your timeshare group.

What are the alternatives for someone looking to get a great vacation experience and not be saddled with a mortgage? A new industry in travel has grown in the last few years- travel and vacation clubs. These companies offer the same benefits in travel as warehouse shopping clubs like Sam’s and Costco do …

Outside Recreation Equipment Fundamentals

The highest excellent outdoor recreation equipment for backpacking uses sophisticated space age materials to supply the lightest and smallest possible package for quick hauling.

Sleeping bags will be the most significant piece of gear any backpacker can own. They keep the camper warm within the coldest situations however they are also the largest and bulkiest piece of gear. The lightest and warmest bags use synthetic materials for the casing along with the interior as well, though down is still broadly well known mainly because of its superior insulation properties and potential to compress to incredibly tiny sizes. For anyone who is not allergic to down, these are the ideal bags cash can buy but just you’ll want to not get the material wet. Wet down feathers grow to be heavy and drop their insulating properties making the bag useless. Synthetic filling is typically much cheaper and can retain its insulation characteristic in wet weather and is hypoallergenic, but generally doesn’t pack as little as a down bag.

A tent is the subsequent most significant piece of outside recreation equipment used for backpacking. The outer tent fabric, named the rain fly, is just about often a synthetic nylon material that is definitely treated having a waterproof coating to help keep the interior in the tent dry in rainy and snowy weather. This covers the tent that is usually a mixture of synthetic material and mosquito netting for adequate air flow in warmer circumstances.

Cold climate tents lack the netting to preserve interior heat and stop any wind from entering. There are 4 season tents which are appropriate to get a variety of circumstances from summer nights to winter adventures. A 3 season tent is appropriate for all but the coldest circumstances plus a wall tent is utilized for intense mountaineering. Wall …

Three Great Destinations to Travel to in North Central Washington

North Central Washington is a great place to travel to, particularly for the beautiful natural areas that are found there. The region features high mountain peaks, arid desert like areas, and tons of great sources of water. Here are three great places to travel to in the North Central Washington area.

Conconully State Park

Conconully State Park is located in the upper reaches of North Central Washington. The park sits on the shore of Conconully Lake and offers a wonderful chance to experience a remote and somewhat secluded vacation spot. Camping at Conconully State Park is a great time and something the whole family can enjoy. Activities available include fishing, swimming, boating, kayaking, hiking, and more.

Stehekin

The community of Stehekin sits just south of the North Cascades National Park and falls within the borders of the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. It also sits on the northwestern shore of beautiful Lake Chelan. There are less than 100 year round residents of Stehekin. The community features a lodge and campground where visitors are free to spend the night, as well as some privately owned rental properties. There are roads and vehicles in Stehekin, but they only service the local area, none of them actually connect to the outside world. The only ways there are to get to Stehekin are by trail, by airplane, and by boat. A ferry regularly operates between the city of Chelan and Stehekin on a daily basis and taking the ride up the 51 mile long Lake Chelan into the heart of the North Cascade Mountains is a great opportunity for a once in a lifetime vacation experience.

Banks Lake

Banks Lake is a man made reservoir that occupies the northern portion of the Grand Coulee. The southern end is dammed by the Dry Falls Dam …