The Savvy Tourist

A savvy vacation choice

With the price of gas (and everything else) everyone is looking for new and improved ways to budget. Having been a travel agent, I can tell you that vacations are the first thing to either get thrown out of the budget completely or else purchased as cheaply as possible. Unfortunately, when you skimp on your vacation, you are essentially cheating yourself out of the best time you have with your family and friends. Personally, I would rather clip coupons and carpool than skimp on my vacation. I was always sorry when I booked a "budget" vacation.
There are ways to have a great vacation without skimping and one of them is by renting a house, possibly with friends and family, instead of paying resort prices. Sharing the cost of a house or condo is always more cost effective. You have facilities to cook some meals instead of eating out 3 times a day. You don't have to pay for parking your car, you don't have to walk through the lobby in your swimsuit, you don't have to tip anyone or cram 4 people (or more) into 1 hotel room. Everyone has a little more space to call their own and in some cases, you can take the family dog. One of the online booking agencies that I recommend is HomeAway. There are more destinations to choose from than you can imagine. Whether you prefer Italy or Martha's Vineyard, North Carolina or Africa, there is a home to suit your vacation needs. There are even homes for rent for RV travelers to "take a break" and spread out for a little while. I consider this a much more savvy way to travel, and I will always recommend it over timeshares any day.

Valentine's Update

Okay people - it is officially dangerously close to Valentine's Day. If you haven't even thought of that perfect gift for your loved one, then you don't deserve the assistance I tried to provide with my most wonderful and thoughtful gift ideas.  I know I said I was going to keep that post on top until Valentine's Day, but frankly, I got sick of looking at it. I also think it is confusing my Google Adsense banner. That thing is very particular you know. So, if you are a last minute shopper and are still interested in those really cool gifts, then click on the link in the beginning of this post. If not, Happy Valentine's Day and Good Luck to you!

Valentine's Packages to 4 Cities

Just for couples: Air France Holidays is offering specially priced Valentine's Day packages to Paris, Nice, Rome and Barcelona.

The Paris package includes roundtrip airfare on Air France, 3 nights' hotel accommodations, the Paris Panorama Tour, daily continental breakfast and a Paris city map.

The Barcelona package includes roundtrip airfare on Air France, 3 nights' hotel accommodations, a Gaudi and Picasso tour and daily continental breakfast.

The Rome package includes roundtrip airfare on Air France, 3 nights' hotel accommodations, and a tour of Rome's ancient sites and daily continental breakfast.

The Nice package also includes roundtrip airfare on Air France (in case you hadn't already figured it out), 3 nights' accommodations in Nice, Villa-Beaulieu/St. Jean Cap Ferrat and daily continental breakfast.

All packages are priced from $799, except the Barcelona tour, which starts at $859. All packages also include hotel taxes and service charges and airline fuel surcharges but do not include airport taxes and fees. For more info go to Air France Holidays.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

(This is not a paid post, just a good idea I wanted to share)

Valentine's Day is getting closer......

Just in case anyone has lost track of time while surfing the Net (yea, that never happens), I updated my shopping links for all of your Valentine's Day shopping needs.  Here are just a few teasers.....

For more great links please visit my Shop For The Holidays page.

Oh, and don't forget about The Most Romantic Geek Gift Ever!!!

International Fruit Cocktail Cake Day!!

I bet there is not one of you out there that has heard of this renowned International holiday. Well there is very good reason for that.....I made it up! Today is actually my mother's birthday (Everyone say Happy Birthday to Mom!). Her favorite cake in the world (I am trying to keep this travel related in any way I can) is Fruit Cocktail Cake and we try to make sure she has it for her birthday every year. So, today while baking this annually honored cake, I thought it might be a great idea to share it with you all. Some of you have probably heard of it or have made some rendition of it in your lifetime, but here is our version. I hope it becomes a part of your family like it did mine.

Fruit Cocktail Cake

1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup veg oil
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
15 oz. can fruit cocktail and juice

Beat together cake ingredients, then add fruit cocktail and juice. Mix well. Bake in 13 x 9 greased and floured pan at 350 degrees for 40 - 60 minutes. (40 is usually enough for me - I am at 1100 ft and use a dark glass pan). Spread (pour) topping (see below) on hot cake.

Cake Topping

1-1/2 sticks of butter
1-1/8 cup sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk

Cook 3 minutes (boil), then add:
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup of chopped nuts
3/4 cup shredded coconut

The Most Romantic Geek Gift Ever!!!!! - UPDATED!!

Voted Most Romantic Gift on the Web on the Oprah Show! Timeless Message in a Bottle is a Romantic Valentine Gift of Unmatched Quality and Elegance. The Ultimate Romantic Gift. A Gift that speaks to the heart like no other. A Forever Treasure and Keepsake.

Heart of Roses - $    89.95 This Pristine Clear Heart Bottles Cradles Your Message with Rich Red Silk Rose Petals. A Huge Romantic Hit for Valentines Day! Your Heart of Roses Timeless Message will arrive nestled in our Custom Crafted Branded Birch Crate for a most impressive presentation!

Click on the link below to see more choices of bottles and messages for other occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, proposals, you name it!!

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I made a new friend on Blogcatalog the other day and I want to give her the credit she deserves for finding this ultimate geek gift (and just in time for Valentine's Day!). Of Girl and World had it on her list of things that she wished Santa had brought her. Well, I think it is the most perfect gift not only for the geek girl, but from the geek guy (hint hint).
I pulled a few strings (okay, I begged) and the vendor took me on as an affiliate so I could offer you this fantastic gift right here on my blog. So, if you are looking for the perfect Valentine's Day gift, here it is.....

Heart Beat USB Memory Key USB memory key disguised as heart pendant on a silver silk cord. Polished stainless steel heart combined with Silver Shade crystals set in Ceralun(TM). The 2 halves are held together with a pin. For 1 GB of data (about 250 songs or 1'000 photos) with password protection, high-speed USB 2.0 interface. Dimensions: 4.3 x 4.5 x 1.8 in x in

For even more Valentine's Day gift ideas, including more cool "geek gifts" from Swarovski-Philips, visit my Shop For The Holidays page.

*****I'm keeping this on top until after Valentine's Day!!*****

  Stumble It!

Working behind the scenes.......

When you don't see your favorite blog putting out a new post every day does that mean that your favorite blogger is just lazy? No indeed!! It means we are working hard behind the scenes to bring you a more enjoyable experience. First of all, let me remind you all that I am working diligently on my Disney blog that I hope to unveil in a few short weeks (or sooner).
I have also updated the way I offer you links to book online travel. There are now separate pages for each category such as Airfare, Hotels, or Car Rentals. This should make things simpler since I will be adding new affiliate links every day and this will eliminate the clutter.
For anyone looking to get away from the winter blahs.....Pleasant Holidays is offering some pretty good deals to Hawaii, so check out my Travel Specials page.
There is more to come for the new year so keep checking back and oh....don't forget to send me those postcards .

Send in your postcards!

Hey everyone!! Check out my new POSTCARDS page! I have added a slide show using postcards from my very own collection. (Friends, family and travel clients have all supported my postcard collecting habit for many years now). Send me some of your favorite postcards and I will add them to the show. Wouldn't it be fun to see your postcards in my slideshow? I will be adding many more every day so keep checking back!

The True Meaning of Christmas

Religion and politics, although quite popular in the blogosphere, is not something you will normally see me talk about. Everyone has an opinion and a belief that they hold close to their heart, and I just like to leave it at that. Well, I came across a blog this morning that included a thought provoking Christmas Eve homily written by a priest from Ontario, Canada. I think it touches on a feeling that I have heard a lot of people express as of late so I wanted to share it with you.

St. John the Evangelist, Niagara Falls, Ontario
Christmas Eve 2007-12-24

The other day as I was walking through one of our local shopping malls a woman at the gift wrap counter sighed wearily and said “Isn’t terrible what’s happened to Christmas?  She was looking at the longs lines of people waiting to have their gifts wrapped, some waiting patiently, others impatient and grumbling.  “ Isn’t it terrible what’s happened to Christmas,” She muttered.

We know what she meant.  The birth of Jesus, the coming into the world of the Word made flesh, all this has been nearly lost in the hustle and bustle of crowds doing the last minute shopping, the long lines at grocery stores, malls and the heavy traffic.  In our society we no longer count the days of Advent, rather we count the shopping days till Christmas.  The angels song of “Glory to God in the highest is now merchandising background music.  We wish we could get back to the real meaning of Christmas.

When we talk about getting back to the "REAL” meaning Christmas, what we mean of course is the “Religious meaning.”  After all Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, our Saviour.  Christmas is about what God is doing in and for the world, the joy, the peace, the grace, and the hope that the birth of Jesus brings into our lives.  It seems like a failure to us that Christmas must now take place in a materialistic environment, which obscures its genuine splendour.  We yearn to go back to the real, religious meaning of Christmas.

As strange as it may sound, whenever we think this way, whenever we long to have Christmas as pure and holy and innocent as the scenes on out Christmas cards, we risk the danger of missing the whole point of Christmas.  Luke is careful to remind us that the birth of Jesus took place not on a holy day, but on a work day.  Jesus was not born during a worship service but during a tax census.  The day Jesus was born was a time, so to speak, of the ringing of cash registers, filing of T-4 slips, long lines, and crowds so thick that there was not a hotel room to be found.  It was not priests but shepherds, the outcast in society, who were working in the fields that heard the angels’ song.

This does not mean that the true meaning of Christmas cannot be trampled and turned into a commercial venture.  What it does mean is that God entered the real world of flesh and blood in Jesus Christ. God did not choose to enter a safe world of silent sanctuaries and hallowed spaces, but the rough and tumble world of everyday living.  If the news of Christmas is only fit for the religious page of our local paper  then its power is limited.   But Luke wants us to know that the birth of this child takes place in the middle of life’s chaos and is to be heralded in everyday living, bringing the peace and joy that is needed there.

So the next time you hear the music of the angels in the shopping malls, remember, this is how the world first heard  it.  We can be assured that the message of the angels is truly for us and our world. “ For to you is born this day a Saviour.”

Amen

Holiday Traveling Tips

It is most certainly better to be prepared so I have listed a few tips that may help you while planning all your holiday travels. Please write in with any other tips you can add to my list.

• If driving, make sure you either buy or download a map or Thomas Guide of the area. Winter weather is no time to be lost without directions. If renting a car from an airport, request a map from the rental car agency.
• Confirm all of your reservations before leaving home. This season gets very overbooked. Call the airlines, the hotels and the rental car agencies to let them know you will be using your reservations. Keep in touch with hotels and rental car agencies if your flights get delayed.
• Plan ahead and leave early. There is always extra traffic this time of year and extra long wait times. Check security wait times for your airport here on my site under "Travel Links."
• Pack properly to get through security without a hassle. Don't forget the 3-1-1 rule for packing your liquids in a quart size ziploc bag. Have this out for security to see. See "Travel Tips " page.
  
• Do not try to take wrapped Christmas presents through security, they will get unwrapped!!! If possible, ship them ahead to your destination.
• Keep necessities in your carry on bag. Cell phone, charger, toothbrush, medications and any reservation numbers you may need should not be checked. Personally I also keep all electronics like Ipods and my camera with me in a carry on.
• Put a business card or some sort of contact information in your checked bags just in case the outside luggage tag gets removed and you have to claim it. Also, only use TSA approved locks on your checked bags. You may even want to tie some sort of "marker" to the outside of your bag for easy recognition on the baggage turnstile. A friend of mine once made me some pom poms out of yarn to tie on my bags. This worked very well!
• Check the weather ahead of time for your planned destination. Just because you are going to Florida, doesn't mean it is going to be warm. I was at Disney World one year for their record low temperature of 30 degrees. Needless to say, I wasn't prepared.
• Check out the article I posted on my Travel News  page on being "bumped". You have rights, know them!
• Have some extra patience with everyone around you whether they be loved ones or strangers. Be extra appreciative to the people serving you. You may get that last seat on the airplane just because you are the nicest guy! Don't forget to wish everyone a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. A little kindness goes a long way this time of year.

"Tis The Season

It is that time of year again...... when that special, jolly ( or not so jolly) holiday person makes the annual appearance at the Mall! Nope, it's not Santa or his 8 tiny reindeer, it's the Parking Spot Stalker. I remember vividly the day I met my first PSS. I believe it was about a week or more before Christmas and I was visiting my parents where they lived near a fairly large city. Where I come from, Sears is the biggest and only main shopping attraction. When I saw the kind of spectacular establishments their mall had, I thought I was dreaming and had sugar plums dancing in my head. I had to go see!!
When I arrived, I really didn't have a problem finding a parking spot, and I hadn't expected to, but of course, what did I know?  Actually, I am not a parking lot wanderer, I park in the first spot I see and get on with business. After all, I am not here to drive around the parking lot, I am here to shop! So, shop I did! I must've been in there for days, or at least it felt like days. It seemed the longer I was there, the more crowded and busy it was getting. I figured there must be something special going on to attract this many people and I wanted no part of it so I made my retreat out the same door I came in, or so I thought. As I was wandering around the parking lot, looking for my car, I started to feel a little uneasy about my current predicament. Like I said before, my biggest shopping experience thus far had been Sears located in East Nowheresville. There was no way to lose your car in the parking lot, it just wasn't that big. I looked around a bit to see if I recognized where I was standing as being somewhere I had stood before, like possibly just a few hours ago??? That's when I noticed there were headlights behind me, waiting......when I moved forward, it moved forward. Well, have you seen Christine? That is the first thing that popped into my head since it had been one of those movies that uncomfortably sticks with you for life. I panicked a little and thought I would be clever and dart between a few cars into a different row. I begin walking down this row looking out for what I hoped to be my car any minute now. Well, there was Christine. So once again, I made my way through a few cars and into another row. As luck would have it, I saw my car just a few spaces down. Thank you God!!! Before I could get to it, I noticed that Christine was now headed toward the same spot. Where is Security when you need them? I already had my keys out (of course) so it took me and my adrenaline just a matter of seconds to get into the car and locked in. It seemed that Christine was just waiting.......waiting for what? What is the matter with this freak? So, I pulled out of the parking spot and hurried away. And what did I see in my rear view mirror? Christine....pulling into my parking spot!!! After all that and all she wanted was my parking spot.

Trick or Treat?

Although this is actually my favorite time of year, I possess a sort of love-hate relationship with it. I am ready for the hot days to go away and for the cool nights to make their appearance. I love to see the leaves changing color and blowing around on the ground. The worst part of this time of year is the onset of eating that we do starting with Halloween candy. I have already purchased the obligatory load of candy that is required to survive Halloween in my neighborhood. Now, the tricky part is hiding it from myself. The first few days it was lurking in the house, I felt it's presence calling my name. I have safely hid it from everyone else in the house, but I am much more clever. I always know where I have hidden it! Luckily, now that I am over 40, there have been a few days where I completely forgot that I even bought it, let alone where I hid it.

The other thing about this time of year is the memories. I used to live on the East Coast and I had a very dear friend that used to embrace this time of year with me. We used to go apple picking and pumpkin picking. We would make apple butter and pumpkin bread. We took the kids to haunted houses and sat around the fire drinking coffee on cold blustery days. Those were good times. I recently lost my old friend, but I hope she is thinking of me and picking apples up in heaven. I wonder if they Trick or Treat in heaven?