The Big Apple

No catalog of the great sight seeing locations around America could ever be complete without mention of one of the most exciting cities in the world to visit and enjoy, the one they call The Big Apple. New York City has been called The City that Never Sleeps but you will be the one that does not want to sleep once you get there so you can take advantage of every moment in this amazing city to see and do more.

For many people, the mere mention of the words “New York City” is synonymous with one thing and that is Broadway. This relatively small section of the city contains some of the finest and well known theaters in the world. The shows that make it big on Broadway commonly become national and international sensations as well. The stars that stand out in big shows on The Great White Way very often go on to big success in the movies and television work. The Tony Awards, Broadway’s version of The Academy Awards garner so much attention that they are shown nationally and watched eagerly by millions all around America and the world.

Not many know, however, that great theater is available all over New York, not just on Broadway. The term “Off Broadway” refers to theatrical productions being shown in other very popular parts of the city such as Soho or Greenwich Village. Greenwich Village or “The Village” as locals call it, is one of the most eclectic and exciting areas of town for the tourist to explore. The history of this part of New York includes its famous residents including some of the most renounced figures in the theater, writing, political theory, poets, artists and even political figures. If you take a tour of Greenwich Village, you will find that almost every building there had a famous resident at one time or another.

But no tour of New York City is complete without spending some time in the famed Central Park. As you stroll the famous walkways of this delightful green space right in the middle of New York, you will recognize locations that were used in dozens of movies that were filmed right here in Central Park. This park emphasizes one of the truly great things about New York that makes it distinctive from so many international cities. And that is that New York is a city that is best experienced on foot. Using taxies, busses and the subway you can move from section of town to another. But make sure you put your shoe leather to the sidewalks of New York to genuinely get a feel for the heart and soul of the city.

In addition to the most exciting theater in the world, New York boasts some of the finest museums in the world as well. So along with the may other great sights you will want to see in New York including the Empire State Building and Grand Central Station, be sure to allow plenty of time for the world class museums that dot the city through out the area they call “Midtown”. Just off of Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the premier museum in the city, Housing great art form every era of art history you can in the same building see a pharaohs tomb, dresses worn by all the first ladies of our history or stirring modern art by Warhol or Pollack.

But that one great museum is not the end of great art available in New York. Other great museums such as the Guggenheim, the Whitney, The Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Natural History are not only famous but they will astound you as you take them in on your whirlwind visit to The Big Apple.

There is so much to see, hear and taste in New York that you will want to schedule many return visits. But even though it is one of America’s biggest cities, New York has a charm and an intimacy that seem to reach out to its residents and visitors alike and create a bond with you once you open your heart to this wonderful town. That is why a great mayor of this town once said, “We are all New Yorkers”. After your visit there, we think you will count yourself in as a citizen from far away of this exciting place called The Big Apple.

Keep in mind, New York offers some very expensive Hotels, so it is always recommended to search for the best hotel discounts.

5 Ways How To Avoid Long Lines At Disneyland

If there’s one thing that many visitors at Disneyland find annoying or frustrating, is the long lines for the rides. You can literally spend several hours of the day standing in line to ride popular attractions. These lines can be avoided in one of five ways.

One way to avoid getting stuck in long lineup is to purchase FastPass tickets for the rides that offer them. Do this early to ensure that you get to ride those rides earlier in the day.

Second, ride many of the popular rides later in the evening, while the majority of people are enjoying the entertainment. Disneyland has nightly entertainment, and this is a good time to find shorter lines. Of course, it will mean that you probably miss the entertainment, so if you can use one of the other options for shorter lines at Disneyland, you should probably do so. Besides if you are deciding to stay in Disneyland for a few days, you can always plan to explore the nightly entertainment on the last of day of your trip, it’s great way to end your holiday.

Third, avoid going to Disneyland during busy times such as between Christmas and New year, spring break, the summer months, or on Saturdays.

Fourth, get to the park early. The lines are shorter in the morning when the park first opens. Instead of jumping in line for the first ride you see, head for the rides that you really want to ride the most – the most popular rides, which includes “Indiana Jones,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Matterhorn,” “Thunder Mountain,” “Haunted Mansion,” and “Splash Mountain”.

Last but not least there are websites that are so dedicated to providing information on Disneyland such as mouseplanet.com or laughingplace.com. These sites can help you provide a better plan of attack sort of speak, by providing the best times to visit, which rides you should visit first, how to get cheap tickets and so on. There are websites that can offer you deep Disney world discounts and savings on fast pass, one site is Hotels Etc. 

Planning your vacation to the happiest place on earth is becoming more critical every year to avoid long lineup as it will have tremendous impact on your overall experience and your wallet.

Las Vegas discounts and how to spend less on a vacation

Traveling to Las Vegas is almost a pilgrimage in the US and with so many attractions, it’s easy t to understand why. However, it can also be an expensive trip should you not plan it the right way or utilize some of the best Las Vegas discounts that are also easy to access.

Here are 5 tips for spending less and still managing to find more value on your next trip to Las Vegas:

1. Avoid taking a Las Vegas vacation on the weekend

Not only is it more busy on Friday or Saturday evening, but it is also more expensive and less enjoyable.

The bars are packed, the line ups are long and many of the best shows in Las Vegas will be sold out on these nights leaving you with no option but to choose a show which you may not necessarily have wanted to see.

Avoid the weekend and choose to visit between Monday and Thursday when the attractions are more easily accessible and the Las Vegas hotel rates are lower.

2. Use Hotel discounts to book your vacation

This one should be more common sense rather than a tip; use a travel membership club to find the best Las Vegas hotel discounts.

Hotels Etc are a highly rater travel club who negotiate the best hotel discounts for Las Vegas, along with many other discounts such as restaurants, movie theater tickets, gold courses etc. The process is also simple; sign up for a free trial today and check out the lowest prices available online.

3. Avoid Travel agents and the major travel booking engines

Would you like to pay extra commission on your Las Vegas vacation? Of course not, avoid travel agents. Would you like to pay full price as opposed to availing of hotel discounts? We didn’t think so.

Since the recent introduction of a new law, “Rate Parity”, the many successful booking engines online have been restricted from advertising different rates across their distributions channels which essentially means they are no longer able to offer customers the best hotel discounts we have seen in the past.

The best option for booking your hotel is simple; either book directly with the hotel itself or pay even less by availing of the hotel discounts as mentioned above.

4. Choose your hotel based on location

Las Vegas is crawling with high quality hotels and while it’s not impossible to find a lackluster accommodation in poor condition, the likelihood is that you will end up with a comfortable place to rest regardless of how much it costs.

That being said, there is rarely any “resting” in Sin City and you will notice very quickly that you spend most of your time in other hotels along the strip rather than being confined to your own.
In this sense, the best hotels in Las Vegas are always central to the strip. It is also important to keep in mind just how big it is; a Las Vegas block is five times the size of the average city block elsewhere in the US and the Las thing you want on vacation, is to spend every morning sweating your way to the best attractions.

The Monte Carlo is a perfect example, a fine hotel infused with quality and located right next to the center of the strip.

5. Make your own vacation package

As mentioned in the first piece of advice above, you do not need a travel agent to book a trip to Las Vegas. Simply do a little research online regarding hotel reviews and then check the pricing yourself.

Hotels Etc make this process very easy in a sense that if a suitable vacation package is not available, you can simply search for the best hotel discounts and choose a flight separately to match the itinerary. There is no commission involved, no hidden clause and no confusion; Hotels Etc is a travel club who provide the lowest rates and best hotel discounts for Vegas in return for a small membership fee.

Join the club today and start saving on your next vacation.

Ocean Beach San Diego

Located in the Ocean Beach Community, Ocean Beach is
actually just south of the entrance to the Mission
Bay channel. Located at 1950 Abbott Street, the beach
is a very popular location in the summer. During the
winter months, couples like to walk the beach and
just bask in the presence.

The Ocean Beach is wide in structure, about a mile
long. Along the north end of the beach, you’ll find
a volleyball court. During the summer, the court is
always teeming with people playing volleyball while
the sand around it is teeming with people watching.

At the south end of the beach you’ll find the Ocean
Beach Municipal Pier. The Pier is open to the public
with plenty of walking and fishing available. Located
on the pier is a bait and tackle shop along with a
restaurant. Although you don’t need a fishing license
to fish off the dock, catch regulations are enforced.

If you walk to the south end of the beach you’ll find
many restaurants, surfing shops, and many other commercial
shops and establishments. Although you can travel to
the north end of Ocean Beach, it’s mostly bordered by
residents of the ocean area.

The unique part of Ocean Beach is the Dog Beach, located
at the north end. This sandy area is where dogs can
run and play without a leash – anytime – day or night.
Although dog owners are responsible for their dogs and
the clean up of them, Dog Beach is actually pretty
nifty for anyone who owns dogs.

For your protection along the beach, lifeguards are
out each and every day, year round. They are generally
on duty from 9 AM until dark although you can check with
them for their specific hours of operation. They are
there for your protection and very willing to answer
any question that you may have.

Keep in mind while on the beach, California beaches do
experience powerful rip currents. It’s because of these
currents that beaches in California experience over
1,000 rescues by lifeguards every year. To be on the
safe side while in San Diego at Ocean Beach, it’s
always a good idea to swim near a lifeguard.

For those who like surfing, surfing is permitted at
Ocean Beach in designated areas. Scuba isn’t recommended
however, because of the lack of undersea life, heavy
rip currents, and the surf.

For swimming or enjoying the California lifestyle, Ocean
Beach is a great place to go. It is a very popular
place in the summer, drawing hundreds of thousands of
people. If you long for a taste of the California
lifestyle, make sure you visit Ocean Beach in San
Diego and take your Hotels Etc. membership with you to
save up to 75% off on your travel.

Florida Honeymoon destinations

Love in the Sunny State

Looking for the sun, the sand, and the waves on your honeymoon? The State of Florida offers the perfect honeymoon destination for newly-married couples who would like to bask in the sun and sip some cool, refreshing drink under the shade of a palm tree. Think of a tropical island in the United States. You don’t have to go abroad or too far to experience the romance of a beautiful and romantic tropical island.

The Sunshine State is one of the top destinations for weddings and honeymoons. With its stretch of beaches and beautiful city attractions, Florida has always something new to offer newly-weds. Put on your list the Caladesi Spring State Park, which offers fishing, scuba diving, swimming and Manatee watching. Visit the Bok Sanctuary and the Coral Castle Gallery which houses the Three Bears’ Grotto.

And if you’re looking at the ultimate wedding and honeymoon experience in sunny Florida, this is the place to be: the Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. At Walt Disney World, honeymooners are offered an extensive array of honeymoon packages, or if you want, you can even personalize your own honeymoon package! There are ‘concierge’ honeymoon options at Walt Disney’s deluxe hotels and ultimate honeymoon experience that includes a land and sea vacation package complete with a Disney cruise and a visit at Disney World. Experience the magic and be one of those that have been well-pampered by this magical resort.

Honeymooners are provided with choices on dining, special merchandise, exclusive spa treatments for you and your honey. There are also photo shoots, outings and unlimited admission to Disney theme parks, carriage rides and cruises.

For some wholesome entertainment, Disney’s MGM Studios stages Fantasmic, a show that showcases dramatic music, dancing water, animation, fireworks and lasers perfect. Truly, grandeur and luxury would be at your beckoning.

If you want to bask in the sun, hit the pristine beaches of Miami! South Beach, Miami is the place to go if you want some surfing and swimming with your significant other. There are also a number of trendy clubs and bars you can hit for some evening entertainment. Bash in South Beach, Miami is a dance club frequented by most celebrities. So if you and your spouse would like to go party and rub elbows with the stars after a day in the sun, go to Bash or the Marlin Hotel on Collins Avenue. Jacksonville’s T-birds is a good place to relax and listen to retro music. There are numerous other themed bars that can provide you with all the entertainment you need.

Hotels like Orlando’s Hard Rock Hotel, Portofino Bay Hotel and the Royal Pacific Resort are five-star resorts with luxurious accommodations and services. For more variety, there’s the International Drive and SeaWorld Orlando, which offers a hundred or so restaurants and other attractions. You can check this and more with your travel agent or better yet log on to different websites that showcases Florida’s multitude of tourist and honeymoon spots

Swim, bask in the sun, be merry and enjoy the company of your loved one. The sunny state of Florida offers you the ultimate hip, trendy places to be on your honeymoon. What better way to start the life of marital bliss than to enjoy the waves, the sun, the sun, and more sun.

Keep in mind your honeymoon can cost a substantial amount of money, that is why we encourage you to check out the number 1 membership club to save up to 75% off your travel.