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Save Money on Vacation

The following are money saving tips:

Turn off your air conditioner or set the thermostat around 85 degrees.
During the summer you can save between 2 to 3 percent off the air conditioner part of your electric bill for every degree you increase the setting on your thermostat.
Turn off your water heater at the circuit breaker or fuse box. If you do not do this, your water heater will keep water warm while you are gone, costing between $4 to $10 per month. If your water heater is gas, turn it to pilot only. You may turn it completely off, but you will need to relight the pilot when you return.
If you own a pool, use a timer so that the pump does not operate all of the time.
Turn off lights except those being used for security reasons. Make use of timers or motion detectors so that lights are not on 24 hours a day.
If you know your neighbors, make them aware of your travel plans. This is one of the most important plans as neighbors are many times the ones that notice suspicious activities around your home.
Unplug all electrical devices that do not need to remain cool (i.e., your refrigerator) during your absence. Appliances, cable boxes, computers, DVD players, and TVs, still use power to run features such as clocks and remote controls. Studies have found that standby power can be responsible for as much as 10 percent of your electricity bill.
Make sure if you rely on a sump pump, to have a backup plan such a battery backup, or at least, have someone check the house regularly. This is really important in cold climates where temperatures can plummet causing pipes to freese, them burst when the temperature goes back to normals.

www.cheapfares.com

What to Bring When Moving to a Foreign Country

Preparing to move to another country What do i bring? What will there be to eat? I heard they eat each other there!

These questions and many more come up when you are pondering moving to another land. My step mother asked us “what will you guys eat” . For us that was a funny question, but she was serious.

It seems that somehow the American media has portrayed any other country on the planet as dangerous , or impoverished , or 5th world as they might say. Really not true. Why is it done? Well I have my suspicion’s , but I will save that for another article. Truth be told, we now live in Peru and I have never felt safer in my life. So really what would you eat?

Peru is difficult on the food thing. Why? There is so much healthy and good food here you almost are forced to not eat so much. Ex: We love a dish that a women on the street cooks every night , its called “Salchi Papa” Now a Salchi Papa costs 4 soles, and heres what you get for your $1.30 . A piece of Chicken , usually a leg and thigh , or 1/2 of a breast, Noodles with some kinda special sauce on it, Chinese rice , French fries , and hotdogs cut up into slices. Really its a couple pound of great tasting food and plenty enough for a dinner.

Another of our favorites is Papa Rellena . Its basically mashed potatoes with meat and vegetables in the middle and deep fried, the portions here are about two of your fists , the cost 70 centavos . In American money Thats about .25 cents. So you now know that there is plenty of food in foreign countries.

What should you bring. Clothes depending on climate. I don’t trust the travel books so google ” forums, expat, (what ever country you would like to move to) This will bring up a community of Americans that you can relate to, and they will tell you the real climate where you are thinking of moving. In fact they will help you out with most things

We always bring the following items when we come back to Peru. We buy two laptops in the United States, they are very expensive here, so we either use them or resell to help offset the travel cost. Tampons for my wife. Clothes to suit the weather. Our espresso coffee maker, AKA the vacuum kind. We also bring vitamin’s, peroxide, and some spray antihistamine (trust me if you ever get plugged up on a plane you will thank me immensely for the antihistamine suggestion)

We also bring food in a package because food in the airline industry is very expensive and they don’t always feed you when you want to be feed. Your passport of course is needed, and make sure you bring a second ID, like a drivers license or whatever id you can. The banks will require two Id’s at times , like if you need to have a moneygram sent to you.

You should have a bank card that is able to withdraw money from an ATM, most foreign countries have ATM’s now and they are usually close to where ever you are.

We also put in place a backup in case the atm thing goes down. Ours is a paypal card with enough money to carry us over for 3 or 4 months.

So grab your hat , and laptop , hop on spirit air (9 dollar fares) and get to the adventure of your lifetime.

I almost forgot, if your not knowing the language where your going a franklin hand held translator is invaluable…..but don’t buy a computer based language program, you will be able to get one where your going for a dollar or two

Anthony Gatto

Advantages of Booking a Cruise With a Travel Agency

So, what exactly are the advantages of booking a cruise through a reputable travel agency?

Answer: Everything.

Thanks for reading!

…Okay but seriously! There a number of key advantages to booking a trip through a good travel agency.

1. Convenience

A good travel agent takes care of all the major planning of a vacation or business trip for you. If you’re looking into an all inclusive package, which would include travel, lodging, and even dinner reservations, all you’re left doing is packing. It goes without saying that this can be incredibly helpful. For example, if you’re a busy professional and you do a lot of travelling, you can spend more time trying to manage your own travel plans than actually focusing on the work you are supposed to be doing. And many reputable travel agencies have online systems where you can now make airline, car and hotel reservations on your computer in real time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – and access your itineraries from cell phone or Blackberry.

2. Knowledge

Any skilled travel agent either knows a little something about where you want to go, or they’re willing to do some research and offer you advice and a number of options for hotels and reservations. Travel agents aren’t just ticket-buyers, they’re also travel experts, and can advise you on local customs and other important things you need to know. Travel agents will inform you of the necessary visa, passport and health requirements for international travel and provide application forms or assistance as needed. They can also keep you up to date on any travel advisories and significant changes in currency exchange rates. Likewise, they can warn you away from some of those destinations that look great in the TV ads, but happen to be kind of terrible for vacations.

3. Deals

Because travel agents are working directly with airlines, and not through third party ticket sites, they can get you some great deals on airfare no matter what class you’re flying. Likewise, travel agents can get you lower prices on rental cars and, sometimes, top class hotels. By looking at all of the best deals and giving you a choice of the best of the best, a travel agency can save you the time you would spend scouring for deals on your own. Plus, by having some knowledge of the area, they can recommend certain hotels over others based on knowledge that isn’t quite common. Despite the opening of information available to anyone via the internet, travel agents still have access to privately negotiated information such as lowest fares, seat maps, meal options, arrival time, and certain hotel amenities.

4. Reservations

Whenever you’re travelling, but especially around vacation months, it’s not always easy to book a hotel when and where you want it. Some people actually book Hawaiian hotel rooms up to a year in advance! A travel agent’s job is to stay on top of things like this. As long as you book reasonably well in advance, a good travel agent can land you a solid reservation at a world famous restaurant, hotel, or live show. Travel agents should be able to advise you about other nuances of the destination, such as potential weather conditions, local ordinances and customs, seasonal attractions, and special exhibitions.

5. In Case of Emergency

Most travel agents provide travelers with a free, worldwide emergency reservation system that assists with protection against airline cancellations, hotel overbooking, and obtaining emergency assistance in the event of illness, security threats, thefts, etc. Travel agents don’t stop working for you once you’ve booked your trip. If problems arise during your trip, your agent can be a vital lifeline to rescue you and your vacation. In the event of changes in itinerary in the middle of a trip, a good agent can intervene on your behalf to make alternate arrangements.

6. New Discoveries

Have you ever been to Hawaii in the middle of the summer? Well… every single island is completely packed with tourists from the other forty nine states. A travel agent can help to provide suggestions for little-known tropical getaways and other fabulous but less popular destinations. Online and traditional travel agencies offer an entire catalogue of remote islands and beaches that most tourists have never even heard of. You can describe to the agent all the requirements you are looking for (within one block from the beach, ocean view, on-site babysitting, etc.) and they can often suggest a better alternative than perhaps the first destination or resort you had in mind.

7. Why Not?

If you’re going on vacation, a travel agency can help you get better deals, and they can help you find remote, lesser known, but absolutely perfect locations. A travel agent can make sure you’re fully equipped with a rental car, a room, dinner, and a show the minute you arrive. They can get you lower prices on just about everything, and, they work for free (free for you, anyways). They take their commission from airlines, hotel owners and other service providers, not from you. And, of course, they usually offer lower prices than you can get by going directly to each provider separately.

If you’re planning a full vacation or an extended business trip, there’s really just no reason not to go through a travel agent.

A reputable travel agency that does both in-person and online booking maximizes the advantages while allowing you to reap the benefits of using a single service provider for all your travel needs.

Staycation in the North Georgia Mountains

Calling all you folks around the North Georgia area! Whether you live in Atlanta, Athens, Savannah, or from parts of the area within 150 miles, we have a great staycation waiting for you. But first, what exactly IS a staycation?

Well, a staycation is a vacation spent close to home and is just as relaxing & rejuvenating as a traditional vacation. Families spend quality time together, saving money & helping the local economy! Staycations avoid the hassle of travel, being held to an itinerary, and waiting in lines for planes, luggage, and automobiles. You won’t need a vacation after your vacation with your staycation! Hassle free time off of work with rest and relaxation are the key ingredients.

Creating the feel of a ‘real vacation’ is the essential piece of the staycation puzzle. The best staycations are created like a ‘real’ vacation by planning ahead of time, taking care of the household prior to the trip, and unplugging you & your family. sure to schedule start and end dates just like a ‘real’ vacation. Also further plan the staycation with activities and fun events. Take staycation photos and videos just like you would a ‘real’ vacation. And most importantly, make sure to unplug! Unplug from chores, phones, computers, and work.

So, about this staycation in the North Georgia area- right here are the details you need. First off, The Villas at Coosawattee River Resort is offering a “Staycation 3 Night Special” where you are invited to stay 3 nights for the price of 2 when staycationing Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday OR Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday during the months of August and September 2009. When calling to make your reservation use the code words “3 for 2 Staycation Special” to receive the extra night at no additional cost.

The Villas at Coosawattee River Resort is perfect place to take a staycation. The resort offers a vast array of activities included in the price of the rental. The Recreation Center boasts an Olympic sized heated indoor pool, tennis courts, putt putt golf, arcade games, and a work-out gym with updated equipment. The Teen Center and Pool II are two outdoor pools, and the resort features six gorgeous parks where visitors can engage in activities ranging from fishing, camping, picnicking and grilling, horseshoes, and so much more. At the Eagle Mountain General Store, kayaking and tubing are huge attractions. The location also serves up breakfast and lunch and has many seasonal events on its porch. Check The Villas at Coosawattee’s website for more information.

While staying at The Villas at Coosawattee, the surrounding area has so many exciting and different attractions. But before we get to that, maybe the villa is so perfect you don’t want to leave. Well, call in Chef Douglas from Cabin Cuisine to whip you up a delectable brunch, gourmet meal, or dinner. Or perhaps a massage is in store. Contact Mountain Retreat Massage for a cabin call. Lorraine Baumann, L.M.T specializes in various types of massage (light to deep, medical), hot stones, and hot wax paraffin hand & foot therapy.

In regard to the surrounding attractions, several locations can give you a piece of the great outdoors with a dose of the wild. The Kangaroo Conservation Center exhibits hundreds of kangaroos of 9 species, and the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve has over 100 animals onsite with many different species. Amicalola Falls features 729 foot falls, the tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River. An 8.5 mile approach trail leads from the park to Springer Mountain, the southern end of the 2,135-mile Appalachian Trail with numerous other trails for shorter journeys.

For more of indoor type fun, take a trip on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad through the beautiful Toccoa River area in a vintage climate controlled or open air railcar. Check out the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, which has free admission and loads of cars on display. The Misty Mountain Train Museum is another place to immerse yourself, which features America’s largest O-gauge train display: 3,400 sq. ft. layout with 14 O-gauge trains traveling on a mile of track over 12 bridges and 4 trestles and through 15 tunnels.

For the adventuresome staycationer, pan for some gold at the Crisson Gold Mine which actually was a pit gold mine that was established in 1847 and worked commercially until the early 1980s. Maybe wine tasting is your adventure. You could spend an entire staycation in wine-tasting at Sharp Mountain Wineries, Corks and Crumbs, Chateau Elan, Three Sisters, Wolf Mountain, Frogtown Cellars, and Crane Creek—to name a few.

Saving money and staying close to home don’t mean not having fun. Discover what the North Georgia Mountains has to offer while taking a staycation. You and your entourage will discover a whole world of adventure and excitement right in your own backyard.