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View from the Right Seat of an Otter
04 days
by admin
in Beach Vacation
Each time I travel on business or pleasure, I seem to always try and find something to do for fun that involves airplanes. A trip to Seattle recently was no exception.
As I stood on the Marriott Residence Inn’s balcony overlooking scenic Lake Union, a unmistakable sound began reverberating across the marinas below. What made me grin widely was the wonderful sound of a large radial engine pulling a beautiful yellow and white De Havilland Beaver seaplane off the lake. To me, it was like going to the symphony.
The seaplane airline – Kenmore Air – offers one of the finest views of Seattle, Victoria and the San Juans you can find. Their sightseeing flights fill up, so when I called, I told them I was a pilot/writer and was eager to take my first seaplane ride and then write about the experience here. Kenmore’s Lake Union Supervisor found a way to accommodate me by slipping me into the right cockpit seat of their afternoon multi-stop run from their busy Lake Union Terminal to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and then on to Deer Harbor and West Sound on Orcas Island. It was one of the most awesome trips I have made by air ever…a “media ridealong” I will never, ever forget.
I had my pre-conceived notions about flight in a seaplane, and all were proven incorrect. Pre-conceived notion #1 was obliterated when I assumed the pilot, Chuck Perry would prefer to be called “Captain”, but determined quickly that “captains” drove tugboats, and Alaskans that fly off the water in planes equipped with floats are really just like the rest of us aviators. (more…)
The Advantages Of Staying On A Self Catering Holiday
05 days
Self catering holidays have become very popular with holiday makers going on a family holiday. By choosing the self catering option helps to keep down the cost of the holiday and allows holiday makers to choose exactly what sort of meals that they want to eat. This is important when going on a holiday with children because younger children may want to eat at different times to adults. In self catering accommodation you can eat at what ever time is most convenient for you.
By staying in self catering accommodation gives you the option to eat out at local restaurants or to cook back at your self catering accommodation. Some nights you may choose to sample the local cuisine and wine at a local restaurant and other nights you may want to have a cheaper meal. You can also try out local recipes by buying locally grown produce at a local market and then take the food home to prepare it for your own meal. By staying in self catering accommodation gives you the opportunity to sample food that they may well not have tried before.
Another great thing about going on a self catering holiday is the terrific choice of properties available to choose from. You may choose to go self catering on holiday and stay in a relatively small and modest property. However if there is a large group of you going on a self catering holiday you are able to select a self catering property which is much larger. This can be great fun as everybody can have a go at cooking and if you do not want to eat in you can try some local restaurants.
If however your budget is much larger there are some luxurious self catering holidays. You can take your pick from many stunning self catering properties and have a holiday of a lifetime. Some of these more expensive self catering holidays have some superb kitchens full of all of the latest mod cons and gadgets. It is not uncommon for the more expensive self catering holidays to have kitchens full of granite and marble with big American fridge freezers and coffee making machines.
With the growth of the self catering holiday it is now possible to stay self catering in most countries in the world. By staying self catering you are able to experience a holiday that truly allows you to connect to the local culture. You can also get a real flavour of local food and ingredients and the more adventurous cooks will flourish on a self catering holiday.
Self catering holidays also give you a degree of freedom and independence that cannot be experienced on other types of vacation. You can eat meals at whatever time that you like when you choose to go self catering. Not only that, but you can eat as cheaply or as extravagantly as you want on a self catering holiday. It is no wonder that so many families are now choosing to go on self catering holidays to so many different countries around the world.
Romans And The Costa del Sol
05 days
by admin
in Culture and History
Later in its history, the Romans invaded the Iberian Peninsula and they Romanized much of the area. They built aqueducts, bath houses, temples and many other structures and many of the remains of these buildings can still be found in Costa del Sol.
By the 4th century, Christianity had spread throughout much of Spain and Costa del Sol was no exception. From that time, control of Costa del Sol changed hands a number of times. It was ruled by the Moors from the 8th century up until the 15th century when the Christian monarchs overthrew the Moors and expelled much of their population.
In the 1950s celebrities began coming to Costa del Sol. They were attracted by its beautiful beaches and mild climate, as well as the natural beauty that comes with the combination of beaches and mountain terrain. In the 1960s, tourism really took off when Malaga was connected to other European cities by air transport. Since then, the roads and rail facilities have been built and improved as well. Now, Costa del Sol is a popular holiday destination and the property market is booming.
If you enjoy a bit of sight-seeing, there are a number of quaint Spanish villages near to Costa del Sol. Otherwise, you can find tiny white villages that look like they are attached to the sides of the mountains. Walking up to take a look at these villages will offer a stunning view back down to the sea. Costa del Sol is also a convenient base for visiting some of the major cities in Europe. If you are looking for some recreation time, Costa del Sol offers some of the best golf courses in the world. It is also home to some excellent water sports. It contains a number of luxury spas resorts which are great places to be pampered. In addition, Costa del Sol boasts many excellent restaurants, shops and a vibrant nightlife.
Hotels in Costa del Sol vary in quality from one to five stars, with five star hotels that may contain swimming pools and beautiful gardens. You can also find luxury golf resorts or boutique hotels for those who are after something a bit quainter. Bed and breakfasts are available around the city or you can choose an Andalusia-type rural getaway in the country.
Costa del Sol offers a large number of resort apartments which may suit families with children. They are located near the beach, but are close enough to the city to be able to conveniently go into town to see the sights. It is possible to find a beachside apartment that is within an exclusive private development. The advantage of these is that they may offer their own swimming pools or golf courses.
So, choose the area you’d like to be in and your budget and you will have no trouble finding an accommodation option to suit your needs.
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The Pleasures Of Staying In The Country
06 days
by admin
in Hotels and Apartment
While the majority of us when we holiday find it hard to get away from the usual tourist destinations, it is highly advisable to do this. To get the best of a country you must head out into the countryside and sample the rural way of life. A hotel in the country will also normally be cheaper than its city counterpart meaning that you will get a better deal and have more money for your trip.
The city may contain the most sites and the more interesting attractions but do you really want to spend your time staying in a hotel located in a hot and stuffy city when you could be in the country, away from the hustle and bustle staying in a charming hotel? The country is also a place to get a brilliant idea of the culture of a nation; after all, cities normally have a persona of their own, disparate from that of the nation. The countryside is often unique, and gives a far better representation of the culture and way of life.
While in the city you may have many modern, purpose built hotels that can often be characterless; whilst the country has many hotels of considerable age and heritage. Just speaking from my experience of the coaching inns in England; these buildings have large amounts of character and are the ideal hotel for exploring the English countryside. (more…)
Book a vacation rental instead of a hotel
06 days
by admin
in Hotels and Apartment
Although not a new concept, booking a vacation rental instead of a hotel is becoming increasingly popular as a cheaper alternative to conventional ideas of housing. On the one hand, are available in holiday destinations, as much as a standard hotel, and there are benefits many more benefits. Accommodation in many of the same services, including options for a pool, jacuzzi, and even some working space. More and more people are discovering that they are not used as a host of facilities, because they spend more time to see the sights, shopping and eating in restaurants, and when they do, many opportunities to swim in the use the pool or Jacuzzi are closed for the night.
Above all, a vacation rental is ultimately much cheaper than a hotel, the more people in your group or family, is cheaper. For example, you can rent a five-bedroom house in Florida, which comfortably 12 people for $ 4,000 per week. Say you have twelve people in your group, there will come a little over $ 330 per person for the whole week. Some of the rooms high end can cost a lot more now, and at night there is the week. It also has kitchen facilities, separate rooms, and many pets, which are much better than renting a standard hotel room. As you can see, renting a vacation property can be much cheaper than regular housing.