Around The World

Many older people around the world long to retire to the tropics where the temperature is comfortable and the living is easy and often less expensive than in their native lands. Most people agree that a tropical environment is unusually friendly and beautiful. The opportunity to enjoy nature and a simpler, freer way of life is very appealing; however, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind before pulling up stakes and traveling to the tropics to retire. Read on to learn more. When you live in the tropics, you will find that your life savings or your social security check go much further than in many other parts of the world. Your utility bills will be lower due to the temperate weather. Food costs are generally lower; although, your choices in foods may not be the same as you are used to. Health expenses may also be fewer thanks to a healthier way of life and lower costs of health care. When you move to another culture, you can expect to experience culture shock. Th...

I just love to travel. I have been lucky in that I have been able to do a lot of it in the last few years. I have been able to go to 11 countries and 30 states. When I was growing up we didn't travel very much. We usually only went to see my Grandparents in Arizona. It wasn't that my parents didn't want to travel. I guess they just wanted to save money so we did more local trips. When I was 19 I got my first taste of traveling. I went to Washington DC for the week with a friend of mine. We had such a good time. We got to see almost everything. It was an amazing trip and I knew after I returned home that I loved to travel. The next trip I went on was a trip to Canada when I was 21. I went with my boyfriend at the time. We went during the wintertime so we got to check out some of the local winter sports. We were able to check out a dog sled race. As soon as we got back from Canada, I started saving for my next vacation. I knew if I didn't make it a priority, I w...

Some people love to travel and others not so much. I love almost every aspect of it. I like planning a trip, deciding on the route, what I want to see, where I want to stay, the flights, in fact, the whole caboodle. Then there’s the actual trip which is exciting and when it is over, travel gives you (usually) wonderful memories. What is there not to like? Planning is a great time as you get to choose where you want to go, how you are getting there, all aspects of your trip, including a hotel. Today there are so many ways you can get information about the place you have chosen for your trip. For example, say you want to plan a trip to Costa Rica as your neighbors went there last year and they loved it. Certainly, you can pick their brains about their experiences there. Then you can do your own research. Online is a great place to start as you can look at maps, visit blogs about the place and start planning what you will do when you get there. There are flights to book. Is San Jose...

If you love to travel, you should consider a cruise vacation. In the past few years, there have been some mishaps aboard cruise ships, but overall, a cruise is a fun and safe vacation. The media will cover the rare cruise ship fires, but they fail to mention the many cruises that happen safely every day of the year. If you look at the price of a cruise, it is actually a very cost-effective vacation. Just compare the cost of a traditional vacation to a theme park to the cost of a cruise. If you were to take your family of four to Orlando for a visit to the theme parks, you will be paying for the hotel, you will pay for meals, and you will have to pay for admission to the theme parks. This can easily come to $500 per day or more, or $3500 for a week. Now, for a cruise, you will pay for the cruise, which can be as low as $620 per person, or $2480 for a family of four for a one week cruise. When you pay for a cruise, you are paying for not only the cabin, but the price also includes ...

Whether you're about to go to your first convention or your twenty-first convention, it's important that you make sure you're ready. I've assembled a list of tips that'll help you survive traveling to a convention. This advice will work whether you're going to ComicCon or a small convention near you. If you're planning on wearing a costume like most convention-goers, it's important that you pack a costume repair kit with you! Costumes are notorious for ripping or breaking at the absolute worst times. So it's important that you have what you'll need to do minor repairs. Now you don't need to bring an entire workshop with you, but you should have the basics to fix small problems. A sewing kit, scissors, and some super glue should be the absolute minimum you pack with you! If your costume requires a prop weapon, make sure you check the convention's policies on weapons ahead of time. Most of them have bans on a live steal and projectile...

This past February, I climbed to the highest point in Panama. This peak is found at 11,398 feet above sea level atop a dormant volcano called Volcan Baru. It was the most grueling and challenging thing I have ever done in my life. It taxed every once of my body and mind. I don't know that I will ever do it again, but I am definitely glad that I did it. It is possibly a once-in-a-lifetime trip. A group of about 20 of us set out around 5AM from Rio Sereno, a small town on the Costa Rican border. My husband and I ate a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast, oatmeal, and coffee since we knew that was the last full meal we would have for at least 38 hours. I made the mistake of drinking a big glass of water right before we left knowing that our water would also be rationed during this time. I suppose drinking the water wasn't really the mistake; not going to the bathroom right before I left was. As you can guess, I had to go to the bathroom so badly that we had to stop the van so I ...

The United States has a lot of beautiful places to visit when the weather is warm. Summer always brings out the best in cities around the country. In this article, you will learn about the best places to travel during the summer. It's a good thing to know where to travel during certain seasons. Miami Beach in Florida has some of the best weather during summer. Walkthrough the sand, shop at the nearby shopping centers and enjoy fine dining all within walking distance from your hotel. Miami Beach has a lot of fun night activities such as drinking and dancing. Young couples that want to take their first trip together can make this trip a memorable experience. Families can also have loads of fun by visiting the local attractions, spending a full day at the beach, and eating great food all over the city. Pismo Beach is a beautiful place on the west coast of California. This beach is a few hours north of Los Angeles. A lot of people overlook this beach but it is a great area to spe...