Browsing: Shopping

Virginia has long been a reliable source of natural beauty. Preservationists have taken on the painstaking responsibility of conserving their national forest and parks, while making them available to campers and other nature lovers.  So far their success has been phenomenal.

Virginia Beach Campgrounds

There are many campgrounds available on Virginia’s pristine beaches.

First Landing State Park

Located by the Chesapeake Bay, First Landing State Park also hosts a camp store, bath houses, and a …

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Shopping at the largest producers-only farmers’ market in the United States can be no picnic if you don’t keep in mind the one rule of etiquette that locals practice religiously.

“You’ve gotta go with the flow,’’ says Larry Johnson. “Always make sure you’re heading counter-clockwise, otherwise you’re going to get nowhere fast,’’ the genial long-time manager of the Dane County Farmers’ Market, patiently explains.

Before learning this golden rule, I had started blazing a trail …

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The sun was still asleep behind some distant peaks when I clomped out of the tiny town heading for the mountains. Soon it would be a blazing 35 degrees Celsius, and I didn’t want to be halfway up a mountain in that heat. Halfway down a mountain would be fine — but we were still on the upward trajectory.

The cunning plan was to complete the ascent in the shade, then take the sun-baked downhill …

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Drive South across Alabama.

Now just keep on driving you are totally out of road. You should see the sugar-white sand and crystal green water of the wonderful gulf coast area.

You have arrived in one of the loveliest, quietest and most family-friendly destinations in Alabama. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Alabama are so close together they are considered one beach area, and you won’t have any idea when you cross from one to the …

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In the past few years at least a dozen shopping malls have sprung up across Bangalore, and many more are in various stages of construction. But in this South Indian city where modernity and tradition happily co-exist, the swanky malls do not outnumber the neighborhood markets, which continue to bustle with activity. In these lively markets and bazaars you can find almost anything you’re looking for, bargaining is expected and the sensory overload is part …

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Europe is known for having an extensive and impressive array of Christmas markets, but the seasonal merriment doesn’t have to stop there. In springtime, when flowers, trees and hibernating critters begin to come out of winter hiding, new markets also start to pop up across the continent. Some are devoted mainly to Easter, and all the fuzzy lambs, cheerful bunnies and religious traditions that come with it, while others are more widely in celebration of …

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If you are addicted to Project Runway, if you devour the fall fashion issue of Vogue, if you have an account with Bag, Borrow or Steal (a website where a monthly fee allows you to “borrow” designer handbags and jewelry), if you and your friends have arguments over the efficaciousness of skinny jeans (or boyfriend jeans, or low cut jeans, …), or if you simply love fashion and all that goes along with it, it …

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Everyone loves shopping while traveling, and visiting a local market is often the best way to find treasures or souvenirs to bring home.

Many traditional local markets don’t operate the same way as shopping mall stores and boutiques, where the price tag has the final say. At these native markets, bargaining for the best deal is the norm.  It can be awkward getting started, so here are some tips to help you get familiar with …

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Until I went on a Caribbean cruise recently with a bunch of girlfriends I always thought “duty-free” was just another excuse to get all those vacationers into the shops to stuff their shopping bags full of items that could be had back home for roughly the same price. I learned on this trip that I was completely wrong.

This time, because some of my girlfriends were actually going to the pre-port shopping talks I have …

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We’ve all had it happen to us — you think you’ve packed everything you need for your vacation, only to discover at some point along the way that something, or several things, have been left behind. Or worse, your luggage gets lost altogether in the endless abyss of airline travel only to appear again (if you’re lucky) two weeks later, looking like it’s been to the moon and back, which it very well may have. …

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Bohol is often known as the “Bohemian” region of The Philippines. Life moves a little slower here than the frenzied pace in Manila.  Even the largest city on Bohol, Cebu, has more of a laid-back vibe, home to many universities and a real college-town feel. The main island of Bohol is surrounded by several smaller islands, many home to diving meccas attracting visitors from all over the world. Many don’t visit more than the beaches, …

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For decades, Sri Lanka was battling political unrest. A civil-war between Tamil insurgents and the Sinhalese government almost destroyed the tourism industry. Then, the tsunami of 2004 devastated certain coastal regions of the country. Luckily, the riots have ended and the coastlines have been restored, and this tear-drop shaped paradise off the Southern coast of India is waiting to be rediscovered by travelers worldwide.

It is easy to list generic enticements to visit Sri Lanka, …

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Lisbon is known as the “City of White Light” due to the bright sunshine reflected off of the numerous cobblestone sidewalks and plazas. In fact, Lisbon’s Terreiro do Paco, situated right over the Tejo River is the largest plaza in all of Europe. But for all its “white space,” the Portuguese capital also boasts a good amount of green space and, of course, beautiful beaches. But the trick is to find those spots where the …

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Krakow is a city known for its long and colorful past, and the priceless and awe-inspiring, original surviving remnants from all different periods in its history and the people that came and went over the years. While these magnificent structures and relics are major tourist magnets, and rightfully so, Krakow also has had a boom of modern construction and new attractions to keep things interesting for the millions of annual visitors that come to Poland’s …

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