Search Results: Special Occasion (56)

The most common mistake travelers make is NOT taking a camera when cruising. “After all,” they say, “a smartphone is all use when I’m home. Why should I also bring a heavier camera?”

Cruises represent new challenges most of us don’t face in everyday life. We don’t spend as much time outdoors; we don’t need to contend with never-ending glare, and our subjects are usually within eight feet of us. Also, …

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Have you watched a movie filmed in a familiar setting and recognized buildings, a restaurant or a street? Have you ever wanted to visit a location after seeing a film? Watch the “Borne Identity,” and you will see many Parisian locations. If you are ever in Prague, look for the many easily identifiable scenes from the first “Mission Impossible.” Just outside Asheville, North Carolina, in Lake Lure, you can see the spectacular backdrop for “Last …

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Who has not been captivated by tales of knights and dragons, of medieval feuds, battles, and betrayals? Serving as the backdrop for each of these stories is a castle. Visiting a castle can provide a playground for the imagination, allowing the mind to revel in legend and lore. Walking through grand halls past suits of armor, torches, and tapestries, one cannot fathom so many stories embedded in stone. More than a getaway from the stresses …

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We know you. You would rather watch the History Channel than Angry Housewives of New Jersey. Old copies of National Geographic are some of your best friends and occupy precious desk and countertop space in your home. You have seen Indiana Jones I and III (but not II) several times. You are not a tourist: you like to immerse yourself in the cultures you visit, to experience a destination from an insider’s point of view. …

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Religious travel to the Near Middle East has been a part of the fabric of faith for thousands of years. It is a region that encompasses countries such as Israel, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Greece, and Italy. These lands are steeped in spirituality and religious history. A pilgrimage to this area can be an extraordinarily uplifting experience for Christians, Muslims, and Judaism as it provides an opportunity to become connected with one’s spiritual roots in …

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The older man in a wheelchair had found the perfect spot to catch the crowd. After a security check, he was positioned on the path as people excitedly entered Parque O’Higgins in Santiago.

A sign on his lap said he was disabled, unemployed, and seeking support. He was intelligent, too, since he was selling sachets of Eno’s indigestion powder, precisely what people would need after the hours of over-indulgence that lay ahead.

Every year, Chile …

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Excuse me.  Sir!  You there.  I have a request.  No, not you, nice man.  You go on about your day and enjoy your vacation.

I’m speaking to the other gentleman, who is so incapable of controlling his impulses that he just chucked that small boy overboard.  Oh!  That was your son, and you were playing?  I see.

Well, I’m also talking to that lady who thinks it’s funny to draw a picture of a bomb …

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Costa Rica is, of course, a paradise for nature lovers. It, therefore, makes sense that many people only wish to spend a minimal amount of time, if any, in the gritty capital of San Jose before heading to the beaches and tropical rainforests.

Surrounded by volcanoes, coffee plantations, and cloud forests and situated in the central valley, San Jose is the capital and largest city in Costa Rica. If you travel independently in Costa Rica, …

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Opals, a brilliant gemstone celebrated for its kaleidoscope of color, are notably prominent in Australia, which produces around 95% of the world’s opals. While this shimmering treasure is not unique to Australia, notable deposits are found in South Australia’s Coober Pedy, Andamooka, and Mintabie, as well as Lightning Ridge and White Cliffs in New South Wales, and Queensland’s Quilpie and Winton districts. Many gemologists consider Australian opals to be the world’s finest.

The Coober Peddy …

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From a vertical challenge to rocky and winding trails, dense and lush vegetation to tranquil river and waterfall oases, exploring the enduring forests of the Caribbean remains an incredible connecting doorway to the interior green worlds of this region. Some such treks are for the fit, agile and those with stamina, other such outings are shorter and easier on the endurance – but all provide that same magical ingredient in the encounter with terrain and …

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You want to go to Australia this winter, but published fares are through the roof. Guess kangaroos, the outback, and Crocodile Dundee will just have to wait for your arrival, right? Not necessarily. With a little patience and a good travel advisor, you might just luck into one of the real secrets of inexpensive travel… international airline consolidators. These airline ticket brokers purchase airline tickets directly from the airlines in bulk at discounted fares …

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National journalist Charles Kuralt once said, ” Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything. “

While US highways provide an undeniably efficient method of travel, it’s true that unless you journey off the beaten path, you may never see the amazing natural wonders found in the United States of America let alone in the Sahara or on the arctic …

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Who comes to love Anguilla? Much is made of the rich and famous who come to this island haven to hide in plain sight, to mingle undisturbed. But for every celebrity, there are the thousands of visitors every year who come for the warm hospitality of the people, the brilliance of the beaches, and the quiet, idyllic return to a more elegant, simple, yet rich existence.

Anguilla is the northernmost of the Leeward Islands. It …

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Utah County, about an hour south of Salt Lake City, is a destination that’s really come into its own in recent years. It’s also known as Utah Valley, a place with growing corporations such as Ancestry.com, and so many tech start-ups that it’s earned the nickname “Silicon Slopes.” It’s also studded with natural wonders, from towering snow-capped peaks reaching close to 12,000’ to shining alpine lakes to mountaintop caves to lush meadows. And as a …

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