Thanksgiving – a time for tributes, turkey, and, well… travel. Thanksgiving is America’s busiest weekend for travel. It is, after all, a time of happy family reunions when people journey distances-long and short-to be with family and friends. But for parents travelling with young kids, the holiday spirit could be tinged with anxiety. Here are some tips to help you make your travel experience less stressful:
o Plan ahead: Travel plans can always go awry. And when you are travelling with a bunch of kids in tow, they most certainly will. You can avoid a lot of travel stress by planning each step of the journey in detail, beforehand.
o Beat the rush: Jammed highways, with traffic moving at snail’s pace is often an unfortunate reality during the Thanksgiving weekend. However, since the rush starts only by Wednesday, you can beat it by starting out a day earlier, on Tuesday. Another alternative would be to take a train or plane to your destination, instead of driving.
o Take frequent breaks: If you expect your kids to sit straight through the ten-hour drive to grandma’s without complaining, you are asking for trouble. Ensure that you plan sufficient stops on the way, for snacks and to let the kids use the bathroom, for instance.
o Keep them occupied: Kids will be kids. They are bound to get bored and weary. And they will react by throwing tantrums and being difficult. Your best bet is to keep them happy. Pack in a couple of toys, favorite books, and puzzles to help pass the time. Another way to keep them entertained is to engage in simple fun activities, like singing, reciting poems, or reading out the billboards on the way.
So much for history. What the day has come to mean for most of us is family gathering together over the traditional Thanksgiving dinner – turkey and all the trimmings. And that’s the spirit you want to capture in your Thanksgiving photographs – the spirit of family and togetherness.
Paul Banas is a founder of GreatDad. He writes articles on pregnancy and parenting topics related to dads. Discuss about planning a baby, sex life, spouse pregnancy, raising kids, child development, family holidays and other parenting related topics at great dads forum.
Nestled beautifully in a stunning valley on a hundred and seven rich, tropical cuerdas, two hours from San Juan is the Hotel Casa Grande. It is truly an oasis of tranquility and peace of mind. Once a former coffee plantation, this property is now exquisitely landscaped, providing 20 carefully-appointed guest rooms (4 rooms in each of the 5 wooden structures) scattered around the mountainside. Each of the 20 rooms has its own private bath, balcony overlooking the lush greens, and a hammock. Beneath the green mountain vista is a fresh-water swimming pool that will provide you the refreshing feeling you need. There is a fully-equipped yoga center both for individual and group practice. The in-house restaurant, Jungle Jane's serves sumptuous local and international cuisine. Casa Grande is most of all a virtual botanical garden that will please the nature lover in you for a relaxing, one-of-a-kind holiday getaway.
About Hotel Casa Grande
Hotel Casa Grande is a unique cozy hotel ideally set in a 107-acre ranch two hours away from San Juan in Puerto Rico. Also known as the Casa Grande Mountain Retreat, this property was once a coffee plantation. It has been exquisitely landscaped to become one of the ultimate vacation destinations in Puerto Rico today.
The hotel offers guests a choice of 20 guest rooms, set in five wooden structures (supported by cement columns) that sit on a platform overlooking varied and lush vegetation. Ten of the twenty rooms have queen sized beds, while the other ten are equipped with two full-sized beds. All the guest rooms have screened windows, a night table, dresser, clothes pole, reading light, shelf, private bathroom, private balcony with hammock, and a wall fan. There are no TVs, radios or telephones, so your stay at Casa Grande will truly be an opportunity to relax, unwind and forget about your daily troubles.
To fully promote relaxation at its best, the hotel provides yoga classes and retreats. A Kripalu certified yoga teacher conducts yoga classes twice a day (8am and 5pm) in the fully-equipped yoga center. There are also week-long retreated being held during weekends.
Casa Grande is mainly a virtual botanical property. All throughout the hotel, you can find landscaped as well as wild areas where exotic plants, tropical trees and fruit trees grow beautifully. There are over a hundred verities of plant life in the hotel premises, including ginger and heliconia.
For your dining needs, Jungle Jane's restaurant offer sumptuous meals that can satisfy your palate. They also serve their locally-harvested fruits such as mango, lemon, orange, grapefruit, avocado, papaya, banana, peppers, herbs, spices, and so on.
For the more active guests, the hotel offers a hiking trail on the ground, right in between the river and the road. It is about a 20-minute walk which will make you feel like you are one with nature. Guests can also rent a kayak and ride on it while exploring the calm Dos Bocas Lake. Guests can also take an opportunity to visit the nearby must-see tourist sites. Located near the hotel is the Arecibo Observatory (which houses the largest radio telescope on Earth), the Rio Camuy Cave Park (houses the biggest underground river in the world), the Caguana Indian Ceremonial Park and the Toro Negro State Forest.
Hotel Casa Grande is a haven for tranquility and peace, and is an ideal vacation destination for those who would like to unwind and be one with nature, even just for a while.
About the Author: To learn more please visit our website Hotel Casa Grande for more information and other useful travel resources.
Face it, anytime you are traveling, for business or pleasure, you want to stay somewhere nice. You do not want to arrive at your destination to discover it is rodent infested and has no amenities. You want to spend your money on a good reliable place to hang your hat. The length of time you are staying really does not matter. Most travelers want comfortable luxury suites at a reasonable price.
There are certain features we expect and deserve when we reserve the place we are going to stay. Cleanliness is a very important one, no one wants to sleep in a room that is dirty. Privacy can also be imperative. In some countries, it is common to share a bathroom, rather than have one to yourself. Safety should be a top concern for everyone.
Finding a place that fills your criteria can be difficult, especially when you are not familiar with the place you are going. You may find yourself unsure of who provides reliable accommodations and how to find them. You also do not want to arrive and find that, for whatever reason, your reservation was not held for you. Trying to find a new and decent place to stay can ruin your entire trip.
That said, it is usually wise to stick with well-known companies when making your reservation. These businesses have a proven track record of providing clean, comfortable rooms for their guests. They also verify your reservations, so you are guaranteed to have a room upon arrival.
Many such options can be found by doing a simple online search. There are many websites that allow you to compare various places to stay in any given area. You can specify the amenities you want and they can even help you find them for the best available price. You can discover their distance from your proposed destination as well as other important details.
It is also a good idea to book in advance. This ensures that you have a place waiting for you are your destination. Certain times of year are very busy for many popular vacation areas and you may not find a room at the last minute. Booking early can also save money, as rates are usually much cheaper than for walk-ins.
Sometimes, if you will be staying in a certain area for awhile, you may be better served to rent a furnished apartment. Many people offer these for people who are staying somewhere for a long period of time. It can be cheaper than a hotel room for a long-term stay and much more comfortable. There are many people that even rent a furnished apartment when visiting Canada, because of the convenience.
Wherever you choose to stay, you can find luxury suites that will not disappoint. Just remember to plan where you are going to sleep as carefully as you do the rest of your trip. It is vitally important to ensure that you have a clean, comfortable and safe place to rest your head!
About the Author: If you're looking for Short Term Rental Toronto, you should consider a Toronto Short Term Rental. Requesting for an extended stay at a Mississauga Furnished Apartment is fairly easy. With furniture ready for you, you can just walk in with your luggage.
Authentic places to stay spanning three continents.
THE PURE DESTINATION were the homes of the owners from the Netherlands and Alberto Cortes from Spain . It now has fast become a small boutique collection with a route that covers IBIZA, MARRAKECH and BALI.
The three resorts; HARISSA , RYAD DYOR and THE PURIST are located at exclusive, hip and authentic spots in the world. Spots which have always been known for its special atmosphere and cosmopolitan mix of people.The route that goes to these places has been traveled since the sixties bypeople searching for love piece and harmony. Today these places are still the perfect getaways for those who want to experience the culture and spirituality, enjoy the nature and its healing forms and explore the thriving nightlife and real taste.
The latest gem in the collection is THE PURIST Villas and Spa, who has opened its doors in Ubud/Bali in Mai 2009. Acknowledging that some travelers are looking for a balance between style and comfort, each villa is an oasis of tranquility with an attention to every detail. Ubud is still regarded as the cultural and spiritual heart of Bali. Ubud is the place to be if you really want to experience traditional Balinese life. From the minute you arrive, you feel the pace of life slow down around you, allowing you to truly relax and unwind.
The Purist Villas and Spa is a small Boutique hotel resort,where each suite of two and three rooms has an indoor and outdoor bathroom with a free standing stone bath and separate shower, Some of them have wooden sundecks hanging over the lush tropical gardens of bamboo palm trees and other special plants. These decks have an outdoor dining area and comfortable sun loungers from where one can enjoy this little paradise. Three of the villas have their own private pools with a separate Gazebo (Balinese hut) with mattresses and cushions, A pure bliss.
The suites are housed in series of seven unique and private villas fusing five-star luxury and modernity with authentic primitive and traditional elements from several islands of Indonesia. Some of the houses come from other islands such as Java and Timor These huge former huts are at the inside transformed into real designers hideaways, using pebble stone floorings and smooth cement walls, while at the outside it shows all the typical woodcarvings and other features used in some island. Four villas have a more minimal style with Balinese artifacts, white limestone floorings and with some walls made of recycled wood. This Bali living complex is nothing less than sheer indulgence.
The complex has a general pool of beige lime stone tiles with a size of 16 x 5 meter and with an overflow to the river deep below. There is a big sun deck around the pool for those who would like to let the outside world magically disappear, and a pool caf where the staff will be happy to make you a Mojito cocktail
Deep in the heart of tropical Bali, The Purist provide an intimate, luxurious and pampering escape. Each suite is organically designed and developed with respect to the surrounding environment. The whole resort is lovingly crafted over two and a half year. Joost van Grieken, a well known Dutch architect who lives and works in Bali for over 16 years designed most of the project and the landscaping, while Yvonne Hulst and Albeto Cortes, interior architect and fashion designer, gave the Purist its authentic feel. They have been traveling to several Islands to collect special objects, which are giving this innovative and personal atmosphere to the suites.
An antique Yoklo, this is a Javanese loft- style hut, with a wood-carved ceiling, houses the restaurant, which is used in the evening for dining. During the day this space, surrounded by yellow bamboo, is used as a comfortable lounge with sofas, where you can read books about the culture, architecture and history of Bali and other Islands. The Desk Manager can help you here to arrange day trips or trips to other island. Some secret tips discovered by the owners, will make your holiday unique.
The Purist chef is serving a daily changing menu based on Home Cooking. He presents what its name embodies; Good old fashioned home- style cooking Every morning he goes to the organic market in Ubud to see what there, as to decide what he will create with the fresh greens fruits and herbs the fresh fish and the free range chicken. He will love to serve you the real Balinese kitchen and some spicy vegetarian dishes from all over the world.For those interested in cooking, you can join him on his scroll over the market.
The Spa and Yoklo building is made in a modern bamboo style,with walls of lime stone carvings from a local artist. Designed for optimal comfort and aesthetic appeal, this spa building features a double treatment room and a stone bath for several types of masks and scrubs. The high quality organic products used for the various treatments are made on the island.
Your personal comfort is the highest priority- from the best quality 35 cm thick king-sized mattresses and fine cotton sheets to Moroccan Hammam towels and pure body products, maids and a 24-hour butler service mean you need never lift a finger throughout your stay.
With the increase in the number of hotels and hotel chains, consumers now have a greater choice of where to stay when they travel. This has resulted in a greater demand for quality hotel services. In order to compete for your business, hotels are now improving and enhancing the services that they provide.
The following is a list of the types of hotel services that hotel guests prioritize:
1. Hotel guests expect clean rooms that contain all of the essential conveniences. This includes comfortable beds with clean sheets, high speed internet access in the room, access to movies, full bathroom facilities, free local calls, continental breakfasts, newspaper in the morning outside the door, wake up call service, alarm clock, hair dryer, coffee maker or complimentary coffee, iron and ironing board, and air-conditioning. Rooms should be spacious, including the bathroom. It should also be well decorated and not have any strong perfume type odors. There should be a thermostat in the room that the guest can use.
2. Easy accessibility to local transportation such as a taxi service and car rental is an important priority. They also want hotel staff to be able to arrange for their transportation.
3. Hotel guests would like hotel staff to be able to arrange for entertainment services such as theater tickets, movie tickets, dinner reservations, spa and hair salon reservationsetc. The staff should be able to fulfill the requests of every hotel guest. As well, the staff should know about all of the attractions in the area.
4. Hotel guests would like a member of the staff to be available for assistance 24 hours a day. It is important that there is concierge available at all times to cater to the needs of the guests.
5. Extra amenities should be available such as extra towels, extra bed (cot), bathrobes, baby cribs, magazines, laundry servicesetc.
6. The hotel should have convenient parking where vehicles will be safe. The hotel's front entrance should have a wheel chair ramp. There should also be more than one elevator.
7. Many people travel with their pets, particularly dogs. Many customers look for hotels that allow pets.
8. Safety deposit boxes should be available for guests to store their valuables.
9. The hotel should have a quality dining room that serves delicious food at affordable prices. A hotel lounge is also important. The lounge should be a nice place to relax and have a drink.
10. The hotel should have recreational services such as a swimming pool, sauna, gymnasium, or tennis court. Most customers enjoy taking advantage of hotel recreational services.
11. Most hotel guests enjoy their privacy. Hotels should have rooms for those who want extra privacy.
12. Most people look for ways to save money when they travel. Customers enjoy taking advantage of special discounts on certain services offered by hotels.
To maintain competitiveness, hotel management must listen to consumer demands for a quality hotel with extra services. Because consumers are demanding more services at hotels, it is important that hotels keep up with current consumer trends to stay ahead of the competition. Maintaining quality and reliable hotel services will ensure happy and satisfied customers.
About the Author: As Toronto hotels and Barrie hotels offer quality service and comfort, Toronto airport hotels have proven to be not only luxurious but also greatly convenient for business travelers. With its convenient location, dealing business has been a lot more cost-effective.
