Cavness Vacation Packages

Puerto Rico is an island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, located east of the Dominican Republic. The island is almost rectangular in shape and is the smallest and most eastern island of the Greater Antilles. The island spans an area of 9,104 sq. km, slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island. The island has a length of 180 km, stretching from Punta Puerca in the east to Punta Higuero in the west. The maximum width spans an area of 65 km from Isabella in the north to Punta Colon in the south. The length of the coastline is 501 km, which is the reason for Puerto Rico being a key -shipping lane to the Panama Canal. In addition to the principal island, the Commonwealth includes Vieques, Culebra, Culebrita, Palomino (also known as the Spanish Virgin Islands), Mona, Monito and various others isolated islands.

To the west of the island lie Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which are separated from the island by the Mona Passage or Mona Canal. To the east lie the Virgin Islands. The north is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean while the Caribbean Sea is to the south.

Puerto Rico has a predominantly mountainous terrain. The coastal plains are spread across the north of the island. Sandy beaches cover the coastal areas. Cerro de Punta is the highest point at a height of 1,338m. San Juan is one of the biggest natural harbors.

Puerto Rico’s numerous small rivers and high central mountains ensure that the land is well watered. The south coast is relatively dry and the north consists of a fertile coastal belt.

Puerto Rico is close to the deepest submarine depression in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Puerto Rico Trench is about 1,750 km long and 100 km wide. The trench was formed by a series of faults in the north Caribbean and is partially filled with sediments. The trench is parallel to the northern coast of the island of Puerto Rico, lying about 120 km to the north. The deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean, the Milwaukee Depth, lies within the Puerto Rico Trench, at a depth of 8,380 meters, 160 km northwest of Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico provides detailed information on Puerto Rico, Map Of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Vacation, San Juan Puerto Rico and more. Puerto Rico is affiliated with Punta Cana Hotels .

[tags]Puerto Rico, Map Of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Vacation, San Juan Puerto Rico[/tags]

A historically important trade route, the Yellowhead Highway, also known as TransCanada Hwy 16, was named after an 1800s golden-haired fur trapper named Pierre Bostanais, who the Iroquois referred to as “tete jaune” or “yellow head”. Today it’s a modern highway that provides access to major wilderness areas, parks, historic sites and cultural attractions, including the provincial capital.

The Alberta section of the highway starts in the east at Lloydminster, Canada’s only two-province city, as its main north/south street straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border. Here you can visit the Barr Colony Heritage Center, which is home to the Imhoff Art Collection. It’s also a place to learn about oil production at the Heavy Oil Science Center’s interactive exhibit.

Heading west, you’ll pass through Vermilion before coming to Vegreville. This town has a colorful giant Ukrainian Easter egg that tourists love to have their picture taken beside. A little further from town is the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village where you can learn about many Ukrainian pioneers who helped settle the east-central area of Alberta.

About 50 kilometers before reaching Edmonton, is Elk Island National Park. This was Canada’s first federal wildlife sanctuary established in 1906. Bison, moose, elk and deer roam together in the big park. It is also home to more than 250 species of birds.

Edmonton is the provincial capital, a cosmopolitan city of close to a million people. The city has a little something for everyone, from a wonderfully diverse live music scene, eclectic dining and shopping spots and a lineup of summer festivals stretching from early June to September. One of the most popular is at Northlands Park, where the exhibition known as Klondike Days was held until recently when it was changed to the Capital Ex. While staying true to a number of the traditional activities associated with the exhibition such as the parade, pancake breakfasts, a gambling casino, free entertainment, there is also the Chuckwagon Derby. Over the next several years a variety of new activities and facilities will add to the already exciting atmosphere.

Edmonton also lays claim to the giant West Edmonton Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment complex that offers over 800 stores and many diverse services. It also has 110 restaurants offering every possible variety of dining experience. As well there are numerous attractions including the bumper-boat action of the Deep Sea Derby and the Mindbender which is the world’s biggest indoor triple-loop roller coaster. It also has a large swimming area complete with a sandy beach and its own wave-making machine.

After leaving Edmonton, traveling west you will come to Entwistle, famous for is 902-foot railway bridge spanning the Pembina River. Edson follows, with the Edson native interpretive trail, where you can rent teepees overnight. In Hinton, you can learn about the area’s coal mining and forestry industry. Side roads south from both Edson and Hinton lead down the “Coal Spur Line” where vast quantities of coal were strip mined. The coal was shipped by rail to Prince Rupert on the Pacific Coast, where it was loaded onto ships for transport to Japan.

Entering Jasper National Park, the next stop is the town of Jasper but first a side trip to Miette Hot Springs. This is a great place to take a relaxing soak after a long highway trip. It has two outdoor pools, an interpretive center, hiking trails and picnic sites.

Jasper is a tourist destination for thousands every year. This is the home of the internationally famous Jasper Park Lodge about seven kilometers south of the townsite. The lodge is located amid some gorgeous scenery on Lac Beauvert. There’s a very highly rated 18 hole golf course visited regularly by many famous people in movies and TV. Other attractions are the Jasper Tramway and Maligne Lake. The Tramway is Canada’s highest and longest; it takes passengers to an altitude of 7,472 feet atop Whistler’s Mountain and a sweeping view of six major mountain ranges. Maligne Lake is the second largest glacial lake in the world. There is a day lodge with a caf

“Vacation deprivation is at an all-time high,” says Sally McKenzie, vice president and general manager of the online vacation website Expedia.com. Harris Interactive and Ipsos were hired by Expedia to study U.S. vacation trends. Ms. Mckenzie continues, “there are incredible health and wellness benefits associated with time off from work.” It looks like Americans will be missing out on all the fun this year.

What were the findings? U.S. employees this year will likely forfeit more than 574 million vacation days. That is an extra 150 million vacation days forfeited this year over 2005 levels or about 4 vacation days that go unused per employee.

Why don’t Americans learn from foreign employees and enjoy the vacation days they have earned?

There are many reasons. One of them is still our upbringing with the Puritan work ethic. Our country was founded on hard work and long hours. Taking days off is still looked upon by many employers as being slothful, lazy, and not being productive. With the downsizing that has been going on in corporate America, employees are nervously looking over their shoulders wanting to make sure they give no one any excuse to replace them. They all want to look like team players.

Gasoline prices are out of sight. With some working families having to pay an extra $1500 to $2000/year for gasoline, right there their summer vacation has gone up in gas fumes.

The Federal Reserve increasing interest rates is hurting vacationers. It is estimated that in 2005, almost 40% of mortgages were the exotic kinds with adjustable rates, zero interest, etc. With the Federal Reserve having raised interest rates for almost 20 quarters in a row, many families are seeing their mortgage payments jumping from an extra few hundred a month, to in some case over an extra $1000 per month. For some families it is a choice of wanting to keep the roof over their heads. Vacation time has gone out the window.

A final reason Americans are not taking more vacation time is vacation resorts and destinations are not exciting people into wanting to take days off of work.

A lodging magazine survey showed that the typical resort, averages around a 15% repeat guest rate. “That is a horrible number,” says Tom Mulhall, past president of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce. “That means the typical resort and resort destination is doing something to turn off 85% of its guests. We pride ourselves on averaging just over a 75% repeat guest rate ourselves.”

Tom and his wife Mary Clare own The Terra Cotta Inn Clothing Optional Resort and Spa in Palm Springs, CA http://sunnyfun.com and Tom feels that today’s cookie cutter chain hotels are more interested in maximizing the revenue from a guest instead of a guest getting to maximize their fun. Chains need to understand that guests have to have a great experience at a resort and at a destination. When guests feel like they have to “watch their wallet” every time they walk into a lobby, they start to resent it. And charging hidden “resort fees, and outlandish parking rates” has probably cost more resorts lost repeat guest then anything else. Until chains understand that, repeat guest rates will still suffer.

Tom concludes by saying,”last week, one of my guests told me he had accumulated over 50 vacation days at work. I asked him why he did not take more travel time. He said, outside of the 2 week vacation he spends with us each year, no other vacation resorts excite him and his wife. ‘I don’t want to waste my vacation time at some mediocre place,’ said the guest. ‘We did that when we were younger. Now I would rather save vacation days to cash out at retirement instead of using them now.’” Chilling words for the travel industry.

This year it looks like travel destinations and resorts are going to have to work harder than ever to recapture the vacation time and hearts of the American traveler.

Tom and his wife own the popular Terra Cotta Inn Clothing Optional Resort and Spa in Sunny Palm Springs, CA. http://sunnyfun.com
http://palmsprings.com
Their hotel ranks as one of the 10 best nudist resorts in the world. They are regarded as the most mainstream clothing optional resort in America and are perfect for couples trying nude sunbathing for the first time. Feel free calling 1-800-786-6938 for more information. This article may be reprinted.

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Bryce Canyon is not a canyon. It is the spectacular edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, a place where intricately carved towers and archways of stone shimmer in a dazzling array of colour under the bright sun.

The state of Utah in the United States is home to many beautiful National Parks, and Bryce Canyon National Park ranks as one of the most magnificent and awe inspiring.

15 million years ago the earth in this region began to shift, forming a series of plateaus. The Paunsaugunt is an extensive plateau, with the Paria River gradually eroding away the edge to form Bryce Canyon.

The rock in Bryce Canyon is composed of layer after layer of sediment deposits, deposited millions of years ago when the area was at the bottom of a lake. Now the Paria River has exposed the layers, allowing a detailed history of the lake to be determined.

The Park itself was established in 1924, and was named after an early settler in the area, Ebenezer Bryce. He emigrated from Scotland, married a local girl then moved southwards in stages, building sawmills as he went.

In the mid 1870s he reached the Paria River, where he and his family settled for a number of years. It was at this time that Bryce made his immortal comment about Bryce Canyon - he called it “one hell of a place to lose a cow”.

The area remained basically undiscovered by European tourists, the first guest houses only being constructed around the time when the park was officially established.

Luckily this has led to Bryce Canyon being an area of largely unspoiled beauty, as well as the enormous scientific value of the historic information trapped in its pinnacles and spires.

The canyon is by no means a stagnant place - the rim recedes by an average of about a foot every 50 years, and in this ever changing scene it is water that plays the most vital role in the shaping and eventual destruction of the magnificent scenery.

Because the rock was laid down in layers, there is a variation in the hardness of the rock formed. When water runoff trickles across the rock, some areas erode rapidly whereas others hold firm.

This variation in erosion speed causes the formation of pinnacles, or “hoodoos” of stable rock. In some places the water seeps down through cracks and eats out holes beneath the surface. When the side rock erodes away, an archway is left behind.

Eventually the arch collapses, leaving two more pillars to join the rest. The ever changing vista of colours, spires, walls and archways is spectacular at any season, and the park is open all year round.

In the warmer months there are plenty of trails for the visitor to explore, ranging from easy strolls to hard hikes. Some of the best trails are located in the Bryce Amphitheatre, located near the entry to the park.

Here you can wander through the Queen’s Garden, or gaze up at Queen Victoria herself surveying the ‘flowers’ in her garden. Some of the most awe inspiring lookouts are situated in this area, including Sunset Point and Inspiration Point - a must for any visitor.

Walkers can also follow the Fairyland, Riggs Spring and Under-the-Rim trails, which are longer, but allow more opportunities to see the different elements of the park at close quarters.

Summer months can cause temperatures in the base of the canyon to soar, so it is very important to be prepared for the heat, and carry plenty of water.

In winter the roads are opened between snowfalls, allowing a totally different perspective of the park. Snow capped pinnacles stand out sharply against the background of white snow and dark green trees. The air is also cleaner, allowing visitors to see great distances.

For the energetic, it is possible to cross-country ski in a number of areas in the park, and on some trails it is possible to go snowshoeing instead of hiking.

If you want a slightly different view of the park, it is possible to explore the park in a 1930 limousine. Alternatively, you can rent a horse on an hourly basis to trek some of the better trails.

There is plenty of interest to explore in the park, apart from the marvellous scenery of the ’silent city’, as the hoodoos are sometimes called. The park also contains a large variety of plants and wildlife, including meadows and forests.

Ground squirrels abound near the viewing areas, and their antics are almost enough to distract the visitor’s eyes from the scenery. On quiet mornings and evenings it is also possible to see deer, elk and antelope grazing on the meadows.

Some bears and mountain lions also enter the park occasionally, but are rarely seen by tourists.

Bryce Canyon is a hidden jewel, thoroughly deserving to be as well known as its southern neighbour, the Grand Canyon. Include it on your itinerary, and you definitely won’t be disappointed.

In fact, you may be completely overwhelmed by the fascinating and awe inspiring beauty of Bryce Canyon, just like almost every other visitor.

Copyright Felicity Walker 2005

Travelling the national parks in the US is one of the author’s favorite things to do. Check out http://www.travelusinfozone.com or http://www.travelusinfozone.com/bryce-canyon/ for more information.

[tags]travel US,bryce canyon,bryce, US travel,US National Park[/tags]

Most people go on holidays during as a way to reduce their stress levels and to get away from the fast pace and high pressure of modern life - but studies show around three quarters of consumers worry about returning to find that they’ve been victims of burglary.

There are numerous strategies and technologies that can be used to make your home a less attractive target to would-be thieves, and to stop or frighten them away even in the event of a break-in. Most electronic alarm systems will automatically telephone police or even fire officials in the event of a break-in or fire.

Most people who have installed some kind of home security or theft deterrent system are able to enjoy their vacations much more easily, as well as sleeping better at night when they are home. Since over half of all convicted burglars admit to focusing on an empty house as a potential “mark” or a target for robbery, most people recognize that a break-in is more likely while away on vacation.

But there are many things that you can do as a homeowner to prevent a break-in or deter thieves. Such options as alarm systems or Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) systems are rapidly dropping in price, and do it yourself options are becoming available, eliminating the expense involved in hiring a contractor.

Wireless alarm systems which run on batteries and/or solar power serve as a visual deterrent to thieves, and can also call the police in the event of a break-in while you are away. A basic CCTV system allows homeowners to change the channel of their television and check to see who’s at the door, and more advanced systems can now be interfaced with the internet, allowing you to check on your front door/backyard/kitchen while on vacation.

Lighting timer systems allow you to have your lights randomly turned on and off, giving the illusion that someone is home and discouraging potential thieves from targeting your property. A secure garage door opener as well as a glass-break sensor on garage windows can seal off one more point of entry for would-be burglars.

These systems are rapidly declining and price, and the do it yourself options are improving in quality - many home systems can now be installed for less than $1,000. So, if you are feeling anxious about home security while you’re home or away, consider setting up a home security system to protect your property and your peace of mind.

Jack Nelson is a security consultant, and a member of the editorial team at homesecurityandalarms.com - an informative guide to home security with information about computer security, infrared motion sensors, alarm monitoring and more.

[tags]home security, break-ins, vacations[/tags]