Just in Case You Want to Get Away For Christmas

If you've ever wanted to get away for Christmas instead of hanging out with boring old family, then I have a spot for you.  It's not cold, and it's not snowy.  You won't see any evergreen trees.  You also may not have a clue where Santa is coming from.



Melbourne, Australia is home to some of the most festive Christmas celebrations around the globe.  Sure, Santa may be surfing instead of flying a sleigh with reindeer, but it's the amazing Christmas Festival that makes it great.  There are amazing light displays all over town, and you can get a map so you can find them all.  That's a convenience that I'm not used to.  We normally have to drive around the get lucky to see the really good ones.



The big difference between Christmas here in the states and Christmas in Australia is the fact that winter is summer down under.  The kids are on their school break like our kids are in the summer time.  It's really hot there and people are spending their time at the beach and having barbecues.  As a matter of fact, there is a new and different character symbolizing Christmas that is kind of catching on.  They call him Swag Man.  Now, my understanding of Swag Man is that he dresses for summer, drives a 4 wheel drive truck with his dingoes so that he can get around the outback.  I don't know if it will catch on or take over.  I think Santa is still safe.



It is somewhat custom to gather at the beach and have a seafood barbecue for Christmas.  It's hot that time of year in Australia, and it's a great way to gather family, friends and whatever for the holiday.  Imagine swimming and surfing for Christmas?  Don't forget to bring a tree, but it probably won't be real, because it's just not customary.  There also probably aren't a lot of evergreen trees in most parts of the country.



Now, let's revisit the lights.  Melbourne has a light display custom designed to show on their town hall.  It's a changing projection that is fascinating to watch.  It's the coolest light display I've ever seen.  The Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas pales in comparison to this one.  It's all Christmas, with animals, and animation.  It's a real treat.



The City Square is transformed into Christmas Square.  It's guarded by nutcracker soldiers, has a maze in it, and you can visit Santa in this neighborhood as well.  You may get a chance to see a Christmas Bush, Australia's second cousin to the Holly Bush.  There are so many festive things to see and do in the city at Christmas time.  It's not all about the shopping.




So, the lights are great.  Santa comes on a surfboard.  Many people celebrate with an outdoor barbecue of seafood.  There's tons of shopping and Christmas trees.  People take their kids to see Santa.  There are parades to welcome in the holiday.  There are many similarities, but there are many differences.  I mean Swag Man is a little different, but definitely Aussie.



Here's one.  It's called the Mistletoe Bridge.  It's also called the Kissing Bridge.  It's only called that at Christmas, but it's a very romantic place to give your sweetie a kiss.  Kissing under the mistletoe is a romantic tradition around the world.  In Melbourne, they've found the perfect site to put it in.



Here's the adventure for you.  It's called Carols by Candlelight, and it takes place yearly at the Sydney  Myer Music Bowl.  Thousands of people come to this event to sing Christmas Carols and enjoy the holiday.  It's a huge event every year.  People come from all over the country and all over the world to see and participate in this fabulous show.  Some of Australia's most noted singers perform on stage.



So, if you've had enough of ice and snow for Christmas and want to do something different without losing the holiday altogether, Melbourne is something really different, yet traditional.  You can pick up all your relatives like in Home Alone, or you can run like the wind to get away from them.  If you want something really different for your holiday, and you've had enough of your own family tradition, make a new one in Melbourne, Australia.  It's an experience you'll never forget.
Enjoy!

http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/australia.shtml
http://www.the-north-pole.com/around/australia.html
http://www.santas.net/australianchristmas.htm
http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_details.php?id=40844#.UqXtauJuG5I
http://www.chiff.com/christmas/christmas-australia.htm
http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/Whatson/Christmas/Pages/christmas-events.aspx
http://www.australia.com/about.aspx?channel=paid-search&tacampaign=us-local-fy2013-167-about-australia&campaign=167-about-australia&message=brand&publisher=yahoo&website=yahoo&adgroup=australia&keyword=australian%20attractions&matchtype=broad
http://www.melbourneholidaytours.com/
http://www.meridiantours.com.au/vacation_australia.htm
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html

Thank You, Nelson Mandela, You Will Not Be Forgotten But Revered For All Time

It's not often that real news touches me in a way that makes me write about it in this blog.  This blog is about travel, and Lord knows that Nelson Mandela stands for way more than that.  It's just that the conversion of South Africa from Apartheid to a far more free country happened within my lifetime, with the culmination of events happening at the dawn of the years when I was really paying attention.  My life has been touched by music and television as anyone of my generation.  We saw the birth of cable TV and MTV.  We were the generation that began watching CNN so we were able to see the Berlin Wall come down.  We were the generation that watched the Artists United Against Apartheid on MTV performing the song "Sun City."



I remember seeing Nelson Mandela make his first public appearance after his release from Robben Island Prison.  I remember watching clips of his meetings with President F. W. DeKlerk.  I remember watching him become the President of South Africa.  Those are some amazing memories that you don't get to have many times in one lifetime.



Younger generations are growing up with the view of South Africa of a beautiful place with exotic wild animals that you can see on safari, gorgeous coastlines, towering mountains, Tabletop Mountain, Johannesburg, and so many other attractions.  That's the way it should be.  I'm glad that South Africa has left behind it's violent and racist past to become a premier destination for the exotic traveler.  Sometimes I'm very glad to see the world change.



There are so many things to see in South Africa.  The idea that the place was tainted with the legalized racism that was Apartheid seems all but nonsense in this day and age.  With the passing of Nelson Mandela, I hope that there will be enough talk about all of the pain, suffering and sacrifice that made the place what it is today.

I will take some time now, and use this blog for what it was designed, and talk about some things that you should see if you go to South Africa.  The first place that comes to mind is Robben Island.  This island that lies with a view of Tabletop Mountain right off the coast has been many things over the years.  It's been a hospital for people suffering from things that the masses didn't want to spread.  It was used as a training defense station in World War II.  Once the National Party created Apartheid, which legalized what was already going on in the country, it became a prison, and several oppositionists were housed there for a very long time.  We all know that Nelson Mandela was housed there for 27 years.



Today Robben Island is open to the public.  Never forget.  That's the motto of this place, and well it should be.  Nelson Mandela changed the world by staying there.  He won.  His protests worked.  How many single men can we remember who changed the world without violence?  I think we can all count that number on one hand.  There are many things to see at Robben Island, and you will have the chance to talk to former inmates about their time in the prison, because they are the tour guides.  It's a unique experience where you really learn something.


Robben Island is a half hour ferry ride from the cape.  That gives it an Alcatraz effect.  You can sit in the cell  that Nelson Mandela lived in.  You can feel the history of a divided nation coursing through your soul.  I believe that we should all try and understand someone so dedicated.  The resolve of Nelson Mandela is something that I can't fathom.

 

The Apartheid system was regarded as  hostile and unjust by everyone the world over.  I remember watching "The American President"  with Michael Douglas as the President.  I remember a line that he said in this post Apartheid movie.  He said, "A system of government that so many people were against that it doesn't exist anymore."  It said it all.  "Sun City" was the song that brought the true sense of the conflict to the young people in America.  It made many kids check into the whole thing and find out what was really going on.  I didn't fully understand the scope of Apartheid until I read "Kaffir Boy", by Mark Mathabane.



Sun City was created as a luxury resort where white South Africans and others could go and bask in their own glory.  There was gambling and strip clubs which were illegal in the rest of the country.  The South Africans called the area Boputhuswana.  It was cited by others around the world as a place where the South Africans could practice illegal activities without penalty.  It was the Las Vegas of South Africa.  Today the stigma has lifted and Sun City is one of the premier resorts for people from all over the world.  It has massive hotels, great golf courses, Vegas style casinos, and of course the Sun City Superbowl which has headline entertainment.

 

The world has changed and South Africa has changed immensely.  I did want to mention these two spots for your travel bucket list, because they were so tied to the fight that the world had with the white South Africans and Apartheid.  With the victory of Nelson Mandela came a whole new country.  In one lifetime, most of us don't get to see something like that happen.  Thank you Nelson Mandela for making the amazingly beautiful country of South Africa more beautiful and far more accessible.  Thank you for making us all believe that change is possible.  Thank you for never giving up on your dream.

Come to Sun City, Robben Island, and the rest of this amazing country from Johannesburg, to the Drakensburg Mountains, to Tabletop Mountain, to Kruger National Park, to the Cape of Good Hope itself and see what makes this country worth fighting against the machine to protect.

Enjoy.

http://www.southafrica.net/country/us/en
http://www.amazon.com/Kaffir-Boy-America-Mark-Mathabane-ebook/dp/B003AU4WFG/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386354942&sr=1-4&keywords=mark+mathabane
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http://www.nelsonmandela.org/
http://www.robben-island.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=9
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http://www.aboutcapetown.com/robben-island.htm
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http://www.zazzle.com/imagings

This One is Under New Zealand

In every picture I've ever seen, it looks like a wonderful boat trip under the stars, but it's not.  Waitomo is a cave wonderland just outside Rotura, New Zealand, and the reason that the boat ride through it seems to be under the stars is because of the glow worms.

 

Thousands of the tiny glow worms live in these caves.  The caves were discovered well over 100 years ago, and are the largest concentration of these creatures in the world.  It is so unique that it was featured on the show, "Planet Earth."  The caves are completely lighted by the glow worms and it takes about 20 minutes to adjust to their light for the average visitor.  Both the walking and the boat tours are something that you will never forget.



The Spellbound Gloworm Cave and the Cave of the Spirit are the two caves featured on these tours.  There are several companies that run tours out of Rotura, and most of them are good.  So, any tour you book is probably a fun one.  The tours can take up to three hours, and give you a great chance to see these mystical little creatures in all their glory.  Now, if you're already a cavern enthusiast, there are all the stalactites and stalagmites that you would normally see in a cave system, so you won't be disappointed on either front.



Now, if Waitomo Caves isn't enough subterranean fun for you, then right in the area is something that you won't want to miss.  Ruakuri Cave is the longest underground tour in the country, and it was just reopened in 2005 after some major renovations for the clients' safety and convenience.  There is one of the longest entry ramps in the world in this place now, and it is wheelchair accessible.  That's always a plus.



Ruakuri has it all.  This place has fascinating formations, enormous caverns, winding passageways, colorful stone, and waterfalls.  That's right, there are subterranean waterfalls in this one.  That's always a plus for me.  It takes around two hours just to tour this one cavern area.  That's a big one.
Here's a great side spot.  There are bridges over crevices in this cave.  They are over the Huhunui River, which is a water rafting site.  That's right, you can go water rafting right through the cave.  Try that in a lot of other places.




Now, the caves are the draw in this particular area, but there is a Ruakuri Bushwalk too, and it's a beautiful walk.  Once again, you will be crossing little river bridges, giving you yet another chance to see the adventurers below.  This gives you a nice experience with rain forest and is a great walk if the 1.6 kilometers in Ruakuri wasn't quite enough for you.



If you're still looking for adventure, there's Aranui Cave.  It's cavernous and beautiful like the others, but a little smaller than the rest of the group.  For the avid cave adventurer, it does round out the trip quite nicely.



For the true adventurer, there is a trip with the Legendary Black Water Rafting Company.  They have several different spelunking and black water rafting trips through these caves.  It's a one of a kind experience to go into a cave to go rafting, and it's well worth the money that they charge.  It's not something that's only for the experienced adrenaline junkie.  It's an adventure for anyone.



So, whether it's Southern Edge, Legendary Black Water Rafting Company, or someone else that you decided to hook up with, the adventure of the Waitomo Caves System is great.  It's an adventure for anyone, by any standards with the wheelchair accessibility, and the expert guides for water rafting.  There are several caves to see and even a rainforest walk.  It's hard to beat.

Oh yeah, it's on the north island close to Hobbiton, so if you love the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings movies, you're in the right neighborhood.

Enjoy!

http://www.newzealand.com/us/activities-and-tours/?cid=p:sem:us:bing
http://www.waitomo.com/waitomo-glowworm-caves.aspx
http://www.agoda.com/waitomo-caves-hotel/hotel/waitomo-nz.html?type=1&site_id=1410046&url=http://www.agoda.com/waitomo-caves-hotel/hotel/waitomo-nz.html&tag=920b513b-6f22-48bf-bad0-7f11c69e11bb&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=waitomo%2bcaves%2bhotel&utm_content=waitomo%2bcaves%2bhotel_12042&utm_campaign=hotel_new%2bzealand&cklg=1
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http://www.greatsights.co.nz/new-zealand-tour-destinations/waitomo-caves/
http://www.waitomo.com/black-water-rafting.aspx
http://www.thlonline.com/thlbusinesses/GuidedExperiences/NewZealand/Pages/Ruakuri.aspx
http://www.southern-edge.com/caving/ruakuri-cave/
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http://www.zazzle.com/imagings

It's Thanksgiving Time Again!

It's that time again.  It's that time when most of us are going over the river and through the woods to gramother's house for Thanksgiving.  It's that time of year that the retail world has turned into a total fiasco so that Walmart, Target, and Kmart can have a war over who will get the most sales for the Christmas rush known as Black Friday.

As a veteran of the retail world, I would just like to say that for once Walmart is not responsible for the war that took Black Friday now into Thanksgiving evening.  Walmart did not start the opening of retail stores on Thanksgiving.  That was started by the whiners who are now complaining about being open for 41 straight hours over at Kmart.  Some years ago, while the Walmart folks were on their way to their families house to have turkey, they noticed that Kmart had opened it's doors from noon until 8 pm.  So, all you whiners over at Kmart can suck it up and go to work like all of us other retailers, because you started the ball rolling.  You have no one but yourselves to blame.

For anyone else who is whining about the current state of affairs in the shopping world at Thanksgiving, you can blame Target for the sales bumping up to Thanksgiving night.  Target took the idea of being open on Thanksgiving and decided to head start everyone with a midnight sale.  The rest just followed suit.  Don't blame the obvious life sucking Walmart for all the holiday woes.  Take a look at the history folks.  It is what it is.  Now we all shop at 6 pm on Thanksgiving and miss that last football game.  Gone are the days of seeing a great episode of Punkin' Chunkin' or the Peanuts Thanksgiving Special.  It is what it is, so let's move on to other parts of Thanksgiving as it is still one of America's most beloved family holidays.

 

So, speaking of Charlie Brown and the Peanuts special, I wanted to talk about some really amazing things to do on Thanksgiving.  The Macy's Day Parade is the most famous of all the Thanksgiving Parades in the country.  There are about three million people who go to see the parade each year in New York City, and it's a great time.  The thing is, you don't have to go this one alone.  There are tour companies out there that love to set you up for a great time in the Big Apple over the holiday.  They also include fabulous hotels, and a trip to Radio City Music Hall in most of the standard tours.  Take the time and have a ball in New York on Thanksgiving.



If you want a traditional style Thanksgiving, Plymouth, MA has it all.  They have the Plimouth Plantation's traditional Thanksgiving for the meal and the history and everything.  They also have a fabulous parade and all the fixins for a great day.



St. Louis, MO is the location of another of the country's favorite parades.  This town gets all decked out to welcome Santa to town for the holiday season.  St. Louis has tons of stuff planned for the visitor between Thanksgiving and Christmas and is one of the most festive locations in the country.





Hello Houston, TX and one of the most popular parades in the country.  The Thanksgiving Day Parade in Houston is labeled the H E B Thanksgiving Day Parade, just in case you're trying to look it up.  Now, Houston has tons of holiday stuff, plus it has one thing that most of the other popular destinations don't have.  It's not as cold there.  It's a great place to go if you want to get out of the cold for the holidays.



It's got it all, even the balloons.  It's the McDonald's Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Thousands upon Thousands of people line the streets of downtown Chicago for this event, and they are never disappointed.  It's a great family treat.




Charlotte, NC is more of a holiday parade than a Thanksgiving one.  It takes place around Thanksgiving instead of on it, so you get a little time with the family.  The Carousel Parade is a tradition in the Carolinas and is also a supplier of scholarships for students in those states.  So, a lot of fun and a purpose too.



That's right, Detroit, MI.  These poor folks have seen their beautiful and bustling city crumble virtually to it's foundations, but that does not keep them from loading up and going out to celebrate Thanksgiving.   America's Thanksgiving Parade is a huge event, with visitors from all over coming to take in the splendor that is downtown Detroit.  We all should take a trip out that way and show those folks some support.  They've had it tough lately.  Besides, Thanksgiving is football day in Detroit with the Lions hosting a game there every single Thanksgiving.



And last but not least, Philidelphia, PA.  It's the oldest and one of the grandest of all the Thanksgiving Day Parades.  Hundreds of Thousands of people come out for this one.  It's got it all, and of course it has Santa at the end.  It's a great time for the family, and can be combined with a trip full of culture and history as well.  This great City of Brotherly Love was once the seat of government in this country and it's a great place to spend some quality time.

 So, those are the parades.  They are spectacular and fun for everyone.  It's a great way to spend the holiday if you don't have relatives waiting for you through the woods. 



Just one more little thing to add.  In San Francisco and New York, there are dinner cruises for Thanksgiving.  This is a scenic way to spend your Thanksgiving Dinner.  It's worth a look.  It makes a great holiday even more memorable.

So, enjoy your Thanksgiving.  Most of us will be eating some turkey and running off to work nowadays, but if you don't have to do all of that, there are some fabulous options to be explored.
Happy Thanksgiving!

http://christmasinstlouis.org/home
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My Secret to the Greatest Vacation Ever...Switzerland

I'm writing this, because I've been all over, and I've seen a lot of things.  I like Europe.  That's a fact.  I like mountains.  I like small towns.  I like a good view.  This entry is about the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Alps in Switzerland.  This is the most beautiful place on Earth.  You may want to contact me and tell me how wrong I am.  If you haven't been there, then you might be wrong.  The above picture is the view that I got to wake up to every morning from Hotel Staubbach where we stayed while we were inside of this amazing postcard.

These were three of the six cows that lived outside our window in the yard at our hotel.  They were some of the happiest cows I've ever seen, and that says a lot because I grew up in farmland in the Midwest, and I saw a lot of cows over the years.  I did have a theory that cows in Switzerland are happier, because most people eat pork and lots of cheese.  Therefore, the cows do not have anything in the world to fear.  These guys love to pose for the tourists.

This is the town of Lauterbrunnen.  The name means many fountains, which is accurate.  All it has to do is sprinkle, and there are dozens of ephemeral waterfalls all up and down the valley.  Even when it's dry there are three notable waterfalls in the valley.  There is the falls by the gondola that goes to Gimmelwald and the Schilthorn.  There is Staubbach Falls, which is the glory of the town of Lauterbrunnen.  Then there is Trummelbach Falls.

Trummelbach Falls is a marvel.  It starts hundreds of meters up inside the cliff that borders the valley.  It's a tourist attraction and has been made so that people can get a good look at all of it.  When you arrive, you go up inside the cliff on a lift.  When you get out, you are almost at the top of the falls.  You walk up a little bit, inside of the mountain.  Then you start seeing all the amazing sections of this raging waterfall.  The upper half is inside of the mountain.  The lower half you can see from the outside.  There are nice safe steps and railings everywhere, so it's family friendly.  It is a beautiful waterfall, and for 10 chf per person it's a bargain.

So, the view is great.  But there are several other things going on around Lauterbrunnen.  For example, I've written about going up the Schilthorn and seeing the views, walking through Murren, and playing around in James Bond World.  It's a great day trip while you're there.  The thing that amazed me was that there were so many little towns in that valley.  Most of them were up on the edges of the cliffs.

Kleine Scheidegg is that halfway point on the cog railway ride up to the top of the 12,000 foot high Jungfrau.  I'll write another entry to cover that. This place should be deserted most of the year, but it's  not.  It's a fully functioning town with restaurants, stores and hotels.  It's also a popular spot with the ski crews in the winter months, because there are a few resorts up there at around 8,000 feet.  It is the only way to the top of the mountain, so they always have people buzzing through and around this tiny little upper Alpine village.

Another one of these amazing towns is Wengen.  It is the first stop on the way to Jungfraujoch, and it is a very popular tourist destination.  It's a fully functioning town with no vehicles, save for a couple of utility vehicles that never leave this beautiful little village.  There are hotels, stores, restaurants and all kinds of tourist things all over this little burg to keep the locals and the tourists occupied.  The people who actually live in this tiny town, keep there cars in garages at the train stations in Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen.

On the opposite side of the valley we have the town of Murren, and it's claim to fame as being the birthplace of Alpine skiing.  Is it?  Who knows, but it is an extremely popular winter spot with skiers and other winter enthusiasts.  This place also has some of the best views I've ever seen.  It hangs over the valley in just the right place to get the best views of all that the valley has to offer.  Once again, there are only a couple of vehicles floating around this town, so the only way there is by gondola on this side of the valley.  The Wengen side has trains and the Murren side has gondolas.  They all operate on a Swiss rail pass, so it's good.

A short walk or a short gondola ride from Murren is Gimmelwald.  Once again the town is tiny, the view is amazing, there are no real vehicles.  There are farms in Gimmelwald.  There are cows and goats and fields of grass for the animals.  There was even a field of what looked like potatoes up there.  This is also the place for anyone who wants to para sail.  These guys pack up there chutes, take their Swiss Pass and catch the gondola in Stechelberg, and jump right off the cliff by Gimmelwald.  I said that it rained people in that valley, because there was always someone para sailing off of that cliff.

 Here's the one that no one will tell you about.  This is Isenfluh.  This place is on the other end of Lauterbrunnen straight up a cliff.  There is a separate gondola on that end of town that will take you up the cliff to this tiny village.  There are also walking paths that can take you all the way to Murren and Gimmelwald on the other end of the cliff.  But Isenfluh is different.  There is a road up there and you can drive there.  You have to go through a windy long tunnel that takes you up inside the cliff, but it's up there and it's beautiful.  They have all the great views of the valley, hotels, restaurants, stores and cars.  It's the best of it all.

But what's the allure of Lauterbrunnen?  Maybe it's the grand old Hotel Staubbach that we stayed in.

Maybe it's the fact that everything is small town and beautiful, even the cemetery.

Maybe it's the quiet of the town, or the restaurants with their great food, or the shops where you can buy just about anything, or the local attractions that are all a must see, or the way that they even wish you well when you leave.  The place and mostly the people are something that you won't encounter anywhere else.  I met a woman named Katrin.  She worked at our hotel and she was one of the most amazing people I had ever met.  She was from Estonia, and she decided that she never wanted to leave this valley after she'd visited.  Now she lives there and she loves it.  People from all over the world visit this place whether they wish to hike, ski, jump off a cliff, or just look at the amazing views that are the valley and the mountains around.  I would have liked to have stayed longer.  I could have stayed forever.  Lauterbrunnen is the most beautiful place in the world, and everyone should not only see it, but experience it.  I don't recommend many places with this energy.  I don't tell many of my favorites at all.
Enjoy!

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http://switzerland.isyours.com/e/guide/berner_oberland/lauterbrunnenvalley.html
http://www.jungfrauregion.com/lauterbr/index.htm
http://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?src=index&nflt=&ss_raw=lauterbrun&error_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Findex.en-us.html%3Faid%3D306742%3Blabel%3Dmsn-2FF1MGRcna5%252AJRXpSanD%252AA-2341037554%3Bsid%3D3dbbb52ee3c2ce2ab386818ad0b266f3%3Bdcid%3D1%3B&aid=306742&dcid=1&label=msn-2FF1MGRcna5*JRXpSanD*A-2341037554&sid=3dbbb52ee3c2ce2ab386818ad0b266f3&si=ai%2Cco%2Cci%2Cre%2Cdi&ss=Lauterbrunnen%2C+Berne%2C+Switzerland&checkin_monthday=22&checkin_year_month=2014-2&checkout_monthday=23&checkout_year_month=2014-2&interval_of_time=any&flex_checkin_year_month=any&org_nr_rooms=1&org_nr_adults=2&org_nr_children=0&group_adults=2&group_children=0&search_button_clicked=1&dest_type=city&dest_id=-2552811&ac_pageview_id=173b7c6065ad00a4
https://www.finnair.com/pl/AYOnline/wds/Override.action?
http://www.onetravel.com/travel/specials/finnair.asp?FPaffiliate=MSN&FPSub=MS03-Fin
http://www.webjet.com/?utm_source=BingAds&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Webjet_Basic
http://www.swissworld.org/en/
http://www.switzerland.com/en.cfm/home
http://www.staubbach.com/index2.htm
http://www.theswisspass.com/indexu.htm
http://www.raileurope.com/activities/jungfraujoch/index.html
http://www.schilthorn.ch/
http://www.myswissalps.com/berneseoberland/berneseoberland-vacation.asp?lang=EN
http://www.cheapskiholidays.com/ski-deals/switzerland/lauterbrunnen/
http://truemmelbachfaelle.ch/informationen/informationen.php?lang=en
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings

Hauntings...Just for Those of You Who Aren't Quite Done With Being Scared

I have to admit, I love Halloween, so since it is Halloween and I'm not quite done being scared, I thought I would do a little blip in my little blog about the scariest cities in America.  These are the places where you can go and wait out the day until night falls and the ghoulies come out to play.  These are the places where the paranormal experts go and come away still confused.  These are the places that all the best stories are about.  Of course, as a sideline, most of these places have great parties most of the time.

First on the list that I got from the Haunted America Tours people is New Orleans.  This place just reeks of something otherworldly from it's above ground cemeteries like St. Louis to the ancient practice of voodoo, to the otherworldly tales of pirates untimely demises.  The plantations are haunted, the homes are haunted, the gardens are haunted, and of course the cemeteries are haunted.  Come and take a tour of all the most haunted spots in the Crescent City, and you will be surprised just how many paranormal hot spots there are.



Second on the list is Galveston, Texas.  This island community is inhabited by many normally unseen guests, or residents as the case may be.  Galveston has been ground zero in Texas for hauntings for years.  Mayfield Manor is probably the most publicized spot, but there are tales of ghost ships in the harbor with pirates of old on them, and the entire Strand district is filled with spectral residents.  There are many places from the Strand to the harbors where ghosts are cited by many on a regular basis, so don't be surprised if you stay in a hotel and have no choice but to share your room.



Third is the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  Now, it comes as no surprise that one of the bloodiest battlefields in the Civil War could be haunted.  If you believe in ghosts, this would make all kinds of sense.  Turns out though that it goes back a little further than that.  Word has it that when the battle was fought, George Washington, himself was riding around on his horse.  As the story goes, he still rides around the area today.  Is it real?  Who knows, but it is a really good time trying to find out.

 

Fourth is Key West, Florida.  This lovely little island has been home to pirates, refugees, voodoo practices, and some pretty eccentric artists over the years.  That makes for some pretty interesting ghosts.  Everything from the stories of Hemingway and his suicide, to pirate tales of old make this the best viewing of spectral curiosities in all of Florida.  You can still go to see a voodoo queen and have your future told by local psychics.  Rumor has it that the best one is that the spirit of Elvira likes to hang around the old hanging tree in the middle of Captain Tony's Bar.  Also, check out the haunted doll.  You just have to try it.


Fifth is Savannah, Georgia.  This city is famous for being haunted.  I've never met anyone who's heard of this city and hasn't heard that it is haunted.  There are way more than just one guidebook to the ghostly sights and activities of this place.  Most people consider this to be the most haunted city in America, or at least seriously creepy.  The entire historic part of the city is deemed to be haunted.  There are ghost tours all over this town.  It has haunted forts, buildings, cemeteries, dark streets, and so on.  This was the location where they filmed Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.  Many say that the city has a midnight side.  There are many ways to tour this dark city in it's darkest hours.  There are horse and carriage tours, walking tours, train tours, plantation tours, and so on.  There is no end to the ways that you can get spooked in that town.

 

Sixth is Charleston, South Carolina.  Welcome to the land of Blackbeard.  This is where the legendary pirate held the city under siege for many days.  It's said that his spirit is still in the area, even though after the incident he moved along up the coast.  But this city was very important during the Civil War.  In fact, some people say that it's where it all really started.  Fort Sumpter still stands here as a historic reminder of many things including that war, and most visitors will tell you that there are still sentries patrolling the fort's walls today, even though they've long been dead.  But, whatever the case, Charleston has much the same reputation as Savannah, and there's never a dull moment after dark.



Seventh is San Francisco, California.  This is home to the infamous Alcatraz Prison.  This was home to Al Capone and so many hardened criminals of legendary status.  If Alcatraz isn't haunted, I would be amazed.  But not only are there ghosts of criminals wandering through Alcatraz, there are ghost ships sailing around the harbor since they were originally lost in the fog of the bay.  Also, there are the ghosts of the Golden Gate Bridge where over 1,000 people have committed suicide, and apparently are still here.  There are many older neighborhoods that are deemed to be haunted in this city as well.



Eighth is Chicago, Illinois.  Most people know at least a little of Chicago's unusual and sometimes violent and tragic history.  There are legends here.  The biggest one if of course how Mrs. O'Leary's cow started the great Chicago fire that leveled the city.  Every cemetery in town is supposedly haunted in Chicago.  If not by victims of the fire or one of the local odd cults that have come through there over the years, then by anything and everything connected to Al Capone and the gangsters.  There are haunted restaurants, harbors, skyscrapers, and cemeteries all over town.

 

Ninth is Miami, Florida.  That's right, Miami.  That one took me a little by surprise, but once I heard about the Biltmore Hotel, I was sold.  The Biltmore was once a beautiful mansion. Then it became a hospital for many years.  Apparently when the Biltmore was turned into a class A hotel, some of the victims of the hospital didn't get the memo.  Apparently, there are unexplained happenings and noises all over the hotel, especially on the 13th floor.  But that's not the only supernatural occurrences in town.  There are many famously haunted cemeteries, and even some nightclubs.  So go out and party with the paranormal.



Tenth is Salem, Massachusetts.  This surprised me, because all of the horrifying stories about this city are historical fact.  I would honestly have thought that it would rate higher on the list.  Salem has been haunted since at least the 1600's following the famous Salem Witch Hunt.  Two girls reportedly were taken over by evil spirits in the city and for the next several months, the people of that city lived in fear.  At any point, you could be next.  Citizens were accused, tried, hung and even crushed because they were labeled witches.  Some say that even dogs were killed because they gave people the evil eye.  This city was turned upside down by fear, hatred, and delirium which allowed that travesty to happen.  Is it any wonder that the spirits of these folks might not yet be at rest?  There are many tours on the subject in the city, and many places that have been preserved from that time.  The cemetery still houses the residents that were put to death, if you dare get that close to them.  The House of Seven Gables of course is also famed for being haunted.



So, if you haven't been scared enough after Halloween, there's some more ideas for you.
Enjoy!

http://www.hauntedamericatours.com/toptenhaunted/toptenhauntedcities/
http://www.hauntedneworleanstours.com/
http://ghosttourstexas.com/locations/ghost-tours-of-haunted-galveston/
http://hauntedgettysburg.com/
http://hauntedkeywest.com/
http://www.hauntedsavannahtours.com/
http://www.charlestontours.net/?event=offer.type&productType=GHOST&mpt=417&name=Ghost%20Tours%20in%20Charleston
http://www.sanfranciscotours.us/?event=offer.type&productType=GHOST&mpt=314&name=Ghost%20Tours%20in%20San%20Francisco
http://www.chicagotours.us/?event=offer.type&productType=GHOST&mpt=2211&name=Ghost%20Tours%20in%20Chicago
http://ghostgrove.com/
http://hauntedsalem.com/
http://www.hauntedhappenings.org/
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html 

Viewing the Elusive Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights

Ever since I was a kid, I've seen pictures and heard tales about the Aurora Borealis.  The Northern Lights are a wonderful display of gases in nature that fascinate most of us humans.  It's one of the phenomena in the world that creates in us that sensational feeling that always gets us in trouble -- curiosity.  For many, the idea of getting to see these wonderful colorful displays of pure light that cannot be manufactured today becomes a quest.  I've been there people.  Is it worth going all over the world to see some dancing lights in the sky?  I think so.  So, how do you do it and when?  Let me try to help.



I would love to say that the perfect time to see the Northern Lights is in the middle of summer when it's warm in the northern parts of the world.  I would love to tell you that you can see them well from Florida or the Caribbean.  I would love if that were true, but it's not.  The Northern Lights tend to be more viewable in the fall and winter than any other time of the year.  And, here's the heartbreaker, you really need to head north in one of those seasons.



Where to go?  Well, start in Norway, as the experts say that Tromso is probably the best spot in the world to view the spectacle.  Also in Norway are Alta, Svarlbard, and Finnmark.  You can also see them from the Ice Hotel.  They are all known for their views of the Aurora Borealis.  In Sweden is one of the top spots, Abisko.  This is a very popular spot to view the lights along with Kiruna and just about anywhere that you might be willing to go in the Laplands.

 

Of course it's also great to watch for the Northern Lights in Finland.  But in Finland they really roll out the red carpet, which is no surprise to me.  That country is friendly and nice.  The Aurora Chalet is the place to be in Luosto, where they will call you when the lights appear.  It's convenient and by far the most American way I've ever heard of to view the lights.  Also popular in Finland are the towns of Nellim, Utsjoki, Ivalo, and Kakslauttanen.

 

Here's an obvious choice.  Go to Iceland.  Where do you go to see the Northern Lights there?  Anywhere.  That whole country is viewing ground zero.  Take a look into travel specials to go there too.  Iceland Naturally has all kinds of specials throughout the season so that you can have a wonderful experience and a really good time in Iceland as well. Remember, I will always recommend Iceland.  It's a great place to be.



Of course you can stay stateside and go to Alaska.  That's the best viewing ground in the U.S.  Anchorage, Fairbanks, Denali Park, and the whole Yukon Territory are great places to visit.  Don't forget, they have an ice hotel there too.  Check the prices for all of that, because there are specials to Alaska just for the Northern Lights season for you to take advantage of.



Canada is obviously a great spot for the Auroras.  Where?  Well, the Yukon Territories are the best, just like in Alaska, since they're basically the same place.  Yellowknife is known for it's views, and it is a fact that the place is so adorable that Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson spent their honeymoon there.  But, if that's not your Canadian taste, you can also do a lot of great viewing in Calgary and Manitoba where the polar bears live.

 

Don't forget Greenland.  I normally do, because it's one of those places that you never hear about when it comes to tourism.  Greenland is a great viewing platform for those lights, and they can be seen the best from Kulusuk and Ammassalik.

 

The British Isles are one of those places that are most generally associated with their rain and cloud cover, but if you are there in the winter when the clouds part, you'll get a great view of Auroras.  I will warn you that you won't get the shows that you may get elsewhere and you need to have the time to wait for the weather change, but if you do, the show is great.  Aberdeen, Isle of Skye, Northern Highlands, and Dunnet Head are the best of the best for viewing.

  

Of course the list is rounded out by Russia.  It's famous for being cold and snowy and the nights being long in winter, so of course it's a great place to view Northern Lights.  Russia can also provide an exotic travel experience for you and has some of the most northern cities in the world.  The Russians are used to the weather, so they live pretty normal lives in spite of it.  If you want to stay closer to a city, this may be your choice.  The best places for viewing are somewhat away from the bustle in Murmansk, Siberia, and the Kola Peninsula.  How far is that from a city?  Murmansk is a city, so have fun.  They also have a special train tour there to view the lights.



Now, if you don't want to go to an ice hotel, stay in a tent or an igloo, or go to the wilds of the Earth to view the Aurora Borealis, there's another way.  There are several companies that offer cruises.  Holland America is the most obvious, but there are many others.  The great part about the cruise is the comfort and convenience.  Not only will they keep you warm and entertained when the lights aren't in view, they will call you and tell you when they are.  It's a great way to not have to think about it, but still get a great view.  the ports of call are pretty good too all along the coast of Norway.  Another thing that you can do is take an evening cruise in Iceland.  They take you out for dinner to get you away from the lights of Reykjavik so that you can have a clearer and more pronounced view.



So, if you want to see them, that's where you go, and from November to March is when you go.  How you get there is up to you.  How you travel around to view them is up to you.  There are many ways to accomplish this quest.  So, don't hide inside during the winter this year.  Put your parka and  bunny boots on and head out to view nature's most awesome spectacle.  The Northern Lights.



Enjoy!

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0413/Aurora-Borealis-tonight-Dazzling-northern-lights-forecast
http://aurora-borealis.us/
http://www.icelandnaturally.com/search?q=aurora+borealis
http://www.viator.com/tours/Reykjavik/Northern-Lights-Viewing-Cruise-from-Reykjavik/d905-5477NORTHERN
http://www.tourvacationstogo.com/northern_lights.cfm
http://www.goalaskatours.com/winteractivities_northernlights.html
http://www.fodors.com/news/photos/top-10-places-to-see-the-northern-lights#!5-iceland-explore-beyond-reyjaviks-city-lights
http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/escape/5-places-see-brightest-northern-lights-696679
http://travel.yahoo.com/ideas/3-great-places-to-watch-the-northern-lights-in-america-224736177.html
http://www.norwegiancoastalcruises.com/northern-lights.html#.UmgFmBBuG5I
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/alaska-cruises-see-northern-lights-17540.html
http://www.fjordtravel.no/program_arctic.html
http://authentic-scandinavia.com/northern-lights
http://rbth.ru/travel/2013/07/18/northern_lights_train_offers_up_russias_polar_north_28175.html
http://www.travelallrussia.com/welcome3/?utm_expid=16286013-30.PMgwBRBNQQOyfyzWYjHicg.3&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Tours&utm_term=2402470579&utm_content=3182640405&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fus.yhs4.search.yahoo.com%2Fyhs%2Fsearch%3B_ylt%3DA0oG7p26EGhSDlkAY9kPxQt.%3B_ylc%3DX1MDMjExNDcwMDU1OQRfcgMyBGFvA2FvBGNzcmNwdmlkA1VnZk9ZRW9HN3Z4a0VPTUxVUVdyVEE2dlJNY2FkRkpvRU80QUJDczIEZnIyA3NidG4Ebl9ncHMDNARvcmlnaW4Dc3JwBHBxc3RyA25vcnRoZXJuIGxpZ2h0cyB0b3VyIHJ1c3NpYQRxdWVyeQNub3J0aGVybiBsaWdodHMgdG91ciBydXNzaWEEc2FvAzE-%3Fp%3Dnorthern%2520lights%2520tour%2520russia%26fr2%3Dsb-top%26hspart%3Datt%26hsimp%3Dyhs-att_001%26type%3Datt_my_portal_home%26pqstr%3Dnorthern%2520lights%2520tour%2520russia
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings