It's A Big World

I love to tell readers about contests so don’t forgot to check out the information at the end of this entry about how you can get your chance to win a handheld GPS device from the Trusted Tours & Attractions sightseeing tours website.

I have been been to Las Vegas twice – once in the summer and once in the spring. While it was hot both times, it was HOT in the summer as in the highest temperature while I was there was 114 degrees during the day! When I went in the spring, the highest temperature barely broke 100 degress!

If you have never been on a Las Vegas, I encourage you to consider going. At first you may think that the only things to do in Las Vegas revolve around gambling. That is just completely untrue. Of course, if you want to play slot machines or table games, your choices are practically endless. However, gambling is only of many activities that will keep you entertained throughout your vacation.

If you like amusement rides, you can make those part of your Vegas vacation. I went on every roller coaster on the Las Vegas Strip. That includes the one on the rooftop of the Stratosphere and the indoor coaster at the Circus Circus. I was also able to see several shows by getting tickets for half price by visiting the half price ticket booths that are located on various places on the Las Vegas Strip. One of those booths should be your first stop every day as you plan your activities. You should also check back periodically through the day as your schedule permits since new shows tickets can be released any time during the day.

A newer attraction is that wasn’t there when I visited a few years ago is Criss Angel and his show Mindfreak. Who knows, maybe you’ll run into Criss in the Luxor hotel or in the streets and end up on his A&E show! That would be a great vacation souvenir.

Since Las Vegas includes a lot of walking, wouldn’t it be great to have a handheld GPS for your vacation? Sing up for the Trusted Tours & Attractions newsletter by April 30, 2008 for a chance to win one.

Also available from Trusted Tours & Attractions: San Diego zoo tickets

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If I was going to research flights to Hong Kong and decide on a destination there, it would have to be a trip to Hong Kong Disneyland.

We usually think of Disney as such an American brand that I think it would be fascinating to see it set in such a different culture. I would also like to see how facets of Hong Kong culture are woven into the various Disney themes.

Hong Kong Disney also has a new attraction called Autopia in which visitors can drive around in mini-electric cars. I have also loved car-themed rides. You’d think that my enthusiasm for them would have run out years ago when I got my license and could drive real cars instead, but it didn’t.

If you and your family have already visited Disneyland in Hong Kong, please share what you found most interesting about the experience.disney, disneyland, hong kong, hong kong disneyland, walt disney

Of the places I’ve visited, the one that had the most vibrant tour industry would have to be New York City, especially in the area of Times Square. As you walk along the street in that section of the city, there are many tour operators right on the street representing different companies offering plenty of family vacation ideas so you can take impromptu bus tours, walking tours, and even helicopter tours.

The double decker bus tours in New York are really fun. The height and openness of the second story of the busses gives you a really good viewing platform. Here’s a story that illustrates just how “up close and personal” you are to the sites.

The guide on the bus I was on last time warned people that they had to stay in their seats while the bus was in motion. Of course, some passengers never listen (probably the same ones who wouldn’t stay in their seats when the teacher told them to in elementary school.) One guy on the tour insisted on standing up several times. One time he missed getting knocked in the head by a traffic light by mere inches. It was only the yelled warnings of the other passengers that saved him at the last minute!

As we’ve seen several times in the past, Trusted Tours & Attractions is having a sweepstakes for people who sign up for their newsletter. This time, one lucky winner will get an iPod Nano. You have to sign up by March 31, 2008 to enter sweepstakes.

So whether you are off to NYC or on the other side of the country for an Alcatraz tour, be sure to check out the Trusted Tours Attractions website and you can plan your tour schedule right from home if you prefer.
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Whenever I hear about or think about the credit card industry, it’s always in reference to the United States. Of course, credict cards are a worldwide industry. It must be more difficult for Internet users in England, Ireland, and other countries to find information on credit cards online because so many websites are just focused on American markets.

Well, this blog entry will help readers and Internet surfers find information and compare credit card offers in non-US countries by directing them to a credit card comparison table.

Check that website for information on balance transfers, interest rates, the application process, etc. Maybe readers will be using the balance transfers to save money on existing credit balances from old cards or will use the new cards to finance something exciting like a cruise across the Atlantic for a visit!credit, credit cards, UK credit cards

You may remember that I created an oyster joke a few entries back. I have another chance to write about Gulf oysters today, but this time it’s not about creating a joke. This entry is more of a creative writing exercise. In fact, it could be a activity that parents could do with their kids on a rainy do so pay attention and start thinking!

The activity starts with “What if…” Here’s my challenge – what if instead of finding pearls inside oysters, you found…

M+M’s!

I bet your kids would probably rather find M+M’s than pearls. No doubt, most moms would prefer the pearls though!

You can use this creative writing exercise with your kids to promote creative thinking, encourage expression of ideas through art, and promote scientific and environmental education. After the fun of thinking up several alternatives to pearls, it’s a great time for parents to then educate the kids as to how pearls are made by nature, how they are harvested, and how we depend on the oceans for food and (perhaps surprisingly) other items.

If you need to brush up on your own oyster knowledge before starting the activity, check out the Be Oyster Aware website at the link in the first paragraph. The site has a wealth of information so you’ll be learning just as much as the kids.

Be Oyster Awarecreative thinking, creative writing, oysters, pearls

One of the fun things about writing a blog is that you never know what topic will come about as a writing opportunity.

I can’t say I ever would have imagined creating an oyster joke, but who can pass up a fun writing challenge like that from the Be Oyster Aware website which has information on
Gulf oysters and much more.

Here’s the joke…

Question: What do you call an oyster that wants to join a convent?

Answer: A cloister oyster!

You can stop chuckling/groaning now and check out the Be Oyster Aware website at the link in the second paragraph. It will teach you all kinds of oyster facts including information about the harvesting process, health information about eating raw or undercooked oysters, and provide you with recipes for creating your own oyster dishes.

UPDATE: Another thing about writing a blog that you can’t predict is what topics and search terms will actually bring people into the blog. This is one of them. Apparently, people must love oyster jokes!be oyster aware, oyster, oyster information, oyster jokes, oyster recipes

Did you ever go online and start surfing from site to site causing you to stumble upon something that made you want to go on an exotic vacation? For example, how many people right now are looking up information about flights to Egypt because they have always wanted to see the great pyramids and the ancient tombs?

I think seeing those wonders of the world really would be an exotic and educational vacation for both kids and adults. I have a funny memory to share. The first time I remember hearing about Egyptian culture and seeing it portrayed was on reruns of the 1960’s live action version of Batman starring Adam West and Burt Ward.

There was a guest villain on a few episodes called The Professor, if I remember correctly. He was an Egyptologist who turned bad and was probably stealing priceless artifacts from the Gotham Museum.

Most recently, I have thought of an Egyptian vacation when watching the HBO series Rome because there were several episodes partly set there and they did an excellent job of recreating it. It makes me want to see the real thing.Egypt, egyptian airlines, egyptian flights, egyptian vacation, flying to egypt

A few years ago, my friend and I went to Washington DC. Rather than taking one of those guided sightseeing tours from a company like Trusted Tours & Attractions, we decided to take on the city ourselves.

We had driven there in her car and we were staying outside of city so we decided we would take a bus into the city and then walk around. Keep in mind that it was July in Washington DC and many of the things need to be seen from the outside. The time we spent in the air-conditioned Smithsonian was nice. (I also liked that there was no admission charge there either.)

We saw plenty of signs and people offering escorted Washington DC Tours, but we were determined to see everything on our own. It worked out pretty well until, in the height of the afternoon heat, we got the bright idea to walk from the Vietnam Memorial Wall to the White House without the aid of a map.

I happen to have a very good sense of direction so I wasn’t worried (too much) about going in the wrong direction or getting lost, but the problem was that we grossly underestimated the distance, especially considering our exhaustion levels from days of sightseeing and the intense summer weather.

We walked for what seemed like an endless amount of time and had not reached our destination when my friend insisted we go back because she thought we must have been going the wrong way. We trudged back to the Vietnam Memorial Wall and finally got a map only to find out that we had been ONE BLOCK away from the White House when we turned around!

A scenario like that can be avoided these days if you use a handheld GPS device. That would have come in awfully handy on our Washington trip. Don’t have a handheld GPS? You can get the chance to win one by signing up for a newsletter at sightseeing tour newsletter at that link.DC, DC tour, GPS, handheld GPS, sightseeing tours, travel newsletter, walking tour, Washington, washington DC