Archive for June, 2010

posted by Savanah on Jun 28

Kauai, one of the most beautiful islands of Hawaii, is a must-see place while on vacation. Once there you and your family need to visit the town of Kapaa, because that’s where the Kauai Children’s Discovery Museum is located, right under the Whale Tower at Kauai Village, 4-831 Kuhio Hwy., shopping center in Kapaa, nestled in between several five star Kapaa hotels

Kauai Children’s Discovery Museum offers large-scale exhibitions, which are designed to introduce youngsters and for the child in all of us, to the island with an interactive environment. You and your children will especially enjoy the Sea Chest Secret exhibition; a maritime mystery, which is an interactive, hands-on challenge for children to uncover facts, based on a sailor’s diary that dates back to the 1700s, which was washed ashore in a sea chest. The children will learn about life on a ship and how indigenous people lived.

The Museum is 6,800 square feet of fascinating hands-on exhibits that will transport children from a coral reef, featuring life deep in the Pacific that re-creates the nightlife of a tropical reef in glow-in-the-dark colors, to going all the way to the constellations sparkling in the farthest corners of our Universe with Starlab, a portable planetarium developed at Harvard and MIT that consists of a dome, a motorized projector that displays information from astronomy to mythology and earth sciences, to a host of exciting places in between. Other exhibits include the Magic Treehouse Library with a cozy reading room that is nestled in the branches of a large leafy tree.

Ticket prices are only $5 for adults and $4 for children. You can come and go all day long and the hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm. There’s no better place at Kapaa where you and your children will have a great amount of fun and learn something at the same time.

posted by Savanah on Jun 24

Visiting Honolulu Hawaii is one of the top fantasy vacations for people form around the world, and particularly throughout this country. And while there are some incredible cultural attractions, and great entertainment options in the city, the beautiful beaches and great possibilities for water sports are one of the standard images that are associated with this great city and the island on which it rests. And most of the guests in the best Honolulu hotels will spend some quality time on one or more of the beaches as well as in the beautiful cool blue waters of the Pacific.

And there are a large number of things to do while you’re enjoying your afternoons in the sun. Seasoned surfers have great opportunities to enjoy the waves and less than seasoned and even beginners have the chance to practice and even learn the sport. There are quality surf training and lessons that are intended to be fun as well as informative and the instructors are qualified professionals with a strong focus on safety and responsibility in the water, while having the time of your life while you are doing it.

There are quality programs that will teach the entire family, and all ages are welcome to their classes. There are group and individual classes available and the equipment will be provided. Many people experience their first encounter with the waves while they are in Hawaii, and while this is the perfect opportunity to learn the exciting and healthy sport, safety is always a top priority. Meanwhile learning to surf is one of the best souvenirs you can take with you from your trip to Honolulu. Some of the south shore beaches are extremely calm and family oriented and you will see plenty of snorkeling and swimmers. The main surf beaches on the island are around the northern shore where you will find pristine white beaches and gorgeous waves. In addition to the great surfing opportunities at Sunset Beach, the twilight is as the name implies absolutely incredible.

posted by Savanah on Jun 22

Hitting a local festival is a great way to see what the creative people of the city are up to. This is their chance to shine and the audience to forget their own stress and be inspired for a few hours. With the summer happening and travel plans set in motion, no matter where you go there will be some great festivals to catch across the country and world.  

Washington DC has festivals for every season. The Fourth of July is a great time to get out and enjoy some community activities. There would be no more spectacular concerts and fireworks shows than from the lawn of the National Mall . Surrounded with the most meaningful monuments of our country and the fireworks breaking above the Capitol Building viewers will be simply breath taken. The celebration goes on all day and into the early night with concerts, food, entertainment, a parade and then the grand fireworks finale. This is one of the most attended Fourth of July celebrations in the country. The whole family will find fun things to experience.  

If you are planning a year in advance for next spring. Ask your 4 star hotels in Washington dc about when the National Cherry Blossom Festival is. Usually it starts at the end of March and runs through the first couple of weeks of April. Right as the white winters snow is melting the white cherry blossoms are blooming. The city celebrates for two weeks with many different cultural events and lots of entertaining performances. There is something for everyone to enjoy with arts, performances, sports and great food. Take in the over 3500 cherry trees in the Tidal Basin in Washington DC.  

All seasons and holidays have a great festival to celebrate. All cultures are honored and recognized in the great United States Capital City.

posted by Savanah on Jun 20

It’s stunning just to consider a town where 24 of its 36 miles are one long, glorious beach. It’s also stunning to consider that this, South Padre Island, is still a bit of a hidden treasure in the tourism industry, but the word is starting to get out. People are finding out why this was a favorite fishing spot of President Harding, along with all the other glorious luxuries it has to offer the locals. It’s also right across the border, making it a wonderful beginning for an international journey, and also a great place to come back to, enjoying the beach one more time before heading home.

It has all the makings of a wonderful paradise, with a ready supply of fresh seafood, and gorgeous and luxurious hotels. South padre has a lot to recommend it for the present, and it was also a very hospitable spot in the past as well. The Karankawa , a tribe that has been much maligned, had spent a considerable amount of time here, as evidence of their dwellings and other artifacts demonstrate. When Cabeza de Vaca passed through here in the 16th century, he was struck by their very compassionate demeanors, and remarked that he’d never met a culture before who were so kind to their children.

Some elements of his story are recounted in a rather brilliant and altogether disturbing film, Cabeza de Vaca , although information about the bands that lived here is very scarce. It is becoming more widely acknowledged that the theories about their practice of cannibalism are vastly misunderstood. It was a practice of most of the peoples in the area at the time, and didn’t set the Karankawa apart as a particularly brutal people. The evidence that is there, in fact, supports quite the opposite. By 1858, it is believed, they were wiped out completely, leaving behind only stories of a very complex culture who adapted very successfully to scores of difficulties, all the way to the end.

posted by Savanah on Jun 17

Beginning June 21, 2010 is the Wimbledon tennis championships, and there’s no better place to be other than at the Wimbledon Village . Wimbledon Village is London’s very perfect villages, which will give you a rural sense of lifestyle full of beautiful buildings. The Village offers independently owned chic shops, bars and cafes nestled amongst quaint period structures, where you’ll get a chance to say ‘hi’ to the locals and hear the clip-clop of horses’ hooves on the pavement. This place will make you feel as if you’re in the countryside, but you’ll still be in the hubbub of the City of London.

The chic shops, like Diane von Furstenberg, Max Mara, Joseph, Matches and Cath Kidson will offer Wimbledon tourists the best retail therapy about and will satisfy even the most pickiest of shoppers who’s every whim will be met by these exquisite boutiques. You’ll be impressed with the haute couture, fine arts, jewelery, antiques and books. After giving your credit card a serious work-out, it’s time to relax and be thoroughly pampered in one of the many salons and beauty shops, which all have been featured in Health and Beauty magazines.

Then it’s time to grab a bite to eat; the Wimbledon’s culinary feasts will not disappoint, especially at the exemplary, posh Lydon Restaurant . Or, if the London fog has cleared revealing a beautiful day, then there’s nothing more wonderful than to picnic at the Wimbledon Common or in Cannizaro Park. Delicious pastas, cheeses, wines and many other types of tasty morsel can be purchased at the Bayley and Sage, a food hall selling gourmet foods at the Village. While at the Commons, keep an eye out for Wombles, these curious creatures are native to this part of London.

There is a business and service section of the Wimbledon Village, consisting of estate agents, schools, architects and doctors. Wimbledon Village’s Museum of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which just opened and is a wonderful place to catch up on all the Wimbledon tennis history is a ‘must see’, or check out the Southside House where you be informed of the local history. Wimbledon Village has something for everyone, not only for the tourist, but for those who live and work in London.