Taking off Travel blog

The holiday season is in full swing, especially in those towns that look like they were built for Christmas (some of them were!).  Here are the top five picks for the best Christmas towns in America based on their look, feel, and, most of all, festive holiday spirit.

1. Solvang, CA
Located less than an hour away from Santa Barbara, the city of Solvang is not your typical California coastal town.  The architecture is modeled after traditional Danish buildings, giving tourists the feeling of Old World charm and quaintness.  During December, Solvang hosts a number of holiday traditions including the Olsen’s Gingerbread House, Danish Silver Gift-Giving, and caroling in Solvang Park.

All the winter festivities come after Julfest, the beginning of the holiday season.  Visitors from across the nation travel to Solvang to celebrate the holidays surrounded by Dutch-inspired architecture like half-timber buildings and windmills.

2. Leavenworth, WA
Modeled after a Bavarian village, Leavenworth’s city center is composed of Germanic half-timbers that house everything from quaint shops to modern Starbucks.  As snow starts to fall in central Washington State east of the Cascades, Leavenworth becomes a winter wonderland.  The city looks like something out of an Old World snow globe: horse-drawn carriages, sleigh rides, carolers, and lighting festivals are just some of the local highlights that visitors can enjoy.  Every part of Leavenworth is infused with holiday spirit: from the hotel accommodations to the restaurants in the town, guests can enjoy a thoroughly festive Christmas town.

3. North Pole, AK
Ever heard of Davis, Alaska?  Unless you lived in the Last Frontier State before 1953, your answer is probably no.  That’s because, nearly 60 years ago, Davis changed its name to North Pole, becoming a national sensation and holiday pilgrimage site.  The most iconic landmark in town is the 42-foot tall Santa statue that stands outside the town’s gift shop, Santa Claus House.  The store lies just minutes away from the Post Office; out of towners send their Christmas cards there to receive the local postmark so that their letters come from The North Pole.

4. Woodstock, VT
Modeled after the Oxfordshire, UK village of the same name, Woodstock has been lauded numerous times for its quaintness and picturesque design.  The village loves to kick off the holiday season in style with the Wassail Weekend, a festival steeped in the winter traditions of old England and the Norse countries.  Today’s festivities are somewhat more up to date, with a parade that features 19th Century period costume as well as Victorian holiday decor on display at local museums.  Plays, musicals, and poetry recitals round out the evening entertainment between late night shopping and enjoying the general splendor of the whole holiday affair.

5. Branson, MO
In a cozy corner of southern Missouri, the town of Branson stands ready to entertain and delight all comers.  From country music spectaculars to family-style jubilees, the city offers so much in the way of Midwest charm and spirit.  The highlight of Branson’s holiday season is their theme park, Silver Dollar City, all decked out for winter.  Lights and snow (sometimes real) edge every building; after picking up a roll filled with molasses, visitors can enjoy a staged shootout between the Hatfields and the McCoys.  Included with the cost of admission is a ticket to view the Marvel Cave, a cavernous subterranean expanse that digs 300 feet down into the limestone beneath the park.  (Image: Kathy McGraw)

Analise Marcus loves seeing how cities and towns across the country celebrate Christmas, whether the festivities last just the season or all year around. She enjoys using a promo code for Travelocity to save on all her holiday travels.

Don't forget your passport!

It often seems that travel isn’t as much fun as it used to be. I know I’ve ranted about that a couple of times before. But sometimes I wonder whether a change of attitude would make trips feel more pleasant. Here are some tips on making every trip terrific – enjoying the things that work well and fixing the things that don’t.

1. Make sure you have the correct travel documents. I’ve stood in an airline check-in queue before while someone argued that they should be allowed to travel even thought they didn’t have a passport or the correct paperwork. And it’s not just about having the passport, but about having one that’s valid for the right amount of time. Check it now and fix it before you go anywhere.

2. If you have booked a vacation in a sunny place, it’s going to be hot, so presumably you expect it. Why bother to complain about the heat? It won’t change and you will just feel worse. If it happens to rain, complaining won’t help – find something else to do instead. Who knows? You might even have fun!

3.  Keep your valuable items secured and avoid deals that look too good to be true. Use hotel safes to store important papers and other items and don’t flash your stuff around. That’s a good way to avoid being mugged or taken advantage of – two things that can take the shine off your vacation.

4. Get a phrase book or translation program. When you visit other countries, not everyone will speak English. And why should they? It’s their country. Lack of English is not a good reason to complain. Instead, look up what you want to say and use their language. Most people appreciate the effort and will go out of their way to help you.

5. Act immediately if something goes wrong so that it can be fixed. There’s no point in complaining to your friends and relatives in quiet corners (or noisy ones). Speak to the people who can solve your problem, get it fixed and enjoy the rest of your vacation.

(Image: pkingDesign)

Did you know that we publish articles via EzineArticles? Here, in reverse order, are our top articles this year.

7. Thanksgiving Travel and Airport Parking Tips

Are you one of the millions of people who will travel over the Thanksgiving holiday this year? Along with a big dose of patience, you’ll need these travel tips to make sure you get to your destination without any difficulty.

6.Travel Trends by Gender

Travel trends have changed a lot over the last century and part of those changes includes how men and women travel. Once upon a time, women were quite adventurous to travel alone and rarely did so. But what about today? How have travel trends changed among the genders?

5. Unusual and Creepy Reasons for Flight Delays

Chances are you’ve been stuck on an airplane before, waiting for takeoff. More than likely the cause was a mechanical failure – but not necessarily. Here are four unusual reasons commercial airline flights have been delayed.

4. Tips for Healthy Airline Travel

If you travel out of town on business for more than a week each month, chances are your health is suffering because of it. Be proactive and plan to eat right and exercise while you’re on the road. Even the frequent flier can stay healthy!

3. How Air Travel Has Changed in Recent Decades

Technology and global events have shaped airline travel in the last several decades. Take a stroll through memory lane and read about the major changes in the airline industry from 1980 forward.

2. College Bowl Game 2011 Travel Tips

Are you making plans to attend your favorite college bowl this year? This overview of the most popular matchups will help you make your travel plans.

1.  The 6 C’s of 2011 Travel Trends

More people are expected to make business and leisure trips in 2011. What’s changed this year over last? The top trends are described as the 6 Cs: Cruising, Corporate Travel, the Caribbean, Countries, Celebrations, and Cost.

A couple years back, I was taking a lot of business trips to attend conferences and exhibitions. As I arrived at the hotel check-in desk with what I thought was a modest sized suitcase, I glanced across at the people next to me and saw that some of them had managed to pack for a four day trip with a carry-on. One guy was just carrying a suit-bag – that was it! It was obvious that I was missing a trick. Here’s how some of them did it.

1. Accept that you need less than you think you do. Unless it’s summer, if you’re a guy,  it won’t kill you to wear the same suit for three days and just take a couple of spare shirts. That won’t work for the ladies, but try two mix and match outfits to give you four combos. Pair that with no more than 2 pairs of shoes and, for the guys, two ties, and you’re all set.

2. Make clothes do double duty. If you’re a PJs kind of person, and you also like to hit the hotel gym in the morning, then let your workout wear double as sleepwear. Shorts and a T-shirt are very versatile. If you get the light ones with wicking, you can rinse them in the shower and they’ll be dry by nightfall, so one set will be enough.

3. Leave lotions at home. For the ladies especially, lotions and potions can take up a lot of room, but how many of those do you really need? This is the time to pack your most versatile makeup and body lotion. Even better, leave the lotion at home and pick up a travel size when you arrive if there’s none at the hotel. Unless you have sensitive skin, you can survive for a couple of days.

4. Change your laptop. There’s no point in downsizing your luggage needs if you still have to lug a behemoth of a laptop around with you. Switch to a netbook or, even better, a tablet, which is light, ultra-portable and has apps, games and an e-reader as well as all your business stuff. After years of traveling with a huge Dell laptop, I found the netbook a nice change and I currently have my eye on an Android-based tablet (Samsung Galaxy, perhaps?) when next I upgrade.

These four changes will make a big difference to the weight you have to carry around when you travel. What tips would you add?

More on this: Achieving Minimalism in Business Travel.

(Image: herbrm)

Rain is a factor in many accidents every year. The important thing to remember is that many of these accidents are also preventable. It’s important to understand how rain can affect your driving in order to prevent accidents from happening. We’ve put together five tips to help you drive safer in the rain, so that you make it to your destination safe and sound. And don’t forget to bring your umbrella!

1) Plan for a longer trip

If the roads are wet and visibility is bad then you should allow for a longer drive. Not only should you avoid speeding but you should probably drive slower than the speed limit if it is wet. Obviously you will have to be the judge of road conditions but you should still plan on adding some extra time onto your trip in case the roads are hazardous or visibility is bad.

2) Avoid cruise control

If you start hydroplaning, and your cruise control is set, the car might actually accelerate out of the puddle. You need to be on top of your driving game when it’s raining so save the cruise control for a sunny day when you’re heading out on the highway, not when you’re driving on rainy streets with poor visibility and slippery roads.

3) Be particularly careful if rain follows a long dry stretch

When the roads are dry, engine oil, grease, and other fluids will build up on the surface of the road. In the first few hours after a rainfall this will cause the road to become very slick. If you don’t need to head anywhere right away then postpone your trip. You if you need to be somewhere right away then be cautious and take your time.

4) Don’t tailgate

You shouldn’t be tailgating even if the weather is sunny and dry. It’s dangerous and causes thousands of accidents each year. But driving too close behind a vehicle is that much more dangerous when it is wet. It takes a lot longer to stop when the road surface is wet so give the person in front of you extra space. If you rear end someone in your car then you will likely be blamed for the accident so avoid tailgating and save yourself and other people on the road a lot of grief and suffering.

5) Get rid of those old wipers before it rains

The best time to replace your wipers is before it starts raining – that way you’re not out on the road late at night in the rain with very limited visibility. Wipers are one of the cheapest safety devices on your car so replace them often. If you’re prone to forgetting such things you should consider buying 2 or 3 sets of wipers next time you’re at a hardware or automotive store. You’re going to use them eventually so you might as well have them on hand. Make sure you properly defog you car before you leave your driveway because this will also affect your visibility on the road. Your wipers might be brand new but the car may still have a layer of moisture on the windshield, which limits your visibility of pedestrians and other vehicles.

To learn more about safe driving visit http://www.completeinsurance.ca (a website about cars and car insurance). (Image: jon_a_ross)