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)

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.

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)

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)

Unfortunately, googling ‘what is a travel adapter’ is like Goldilocks trying out the three chairs, except even the third one isn’t right. This, my friends, could be considered a travel nightmare. Don’t worry, with this guide you’ll figure out exactly which travel plug adapter you need in about two minutes. Then you can go back to dreaming about what a fabulous vacation you’re about to enjoy!

Travel Plug Adapters

Different countries outside of the USA use different shaped outlets. So as you’d guess, your laptop plug won’t fit into Italy or England’s plugs. To fix this, you’d need an Italy plug adapter that fits into Italy’s outlets, and then has openings on the other side made for American plugs.

Grounded adapters are for three-prong plugs typically on metal-cased electronics for added shock protection. Ungrounded adapters are for your standard two prong plugs.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that some countries like India use two different outlet shapes. Instead of bringing two adapters, a universal travel adapter that works in over 150 countries might be a safer bet.

Travel Voltage Converters

Here’s where people can get lost because thinking about travel voltage converters means learning about electricity. But don’t worry, it’s simple!

All you need to know is the United States and Canada power electronics with 110volts of electricity, while some countries use 220volts. A converter switches the voltage from 110volts to 220volts so your electronic device doesn’t short out or explode from too much electricity at one time.

Oh, and some converters have “high” and “low” settings because as you would guess, some appliances use more electricity than others. For example, your hair dryer should use the “high” setting, and an electric shaver should use a “low” setting. Again, the easiest solution is an auto-switching voltage converter that figures it out for you.

Other Life-Saving Tips:

-Don’t leave your electronics plugged in for too long. Sometimes they can overheat.

-Some devices like your laptop and iPod are “dual voltage,” which means they work for both 110volts and 220volts of electricity and do not require a converter.

When he finished studying abroad in Rome of 2008, Nate Schrader uses his experiences to help troubled travelers by writing for TravelProducts.com. He also enjoys road tripping to see friends and trail running in his free time.

(Image: Keith Williamson)

One of the questions I’ve asked them is ‘what don’t you travel without?’ Here’s what they said.

Some travel bloggers are snap happy.

• I never travel without a good book, a diary and my camera because you’ll never be bored if you’ve got them to entertain you and you’ll go home with some great stories and photos too. – Annabel Candy
• I never travel without my camera because you just never know when you’ll snap that once in a lifetime moment. – Lola Akerstrom
• I never travel without a digital camera which is obviously used for travel photos but also because it’s useful to keep digital copies of important documents with you. – Lea Woodward
• I never travel without  my camera and pashmina. I am a total shutterbug snapping picture all the time. Photography of beautiful places, architecture, nature, and scenery inspire my heart to dream and just thank God for His goodness. My pashmina is so light and comfortable it comes in handy on a chilly plane ride and also as a stylish around the shoulders wrap. – Angela Pettit

Others need to stay connected.

• I never travel without my laptop! Unfortunately and actually very fortunately, my business is 100% location independent, so I can work from anywhere. But that also means not going anywhere without my computer. – Marina Villatoro
• I never travel without my Mac laptop because it’s the key to our travel lifestyle that allows me to stay in touch with family, blog, school, etc where ever we are in the world. – Soultravelers3

Fitness is important for some.

• I never travel without my running shoes, because fitness is so important to me.  (Plus it’s a great way to fight fatigue and jet lag.) – Andy Hayes
• I never travel without my Yoga mat because practicing Yoga keeps me flexible and healthy. – Barbara Weibel

And this one’s my favorite response to date:

• I never travel without an open mind, because you can miss so much if you visit a place with a preconceived mind set. – Brian of Discovering Puerto Rico

You can read all the travel blogger profiles so far here:

• Featured Travel Blogger: Annabel Candy
• Featured Travel Blogger: Lea Woodward
• Featured Travel Blogger: Marina Villatoro
• Featured Travel Blogger: Andy Hayes
• Travel Blogger Profile: Soultravelers3
• Featured Travel Blogger: Barbara Weibel
• Featured Travel Blogger: Brian of Discovering Puerto Rico
• Featured Travel Blogger: Lola A. Akerstrom
• Featured Travel Blogger: Angela Petitt

Get in touch via this post (Travel Blogger Profiles – Want To Be Featured?) or the contact form if you want be be featured in our Tuesday travel blogger profile slot.

• Business Travel Etiquette on Squidoo (we also have lenses on off airport parking and handling a layover in LAX)
• 8 Online Lists to Help You Get Packing Under Control
• How To Move Abroad
• How To Plan A Green Vacation
• How to Travel Cheaper This Summer
• 5 Ways to Get the Best Deals on Airport Parking
• Tips for Healthy Airline Travel
• 5 Ways to Make Your Airport Experience Better
• Top Five Ways to Lower Your Hotel Bill
• Solo Travel: Staying Safe on Your Leisure or Business Trip
• Haunted Destinations for Halloween Travel

In the next month, we’ve got guest posts coming up on Successful Blogging and Hospitality Writers.

I’d  be happy to write a quality travel guest post for your blog – contact me to discuss topics and deadlines.

And remember, watch this space on Monday for details of how you can get a free $25 Restaurant.com voucher by booking 4 days or more of off airport parking via Park Ride Fly USA. We’ll also update you via Twitter and Facebook.

After my recent trip to Jamaica, I’ve been fascinated by the island’s pirate history, but, as Chris Hoole points out, there are other ways to experience the oceans.

You don’t have to be a pirate these days to sample the treasures that world’s oceans have to offer. Nor do you need to be press-ganged into a life of semi-slavery; quite the opposite in fact. Cruises, be it in the exotic Caribbean or the more familiar, yet still surprising, Mediterranean seas remain popular despite the economic downturn. If anything, a life on the ocean waves is proving to be more popular than ever. Whether it is rip-roaring adventure or quiet relaxing days away from it all that you are looking for – a life on the ocean wave has it all.

Cheap Caribbean Cruises

Cruising the high seas has, in the past, been considered the preserve of the rich and famous. The high life and the high seas went hand in hand. With the advent of air travel the majority of those seeking the sun, the sand and the other “s” words that exotic holidays have to offer, took advantage of cut price deals to cut price locations. The rich, the retired, the internationally famous, took to the seas to avoid the crowds. Today, cruise holidays are no longer the preserve of the rich. The range of ‘budget’ holidays available in the form of Mediterranean cruises is surprising – even more so those in the tropical climes of the Caribbean. The cost of cruises varies, but actually compared to the deals on offer from some resorts, a cruise can be surprisingly competitive.

Culture confusion

The farther afield you are planning to travel, the more attractive the cruise option can be – for families or couples alike. The cheap Caribbean cruise offers a range of advantages over a resort holiday in the region. Firstly, the Caribbean is a vast, dotted with islands, ranging in size from the likes of Cuba to small, uninhabited islands. The cultural variations in the region are also incredible. Partly because of its climate but mainly because of its strategic position, the sea, islands and surrounding continental regions have been colonised by just about everybody who could gather enough money to buy a ship and hire a small army of mercenaries. The Dutch, British, French, Spanish all established colonies in the region at one time or another (although not necessarily in that order). Add to this the African slave population that they brought with them and, of course, the somewhat overlooked native races – ranging from the Carib tribes to the highly evolved civilisations of the Incas, Aztecs and Mayans – and you have a mix of cultures that is enough to make your average conquistador dizzy.

The resort with everything – and some

This incredible range of culture and history is present in many individual locations, but cruising the Caribbean offers you the best of all worlds. Cruise ships today are less ship and more luxury resort in their own right, allowing you all the comfort of returning to your own bed at night, but the advantage of exploring the wealth of experiences the Caribbean ports, islands and mainland have to offer. On-board facilities meet and often beat those in more static resorts. Entertainment complexes, shopping streets and relaxed boulevards or parks – yes the biggest do have parks – combine to make the on-board experience a rival to any luxury land-lubber hotel. Eateries, restaurants and bars alongside pools, health clubs, saunas and childcare facilities – all a stones throw from quiet, remote sandy beaches and bustling cities and towns, close to mountainous interiors and completely away from it all. When it comes to the perfect holiday base – could you really ask for more?

While splicing the “mainbrace” is still perfectly acceptable the opportunities to take a cheap Caribbean cruise no longer need to involve stealing ships. With cruise lines offering some of their best recession busting deals in years, the price of a cruise in the Caribbean is no longer daylight robbery!

Image: Bret Arnett

Hurricane season is still with us, so these tips from Chris Hoole will come in handy.

You may wonder why anyone would want to go on a cruise during hurricane season, but nevertheless many of us do. Cruise holidays can be as much as 50% cheaper during this season and not surprisingly they tend to be emptier too but the chance of actually encountering any problems is minimal. Hurricane season runs from:

• 15^th May – 30th November in the Eastern Pacific.
• 1^st June – 30^th November in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.
• Peak Hurricane Season (when you will find the cheapest cruises) starts in the middle of August and ends at the beginning of November.

So what can you expect if you opt to cruise during the hurricane season? Read on and I’ll tell you more!

The Risks

Before I start talking about what could happen to you if you decide to take a cruise holiday during hurricane season, let me first point out that the chances of a hurricane disrupting your holiday are minimal and most cruises taken during this time are in beautiful weather. However if bad weather is expected your captain will divert your ship away from the danger. Here are some of the disruptions that could occur:

• Your ship may have to leave earlier than you expect – make sure you check the weather so that if this is the case you still manage to board in time.
• Your cruise could end later than you had initially planned – it is a good idea to plan to stay in your destination location for a few nights before and after your cruise leaves and departs just in case this happens.
• You could be sailing in stormy weather and rough seas – if you suffer from sea sickness, cruising during hurricane season may not be such a good idea.
• Your cruise itinerary may be disrupted.
• The city you return to could have been hit by a storm. If this is the case you may return to a city with floods and a loss of power – it is a good idea to make sure you have some cash handy just in case this does happen.

Handy Tips

Most trips do go as planned but just in case your cruise does get interrupted you may want to have prepared for a few things. Below are a few handy tips that may come in useful.

• Buy Travel Insurance – trip protection is not good enough, you need to make sure you buy a complete travel insurance package. If your trip is interrupted you may have to rebook flights or in the worst case, pay for medical issues. Your travel insurance policy should cover both.
• Book any shore excursions through the cruise company – Although it is often cheaper to book these independently, if something does happen leaving your ship unable to dock at a certain port, it is down to the discretion of the excursion company as to whether you will get your money back. If you book through the cruise company and this happens you WILL get your money back.
• Pack some extra supplies of prescription medicine just in case the cruise does take longer to return to port. You might also want to pack a raincoat, some extra warm clothes, an extra battery for your mobile phone and important telephone numbers, including that of your travel agent.
• Plan to arrive at your cruise destination city early and leave late so that if there are disruptions to the cruise schedule you can still board the ship/catch your flights.
• Pack some ginger candy – it is great for sea sickness although no-one seems to know why!

Hurricane season can be an extremely cheap time to take that cruise holiday that you have always dreamed of. Be prepared for the unexpected though, and understand that if there are disruptions to the schedule they are happening to keep you safe. I’m sure you will have a fantastic adventure either way!

If you want to book a cheap Caribbean cruise during hurricane season, you can compare the prices of a number of different cruise companies with Major Cruise. They do all the hard work so you can spend more time planning for your adventure!

Image: born1945