Archive for the ‘Travel – General Advice’ Category
Saturday, June 14th, 2008
This is a typical sight from an Alberta highway. A quiet little pond, so innocuous, so charming. But many countries, many lands have similar vistas – sights which look perfectly safe, including those sights in some of the more questionable areas of the world like Egypt and Africa.
How can a traveler know if a decision to explore a new world is a smart decision?
Luckily, there are many web sites that can help you make an informed decision. Some even have links to other travel tools (like currency conversion charts) that make travel to a foreign land a whole lot easier.
Read on . . .
(more…)
Tags:diseases in other countries, safe travel, travel advisories, travel alerts, travel reports, travel safely to another country, world currency converter
Posted in Adventure Travel, Family Vacations, Travel - General Advice, Travel Destinations, Travel safety, Travel tips, Travel with kids, Tropical Destinations, Variety | No Comments »
Friday, June 13th, 2008
There’s “adventurous” travel and then there is “dangerous” travel. Since neither my husband nor I are members of the CIA, nor are we navy seals, we have placed limitations on our travel experiences. Those limitations recently affected one of our travel decisions: an end-of-summer trip to Belize.
Having reviewed a recent Canadian foreign affairs travel report, we have decided that Belize is not the place for us – at least not this year.
Read on . . .
(more…)
Tags:Adventure Travel, canada travel advisories, caye caulker belize, crime in belize city, dangerous travel, government travel reports, how to travel safely, tropical storm arthur
Posted in Adventure Travel, Beach Vacations, Belize, Caribbean, Family Vacations, Ports of call, Texas, Travel - General Advice, Travel Destinations, Travel safety, Tropical Destinations, United States, Variety | Comments Closed
Wednesday, June 11th, 2008
I love my province, and I love our two biggest cities: Edmonton and Calgary. But I hate the traffic congestion. Monday, I went to Calgary for a Photoshop seminar. Arriving at 5 PM was my first mistake; my second mistake was staying on the Deerfoot Trail.
The drive was perfectly normal. 3 hours from the west side of Edmonton to the edge of Calgary. What happened after that was, in a word, ridiculous.
Read this if you want some good advice when traveling to Calgary.
(more…)
Tags:calgary alberta, deerfoot trail, traffic conditions alberta, traffic congestion calgary, traveling alberta highways
Posted in Adventure Travel, Alberta, Canada, Family Vacations, Travel - General Advice, Travel Destinations, Travel safety, Travel with kids | No Comments »
Monday, June 9th, 2008
My husband can be a pretty grumpy traveler, but even he, with a few moderations to his attire, can be a happy traveler. He had to stop wearing his lace-up shoes through airport security, for one thing. But here are a few more tips to help make your flying experience more palatable.
I have a great deal of respect for the Frommers’ people and their travel advice. Recently, the travel site gurus ran a piece on what NOT to wear when flying. The advice is simple, yet comprehensive. It’s great advice for anyone who hasn’t quite figured out that, yes, Virginia, no matter what they taught you in school about being non-judgmental, on a plane, you will be judged by the clothes you wear.
Read on . . .
(more…)
Tags:airport security tips, good clothing choices for travel, leg swelling while flying, lost luggage, luggage identification tips, what to wear on a plane
Posted in Adventure Travel, Airline Travel, Digital Cameras, Family Vacations, Travel - General Advice, Travel tips, Variety | Comments Closed
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
We are off to New York City in a few weeks, but we’ve been there lots of times. And, while we LOVE the Big Apple, we are adventurous travelers. So, it’s time to step out of our comfort zone once more.
The “City of Brotherly Love,” – that’s Philly, for those of you not in the know, is just under 2 hours away, by train. This historical hub of the USA sounds very intriguing.
But how to get there? And what to do? And how long do you have to do it?
Read on . . . (more…)
Tags:city of brotherly love day trip, new york city train trip to philadelphia, side trip to philly, train travel to philadelphia
Posted in Adventure Travel, Family Vacations, Food and Wine, Philadelphia, Tourist attractions, Travel - General Advice, Travel Destinations, Travel tips, Travel with kids, United States, Variety | Comments Closed
Monday, June 2nd, 2008
A man ran up to our table at the local farmers market, and boom, he and his camera were in my granddaughter’s face. No preamble, no “Hi. How are you?” No nothing. Just wham, bam . . . you get the picture (pardon the pun).
I was stunned. It was all I could do not to grab the guy by his camera cord and demand that he erase the picture. He stupidly bobbed his head, mumbling something about how he “hoped I didn’t mind,” but I knew he wasn’t asking permission. He was just reacting to the look on my face.
He scuttled away like the vermin he had proven himself to be.
Do you photograph people this way? If so, you are WRONG! And worse, you are a coward.
As a photographer, I am very opposed to this grab-and-run style of thievery. In my estimation, it is a type of violence, a rape, if you will. Without some form of permission, be it a slight nod of acceptance or a full model release, modern day shutterbugs should NOT be zooming in on people, and taking their photos.
Here are some suggestions to ensure you remain civilized when shooting photographs of strangers. Read on . . .
(more…)
Tags:how to photograph strangers, photographer safety when traveling, photographing people while traveling, taking pictures of children, travel photography tips
Posted in Adventure Travel, Celebrities, Cruise Ship Travel, Digital Cameras, Family Vacations, Photography tips, Ports of call, Travel - General Advice, Travel photography, Variety | No Comments »
Saturday, May 31st, 2008
Malaria?
It’s a word I have heard, but I never really spent much time thinking about it. That is until I began researching Belize (I am tripping there end of August).
I thought Malaria was prevalent only in far away countries like Africa and India, not the Americas. But I was wrong. Malaria is also common in South and Central America.
Yikes, I thought, what do I do? Read on . . .
(more…)
Tags:bednetting, Belize, central america, cure for malaria, deet, malaria drugs, malaria prevention, malaria vaccine, mosquito bites
Posted in Adventure Travel, Beach Vacations, Family Vacations, Travel - General Advice, Travel Destinations, Travel Products, Travel safety, Travel tips, Tropical Destinations, Variety | No Comments »
Monday, May 19th, 2008
Rocky Mountain Sheep
Alberta is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I should know. I live here. Yes, I travel to other parts of the world, and I do so frequently; I would go nuts if I didn’t. But I love traveling in Alberta, too.
Alberta is home to the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Two of the most visited ski towns are located here, too: Jasper and Banff.
Travelers along the mountain highways will often be treated to the sight of flocks Rocky Mountain sheep (yes, they look like goats – but they are sheep).
(more…)
Tags:Alberta, calgary stampede, edmonton, rocky mountain sheep, things to do in alberta, traveling in alberta, west edmonton mall
Posted in Adventure Travel, Alberta, Canada, Family Vacations, Skiing Vacations, Tourist attractions, Travel - General Advice, Travel Destinations, Variety | Comments Closed
Thursday, May 15th, 2008
The stingray deaths at the Calgary Zoo have continued to baffle authorities. The cownosed rays began dying en masse this past Sunday in a new exhibit that opened just a few months ago, in mid-February. Toxins or poisons are suspected in the rays’ deaths although recent water tests have come up as clean. Zoo veterinarians have eliminated the possibility of moisture lotions or sunblock creams as the source of any contamination of the touch pools.
As sad as the stingray deaths are, the Calgary’s Zoo, Botanical Garden, and Prehistoric Park, with over 290 species of animals, has so much more to offer its patrons. Opened in 1929, The Calgary Zoo celebrates its 80th birthday next year.
If you’re planning a trip to western Canada, be sure to include the Calgary Zoo in your plans. And here’s why you should do that . . .
(more…)
Tags:best zoos in Canada, botanical garden, butterfly garden, Calgary Zoo, dinosaur exhibits, prehistoric park, stingray deaths, western lowland gorillas
Posted in Adventure Travel, Canada, Family Vacations, Tourist attractions, Travel - General Advice, Travel Destinations, Travel with kids, Variety, Zoos | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
Guns, knives, hand grenades, alligators, and bottles of water — these things will be confiscated if you try to take them through American airport security. But what currently is allowed in your carry-on luggage?
Since the terrorist attacks of 9-11, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has changed its mind repeatedly on what is and what is not allowed onto a plane. Nail clippers, once taboo, are now okay. But what about foods? Can you take your lunch onto the plane? What about lithium batteries? A camcorder? What about a tube of face moisturizer?
The answer is “Yes,” to some things, and “No,” to others. If you are still unsure, here’s a quick checklist of some of the most common items allowed and those disallowed in airport security.
Read on . . .
(more…)
Tags:airport security regulations, cleaing airport security, tsa, what can't I take through airport security, what is not allowed in my carry-on baggage, what's allowed in my carry on baggage
Posted in Adventure Travel, Airline Travel, Budget Travel, Canada, Cruise Ship Travel, Family Vacations, Food and Wine, Travel - General Advice, Travel safety, Travel tips, Travel with kids, Variety | Comments Closed
