Florida is a big vacation destination, right? And Las Vegas is ALSO a big vacation destination, right? So why is it that I’m having such a hard time finding a reasonably priced direct flight between Tampa and Las Vegas? The cheapest direct flight I’ve found was on Southwest, and it was $360. I found another flight for $200, but it required a layover each way, and it also required leaving Las Vegas at 6:40am. What’s the deal? Why aren’t there more direct flights from Tampa to Las Vegas? Don’t Floridians fly to Vegas to gamble?

As I just mentioned, we’re going to Orlando in a month. We’ve booked 2 rooms at the resort because we’re a family of 5, and my mom will be joining us. My only options at Disney are to book 2 rooms or to book a suite, and that’s a bit out of my budget. Of course, should we not wish to stay on property at Disney, Orlando vacation homes are another great option. In fact, since we’re planning a trip to Universal soon, a rental home may be just the thing we need for that trip, since we don’t have a “preferred hotel” in the Universal area.

On Saturday, while I was cruising down I-4, I noticed signs for something called the Reunion Resort. They’re definitely going to give Disney some competition, with the Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, and Jack Nicklause designed golf courses, the pools, and the equestrian trails! The resort isn’t entirely completed yet, but when it’s done, it will offer a Kids Camp and entertainment complex as well. Check out the Disney news on the site as well - I never heard about the fight that was started in the line for the teacups ride.

I realize that most Floridians probably don’t drive to Mexico. It’s entirely too easy for us to hop aboard a cruise ship and make our way to Mexico after a few other stops and a day at sea. However, there are people who step off that cruise ship, and then had to the nearest place they can find to rent a car or moped, envisioning seeing “the real Mexico” on their own. And you can’t get much more real than a Mexican jail, which is where you’ll end up if you get into an accident and you don’t have Mexican auto insurance! Your policy that covers your vehicles at home in the USA or Canada isn’t valid in Mexico, and if you can’t pay for damages you’ve caused in an auto accident, you risk being put into jail! Why risk it, when you can plan ahead and buy a Mexican auto insurance policy online before you leave home? Unless your idea of the real Mexico includes seeing the interior of a jail? In that case, carry on.

I just saw an article in the paper about one of the counties here in Tampa working with an airline that does a lot of European flights, in an attempt to convince the airline to fly out of Tampa or Orlando airport. More flights = more tourists, right? Well, I’m not interested in more tourists, but I AM interested in it for me. Jim and I would love to go back to Europe, and it would be nice if we could get a direct flight there out of Tampa or Orlando, and save some cash.

I already know about the cheap hotels in Rome, and good places to stay. What can I say - I’ve done my research! One thing I learned from my other travels is that you want to stay close to the things you want to see, and close to public transportation. For Rome, popular hotel locations are near the Vatican, or the Colosseum. Using the site above, you can find last minute deals, or great year round deals too.

I just got back from a week in Canada, and honestly? The terrain wasn’t much different from Florida.

Oh sure, there are no beaches, and it does snow there, a lot. But on the interstate we traveled, from Detroit to Toronto, and Toronto to Montreal, and then Montreal to Niagara Falls and back to Detroit…well, the landscape was very similar to riding along I-75 here. No palm trees of course, but plenty of marshy land, big open fields, and mostly flat land, with a few gentle hills here and there. It was easy to forget where I was!

One big difference though - there were NO billboards on the main roads! (The 401 and 403) We’ve got tons of billboards up and down our interstates here, and most of them are an eyesore. We only saw one area that had billboards in Canada, and it was on a small stretch of 401. The billboards were set WAY back in a field too, so you hardly noticed them.

Every so often, there’s a campaign to remove the billboards from Florida roadways. I’m all for it. Most are not taken care of, and remain an eyesore. If they’re not all going to be removed, we should at least be able to pull down billboards not being maintained or cared for. I realize they’re on private land, and probably provide revenue for the landowner, but that’s no reason for billboards with in bad shape.

I’ll be heading to Las Vegas in November for a big blogging conference, and my husband and sister are joining me. They’ve both been to Vegas multiple times, but I’m a complete Vegas noob. I want to see everything, and I want to stay somewhere off the charts. I’m going to make the most of my Las Vegas vacation! I went to a few of the big hotel websites, like the MGMGrand, and signed up for their newsletters. Hey, if there’s a special rate or deal, I want to know about it! The MGM Grand website really impressed me - it’s very “Vegas” - splashy, high style, energetic. It was easy to price out rooms and see what the current promos were, as well as see what nightlife there was to be had. They’ve got a place called Studio 54 which is a remark of the original club, albeit with no illegal deals going down, I’m sure! You can also view what the hotel has to offer, learn about their gaming options, or dining. Love it!

Who doesn’t! I’m going away this weekend for a quick Disney trip with the kids, and then our big vacation is just three weeks away! We’re heading to Canada, via Detroit. I’m actually excited to be flying into Detroit, because I’ve never been to Michigan. I have this thing about eventually visiting all 50 states, so I’m knocking another state off my list. And speaking of states I’ve never been to, I’ve got this whole untouched area in the northeast that includes New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. One of my best friends lived in Cape Cod for a few years, and Jim’s been to Boston, but not me. After reading a book about Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod last summer, I’d love to go there. Of course, the only way to do it right is to check out Martha’s Vineyard vacation rentals and have your own place right on the island. It’s right out of a story book - big classic homes that belonged to ship captains, weathered cedar shingles, a view of the sound…and if you’re lucky enough to find a house near Sengekontacket Pond, you get the country house with the salt water air! (The pond is one of the largest salt water ponds on the island!)

I don’t just hope to return to Europe one day, I KNOW I will return to Europe one day. I’m so confident, that I’m already thinking of places I’d like to go, and what I’d like to see. We’ve been to London (twice), all over Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and to Paris, so I’d love to see something completely different. As I learned from my first trip to London, my idea of a hotel in the city center is probably completely different than the person who puts “close to city center” in the hotel description on a random travel website. You can avoid being booked in off the beaten path hotels by booking your Europe hotels at EuroBookings.com. At their site, you can sort hotels by landmarks (very convenient, especially if the landmark is the only thing you know of in the city you’ll be visiting) or how close it is to the airport. Or maybe you’d prefer to stay at a popular hotel, or one that has great reviews? No problem - because they’ve got those options as well. The really nice part is that you don’t pay a fee to book or hold the room - you just pay when you check out. That’s a nice switch from all of the travel websites that force you to pay for your full stay up front! It also gives you room to bargain if the hotel isn’t what you had in mind. The site goes one step further too, by providing a guidebook online that gives you tips on places visit and things to see!

In case you weren’t already aware, the passport requirements are changing! For instance, when we go to Canada in June, if we want to fly in, or go in by sea, we need passports. But to drive in, we don’t, at least until January of 2008. Jim and I have passports, but the kids don’t, so we’re driving in. It’s going to be the same for cruises too - no longer can you take a quick weekend jaunt to Mexico or the Bahamas without a passport. With the requirements getting stricter, is it any wonder that people are looking for hot locations within the U.S. to go to? People are looking to domestic destinations like Hawaii, and the beautiful island hot spots that can be had for the perfect tropical vacations. Maui condos are the perfect place to spend a week or two if you don’t have a passport! As for me, I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii, in part because I want to visit every state in the nation, but also, I’m all about getting down with the hula and the volcanoes. I’ve wanted to visit Hawaii ever since I saw that Brady Bunch episode where the family had troubles with that darn tiki idol. Do you think the Brandy Bunch stayed in one of these maui condos? Probably not, eh? They were missing out then…because the views, and the beaches, and the deluxe rentals - top notch!

KAUAI, HI–(MARKET WIRE)–Feb 19, 2007 — Recommendations by the 9/11 Commission have led to a new law that requires US citizens returning to the country by air to show a passport. As of 2006, only a quarter of the American public actually held a passport. Hawaiian Beach Rentals recently conducted an informal survey that projected a marked increase in domestic travel as a result of the new passport legislation.

In accordance with the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the passport requirement is a part of the states’ and Homeland Security’s Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Charles Koehl of Hawaiian Beach Rentals states, “Our staff recently conducted an informal survey of our customers. In light of the new passport regulations, more than half the customers questioned intend to make domestic travel arrangements as opposed to scheduling international travel. In fact, one of our customers who’s spent her life traveling the south pacific told us that as long as her favorite Kauai condo is available, there’s really no need to leave the US.”

As early as January 1, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security expects to have similar passport requirements that apply to sea travel. Traveling to domestic destinations such as an all-inclusive Kauai vacation package will allow tourists to plan exotic, luxurious, and hassle-free vacations by air or sea without having to obtain a passport.

Mr. Koehl further says, “American travelers now find it easier to come to Hawaii than other international destinations, but still want a customized experience that only local people can help coordinate. Hawaiian Beach Rentals offers accommodations such as Kauai vacation rental homes, condos and hotels, as well as airfare and car rentals to customers wanting to travel to Hawaii. Our services include up to date local information about Hawaii and the ability for customers to quickly and easily pay for their vacation online via a secure payment process.” Additional information and incredible color photos of domestic travel destinations in Hawaii are available online at Hawaiian Beach Rentals.

Wow. Sign me up!

Man, lots of Disney news today, huh? This is big news though, and I’m thrilled! Disney will now be banning smoking in guest rooms and vacation club rooms. Yay! No more getting stuck with a stinky smoky room because all they had left was a “smoking” room. The ban starts June 1, and applies to patios and balconies also.

Kudos to Disney for realizing that non-smoking is the way to go! I’d love to see all the other hotel chains make this switch.

I’ve seen a lot of the Sunshine state, and the states surrounding us. There’s only so many trips to Disney and the beaches of Florida that I can do, so my future travel plans will hopefully be a bit more exotic from here on out. There are so many places that we Floridians never even think of visiting, just because we don’t know enough about the locale or how to get there. How about visiting New Zealand? Thailand? Or taking holidays to Tenerife in the Canary Islands? I don’t think I’d be sick of the beach anymore if I got to go to a beautiful beach off the coast of Africa, in say, Playa de las Americas, Los Christianos, or even Los Gigantes! Millions of UK and European travelers visit destinations like this each year, and often get great deals on cheap holidays to places that Americans have never heard of. Why should the British get all of the fun? The island has beautiful resorts with shopping, golf, animal parks, theaters, water parks and more. It’s a bit like Las Vegas. With a beach. And more old world charm. With search engines that package cheap flights with great deals on hotel rates, you’ll be getting your passport stamped in no time at all.

I love to travel and see sights outside of Florida. I think I’ve been to 35 of the 50 states, but one state I haven’t been to is Washington. I was looking at a website tonight for Marysville WA Real Estate and was intrigued. It’s a small town in Washington state that was founded in 1878, and today, is home to 31,000 residents. The town was nicknamed the “Strawberry City” in the 1920’s, and has held an annual strawberry festival ever since. I wonder if Marysville real estate sells that as much as we sell our “berry” goodness here? The town of Plant City, which is not too far from me in the Tampa area, is also known for strawberries, and they have their own strawberry festival every year. I didn’t realize that Washington state grew strawberries!

Located in the same area is the town of Everett. You may recognize that as the home of the Boeing Company. The town has their own festival called Salty Sea Days - fitting, as they’re located on Puget Sound.

Not to be left out, another town near Marysville, WA has it’s own festival also. Lake Stevens celebrates Aqua Fest each year with a big fireworks display and lots of water related activities on the lake. (Reminds me of the Christmas boat parade we used to do in Tarpon Springs each year)

Travelling out of state does make me appreciate Florida. Last night, we were in a restaurant in South Carolina, and were asked if we wanted smoking, or non smoking. That’s just something we take for granted in Florida!