Treasure Island Beach, Florida - Part One
Posted August 7, 2009 , add a commentMost people believe that Treasure Island was named for its pristine white sand beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters. It’s an understandable assumption; the island’s name and marketing slogans (”Treasure of the Gulf Coast” and “A Jewel of the Gulf Beaches) do not exaggerate the beauty of this three mile islet. But the origin of Treasure Island’s name has nothing to do with its natural assets.
Treasure Island Beach Access Park
In the early 20th century when Florida was just being discovered by a new affluent upper class, several local developers and land owners attempted to boost property sales by first burying and then “discovering” a couple of wooden chests on the beach, claiming they were filled with treasure. As the news spread, people began calling the island Treasure Island and the name just stuck. Fortunately, the name suits. With its uncrowded, laid-back beaches, the island has an “Old Florida” feel, yet its location in the greater Tampa Bay region provides guests with access to all the amenities and attractions one would expect to find in a major metropolitan area.
Volleyball nets and playground equipment line the wide beach
It is, however, the beaches that attract most visitors. Although the entire Gulf Coast side of the island has a sandy shoreline, most visitors congregate in one of three main beach areas. Treasure Island Park and Treasure Island Beach Access Park, both located mid-island on Gulf Boulevard, provide easy access to the widest portion of the beach. With a total of 218 public parking spaces, restrooms, changing facilities, water fountains, beach showers, bicycle racks, and concessions, these two parks are preferred by most families. There is something for everyone here: sports-minded head for volleyball nets that stretch between the concession stand and the beach, while those who prefer to soak up rays in a less strenuous manner claim one of the royal blue chaise lounges that hunker beneath bright yellow shade cabanas at the water’s edge.
The Town provides chaise clouges and shade cabanas
After a day of sunning and swimming, visitors find that most of the island’s gulf-front motels and hotels, restaurants, and shops are located within short walking distance of these two beach accesses. There is a fee for parking, however even that can be avoided by hopping aboard one of the reasonably priced trolleys that travel up and down Gulf Boulevard on a regular basis. Treasure Island beaches are open from sunrise to sunset.
Watch for part two of this series next week, an overview of Sunset Beach, the place where Treasure Island’s party animals congregate.
Photos and article by Barbara Weibel of Hole In The Donut Travels
Chicago area Hyatt Regency O’Hare Airport Hotel
Posted , add a commentPosted by Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip
Hyatt Regency O’Hare photo by Nancy D. Brown
I was using my Frequent Flyer miles to travel from San Francisco to Chicago, Illinois. As such, I wouldn’t be landing at O’Hare Airport until 1:30 in the morning. At least it was a non-stop flight. I checked my bag (on-line because it’s $4 cheaper) with United Airlines and boarded the plane. I’d like to give a personal shout out to Michael Lawson at the Hyatt Reservations call center for helping me with this reservation. Much better alternative than sleeping on the floor at the airport!
Fast forward to the baggage carousel where all the luggage from the direct flight had been claimed, except my bag. You guessed it, my duffel bag was no where to be found.
Shuffling off to the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Airport shuttle bus, I told myself that my bag would be waiting for me at the hotel in the morning. The Hyatt set me up with a comb, toothpaste and toothbrush and off I went to room 2806, tired and flustered.
Hyatt O
I picked the Hyatt Regency O’Hare location for its proximity to the airport and because they offered a complimentary shuttle that runs 24/7. If you live in the area, you may be interested in their Park, Sleep and Fly “Explore” package. The promotion includes parking for up to 14 days free and runs until December 30, 2009.
Hyatt Regency O’Hare Gets a Facelift
The property has recently undergone a $64 million transformation in all of their 1,096 guest rooms. I appreciated the noon checkout time and the comfort of the Hyatt Grand Bed with the pillow-top mattress. My Regency Suite room rented for $480, not including internet access. There was Wi-Fi available in all of the public areas.
Lost Luggage Tips
My luggage still hadn’t shown up the next day. I left a note with the front desk with my next hotel address, said a little prayer and walked to the Blue Line to take the train to downtown Chicago. I’ve since written a post on lost luggage tips on my website.
Hyatt Regency O’Hare 1 (847) 696-1234
9300 W Bryn Mawr Avenue, Rosemont, IL 60018
The Beaches of Elba, Elba, Italy, Europe
Posted , add a commentOnce upon a time I was young and on Elba. It was the summer of 1998; people were just starting to worry about Y2K and the supposed apocalypse, at least of their computers; I was about to graduate with a Master’s degree in English with which I had no idea what to do. My boyfriend and I lived as if we were in a Hemingway novel but without the war or any of the heartache. Without the general malaise, really. We were just young and drank a lot. We traveled Europe and wore plastic jellies on the beach. His were clear and mine were pink. The water was turquoise and of all the places we went to that summer, Elba had the best beaches.
That one summer I was young.
With over 70 different beaches, the 27km long island of Elba has something for every beach-goer. Located in the middle of the Tuscan Archipelago Marine Park, the island of Elba can be reached by just an hour’s ferry ride from Piombino on the western coast of Italy. The island has an area of 200 square km and a coastline of 147 km, continuously alternating between gentle slopes and sheer cliffs, the beaches themselves varying between jagged rocks best for jumping into the water and smooth sand ideal for siestas. With Mount Capanne at the island’s apex more than a thousand meters high, Elba offers a territory rich in hidden corners to explore with both marine and mountain panoramas. The island is well prepared for tourism (on Elba there are about: 200 hotels, 50 residences, 30 camping sites, and 30 farm house inns). The number of residents on the island is a little more than twenty thousand.
Clear water. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24716098@N06/2345340932/
It would be impossible to choose just one beach on Elba. There are so many, each so different and yet each singularly stunning. While most beaches are free to the public, there are establishments on the main beaches that offer rental umbrellas, changing rooms, and sun loungers. The swimming here is fabulous–the water warm and clear. Bear in mind that the depth of most of the waters increases rather rapidly, with the exception of la Biodola, Marina di Campo, Lacona and Procchio where the water remains shallow for up to 30-40 metres.
The view from a vacation. http://www.flickr.com/photos/22266840@N00/53736988/
These days I I live in Northern California where I usually have to wear a sweatshirt to the beach. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up but I think back to that summer I spent on Elba with wonder: The spectacular beauty of the beaches, the naivete with which we rode a Vespa along sheer cliffs, the fact that my boyfriend who is now my husband wore plastic jelly sandals at all.
Hostel Summer Sale 2009 by HostelBookers.com - prices from just ?3 per person per night
Posted , add a comment) The heat is on as HostelBookers launches its first ever hostel summer sale with as much as 70% off selected European hostel prices in August. HostelBookers guarantees to offer the cheapest accommodation around, as rooms are available for as little as £3 per person per night.
Over one hundred participating hostels throughout Malta, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus are offering the opportunity to bag the most amazing bargain for bookings and travel in August.
Stay in Madeira for just £3.80 at the Os Manos - Lodging which is offering savings of 40%. The lodgings are situated in the Santana area of the island, which offers some of Madeira’s most dramatic scenery, from the rugged coast to inland mountains. There are eight bedrooms all with satellite TV and en-suite bathrooms.
The Splendid Guesthouse in Malta is offering a massive 70% off with rooms starting at just £5 per person per night. The guesthouse is situated in Mellieha, a picturesque hilltop town in Malta. One of Malta’s leading beaches (Mellieha Bay) is only 15 minutes’ walk away. Alternatively the guesthouse’s sun terrace with its picturesque view of Comino and Gozo offers an ideal place to while away lazy afternoons.
Save 50% in Corfu staying at the Gorgona St & Apts for just £8.50 per person per night. The apartments are ideally placed in the tourist village of Ipsos, only 50 metres from a beautiful long, sandy beach and only 20 minutes from Corfu’s historic old town, Corfu Town.
Art lovers won’t be able to resist the 30% discount at La Controra Flashpackers Hostel in Naples. La Controra is a converted monastery right in the centre of Naples.
Its recently refurbished rooms are decorated by art sculptures, Neapolitan coffee pots, garlic and chilli peppers.
The lounge bar is used for contemporary art exhibitions and the garden hammocks offer the best way to relax after a day exploring this bustling city. Prices start from just £10 per night for a dormitory room.
Experience cosmopolitan Spain at the Apartments El Pilar situated in the beautiful historical centre of Valencia. The spacious apartments with their own kitchen and dining area are just two minutes from Valencia train station. Prices start from just £13.50 per person per night with a 20% discount and include daily cleaning, airport pick-up and return, and catering service.
HostelBookers features 14,000 hostels in over 3,000 destinations and is the only website in the industry not to charge a booking fee ? its lowest price guarantee means that prices are on average 4.2% less expensive than other well-known hostel booking companies.
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For further information please contact: Givi Basilia at 020 7406 1805 or
Email: Givi.Basilia@Hostelbookers.com
NOTE TO EDITORS
About HostelBookers.com: Great Hostels. Free Booking. No Worries.
HostelBookers.com ? launched in March 2004 ? is a leading UK-based budget accommodation website. It offers a range of budget accommodation including youth hostels, hotels, B&Bs and apartments in over 3,000 destinations worldwide.
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Snorkeling and Diving in Curacao
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Diving is an Adventure in Curacao - Photo Courtesy of Curacao Tourism Board
Clear waters. You will not be able to wrap your mind around how clear the water is until you leave and talk about it with your friends. Curacao’s beaches are amazing to say the least and attempting to talk about all of them in one post is a mistake, so we will start with a little taste of snorkeling and some good photography as an appetizer.
I lost my PADI card a few years back in Thailand and there I was swimming in one of the best dive locations in the world with a snorkel on, staring at bubbles floating up from the depths. It didn’t bother me that much given the fact that I was snorkeling around a sunken Tugboat and the visibility was perfect. This says a lot because whenever I go snorkeling I would always wish I were diving instead. I was at the tugboat and I was headed towards Director’s bay where the snorkeling was great. Curacao is many a snorkeler’s/diver’s heaven in that the entire southern coast is dotted with dive and snorkeling sites.
You really cannot miss when looking for a beach in Curacao but as a heads up, keep in mind that if you are staying in town (Willemstad is pretty much the only town) you are not close to a beach, you will need to rent a car. I highly recommend this since the minimum for a cab ride is $10. You can imagine how expensive transportation can be. While I was there I was able to find a rental car company that charged $35 a day - this included insurance.
Some snorkeling spots on Curacao that I recommend are:
1. Tugboat
2. Director’s bay
3. Jan Thielbaai
4. Oswaldo’s Drop Off
5. Playa Kalki
6. Either Grote or Kleine Knip
The Tugboat - Photo Coutesy of Curacao Tourism Board
