Top 10 Natural Wonders Of The World
Posted November 10, 2009 , comments closedPart of what makes the Grand Canyon so beautiful is an understanding of how much time when into its creation. Millions of years were spent by the Colorado River sculpting and carving away at the rock to develop what can be seen today. The depth of the canyon is breathtaking. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long and up to 18 miles in width from rim to rim. The Canyon also goes down a full mile.
Auroras are natural displays of light in the sky but the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is the most beautiful of all. Visible from the Northern Hemisphere, the Aurora Borealis can be seen as a greenish glow or even faint red.
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s hugest coral reef system and is home to 3,000 single reefs and stretches about 1,600 miles. The reef is located off the coast of Australia and can even be seen from space. Although humanity and environmental causes threaten the reef, it remains one of the most concentrated spots for unique aquatic life on Earth.
The Niagara Falls are stunning waterfalls located on the border of Canada and the United States. Formed during the last ice age by receding glaciers, the Niagara Falls is the most powerful and beautiful waterfall in North America.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world and reaches 29,029 feet at its summit. Mount Everest, located in the Himalayas in Asia, has attracted climbers from around the world. Many have died attempting to reach the summit of Mount Everest, considered the worlds most physically demanding challenge.
Victoria Falls, located in southern Africa, are some of the largest waterfalls in the entire world. The width of the falls is about 5,600 feet and the height is almost 360 feet, creating one large sheet of water.
Paricutin is a cinder cone volcano located in Mexico that is located near a village covered by lava. In 1943 the volcano started merely as a fissure in a cornfield. Farmers witnessed the initial eruption of stones and ash and the volcano grew quickly afterward, reaching the height of five stories in only one week. After a year the volcano had reached over a thousand feet and continued erupting for eight years.
The harbor of Rio de Janeiro is considered one of the most beautiful harbors in the world with wonderful weather and free beaches. Located in Brazil, the harbor is surrounded by mountains and was formed by the Atlantic Ocean.
The Amazon Rainforest, or Amazonia, covers 1.4 billion acres and is home to 2.5 million insect species, 2,000 birds and mammals, 40,000 plant species, 3,000 fish and over 300 reptiles. 20% of all birds in the entire world live in the beautiful Rainforest, making it the most diverse place on earth.
The Galapagos Islands are volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean with a population around 40,000. What makes the area so unique is the diversity of the animal life and it’s reputation as the place that created the theory of evolution due to natural selection.
Choosing the Best Accommodations For Your Breckenridge Vacation
Posted , comments closedIf you’re planning a vacation to Breckenridge, Colorado, chances are you’re overwhelmed by the lodging options available. A quick internet search will result in thousands of links that lead to a variety of hotels, condos, townhomes, vacation homes, and ski-in, ski-out accommodations. So, what option is best for you? The first step in beginning to answer this question is to identify exactly what the options mean and how they match your needs.
• Hotels. It probably doesn’t take much of a stretch of the imagination to picture the traditional hotel room set-up. Two double beds, a night stand, a television, and maybe a few extras like a coffee maker or refrigerator are the standards in most American hotels. A benefit to hotels is the added amenities such as a pool, exercise room, and restaurants. The drawbacks, of course, include space and lots of neighbors nearby. A hotel doesn’t usually offer much more than one large room (with the exception of suites), so be prepared to spend some quality time in close quarters with your travelling companions. If you’re planning a long trip, a hotel might begin to make you feel a bit claustrophobic. However, if your trip is short, it might be the easiest and most affordable option.
• Condos or Townhomes. Condos or townhomes are prevalent in ski towns such as Breckenridge. Each unit normally offers more than one bedroom, a kitchen, living area, bathroom, and added features such as balconies and the extra amenities of home. Drawbacks are similar to hotels in that there will be people above, below, or on either side of you, but there are many benefits to consider as well. Like hotels, condos and townhomes normally include extra amenities like pools and hot tubs. In addition, they also come equipped with a fully functioning kitchen so you can save money by cooking meals at home. Additionally, you’ll certainly find more room in a condo or townhome, so more people can have that added breathing room.
• Rental Home. A freestanding vacation home brings all of the benefits of a condo or townhome without the threat of noisy (or nosey) neighbors. Renting an entire house will give you the comfort of having a home away from home, but you won’t have to worry about the mortgage payments. You’ll likely have more space that you would in a condo or townhome, but might not have the added amenities like a pool or hot tub. Additionally, you’ll want to consider location when you rent a vacation home. While condos, townhomes, and hotels might be closer to the ski resort, homes could be a bit more remote and farther away. However, this might be as much a benefit as it is a drawback, depending on your vacation plans.
• Ski-in, Ski-out. Some hotels, condos, townhomes, and rental homes may also be ski-in, ski-out accommodations. This means exactly what the name implies: you’ll literally be able to ski from your door to the slopes. While the obvious benefits are certainly location and convenience, the drawbacks will more likely hit your pocket book. Ski-in, ski-out accommodations are normally also the most expensive options, but often the money is worth the convenience.
There really is no right or wrong way to plan your vacation in Breckenridge; there are just different choices for different people. Still, it will certainly help your planning to go into the range of options with a vision of what and where you’d like to stay. Most importantly, however, look into your options by talking with rental companies or researching them online. With a bit of preparation, you’ll likely find the perfect fit for your Breckenridge vacation.
Newark Airport Marriott Hotel Recognized for Teaming Up With Green Recoverings to Recycle Discards
Posted , comments closed) NEWARK, NJ (November 6, 2009) — CNN recently sent a crew to film blankets being donated by the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott to Green Recoverings, an organization that works with hotels to donate gently used bedding, towels, and other household type discards and gives them to those in need while at the same time reducing waste in landfills.
The shoot was part of a “Leaders With Heart” segment that will air on the cable network next month and features Green Recoverings founder Mary Marzano. Ms. Marzano has partnered with the Newark, NJ eco hotel to recycle their discarded bedding.
Until recently, blankets, pillows, sheets, comforters, and towels which were deemed unusable for the Newark airport hotel’s guestrooms, ended up in the trash, and with 591 rooms, linen turnover is high.
As a result, the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott partnered with Green Recoverings and is now donating surplus, gently used bedding that include blankets, pillows, sheets, comforters, and towels which Green Recoverings will give to shelters, charities, and families in need in the local community. Additionally, the Newark airport hotel solicited the involvement of Jim Morris, General Manager, Marriott New Jersey Textile Services and the other Marriott and Renaissance hotels in the Elizabeth, New Jersey area have become involved as well.
According to Pat Strocchia, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Newark, NJ eco-friendly hotel, “This program is a win-win for all involved, allowing us to help our neighbors in need and be gentle on the environment at the same time.”
ABOUT THE NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MARRIOTT
Situated on the airport grounds, the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott offers the finest accommodations along with the closest and most convenient location to the airport terminals, and is the perfect gateway to Newark, New Jersey, New York City, and beyond. Featuring 581 guest rooms including six suites, two first-class restaurants, Mangiare di Case and JW Steakhouse, and Chatfield’s lounge, state-of-the-art fitness center, indoor/outdoor swimming pool, and 19 meeting rooms with 13,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, this Newark airport hotel is the perfect location for all your lodging needs in Northern New Jersey. For more information about the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott hotel and its recycling program, please visit: www.newarkairportmarriott.com.
Best Round-The-World Travel Blogs
Posted October 23, 2009 , comments closedBest Round-The-World Travel Blogs
Here at BootsnAll, we’ve been trying to inspire and help people plan round the world (RTW) trips for over a decade now. We also host thousands of travel blogs ourselves, with many of them being RTW journals and sites. You might already realize that there are so many thousands of travel blogs out there that finding the best of the best is just about impossible, but that hasn’t stopped us from at least trying to point out some excellent sites that we consider to be among the finest.
First off, what makes a great travel blog?
If you are interested in just keeping track of your journey for your own sake and the interests of friends and family, then it’s totally fine to use an existing template and just cover whatever you prefer. But if you want to put together a site that will appeal to people who’ve never met you, it’s a bit more complicated. Everyone has their own preferences, but generally speaking these are the things that will make your site stand out and appeal to a wider group of people:
- Use lots of photos, on almost everything.
- Make sure your site is easy to navigate, so people who enter on any one post can easily find posts on the same topic or different topics.
- Create an “About Me” page that is easy to find (If random readers can’t tell if you are a 22-year-old female backpacker or a 51-year-old man on a temporary retirement, it’s much harder to feel a connection with you).
- Be opinionated.
- Use lots of photos (seriously).
Here are some RTW blogs that we feel stand out:
Gobackpacking.com
This started out as a standard RTW blog written by a guy in Virginia, USA, who spent 20 months on the road, but now it’s being expanded into a helpful resource for independent travelers. It’s nicely designed and easy to read and navigate, but the content itself is the key. His article describing the actual costs of a RTW trip is a great example of the practical advice he dispenses. And it seems he is looking to expand through outside collaborators now too, so check the site if you are interested.
Nomadicmatt.com
If you follow the online travel and social media community, chances are you’ve heard of Nomadic Matt. He’s another who hit the road a few years back and has barely slowed down since. His site is filled with really helpful tips, and he isn’t afraid to be opinionated, which is refreshing. On his site you might miss his actual blog, but it’s worth a look, especially for solid entries like this recent post called Everyone Say I’m Running Away.
Everything-everywhere.com
Gary Arndt brings a fresh perspective to his site. He’s an entrepreneur who has evidently done well enough to afford a life more or less on the road since 2007. Most RTW blogs concentrate on hostel dorms and barely-existent budgets, so it’s nice to read posts by someone who isn’t forced to travel as a backpacker. Gary is also a good writer who has lately become a key player in the travel social media community, including as the host of a new weekly podcast called This Week in Travel. His site also features a stream of great photographs, so it has the distinction of also making our Best Photo Blogs list.
Alittleadrift.com
This site is the work of a 25-year-old Florida native who says she had a “quarter-life crisis” and decided to hit the road in 2008. She’s a good writer who does an excellent job organizing things so the site is easy to navigate, and there are always plenty of great photos too. She also puts together articles that are meant for a broader audience, including her budget tips and declaration that RTW travel can be cheaper than you might realize.
Ottsworld.com
Sherry Ott was in her 30s when she decided the corporate world just wasn’t for her anymore. She traveled around for around two years and has been based in Vietnam for about a year, teaching English. Now she’s on the road again, but she’ll continue to write and try to help others break away from the corporate grind. If you are unsure whether you can or should hit the road yourself, have a look at her section on taking a career break.
Wherethehellismatt.com
You already know this guy, Matt, from his amazingly inspirational and successful videos of him doing the same goofy dance in some of the most picturesque places on earth. His first trip and video got him so much attention that Stride Gum sponsored a second one and then a third one. He’s now been to 80 countries, at last count, and does actually have a proper travel blog/journal on his site, in addition to the videos and such.
Forksandjets.com
Some colleagues and I discovered this one a few months ago, and we were immediately hooked. It’s written by a pair of “amateur foodie traveloguers” who left Los Angeles in 2008 for a nomadic lifestyle, and the moment the page loads you’ll see they also have a definite sense of style. Once you get past that cool retro look and font you’ll notice that the site is filled with great photos and stories on the food and culture everywhere they go. Check out their observations and frustrations with Morocco as a good example.
Nodebtworldtravel.com
Brian described his mission as “One guy’s attempt to travel as far around the world as he cheaply can” and he’s another who has made a name for himself in the online travel social media circles. It’s not so much a travel journal anymore as it is a useful hub for travel information and advice. He’s recently put together an ebook, in which he’s compiled some of his best stuff. One great example of his style is his article discussing just how much can you save by staying in hostels instead of hotels.
Kiwifamily
This is one of the busiest travel blogs hosted here at BootsnAll, and it should be inspirational to anyone thinking about long-term travel with kids. In their own words, this is about “A Kiwi family with eight kids and a grandpa chronicle their pilgrimage from Singapore to London and beyond…..overland all the way.” You don’t see many large families on the road, so it’s interesting to read about some of the unique challenges, like this post from Bulgaria.
Theworldeffect.com
Here’s another one that is new to us, but caught our eye quickly. It’s written by a couple who obviously have a great sense of visual style. Right now they are in Africa and they have posted some of the finest pictures we’ve seen on a travel blog. An excellent example is this fairly recent post from Serengeti National Park.
Livingspree.wordpress.com
This site is also written by a couple who thought about dropping out of the rat race, and then went ahead and did it. They’ve been a lot of places, and this one isn’t the easiest to navigate, but it’s filled with good writing and useful information. Folks thinking about going to Southeast Asia might especially appreciate the way they break down their exact expenses. Particularly interesting is this post called Wish I Knew It Last Month, where they collect their best tips and insights from the road, after plenty of experience.
Roundtheworldticket.com
This one isn’t a RTW blog in the traditional sense, but we’ll forgive that since it’s part of our own travel network. It’s a site that is loaded with RTW-specific advice and resources, and even though it’s not as active as it once was, you’ll still find some interesting stuff here. In particular you might be interested in Places You Should See on your RTW Trip and Not So Obvious Reasons to Go on a RTW trip.
Do you know of any great RTW travel blogs that we didn’t include? There are lots of fantastic sites out there, so if you know of a site that deals with circling the globe, let us know in the comments.
Photo by aranarth on Flickr
7 must see places when visiting Bournemouth
Posted , comments closed7 must see places when visiting Bournemouth
Each year Bournemouth welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world. People come to Bournemouth for numerous reasons; to view the world record firework displays, to attend a show at the Bournemouth International Centre or to relax on the eight miles of golden beach – weather permitting of course. The Hermitage is one of the best hotels in Bournemouth and is located just next to the famous beach and has put together a comprehensive list of sites to see when coming to Bournemouth.
1. Bournemouth Gardens
Bournemouths glorious Gardens consist of the Upper, Central and Lower Gardens, which run from the seafront to the town centre. They have won three Britain in Bloom Awards and they have also received several Green Flag Awards. While walking around the gardens, you will also have the opportunity to test yourself on the ever popular crazy golf course and take a trip high in the sky on the Bournemouth balloon.
Image credit – World Heritage Coast
2. Bournemouth Oceanarium
Bournemouth’s Oceanarium is home to approximately 2000 fish. The Amazon, the Mediterranean Sea, the Ganges and Africa are only a few of the many themed displays in the aquarium. And, there are a lot of other things you can explore during your visit, such as the Marine Research Lab, the Interactive Dive Cage, or the Global Meltdown Experience.
3. Bournemouth Pier
From Bournemouth Pier, you have a fabulous view of the Bay and the adorable coastline. It also provides souvenir shops, a theatre and a bar and restaurant. The main pier is visible from points along the beach but if you walk East from the Hermitage, you’ll eventually get to the smaller Boscombe pier. Each year Charity walks and swims take place between these two piers in aid of charity, bringing many more thousands people into the area.
Image credit – BBC Dorset
4. Corfe Castle
The ruined castle dates back to the 11th century and has a connection to William the Conqueror. It was a royal stronghold for over 500 years, but, unfortunately, it was destroyed during the civil war by the Parliamentarians. For visitors, the ruins offer an impressive picture of the countryside and Purbeck Coast.
5. Old Harry Rocks
Old Harry Rocks, which are part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, are chalk stacks and located between Studland and Swanage. One legend says, that the rocks were named after Poole’s pirate, Harry Paye, who kept his contraband close-by. Few people who live in Bournemouth have visited Old Harry Rocks, so when visiting, make sure you don’t miss out!
image credit – Information Britain
6. Durdle Door
This rock formation, which is situated 0.6 miles westerly from Lulworth Cove, is the most famous and most photographed attraction along the Jurassic Coast. Getting to Durdle Door from the Hermitage Hotel in central Bournemouth will take you around 45 minutes but will allow you to see some of the most breath taking coastline in Dorset as well as seeing one of the most memorable naturally occuring sites in the UK.
7. Sandbanks
Sandbanks is the fourth most expensive place to live in the world and by many described as Britain’s Monte Carlo. Its main attraction is the beautiful beach, which is known as one of the best in the UK. Sandbanks is home to some of the most wealthy and famous people from all walks of life. Many millionaire business owners live in the area as well as celebrities from sport, film and television. Sandbanks can be reached by car within 30 minutes from of Bournemouth and offers visitors a chance to visit one of the most exclusive areas in the UK, if not the world.
Image credit – Guardian.co.uk