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    Top Six Reasons to Visit Lake George
    Monday, July 27th, 2009 /

    The second largest lake in Florida is Lake George. Lake George covers around 46,000 acres. It is a unique lake in the sense that once you leave the shallow waters near the shore the bottom pretty much remains a constant distance down with few changes. When it comes to boating there are a number of activity options to choose from so no matter what you are looking to do on your vacation you can find it on Lake George.

    1. The biggest attraction to Lake George is fishing. The most common fish caught at Lake George include large mouth bass, bluegill and shell cracker. The vegetation and depth of the lake make for an excellent bass habitat. All types of fishing are productive on this lake including wade fishing. However, you can also choose to fish from the shore or from the comfort of your own boat. With so many places open to fishing you are sure to find a secluded area to fish by yourself.

    2. While the shallow water around the lake edge doesn’t make for good water sports there is still plenty of room in the open water to enjoy any type of water sport that interests you. Just be sure you travel slowly and carefully along the edges where there are potential snags for you and your boat. Once you get into the open water you can open up your engines and enjoy your favorite water sporting activity.

    3. There are a number of secluded spots along the shoreline where you can anchor your boat. You can spend the night on your boat deck watching the stars and listening to the wildlife or you can choose to go ashore and set up a campsite for the night. Either way there are numerous species of wildlife that you can observe from your campsite or the deck of your boat.

    4. The shallow water areas around the shoreline provide some excellent opportunities for the adventure kayaker or the bird watcher. What better way to spend your vacation than paddling around the shores of Lake George in your kayak and watching all the numerous wildlife species that the lake has to offer.

    5. With so many species of plant and fish in the lake scuba diving and snorkeling are excellent activities. Take the time to swim in the cool water of the lake on a hot summer day and watch the many species of fish swim by you.

    6. The shallow shores of the lake make it excellent areas for swimming. For those who are traveling with kids the shallow waters provide an excellent play area for the children on a camping adventure. Since the shallow water doesn’t provide room for boating it is also a safe option for those who want a relaxing time for swimming.

    There are a variety of options when it comes to water activities on Lake George. So when you plan your next boating adventure check out Lake George and you won’t be disappointed by what it has to offer you.

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    Tahoe Ski Vacations – Something For Everyone
    Friday, July 24th, 2009 /

    Whether you are a expert world-class cross country skier or a new beginner with wobbly legs just learning to ski, the Tahoe Donner Ski Resort is the place where you need to go for winter sports. Depending on your level of skiing and snowboarding expertise, two ski areas are offered in the upper region of Truckee, California – the Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area and the Tahoe Donner Cross Country Center XC. Located 5 miles from Donner Lake and a little under 20 miles from Lake Tahoe, this exclusive resort has several excellent available restaurants, a golf course, and public equestrian center & campground.

    With spectacular views that verge on absolute silence, Euer Valley is surrounded by three major peaks – Castle Peak (El. 9,103 feet); Red Mountain (El. 7,900 feet); and Prosser Hill (El. 7,171). Tahoe Donner is one of two major cross-country ski area on Donner Pass, and the Nordic Center is larger and has a higher summit elevation than the downhill one, being the only cross-country resort in California that offers night-time skinny skiing. Snowboarders are also welcome at Tahoe Donner. The resort has reasonable lift ticket rates, and there are rentals available. Here, you will also find a variety of ski programs and a ski school.

    After a full day of skiing, going to the Lodge will highlight your ski vacation. It stands out with its rugged beauty, impressive architecture, and rugged beauty. Everyone who sees it, more than agrees this spectacular mountain setting is the cornerstone of the Tahoe Donner community. Whether you go in for a quick relaxing “pick-me up” or for the entire afternoon, it will still be as enchanting. Dining consists of contemporary, seasonal, American cuisine with a mountain view that never tires.

    Another place to go for relaxation is the Clubhouse Bar and Grill Restaurant for a wonderful and relaxing dining experience. It is located on Northwoods Boulevard in Truckee, so stop on by for some sangria after a cold day on the slopes. Also a specialty, order some buffalo hot wings, tossed in their own sauce and served with blue cheese dressing for dipping! They can be ordered in one or two pound servings. Other specialties are: raspberry and caramelized walnut salad with gorgonzola cheese: Mediterranean pita with humus spread, lettuce, sprout, tomatoes, onion, and vinaigrette on a fresh roll; or traditional pizzas, hot dogs, and hamburgers.

    Tahoe Donner also offers a lot of family fun that is quite affordable, with the Snowplay Area located next to Trout Creek Recreation Center. It features a 601 foot vertical drop, and the highest elevation is 7,353 feet. There are approximately 120 acres for skiers to enjoy, with over 13 trails for beginners, intermediate skiers, and expert skiers. The resort features four lifts, with two of the list being surface lifts, and two being chair lifts.

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    Things To Do In The Black Hills of South Dakota
    Tuesday, July 21st, 2009 /

    After the start of the carving of Mt Rushmore, the Native Americans of the Black Hills wanted to have a sculpture celebrating their own heroes. They wrote to a sculptor named Korczak Ziolkowski.

    My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes too, wrote Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear when he invited Korczak to the Black Hills to carve the Crazy Horse memorial.

    Korczal arrived in the Black Hills on May 3, 1947 to accept their invitation. When he started work on the mountain in 1949, he was almost 40 and only had $174 left to his name. Over the decades he battled financial hardship, racial prejudice, injuries, and advancing age. For years he and his sons were the only ones working on the monument.

    Work on the sculpture continues today. When it is finished it will be 563 feet tall and 641 feet long. Much larger than Rushmore. The story of how and why the colossal memorial is being created is told at the visitor center.

    If you go to the memorial at night in the summers, you can watch the Legends in Light show. It is a multimedia laser light show with photos and animation projected on the 500 foot mountain side.

    The following was written by Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski in May 1949.

    Crazy Horse was born on Rapid Creek in the Black Hills of South Dakota in about 1842. While at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, under a flag of truce, he was stabbed in the back by an American soldier and died September 6, 1877.

    Crazy Horse defended his people and their way of life in the only manner he knew.

    But
    Only after he saw the Treaty of 1868 broken,
    This treaty, signed by the President of the United States, said in effect: As long as rivers run and grass grows and trees bear leaves, Paha Sapa the Black Hills of Dakota will forever be the sacred land of the Sioux Indians.

    Only after he saw his leader, Conquering Bear, exterminated by treachery,

    Only after he saw the failure of the government agents to bring treaty guarantees, such as meat, clothing, tents, and necessities for existence which they were to receive for having given up their lands and gone to live on the reservations.

    Only after he saw his peoples lives and their way of life ravaged and destroyed.

    Crazy Horse has never been known to have signed a treaty or touched a pen. Crazy Horse as far as the scale model is concerned, is to be carved not so much as a lineal likeness but more as a memorial to the spirit of Crazy Horse to his people. With his left hand thrown out pointing in answer to the derisive question asked by the white man, Where are your lands now? he replied,

    My lands are where my dead lie buried.

    They made us many promises, more than I can remember. They never kept but one; they promised to take our land, and they took it! Red Cloud, Lakota, 1891

    The Memorial is a great place to go for a history lesson. It is a memorial to a proud people that continue to thrive under harsh conditions. The memorial is run by a non-profit organization. All fees go towards building and maintaining the memorial.

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    Should You Use Travel Guides?
    Sunday, July 19th, 2009 / admin

    Is going solo in an unknown area the right way to go, or do you want a tour guide to show you the highlights? I think that you can combine the two ways in one trip and have the best of both worlds. One trip we recently took was to Washington D.C. The best purchase we made was for a bus tour that would take us around the capital and point out all the main sites. Then allow us the next day to travel by foot to the ones we especially wanted to see. We knew ahead of time which Smithsonian building we wanted to see, if the Washington Monument was open to visitors and if you needed to get an advance ticket to take a tour of the White House or visit the Capital Building. It allowed us to plan our three days in the city and see all that we wanted to see. Individual tours to such landmarks as Ford’s Theater and Arlington Cemetery were tours we were glad we bought. The tour guides for these locations knew tidbits and items of interest that we would never have found out on our own.

    Let’s look at the San Francisco Bay Area which is another one of my favorite vacation spots and my family has many pleasant and happy memories of our visits to that area. Some areas are so familiar to tourists that it’s possible to view the attractions on your own. That allows you to take your time and go at your own pace. Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier39 are good examples. Just by walking a few blocks you can tour Aquarium of the Bay, take a cruise of San Francisco Bay, visit the world famous Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum and spend some down time at the Riptide Arcade on Pier 39. The antique carousel is a beautiful site and an attraction for all ages.

    If you’re going solo on this trip, you could consider buying a San Francisco CityPass. This special buy will give you tickets to five attractions, unlimited rides on the Cable Cars and an option ticket to use at the Legion of Honor or Academy of Science & Steinhart Aquarium. You are allowed nine days from the date you first start using your CityPass to visit each attraction and seven days for unlimited Cable Car rides.

    Some attractions are worth having a tour guide for. If you go to Alcatraz Island, you have a choice of going solo, having a live tour guide or being guided by earphones which trigger the points of interest as you arrive at them. I would recommend the live tour guides. I have gone all three ways, and I received more enjoyment by someone telling me items of interest I know I had missed on previous tours.

    Chinatown Walking Tours are tour guided must see. It gives you a behind the scenes look of colorful Chinatown. The tour covers, history, traditions of the local people and culture that you probably wouldn’t know or see by traveling alone. The lions at the entrance of Chinatown are awesome to see!

    San Francisco also offers over 30 fun and free walking tours of San Francisco. For more information on these free tours, go to www.sfcityguides.org.

    The same goes with Napa valley tours. It’s possible to drive to the area and go solo, but you will want to take guided tours of some of the vineyards and wine tasting rooms. If you are driving and just taking your leisurely time, I would recommend this way to see the beautiful sights of the wine country.

    Another driving tour that is popular is the 17-mile drive down the coast. It winds around giving you glimpses of beautiful mansions and spectacular views. It will take you to Carmel and to Pebble Beach Golf Club.

    One of my most popular tours is the Winchester Mystery House. It’s located in San Jose, an easy drive from San Francisco and Oakland and is worth the ticket cost. This unusual house can be toured many times and with each tour guide, you will learn something new about the eccentric Mrs. Winchester who believed the spirits told her to have the sound of continuing construction going on in her home to avoid death. This led to many quirks and funny sights in the house since Mrs. Winchester served as her own architect. She kept crews busy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for many years. I loved the stairs leading to nowhere, and the built in magnifying glass in the window looking out over the garden. I’ve seen it four times, and will probably go back. Rumor has it, there was a wine cellar that was boarded up and sealed away. I wonder if it has been found yet!

    You can go solo to attractions or take a guided tour. It’s your choice and you can choose whichever would give you the most memorable experience. I recommend both.

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