The Importance of Choosing the Right Campground

Would you like to go camping? If you would, have you already selected your intended destination or your campground park? If you have yet to do so, you will want to continue reading…

When it comes to choosing a campground there are a number of different approaches that are taken. In all honesty, most campers choose one of the campgrounds that is located closest to them and others, literally, just pick a campground off the Internet. While these approaches work, it is important to remember that you do not necessarily know what you are getting. If you are looking to have one of the best camping trips ever, you will want to take the time to find the campground park that is perfect for you and your needs.

As nice as it is to hear that you should carefully choose the campground that you end up camping at, you may be wondering exactly why that is. What you need to remember is that not all campgrounds and parks are the same. This is something that many people fail to realize but is something that can have a huge impact on the success of your next camping trip. If you are not careful your next camping trip can seem more like a nightmare than a vacation.

Another one of the many reasons why you should carefully choose your next campground is because it may have an impact on how much you pay to go camping. Campgrounds often charge varied admission fees. If you are not careful you may end up paying more money than you need to. When examining the cost of a campground reservation it is important to keep the on-site services, facilities, and activities in mind. The more you have access to, the higher the cost of the campground reservation will likely be. With that in mind, it may be worth the extra costs, …but not always.

As previously stated, not carefully choosing your campground can turn your next camping trip into a nightmare. One of the reasons for that is because it impacts what you can do. That is why the services, facilities, and activities that you have access to at a campground park are important. You will want to look for a campground park that is filled with activities. For example, look for ones that may have playgrounds for children, swimming pools, fishing, boat rentals, and hiking trails. The more activities that you have access to at a campground, the more likely you are to enjoy your trip.

Your campground decision may also impact what you have to bring along with you. For instance, if the park you choose does not have an on-site laundry facility, you would likely have to pack more clothes to bring along. The same can be said for the activities that you can participate in. If your campground park has a swimming pool or a hiking trail you may want to bring along a bathing suit and sneakers, respectively.

The campground that you choose may also have an impact on how many outside trips you have to make. In the United States, you can find a relatively large number of campgrounds that have on-site general stores or even first aid centers available. Should you forget to bring anything on your trip or even if you suffered a small injury, you may need to leave the campground should you not have what you need. While this may not seem like a huge deal, it may put a damper on your camping trip and impact its success.

The above mentioned ways are just a few of the many that your selected park can impact your next camping trip, both in positive and in negative ways. To help ensure your next camping trip is all that you had hoped it would be, you will want to take the time to find the campground park that best fits you, your needs, as well as your wants.




Adventure Sailing is More Fun When You Own the Yacht

You can charter adventure sailing vacation to almost any destination in the world. The only problem is that it will cost you a bunch of money paying for the crew, meals and fuel for the trip. You can probably save money on a sailing vacation when you own the yacht but only if you know how to navigate and control it.

The advantage of owning a boat is that you can go on a sailing vacation anytime you want. You don’t have to call your travel agent or make any reservation online since the boat is just sitting at the dock waiting for you to come aboard. The only thing you have to do is buy food and fuel which should be enough to get you back to port.

The boat also brings financial benefits because when you are not using it, this can be rented out to those who want to go on their own sailing vacation as long as they are able to pay your rate. This of course means additional revenue for you so the ship stays in good shape.

This makes it also ideal for those who want to conduct business on board because this is a tax deductible once you register your boat as a place of business. To see how this works, get in touch with your tax advisor.

Another financial benefit of owning your own yacht is it can sometimes be considered a second home. This is as long as the boat has at least one berth, a permanent galley and a head which is the requirement of the IRS.

If you can’t buy your own yacht, there is something called fractional boat ownership which means for a certain period during the year, you can do whatever you want with the boat. This will allow you to use it to go on a trip with your family.

The best thing about this is that a group of you share the cost of owning the yacht which already includes its maintenance, insurance, moorage, equipment, fuel and repairs.

This can only happen of course after you have completed a boating safety class and a safety orientation. This will not be a problem for you if you are already certified to sail a boat and know how to use all the equipment like charts, compass and GPS on board.

The other option is to join a boat club. Unlike part time sharing, you don’t get to own a boat. But as a member, you are entitled to up to 4 advanced reservations at any given time and access to powerboats or to sailboats that are up to 30 feet in length. The club for its part will shoulder all the other expenses such as maintenance, cleaning, storage and insurance.

There are many of then around so you won’t have a hard time choosing one. Some cater to one market while others cater to all. They also offer boating classes for those who want to do this for fun or commit themselves in the sport.

Adventure sailing vacation is truly better when you own the yacht as the only thing you have to do is drive on over to the docks, stow your gear on board and then sail off into the sunset.




Get More from Your Disneyland Vacation

You don’t want to spend your entire Disneyland vacation standing in long lines. This can be avoided by using Disneyland FastPass. FastPass can be obtained from machines located near the rides that accept FastPass. This doesn’t mean that you get to immediately move to the front of the line. It is more like scheduling an appointment for the ride later in the day – at which time you actually will move to the front of the line. In the meantime, you are free to go enjoy other sites and rides around the park.

When you obtain a FastPass ticket, you will be given a one hour time in which to enjoy the ride. For instance, your FastPass ticket may say 11am to 12pm. This means that you can show up and move to the front of the line between the hours of 11am and 12pm. You must have your Disneyland ticket in order to obtain a FastPass.




How to Dine with Disneyland Characters

If you really want to delight your child – or yourself – you should arrange to have a Disneyland Character meal. This will allow you and your whole family to have quality time with one or more of the Disneyland characters. In fact, this is the best way to really get to interact with them for any length of time.

Start by making a reservation. This can be done through the Disneyland Vacation Planning Services Department. Reservations can be made up to sixty days in advance, so don’t leave this to the last minute. Make these reservations while your Disneyland vacation is being planned.

Character breakfasts take place each morning at the park. You do not need a reservation for these meals. These breakfasts take place in many of the parks restaurants, but Goofy’s Kitchen is a great place to start. It is located in the Disneyland Hotel, and there are dishes to please everyone. Children under three years of age get to eat free, which should be considered when you are planning the budget for your trip. Goofy is always there, with Pluto, but other characters come and go all throughout the day. You should definitely make reservations for Goofy’s kitchen, as it is quite popular, and the wait can be very long.

If dining with Princesses is important, than Ariel’s Grotto is the place to be. Serving three course meals, this is elegant dining that both kids and adults can enjoy. Each princess will come spend a little time at your table during your meal – one at a time. Reservations for Ariel’s Grotto are also recommended. This is one place in the park where both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are served.

The Storyteller’s Cafe is another place that is highly recommended for Character Meals. Characters are only here during breakfast, however. While time is not spent at each individual table, the Characters do interact with the children as a group. Both buffet and menu dining are available, and again, reservations are recommended. Lilo and Stitch also have a Character Breakfast, as does Minnie Mouse. Breakfast with Minnie and Friends is extremely popular, so make reservations.

You should definitely include a Character Meal or two in your Disneyland Vacation plans. This is something that your child will remember forever and interacting with the famous Disney characters that we all know and love is part of what Disneyland is all about! Be sure to make reservations as far in advance as possible.




Getting the Best Deal on Airfare

There is no doubt that airfare is one of the biggest expenses of any vacation. Airfare costs can easily represent at least half of the total cost of a vacation and if you do not get the best possible deal on airfare it’s easy to go way over budget. There are some important strategies for getting the best deal on airfares and this article discusses some of our favorites.

One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that it’s almost always less expensive to fly out of the larger airports than the smaller regional ones. While this is not always the case and it is not true of every small airport, most larger airports have far more airlines competing for passengers. As we know, more competition generally equals lower prices for passengers.

Many of the larger airports are also home to the low cost carriers that have been such a phenomenon in the industry. While Southwest, Jet Blue and some of the other low cost carriers serve smaller airports, many are left out. The great thing about the incursion of these low cost carriers is they drive down the prices of the major airlines as well. So, even if you don’t like the open seating, peanuts only policy of a low cost carrier like Southwest, chances are you can still score a good deal at an airport they serve, even on one of the other carriers.

Of course, the problem with flying out of major airports is getting there. Many people are in the same situation I am. That is, they have a small regional airport nearby with a couple of major airports a few hours drive away. What I do every time I need to fly is compare the cost of flying out of my close regional airport to the price I can get if I fly out of a major city. While I have been able to score some excellent deals from my regional airport, in most cases the difference in fare has been at least $200.

I then must weigh the costs of that cheaper ticket against the convenience of local flying. Usually it makes sense to head to the large airport, particularly if I am buying more than one ticket. At a $200 price differential, it is easy to see how much money can be saved for a family traveling together.

One great trick that too few people take advantage of is booking an airport hotel for the night before your flight. This is especially valuable for those early morning flights and saves you having to get up in the middle of the night and hit the highway. Instead, head down the night before and get a good night’s sleep then take the airport’s shuttle right to the airport door.

The extra added bonus of this approach is that in most cases these airport hotels allow their guests to leave their cars at the hotel for the duration of the vacation. In many cases this service is free with the hotel stay, and even in cases where there is a few involved it is usually much lower than comparable parking at the airport. So instead of paying $10, $15 or even $20 a day to park at the airport, you have a safe, well lighted place for your car during the trip plus a comfortable place to spend the night. I honestly don’t know why more people don’t take advantage of this great way to save big bucks on both airfare and parking costs.