June 21, 2007

Sandcastles

Everyone is thinking about vacations this time of year. As the sole proprietor and lone employee of a small business, vacations are a luxury I can’t put on my agenda very often. I can dream, though. I can dream about spending time with family and friends and about exotic locations that would be fun to visit. How nice would it be to combine the two and meet my entire family and all of my friends at a vacation resort where we could spend our time relaxing and catching up with each other? I just used a really neat tool to help me visualize that. Everyone should build Sandcastles some time in their life, cool ocean breezes blowing and surf shushing in the background. I built mine and can use it to help me picture that perfect vacation.

I’ve looked at the other sandcastles people have made and I’m a little embarrassed to display mine. I’d like to think that I’m not lacking in imagination. I think the missing ingredient for me was a child to help me see the possibilites while I was playing with this fun application. A child would have added more color and tossed a few seashells and beach toys on the sand around the sandcastle. Maybe I should borrow one of the neighborhood kids and let them help me build another one.

Go build your own sandcastle! The tools are easy to use and it’s a fun way to take a break. The finished castle is an ecard, so you can send it to all your friends and share the fun. Post me a link in comments or send me the ecard, too, so I can go visit your fantasy sandcastle.

I’ve been wanting to take a diving vacation with Beaches in Turks & Caicos ever since I got certified to dive. One of these days I’m going to figure out the magic formula that will let me close my business down for a week or so without offending all of my clients. Maybe we can all go diving together then! Until then, I’ll keep taking mini-breaks and building virtual sandcastles.

Technorati Tags: beach resorts, kid-safe online fun, sandcastle builder, sandcastles, vacations

June 19, 2007

Hawaiian Discount Car Rentals

When you come to visit me on Oahu I’ll probably take a few days off to show you the wonders of my island paradise. There’s a secret cove where the green sea turtles gather that you won’t find in any guidebook. We’ll enjoy some local plate lunches and spend a day Waimea Falls, too. I can’t close my business for days on end though, so you’ll need to check out Car Rentals Hawaii while you’re making your travel arrangements. Their corporate contracts are with Thrifty, Avis, Budget, Enterprise and others, so you’ll have a world of cars to choose from. Whether you select a luxury sedan, a van with room for the kids or a Jeep Wrangler for off-road fun, their Car Rental Fleet has what you need at affordable prices. And, hey - don’t forget to ask about a free upgrade when you make your reservation.

There’s an inter-island airfare war going on, so I recommend you take advantage of it and visit the outer islands, too. I can tell you all about my favorite places on the Big Island, like the hidden path where anthuriums grow like weeds in the forest. I don’t know Maui, Molokai or Kauai, though, so check out Hawaii Car Drives for help planning your itenerary. Their site descriptions, travel tips and descriptive information will help you decide jut where you want to go and what you want to do.

Give me a few days warning before you come. I’ll get the guest room ready and arrange for a few days off so I can help you get a good start on your island-hopping Hawaiian adventure!

Technorati Tags: car rentals, Hawaii car rentals, Hawaii vacation

May 22, 2007

Adventure vacation

I haven’t taken a vacation since I started my business eight years ago. It’s hard to walk away from from a sole proprietorship, even for a few days. That doesn’t keep me from fantasizing, though. In my dreams I’m a young and healthy woman of leisure. I travel the world seeking adventure. Ruggedly handsome guides lead the way and keep me safe as I climb Kilimanjaro. My sleeping tent and hot food are provided, and I awake each morning to the joyous sound of porters singing as the sun welcomes me to a new day. The high altitudes are a challenge, but the specially-trained guides know how to monitor for medical distress, so I can relax and enjoy my climb into the clouds.

I’ll celebrate my triumphant climb to the heights by rewarding myself with a photo-safari in Tanzania. The days will be spent observing the natural wildlife at Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park and the Serengeti, and in the evenings I’ll relax in the comfort of a classic safari lodge with my fellow adventurers. You’ll be on my mind the entire time, dear readers, and upon my return I’ll fill my blog with marvelous stories and wildlife phtotos. We’ll relive my vacation of a lifetime over and over, and you’ll all book your own trips with Tusker Trail because they were kind enough to sponsor my post that introduced you to the wonders of an African adventutre vacation.

Technorati Tags: adventure vacations, mountain climbing vacation, safari, vacations

April 13, 2007

Orlando trip

Last month I spent some time figuring out what it would cost me to go to the blogger’s conference next month in Orlando. I came up with a total of between $1600 and $1800 for the two day conference, pretty steep for someone living on a budget. That includes three nights of lodging at $150 per night. I found out today that, instead of staying in a high-priced hotel, I could rent a three or four bedroom Disney vacation home, share the cost with other conference attendees, and pay about $50 - $75 per night, cutting that cost in half. A smaller (two-bedroom, two-bath) condo can be had for only $75.00, and I wouldn’t even have to share, but could save much more if I did. That’s makes the idea of the trip much more attractive for someone like me. Because of my dietary restrictions, having a full kitchen and the ability to cook my own meals would make that arrangement more valuable to me, and access to a private pool would be an added bonus. If I were going, the savings would be enough to make it possible to stay a little longer and take in some Disney attractions. The trip is still looking like a no-go for me, but I have friends who are going. I hope they haven’t made deposits on rooms yet, because this is certainly looking like a better deal all-around for privacy, costs and amenities.

This post is sponsored by VillaDirect.

Technorati Tags: vacation rentals, Orlando vacation rentals, Disney vacation homes, blogger’s confernece, travel