Enjoying the best sport games

Even considering the fact that I am a woman who tends to work after hours, having just a few hours to relax, the truth is that I always do my best in order to practice sports and also enjoy watching my favorite football games! Moreover, I also tend to play some great fantasy football games online so that I can also feel the excitement of managing a team and achieving victory in the game that we all love!

So, would you also like to play fantasy football games online and have access to a giant database that will allow you to get many hours of entertainment every day? If that’s the case, then you definitely need to check out WaiverWire.com as it will give you the chance to enter a great fantasy football forum, get access to fantasy football research features, be the first to read the fantasy football news, amongst many other great features that you will definitely love… In fact, I am sure that anyone from 8 to 80 years old who loves sports will definitely love to play this game!

So, what are you waiting for? If you also love sports and if you love to meet other people on the Internet, then you must take some of your time to have a deeper look at the website to which I have linked just above.

Taking the most out of Paris

As you know, Paris is one of the most wanted cities all around the world and surely a great destination for lovers, big families or just everyone else! Keeping this in mind, it is vital that you do your best in order to know which the best spots in the city are and how you can easily take full advantage of the great experiences that you may have there. Below you may read the msnbc.com article just below and get some important tips:

"

PARIS - Paris is counting on American tourists — and a new law allowing more stores to open on Sundays — to boost tourism revenues pinched by the global financial downturn.

The French capital registered an 11.1-percent drop in foreign visitors in the first half of this year compared with the first half of 2008, according to figures released Wednesday by the Paris Tourism Office.

The number of Americans in Paris — long the largest contingent of foreigners here — dived last year because of U.S. economic woes and the expensive euro. But it started to pick up again, by 1.1 percent, in the second quarter of this year, the tourism office said.

Paul Roll, director of the Paris Tourism Office, said the city is "counting on the Americans" to keep tourism revenues up and compensate for a plunge in visits by British, Japanese and Chinese tourists.

He noted that America's economy was hit early and hard by the financial crisis and is expected to emerge sooner, while other economies were slower to start their slump.

The weak British pound and troubles in Britain's finance-heavy economy have taken their toll on cross-Channel travel: The number of British visitors fell 23.4 percent in the first half of this year.

"The pound is really low now and it's horrible," said Mark Abbott, a 21-year-old medical student from Liverpool, visiting the Champs-Elysees on Wednesday after two days camping in Normandy.

Asians also stayed home. The number of Japanese visitors to Paris fell 25.4 percent and Chinese tourists fell 17.3 percent.

Overall, the number of visitors to the French capital decreased 7.5 percent to 15.9 million in the first half of this year, the tourism office said. It could not provide figures on overall tourism revenues.

Roll also pinned his hopes on a new law that allows more stores to open on Sundays, saying that could keep more tourists in Paris, and France generally, over a full weekend. Currently most French stores are closed Sundays.

While the new law allows more stores in tourist zones to stay open, it is expected to be months before its effects are felt.

The tourism authority predicts an overall decline of 6 percent in the number of visitors to Paris in 2009, including French visitors.

Yet the lure of Paris still keeps people coming.

"You have to see the Eiffel Tower. You hear so much about it and have to see it yourself," said accounting student Kate Rosenow from Victoria, Australia.

Ray and Kathy Kasten, 51, came to Paris from Atlanta to celebrate their youngest child leaving to go to college and their 30th wedding anniversary. "Paris is more expensive than Dublin or London and definitely more than the States," Ray Kasten said — but they're not cutting back on this trip.

And even though U.N. health officials have declared a worldwide swine flu epidemic, French authorities say swine flu will have little effect on tourism revenues.

Jean-Bernard Bros, deputy mayor in charge of tourism at Paris City Hall, said the city has thousands of masks available in museums and monuments and is studying flu prevention measures at key sites like the Eiffel Tower.

"We are ready," Bros said.

France and its overseas territories have reported 10 deaths related to swine flu.

"

Sharing vital information

As a businesswoman who knows how incredibly important it is that we take some time to do our best to establish fluent communication with other companies, I am more than experienced enough to assure absolutely anyone that sharing information with other associated companies is vital for the success of all the companies involved.

Keeping this in mind, if you run your own business and if you would like to bring it to the next level of communication with other companies that tend to work with you, then you definitely need to check these Hosted Exchange solutions, which will easily play an important role in the success of your company. Moreover, it is also granted that communication will also allow the employees to be more informed and acknowledged about the projects of the company. Having this said, I would like to purpose you to have a look at the website above and see the details of their hosted exchange solutions, which will offer you great privacy advantages thanks to the fact that Telstra Hosts out of Singapore under Singapore Privacy Law, meaning that your data will be protected against any unexpected visitors. Moreover, if you use the coupon code “EXCH25”, you will get 25% off All Hosted Exchange Plans! So, what else could you really ask for your company?

The Italian cuisine

When considering the fact that Italy is one of the favorite destinations of many families, people may wonder why it happens to be a fact... Still, I could personally say that Italian cuisine is definitely one of the best that I have ever had the opportunity to try and I am more than sure that you will definitely love it! So, you should definitely read the msnbc.com article just below and discover how you can enjoy it:

"

By Rick Steves

Tribune Media Services

Recently when I was in Tuscany, a region fiercely proud of its beef, I sunk my teeth into a carnivore's dream come true. In a stony cellar, under one long, tough vault, I joined a local crowd for dinner. An open fire in the far back of the vault powered the scene. Flickering in front of the flames was a gurney, upon which lay a huge hunk of beef. Like a blacksmith in hell, Giulio — a lanky man in a T-shirt — hacked at the beef with a cleaver, lopping off a steak every few minutes.

In a kind of mouth-watering tango, he pranced past the boisterous tables of customers, holding a raw slab of beef on butcher's paper like a tray of drinks. Giulio presented the slabs to each table of diners, telling them the weight and price (the minimum was about $40) and getting their OK to cook it. He'd then dance back to the inferno and cook the slab: seven minutes on one side, seven on the other. There's no asking how you'd like it done; this is the way it is done. And about 15 minutes later, you got your steak.

Giulio's place — Osteria dell'Acquacheta" in Montepulciano — was just one of many Italian dining experiences I had on my trip. Afterward, I came up with some theories about eating out in Italy:

While I've never liked putting up with TV noise when grabbing a simple meal in Italy, I now realize that when an eatery has the TV playing, it's often because it's where the local workers drop by to eat ... and that indicates a low price and a good value.

Beware of cheap eateries that sport big color photos of pizza and piles of different pastas. They have no kitchens and simply microwave disgusting, prepackaged food. Unless you like lasagna with ice in the center, avoid these.

Some restaurants have self-serve antipasti buffets, offering a variety of cooked appetizers spread out like a salad bar (pay per plate, not weight; usually costs about $11). A plate of antipasti combined with a pasta dish makes a healthy, affordable, interesting meal.

An "enoteca" (wine bar) is a popular, fast, and inexpensive option for lunch. Surrounded by the city's office crowd, you can get a fancy salad, plate of meats and cheeses, and a glass of fine wine (check the blackboard for the day's selection and price per glass — and go for the top end). Some of my favorite Italian eating experiences have been at wine bars.

Italy's no-smoking rules are working, but they've caused some bars to stop serving drinks earlier than before the ban went into effect. Now that bars have to be smoke-free, young drinkers who want a cigarette take their drinks outside. Their noise disturbs the neighbors — who didn't hear the action back when people stayed (and smoked) inside. In Italy, when neighbors complain, bars comply.Restaurants parked on famous squares generally serve bad food at high prices to tourists. Locals eat better at lower-rent locales. Family-run places operate without hired help and can offer cheaper meals. Good restaurants don't open for dinner before 7 p.m.

While I pride myself in not needing to dress up to enjoy a good restaurant, there is a limit. I was in a restaurant recently where a couple of American travelers made me get my notebook out and jot down, "Even in a modest trattoria, shorts and T-shirts look goofy at dinner."

I've realized I should stay away from restaurants famous for inventing a pasta dish. Alfredo (of fettuccini fame) and Carbonara (of penne fame) are both Roman restaurants — and they're both much more famous than they are good.

One of my favorite Italian specialties isn't even on the menu — the conversations with other customers. In Rome, I talked about dessert with a man at a nearby table. He told me how his grandfather always said, in the local dialect, "The mouth cannot be finished until it smells of cows." The rustic foodie meant you must finish the meal with cheese.

"La vita e bella" ... life is good in Italy. And the good life seems, like the cuisine, simple. Locals are really into the "marriage" of correct foods. An older wine needs a stronger cheese. Only a tourist would pull the fat off the prosciutto.

To me, Italian cuisine is a symphony — the ingredients are the instruments. The quality is important ... but even good instruments can be out of tune. The marriage of the ingredients is what provides the tonality. When things are in tune, you taste it.

"

GPS tracking services

Even considering the fact that many companies always blindly trust their employees, the truth is that many others find it absolutely mandatory that they keep tracking their employees and discover where the drivers of the company are at any moment.

Keeping this in mind, this GPS Tracking solution really comes to our lives as the ultimate way of tracking those employees or tracking our own daughter, who is a teen driver, for example. In fact, you can really use these GPS tracking services to any purpose.

So, would you like to know more about these GPS tracking services, the features that you will get, how much it will cost you and other vital information that you need to collect related to these services? If that’s the fact, then you should take some time to visit the website to which I have linked above and see how incredibly easy and affordable it is to keep track of the people that we look after.

Airlines still expanding WI-FI services

As I have recently mentioned, Internet and computers really play a vital role in our daily life as employees but also as individuals who really need the Internet to get the things we love! Keeping this in mind, it is normal that airlines are already trying to make a major effort to spread the WI-FI services for every plane as you may discover by reading the msnbc.com article just below:

"

DALLAS - Southwest Airlines Co. says it's finished testing Wi-Fi Internet access on four aircraft and plans to expand the service to all its planes beginning early next year.

The airline said Friday that the test has generated raves among passengers.

Southwest said it would continue testing prices for the service through the end of the year.

Dave Ridley, the discount carrier's senior vice president of marketing, said the company is happy with the technical performance of the in-flight service and the response of customers.

During the test, passengers have used the service for e-mail, streaming video and other content using laptop computers and smart phones.

Southwest uses satellite-based broadband access provided by Row 44. Other carriers, including Delta and American, that are farther along in outfitting planes with Wi-Fi service use another service from Aircell.

Southwest did not indicate how quickly it would outfit its fleet, which numbers more than 500 planes, but Row 44 President Gregg Fialcowitz said his company could do the work in 12 months.

Fialcowitz said that the percentage of passengers who used the service for free on test flights by Southwest and another customer, Alaska Airlines, was in the mid-20s but soared as high as 70 to 80 percent on some routes, such as between San Francisco and Seattle.

Demand among leisure travelers was just as strong as among business travelers, he said.

Southwest and Alaska will set the fees paid by passengers and keep all the revenue after paying a fee to Row 44, Fialcowitz said.

"

The importance of remote access to our computer

Even when I am on holidays, the truth is that my company always requires me to do something extra about the development of the services, making it absolutely mandatory that I keep in touch with the other professionals even when I am in Europe trying to relax!
Keeping this in mind, remote access software plays a vital role as it is the ultimate way of allowing me and other users around the globe who need to access their personal computers from anywhere in the world to remotely log in on their computers with the protection of a 128bit SSL encryption of all data, which will make sure that you can surf your personal computer with all the security that you would get at home too. Moreover, if you take some time to visit the website above and discover the great features of “I'm InTouch”, you will witness that even considering the fact that you get a professional software, it will still be extremely easy for you to install it and take full advantage of all the features that you will get, including remote printing, drag and drop file transfer, etc. See the image below to see how remote access will look like in your computer:



So, if you also find your computer indispensable and if you really travel a lot around the world, why don’t you also consider the possibility of getting I'm InTouch software?

Shoulder season: discover this new concept

If you take a moment to relax and think about travels, you will easily conclude that you can count with both the low and high season with the respective prices... Still, is there any other season in the middle? How about the prices in that season? Can we find the perfect opportunity in that season? If you would like to find a surprising answer to these questions, then you definitely need to read the msnbc.com article just below:

"

By Sean O'Neill

Shoulder season doesn't fall at the same time everywhere, but if you time your visits right, you can see some of the world's greatest places for a fraction of the price.

SEPTEMBER

Denali National Park, Alaska
After Labor Day, foliage thins out, making it easier to view caribou, moose and bears as they live it up before winter's chill returns in October. The National Park Service stops running its shuttles mid-month, but visitors can still access many park roads by private car.

Cape Cod, Mass.
By mid-September, a timeworn cliché comes true: The coast is clear. And it's still warm enough to explore the area's sand dunes. On weekends, B&Bs don't so much drop their prices as pile on the free perks.

Southern Caribbean
Lying outside the hurricane belt, these islands (including Aruba and Bonaire) deliver tranquil weather that's only a few degrees hotter in September than during the rest of the year.

Iceland
Chilly temperatures in the upper 40s during the day don't put an end to whale-watching tours, glacier hikes and dips in hot thermal springs; the only difference from the warmer summer (other than reduced museum hours) is that large group tours are replaced with intimate outings. Weekend hotel rates in Reykjavík drop by about 15 percent.

Marrakech
In September, demand for the traditional riad (a courtyard home turned into a hotel) is below its December crest, when the Europeans swarm in. Expect hotel discounts of up to 50 percent and sunny days with an average high of 90 degrees.

Cape Town
One of the world's prettiest cities shows off its seaside views in September, a great time for whale-watching. Hotels and inns are historically only 60 percent full, prompting hoteliers to unveil deep discounts.

OCTOBER

Nova Scotia
Fall-foliage season peaks in October, later than in parts of New England. Lodging here is also a better value than in high-season Vermont, partly because of an exchange rate favorable to American visitors.

London
As leaves fall in London's parks, so do hotel prices citywide. Tourist sites are less crowded in October, so you'll have some breathing room in museums such as the Tate Modern. British Airways traditionally runs sales with fares discounted roughly one-third off summer prices. Temperatures tend to hover in the upper 50s; as always, pack a brolly in case of rain.

Greek islands
The European college kids return to their home countries by October, yet the sea retains its summer warmth. Hotels, inns and ferries generally charge 20 percent less than peak-season rates.

NOVEMBER

Colorado ski country
Most ski resorts reopen in November, but skiers generally don't arrive until the week of Christmas. To get customers onto the lifts, resorts run promotions such as free ski passes for children when parents buy their own. Tip: Breckenridge Mountain Lodge is offering starting rates of $43 a night — 43 percent off regular-season rates.

Costa Rica
The average November rainfall of six inches is half the level of September and October, but tourists haven't yet arrived in droves for winter surfing and zip lining.

Buenos Aires
The jacarandas bloom with lavender-blue flowers in November. But 23 percent fewer Americans fly to the Argentine capital this month than in December, resulting in a lower demand for tickets. Fares from New York City are about $100 cheaper now than in December.

Paris
The City of Light is always buzzing, but its convention business slows down in November. Airfares and hotel prices plunge. In 2008, the average air/hotel package price booked via Expedia for November was half the average for April. Scattered showers are typical, but much of Paris's charm is indoors, anyway — in its cafés, galleries and boutiques.

Thailand's Andaman Coast
The wet season is winding down. If you don't mind occasional showers, you'll enjoy verdant foliage and clear water for diving and snorkeling. Hotels slash their rates by about 50 percent compared with the peak winter (dry season) prices.

Beijing
International visits drop about 20 percent from their summer highs by November, and prices fall, too. Average temperatures climb into the 50s, but things stay pretty dry. Friendly Planet Travel sells an eight-night escorted-tour package with airfare for $1,199 per person this month — $400 less than in July.

"

Finding the best term life insurance for our personal needs

Amongst all the important contracts and services that any business or company must get, I would personally emphasis the vital role played by term life insurance rates in our lives as employees. As a matter of fact, with such a wide range of companies offering term life insurance services in the market, it is extremely important that we compare all the services provided by them and try to match them with our personal needs.

Keeping this in mind, I believe that the website above will really come in handy for us as we are able to compare the services and rates provided by most insurance companies, making it possible for us to find the ideal service.

Memories at WTC center

When considering the impact of the event that is shown on the photo above, I would personally say that thousands of people were directly affected by it, making it absolutely mandatory that we also do something about it! In fact, as you may discover by reading the msnbc.com article just below, it is now possible for us to go there and see how others are still trying to share their emotions around this major event:

"

NEW YORK - Tourists coming to ground zero to see the Sept. 11 memorial often peer through a fenced-off construction site for a glimpse and ask street vendors when it will be built.

It will be at least two years before the memorial to the 2001 terrorist attacks opens to the public. But in an old camera shop northeast of the World Trade Center site, visitors will be able to watch live video of the construction, record their 9/11 memories and even leave with a souvenir.

The foundation that will run the finished memorial and museum built the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, hoping to attract the hundreds of thousands of tourists a year who come to ground zero looking for a 9/11 story and finding a giant construction site. The Tribute WTC Visitor Center, a small gallery on the south side of the site, charges $10 admission and says it brings in 300,000 tourists a year.

It won't cost anything to get into the preview site, although the foundation will sell memorabilia, including 9/11 memorial pins, books and DVDs, to raise money for the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

The foundation also wants to present an alternative to stories tourists hear on the street about the plans for the site, president Joseph Daniels said.

"Every single day, I'm walking by these guys who are selling the flip books to tourists," Daniels said. "These tourists are asking questions about what's getting built. ... We see a tremendous interest in what's happening here."

The 3,000-square-foot (280-sq. meter) space will feature models and renderings of "Reflecting Absence," the design for twin reflecting pools with cascading waterfalls where the trade center towers had stood, surrounded by nearly 3,000 victims' names.

Live webcam video of the construction will be displayed on a giant screen. In a recording booth, visitors will be able to speak for 3 minutes about where they were, and what they remember of Sept. 11, 2001. The recordings — visitors can share their stories in any language — will enter the permanent collection of the 9/11 museum and become part of an introductory exhibit.

Laurie Arrow, an Auckland, New Zealand, tourist who peered into the site on Liberty Street, said he'd like to record his 9/11 story.

"I was due to fly to America the day after," he said. "It never happened."

Arrow was surprised to see the level of construction activity at the site. "There's quite a lot of activity going on."

Builders say the first skyscraper will be completed by 2013; a transit hub, the memorial and a second tower are under construction.

Although the site will focus on the memorial plans, there will be renderings of the office towers and transit hub as well. A few pieces from the museum's permanent collection also will be on display, including a 7-foot (2.13-meter) Statue of Liberty covered with photos, dried flowers and 9/11 condolence cards that stood for months outside a midtown Manhattan firehouse after the attacks.

The Starr International Foundation, a Swiss charity that has donated $1 million previously to the foundation, donated $600,000 to build the preview site.

More than $350 million has been raised privately for the 8-acre memorial, which would set the waterfall-filled pools in a cobblestoned, tree-covered plaza.

Builders said the memorial will open to the public on the attacks' 10th anniversary, although some parts of the aboveground plaza won't be finished. The museum, being built underneath the memorial, is slated to open a year later.

"

Meeting other people

Even considering the fact that I am a businesswoman who really likes to implement rules at home, the truth is that my daughter has never followed my orders very much and one of the reasons why she is now a gothic!

Still, as she belongs to this special group of people, it is often difficult for her to find some new friends and that’s why she often tries to find the best chat rooms around the Internet to find other gothic youngsters. As a matter of fact, we have recently found this free gothic chat for her and she couldn’t be more excited with the possibility of chatting with thousands of other gothic persons around the world and that really makes me feel happy for her too.

Writer was hired to tell the stories of the travelers in UK

Have you ever wanted to write a story about a travel tale that you have lived? Would you like to read the stories of other travelers and discover more about the world out there? If that's the case, then you will be glad to know that in the UK a writer was hired to write the stories of the travelers, as you may discover by reading the msnbc.com article below:

"

LONDON - Heathrow Airport has hired a writer-in-residence to chronicle the modern travel experience in hopes of showing frazzled passengers there's more to flying than long lines and waiting.

Alain de Botton, author of highbrow best-sellers including "The Consolations of Philosophy" and "How Proust Can Change Your Life," is spending a week inside Heathrow's Terminal 5, the airport said Wednesday.

De Botton began his stint Tuesday and spends some of the time sitting behind a desk in the departures area, observing and interviewing passengers and staff.

De Botton, 39, said airport officials had agreed to give him full access to the terminal and to allow him to write what he likes. The airport hopes the project will give readers a more rounded picture of what goes on behind the scenes.

"My agent and I devised the cockroach test: in other words, I had to be allowed to discuss every last cockroach I might spot at the airport if that's what I felt like doing," he wrote in Wednesday's Evening Standard newspaper.

He said airports — so often thought of as places to be endured — were fascinating locations where big global themes including technology, globalization, consumerism and the environment came to life.

"If you wanted to take a Martian to a single place that best captures everything that is distinctive and particular to modern civilization, in its highs and lows, you would undoubtedly take them to the airport," said de Botton, whose latest book is "The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work."Overcrowded Heathrow is Europe's busiest airport, but far from the best-loved.

Terminal 5, designed to modernize and expand the airport, opened last year in a blaze of negative publicity. Hundreds of flights were canceled and thousands of pieces of luggage lost after the terminal's high-tech baggage-handling system broke down.

Heathrow chief operating officer Mike Brown conceded that opening the airport up to a writer's scrutiny was "a bold and adventurous step."

De Botton's observations will be collected in a book scheduled to be published next month. Some 10,000 copies will be given away free to travelers at Heathrow.

Heathrow says it is the first airport to employ a writer-in-residence, but in-house writers have been adopted by institutions from prisons, shopping malls and football teams to London's ritzy Savoy Hotel.

"

Tickets to shows in Las Vegas for the best prices ever

Even considering the fact that it is extremely difficult for any businesswoman to take some time to enjoy some relaxing moments in the most glamorous cities, the truth is that I do my best in order to take 2-3 days off every month to see the most famous shows in Las Vegas, simply because they make it possible for us to regain some energy by providing us with memorable moments.

Keeping this in mind, it is vital that we always find the best deals on Tickets to Shows in Las Vegas if we really want to save some extra money for our summer holidays. As a matter of fact, if you take a moment to visit the website to which I have linked above, you could easily witness that it is possible for us to easily order tickets to shows in Las Vegas without leaving home for the best prices that we could possibly find! So, why don’t you also take some days off and head to Las Vegas to watch some of those memorable shows?

Traveling to Europe

Europe is probably one of the most expensive areas to where we may decide to travel this summer but it is also probably one of the most interesting zones too! Keeping this in mind, it is vital that we avoid all the hidden fees and other similar fees that airlines and other associated companies tend to make us pay. In fact, by reading the msnbc.com article just below, I am more than sure that you could learn how to avoid some of them:

"

By Rick Steves

Tribune Media Services

On my last trip to Europe, I didn't bring my usual $200 cash reserve. With just a few bucks in my wallet, I landed in Madrid, relying entirely on two ATM cards and no cash safety net. It turned out OK. At the airport, I withdrew some euros from an ATM, and tucked the bills into my money belt.

After decades of traveling to Europe, I have found that the cheapest, safest way to go is to pay with cash for most items, and withdraw money as I zip from one place to the next. The reason? To cut down on fees and fraud.

I realize fees aren't an exciting topic ... at least not until you get your bank statement after your trip. Over the last few years, banks have dramatically increased the fees they charge for overseas transactions involving credit and debit cards.

While these fees are legal — and some are even understandable — many are contrived simply to wring a few more dollars out of tourists. But by traveling smart and doing a little research up front, you can cut back on these extra expenses.

There are different types of fees. Banks may levy a flat $2 to $5 transaction fee each time you use your ATM card, plus an additional 1 percent to 3 percent for currency conversion. The machine you use might charge you, too. Visa and MasterCard impose a 1 percent fee on international transactions, and the issuing banks may tack on an additional currency conversion or foreign transaction fee of 1 percent to 2 percent.

Before your trip, call your bank or credit card company to find out what you'll pay when using their card overseas. If they charge exorbitant fees, either ditch them, or consider getting a card just for your trip.

Bankrate has a helpful comparison chart of major credit cards and their fees. Most credit unions have low-to-no international fees. Capital One has a good reputation for no-fee international transactions on both its credit cards and its ATM-accessible money market accounts.

If your bank charges a flat fee per transaction, cut down on ATM visits in Europe by withdrawing larger amounts. If the machine refuses your request, try again and select a smaller amount (some cash machines limit the amount you can withdraw — don't take it personally). If that doesn't work, try a different machine. Be sure to stow your cash safely in a money belt; it's a pouch on a belt worn around your waist tucked under your clothes.

Because businesses must also pay fees to credit card companies, some merchants and hoteliers — particularly in southern Europe — may give you a better deal if you offer to pay cash with their currency (which also allows them to avoid reporting — and being taxed on — all of their income).

When you're paying for hotels, meals or that Prada bag, some merchants will ask if you want to be charged in dollars (a service called dynamic currency conversion, or DCC). Politely refuse. Usually the dollar price is based on a lousy exchange rate, plus your credit card issuer may still impose a foreign transaction fee. The result: You could pay up to a 6 percent premium for the "convenience."

Anytime you use a debit or credit card, beware of scammers. When entering your PIN, cover the keypad so that thieves can't see what you're typing. Shoulder surfing is a common problem. Also, use your credit card sparingly. Restaurant servers and shop clerks might try to steal your information, sometimes by swiping your card through a special machine that reads it (a technique called "skimming") or by surreptitiously snapping a photo of it with their cell phone.

In order to protect against fraud, some European countries, including Britain, France, the Netherlands, and those in Scandinavia, have started using chip and PIN technology for their credit and debit cards. These smartcards come with an embedded microchip, and cardholders must enter a personal identification number (PIN) instead of signing a receipt. Though most merchants should be able to run transactions without a PIN, some might insist on one. For this reason, it's smart to know the PIN for your credit card; ask your credit card company before you go.

When traveling, I only use my credit card for booking hotel reservations by phone, making major purchases (such as car rentals and plane tickets), and paying for things near the end of my trip to avoid another visit to the ATM. A dependence on plastic reshapes the Europe you experience. Pedro's Pension, the friendly guide at the cathedral, and most merchants in the market don't take credit cards. Going through the back door requires cold, hard local cash.

"

The best chat rooms for us

As you probably know from your own experience, finding the most suitable chat room for us may often be extremely difficult because of our preferences or any other discriminatory reason, meaning that we should do our best to find a chat room that makes us feel as if we were at home!

In fact, if you love to chat with Asian women or if you simply love to chat with other Asian persons, then you definitely need to take some time to visit these 100% free asian chat rooms, where users are also given the chance to chat with Asian women on webcams that you can watch for free in the Asian video chat line.

Amazing bargains on the local market

Even considering the fact that you may not be a great fan of local markets, the truth is that you can really find some amazing bargains in most of them, making it possible for you to save a lot of money for your holidays. In fact, you may read the msnbc.com article just below to discover how incredibly easy it may be for you to find them:

"

By Rick Steves

Tribune Media Services

Market days are an especially big deal throughout France. No single event better symbolizes the French preoccupation with fresh products and their strong ties to the farmer than the weekly market. And in no other region is it more celebrated than in Provence.

You can find an endless array of products at Provencal markets, from clothing to crafts, art to antiques, pates to picnic fare (produce, meats, cheeses, crusty golden baguettes, and pastries). The best of all market worlds may rest in the picturesque town of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, where, on Sunday mornings, a brilliant food marche tangles with an active flea market and a good selection of antiques. I like to sip a coffee at a sidewalk table at Cafe de France and enjoy the carnival-like scene.

Arles stands out among Provencal market towns. Here the ring road erupts twice a week into an open-air market of fish, flowers, ready-for-ratatouille baskets of produce, everything but car traffic. Join in. Try the olives, sniff the lavender, and sample the wine. The beauty of Arles' market is its international flavor, reflecting how Provence remains a crossroads of Mediterranean cultures. In addition to local items, you may find spices from Morocco and Tunisia, paella and saffron from Spain, and fresh pasta from Italy.

Markets typically begin at about eight in the morning and end by one in the afternoon. Set-up commences in the pre-dawn hours — a good reason not to stay in a main-square hotel the night before market day. Bigger towns may have two weekly markets, one a bit larger than the other, with more nonperishable goods. The biggest market days are usually on weekends, so that everyone can partake.

Perishable items are sold directly from the producers — no middlemen, no Visa cards — just really delicious, fresh produce. Samples are usually free, including small cups of locally produced wines or ciders. You'll find different items throughout the season. In April and May, shop for asparagus (green, purple, or the prized white — after being cooked, these are hand-dipped in vinegar or homemade mayonnaise).

In late spring, find strawberries, cherries and stone fruits. From July through September, eggplant, tomatoes, zucchinis and peppers come straight from the open fields. In the fall, stands sell game birds, other beasts of the hunt, and a glorious array of wild mushrooms. After November and throughout the winter, look for little (or big, depending on your wallet size) black truffles.

At the root of every good market experience is a sturdy shopping basket or bag. Most baskets are inexpensive, make for fun and colorful souvenirs, and come in handy for odd-shaped or breakable carry-ons for the plane trip home. With basket in hand, shop for your heaviest items first. You don't want to put a kilo of fresh apples on top of your bread.

Most vendors typically follow a weekly circuit of markets they feel works best for them, showing up in the same spot every week, year in and year out — though sometimes, you'll meet the occasional widow selling a dozen eggs, two rabbits and a wad of herbs tied with string. At a favorite market, my family has done business with the same olive merchant and "cookie man" for 18 years.

Merchants take pride in their wares. Generally the rule is "don't touch" — instead, point and let them serve you. Many vendors speak enough English to assist you in your selection. Your total price will be hand-tallied on small scraps of paper and given to you. If you're struggling to find the correct change, just hold out your hand and they will take only what is needed. Vendors are normally honest — still, you're wise to double-check the amount you just paid for that olive tree.

It's bad form to be in a hurry — allow the crowd to set your pace. For locals, market day is as important socially as it is commercially — a weekly chance to resume friendships and get the current gossip. Neighbors can catch up on Henri's barn renovation, see photos of Jacqueline's new grandchild and relax over coffee. Dogs are tethered to cafe tables while friends exchange kisses. Listen carefully and you might hear the Provencal language being spoken between some vendors and buyers. Observe the interaction between them, and notice the joy they find in chatting each other up.

Provencal life is rooted in its countryside, small towns and lively markets. To enjoy any small French town at its vibrant best, it's worth being there on its market day.

"

How massage chairs may change our lives

As a businesswoman who tends to spend too many hours working in my office, I know that it is often difficult to make sure that we can feel comfortable in our office because our chairs are normally uncomfortable.

Keeping this in mind, I recently decided that I would be buying a new massage chair to place in my own office and after asking my friends for advice on the best deals on Massage Chairs, I discovered Human Touch®, which is a company that plays a lot of attention to our comfort while we are sitting on the chairs that we may buy from them. Moreover, as these chairs are not only extremely comfortable but also fashionable, you may buy some new massage chairs to place in the various rooms that you have at home! What else could we really ask for?

Increasing number of visitors in many National Parks

National Parks may not be the perfect place for an honeymoon but the truth is that they can be a great destination if we take into consideration that kids tend to love nature and the great landscapes, then we may want to make sure that this summer we take some time to go to the nearest National Park. In fact, the number of visitors on these parks seems to be growing as you may discover by reading the msnbc.com article just below:

"

WASHINGTON - It could be the upside of the economic downturn: The Obama administration says visits to national parks are up nearly 4 percent this year.

The National Park Service said Monday that 127.7 million visits were made to national parks in the first six months of the year, an increase of about 4.5 million over the same period in 2008. In June alone, visits to national parks increased by more than 700,000 compared to June of last year.

"America's national parks and public lands provide affordable and accessible recreational opportunities from coast to coast," said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. "It is great to see so many Americans, including the first family, take advantage of the incredible natural, cultural and historic resources that we have here at home. Especially when times are tough, our parks and public lands refuel the spirit and help energize local economies."

President Barack Obama and his family visited Yellowstone National Park on Saturday and Grand Canyon National Park on Sunday. The visits came during the last of three summer weekends when the administration waived entrance fees at 147 national parks and monuments to spur tourism and boost local economies.

Officials credit the "free weekends" for part of the spike in park visits, but say visits were up even before the fee waivers began in June. The economic slowdown may have forced people to stay close to home for their vacations, officials said, noting that visits to parks near urban areas including Virginia's Shenandoah National Park, Acadia National Park in Maine and Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania were all up this year compared to last.

Visits also were up at Yellowstone, which spans Montana, Idaho and Wyoming and is among the top five most-visited national parks. The park is known for Old Faithful and other geysers as well as hot springs and spectacular scenery.

More than 900,000 people visited Yellowstone in July, an all-time record for monthly visits and a jump of 94,000 visits over 2008.

Al Nash, a spokesman for Yellowstone, said the free weekends promotion likely played a role in the increase, but said a bigger factor was a dramatic drop in gas prices from a year ago.

"Frankly you're not likely to plan a trip halfway across the country or halfway across the world to save $25," Nash said, referring to the park's entrance fee. But visitors were enticed by gas prices that dropped from about $4 a gallon last year to just over $2.50 a gallon this year.

"If you compare the cost of visiting a national park to any other type of tourism or entertainment it just reflects what a great value we are," Nash said.

"

The importance of Independent Advisors

When considering all my experience as a businesswoman, I would personally say that it is vital that every family finds an appropriate investment plan for their own needs and goals, making sure that they future is always financially secure. As a matter of fact, it is vital that we always save some money so that we can invest it in order to expand our financial stability and achieve many of the objectives that we have in our lives.

Keeping this in mind, Independent Advisors are always the professionals that you should contact whenever you find yourself ready to start investing your own money. Furthermore, if you take some time to visit the website to which I have linked just above, you will even witness that there are many other services that you may expect to get related to investment advice that you have probably never heard about! Moreover, you may also witness that emphasis is given to the fact that every case is dealt in an unique way because the best investment plan for you, really depends on how much you pretend to invest, how you plan to do it, for how long, amongst many other topics that will help the independent advisor to find the solution that best fits your personal needs.

11 vital tips for buying airfares

Would you personally say that you tend to travel a lot? Would you really like to know how you could easily get better prices and be able to get more experience when buying airfares? If that's the case, then you definitely need to read the msnbc.com article just below and discover how incredibly easy it is to buy airfares:

"

You already know that traveling on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday will save you money on air travel, and that connecting flights are often cheaper than non-stops. And you know that airlines raise fares for travel during peak holiday periods and for last-minute travel. And that when shopping you should check fares from all airports that are a short drive from your nearest airport.

But Airfarewatchdog.com has gathered some additional advice that might save you money next time you’re shopping for a plane ride.

Check fares often
Because airfares fluctuate like the stock market, you need to check them every day, or better still several times a day, if you’re serious about saving money. Airlines can update domestic fares three times a day during the week, and once on Saturday and Sunday (international fares tend not to change as often, but can be updated up to 5 times daily). Also, even if the fare itself hasn’t changed, seat availability at the lowest fares can change, so there might be just one seat available at 10 a.m., but the airline will open up more cheap seats later in the day.

Try a flexible fare search
If you’re at all flexible, you can sometimes save hundreds by adjusting your travel dates. Travelocity will search most domestic fares and many international ones over a 330 day search period; Orbitz and Hotwire cover nearly all routes from the U.S., but only over 30 day periods. Southwest.com also has a good flexible date search function. Click here for the low down on flexible date searches with some handy step-by-step instructions.

Sign up for the airlines’ e-mail feeds and frequent flyer programs
Yes, we know, you already get too much e-mail, but the airlines want to develop a one-on-one relationship with you, so they’ll send you special deals, such as 50 percent off promo codes or two-fers, if you sign up. Airline sites sell much more than airfares these days (hotels, rental cars, credit cards and such), and they will entice you to deal direct rather than use a third party site such as Orbitz. Here are links to U.S. domestic airline sign-up pages and for international sign-ups. If you’re on Twitter, you might also want to follow the airlines’ tweets, which they’re using to promote exclusive Twitter-only deals. We signed up for Virgin America’s frequent flyer program and because we haven’t flown them yet we keep on getting promo code discount offers to give them a try.

Sign up for fare free alerts
Many airfare web sites offer these, and they all have something to offer. Yapta.com lets you track your specific itinerary, down to the flight number and dates of travel, and will let you know if the airline owes you a price-drop refund. Travelocity’s easy-to-use FareWatcherPlus lets you track up to ten routes and you can choose to be notified either when a fare goes down by $25 or more, or when it goes below a price you choose. Orbitz and Kayak also offer alerts, as does Bing Travel. But since all of these sites use the same airfare data provided by the airlines’ computer systems, they won’t include discounted promo code fares, and most don’t include Southwest Airlines. (Airfarewatchdog.com does provide promo code and Southwest alerts, although it covers far fewer routes than the above-mentioned sites).

Search airline sites individually
Some airlines have “private” sales, reserving their very best fares for their own sites. These are different from promo code fares. Airfarewatchdog fare searchers often find lower fares on JetBlue.com, even without discounts such as a recent system-wide 20 percent off promo code, than on third-party sites. International airlines such as Aer Lingus, Iberia and Qantas regularly offer lower fares (i.e., $100-$400 less) on their own web sites compared to what you’ll find on Kayak or Orbitz.

Sign up for Ding Fares
Southwest offers daily “Ding” deals that pop up on your computer that can save a few bucks off their already low fares. A couple of years ago, American launched something similar which used to generate frequent promo code discounts, but we haven’t seen many good deals from them lately.

Buy hotel + air packages
It’s often significantly cheaper to buy an air plus hotel package rather than airfare alone. We often see Travelocity “TotalTrip” offerings, especially on last minute flights, pop up with hotel plus air for half the price of air alone. Lastminute.com is also a great source for finding last minute packages.

Use Priceline for last minute trips
If you don’t have a 7, 14, or 21 day advance purchase window to buy your fare, your best bet is the “name your own price” feature of Priceline.com. True, you won’t know the exact flight times or airline you’re flying until to pay for your trip, but you can save 50 percent or more.

Combine two separate fares rather than buying one fare
If you’re flying to a destination in Europe, you might save money by purchasing one fare from the U.S. to, say, Dublin, and another from Dublin onward. Same holds true for some destinations in Asia (fly into Singapore and catch a low cost carrier from there) and to some smaller Caribbean destinations via San Juan or the Bahamas.

Buy tickets on an airline that will refund the difference if a fare goes down
Let’s say you’ve found the lowest fare, and then the day after purchase your non-refundable fare for the same itinerary goes down. If you ask for it you can get a refund for the difference. But some airlines will charge you a costly “administrative” fee of $150 or more, wiping out any savings. Others will give you the entire fare difference without extracting a fee. Currently, the “nice” airlines are JetBlue, Southwest and Alaska.

Don’t listen to airfare pundits who predict airfares
Look, we all want our pictures in the paper and on the TV. But airlines are unpredictable creatures, and any airfare expert who claims he knows that airfares will be lower or higher in the coming months is just trying to snag some publicity. No one can accurately predict where airfares are heading, any more than we can predict the stock market, because we have no idea when the economy will approve, or how much airlines will cut back capacity, or when the next flu epidemic will hit. If we could, we’d all be comfortably retired in Margaritaville by now.

"

The importance of marketing

As a businesswoman who knows how important advertising is when we want to spread the word about a new business or a new product, the truth is that I am aware of the fact that it is vital for any company to get advice from top SEO and marketing specialists so that their products can always grant great results when they finally get to the hands of the consumers.

Keeping this in mind, I would personally say that any company would benefit with the help of an experienced entrepreneur such as Doug Kaplan, who is specialized in vital areas such as SEO, radio advertising, internet advertising, telemarketing call centers, amongst many other experience that can be used to help your own business.

The best farm-to-table restaurants

Restaurants are probably some of the places that travelers tend to spend more time on, still we often find ourselves wondering if we shouldn't try to find better places to dinner... Keeping this in mind, we should always do our best in order to find a new concept just as you may discover by reading the msnbc.com article just below:

"

We wouldn’t want every restaurant to be in the farm-to-table category. We’d have to fly to Hawaii to eat a pineapple.

But the ever-growing trend toward locally sourced meals is heartening for anyone who values eating well, not to mention saving the planet.

The eating-local idea began in the 1970s as a cult centered on Berkeley’s Chez Panisse (founded by “slow food” legend Alice Waters), eventually becoming a movement that inspired pilgrimages to militantly locavore destinations such as the Herbfarm, near Seattle, and Ontario’s Eigensinn Farms.

Now eating local is a full-fledged genre: nearly every major North American city—and plenty of college towns and enlightened suburbs and exurbs—can boast of restaurants that rely on area purveyors.

This allows a few bold chefs and proprietors to take the concept a step or two further, with stronger ties to farms and more evolved restaurant concepts.

“It’s incredibly easy to market farm-to-table” to potential diners, says Ryan Hardy, the executive chef at Montagna, in Aspen’s Little Nell Hotel. “But the important part is that it makes the food better, no matter what you’re trying to do.”

Hardy operates a 25-acre farm in nearby Crawford, where he raises livestock and grows everything from figs to squash and cherries. He even makes his own cheese. The Little Nell dinner menu changes nightly and often includes pastas made with Hardy’s own farm-raised eggs.

At Manresa, in Los Gatos, CA, David Kinch creates daring postmodern food—flash-fried ravioli stuffed with beet greens and coriander ice in a soup of barely cooked tomatoes—that wows eaters on its own merits. The fact that he sources his ingredients from a nearby farm that sells almost exclusively to him becomes relevant only when you try to divine why his ravioli is so delicious. “We don’t really talk about the farm unless someone asks,” Kinch says. “Its impact shows up on the plate.”

And Cinque Terre, in Portland, Maine, proves that locavores don’t have to limit themselves to night after night of indigenous cuisine. Chef/owner Lee Skawinski travels to Genoa every year to source recipes. Then he grows the ingredients on a nearby farm and replicates authentically Ligurian dishes an ocean away from where they originated, using Maine’s own meat and produce (naturally, lobster appears in the trenette pasta with summer squash).

These establishments own or control their own farms, but each exists as a restaurant first and a sociological statement only afterward. Their meals are their messages.

"

The importance of communication

When considering the fact that religion tends to play an important role in our lives, I would personally say that it is vital that we always do our best in order to find other people with who we may talk about the general topics of our favorite religion.

As a matter of fact, for all of you Christians trying to find the ideal christian singles chat website, I would personally say that you should definitely take some time to visit the website to which I have linked above and where users are given 100% free access to all the features, while also chatting with other Christian singles with webcam support! What else could we really ask for?

Some unbelivable summer contests

When considering your biggest adventures, does any particular contest come to your mind as one of the craziest moments in your life? Well, the truth is that even if we don't notice it, those amazing contests can always be seen on a city which is really near from us, as you may discover by reading the msnbc.com article just below:

"

By Jenn Bain

In November 2006, a 24-year-old New Jersey resident named Bryan Bennett drove 700 miles from his home in New Jersey to Toronto. He wasn’t there to see the CN Tower. Bennett was a contestant in the Rock Paper Scissors World Championships—and he came away with the silver medal, a cool $1,400, and a small amount of fame.

“People know who I am and they want to play me,” he says. He accepts these challenges because he “needs to keep sharp.” Bennett is planning on competing again this year, with the hope of taking home first prize ... and more than $9,000.

Of course, when money and fame are on the line, some humans will do just about anything—like eating 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes (the new world record, set in July). But eating contests seem a paragon of sanity compared with the world’s most outlandish competitions.

Some of them take real skill, like the International Birdman Championship in southeast England, where entrants build flying machines and leap from a pier in their creation, hoping to stay in the air longer than the competition.

Underlying all these contests is an atavistic desire for victory—even in the most esoteric of circumstances. “Undeniably, there is an instinctive drive in humans to strive to achieve a personal best,” says Danny Girton Jr., who as an adjudicator for Guinness World Records has seen his share of superlatives.

That would explain the unorthodox contests that are all about willpower. Take Finland’s Sauna World Championships, in which contestants try to outlast each other in 230-degree heat. Even the Papa Look-Alike competition in Key West, where the name of the game is to look like Ernest Hemingway, takes effort more than natural ability. Tom Grizzard competed eight times before finally taking the title of “Papa” in 2008.

The secret to his success? Instead of donning his usual “Hemingway in Key West” garb, he modeled his attire after the famous Life cover, in which the writer wore a wool fisherman’s turtleneck. This couldn’t have been pleasant in the Florida weather, but it paid off. (The contest offers no cash prizes—just prestige.)

The event has opened doors to a new brotherhood, of sorts. “I keep in touch with a lot of the previous Papas and Papa Wannabes,” says Grizzard. He’s also taken his shtick across the ocean to Pamplona, Spain, where he won the First Annual International Hemingway Look-alike Contest. Apparently, men everywhere want to emulate the Hemingway style.

Seemingly, if a hobby or interest exists, there’s a contest somewhere. For instance, those who’ve outlasted that '80s fad can compete in the Rubik’s Cube World Championship. So if you’re hiding a special skill, look around for the chance to flaunt it. It might bring in some cash—and some bragging rights.

"

Getting some vital Debt Help

As a businesswoman who really knows how the economical system works and how important it is that we give attention to the development of the economy, the truth is that I am completely aware of the fact that debt consolidation and debt relief are extremely important now that the economy is facing a downturn that may really surprise our financial balance.

Keeping this in mind, if you are looking for some independent and experienced debt help then you definitely need to take a look at the website to which I have linked above and where you will even be able to get a solution for medical debt or any other similar financial problem that you may be facing. Moreover, at debthelp.net you may even make sure that you pick up their number and call them if you still have any doubts related to the debt help that you get from those specialists. Furthermore, the website is incredibly user-friendly and easy to navigate, making sure that absolutely anyone will be able to find a solution for your own problem, while also making sure that you are ready to face the current financial downturn with all the needed financial stability in your family.

So, are you looking for some experienced debt help for your own problem? If that’s the case, take a look at the website above and you will find your solutions for sure!

German sausage celebration

Amongst all the pork dishes that you know from Germany, I am more than sure that sausages are the first thing that comes to your mind, right? Still, do you know all the story behing those sausages? Would you like to travel to Berlin and discover more about them? If that's the case, then you should read the msnbc.com article just below:

"

BERLIN - In the year that Berlin's best loved sausage, the Currywurst, celebrates its 60th Birthday a new museum showcasing the cult snack will open in the capital this weekend.

The Currywurst Museum, which claims to be Germany's first dedicated to the popular dish, opens its doors on August 15, welcoming visitors with the slogan, "Currywurst is more than just a sausage — it's one of life's experiences in Germany.

"No other national German dish inspires so much history and has so many well-known fans," said museum curator, Martin Loewer, who came up with the idea for the museum four years ago.

Of Germany's wide range of sausages, the currywurst is a national favorite, made from sliced pork sausage served with a sauce made of ketchup and curry powder.

Germans consume about 800 million currywursts annually — 70 million are eaten in Berlin alone each year.

An array of interactive exhibits guide visitors along a 'sauce trail' through the history and variety of the beloved dish that has worldwide connoisseurs and even inspired a song by German musician, Herbert Groenemeyer.

Guests can climb inside a currywurst van, slice and prepare their own computer generated offerings against the clock and watch Grace Lee's 22 minute documentary film, "Best of the Wurst" (2004).

A spice chamber scents the air with curry powder as guests relax on the giant 'sauce sofa', shaped like a squirt of ketchup while an eco-alley assesses the environmental impact of fast food.

Tickets cost between seven and 11 euros ($15.70) and the museum expects about 350,000 visitors annually. Merchandise ranges from kitchenware to cuddly currywursts retailing at 29.90 euros.

Loewer said he expected the museum to be popular despite the current economic crisis.

"Precisely in times of crisis (the Currywurst) is an excellent ambassador for the experience of Berlin. If nothing else the currywurst was born out of a time of crisis."

According to the museum, the currywurst was concocted by Berliner Herta Heuwer in 1949 when rationing was still in place in West Berlin. She began experimenting with ingredients provided by British soldiers living in the capital.

Nowadays hungry punters at one of Berlin's 2,000 currywurst stands have the choice of with or without intestine.

"Both are very popular," said Wolfgang Klamt, 56, who works at Bier's snack bar at Friedrichstrasse train station. "But I prefer mine with intestine — that's the proper hearty Berlin sausage."

"

Money making opportunity

As a businesswoman who knows how tremendously difficult it may be for us to get satisfying financial stability, the truth is that I also tend to do some “work at home” jobs on the Internet whenever I have some free time to do it!

Keeping this in mind, I was really excited when I first heard about MaverickMoneyMakers Highest Rate Online Money Making Club . In fact, it is an amazing coaching club that will really change our lives as soon as we take some time to visit the website above.

So, what you are waiting for? Just take some of your time and see with your own eyes how incredibly easy it is to make money online.

10 great trips on a tank of gas

Even considering the fact that you may still be immune to the current financial crisis, the truth is that everyone is now doing their best in order to save as much money as possible so that they can face the future with much more confidence and certainty. Below you may read an interesting article on how to make 10 great trips on a tank of gas:

"

By Sarah Lynch

The country offers plenty of vacation spots accessible to major city centers.

On a day trip to Coronado, Calif., last summer, Natalie Karic didn't bring very much with her —just a beach bag, a change of clothes and a few CDs for the car ride.

"Road trips are just like any other vacation, except it's really nice that you can do it all in one day," says Karic, 18, a resident of Los Angeles. "It's not so much of a hassle, and it's pretty cheap ... it's an escape from the city."

All the trip cost her was the price of a full tank of gas. A look across the major metropolitan areas of the country shows that Angelinos aren't the only ones with myriad affordable day trips just a gas tank away.

From the beaches of Saugatuck, Mich., to the wineries of Napa Valley and even to the wetlands of the Florida Everglades or to the tropical Florida Keys, there are adventures and relaxing weekends aplenty.

An average, medium-sized sedan such as a Honda Accord or a Nissan Altima will go about 300 miles on one tank of gas, according to Robert Sinclair, media relations manager of AAA. That's just enough for a great weekend or day trip within 150 miles of any starting point.

Destinations within easy reach
To come up with our list of 10 places to visit on a tank of gas, we looked at 10 major U.S. cities and polled a panel of experts on top destinations for a road trip within 150 miles of each. The panelists included AAA's Sinclair; Terence Baker, travel editor of Car & Travel magazine; AAA's PR manager Heather Hunter; and Jameson Kowalczyk, publicist for Liberty Travel, the American arm of Australian travel agency Flight Centre Limited.

Good places to go from New York City for a day or weekend trip are Mystic, Conn., located just 133 miles from lower Manhattan and Cold Spring, N.Y., located just 59 miles up the Hudson Valley. From Denver, try Pikes Peak County, located 60 miles south of the city. From Seattle, head for Snoqualmie Falls, a scenic attraction where visitors can hike alongside a 270-foot waterfall. From Charlotte, N.C., try Asheville or Chapel Hill. And it's not difficult to find deals on hotels if a day trip becomes a full weekend away.

"If you can afford to travel this year, it's the time to go," says Hunter. "With the down economy, there are more discounts out there than there's been in recent history."

Those discounts reflect the way people are currently traveling. In the first quarter of this year, the airline industry saw an 11.7 percent decline in the number of passengers compared with the first quarter of 2008 — the largest quarter-over-previous-year decline since the beginning of 2002, according to OAG Aviation, a global data and flight information company. But even with airlines offering good deals at the moment, travelers just aren't snapping them up.

The road trip
If the cost savings in a tank of gas vs. an airplane ticket aren't incentive enough to make a getaway on the road, the fact that it's a different sort of thing to do in the otherwise fast-paced world might be.

"There's a nostalgic element to [road trips]," says Kowalczyk. "There's something very American about road trips; they're a part of our culture."

But just because there aren't the hassles of check-in lines, luggage or metal detectors, that's no excuse not to plan ahead, says AAA's Hunter. "Get your car inspected ahead of time," she says. "You don't want to break down while you're driving."

She also suggests bringing only what you need to minimize weight in the car in order to get better fuel economy. And don't forget to fill your tank in advance, preferably the night before you hit the road.

Last but not least, it's also a good idea to get up-to-date maps, or to use a GPS unit to avoid delays. After all, the whole point is to escape from the city for a short time, not get stuck there in traffic.

"

Cheap holidays for us!

When considering the fact that my job tends to be extremely stressful as I play a very important role in the company, which makes it absolutely mandatory that I always pay attention to every detail that relates to the company.

Keeping this in mind, during the summer it is vital that I always find some interesting deals on vacations in exotic destinations and the most amazing cities all around the world. As a matter of fact, I recently came across Cheap Holidays in Greece, which could really make me enjoy this summer even more than what I normally do! Moreover, on the website above it is also possible to find amazingly Cheap Holidays In Spain, making it absolutely sure that anyone will be able to find interesting deals that will fit your own personal preferences and needs as a traveler.

So, are you also trying to find the best deals on Cheap Spain holidays? If that’s the case and if you would really like to save some money while also having a great time in Spain, then I am more than sure that you would definitely benefit from a visit to the website to which I have linked above and where people are given the chance to find the cheapest holidays ever! What else could we really ask for?

Titanic-sized bills may surprise us

Health is definitely one of the most important things in our lives but have you ever faced an enormous bill that makes it look like a Titanic-sized bill? Well, that seem to have happened to a couple who didn't expect to pay that much for a simple service that they got, as you may discover by reading the msnbc.com article just below:

"

Susan and Larry Smith were looking forward to their first-ever Cunard cruise across the Atlantic onboard the fabulous Queen Mary 2. But the fun stopped for the New York City couple the moment Larry had chest pains along with gastrointestinal malaise.

The Smiths immediately sought treatment at the ship’s infirmary, where the ship’s doctor ran an EKG and some tests. Fortunately Larry’s heart checked out okay, but he was dehydrated and was given intravenous fluids and was kept in the infirmary for an hour of observation.

Larry’s tests ruled out any infection, but the doctor couldn’t figure out why Larry had become so dehydrated. Therefore, no definitive diagnosis was reached. The next morning Larry felt much better and the cruise continued. A few days after the visit to the infirmary, the Smiths got another unpleasant surprise: a bill for medical services totaling $1,200. The amount was immediately charged to their shipboard account.

The Smiths were shocked. “It didn’t seem like a lot of treatment for $1,200. It was as much as my cruise fare,” said Susan Smith. Even worse the couple foolishly believed that their health insurance would be accepted onboard the ship. It wasn’t. Fortunately they did have travel insurance (purchased through the cruise line) that covered medical issues.

Insurance doesn’t travel well
What many people don’t realize is that all cruise ships of foreign registry are considered to be entities operating outside the United States.
And, as the Smiths discovered, domestic medical insurance coverage doesn’t travel the same way aboard ship as it does within the United States. Sometimes, coverage doesn’t extend to foreign travel at all; other times it just works differently. For example, co-payments may be higher than usual or your reimbursement may be limited.

Even with complete medical coverage, you can’t just hand the cruise line your insurance card. You will usually have to pay your treatment costs up front and file for reimbursement after you return home. That’s what the Smiths did. Their insurer accepted the claim but explained it could take up to three months to receive reimbursement. The Smiths were relieved to be covered at all.

Could the Smiths have avoided the $1,200 out-of-pocket expense? Maybe. If they had purchased third-party travel insurance, they could have received upfront financial assistance and they might have gotten their money back more quickly.

Third-party insurers usually provide primary coverage, i.e., the insurance company pays the traveler directly for any medical claim. Most cruise lines also sell insurance policies, but these usually provide secondary coverage, which means that you must file your claims through your regular medical insurance carrier, then seek reimbursement from the cruise line’s insurance company.

Cover the gaps
Medicare beneficiaries should always purchase travel insurance when they cruise, because they do not have Medicare coverage outside the country. Another very big gap is medical evacuation and transportation services, which are seldom covered by medical insurance policies.

According to Medjet Assist, an Alabama-based evacuation operation, domestic air medical evacuation services average $10,000 to $20,000, while international transports can exceed $75,000. If you travel more than once a year, consider buying an annual policy; both MedjetAssist and Travel Guard offer this kind of policy, which can be purchased for as little as $185 a year.

Cruising is exciting, but it can turn into more of an adventure than you planned if you discover that you aren’t covered for the unexpected. So check your insurance policies and fill in the gaps with supplemental coverage.

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