As excited as I am about my upcoming trips to Boston and Las Vegas, they’re not among my dream destinations. If I were able to pick anywhere to visit, I’d definitely want to head back to Europe. We were there SO long ago, it seems like another lifetime ago! And being that I’ve been able to ski in North Carolina and Colorado, I’d of course have to go skiing in Europe. Some of the best skiing is in the Alps, and if you’re going to go all out with a luxury ski vacation, you of COURSE need one of these luxury villas to stay in!

Can you imagine staying in a beautiful, traditional Swiss chalet in the Alps? How about a 5 story chalet with an indoor swimming pool, 5 bedrooms, and 5 bathrooms? It can be yours for just over $3000 USD per night – that’s the kind of place that the rich and famous stay when they go to ski, no doubt! Check out the site for yourself – it’s amazing to see what kind of luxury accommodations are offered in locations around the world, from Switzerland to Australia to Africa.

I booked our airfare and hotel for Las Vegas yesterday!

I’m going to be doing a lot of traveling over the next few weeks. I’ve got Boston next week, then the 3-Day in Tampa in October, and then in November, we’re off to Las Vegas for 5 nights. Jim and I paid a little more for direct flights on Southwest, and we’re staying at one of the older hotels on the strip. He’s already talking about the places he wants to take me once we get to Las Vegas – to check out the shops at The Forum, to Ellis Island, to see a show – I’m excited!

I’m off to Boston in a few days for a business trip, and just remembered tonight to check Weather.com so I’d know what to pack! I was hoping for a bit of Indian summer weather, and while it’s not exactly going to be cool enough to be considered Indian summer, I’ll take it! The forecast is calling for highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the 60’s, and the humidity will be lower than here in Florida.

It’s just a quick 2 night trip, and I’m actually disappointed about that. I’ll get to see Boston – from the air, and from a car! I’ll be in meetings and such, and at dinners with people, so I won’t have time to visit any of the historic sites I’m itching to see.

Are you a last minute packer? I am. And for our trip tomorrow, the kids don’t have a clue that we’re going, so I have to pack for all of them sometime tomorrow. Usually, I tell them what to put in the suitcase, and supervise. That’s much easier than packing for 3 kids by myself. I sure hope I don’t forget something – one of the last times we went to Disney, my oldest forget her bathing suit and we spent $45 on a replacement!

With less than 24 hours til we leave for Disney World, my brain is officially in Disney mode. I woke up this morning and immediately thought about how I had just 1 more sleep til Disney!

Our plans so far include going to Ohana for dinner on Friday night, checking out the Caribbean Beach Resort, since we’ve never stayed there before, definitely hitting Magic Kingdom, and possibly squeezing in a trip to the outlet mall. I’m already drooling just thinking about the fabulous bread pudding dessert at Ohana! It’s a fun place to eat anyway, with coconut rolling contests and a wandering ukulele player, your server calling you “cousin”, and meat on skewers!

Has anyone used the new Netflix movies on your laptop feature? I’m scheduled to be in Boston in 2 weeks for a business trip, and the last time I was on a business trip, I was super bored in my hotel room each night. I’m wondering about the quality and download speed at which you can get the movies from Netflix, because it seems easier than carrying a disk along with me to watch. I think with my plan I can get 3 movies a month that way.

I use Google’s map feature quite a bit, but it annoys me at times. For instance, if I were looking at the driving directions to go from my house, to Disney World, Google attempts to send me a good 40 minutes out of the way on an interstate, deeming that it’s faster than the 2 lane back road I’d normally drive on. I’ve been both ways, and Google’s way is definitely not faster. I’d imagine that for people traveling in cities, you need more of a system than what Google can offer too. You may need to use public transportation to get where you’re going, and most public map sites don’t offer that option, forcing you to make do without.

That’s what makes Public Routes so neat – the system is smart enough to be able to give you driving directions, bus routes, walking times, and even subway information. If you’re in a major US or UK city, Public Routes can help. Maybe you need Minneapolis driving directions, or the fastest way to get from midtown Manhattan to Queens in midday? Public routes can do that, giving you a detailed map with the fastest combination of travel methods, be it on foot, or via public transportation.

Do locations where disasters and horrible events interest you? Would you willingly travel to a location where hundreds of people met their maker, in the interest of seeing history?

I would. The question came up recently when my husband and I were talking about visiting Germany or Poland. My ideal trip would include a day at one of the concentration camps, like Auschwitz-Birkenau or Bergen-Belsen. I’ve always been interested in that dark time in history, and I would have to visit one of the sites to see it all with my own two eyes, and to pay my respects to the thousands of people who were slaughtered. I’d want to see the camps to remind myself of what can happen when the wrong people gain power. When the contestants on Survivor knelt at the entrance (death gate) of Auschwitz II-Birkenau, I found myself crying in my living room. I can only imagine how moving it would be to see it in person.

My husband thinks it’s too depressing and it’s not something he would be interested in seeing.

Who do you agree with? Would you want to see something like this on a vacation? Why, or why not?

We had a bunch of my husband’s buddies over this weekend, and of course, the talk turned to their next “guy trip”. They’re thinking, Costa Rica. I’m thinking, with what money? HA! I’d be al for it if I were going too! These are the same guys my husband went to Amsterdam with back in 1999. They flew into Amsterdam, spent a few days seeing the sites, and then bought rail passes to travel through the rest of Europe. Nice, huh? Of course these guys did a lot of sleeping in train stations and hostels. They’re not exactly the type who would use an Amsterdam hotel guide to plan out anything in advance. Me? I’m exactly that type. When I plan my next trip to London, I also plan on pouring over a London hotel guide for several weeks before making my hotel selection. Where you stay, as far as location, is VERY important to me. I’ll stay at a hotel with fewer amenities, or pay a little more, simply for having a great location. The last time we visited London, we stayed in a great hotel down a side street, which happened to end at Buckingham Palace. Talk about a fabulous location! Quiet, but literally close to EVERYTHING. It was called Buckingham Palace Road for heavens sake, and in a lovely area called Westminster.

Maybe my next trip won’t be to London. No worries – there’s a Europe hotels guide to give me information on any city I could hope to ever visit!

This is a sponsored review.

Hurricane Dean is certainly doing some damage to a former vacation spot of ours. We visited Mexico, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica on a 7 night cruise in 2005, and those areas are currently being pounded hard by Dean. It’s a little ironic considering we went to Costa Maya, Mexico, instead of Cozumel because that area had been hit so hard by another storm. Those areas never seem to catch a break.

On the other hand, Florida is catching a major break this year on storms. We haven’t had a single one threaten us all hurricane season, and here it is – almost September! (Knock on wood!)

We’ve been on a Disney Cruise before, and hands down, it was one of the BEST cruises we’ve ever been on. The ship was fantastic, the staff was amazing, and the attention to detail on everything from the entertainment to the decor was super. I’m not surprised that the Disney Cruise Line was recently named one of the top cruise lines in the industry by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine!

The magazine editor’s selected cruises and the readers voted on – because Disney goes out of their way to engage the whole family on their ship, they won high honors. One reason we enjoyed the ship so much is that it had a large area devoted specifically to the kids. On another cruise line we went on, the playroom was mostly used for the babies, and my kids were shuffled from lounge to lounge for their activities. Disney had a huge play area for the kids, a big screen TV, and plenty of activities to keep them busy, but the kids were also able to just have down time to play if they wanted to do that.

Congratulations to Disney!

Have you heard of a new tour company called Adventures By Disney? The Walt Disney Company started this line in order to offer guests a Disney vacation away from the parks. The company offers a guided vacation to some atypical family vacation locations – like boating to Capri! In 2008, Adventures by Disney will be adding 8 more trips, giving families the chance to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef, hike Machu Picchu, kayak to the Pont du Gard in France, or explore the Great Wall of China.

An Adventures by Disney vacation includes family activities, as well as special events just for the children – like pizza parties and scavenger hunts – so that the adults can enjoy some alone time. Each group has 2 adventure guides who act as your mobile concierge. You’ll do more than just SEE the sights – you’ll be able to learn local arts and crafts or dances or go behind the scenes for special tours.

You may pay a bit more money for one of these tours than a traditional tour vacation, but having been on a Disney cruise, it’s worth every penny. Disney pays attention to details and really does a great job of engaging the entire family.

I absolutely love London. I’ve been there twice (with my mom in 1995, and again with my mom and husband-to-be in 1996) and found it to be delightful both times. It’s rich in history, which I so appreciate, and a very hip, fun city to visit. We enjoyed seeing the Tower of London, and a play in the theater district, and touring Buckingham Castle. Something that wasn’t there when I visited is the London Eye – you may know it as the big ferris wheel. The London Eye gives you a birds eye view of all the city has to offer, and on clear days, you can see as far as Windsor Castle, located 25 miles away. (Been there, toured that!) The eye is 135 meters high, and overlooks the banks of the Thames River, which I’ve enjoyed a river cruise on. Over 3.5 million people visit the London Eye each year, and should you wish to see it, you can easily find a London hotel within close proximity to the eye. Did you know, you can even get MARRIED on the London Eye? It’s true! Wouldn’t that be something to tell the grandkids?

The last stop on our vacation in Canada was Niagara Falls, where we stayed at the Hilton Fallsview on the Canadian side. This was, by far, the nicest hotel we stayed at during our trip to Canada. We stayed for 2 nights, from June 25th through June 26th. The hotel is located at 6361 Fallsview Boulevard in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Having never been to Niagara Falls, we had no idea what to expect. The picture on the hotel website is a *bit* misleading, as it shows nothing but trees between the hotel and the falls. While I’m sure that would be lovely, it’s not true. There are several other buildings, including a hotel, between the Hilton Fallsview and the falls. That said, we still had a fantastic view from our room of the falls. Considering the view on half of the hotel was a run down motel and a parking lot, I’d say we lucked out.

But alas – I’m getting ahead of myself!

Price: This was the best deal of our stay. We got our rooms for around $120 per night, and considering that this was quite possibly THE nicest hotel in Niagara Falls, I was quite pleased with what we paid for our stay. The price also included the breakfast buffet, which was in the hotel restaurant on one of the highest floors.

Location: You can’t beat the location of the Hilton Niagara Fallsview. If you like to gamble, you can cross through the covered walkway from the hotel to the casino across the street, without even leaving the comfort of air conditioning. The Skylon Tower and IMAX are just a block away. There is a park just 2 blocks down the hill where you can view the falls, and the dining / entertainment district is just a few blocks past that. There is plenty of dining to walk to as well.

Cleanliness: Our hotel room did smell like cigarette smoke when we checked in. We complained immediately to the front desk and asked for another room but they said they were full and couldn’t accommodate us. Considering it was only 4pm, I was more than surprised that EVERY single guest had already checked in, causing the hotel to be out of rooms. Instead, the front desk sent up a maid to spray the room with Febreeze. It helped, temporarily, but each time we entered the room we were hit with the stink. I realize this isn’t the fault of the hotel entirely, since it was a non smoking hotel, but I sure wish they had given us another room.

Other than that, the room was perfect. Beautiful bedding, clean, high end fixtures – everything was perfect. The public areas were beautifully maintained and had a rich, luxurious feeling.

Staff: See above comments about the smoky room. Also, when we checked in, at 4pm, we were told our rooms weren’t ready yet and to come back. WHAT? I hate that. The concierge desk was fabulous and a big help in booking our tours and filling us in on what Niagara had to offer.

Amenities: We specifically picked this resort because of the fabulous pool complex. We knew after 1 1/2 weeks on vacation, the kids would appreciate some down time in a great pool. And it was GREAT! There’s a huge waterfall, and an even bigger slide, plenty of seating, and the kids had a blast.

We also took advantage of the free breakfast. If you paid for the buffet, it was $10 per adult, and it is NOT worth it. For free, it was acceptable. It was a pretty lean buffet, and didn’t even have a make your own waffle machine, just some pre-made waffles out under the heat lamps. The restaurant is located on one of the highest floors of the hotel, and affords a wonderful view though. I would have liked to have had dinner there with Jim if we had more time.

The hotel also offers a free shuttle to the entertainment area, should you not wish to walk there. We took it over a few times, but ended up getting a cab back the first night since we grew tired of waiting for the shuttle.

Comfort: Cold a/c, nice sheets and a duvet – this camper was quite please!

Overall rank: On a scale of 1 to 10, the Hilton Fallsview receives a 9.

International traveler costs a pretty penny. When you add up airfare, lodging, foot, and sightseeing, you’ll often find that you’ve invested a couple of grand into your trip overseas. The very first time I went to London, I decided to save money by not purchasing optional trip insurance. Whoops! Not only did the airline lose my luggage for a few days, but the I missed my connection flight, and the delay caused me to catch up with my tour group 2 days late. We lost the first few days of our tours, and spent the next few days wearing the same clothes.

A few years ago, while in Mexico, we took a day trip to snorkel. One of the older men on our boat had chest pains and had to be taken by ambulance to a clinic. Of course, the care there was not covered by his insurance, he hadn’t purchased trip insurance, and the whole experience added several thousand dollars to his cruise cost.

Since those two incidents, I don’t think travel medical insurance is a waste anymore. Nor is trip cancellation insurance! If you’re investing thousands of dollars in a vacation, and / or going to a country where the hospitals aren’t as nice as they are at home, please make sure you’re protected!

Around the same time I submitted a complaint about our stay at the Doubletree in Montreal, I submitted a complaint about our stay at the Best Western in Toronto. A manager from the Best Western called me last week to inquire about the issues we experienced, and said that the hotel is NOT completely renovated. No, really? Gosh, I wouldn’t have guessed that from the cracked and dirty tiles in our bathroom. I pointed out that the corporate website states:

This Best Western hotel features renovated guest rooms and suites with all the right amenities including high-speed Internet access and cable television.

If you read that, would you take it to mean some of the rooms were renovated? Or that ALL of the rooms were renovated? We took it to mean all.

He got a little flustered at that point and said he’d check into it and call me back.

I’ve always wanted to go to San Francisco. I even considered walking the 3-Day there, when I saw it would be returning to the bay area next year, but then realized walking 60 miles around the city for 3 days wouldn’t be the relaxing vacation I had in mind. No sir, the kind of vacation I want includes plenty of time for San Francisco sightseeing tours. You see, when I travel to a major city – be it San Francisco, London, or Paris – I want to see all of the things I’ve only read about, or seen on TV. The Golden Gate Bridge (which I see in the Full House reruns my kids watch nonstop), or Alcatraz. I always like taking a guide tour in a major city, like the ones that Trusted Tours offers, so that I can see all of the highlights without driving myself to and from and paying admission fees at various locations. I’d rather just pay one all inclusive tour price that provides me with a hassle free way to see the sites. You want to tour the city of San Francisco on a Segway? No problem. How about a lunch cruise that takes you past Alcatraz? Trusted Tours can hook you on on that too. You want to hop a trolley and pretend you’re in a Rice-A-Roni advertisement? Sure! Visit the Trusted Tours eNewsletter for more great tours and tips in cities around the USA!

I’ve flown several times this year already, and all of my flights were on time. According to new figures from the government, I was lucky. Most U.S airlines are having their worst on-time performance ever right now. 1/3 of all flights were delayed in June! I did hear a lot of flights being delayed while I sat in the airport in June and July, so I certainly believe it…I’m just surprised my flight wasn’t one of the flights affected. I’m not usually that lucky with airlines.

Have you had a delayed or canceled flight this summer?

It pays to bitch! (And by “bitch”, I mean write a well thought out letter of complaint that is not overly emotional, but details what you found to be unacceptable.)

If you’re not happy with a hotel stay, and the manager doesn’t do anything to help you, always follow up with the corporate office. I submitted a letter of complaint to Hilton.com last week about our stay at the Doubletree in Montreal. I received an email this morning stating that I would receive a credit on my charge card for one night of our stay. I’m quite pleased!

Frontier Airlines is holding a Colorado Day sale! You have only 24 hours to purchase your tickets for this deal, and you must travel between August 21st and November 14th of this year. Taxes and fees are not included. I’ve never traveled Frontier before – have you?

Example fares:

Denver to Tampa $99 one way

Denver to Washington DC $124 one way

Denver to Philadelphia $124 one way

Denver to Las Vegas $59 one way