The Gift of Integrity Do you know someone who has high integrity? That person seems to stand out because integrity can be such a rare commodity. As my father-in-law says, integrity is a gift you give yourself. How? By making the day-to-day choices and decisions that shape a strong character. Integri...

COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!!, COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!! What the heck? There?s a rooster in the office? Wait, where am I? I slowly wake up from what has obviously been a dream, perhaps even a nightmare. Monday morning, November 15th, 2004, 5:45 am, Boca Sierpe, Costa Rica. Maybe it was the dream but I jump up...

Using credit cards while traveling is a good idea for a number of reasons:

• You have a record of your expenditures for record-keeping and tax purposes (especially important if you travel for business)
• You may get a better exchange rate when obtaining foreign currency when using your cred...

For New Englanders a tropical island seems about as remote as the Pyramids. A summer getaway to the beach usually means a trip to the Cape or to Maine where while the rocky shores may look beautiful, the water is somewhat less than welcoming. Few could imagine that just off the shores of Rhode Islan...

I know I am a little biased, but really, Toronto is a GREAT place. I have lived in the Greater Toronto Area for the last 18+ years and for the last almost 10 years I have lived right in the City of Toronto. And I love it! I wanted to put together a little profile of Toronto, this quirky, multicultur...

Benidorm, which is located just 20 minutes north of the city of Alicante on the Costa Blanca coast Spain, is such as action-packed city. Even though it has a beautiful stretch of soft sandy beaches, we should leave this leisure activity for the end because there are so many kinds of tourist parks to...

It is unbelievable how nine days can just fly by. Today my brother, sister-in-law and our two Austrian friends are scheduled to fly back to Graz, Austria, via Vienna. There has been an increasingly palpable sense of sentimentality in the air, in light of the fact that this wonderful time is coming t...

Paris, one of most popular travel destinations in the world and the city with the biggest amount of hotels, is called world fashion capital and ?the capital of all enamored?. One single life is not enough to see all that Paris has to offer, but its best sights and the brightest places can be visited...

LOS ANGELES a metropolis, which spans across a thousand square miles of the great desert basin, mixed together with congested freeways that run between the ocean and the mountains. LA is still considered a young city. In the mid-nineteenth century, it was a community of white American immigrants, p...

Before each flight, you do a preflight inspection of the aircraft that you are going to fly in. You make sure that it is airworthy, legal and safe to take to the skies. This is a very important step that you should never, ever skip. Another item to check is one that might not be in your aircraft che...

Free halloween ecards are now available for you to send to your friends and family. What would you like to have on your free halloween ecard? Pumpkins and scarecrows? Ghosts and witches? A horn of cornucopia? The free halloween ecards available on the Internet can be entertaining, humorous, serious,...

In 1969 Bill Lefakinis a Greek born and United States bred businessman envisioned a dream, which has since become a reality - Greece, The Yachting Capital of the World. Bill left Greece at the early age of 13 to pursue a better life and future for himself and his family. Bill attended the Hackley Sc...

Where is New Zealand, exactly? New Zealand is two islands in the Pacific, but it is not a Pacific Island. All those islands we normally think of as "Pacific": New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga, the Cook Islands, and Tahiti, lie between 15 and 23 degrees South. They are north of the Tropic of Caprico...

Budget travellers and backpackers are known for their love of a fun evening no matter where in the world they end up. For those who reach the northern city of Chiang Mai, Thailand, there are plenty of opportunities for nightlife excitement, with the added bonus of it being really, really inexpensive...

Making vacation plans for Hawaii probably has you searching all your favorite stores for the best tropical inspired clothing of the season, however packing for a Hawaiian vacation requires more than simply picking out tropical themed clothing. In fact, to properly pack for Hawaii you need to conside...

Edward Leedskalnin was a polite, secretive gentleman who loved children. He would occasionally host small public gatherings at Coral Castle, such as field trips for the local school kids. Each event was complete with hot dogs, which Ed cooked in his unique outdoor oven. Ed finished the castle in its...

Door County, Wisconsin is a popular destination for tens of thousands of travelers every year. Small villages with populations of less than 500 people swell to large crowds during the summer weekends as people head to Door County for some rest, relaxation, time on the water, and good food. The Inn ...

Despite their similarities to cigarettes, cigars have long possessed a much more sophisticated persona. Though they have often been portrayed as accessories of the rich and powerful in years past, cigars have seen a much broader degree of mainstream popularity recently. Magazines like Cigar Aficio...

During the cold war we had jet fighters which were called minute men which could go from starting the engine to 10,000 feet is right around six minutes. This protected our coastlines incase of attack from incoming Russian Long Range Bombers or ICBM missiles. This made sense at the time because the t...

Puerto Banus in Marbella, Southern Spain is one of the most exclusive resorts in the world but there are only five Hotels that are actually in Puerto Banus itself. Fair enough, there are plenty of Hotels throughout Marbella to cater for all tastes and budgets but if you want to stay in Puerto Banus,...

I believe we were put here on this planet to soar with success, to fly to new personal heights of growth to succeed and enjoy the journey we call life. I know that we all realize that all of us have problems; the problem is that we all tend to look in the wrong place to solve those problems. It se...

Writing a résumé can be one of the most daunting parts of any job search. Quite frankly, it is one of the most important elements in helping you finding work. A good résumé can ease doors open while a poorly written one will certainly shut these very same doors. In aviation, there are certain things...

Are you planning on traveling overseas in the near future? Many people are unprepared when they land in a foreign country, because they don?t have the proper currency. While many European nations have converted to the Euro, there are still plenty of different currencies used overseas and in Europe. ...

Would you like to spend nights at the most beautiful, most exciting and most unforgettable places? Would you like to constantly receive TOP Insider Tips from natives, whose are really well versed - and this totally free of charge? Would you like to save 50 to 80% of your usual overnight expenses? If...

When you are going to an area that you are not familiar with, you might not know how to find vacation rentals there. In reality, it`s quite simple to find vacation rentals in just about any area of the world if you know where to look and when to employ help. The Internet proves to be a great resourc...

One of the most popular tourist destinations in both the United States and throughout the world is Hawaii. Hawaii is a state consisting of islands. These include Hawaii, known as the Big Island, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, and Kauai. The attractions available on these six islands range from advent...

I?ve written a great deal on Chile but I?ve for the most part concentrated on Santiago and the major outlying areas. In this article I?ll concentrate more on the beach and coastal areas. I frequent these areas just about every single weekend and had, for a time, planned on building my cottage near t...

Towards the end of September Barcelona begins to limber up for the largest event on its festival calendar, La Mercé, a celebration of the city?s patron saint ?Mare de Deu de la Mercé?. The festival heralds the end of summer and the onset of the autumn months. The festival is a real big deal for the ...

I haven?t posted my column in a while. I have been working on some manuscripts?books?that are finally ready to send to publishers. So I thought and thought, ?what should I write for my column? and I have come up with this: My honeymoon has finally ended with Mexico. Now, do not get me wrong. I do no...

Aerospace engineers are always trying to figure out how to improve the efficiency of aircraft, reduce the drag and improve performance. Each incremental increase also comes with it a decrease in percentage or improvements in future changes, modifications and techniques. This is similar as well in ra...

Northern Ireland - a place which to many people, conjures up images of warfare and civil unrest. Thirty years of bloodshed has indeed tarnished the image of Northern Ireland throughout the world. The good news is that this beautiful little country is now climbing slowly but surely out of the misery ...

Adventure. Do you actually remember the word? When was the last time you went out for some real adventures? Well, you might be having some wrong perceptions about ?adventure?, considering your everyday life in this concrete jungle as one big adventure (in a way, you may call it an adventure). Well i...

If you`re like me, choosing a hotel in a strange town makes you nervous. The Internet might be great for rates and accommodations, but the listings can`t give you a feel for where those hotels and motels are located and what their neighborhoods are like. Last year, I made reservations with fingers c...

A Christmas stocking is one of the hallmarks of Christmas because everyone has them and we all know what they are. Even though everyone has a different Christmas stocking, we all love our stocking and seeing it brings back memories from the past. Stockings are just one of those things that make Ch...

For centuries, the Nile River has been at the center of life in Egypt. The ancient Egyptian civilization relied on the flooding of the Nile to create fertile land for farming in an otherwise desert landscape. Excavations along the Nile have unearthed vast quantities of archeological remnants from an...

While Glen Rose, Texas may be best known as America`s Dream Town 2004 and the Dinosaur Capitol of Texas, it is also an excellent place to visit to beat the Texas heat. This time of year vacationers are looking for the best ways to enjoy the summer, while staying cool at the same time. A combination ...

For a while now I have been dreaming of taking the recently re-introduced high-speed ferry service from Toronto to Rochester. The ferry service briefly ran last year, introduced by a group of private investors, but stopped running after a few weeks due to financial difficulties. It was reintroduced ...

After deciding to move to Siberia for a year to teach at the Chita State Technical University, I embarked on a travel odyssey unlike any other. In this entry, we pick up the last stage of the seven-day trip to get there. Siberia As Seen From A Train In preparing for my trip, I had actually done...

So, this is the Brazil. This is what Rio de Janeiro is really all about. When the Carnival arrives, companies close down, shops shut their doors early, and streets are closed off to make way for dancing, parties and parades. This awe inspiring festivity not only provides entertainment for the thousa...

Listening to a traffic report in Chicago is like hearing a MCSE professional talk about firewalls and proxy servers. You somehow know that what`s being said is important and you should know what it is, but he or she might as well be speaking in binary code. After being in Chicago awhile you learn th...

Both Inuit Eskimo art and Native American art have gained international recognition as valuable art forms over the past few decades. However, the rising popularity of both Inuit Eskimo art and Native American art has resulted in the increased proliferation of imitations and mass-produced reproductio...

Famous for its French Quarter and notorious for its Mardi Gras celebration, New Orleans is a veritable carnival of sensory delights. From music to food to atmosphere, New Orleans has become a cultural staple of the United States. The historic French Quarter offers cobblestone streets, horse-drawn ca...

You`ll Have Memories Of Boston That Will Last Forever Boston is a place that you will never forget, be it you are there for your weekend of on a vacation. It has something for everyone to remember for ever. Boston is a happening city which offers a variety of places to see and avenues to have fu...

The uniqueness of Canada?s provinces makes each one worth visiting. Whether you like to ski or swim, fish or golf, visit national monuments or museums, Canada has it all in one beautiful, thirteen-province country. One of the most popular travel destinations in Canada is Ontario, a metropolitan ce...

Hawaii: beautiful beaches, perfect weather, amazing surf, exquisite cuisine, and one of the world`s favorite places to visit on a much-needed vacation. Here`s a quick tour of Hawaii with some highlights, hotel information and the key to an amazing Hawaii vacation. Here`s the secret: find an inexpens...

What?s Gatorland? Well, I?m glad you asked. Gatorland is a great ?in between? place to visit while you?re in Orlando for vacation. Let me explain. When visitors first arrive in Orlando they often have half a day or so of time on their hands before they start touring the major theme parks. Or,...

Choosing the right digital camera for general use can be more challenging than actually taking a good picture. Like all things technical, digital cameras come in a vast array of styles, sizes and abilities. However, you don`t have to research in great depth to make the right choice -- you need on...

The Galapagos Islands were named after the giant Galapagos tortoises. The archipelago emerged six million years ago as a result of volcanic activity in the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. These enchanted place on earth is composed of 19 islands and more than 40 islets, with white sand beaches, dark and...

Most people envision Las Vegas as one big casino. Admittedly I was one of them, until I undertook the ride of a lifetime. Imagine soaring hundreds of feet above canyons of red and orange, walking over rocks that been sculpted by mother nature herself and floating down a river of dreams. These are th...

It`s hard to say where old Hollywood ended and new Hollywood began. People in the industry don`t think of themselves as making history, they are just going to work. But the day in 1967 that Jack Warner cleaned out his desk at Warner Bros. studio, George Lucas and Frances Ford Coppola arrived on the ...