When we are seeking for San Diego vacation rentals, most people will spend a lot of time searching the web. This is quite natural and it's okay. However, there are other ways too for you to find that ideal holiday in the spring or summer. A way that works well is to make a note of the locations and properties you like the look of when you are on vacation.
Try to get names and e-mails and telephone numbers. After your vacation whilst at home you can contact the vendors with a view to arranging next season's booking. This will give you the advantage over most vacationers who invariably end up paying top dollar, assuming that they can get a place at all.
It is quite common place for vacationers to look for rental units from mid-January through to the end of March period for their summertime vacation. The problem is, booking in the height of the season is a risky and expensive venture. This is especially true in the case of favourite destinations such as Mission Beach. Incidentally, remember when consulting with vendors that in the case of Mission Beach, the norm is booking from Saturday to Saturday.
Now Although San Diego is famous for its rugged coastline and gorgeous sandy beaches, which is great for couples or singles, there is much to offer families with kids. Entertaining them in San Diego is a breeze! You have or example not only the hugely popular San Diego Sea world where otters sea lions and dolphins entertain, but also the fabulous Lego-land right on the doorstep. These theme parks are fairyland to children and adults alike. What a great place to have a rental vacation.
This theme Park is a children's wonderland and by the way adults love it to. There is so much to do in just one place. Of course there is also the most famous attraction of all, the San Diego Sea world where you will witness dolphins, sea lions, otters, and similar mammals all having a wonderful time showing off to the public!
The ethnic cuisine is a delight and there are a large number of excellent restaurants all over. The prices are realistic, and the speciality is without a doubt Hispanic. You will enjoy the many street entertainers that play great salsa and mariachi music as you dine AL fresco.
There is a plethora of eating houses of the highest order and very reasonably priced. There are many ethnic foods but the speciality of the house is definitely Hispanic. Whilst you're eating you will often be entertained by street musicians playing anything from salsa to mariachi music.
Please remember that that is how they make their living but do not allow them to pressure you in any way simply ask advice and hold out for a reasonable price. Remember also that there are many excellent websites on the Internet where owners advertise their San Diego vacation rentals.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Fort Worth's Community Gardens Home
What is a community garden? I wondered. According to the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) website, it is any plot of land gardened by a group of people. It can be urban, suburban and it can have flowers or vegetables.
Located on 5th just across from Fairmount Park, Fort Worth's neighborhood garden has 76 leased plots, director Susan Harper said.
Harper said Andrew Schoolmaster, TCU's dean of liberal arts, and Paul Paine, Fort Worth South, Inc. president, approached her in 2008 to start the garden. It took them two years to get everything together because it is the first and only community garden in Fort Worth, so there was some red tape.
Schoolmaster (what a name for a dean) is an urban geographer, so it made sense to him that Fort Worth needed a spot like this. So how is it used?
The community garden has a few plots for children where parents can educate them on nutrition and gardening. It is also a source of food security for the underprivileged families in the area. For a $35 annual fee a family can lease a plot. This price includes mulch and water to take care of their veggies.
Community gardens are also great for urban renewal — it takes an empty space and makes it attractive again. And it truly is pretty, which is why it must have won first place in social revitalization at the Neighborhood of the Year Conference. Harper was very proud to share this with me, as she should be. The garden has only been open for a little over a year, has an award and a waiting list.
Thanks to a comment on this blog I learned several community gardens are sprouting in Fort Worth. A Tarrant Area Food Bank website has a list of local vegetable gardens you should check out! It sounds like they have a lot of great things going on for the community.
You don't have to live in the Fairmount community to participate in this urban experience. Harper said people from TCU area, Mistletoe, Ryan Place and other areas have leased plots. If you would like to get on a waiting list or know more about the garden, call Susan Harper at 817.721-7223.
 |
| Fairmount Community Garden |
 |
| The Sign |
 |
| Fairmount Community Garden |
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Another Great Summer Weekend
This event is packed full of great local flavors, drinks and live music. And this next concert features one of my favorite local bands — Calhoun!
Saturday, June 4 is my favorite Concert in the Gardens show. The Classical Mystery Tour, which is a Beatles cover group that tours the globe, will captivate all ages with popular tunes we can sing along to. Lawn passes are $16. We bring our own snacks and wine, sit on a blanket and have a picnic-style night out with friends. Children under 10 get in free.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
One Day In the Morning
 |
| Waiting. Always waiting. Issaquah Triathlon. 4 June 2011 |
Before the sun rises, we rise. We get up. I shower.
We break down a bike, load bags in the car, we drive.
Rather, he drives and I sleep.
We arrive at a state park, a beach, a waterfront.
The sun is just coming up. It is peaceful, calm.
I wish I'd remembered my running shoes.
There are many people, bleary eyed but chipper. Wives with coffee in hand. Kids asleep in their fathers' arms. Family and friends who sacrifice their sleep to cheer for loved ones.
There are so many wetsuits, you can smell the rubber.
There is laughter. Tension. Nerves.
Shouting from the announcers. The gun fires.
The wave of swimmers hit the water. Family members wait on the sidelines.
The unique sound of hundreds of wet feet slapping the pavement as they run towards the transition area. The frantic rush as people watch their loved ones run on, further faster. As wetsuits are ripped off and bike shoes are shoved on.
Then, they are off, pedaling to places we can't see them. We wait.
One by one, they return.
The slide in on the gravel. Stumbling off their bikes. Legs, weak, now forced to run.
A bike is racked. Shoes are shoved on feet. They run.
It's only a couple miles, but it feels like forever.
We wait. Again.
This time by the finish like. The shout of the crowd rises, echoing in the still morning. "Good job!" "You can do it!" "Just a little more!" "You're almost there!"
My hands, red and almost raw from the clapping. My voice, hoarse from the screaming.
My heart racing. Hoping.
The worry when it feels like its been too long since he came through the transition.
The joy, when he crosses the finish line.
The exhaustion written on his face.
I pack the bags back up. We sit in the sun. Too tired to move, but ready to go home.
We're already planning for the next one.
Summer is here, triathlon season has begun.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Koh Tao: Not Only Scuba Divers Anymore
Koh Tao isn't just an island paradise for scuba divers - this small island in the Gulf Of Thailand is great for anyone looking to get away from the crowds
Look in any guidebook and Koh Tao will always be talked about in the same way - it's a mecca for scuba divers with not much else going on for anyone else. That may have been the case 10 years ago, but today Koh Tao has a plethora of great restaurants and accommodation set around its scenic beaches that will keep any non-diver very happy. [If you're looking for Koh Tao scuba diving info, check Travelhappy's sister site Divehappy.com]
Indeed, Koh Tao's very remoteness - it takes four hours to get there by ferry from the mainland, a couple of hours longer than getting to neighbouring Koh Phangan and Koh Samui - means that Koh Tao's pace of development has been a lot more laid back. It's one of the reasons I enjoyed living on the island for six months back in 2004. Koh Tao is a rugged, hilly island still very much covered by jungle. There are no high rise hotels on the island and no airport - and there's no McDonalds or Starbucks either. ATMs and mobile phone antennae only arrived at the turn of the new century. Instead, there are three very small towns scattered along the coastline of Koh Tao which are connected by one major road.
There are numerous beaches which are extremely pretty and a huge range of accommodation that largely caters to upmarket backpackers, with several new luxury options too. [You browse and book Koh Tao hotels online]. If you're looking to get away from the madness of the crowds in Samui, Phuket or Pattaya, Koh Tao is the place to go.
New arrivals in Koh Tao come into the port town of Mae Haad, a single strip of shops where you can get a pickup taxi to either Sairee Beach or to Chalok Baan Kao. Sairee is the main hub of the island - it's a mile long. pretty beach which has lots of accommodation, bars, nightclubs and dive shops along it and culminates in Sairee Village, a small collection of shops and restaurants, including Koh Tao stalwarts Simple Life and Choppers. Most of the accommodation along Sairee is classic Thai wooden huts with balconies and room for a hammock, a stone's throw from the sea. Sairee is the best place to be based in Koh Tao to begin with, simply because it puts everything within walking distance. Otherwise you'll need to hire a motorbike (visit Mr Berno at Lederhosen Motorbikes in Mae Haad) or get a taxi each time you want to go out, which can be a bit tedious. A paved walkway runs the length of Sairee Beach so you can stroll up and down under the palm trees. When the paved walkway turns into a muddy hill - you're at the end of the beach. The muddy dirt road leads up to another cluster of hotels and back to Mae Haad after another 15 minute walk.
Chalok Baan Kao is the other main town on the southern coast of the island. It's a good spot to go if you want a bit more peace and quiet away from the Sairee scene. There are some cracking beaches around here, especially Shark Bay, which has some spectacular snorkelling, as the Bay really is a shark nursery and the baby sharks can often be seen in the water.
Overlooking Shark Bay is Jamahkiri, a truly unique restaurant and spa that has been built into the steep hill itself using traditional Thai materials, creating a breathtaking piece of architecture. You can go up there for lunch and dinner - perfect for watching sunset over the bay - and get a complete set of spa treatments too. You can also book accommodation up there too, although bear in mind it's quite pricey and it's also pretty remote. [You can book hotel rooms online for Jamahkiri] It's at least 20 minutes car ride by 4 wheel pickup from Mae Haad - and the road is almost vertical in some places! It's worth the effort though and the Jamahkiri office in Mae Haad provides the pickup for free. Alternatively you can get a beautiful view from the other side of Shark Bay at the New Heaven Bakery and Restaurant, which is a lot easier to reach.
While there is a growing range of luxury accommodation and spa therapy on Koh Tao, it co-exists peacefully with the island's backpacker roots - at least for now. Prices on Koh Tao are much cheaper than Samui, for example, despite everything having to be imported to the island. Those looking for five star hotels and the like don't usually bother looking as far as Koh Tao, and it's the laid back nature of the island that makes it so appealing. With just the one major road snaking through the island, it's possible to feel at home within a couple of days of being there because you get your orientation so quickly. Indeed, it's easy to forget that life on the island exists beyond Sairee Beach! There are numerous small, remote bungalows scattered around the bays of the rest of the island, several only accessible by boat, that let the more adventurous get some real time to themselves.
In short, Koh Tao has plenty to offer travellers looking for a place to really relax and not necessarily go scuba diving. It's a popular destination, so there's plenty of other people to meet, but the island never feels crowded. There's no fighting through sun loungers on the beach or anything like that. It's got everything you need - decent accommodation that's not too pricey, a range of great food, from Thai to Mexican to Italian, plus the inevitable Irish pub Dirty Nelly's, and a collection of beautiful beaches that should keep sun worshippers happy. Most people who come to Koh Tao plan to be there for three or four days and end up staying three or four weeks instead. It's that kind of place.
Indeed, Koh Tao's very remoteness - it takes four hours to get there by ferry from the mainland, a couple of hours longer than getting to neighbouring Koh Phangan and Koh Samui - means that Koh Tao's pace of development has been a lot more laid back. It's one of the reasons I enjoyed living on the island for six months back in 2004. Koh Tao is a rugged, hilly island still very much covered by jungle. There are no high rise hotels on the island and no airport - and there's no McDonalds or Starbucks either. ATMs and mobile phone antennae only arrived at the turn of the new century. Instead, there are three very small towns scattered along the coastline of Koh Tao which are connected by one major road.
There are numerous beaches which are extremely pretty and a huge range of accommodation that largely caters to upmarket backpackers, with several new luxury options too. [You browse and book Koh Tao hotels online]. If you're looking to get away from the madness of the crowds in Samui, Phuket or Pattaya, Koh Tao is the place to go.
New arrivals in Koh Tao come into the port town of Mae Haad, a single strip of shops where you can get a pickup taxi to either Sairee Beach or to Chalok Baan Kao. Sairee is the main hub of the island - it's a mile long. pretty beach which has lots of accommodation, bars, nightclubs and dive shops along it and culminates in Sairee Village, a small collection of shops and restaurants, including Koh Tao stalwarts Simple Life and Choppers. Most of the accommodation along Sairee is classic Thai wooden huts with balconies and room for a hammock, a stone's throw from the sea. Sairee is the best place to be based in Koh Tao to begin with, simply because it puts everything within walking distance. Otherwise you'll need to hire a motorbike (visit Mr Berno at Lederhosen Motorbikes in Mae Haad) or get a taxi each time you want to go out, which can be a bit tedious. A paved walkway runs the length of Sairee Beach so you can stroll up and down under the palm trees. When the paved walkway turns into a muddy hill - you're at the end of the beach. The muddy dirt road leads up to another cluster of hotels and back to Mae Haad after another 15 minute walk.
Chalok Baan Kao is the other main town on the southern coast of the island. It's a good spot to go if you want a bit more peace and quiet away from the Sairee scene. There are some cracking beaches around here, especially Shark Bay, which has some spectacular snorkelling, as the Bay really is a shark nursery and the baby sharks can often be seen in the water.
Overlooking Shark Bay is Jamahkiri, a truly unique restaurant and spa that has been built into the steep hill itself using traditional Thai materials, creating a breathtaking piece of architecture. You can go up there for lunch and dinner - perfect for watching sunset over the bay - and get a complete set of spa treatments too. You can also book accommodation up there too, although bear in mind it's quite pricey and it's also pretty remote. [You can book hotel rooms online for Jamahkiri] It's at least 20 minutes car ride by 4 wheel pickup from Mae Haad - and the road is almost vertical in some places! It's worth the effort though and the Jamahkiri office in Mae Haad provides the pickup for free. Alternatively you can get a beautiful view from the other side of Shark Bay at the New Heaven Bakery and Restaurant, which is a lot easier to reach.
While there is a growing range of luxury accommodation and spa therapy on Koh Tao, it co-exists peacefully with the island's backpacker roots - at least for now. Prices on Koh Tao are much cheaper than Samui, for example, despite everything having to be imported to the island. Those looking for five star hotels and the like don't usually bother looking as far as Koh Tao, and it's the laid back nature of the island that makes it so appealing. With just the one major road snaking through the island, it's possible to feel at home within a couple of days of being there because you get your orientation so quickly. Indeed, it's easy to forget that life on the island exists beyond Sairee Beach! There are numerous small, remote bungalows scattered around the bays of the rest of the island, several only accessible by boat, that let the more adventurous get some real time to themselves.
In short, Koh Tao has plenty to offer travellers looking for a place to really relax and not necessarily go scuba diving. It's a popular destination, so there's plenty of other people to meet, but the island never feels crowded. There's no fighting through sun loungers on the beach or anything like that. It's got everything you need - decent accommodation that's not too pricey, a range of great food, from Thai to Mexican to Italian, plus the inevitable Irish pub Dirty Nelly's, and a collection of beautiful beaches that should keep sun worshippers happy. Most people who come to Koh Tao plan to be there for three or four days and end up staying three or four weeks instead. It's that kind of place.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Morocco Travel Tips: when haggling in Marrakech
Knowing if it is right to haggle
Haggling for some discount is a matter of right timing. You need to know when it is appropriate to haggle and what items are not okay to haggle, like food.
Do you really want it?
You need to decide if you want to see an item at your display case back home. You cannot haggle and just walk away while in the middle of a good deal. Sellers in Marrakech, or even in other market places, will consider your rude.
Have fun shopping
You are not closing a multi million business deal. So drop the seriousness and have some fun while shopping. Compliment the store keeper and ask everything you want about the stuff you want to buy.
Haggle in style
Once you know the offer of the shop owner the ball is in your court and you can offer something really low and watch his or her facial expression and body language. Try to meet in the middle where you will be happy with the price and still let them have some profit. Most of the time you can negotiate and close the deal as far as half the original price.
Be considerate and see things in the right perspective
The market place in Marrakech is a micro-economy and a community made up of people who do not enjoy social care and other benefits. They are in the market to make some living and you as a buyer should understand that they also need some profit to buy what they need on a daily basis.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)