Articles From Quackatorium

Slow down for your business travel?? Is there really such a thing as Slow Travel for business? Or are business people being targeted with make-believe "Slow Travel" business trip scenarios?
Now that is a serious question.
Is there a straight answer? Probably not. Simply because the answer is going to be a little of both. Yes and no.
Unfortunately we do live in a world where not all of the people possess hearts full of joy and compassion for their fellow man. We do live in the real world, and yes there are charlatans that walk amongst us.
But their business, is none of our business. Our business is to try and make our business trip one we can consider "Slow".
A real, SLOW business adventure.
Because, hold on to your hats boys and girls...... Yes indeed, Virginia there is a Santa Claus. The mythical is not so mythical. By that I mean there is such a thing as "Slow Business" travel.
Depending upon your schedule (shockingly, slow business travelers will likely still have a schedule), your trip can be whatever you make of it even if you are on a fairly strict time constraint. Because Slow Travel is not always about the time itself. Often it's about how the time is spent. In fact, in my opinion much of the slow methodology is not so much time oriented in so far as tossing your watch into a river. To me it's focus targets the quality of a given period of time and my recognition thereof.
Whether it's 10 minutes, 10 hours, 10 days, or 10 weeks. Maximizing the quality of that time in your life is of the utmost importance. When I first began learning about What "Slow" was all about from Geir Berthelsen (founder of The World Institute Of Slowness- www.theworldinstituteofslowness.com ), it quickly became apparent to me that it had almost nothing to do with the time itself.
It's real value lies within my own personal happiness gained from the appropriate use of that same time.
In other words, an appreciation for what ever time frame you have allotted to you. Giving us the ability to truly utilize Slow Travel in the business world too. Because let's face it, there's not a business trip that any of us have been on where we couldn't take one single minute to stop and smell the roses. Not one conference where we could have gone out in our lunch on the grass, listening to the birds in the trees, instead of working the crowd in a lunch room.
The same holds true in traveling to our business destinations. On any given business trip, with a little thought, we could certainly be a little more creative a lot more fun planning how we're going to get there. There's no reason why instead of the subway we couldn't take a ferry or a boat if there happens to be water between us and our business destination. There's no reason why we couldn't take a train with a sleeping car the night before the big conference, instead of taking the 2 a.m. redye and showing up looking like we were mugged someone along the way.
Yes Slow Travel (www.slowtravel.org ) is about time. But it's not about the quantity of time. Rather, it's about your consciousness of its value and a specific effort to use it to the best of your ability, making it pleasant, calm, serene, and pleasurable. You can spend that exact same time racing, panting and stressing. Or, you can spend the moments making your life just a little better than it was before.
All on the company dime. SLOW is SWEET.
Learn more, visit www.slowtravel.com, www.slowtravel.org or www.theworldinstituteofslowness.com today. The true pioneers of the slow movement and the driving force behind the furtherance and education regarding a SLOW lifestyle overall.

At one time or another, you are going to have to transport your equipment, even if it's only a half hour away to the local club where you contracted to play. Whether you transport your equipment in a truck, van, or SUV, the important thing is to make sure that everything is protected not only from the weather, but also from any bumps that may occur in the road. To do that, you want to make sure that you have everything protected with either a blanket or an instrument covering. You need to make sure that they don't bump against each other and don't have an opportunity to fall during the drive.
If your venue is some distance from where you live, and you need to fly or take the train, you may find that your equipment is not quite as subject to bumping as it is on the highway. That doesn't mean, however, that you should be any less cautious. You still want to protect your equipment, especially on a plane where you may be subject to turbulence. Even if your equipment is insured, you don't want to have to worry about it being damaged before you reach the venue, and have to make arrangements to rent equipment to use for your show.
For local venues, a van is much better than a truck or even SUV because of the size the ease of putting instruments into it. An SUV can be somewhat small for transporting a large drum set, and a regular truck offers no protection in case of rain. The latter may be find if you find yourself in a bind, but when it comes time to buy a vehicle for transporting band equipment, a cargo van is your best choice. In fact, you may want to put some cushioning in the back of the van - perhaps carpet the sides, especially if you don't plan to use the van for any other purpose. This will save you from having to tote along extra padding when you travel with the equipment. The earlier you learn how to properly transport your equipment, the easier it will be later if you choose to go national with your act and have to move the equipment more frequently and transport it for longer distances.
Keeping everything protected and safe means that when you get to your destination, you know that everything will be ready to go right on stage for practice and performance. Take all of the precautions now, and you will reap many benefits later in the time savings and longevity of your instruments' lives. Don't try to cut corners with your protective equipment - buy the best that is on the market.

A Disney World vacation is a dream vacation for most families. But it's also an expensive one, especially if you don't know how to find an affordable package.

There are many flexible ways to purchase tickets. The more days you plan to stay at the resort, the better bargain you'll receive. If you want to visit more than one theme park, it might be a good idea to hang around the resort for a little while. You can save a little money and experience some extra Disney magic with your family that way.

The "Park Hopper" option is also a good way to save some money and it allows you and your family to visit multiple theme parks during the same day, for however long you purchased tickets for. This rids of you having to carry a ticket for each theme park and being limited to a single park a day.

Also, there is a "Magic Plus Pack" option which allows you access to other Disney World attractions, like the two water parks, Disneyquest (an indoor, interactive theme park) and more. Then there is the "No Expiration Option," which allows park access for up to fourteen days after the original resort tickets have been used. Of those fourteen, any unused days can be taken advantage of for a future vacation.

But wait, there's more....

Disney World isn't just known for its exciting sites, shows, and attractions. From inexpensive restaurants to fine dining, there are several options to choose from. In a package deal, each family member is provided with combination meals and a snack every day and there are over a hundred restaurants located in the Disney World parks and hotels. You can contact your travel agent for detailed information about the opportunities you and your fellow vacationers will have.

The premium package is certainly one of the most elegant vacation deals around - it includes meal vouchers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as theme park tours and admission to shows like Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba.

A Disney World Vacation is sure to be unforgettable and worth every penny, especially if you plan ahead. There are plenty of goodies you may want to invest in, like the pass that allows you to hang around the park after hours and Walt Disney World is prepared for all your needs, whether it be child care or transportation to and from the different parks and hotels. So make sure you to give more than a cursory glance to all the different package deals and benefits of a Disney World vacation!

What are you waiting for? Book the vacation of your lives and share some magical Disney moments with your family.

Hawaii is one of the hottest tourist destination in the world. There were about 6.5 million visitors to Hawaii in 2003 and about 7.3 million visitors in 2005.
Hawaii is such a popular tourist destination is largely due to the fact that the state is blessed by beautiful natural landscape and beaches as well as its tourist friendly weather all throughout the year. So there is actually no best time to visit Hawaii unless for specific reasons such as whale watching season.
Weather and climate in Hawaii - The weather in Hawaii can be simply divided into two seasons, namely winter and summer. In winter, which is from mid-October to April, day time temperatures are in the comfortable mid 60 to 80 degree Fahrenheit or 16 to 27 degree Celsius. At night, the temperature will plunge another 10 degrees Fahrenheit so you may need to bring a jacket or a sweater if you are going outdoors.
There is generally more rain at this time of the year, especially so in November and December. The driest places during winter months are Waikiki on Oahu, Makena, Wailea and Kihei on Muai, Kona and Kohala on the Big Island of Hawaii and Poipu on Kuaia.
Summer takes over from May to mid-October and daytime temperature hovers around mid 80 F or about 30 degree Celsius. Evening is cooler by 5 to 10 F. Also there will be less rainfall and even if it does rain, it will be only in short spells. This is the best time for beach activites such as surfing the waves and scuba diving in Hawaii.
Tourists season in Hawaii - The busiest tourist season in Hawaii is from around Christmas time to mid-April despite of the wetter weather during those months. If you travel to Hawaii during this season, you will have to jostle with tourists from all over the world when you visit Hawaii's popular tourist attractions. Hotels, vacation rental homes and accommodations will also be a lot more expensive because of the high demand.
So if you want to avoid crowds and have a less expensive Hawaii holiday vacation, then the best time to visit Hawaii will be from May to October. Other plus points for visiting Hawaii during May to October months are that the trade wind is at its most refreshing and the weather is dry making Hawaii more pleasant for jet lagged tourists.
The north eastern part of the Hawaiian islands bear the brunt of inclement weather most and it is not uncommon to see tourists sprawling on the beaches enjoying sunbathing on one part of the island while fierce rain and wind batter the other part.
Hawaii is sort of blessed where hurricanes and earthquakes are concerned as these forces of nature are infrequent although volcanic eruptions are happening periodically on the Big Island. However, not only are these eruptions safe, viewing the volcanic eruptions close up is one on the favorite tourist activities. Views of the eruptions may be compromised by a "vog" or haze which hangs in the air after the eruptions.
So when is the best time to visit Hawaii? You decide decide for yourself as Hawaii is a tourist magnet all year round.

I've been to Mauritius to escape the English winter, this was some years ago, when there were winters. We went in March, and spent a fortune. One of my female employees went to Cyprus at the same time. She came home with an incredible tan, and we didn't because there was little sun in Mauritius, because we were in the area of influence of a tropical depression which sat offshore during our entire stay!!
It was a steep learning curve, because we assumed the best time to go to Mauritius was in our European winter, and now I know this to be wrong. The weather in Mauritius in January February or March, can be beautiful, but now I know that there is a serious risk of tropical cyclones, and you can have ten days of foul weather!!
The other months to avoid are July and August, because again the weather is often very unreliable. Many people don't realise that Mauritius being south of the equator , means that August is the middle of the winter, so temperatures can be lower than at home in the UK. I feel for many honeymoon couples who have booked one of the many delux hotels in Mauritius, only to discover it isn't blue sky and tropical temperatures.
If you want to see more Indian Ocean Destinations then go to http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com/categories/Indian-Ocean-Hideways/
If you want discount air fares to Mauritius, and steeply discounted hotel deals, then you need to look outside of the time of year discussed so far, that is quite obvious. The best months to go are April, May, October, and November.
Out of all of these months, May stands out as the best month, when the weather is not so wet and unpredictable, yet it is still warm enough at 29 degrees centigrade. Most importantly that is the month of the big tempting discounts from discounted air line tickets to amazing hotel deals.
Choose May to take a vacation in Mauritius and save money!!

I don't know whether or not you have considered not only a vacation in South Africa, or even got as far as the planning stage. For most people a visit to South Africa tends to be in the middle of the European Winter, because of the attractions of blue sky and a much better temperature.
Naturally enough this is high season time in South Africa, and we should all know exactly what that means.
It of course means high prices, and crowds, two things that would put me right off.
Going to South Africa has to include at least a few days spent on Safari, so what does that mean in high season?
The first thing it means is a 40% hike in hotel room rates, and in the same vein, a substantial rise in air fares especially around the Christmas to New Year period.
In addition why don't you consider the following thoughts:
If you want to fly from Europe to Cape Town, then fares drop sharply in mid August, and hotel rates stay low until September. It is true that the temperature in Cape Town over Christmas are around 25 degrees centigrade, and in August only 18 degrees. There is far more rain in August, but what are the advantages of a low season visit apart from the obvious financial one?
The first thing is, that you don't hopefully go to South Africa to sit and vegetate on a beach, after all you can go to many other less interesting places and do that.
Tehre is more rain so in the Western Cape, The Namaqualand is in full bloom, just for a very short period of time.
It is a great time to go whale watching in Hermanus, and a wonderful time to visit Kruger Park, because this is when the animals congregate around water holes.
So in conclusion the best time to visit South Africa is not December/January, but August

Looking for a great way to please the family? Consider a ski vacation. Everyone loves to ski, and there are many great locations to take the family to for a good time. Take a look at these locations.

Sugarloaf, in the great state of Maine, is a ski resort sure to please your family. Located on a mountain named, appropriately, Sugarloaf Mountain, it has a grand history. In 1951 the first trail was cut by a group known as a The Bigelow Boys. It is today a premier ski area of the Northeast United States, second in elevation onto to the highest mountain in Main, Mount Katahdin. At the summit of Sugarloaf is a life to take the skier above treeline.

New Hampshire offers fine skiing at Cannon Mountain, home of the New England Ski Museum, which contains the most extensive collection of historical ski equipment, literature, film, clothing, photographs, and artwork on the East Coast. The extensive archive is renowned by scholars and historians across the U.S., and the Museum is officially recognized by the United States Ski Association as a Regional Museum, one of only four in the country, and sure to please a ski enthusiast.

On the south short of Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada, Blue Mountain prides itself on being the largest ski area in the province. The resort offers several six man chair lifts and a pedestrian village is under construction. Enjoy your visit to Blue Mountain for a fantastic and unique experience.

In upstate New York, Whiteface Mountain reigns king among ski resorts. The fifth highest mountain in New York State and one of the High Peaks of the Adirondack range Whiteface Mountain offers a 360 degree view of the mountains and on a clear day a visitor can see both Vermont and Canada. Near Lake Placid, Whiteface Mountain has a ski area with the greatest vertical drop in the eastern part of the country. In 1980 Whiteface hosted the alpine skiing competition of the Winter Olympics.

Aspen Mountain in Colorado is world famous for fine skiing. Still called by the old name of Ajax by the locals, Aspen is a skier's delight, as are most Colorado resorts, including Vail. Another world famous western state resort is in Park City, Utah, home of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. All of the resorts listed provide great skiing.

Modern skiing evolved gradually from snow shoeing, and a Norwegian, Sondre Norheim, is thought of as the father of modern skiing. In the 1800's he invented the form of skiing he called Slalom, but which we know today as Telemark skiing. While skiing has practical transportation value in many colder climate countries, and many militaries train troops in skiing, most people think of the sport involving taking a ski lift to the top of a mountain for a fast and fun downhill ride. When engaged in this activity most people prefer to wear warm clothing and follow runs, trails or slopes - patrolled ski routes that are checked for safety. Skiers also enjoy cross country skiing, but for safety sake most stay within the boundaries of the resort. In fact, most European countries have laws against cross country skiing outside of the resort's boundaries due to the danger of avalanche and the high cost of search and rescue operations.

Skiing enthusiasts report a euphoria that comes from skiing, a feeling they liken to flying and many more people are engaged in the sport today than ever before, with many fine ski schools teaching the basics. Even if you've never skied before, the basic skills can be acquired quickly and you'll be on the slopes enjoying yourself in a way you've never experienced before. Skiing is a great way to get in good physical shape, and at the end of the day, sitting around a fireplace in the lodge, bundled up with a warm blanket, and your spouse sitting next to you, holding a cup of hot cocoa in hand for sipping. This is the perfect ending to a wonderful day, which you'll experience at any of the six great ski vacation resorts listed. So give a ski vacation a try, and be very glad you did.

The best romantic vacations are those that bring a couple together. This can mean spending time alone, without friends or family around. It can also mean an opportunity to do things together. Here are five of the best romantic vacations.

Beach Vacations

Beaches are romantic. The sun, sand, and the sound of the waves relax you and take away the stress and worry of "everyday life." Relaxation and escaping stress is always better for romance. Find a place that is ON the beach, not a hotel miles from the beach. Dealing with traffic, packing and unpacking the car is not romantic.

If you are on a budget, you can do like we did in northern Florida. We stayed in our conversion van at a campground on the beach. We collected shells together, flew a kite in the breeze and took our chairs down by the water to watch the sunset. The beaches of the great lakes are another great place to check out, and are much more affordable.

Cruises

Cruises may be the ultimate romantic vacation. You escape it all - even the sight of land. Being isolated together, especially in the comfort of a cruise ship, can be great for a couple. Just be sure that both of you like the idea, and budget enough so money worries don't steal the romance. (Cruise ship bars are notoriously expensive.)

Talk about your options. Perhaps you'll discover that both of you were assuming the other wanted a traditional sunny carribean cruise, when in reality, you both would love to watch whales and glaciers on an Alaskan cruise. There are many different styles and destinations for cruises. See if the cruise has activities that you'll enjoy participating in together.

Trains

In Ecuador, my wife and I took a train from Riobamba to Alausi. It was scenic, romantic and adventurous. I rode on the roof for part of the trip, then we snuggled to keep warm as it went high into the Andes Mountains. The final destination is a valley where you get a view of a rock formation high above, called "La Nariz Del Diablo," or "The Devil's Nose."

There are scenic and romantic train rides all over the world. Some of Amtrak's more scenic stretches take days and can be a vacation in themselves. Otherwise, you can plan a vacation around one or more "dinner trains" or scenic rides like the one we took from Silverton to Durango Colorado (beautiful mountains).

Skiing Vacations

These are only romantic if you both love to ski, of course. To be together in a dramatic setting, sharing something that you both enjoy - that is one of the best romantic vacations imaginable. Don't forget to sit together by the fireplace at least once while you're there.

Small Towns

We have found that some of our most romantic times are when we stay in small towns. This is especially true if the tourist season is mostly over, or hasn't yet begun. Silverton Colorado in September was one of our favorites. No crowds, fantastic views of the surrounding mountains, local music and dancing in the bars at night - it was very romantic.

Location isn't the most important part of the romance. Find a place you both want to go to, by all means, but also remember to find things you can do together. Trips where you can share common interests are the best romantic vacations.

I can be fairly anal when making plans. In my job, I live by the calendar in Outlook. Meetings, Conferences, Training and the daily routine are all governed by my calendar. I do the same thing when going on vacation.
I know that a vacation is a time to relax and not watch the clock. But, I still like to have some sort of schedule to get the most out of my 2 Ѕ week holiday. Planning works well for me everywhere except for Pattaya. I haven't quite figured out why - I just know that all my plans get thrown out the window every time I go to Pattaya.
My upcoming trip has already been disrupted and I haven't even left home yet. Me and a couple of buddies go to Thailand every year - usually in the September/October time frame. My son wanted to come along again with us this year but couldn't get time off from his job until December. So, the rest of us changed our plans and we set things up for December.
Well, my son went and got married in August (while I was on my last holiday in Pattaya) and his wife gave birth to a beautiful little girl 3 weeks ago. So, now the proud papa needs to be with his wife and baby and the 3 Musketeers will still go in December.
But, we almost didn't make it. With the price of oil rising and tickets relatively scarce during December, we decided to purchase our tickets a little earlier than usual. We usually get tickets about 4 - 6 weeks prior to flying. So, I called my travel agent and booked 3 tickets on September 18 and the very next morning there was a coup in Thailand.
I followed the news, contacted some friends in Bangkok and Pattaya and got the "inside" info and found that there was nothing to worry about. Martial law was in effect - but it had no impact on tourism. Then a bombshell was dropped. The Command General of the Army in the Pacific banned all travel for Military and Government Civilians to Thailand - period. Great. As government civilians, we all fell into this category.
I couldn't understand the reasoning since the US State Department didn't impose any travel restrictions to Thailand. But, the General is the big boss and his word is law. We sweated this out for approximately one month until October 20th when the good General lifted the travel ban and we breathed a group sigh of relief.
I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. Or maybe I should just change my plans to be - Have a great time in the Land of Smiles and not worry about the day-to-day activities. That will certainly make it less stressful but the lack of a schedule may just drive me nuts. Oh well, I will try my best to just have fun and not worry about the minor details.

We chose The One & Only Palmilla as the Best of Mexico honeymoon places purely by what we had read online, and because of the conversations we had with the hotel staff. To say we were pleased with our choice would be an understatement, because not only was the resort everything we could have asked for and more, there were two other bonuses we had not even bargained for.
The first was to be able not only to go whale watching in the Pacific Ocean near Baja, in fact off the beach close to the resort, but in addition the One & Only Palmilla Spa cuisine.
I think it will be the image of the whale I will remember forever, but the One & Only Palmilla came a very close second.
The Palmilla is an extraordinary resort from the food, the ambience, the lovely suite, the butler, the golf course, and of course the prices!!
This isn't a cheap , but when a girl is on her honeymoon at the very best of Mexico honeymoon places, who cares what it costs. Drinks and food are expensive, even allowing for huge portions, and enough alcohol to drown a sailor, but hopefully the prices keep out the kind of people you don't really want to be in a resort with!!
I digress from describing the One & Only Palmilla, but it is important to know these things.
The service is incredible, and it never ends. You are taken to your room in a Hummer, introduced to your butler, who is your s and totally yours alone. He will get you whatever you want, from reservations, to ice, drinks wherever you are. Nothing is too much trouble, and sometimes we felt embarrassed to ask!!
You can even get a sniff of oxygen by the pool, or your sunglasses brought, even a room upgrade, to find he has placed all your clothes exactly where they were, just in the new room.
The suites are fantastic, with living room, bedroom, and huge bathroom, and a very large patio, with a rain shower, loads of products which are replenished frequently. Great beds, a day bed on the patio, and not only a wonderful ocean view, but even a whale watching telescope!!
The infinity pool is fabulous, beautiful beach, stunning grounds, and food to die for. The spa is phenomenal with a relaxation area with a hot and cold plunge pool.
I have to finish with the food. Every meal was a joy, there wasn't a bad meal during our stay.
The best of Mexico Honeymoon places is the One & Only Palmilla