Plan Your Next Romantic Getaway to One of These Beautiful Small Towns

Written by: Anne Scott

Approximately 44 million people will travel across the U.S. this 2013 holiday season. Many will head for the big cities, estimates AAA. This year, take your loved one for a romantic getaway in one of these small towns. Enjoy the intimate atmosphere and beauty of these little treasures.

Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif.

Smarter Travel recommends Carmel as a top small town getaway. Located 122 miles south of San Francisco, this town has a resident population of 3,700. Carmel is a beach town surrounded by the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and the well-manicured greens of popular golf courses. Beginning as an artist colony, Carmel continues to offer small galleries and artists’ shops full of unique crafts. After a day of driving around the celebrity homes or golfing, take in a play or concert. Once boasting Clint Eastwood as the mayor, you may well see celebrities sitting along side you.

Photo by jimg944 via Flickr

A sunset walk on the beach is a favorite. Then a stroll into town to one of the small bistros tucked away down an artists’ ally. Carmel is also full of quaint inns for that romantic touch. Surprise your true love with a gift waiting for them in your room. Choose an assortment of chocolate covered strawberries or flowers and ask the innkeeper to arrange them on a sideboard in your room when they arrive. Special touches make this trip full of romantic memories. Continue reading “Plan Your Next Romantic Getaway to One of These Beautiful Small Towns”

Traveling with Your Pet? Don’t Leave Home Without These

Written by: Neal Manning

Pet travel concept

Having your dog or cat with you during travel makes your trip that much more enjoyable— as long as you plan ahead. Leaving an essential item behind could cause unwanted stress at the least and actually derail your plans in the worst case. Make a checklist of items to bring along for your pet so you don’t inadvertently leave an important item behind. Continue reading “Traveling with Your Pet? Don’t Leave Home Without These”

Autographs, Bed Bugs And Other Memorable Travel Souvenirs

Written by: Julie Wilkerson

It seemed so important to get a little bit of your vacation spot to take home with you, but a few years later, the item means nothing but another surface to collect dust. CNN reports travelers wasted $3.2 billion on unused souvenirs in 2012. Read on for four Do’s and one Don’t to keep in mind as you create long-lasting memories of your vacations.

Photos

Our parents and grandparents were great vacation shutterbugs, snapping away with their Instamatics on every vacation occasion. Digital cameras give you the option of taking hundreds of photos that take up only computer storage space. Want to remember the great people you met at dinner in Santa Fe? Need to have a record of a fabulous tile design in that monastery? Take digital snapshots, and save them somewhere online. Services such as Snapfish and Shutterfly allow you to store thousands of photos online for free, giving you the option of creating online albums for easier access. The added advantage of cloud storage of your photos is they are safe from fire, moisture and other damage.

Photo by Bernie via Wikimedia Commons Continue reading “Autographs, Bed Bugs And Other Memorable Travel Souvenirs”