Posts Tagged ‘Taking’

Why all the controversy about President Obama taking a vacation?

G.W.Bush 490 days at his Crawford Tx Ranch,487 at Camp David the most by any president so far.
Bush Sr.543 vacation days
Ronald Regan 335 vacation days
Bill Clinton 152 vacation days
Barack Obama 48 vacation days as reported by the Washington Post.

Taking a puppy by car on vacation from Canada to the United States. What is required?

We are travelling by car, camping to Nova Scotia from Calgary. We would like to go to the United States on the way. Can we take our puppy across the border and what is required? Thank-You

Requirements for taking a dog from the USA to Canada for a vacation?

I am trying to plan a camping trip for a few days to Canada. I would like to take my dog. What is required of me to take him across the border with us? Any Documentation or shots?

I’m taking a vacation to the upper peninsula of michigan where to go?

I live in the mitten of Michigan and in August I’m planning on going to the UP for about a week. Now I want opinions what are the best places to go to? I’m thinking of something that has plenty of nature scenery. Possibly camping.

Kauai Condos: Taking a History Lesson Before Your Visit Gives Perspective Few Have

If you’re opting to rent or buy one of the many beautiful Kauai condos, you likely already know that you are treating yourself to residence on one of the most beautiful and unique places on Earth. That said, you’d be surprised how many people visit this incredible Garden Isle paradise without truly understanding the historical context of how it came to be what it is today. Taking the time to understand that context will enrich your experience on Kauai, no matter how long you plan to stay!

The landscape diversity under the foundations of your Kauai condo

Like all the Hawaiian islands, Kaua’i was made by volcanoes pushing up, out of the sea. As the oldest island in the chain, its mountain tops don’t boast the height or size of its younger neighbors on the Big Island, but there is one claim to fame that sets Kauai apart from anywhere else: The eastern slopes of Kauai’s second highest mountain, Mount Wai’ale’ale, are one of the wettest spots on Earth – with over 460 inches of rain per yer!

Don’t worry though. Living on Kaua’i doesn’t mean you’ll be drenched all the time. Kaua’i actually has seven different distinct micro climates ranging from dry desert to tropical rain forest – which means that you have a wide range of climates to pick from when choosing where to rent or buy your Kauai condo or vacation home.

Understanding your lineage as a Kauai homeowner

Culturally, Kauai is very diverse as well. The Marquesans are believed to be the island’s first inhabitants, arriving from Polynesia around 400 A.D. 600 years later, the Tahitians arrived and overpowered the locals who called the island home. Much of the plant life, as well as the chickens that are ancestors to the scourge you currently see in Kauai, were originally brought by the Polynesian peoples.  

This island’s ruler, Kaumuali’i, managed to twice thwart invasion from King Kamehameha, even going so far as to negotiate with the Russians in an effort to maintain independence. He finally ceded Kaua’i on his deathbed to the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1824 in order to avoid further bloodshed.

The first well recorded European contact came in 1778 when Captain Cook landed in Waimea Bay. Starting in the mid-18th century, sugar plantations were Kauai’s most important industry, and opened the way for the waves of immigrants, whose ancestors make up Kauai’s multicultural population today.

Kauai originally had its own dialect, thought to be closer to its Polynesian origins than the other islands, and managed independence for so long in part because of its 1000-ft cliffs ringing the Na Pali Coast, a place that is accessible only by hiking, boat or helicopter even today!

Today, buying or renting Kauai condos means that you will take part in a line of paradise-seeking people dating back over a thousand years. Each era has left its mark, and if you understand what you’re looking at, there is nothing quite like hiking the Na Pali Coast or standing at an overlook on Waimea Canyon and envisioning history unfolding on this Eden-like island in the middle of the Pacific!

Taking a Family Holiday in Ibiza

The small Island of Ibiza, part of the Balearic Islands off the east coast of Spain, is home to some 84,000 people yet attracts more than 10 times that number of holiday makers annually. Ibiza is most famous for its nightlife and thousands of partygoers are drawn to the island every year by top name DJs playing at some of the worlds biggest and best clubs. However Ibiza offers more to see and do besides drinking and dancing and is perfect for family holidays…

Ibiza is approximately a two and a half hour flight from the UK and flights depart from all the major UK airports throughout the summer.

The high season in Ibiza for the nightclubs is between August 1st and September 15th. If you are embarking on a family holiday in Ibiza at this time you should avoid booking a holiday in Ibiza town, Playa d’en Bossa and the hostels and apartments in San Antonio. These are all popular with clubbers and will get very lively and noisy at night time.

The resorts of Santa Eulalia, Es Cana and Cala Llonga on the east coast, San Antonio Bay and Cala Vadella on the west coast, and Portinatx in the north are all suitable for families throughout the summer. Journey times from the airport are approximately 40 to 50 minutes for the east coast resorts; 30 minutes to the resorts in the west and around an hour to reach Portinatx. The ideal way to get around the island is to arrange holiday car hire; however regular buses and taxis are available from the airport. The normal taxis carry a maximum of four people and will not usually be able to provide safety seats for children so it may be necessary for you to book a private transfer.

With temperatures rising above 30ºC in the height of summer and even water temperatures reaching 25-27 ºC, the beach is the ideal place to be. The waters of Ibiza are amongst the cleanest in the Mediterranean with many of the beaches repeatedly awarded the EEC blue flag denoting cleanliness and safety. The beaches at Cala Tarida near San Antonio Bay and Cala Portinatx both possess this coveted award and are very popular with families, while the very shallow water and lifeguards at Sa Caleta make it ideal for young children, although it can get busy at weekends.

Young children will also enjoy the play parks and play areas in Playa d’en Bossa, San Antonio Bay and Cala Llonga. Here you will find climbing frames, trampolines and plently of enclosed, safe space for children to run around and play. Also look out for the mini trains that make frequent tours of the countryside.

For older children, the Aguamar water park in Playa d’en Bossa is very popular. The park features 7 sets of water flumes and a huge swimming pool. Entrance fees to the park are approximately €18 for adults and children over 12 and €10 for younger children. For more aquatic fun you can enjoy a variety of water sports in Ibiza including windsurfing, sailing, pedaloes, banana boats and parasailing. Also worth a visit is the medieval Eivissa castle at D’alt Villa which overlooks Ibiza town.

Other attractions in Ibiza include glass bottomed boat trips for a unique view of the marine life, a round of golf at the Ibiza golf course in Roca Llisa (beware the rather steep green fees), shopping in Ibiza town or simply driving around the island to admire the beautiful countryside.

Taking the Tamiami Trail. Unique wildlife in the Florida Everglades

In the south west corner of Florida lie the Everglades, 7 million acres of low-lying wetlands, a unique and delicate ecosystem of huge ecological importance.  Constantly under threat from human activity, the area supports a unique variety of animal and plant life.

Driving along the Tamiami Trail, beneath a dull grey sky, we were surrounded by an endlessly flat and seemingly uninspiring landscape.  From Lake Okeechobee in the North, the land slopes only 2 inches per mile as it edges towards the Gulf of Mexico.  But the mix of land and sea, salt water with fresh and the constant ebb and flow of the seasons make the Everglades dramatically surprising.

The rainy season begins in May, flooding the lake to create a sheet river system, which drains off slowly over a period of months.  We went out canoeing in the peace and quiet of the mangrove swamps for a couple of hours, although the truly adventurous can take a week to navigate the Wilderness Waterway.  Easily visible in the clear waters were the distinctive roots of the mangrove tree, adapted to survive in the watery, salty swamp where other trees would drown.

Turning off the Trail to the Everglades National Park we found deserted, dusty Wagon Wheel Road.  This former logging trail, abandoned when logging was stopped in 1950, is now guarded by alligators.  Hoards of these big reptiles float in the roadside river and lounge on the banks.  I swear they watched our every step, and they moved horribly fast when disturbed.

We stayed in Everglades City, a former Pioneer camp consisting of a pub, a school and an ice cream parlour.  The town has hardly changed since the 19th century but our accommodation in a log cabin was nicely cosy.

The next day we took a boat trip into the Ten Thousand Island Archipelago, finding amongst the tiny tree covered islands, snowy egrets, great blue heron and nesting osprey.  We also saw dolphins, shy to perform here, but better by far than in a tank somewhere.

North of the town is Big Cypress Swamp, a huge area of sandy islands, wet prairies, dry prairies, marshes and estuarine mangrove forests.  The cypress cover about a third of the swamp, growing in the big long strands which give the area its name.  We took one of the area’s boardwalks skirting the edge of this huge, primeval area, looking out for a Florida panther or black bears.  I’m not sure if I was disappointed to see only a couple of shy deer playing hide and seek as they watched us pass.  We also saw mahogany, tropical hardwood hammocks and the alarming strangling fig.  This last seeds itself in another tree then grows downwards to the earth, wrapping its unsuspecting host in a hand-like iron grip.

After only a couple of days we left the area, rejoining the modern world, a world which sadly exists in direct competition to the life of the Everglades.