Here are some photos. I have more pictures taken at Quality Inn because after I stayed at Country In

Update: Oh, how could I forget to include one of the most important concerns with NYC lodgings bedbugs! I am happy to report that there were no bedbugs in Country Inn LIC nor in Quality Inn Woodside. (At least not in the rooms where I stayed! And I suppose that had there been any bedbug complaints, considering the length of my stay, I would have heard about it one way or another. Well, I hope that I would have heard about it. LOL.)
So this is long over due and quite frankly, I am not inclined to write as extensively about it as I initially felt. The urge to write has passed. The best I could do now would be a bullet point review of my experience staying at Country Inn Suites by Carlson airline mileage credit card in Long Island City (LIC), NY and Quality Inn in Woodside, NY.
Last month, I stayed at Country Inn for three nights and at Quality Inn for seven nights. I would like to say that I did it purely for leisure and to have something to write about, but really, no. It is somewhat strange to be paying for these things airline mileage credit card when I have a perfectly good apartment in NYC. But my roommate had some visitors and I didn t have the patience to socialize with them when I should be cramming for my exam, hence the need to find some cheap lodging. I initially tried to find a place on Craigslist, but that didn t work out too well. It took time to post an ad, go through ads, screen responders, and correspond with them. I had to bargain with people and would have needed to visit their apartments to see if it s safe and conducive for studying. Besides, airline mileage credit card the average rate for places on Craigslist was $60-65, which was considerably the same price I would be paying at an inn (which included housekeeping and breakfast).
Country Inn had a summer code promo when I booked my three night stay, so I got the room for $59+tax. I think the original price was $80/night. Although I wanted to stay there the entire time, the rate went up to $75 or $90, so I had to look for alternatives. (By the way, I just checked, the rate right now, March 5, 2011, for a King City room is $140, with the summer code promo it is $119.) Overall, my stay at Country Inn LIC had been wonderful.
The room was impeccably clean. Housekeeping was efficient, breakfast was adequate. My room was quiet and was conducive for studying (what I was there for!) The city rooms were located to the back of the building so no traffic passes by. The city rooms also had a magnificent airline mileage credit card view of Manhattan. While I was there, I woke up each day seeing the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building. Looking down from my window, airline mileage credit card I also found it amusing to see the neighbor s cute dogs. (I love small dogs so this was a plus for me!) Country Inn s location can t be beat, since it is so close to the subway (Queensboro Plaza station) and beside a gas station with a convenience store!
I only had two complaints: 1) Housekeeping has a tendency to come later in the afternoon; 2) Staff weren t very welcoming. They were all stern and business-like. Don t they know how to smile? When I stayed at the lobby (to read the newspaper while my room was being serviced), the staff also spoke in loud voices in Hindi. Although I have no complaints that they were speaking in their native tongue, I would have preferred for them to keep it low. The two employees at the reception area were speaking airline mileage credit card with another employee across the room (breakfast room). Couldn t that person come down so they didn t have to yell to hear one another? I was in the middle of all this (reception lobby seating area breakfast area on the first floor), so I did find the yelling bothersome.
airline mileage credit card I would not really comment on safety of the area since I did not venture out late at night. My friend visited me 2x and left around 8-8:30p.m. without any issues. Besides, I live in NYC. I ve gone home (via subway from Manhattan to Queens) around 12-1a.m. alone, and around 2-3a.m. with a female friend and did not for any fleeting moment airline mileage credit card feel unsafe nor feared for my life.
Breakfast area was spacious and I found it adequate (some reviews comment on the breakfast room being small and inadequate. I didn t have a similar experience since I went down for breakfast around 6.30-7a.m., and the room was deserted. Breakfast: bagels, donuts, do it yourself waffle, sliced bread, bananas, OJ, apple juice, coffee (machine dispensed: regular, decaf, cappuccino), hot choco (also automatic, machine dispensed), about 3 or so types of cereals, butter, cream cheese, grape jelly, strawberry jelly, apricot jelly, and some yellow things which supposedly were eggs. I never dared touch that thing since it looked like styrofoam to me. On Saturday morning they also had sausages airline mileage credit card which were edible and tasted like a regular airline mileage credit card sausage.)
Verdict: Highly recommended! Although I stayed at Country Inn LIC not as a tourist in NYC, I would still recommend it to tourists going to Manhattan. Country Inn is very accessible to the subway and a stone s throw away from Manhattan. But do not expect that there would be something to do once you get back to your hotel. Make sure you re already fed and tired when going back at night. airline mileage credit card There is nothing to do in the immediate vicinity of Country Inn.
After I ve checked out from Country Inn, I went home for one night to dump my soiled clothes and get fresh ones. I also had to pack more reading materials since I would be away for 7 straight nights, up until one night before the exam.
Quality Inn in Woodside has no lobby (no seating area at the reception). airline mileage credit card The breakfast airline mileage credit card area was really very small only 10 chairs! The breakfast was blah. I should say though that breakfast at Country Inn was nothing to write home about either, but I felt that I had more choices at Country Inn. My room was small, bathroom was small, hallways were not as clean, housekeeping comes around airline mileage credit card 2.30p.m. (which wasn t too bad. At Country Inn, housekeeping came to my room at 4.30p.m. However on Sunday, housekeeping at Quality airline mileage credit card Inn came at 6.30p.m.) In my 7-night stay at Quality Inn, I ve turned down service about 2-3x. My very small room didn t really need any housekeeping. I just asked for towels and toiletries (unbranded). Towels at Quality Inn were newer, whiter, thicker and plushier than at Country Inn.
My room was at the back of the hotel facing the parking lot. When I had the window open, I could hear the 7 train. Noise was not an issue when the window was closed. There was just enough natural light. I would have wanted more sunlight, which you could get from rooms facing Queens Blvd., but I think it would have been too much sunlight airline mileage credit card for me, and I d end up closing the curtains, which would ultimately defeat the purpose of changing rooms to get more natural light. I also felt like having Queens Blvd. as my view might stress me out, what with all the fast moving cars driving by. The view from the rooms facing Queens Blvd. (which are to the front of the hotel) would be all 6 lanes of Queens Blvd. and a cemetery.
Location of Quality Inn was okay. It was close enough to the 7 train, but not as close to the subway airline mileage credit card station as Country Inn. The real upside to staying in Woodside though was the variety of restaurants/cafes in the area. During my time at Quality Inn I walked to Boston Market, Tito Rad s, Jollibee, Red Ribbon, La Flor, and to St. Sebastian s Church for Sunday mass. There is also a Rite Aid and Duane Reade close by.
My real complaint with Quality Inn is housekeeping. They did the barest minimum to tidy up the room. No daily nor every other day vacuuming. All the service done to my room was to replace towels and toiletries, airline mileage credit card and to take away trash. Sure, I didn t make a mess, but it would have been nice to come back to a tiny room that was freshly vacuumed. The night stand, etc were also not wiped clean. I could write my name on the dust that accumulated in the TV area, at the end of the 7 nights. In Country Inn, the moment the two person housekeeping team came in, they were ready to assault the surfaces with rags (desk, tv area, night stands were wiped clean.) In Quality Inn, I didn t mind that housekeeping did not change my sheets daily, I did want to conserve airline mileage credit card energy/water resources. Perhaps in 7 nights they changed my sheets about 3-5x.
Verdict: For the price, I would recommend Quality Inn. It was not dingy at all. I just had the bar set higher by Country Inn so I felt underwhelmed by Quality Inn. But for budget travelers, Quality Inn is perfectly adequate.
Here are some photos. I have more pictures taken at Quality airline mileage credit card Inn because after I stayed at Country Inn, I decided to do a full blown review of both. I was thus ready to document my stay at Quality Inn. Please email me your comments/questions at travelstravails@gmail.com. (Or if you have a general NYC question, as a tourist or a newbie, I could also provide some insights.)
Thanks for the update Ariel! That s really too bad. Country Inn Suites was okay in terms of price and proximity to Manhattan. I hope they address the bedbug problem ASAP. Happy and safe travels everyone!

The Country Inn & Suites Scottsdale Hotel is located at North 89th Place, one block east of Pima Fre

Country Inn and Suites Scottsdale Hotel PRLog (Press Release) - Jan. 10, 2011 - UPDATED-2/23/ 11 Welcome to Scottsdale: The New Spring Training Home for the AZ Diamondbacks & Colorado Rockies, "Featuring their Beautiful Brand New State of the Art Stadium". Scottsdale is also the Cactus League Headquarters for the San Francisco Giants and is located minutes from several other Spring Training Stadiums. Spend Spring toronto rent car Training with us at the Country Inn & Suites Scottsdale and you will be treated to:
Exciting news for 2011 is that the Country Inn & Suites Scottsdale is one of the closest hotels to the new 'Disneyland of Spring Training Facilities' the new Fields at Talking Stick; the new home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. Located just 2.9 miles from the Country toronto rent car Inn & Suites the Fields at Talking Stick will provide a fan friendly atmosphere and a chance to catch all the action of two MLB teams.
The Country Inn & Suites Scottsdale Hotel is located toronto rent car at North 89th Place, one block east of Pima Freeway. Our hotel's warm ambiance, excellent services and prime location in central Scottsdale make it an ideal home base for your vacation. Free breakfast, a Fitness Center, complimentary high-speed, wireless Internet, charming, spacious rooms and an array of amenities make the Country Inn & Suites Hotel Scottsdale, AZ the perfect choice for business and leisure travelers alike.
Country Inn & Suites By Carlson® locations offer many amenities often found at higher-priced hotels such as complimentary hot breakfast, in-room coffee maker, in-room iron and ironing board, and weekday morning toronto rent car newspaper. Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM embraces the love of reading toronto rent car through its Read It & Return toronto rent car Lending Library. A variety of titles for all ages are available for guests to borrow and read at their leisure at more than 450 locations in the U.S. and Canada and Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM supports literacy efforts through charitable donations. For reservations and information, visit www.countryinns.com or call toll-free 1-800-456-4000.
Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM is part of Minneapolis, Minn.-based Carlson Hotels Worldwide, whose operations also include Regent® Hotels & Resorts; Radisson Hotels & Resorts®; Park Plaza® Hotels and Resorts and Park Inn®.
Disclaimer: Issuers of the press releases are solely responsible for the content of their press releases. PRLog can't be held liable for the content posted by others. Report Abuse Latest Press Releases By CEG Global Solutions, LLC. Eastern Illinois Football is right around the corner!!! Stay at the Days Inn Mattoon!!!

Folks, you notice that these entries are all posted on the 6th of Dec. 2009 and they are all only wi

This Country Inn and Suites property is slated as the #1 Country Inn Suites in North America travel agents india ( includes Canada Mexico with over 500 Country Inns ).  They were named #1 because of their scores travel agents india on cleanliness and friendliness by Carlson.
The inside and outside appearance of the hotel was immaculate!  Always paying attention to detail, I noticed a member of the house keeping staff cleaning the base of the stairwell.  Outside of a cruise ship, I have never seen a housekeeping department so kept and together.
Dinner was at Fish Lips, a seafood restaurant that offers a great view of all the ships leaving travel agents india port.  After watching the three ships in port leave, we headed back to the hotel to do some online work. Talking travel agents india to the front desk, they  told me on weekends they offer complementary shuttle service to the area restaurants.
I got an opportunity to meet the General Manager, Bud Burch.  Mr. Burch was very informative travel agents india about the property and answered all our questions on how the shuttle system operates from the hotel to the cruise terminal.  The cruise package (park and shuttle) is per room and you can park your car on the hotel property (save the 15/per day at pier) and enjoy the shuttle service to and from the ship.  In three years, the hotel hasn t had one passenger miss their ship because of error.  Very comforting to know.
This sounds like a great place to stay when coming into town to leave for a cruise. I think it s great that the hotel allows guests to leave their cars on property and shuttle them to the port so they can save on parking. I love a continental breakfast that goes above and beyond cereal bagels and am glad to hear that some hotel owners travel agents india still take pride in cleanliness in their hotels (some places are just scary). travel agents india My favorite part of this hotel though is that they participate in a recycling program (which is rare for hotels) going green is awesome and I m very impressed by a hotel that takes steps to participating in their local recycling program. I look forward to possibly one day staying at the Country Inn Suites in Port Canaveral.
Went on a cruise back in May. The family enjoyed travel agents india the hotel. Breakfast was good. Hotel was VERY clean. Internet worked great. Highly recommend this hotel for families who cruise out of Port Canaveral because of the free parking!
Great review and video! Thanks for the information. My sister had just asked me about Country Inn and Suites. She was wanting to stay there, but didn t have any reviews or information travel agents india on them. I will certainly share with her. Thanks.
Folks, you notice that these entries are all posted on the 6th of Dec. 2009 and they are all only with in a total of 9 minutes? It couldn t be more clear to me that they are from the hotel or at the very least the same person. I would not trust these comments if I were you. Be aware of things like this.
Besides, the most common way of most people, is to fly in to Orlando the night before travel agents india the cruise and stay at on of the airport hotels. travel agents india There are shuttle services that pick you up right at the lobby of your hotel to bring you to the ship, at cheap rates.
I assure you that these are not posted by the hotel. Same person not sure. The most common way of most people? Is not to stay 50 minutes away with 2 lanes of frequent travel agents india blockage due to accidents. Why would you not want to stay less than a mile from the terminal and have a view of your cruise ship from your room? I agree with the posts being similar in posting time, but to point out YOUR error they were not all posted on the 6th.

Country Inns Suites offers a caring, consistent, and comfortable hospitality experience with complim

Country Inns Suites By Carlson SM a leader in the upper midscale hotel category, today launched the Why I Love to Read promotion, an opportunity for parents to share the reasons their children love books and reading. Together with Random House LLC and Country Inns Suites, the first 75 entries will receive an age appropriate Random inexpensive car rentals in australia House book, plus a book donation (up to 75 books) will be made to First Book , a non-profit organization committed inexpensive car rentals in australia to helping children achieve more in school and in life.
Educators have informed us that literacy is a key predictor of a child s success, said Aurora Toth, vice president, brand marketing, Midscale inexpensive car rentals in australia Brands, Americas. Not only do we want to help ensure that children have the resources they need to excel, but we also seek to create ways to remind children that reading and writing can be entertaining, enjoyable, and rewarding.
Parents are invited to pen up to a 400-word essay with their child answering the question, Why I Love to Read . One winner will be selected at random in each of the three following age categories: inexpensive car rentals in australia ages 7 - 9, ages 10 12, and ages 13 -16.
The winners essays will be published on the Country Inns Suites Talk of the Country blog. Additionally, Country Inns Suites will encourage continued reading by awarding 52 books to each of the three winners, one book to read each week for a year.
To enter the Why I Love to Read contest, visit whyilovetoread.com and follow the entry instructions. All entries are due by 12 midnight EST on Wednesday, September 25, 2013. To mark the conclusion of National Literacy Month, the winners will be announced on September 30, 2013.
This contest is an extension of Country Inns Suites ongoing commitment to literacy. The company s support of this cause is also reflected in the brand-wide Read It Return Lending Library SM , located in the lobby of each hotel in the U.S. and Canada. Through a recent partnership with Random House, guests are encouraged to borrow one of the 30,000 new books to read at their leisure. If they don t finish it during their stay, they can return it on their next visit to any Country Inns Suites inexpensive car rentals in australia location.
Country Inns Suites offers a caring, consistent, and comfortable hospitality experience with complimentary amenities like high-speed Internet and hot breakfast. The distinctive product inexpensive car rentals in australia and service innovations, such as the Be Our Guest employee inexpensive car rentals in australia training program, have generated tremendous inexpensive car rentals in australia employee engagement scores and high guest satisfaction. For reservations and more information, visit www.countryinns.com .
About Country Inns Suites by Carlson SM Country Inns Suites By Carlson SM is a leading upper-midscale brand with 480 hotels operating throughout North America and India. The brand is focused on growth primarily in the U.S., Canada, India and Mexico. Country Inns Suites was founded by the Carlson family in 1987, inspired by the traditional inexpensive car rentals in australia European bed and breakfast and the founding principal that great hospitality means treating guests inexpensive car rentals in australia like family. To this day, guests are welcomed with a batch of warm chocolate chip cookies, a trademark of family-style inexpensive car rentals in australia hospitality. Today, the brand has evolved to a more contemporary vision, inexpensive car rentals in australia yet still embodies the best parts of that founding philosophy, including the cookies. For reservations and more information, visit www.countryinns.com . Or visit Talk of the Country , a blog curated by the team behind Country Inns Suites SM , for unique hotel features; destinations; travel tips; deals and packages; news and events; and guest experience stories.
inexpensive car rentals in australia About Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the world s largest and most dynamic hotel groups. The portfolio of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group includes more than 1,300 hotels inexpensive car rentals in australia in operation and under development, a global footprint spanning 100 countries and territories and a powerful set of global brands (Radisson Blu, Radisson inexpensive car rentals in australia , Park Plaza , Park Inn by Radisson, inexpensive car rentals in australia Country Inns Suites By Carlson inexpensive car rentals in australia SM and Hotel Missoni). In most of the group s hotels, guests inexpensive car rentals in australia can benefit from the loyalty program Club Carlson SM , one of the most rewarding loyalty inexpensive car rentals in australia programs inexpensive car rentals in australia in the world. Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and its brands employ more than 80,000 people.

Country Inns Suites offers caring, consistent, comfortable hospitality with a touch of home, and fea

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group , one of the world s largest and most dynamic hotel groups, today announced the further expansion convertible car rental florida of Country Inns Suites By Carlson SM in New York state. The opening of Country Inn Suites By Carlson, Buffalo South I-90 marks the brand s growth in the region as part of its Ambition 2015 strategy.
The brand has established a strong convertible car rental florida footprint in New York with 11 Country Inns Suites locations, said Scott Meyer, vice president, Midscale Brands, Americas. The continued growth is another step forward in our plan to expand the brand primarily in the U.S., Canada, India and Mexico.
Country Inns Suites offers caring, consistent, comfortable hospitality with a touch of home, and features particularly attractive for business travelers. In late 2011, the brand completed rollout of classic diningware and silverware convertible car rental florida in all of its hotels in the U.S. to accompany its complimentary Be Our Guest hot breakfast. The introduction of classic diningware represents an industry first among major brands within convertible car rental florida the midscale hotel segment. The brand also offers free high-speed Internet access and weekday newspaper. The distinctive product and service innovations, such as the Be Our Guest employee training convertible car rental florida program have generated tremendous employee engagement scores and high guest satisfaction.
We are thrilled to begin a relationship with Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and their family of brands, said Bill Palidino, Ellicott Development Company, owning company of the Country Inn Suites By Carlson, Buffalo convertible car rental florida South, New York. We are confident that the consistency, value and leadership of this brand and the Carlson Rezidor system convertible car rental florida will result in a successful future for this hotel. Opening the hotel is Joelene LaSanta, general manager.
The hotel is conveniently located off of Interstate 90 and 11 miles from the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. The 108-room hotel includes spacious guest rooms and comfortable suites, a business center, an indoor heated pool, whirlpool, fitness center and meeting space up to ten people. All guestrooms feature flat screen televisions, complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access, refrigerator and microwave. The hotel also offers a 24-hour Inn Case Market located in the hotel lobby.
About Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group born in early 2012 is one of the world s largest and most dynamic hotel groups. The portfolio of the Carlson Rezidor convertible car rental florida Hotel Group includes more than 1,300 hotels, a global footprint spanning 81 countries and territories, a powerful set of global brands (Radisson Blu, Radisson , Park Plaza , Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inns Suites By Carlson SM and Hotel Missoni). In most of the group s hotels, guests can benefit from the loyalty program Club Carlson SM , one of the most rewarding loyalty convertible car rental florida programs in the world. The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and its brands employ convertible car rental florida more than 80,000 people.
convertible car rental florida About Ellicott Development Company Ellicott Development is a first-class full service real estate development and management company with over 30 years of experience in developing and managing commercial real estate and retail properties in the Buffalo-Niagara, convertible car rental florida Upstate New York and Western Pennsylvania regions. Ellicott convertible car rental florida Development is currently convertible car rental florida operating 5 hotels in the Buffalo Area and has 3 other hotel projects underway in Western NY.
Contacts: Joelene LaSanta,Country Inn Suites By Carlson, Buffalo South, +1 (716) 854-0060, joelenelasanta@countryinns.com Ben Gardeen, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, +1 (763) 212-8129, bgardeen@carlsonrezidor.com

Country Inns Suites offers a caring, consistent, comfortable hospitality experience delivered with a

Country Inns Suites By Carlson , a leading upper-midscale brand, today announced the opening of Country clearwater beachfront hotels Inn Suites By Carlson, Wichita Northeast, Kan . This opening aligns with Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group s aggressive growth plans for the brand as part of its Ambition 2015 strategy .
The addition of the fourth Country Inns Suites in Kansas intensifies our foothold in the market, said Scott Meyer, senior vice president, Midscale Brands, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Americas. The continued growth in this region is another step forward in our plan to expand the brand primarily in the U.S., Canada, India and Mexico.
The hotel features 69 guest rooms and suites, a well-equipped fitness center, an indoor heated pool, and business center. Country Inns Suites offers complimentary amenities including high-speed Internet access and hot, breakfast served on classic dining ware daily.
The hotel is located off of state highway K-96 and is minutes from Wichita State University, Koch Industries, Raytheon, Boeing, Lear, Kansas Heart Hospital, Century II Convention clearwater beachfront hotels Center and Intrust Bank Arena and downtown Wichita.
Country Inns Suites offers a caring, consistent, comfortable hospitality experience delivered with a touch of home, and features particularly attractive for business travelers. clearwater beachfront hotels The distinctive product and service innovations, such as the Be Our Guest employee clearwater beachfront hotels training program have generated tremendous employee engagement scores and high guest satisfaction.
About Country Inns Suites by Carlson SM Country Inns Suites By Carlson SM is a leading upper-midscale brand with 480 hotels operating throughout North America and India. The brand is focused on growth primarily clearwater beachfront hotels in the U.S., Canada, India and Mexico. Country Inns Suites was founded by the Carlson family in 1987, inspired clearwater beachfront hotels by the traditional European clearwater beachfront hotels bed and breakfast and the founding principal that great hospitality means treating guests like family. clearwater beachfront hotels To this day, guests are welcomed with a batch of warm chocolate chip cookies, a trademark of family-style hospitality. clearwater beachfront hotels Today, the brand has evolved to a more contemporary vision, yet still embodies the best parts of that founding philosophy, including the cookies. For reservations and more information, visit www.countryinns.com . Or visit Talk of the Country , a blog curated by the team behind Country Inns Suites SM , for unique hotel features; destinations; travel tips; deals and packages; news and events; and guest experience stories.
About Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the world s largest and most dynamic clearwater beachfront hotels hotel groups. The portfolio of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group includes more than 1,300 hotels in operation and under development, a global footprint clearwater beachfront hotels spanning 100 countries and territories and a powerful set of global brands (Radisson Blu, Radisson , Park Plaza , Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inns Suites By Carlson SM and Hotel Missoni). In most of the group s hotels, guests can benefit clearwater beachfront hotels from the loyalty program Club Carlson SM , one of the most rewarding loyalty programs in the world. Carlson Rezidor clearwater beachfront hotels Hotel Group and its brands employ more than 80,000 people.
About Pillar Hotels Pillar Hotels Resorts is the second largest independent hotel and resort manager in the United States with approximately 209 select-service, extended stay and full service hotels across 35 states under management. Pillar represents 16 well-respected flags, including Country Inn Suites By Carlson. Pillar Hotels Resorts offers shared services, hotel management, accounting, revenue management, and project management. The company is headquartered in the Las Colinas business suburb of Irving, Texas.
Contacts : Vanessa Cardenas, Country Inn Suites By Carlson, Wichita Northeast, Kan., cx_wiks@countryinns.com or +1 316.634.3900 Staci Graber, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, sgraber@carlsonrezidor.com or +1 763-212-4252

Country Inns Suites By Carlson SM , a leader in the upper-midscale hotel segment and the homegrown b

Country Inns Suites By Carlson SM , a leader in the upper-midscale hotel segment and the homegrown brand from Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group today announced it has signed two hotels. The first, located at 1151 South Jefferson Avenue in Cookeville, TN will open on December 31, 2013 and the second, located at 2915 Main Street in Bryant, AR will open at the end of 2014.
We are very excited about these additions to our portfolio as we grow the brand in the southern region of the U.S., said Scott Meyer, senior west los angeles animal shelter vice president, Midscale Brands, Americas, Carlson Rezidor west los angeles animal shelter Hotel Group. Continued growth in the south is a key piece of our aggressive growth and development strategy for 2014.
Country Inn Suites By Carlson, Cookeville, TN will offer 99 guest rooms and suites. Located just outside west los angeles animal shelter of Little Rock, Country Inn Suites By Carlson, Bryant, AR will offer 63 guest rooms and suites. Both hotels will feature free high speed Internet access, complimentary weekday newspaper and the brand s signature hot Be Our Guest breakfast served daily on classic diningware.
About Country Inns Suites By Carlson SM Country Inns Suites By Carlson SM is a leading mid-market brand with over 470 hotels operating throughout the world primarily in the United States, Canada, India and Latin America. The brand s Be Our Guest service philosophy encourages employees to serve guests with the same kind and caring spirit given to friends west los angeles animal shelter when they are being hosted at home. Signature and complimentary brand amenities include high-speed Internet access, hot breakfast served on classic diningware, fitness centers and business centers.
Country Inns Suites west los angeles animal shelter By Carlson is part of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group portfolio of brands which also includes Radisson Blu , Radisson , Park Plaza , Park Inn by Radisson and Hotel Missoni. For reservations and more information visit, www.countryinns.com or the brand s newsroom at www.countryinns.newsroom.com

The images showed 300 objects of various sizes in the southern Indian Ocean about 2,700 kilometres (

LATEST UPDATES:  Four planes and six ships to search in new area Thai satellite westin hotel chicago detects 300 objects near search westin hotel chicago area Search westin hotel chicago for jet finds nothing; stopped by weather New Zealand air force officer describes difficulties facing search teams Chinese westin hotel chicago diplomats arrive at hotel to meet relatives of MH370 passengers Pilot’s son breaks silence, dismisses speculation U.S. law firm takes first step toward suing Boeing Co. over missing plane
John Young, manager of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority s emergency response division, said Friday that four planes were in the area, and that six ships were headed there. Story continues below
Officials said earlier that the search zone had been shifted 1,100 kilometres to the northeast after new analysis of radar data suggested the plane flew faster than thought and used more fuel, which may have reduced the distance it travelled.
The images showed 300 objects of various sizes in the southern westin hotel chicago Indian Ocean about 2,700 kilometres (1,675 miles) southwest of Perth, Australia, according to Anond Snidvongs, director of Thailand s space technology development agency.
The announcement came after the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said it had to pull back all 11 planes scheduled to take part in the search Thursday because of heavy rain, winds and low clouds. Five ships continued the search.
westin hotel chicago It remains uncertain whether the objects are from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared on March 8 with 239 people aboard, including two Canadians. New Zealand air force officer westin hotel chicago describes difficulties facing search teams
Flight Lieutenant Stephen Graham, speaking at an Australian air force base in Perth, westin hotel chicago said that while searching you re rolling past so quick, we re flying at 200 knots you really get very little time to identify an object.
He added, It is a little disheartening, you know this will be a difficult mission and you know it will go on for a very long time. But we ve done similar work and we do find them. So there is always hope for us and that s what keeps you going.
“I’ve read everything online. But I’ve ignored all the speculation. I know my father better,” said Ahmad Seth in an interview with the  New Strait Times .  ”We may not be as close as he travels so much. But I understand him.” Law firm takes first step toward suing Boeing Co.
The filing in Chicago asked a judge to order Malaysia Airlines and Chicago-based Boeing westin hotel chicago Co. to turn over documents westin hotel chicago related to the possibility that negligence westin hotel chicago caused the Boeing 777 to crash, including any documentation about the chances of fatal depressurization in the cockpit.
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It contains updated information under Safety and security: Civil unrest/Political tension (the borde

It contains updated information under Safety discount carnival cruises and security: Civil unrest/Political tension (the border between Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic has been closed until further notice). We continue to advise Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in Tajikistan overall because of the threat of terrorist attack discount carnival cruises and potential for civil unrest.
Australians need a visa to visit Tajikistan. As visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs discount carnival cruises and quarantine regulations) change regularly, you should contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Tajikistan for the most up to date information.
All visitors intending to stay for three or more days in Tajikistan are required to register with the local Visa and Registration Office (OVIR). Most hotels undertake visa registration on behalf of guests. If you are not staying at a hotel, you are required to visit the OVIR within three days of your arrival discount carnival cruises in Tajikistan.
The Tajikistan Government has special health test requirements for travellers intending to visit Tajikistan for more than 90 days. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Tajikistan for the most up to date information on these requirements.
There are frequent flight cancellations and delays at Tajikistan international airport. Holding valid entry visas for countries of alternate flight destinations may be useful if you need to depart discount carnival cruises Tajikistan quickly.
Make sure your passport has at least six months' validity from your planned date of return to Australia. You should carry copies discount carnival cruises of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.
We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Tajikistan because of the threat of terrorist attack and potential for civil unrest. Pay close attention to your personal security at all times and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
discount carnival cruises Terrorist attacks have occurred in Tajikistan. Since September 2010, there has been an upsurge discount carnival cruises in security incidents including discount carnival cruises explosions in various locations in Tajikistan, including the capital, Dushanbe.
Border with Afghanistan: We advise you to reconsider discount carnival cruises your need to travel to the border regions with Afghanistan due to the hazardous security situation. This region is a transit point for drugs and other smuggled goods.
Borders with the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan: We advise you to reconsider your need to travel at this time to the border regions with the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan due to the risks posed by landmines, and criminal activity. There have been incidents involving armed clashes between border forces and suspected criminal groups in these border areas. Following clashes, the border between Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic has been closed until further notice.
Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money in Tajikistan, such as credit cards, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Consult with your bank to find out which is the most appropriate currency to carry and whether your ATM card will work in Tajikistan. The Tajik economy is largely cash-based. Travellers' cheques are not accepted. International banking services are limited, though there are several ATM machines in Dushanbe. The official currency is the Tajik somoni, but US dollars and Euros are readily accepted. US bank notes issued before 1996 cannot be exchanged.
Make two photocopies of valuable documents such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.
Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity discount carnival cruises to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen discount carnival cruises overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible.
Road conditions and driving standards discount carnival cruises are poor. Conditions can be particularly treacherous in winter and spring, when avalanches and landslides occur. Driving discount carnival cruises at night is dangerous. For further advice, see our bulletin on Overseas Road Safety .
Airline and air charter safety and maintenance discount carnival cruises standards vary throughout the world. It is not known whether maintenance procedures and safety standards on aircraft used on flights in Tajikistan are always properly observed or whether passengers are covered by airline discount carnival cruises insurance.
When you are in Tajikistan, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government discount carnival cruises will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.
Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, child pornography, and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.
Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism and child pornography laws. These laws provide severe penalties of up to 25 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in child sexual exploitation while outside discount carnival cruises of Australia.
Tajikistan does not recognise dual nationality. This may limit the ability of the Australian Government to provide consular assistance to Australian/Tajikistan dual nationals who are arrested or detained. We recommend you travel on your Australian passport at all times.
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll discount carnival cruises be away and check what circumstances and activities discount carnival cruises are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless discount carnival cruises of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. discount carnival cruises The Australian Government will not pay for a traveller's medical expenses overseas or medical evacuation costs.
It is important to consider your physical and mental health before travelling overseas. discount carnival cruises We encourage you to consider having vaccinations before you travel. At least eight weeks before you depart, make an appointment with your doctor or travel discount carnival cruises clinic for a basic health check-up, and to discuss your travel plans and any implications for your health, particularly if you have an existing medical condition. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our health page also provides useful information discount carnival cruises for travellers on staying discount carnival cruises healthy.
discount carnival cruises Medical facilities are scarce in Tajikistan and the standard of services is very limited. There is a shortage discount carnival cruises of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, and hygiene conditions are poor. Doctors discount carnival cruises will require up-front payment before commencing treatment. The Australian Embassy in Moscow (see contact discount carnival cruises details below) can provide a list of medical facilities in Tajikistan. In the event of a serious illness or accident, medical evacuation to a destination with appropriate facilities would be necessary. Costs for a medical evacuation discount carnival cruises could be considerable.
Malaria is a risk in the southern border areas (particularly around the Khatlon region) and some central (Dushanbe), western (Gorno-Badakhshan) and northern (Leninabad) areas. We encourage you to consider taking prophylaxis against malaria where necessary and to take measures to avoid insect bites, including using an insect repellent, wearing long, loose-fitting, discount carnival cruises light coloured clothing and ensuring your accommodation is mosquito proof.
Water-borne, food-borne, parasitic and other infectious diseases (including tuberculosis, cholera, typhoid, brucellosis, hepatitis and rabies) are prevalent with more serious outbreaks occurring from time to time. We advise you to boil all drinking water or drink bottled water, and avoid ice cubes, raw and undercooked food, and unpasteurised dairy products. Seek medical advice if you have a fever or are suffering from diarrhoea.
In the northern Sughd Region there are a number of unprotected uranium discount carnival cruises tailings and pesticide waste dumps. These may pose a threat to the health of those travelling in the region. You should seek local advice.
If you are travelling to Tajikistan, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register online or in person at any Australian discount carnival cruises Embassy, High Commission or Consulate . The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency - whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.
While every care has been taken in preparing this information, neither the Australian Government nor its agents or employees, including any member of Australia's diplomatic and consular staff abroad, can accept liability for any injury, loss or damage discount carnival cruises arising in respect of any statement contained herein.
Maps are presented for information only. The department accepts no responsibility for errors or omission of any geographic feature. Nomenclature and territorial boundaries may not necessarily reflect Australian Government policy.

Cambodian-Thai Border: Six legal international border crossing points are open for foreign traveller

It contains new information in the Summary and under Safety and security: Crime (snatch and grab thefts are more frequent and can result in injuries). We advise Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in Phnom Penh. We continue to advise Australians to exercise normal safety precautions elsewhere in Cambodia.
Snatch and grab crimes against foreigners airport car rentals by thieves on motorcycles are frequent and have sometimes resulted in injuries to victims. Pay close attention to your personal possessions at all times, particularly items that can be easy grabbed. Keep your passport airport car rentals and valuables in a safe place.
airport car rentals We advise Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in Phnom Penh following recent unrest between security forces and demonstrators. Violent clashes occurred in January 2014, which resulted in the deaths of five protesters in Phnom Penh's Pur Senchey District. Cambodian authorities have prohibited all public demonstrations in and around Phnom Penh. On 4 January demonstrators and spectators were forcibly cleared from Freedom Park and surrounding streets in central Phnom Penh.
You should avoid protests, demonstrations and public gatherings as they may turn violent. You should monitor local media for information about protest locations. See Safety and Security for more information.
There have been reports of assaults and armed robberies against foreigners. In 2013 a number of incidents have resulted in foreigners being shot and seriously injured, and in one case killed. You should exercise vigilance when travelling at all times and especially after dark. Areas frequented by tourists and expatriate airport car rentals residents are particularly targeted, including the Riverfront areas, Tonle Bassac and Boeung Keng Kang 1 (BKK1) in Phnom Penh, as well as the town of Sihanoukville (particularly at isolated beaches).
Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Cambodia for the most up to date information.
Australians visiting Cambodia require a visa. The Cambodian Government has introduced an electronic tourist visa ("e-visa") facility. Travellers are able to apply for a tourist visa on-line through the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation s website . E-visas are only valid for entry through Phnom Penh International Airport, Siem Reap International Airport, Koh Kong City (Cham Yeam), Poipet (Banteay Meanchey) and Bavet (Svay Rieng). E-visas are not supported at other entry points. Your passport must have at least six months validity remaining when you arrive in Cambodia on an e-visa.
Cambodian visas are normally available on arrival as well. Your passport must have at least four months' validity remaining when you apply for a visa on arrival in Cambodia. You should be aware that all neighbouring countries (Thailand, Vietnam and Laos) require passports to have at least six months validity. Local immigration authorities may deny entry and deport people who do not meet this requirement, even if they intend airport car rentals staying only for a short period.
Tourist visas are valid for thirty days only. If issued outside Cambodia, tourist airport car rentals visas will often provide for a validity period that is in excess of thirty days. This validity period refers to the period in which you are able to commence your thirty day visit to Cambodia. It does not extend the time you are permitted to stay in Cambodia beyond thirty days. Tourist visas must be renewed if you intend to stay in Cambodia in excess of thirty days. Tourist visas can be renewed once.
Ensure you have a valid visa for the duration of your stay in Cambodia. airport car rentals Overstaying your visa is considered a serious offence, and you may not be allowed to leave Cambodia until a fine is paid. For overstays of less than one month from the visa expiry date travellers can usually pay the fine at the airport airport car rentals on departure. Travellers who have overstayed their visa by more than one month may face severe penalties including imprisonment, deportation and/or being placed on an immigration blacklist to prevent them from returning to Cambodia.
If your passport airport car rentals is lost or stolen during your stay in Cambodia, you will require a police report to obtain an exit visa. The police report airport car rentals must be applied for in person at the tourist police station closest to where the incident occurred. You will also need to apply for a new exit visa with the Cambodian immigration authorities. Approval for an exit visa will take around 3 working days from the Cambodian Department of Immigration. You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.
Cambodian-Thai Border: Six legal international airport car rentals border crossing points are open for foreign travellers on the Cambodian-Thai border at Koh Kong City (Cham Yeam), airport car rentals O Smach (Oddar Meanchey), Poipet (Banteay Meanchey), Prum (Pailin), Dong (Kamrieng airport car rentals Battambang) and Caom (Oddar airport car rentals Meanchey). Cambodian visas can be obtained at these border crossings.
Cambodian-Vietnamese Border: Cambodian visas can be obtained at the international border crossing points at Bavet (Svay Rieng), Kaam Samnor airport car rentals (Kandal Mekong), Trapaing Sre (Kratie) and Phnom Den (Takeo). The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism also reports that Cambodian visas can be obtained on arrival at six other border crossings between Cambodia and Vietnam, but you should confirm this prior to travelling, as entry and exit conditions change regularly. Vietnamese airport car rentals visas must be obtained prior to travelling to the border.
Cambodian-Lao Border: The Lao side of the border crossing at Dong Krolor-Veun Kham is often closed to foreign travellers with little notice. The border crossing is in an isolated location 50km to the north of the Cambodian provincial centre of Stung Treng. It is not serviced by public transport, although rudimentary and unreliable private motorbike and truck services run to Stung Treng. Cambodian and Lao visas cannot be obtained at the border.
Australians should be particularly vigilant in the lead-up to and during religious or national festivals, days of national significance and commemorations. Large crowds may present an added safety risk. You should show an appropriate airport car rentals level of respect, particularly in areas where commemoration activities for the royal family or religious activities are taking place.
Several people have been killed and a large number injured in separate protests in Phnom Penh in late 2013/early 2014. Although Cambodian authorities have now prohibited all public demonstrations in and around Phnom Penh, demonstrations are attempted occasionally.
Australians should avoid all large public gatherings, protests and demonstrations as they may turn violent. Local police and security forces have been known to respond with force and may not distinguish between demonstrators and bystanders. You should monitor local media for information airport car rentals about protest locations.
In Phnom Penh, possible sites for rallies include political party offices, the National Assembly building, the Prime Minister s residence (by the Independence Monument), Freedom Park (also known as Democracy Park on street 106, between street 61 and Norodom Boulevard), Wat Phnom, the Phnom Penh Municipal Government Office (also known as Phnom Penh City Hall, located on Monivong airport car rentals Boulevard, near Freedom airport car rentals Park), and other government and military buildings or compounds.
Roadblocks restricting access through the city have occurred frequently. You should continue to monitor local media for information about protest locations, avoid these areas and follow the advice of local authorities.
Cambodia held its national election in July 2013. The main opposition party has disputed the results and did not attend the opening of parliament in September 2013. The security situation remains uncertain and protests may occur throughout Cambodia for the current time. You should monitor the media for information about any protests or political rallies and follow the advice of authorities.
Events associated with political parties may be used to mount attacks. airport car rentals Symbols and infrastructure associated with political parties, government, military or Western interests, such as embassies, public transport, oil and gas infrastructure, government buildings and premises of transnational and multinational companies are potential targets.
Australians can be caught up in attacks directed airport car rentals at others. Pay attention to your personal security, be vigilant at all times and monitor local media for information about possible new safety and security risks.
Cambodia-Thai border: Australians intending to visit temples along the Cambodia-Thai border should be aware of the ongoing border dispute that has resulted in fighting as recently as April 2012. In recent years conflict has occurred in the area surrounding the Preah Vihear temple (known as Khao Pra Viharn temple in Thailand) located in the border region between Preah Vihear Province in Cambodia and Sisaket Province in Thailand. Conflict has also occurred in the area surrounding the Ta Krabei (known as Ta Kwai temple in Thailand) airport car rentals and Ta Moan (known as Ta Muen Thom temple in Thailand) temples along the Cambodia-Thai border in Oddar Meanchey Province. Fatalities have been reported. Tourist attractions and border crossing points airport car rentals may be closed with little or no notice. There is a risk in border areas from landmines and unexploded military ordnance along the border.
In recent years Cambodian authorities have averted a number of attempted bomb plots. On 13 September 2013, an improvised explosive device (IED) was found and detonated by authorities outside the National Assembly Building near the Australian Embassy in Phnom Penh. A second IED was located at the Naga Bridge on Norodom Boulevard near Wat Phnom. airport car rentals On 7 August 2013, an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated outside the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. No injuries occurred. In 2011, three men were sentenced to gaol after being convict

It took 4 hours of hiking to reach our campground at Encampment Cove 5 if you include the afternoon

Located off Tasmania s east coast, the beautiful island has something to offer everyone. With sweeping bays, isolated beaches, rugged cliffs and mountains, historic ruins and quiet lagoons, it is an unspoiled gem a haven for nature lovers, bushwalkers, adventure seekers, wildlife enthusiasts and photographers alike. With 14 convict buildings, and ruins unchanged since the convict era, the island is now too, a World Heritage Listed Convict Site. Fascinating history comes together with spectacular natural beauty on this incredibly remote wildlife sanctuary and National Park.
Our escape downtown los angeles restaurants from civilization began with a ferry ride from Triabunna. Traveling to an island with no cars or shops, downtown los angeles restaurants we packed as much camping equipment and food as we could possibly carry on our back.
While there were bikes available for hire, we walked, taking in as much of the stunning natural scenery as we possibly could. In fact, in attempting to take in the entire island in two days, all we did was walk! However the hours flew by quickly as we eagerly explored.
Transported back through history, we hiked past the remaining convict buildings of Darlington, once a convict station in the early 1800 s. Discovering downtown los angeles restaurants abandoned buildings is a hobby we indulge in all over the world, however the buildings on Maria Island were particularly fascinating. downtown los angeles restaurants Ranging from old cottages and farmhouses to kilns, brickworks, convict barracks, cement silos and a cemetery, the remains of the buildings on the island have something to say about multiple phases of history. We let our imaginations run wild, conjuring up ideas of what life on the island would have been like during the convict era.
No imagination required, however, to experience the living conditions from back in the day. What once was a convict penitentiary is now used to accommodate visitors rather to detain them! Limited accommodation is available for those wishing to stay in the old penitentiary, now a wood-heated dormitory-style backpacker unit, with shared facilities and no power. Though appealing, we chose to camp!
It took 4 hours of hiking to reach our campground at Encampment Cove 5 if you include the afternoon nap we took on one of the islands isolated downtown los angeles restaurants beaches! The sandbar which connects the two sides of the island was absolutely stunning, and the only traces of life were from the abundance of wildlife who call the island home.
A wildlife sanctuary, we hiked past so many wombats we almost mistook them for rocks. The island sports all manner of native Australian wildlife . It is a breeding ground for the endangered Tasmanian Devils (devils have been introduced to the island to form part of an insurance population ), and absolutely overrun with wombats, emu s, Cape Barren downtown los angeles restaurants Geese and wallabies.
We spent hours trying to spot a Tasmanian Devil, however it wasn t meant to be! We had been informed on the ferry ride over that National Geographic were soon featuring the story of 12 Devils being released into the wild, and were looking to obtain photographs. This was incentive enough to hike off the beaten path and into the uncharted areas of the island in pursuit of the crazy creature! While nothing came of our search, the fact that we knew we were sharing the island with Tasmanian Devils was adventure enough.
What should have been a 4-5 hour hike eventually became a 6-7 hour hike after numerous detours into the bush pursuing wildlife with our camera s ready. They may not look fast, but let me assure you, wombats can RUN!
While this kind of rock formation is not uncommon, it is rare for it to be so exposed and accessible downtown los angeles restaurants for tourism. A 2 and a half hour hike from the main port in Darlington, the cliffs weren t overrun by tourism as we had expected. In fact, there were only one or two other people exploring the area when we arrived.
This was the true beauty of Maria Island. While only a short trip from Tasmania s capital of Hobart, it is not overwhelmed by thousands of visitors. The wonder of the island remains intact, downtown los angeles restaurants and traveling here offers a rewarding sense of discovery and adventure as though you are discovering and experiencing the island before the rest of the world gets the chance.
Megan is an Australian Journalist who has been travelling and blogging around the world for the last 7 years to inspire others to embark on their own worldwide adventure! Her husband Mike is an American travel downtown los angeles restaurants photographer, and together they have made the world their home.
Meg has recently launched “ Mapping downtown los angeles restaurants Megan ”, an up and coming travel blog which aims to give you the best tips and advice on travelling, volunteering, living, working and holidaying abroad. She hasn’t been everywhere, but it’s on her list!
Write for ThePlanetD .  Our  Inspirationonal Stories Series   is back and bigger than ever. We re looking for our fellow travellers to share inspiring stories. Has travel changed your life? Has travel  made you a better person downtown los angeles restaurants ? Do you have a great tip? Did you visit a destination and just have to tell everyone about it? Did you find the  love of your life,   your passion  or  your purpose  during your travels? downtown los angeles restaurants We want to hear your travel stories. Be it your greatest adventure or most life affirming moment or some great travel tips you learned along the way, Send your ideas to ThePlanetD.com and  check out our writing downtown los angeles restaurants guidelines   for more details or  read our call out to writers .  Contact us here   and we ll get back to you.
Thank you Megan! We appreciate you sharing this hidden gem with us and all the readers of ThePlanetD. We love having people write for us because there is no way we can visit everywhere and it inspires us to explore downtown los angeles restaurants new places too! You ve made us want to head to Maria Island the next chance we get!
Maria Island is so beautiful I actually downtown los angeles restaurants went there on school camp in primary school!! I didn t appreciate it properly back then, but now you have me wanting to go back. It sounds awesome. Although I didn t realise non Tasmanians had heard of it!
Superb photography Meg! I didn t know you were originally from Tasmania. Its the only Aussie state we ve yet to explore and as we re currently in Melbourne I m having to sit in my hands in order to stop myself booking downtown los angeles restaurants tickets over there right now! Thanks for inspiring me!
I would love to enjoy an Australian Christmas. We may be going to Queensland in the Spring. Can t wait! And thanks so much for sharing. We now have added Maria Island to our list of must visit destinations!

Australia were shattered by the loss, which left them winless from their first two games. Even victo

ESPNcricinfo Dhaka, Bangladesh West Indian batting dakota magic bus tours power ejected Australia from the previous dakota magic bus tours World T20 in Sri Lanka and has all but done so again after Darren Sammy pulled off a remarkable heist in Mirpur. dakota magic bus tours Chris Gayle gave West Indies a blazing start to their chase of 179 but they spluttered in the middle and Australia were firm favourites when George Bailey handed the ball to Mitchell Starc with 31 still needed from the final two overs.
dakota magic bus tours Sammy had other ideas. A half-volley was smashed over long-on for six, a flick was finessed to the fine-leg boundary and another four was slashed behind point, and Starc’s inability to land the ball in the right spots meant 19 runs had leaked from his over, leaving 12 required off the final six balls. Importantly, Sammy was on strike, though his partner Dwayne Bravo had contributed plenty to the chase with 27 off 12 deliveries.
Two yorkers from James Faulkner gave Bailey reason dakota magic bus tours to breathe easier, but Sammy followed dakota magic bus tours those with a six crunched dakota magic bus tours over long-off from a full toss and another six down the ground to secure the six-wicket win with two balls to spare. Sammy threw his arms up in the air to celebrate and well he might have, for his 34 off 13 balls was the reason West Indies managed the highest successful chase in their T20 international history.
Australia were shattered by the loss, which left them winless dakota magic bus tours from their first two games. Even victories in their remaining matches against India and Bangladesh may well be inadequate dakota magic bus tours to progress to the semi-finals. It has been a harsh lesson for a side who entered the tournament as favourites with five wins from their past five games notably, all in faster, more familiar conditions. Here their batsmen again struggled against spin.
Not that their total of 178 for 8 was unable to be defended; on the contrary, they must have felt confident at the change of innings, even more so after Shane Watson sent down a maiden for the first over of the chase to Dwayne Smith. After that, though, it was the Gayle show. His first ball was a pearler from Starc, angling in and straightening past the outside edge, but that was about the only time Gayle looked troubled.
Four fours followed later in that same over and the old Gayle magic was back. He clipped Doug Bollinger over square leg for six and continued to strike the ball cleanly in all directions, taking 40 from his first 14 deliveries. Smith edged behind off Starc for 17 but Gayle was the worry for Australia, and after his brisk start he settled down into a more run-a-ball mode, moving to his half-century from 31 balls.
At times he was walking singles, such was the ease with he appeared to be taking things, but on 53 he sent a catch to deep midwicket off James Muirhead and the fate of the match looked as if it may have changed on that one stroke. The runs began to dry up, Lendl Simmons was caught in the deep for 26 and Marlon Samuels used up 15 balls for his 12 before he was brilliantly taken by Brad Haddin diving to his right off Starc.
It was the last good thing Starc did for the match Bravo clubbed him for six later in that over, and then it was the Sammy show. Those two final overs were fatal to Australia in this match, but their lack of big runs from their top three batsmen has also hurt them in both games.
As they had in the loss to Pakistan, Australia again relied on Maxwell to rebuild dakota magic bus tours the innings after the top three struggled against quality spin. This time, David Warner and Aaron Finch at least made starts but they fell in consecutive
Watson failed to get going for the second consecutive game, this time stumped for 2 from eight balls when Sunil Narine turned one past the bat. Denesh Ramdin was hardly crisp behind the stumps but such was Watson’s apparent lack of awareness that his back foot was on the line that Ramdin was able to miss the bails on his first attempt at breaking them, then knock them off at the second try and still find Watson short.
When Bailey sent a catch to midwicket off Samuels for 12, Australia dakota magic bus tours were in a spot of bother at 77 for 4, and it looked like spin could be their undoing in a tournament played in turning conditions. But Maxwell showed against Pakistan that such bowling does not worry him, and here he followed 16 off a Sammy over with a couple more sixes, dakota magic bus tours slog swept off Samuels and crunched over extra cover off Badree.
There was no crazily fast half-century for Maxwell as there had been against Pakistan, but his 45 from 22 he pulled a catch to deep midwicket off Badree at least put Australia on the path to a competitive total. Brad Hodge, who entered the match as Twenty20’s leading dakota magic bus tours run scorer dakota magic bus tours of all time, had enough experience to steer the innings up towards the 150 mark, his 35 ending dakota magic bus tours only when he tried to reverse sweep Narine and was bowled.
The lower order added a few boundaries to get the total up to 178 for 8 but it was not enough. West Indies now have every chance of advancing to the semi-finals and maybe defending their title, won in Sri Lanka in 2012 after Gayle monstered Australia in the semi-final with 75 off 41 balls. Australia will almost certainly fly home next week wondering how on earth they can win this elusive trophy. Perhaps if Gayle retires before the next tournament they might have some chance.
Summary Scores: dakota magic bus tours Australia Innings: 178/8 (20 Overs). Glenn Maxwell 45, Brad Hodge 35, David Warner 20, Aaron Finch 16; Sunil Narine 4-1-19-2, Samuel Badree 4-0-37-2, Marlon Samuels 2-0-20-2, Krishmar Santokie 4-0-30-1.
West Indies Innings: 179/4 (19.4 Overs). Chris Gayle 53, Darren Sammy* 34*, Dwayne Bravo 27, Lendl Simmons 26; Mitchell Starc 4-0-50-2, James Muirhead 3-0-21-1, Doug Bollinger 4-0-34-1, Shane Watson 2-1-11-0.

Even though I had screwed up, I still had to get home somehow . I considered a couple of options, in

Last week I flew to one of my favorite countries. Ever since I first got stuck in Australia after being denied boarding for Nauru, it turned into a country I love to escape to whenever I get the chance—especially the sunny city of Sydney.
Only problem was, this time my favorite sunny city was in a downpour for almost my entire visit. I still had a good time, but I wish I d left earlier to go to Melbourne, where I ended up for the last two days of my trip. Fortunately, I had a beautiful sunny day there before heading home via Hong Kong and Los Angeles.
First up, some news on my favorite credit card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa . In addition to its usual 40,000 point sign-up bonus, the card has now been improved to offer an additional 5,000 points for adding an authorized user, which can be done at no charge.
This is my #1 card, and one that I take with me everywhere. As you ll see in this post, I used points from Chase—as well as other programs—to put together an almost-free trip to Australia over the past week. Even if you re not a big travel hacker, it s worth having this card in your wallet.
Going between the U.S. and Australia is one of the most challenging flights to hack. Every time I ve made the trek, I ve traveled inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc at least one direction through Asia. There s just very little premium availability on the much-desired Qantas flights across the pacific, even when much of the cabin is empty.
Thankfully, there s a loophole. One of the best uses of Delta SkyMiles, a mileage currency that otherwise has little value, is through inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc Virgin Australia. I was able to find good Business Class availability on LAX-Brisbane, with a free connection inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc to Sydney thrown in. My connection from Portland was also included, in First Class on Alaska Airlines.
If I had to pick a single inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc favorite inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc hotel in the world, it would be the Sydney Park Hyatt . Located directly inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc in front of the Harbour with a view of the famous Opera House, I always stay at least one night whenever I pass through town.
Hyatt just announced a devaluation to their award chart, and starting in January this hotel will cost 30,000 points a night instead of 22,000. It will still be worth it, but I m glad to visit now under the old rate.
I love visiting Sydney and return every chance I get, but everyone from Melbourne always tells me that their city is better. Fair enough—I d only been to Melbourne once before for the Problogger Event , so I decided to add two days at the end of the trip before heading back home.
Just as going between the U.S. is Australia is expensive, so too is traveling within Australia. Budget carriers have helped lower the cost a bit, but flights on Qantas and Virgin Australia are still pricey compared to many other domestic markets.
After visiting Melbourne I needed one more hotel stay in Sydney, and I d already used a lot of points for the Park Hyatt. inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc I also like the Hilton there, but it wasn t available on points for the night I needed.
Having said what a great value SkyMiles can be for flights to Australia, I made a mistake in booking my Virgin Australia ticket. Basically, I ended up with a free ticket from Melbourne to Sydney, but no viable way back home after that. Oops.
Even though I had screwed up, I still had to get home somehow . I considered a couple of options, including going all the way around the world the other way (perhaps with Etihad or Qatar Airways), or potentially routing through New Zealand, Fiji, or Hawaii.
I decided to book a paid OneWorld flight on Cathay Pacific to Tokyo Narita and then Malaysia Airlines to LAX, which was much cheaper than usual for some reason. I couldn’t have flown Cathay inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc all the way home on this discount Business fare, but I don’t mind traveling via Narita, and I wanted to try Malaysia Airlines long-haul anyway.
These guys and other folks might not have accepted the SkyMiles mistake I made, and could have spent more time on the phone with Delta trying to sort it out. They also might have used a single award to travel from Australia back to the U.S. via Hong Kong—instead of splitting the ticket as I did and paying for the second half.
No doubt they’re right, but I’m more of a utilitarian travel hacker. I’ve been earning more than a million miles and points a year for the past five years, so I don’t always worry about getting inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc it exactly right. If I find something that suits my needs, that’s what I do. Which brings me to the next point:
As I wrote up the report, I realized that I used a big batch of miles and points for this trip. The SkyMiles expenditure wasn’t a huge loss, but it’s certainly true that 66,000 Ultimate Rewards points are worth a decent amount.
I comforted myself with the knowledge that these points can be replenished (more on that next) as well as the fact that miles and points have no value except when they are put to good use. Miles are for spending inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc , in other words—as I reminded myself on this trip.
Over the past few weeks, travel hackers around the world have been receiving inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc word of various “adjustments” to award charts. In airline terms, an adjustment almost always means an increase in rates, otherwise known as a devaluation of the points or mileage currency. One of the devaluations in particular, to United’s MileagePlus program, was particularly bad, with up to an 84% increase in required miles for partner flights starting next year.
The thing is, these announcements have been tempered inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc by the increased availability of big bonuses, especially through credit inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc cards but also thanks to mergers, inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc offers inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc to purchase miles outright for 40% off (sometimes more), transfer bonuses from American Express Membership inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc Rewards, and additional inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc offers that continue to crop up on a regular basis.
As I see it, it’s a circle of life and miles. When I started doing this many years ago, the award charts were more favorable and the airlines more lax in allowing creative bookings, but it was also a lot harder to earn big batches of miles all at once.
If you re not into travel hacking or travel inns or bed and breakfast incolumbia sc in general, you deserve a medal for reading this far. I ll see you next week with something totally different! After a lot of waiting and work, we re almost ready to move forward with a couple of big announcements.
*Disclosure: we receive affiliate commission for some of the card products mentioned in this post. You don t have to use our links to apply, and we always publish the best available offers that we know of.

Are NZ and Australia nice to visit at the end of april/ beginning of may? from what i've read new ze

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Are NZ and Australia nice to visit at the end of april/ beginning of may? from what i've read new zealand gets colder earlier on than australia, so it would seem that new zealand should go first on such a trip; is that accurate? Also heard it's hotter in aus this year, so winter might start later? Would all national parks be accessible at that time of year in both countries? Would it be nice to visit, or would earlier in the year be a nicer time? Wanted to go in Feb, but it didn't work out. Is Dec- February a nicer time to visit in general, if I want to see scenic places? Should I push my trip off for a different year?
Yes - New Zealand is cooler than Australia. In both places, the north is generally warmer than the south. NZ's weather is more quickly frequently changeable due to its length geographical positioning.
Information about where you are from, length of your proposed stay and a rough itinerary would be helpful for people omni new haven hotel trying to give you meaningful information and perhaps some comparisons to places omni new haven hotel with which you may be familiar.
In AUS: We'd like to visit kakadu, katherine gorge, maybe litchfield park, maybe cairns and the great barrier reef, maybe cradle mountain, blue mountains (I know some of these are pretty omni new haven hotel far apart and we'd fly between cities)
Kakadu, Nitmulik (Katharine Gorge) and Litchfield NPs will all be good weather wise in May. They are driving distance omni new haven hotel apart and can be done in a loop out of Darwin. Edith falls is worth a look on your way back up the Stuart Hwy from Katharine to Darwin. You could then fly Darwin - Cairns, spend some time on the GBR before flying out of Cairns to Tassie. Check airlines on this, doubt there'd be direct flights.
Curious why Lake Dunstan? Sure, it's nice, but this is the first time I've seen someone include it on an itinerary. The drive from Mt Cook to Queenstown will take you right by the lake. There are several nice wineries in the area. Cromwell makes a good base for exploring Lake Dunstan.
March-April-early May is my favorite time for the places you will visit on NZ's South Island, mainly because of the autumn foliage and the more settled weather. It's also grape harvest time in March and early April, so the vineyards are lovely to look at. However, Bokhara2 is quite correct in informing you that NZ's weather is highly changeable and you can expect variable weather any time (so you should prepare omni new haven hotel for this).
omni new haven hotel We went to Lake Tekapo and Mt. Cook in early May 2013 and it was gorgeous, sunny with blue skies. The view from Mt. John Observatory was incredible, with early snow on the mountaintops. There were still a few autumn leaves on the trees. In Mt. Cook Village, we took a boat cruise out onto Tasman Lake and conditions were sunny with blue skies. There was a small cloud on Mt. Cook, but it later cleared and the top of the mountain became visible. We felt quite lucky, as the weather could have been completely different. Note accommodation rates start to drop in April for this area--so another good reason to choose this time to visit.
My friends with kids generally stay in family-type accomodation, omni new haven hotel such as vacation homes with multiple bedrooms, or they camp. A lot of the university students go home to visit their families, though Queenstown remains a popular destination for vacationing college students as it is a bit of a party town.
Thanks for the compliment, Melnq8. We got lucky with weather, which made all the difference. We intended to go to Tekapo a few days earlier to view a major meteor shower, which would have been too perfect but my husband had to work. We heard it was fabulous.
You give me too much credit Diamantina - we're being totally selfish with the wine - it'll be stored at my Mom's for our own personal consumption at a later date. Fortunately, she doesn't drink, so it'll be safe until then.
PS - I visited the winery in question a few days after our shipping discussion - they told me they'd just shipped a carton to NZ (at an astronomical cost) - I asked if it went to Dunedin, thinking it might be you. (It wasn't).

"I treated it as if I was scoring a movie and tried to highlight the drama and pace of the film with

What started los angeles county board of supervisors as a few snapshots of scenery in and around Preston at different times of the year began to grow into an idea for a short film by amateur film maker and musician John Hickey . The film called, TIME MACHINE takes the viewer on a journey through time.
“Over the last few years I ve become los angeles county board of supervisors interested in the possibilities offered by mobile phone cameras, both for still images and for video,” said John, “and I have taken lots of photographs of Preston and its surroundings. Last year I took a few photos of The Harris Museum and Library from the top of Friargate and became fascinated by how the scene altered over the months in what would appear to be an unchanging view.”
As 2013 progressed John took a series of photos of other views around Preston documenting the seasons and other changes. In January 2014 he began to compile these images and form them into a series of slowly evolving scenes using a simple video editing programme.
“I quickly saw the possibility of turning these images into a story, in fact a journey through time, and found three separate sets of images that would hold together as a three part film. Having done a rough edit of the film I began work on a soundtrack”.
“I treated it as if I was scoring a movie and tried to highlight the drama and pace of the film with the music. Each of the three parts has it s own feel and character and I wanted the music to reflect that. I think adding the music is what really brought the project to life”.
The on-line première turned out to be a bigger success than John imagined and quite a buzz was generated at the time. Since the première the film has been viewed all over the world. The biggest concentration of viewers live in and around Preston and the UK, but it has been watched in France, The United States, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, Romania, The U.A.E., Germany, Oman, Puerto Rico and Australia.
“It s exciting to see a little idea that began a few months ago develop into a film and then to watch it spread around the world,” said John, “and the music has proved popular in its own right. I m looking forward to finding out what more people think of the film and the music and hope people share it with their friends and make comments on YouTube”.
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From June to August are the coolest months in Australia as far as the southern regions is concerned.

What is the best time to visit Australia ? I often get this question through my site from first time travellers who want to make the most of their Australia Trip.  Being Australia a huge continent it is impossible to answer this question with one sentence, because there are many factors that influences the best time to visit Australia.
The Australian continent stretches from North to South and from East to West covering a few thousands of kilometers and therefore crossing different climate zones. As climate and weather conditions change over the year there are various answers to when is the best time to visit Australia .
From September to November weather is fine everywhere in Australia. In the Northern national rent a car centers Tropical Areas it is a transitional period from the dry winter months into the rainy months of December to February. With temperatures around 20-30°C from South West to South East this is definitely the best time to visit Australia, especially South Australia, South East Australia, Queensland and Western Australia.
South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales the ideal time to make the most in these 3 states. Weather is mild and it is not as busy as during summer. In fact with school holidays it tends to be crowded with international tourists as well as with the locals touring Australia.
From December to February they are the hottest national rent a car centers months throughout Australia. Temperatures can reach 35-45°C all over the southern coastal areas and in outback areas (central Australia) it can reach temps with over 45°C. This is the peak season with regards to school holidays, it is the busiest time in Australia to travel, and the most expensive too. So if you do not like crowds avoid visiting Australia in these months. However national rent a car centers there are also some benefits of travelling in the summer months, which are these
From March to May weather is still pleasent in most reagions of Australia. Temperatures in March to April can vary and usually are 20-25°C, national rent a car centers they gradually decrease towards the winter months. This is for me, the best time of the year to visit Australia.
It is a good time of the year to visit the Top End as April ususally marks the end of the rain seaon. Lush green vegetation, gorges filled with water and active birdlife and wildlife can be easily seen everywhere in national parks.
national rent a car centers From June to August are the coolest months in Australia as far as the southern regions is concerned. Victoria and Tasmania winter can be pretty cold with temperatures around zero. For this reason it is the ideal time to visit these Australian national rent a car centers regions. However national rent a car centers if the southern national rent a car centers regions of Australia are not ideal to visit in winter you can plan your Australia trip with a different focus.
Winter in the northern regions tend to a busy time of the year as everyone want to escape the cold winter months in the south and go to the sunny beaches of the north. That s why I would plan a trip to the Northern Australia in advance.
This post can be helpful to international first time travellers who want to visit Australia and its major attractions. While you build your Australia itinerary around the main iconic attractions like Melbourne, Syndey, Queensland with Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, the Red Centre national rent a car centers and more attractions you will need to consider various key factors like time of the year, weather and your time frame so as to build a savvy travel plan around Australia .

Thanks Zooming Japan, I highly recommend all of these places and visit them regularly during the che

We are lucky here in Gifu to have so many great spots for viewing the beautiful cherry blossoms. This year they are expected to start blooming close to their average schedule with the estimated start date of around March 25 in Gifu. The peak is estimated for around April 3-10.
A popular past-time during the sakura or cherry blossom season in Japan is hanami . Hanami (花見) literally means flower viewing and cherry blossom viewing is a traditional Japanese custom of enjoying the beautiful cherry blossoms.
Sunomata Castle (墨俣城) is located just outside of Ogaki City in Gifu Prefecture on the banks of the Sai and Nagara Rivers. The area features around 1000 cherry trees. The castle is a modern-day reconstruction based on that of nearby Ogaki Castle rather than the famous original, which according to legend is said to have been built in one night. The castle is sometimes also called Ichiya-jo (一夜城) or one-night castle . The area around the castle is illuminated at night and is very spectacular.
The Shinsakai River is located in Kagamigahara City near Shimin Koen Park. This is one of the best spots in Gifu Prefecture and features in Japan's top 100 Best Sakura locations. The banks of the river have around 1200 cherry discount travel books trees and there are many food vendors making this a fantastic hanami location. I recommend a visit during the early evening to soak up the amazing atmosphere of this place.
Gifu Park (岐阜公園) is located in Gifu City at the foot of Mount Kinka and Gifu Castle. The park and surrounding area features around 480 cherry trees. The Japan-China Friendship Garden right next to Gifu Park is the best spot and is a popular hanami location during the sakura season. Gifu Park is regarded as one of the best spots for cherry blossom viewing in Gifu City. This spot can be enjoyed during both the daytime and the evening/night.
Usuzumi Zakura is located in Neo Village in Motosu City, Gifu Prefecture. Usuzumi Zakura is one of the oldest cherry trees in Japan at over 1,500 years old, and is considered to be one of Japan's Three Great Cherry Blossom Trees. The tree has been officialy designated a National Nature Treasure of Japan. This unique cherry blossom discount travel books tree initially sprouts pale pink flowers, which become white in full bloom. Usuzumi Park features around 50 cherry trees.
Thanks so much. Apart from Gifu Part I haven t been to any of the places you introduced yet. Certainly going onto my bucket list! :D I have no plans yet, still working on it. Either some day trips within Kansai or I ll go down to Shizuoka, Yamanashi and Kanagawa again. :) Reply Delete Replies Japan-Australia March 23, 2014 at 8:39 PM
Thanks Zooming discount travel books Japan, I highly recommend all of these places and visit them regularly during the cherry blossom season. I m also thinking about a visit to Hikone Castle in Shiga Prefecture or Gujo Hachiman. Delete Reply Muza-chan March 24, 2014 at 8:34 PM

If you've always wanted to visit Uluru - the iconic big red rock in Alice Springs, then winter is th

June, July and August are the best times to consider enterprise car rental discounts a budget trip because it’s the winter season for the Aussies. enterprise car rental discounts The prices for traveling and accommodation will be cheaper because it’s not in the holiday season timeframe.
The weather during this season is very mild considering it’s the cooler month. The temperatures generally range somewhere between 15 to 25 degrees Celsius (or 59 to 77 Fahrenheit) along with great sunshine on most days.
If you’ve always wanted to visit Uluru – the iconic big red rock in Alice Springs, then winter enterprise car rental discounts is the time to go. Better yet, it is a perfect destination for backpackers because of the beautiful surroundings and unique landscapes around it.
July/August is definitely the best time to visit the World Heritage-listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and you’ll be stunned by the iconic feature of Australia s most famous and photographed landmark.
There are also activities available like camel riding through the beautiful red sand dunes and learning about native Anangu culture at the visitor s centre. If you’re a food lover, then we recommend taking the Sounds of Silence experience which features a superb dining under the desert stars.
If you’re a fan of gourmet food and alcohol, then Margaret River, located in Western Australia, is another great place to travel to. It is known as one the best places for fine food and wine destinations and winter is the best time to dine on a budget.
For the budget traveller, we recommend renting out a campervan and doing some backpacking along the way to fully absorb the beauty of the region. There are also a lot of great caravan and camping parks around the area – with low rates around the Australian winter time.
If you’re into arts and creative crafts , then you must check out the picturesque local villages surrounding the Margaret River area. They feature a lot of local arts and crafts and fresh local produce.
In fact, Margaret River has always been a huge draw card for artists and creative people, so after you leave your campervan at your preferred site, you can wander around the galleries and experience the local talent and creativity.
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These are excellent points plus, if you want to go skiing, there s often snow in the far south of Australia, and if you seek tropical heat, the north of the country has it in abundance (just bring your umbrella though!)
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For today s Front Burner column , I wrote about the websites I usually visit in order to find great

For today s Front Burner column , I wrote about the websites I usually visit in order to find great restaurant recommendations before I travel. The column was inspired by our recent vacation, which was a cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale chicago dinner cruise with stops in the Bahamas, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos.
The very day we returned, the Carnival cruise ship Triumph chicago dinner cruise suffered the engine room fire that stranded it in the Gulf of Mexico. The miserable conditions on board were all over the news, but that won t stop me from taking another cruise. In fact, this was my second cruise and I can t wait to take another.
I understand that cruises are not for everybody. I fell in love with this travel method because it s a very affordable way to visit several different countries in one vacation. I don t know that I could ever book travel to and between all those places, along with accommodations every night and food every day, for less money than a cruise. chicago dinner cruise Even if I could, it would be a lot more work.
I still love traveling directly to one location chicago dinner cruise and spending as much time as I want there, and I have stopped at ports where I wished I had several more days to explore (Dublin!). But getting a short peek at a destination helps me to determine whether I d like to spend more time there in the future (Dublin!).
Before we get to the food, which is, after all, what this blog is all about, I want to address the comments I ve heard from folks who say they d never cruise now after what they saw happen to the Carnival Triumph and the Costa Concordia. My response is that there is risk inherent in any type of travel, whether it be in a car, a plane, on a train or on a ship. If you don t want to take the risk, you don t travel. I d rather be on a cruise trip that s in trouble than on an airplane that s going down, but that s just me.
A very good reason some folks don t like to cruise is the food. The two cruises I ve taken have been on Princess, so I can t speak to the quality of food on other cruise lines. But I ve been very happy with the food on board both Princess ships. I love being able to have something different for breakfast at the buffet every day, because I love it all yogurt, granola, oatmeal, fruit, eggs, bacon, potatoes, bread, waffles, French toast, pancakes oh, yum!
We had hits and misses in the sit-down dining rooms, but most dishes were great. Some that stand out in my mind are a delicious veal saltimbocca, sauteed scallops with citrus, chicago dinner cruise cream of mushroom soup with sundried chicago dinner cruise tomatoes, crab and roasted red pepper quiche, chicken and sweetbreads in puff pastry, and garlic shrimp. I will warn you that you should probably never order pad Thai on a cruise ship. I should have known better.
Of course, nothing on board compared with the two restaurants we visited on shore: Tropicana in Marigot, the capital of French St. Martin, and the Local Village Bar and Restaurant in Grand Turk. I wrote more about both of those restaurants in today s column, chicago dinner cruise so check it out .
If you will allow me to bore you with a few vacation pictures, check out the slideshow above. To experience this slideshow properly, chicago dinner cruise click play and then immediately chicago dinner cruise click the bottom right button with the four arrows to expand it to fill your screen, then click “Show info” at the top right of your screen to see the captions describing the photos.
My dad loves to stop and ask random locals for the best hole-in-the-wall spots. Once while we were travelling through Florida he actually pulled in someone s driveway and asked a man who was taking out the trash. At the time I was an angsty teenager and sooo embarrassed about the whole thing. The man s advice was spot on though, we ended up at a tasty local seafood restaurant on the beach at sunset.
chicago dinner cruise I tend to use Trip Advisor when reviewing or researching hotels, restaurants, excursions etc. Its never steered me wrong and the people who use it tend to be global instead of regional, like Yelp and Chowhound seem to be-maybe a more complete prospective that way.
When my husband and I were trying to determine which all inclusive resort to try for the first time, and were hesitant to go to Mexico, Trip Advisor steered us to the perfect hotel in Cozumel and we had a fantastic time. While there we were able to experience a fantastic food tour, a chocolate factory and we even went spear fishing all things we would have never known about, if not for Trip Advisor. A long road trip in California last year was also made much more enjoyable by TripAdvisor, from the best Thai food EVER to several out of the way but gorgeous vineyards and a few last minute hotel deals too.
You re gonna laugh I have never thought to use online resources for any type of info before travel! I have joined Yelp and Urban Spoon so that I can leave some reviews about local places, but don t really consult them for myself. Go figure! But cruising I can talk about! We ve taken (I think) chicago dinner cruise 18 Carnival cruises and we LOVE it! My fav. vacation EVER! Started in 1998 and have been on probably 14 or so different Carnival ships, including the Carnival Triumph! The two incidents you spoke of won t deter me from taking another chicago dinner cruise cruise; think of how many cruises there are worldwide on a monthly or annual chicago dinner cruise basis and you so rarely hear of problems. I know it can happen, chicago dinner cruise but We are actually booked on another cruise later this year. I love the food on the ships! SO much variety, and I think it s ALL good! We don t ever go to the formal dining room, just eat at the buffets where they have a ton of options, or at the sushi bar, or the deli, or you get the picture. We don t usually buy any tours from the ship, just go onshore and explore on our own. We ve been to most of the popular Caribbean Islands several times and have favorite spots to return to. I love the shows and other entertainment on board and I love being able to do what I want to do while the family each does what they want to do and there is NO DRIVING! chicago dinner cruise I ll shut up now as I could talk cruising all day long!
I ve adopted a sort of weird method of picking restaurants chicago dinner cruise lately. We travel chicago dinner cruise to DC and Richmond a lot. I ve started scanning Groupon ahead of time, picking one or two that look likely,and using them. We ve found several great places in both spots that way. Odd, I know. I do consult Yelp and and Urbanspoon before I buy.
I ve taken 13 cruises with Carnival now and the food has always been excellent. None of the recent cruise incidents will deter me from cruising. It s still safer than driving my car down the highway. A cruise isn t for everyone, but for me it s a no worries chicago dinner cruise vacation. Don t have to worry about driving in strange city, how much money you re spending on eating out, who s going to drive home if one of us wants a cocktail with dinner, or what to do for entertainment as there s more going on than we could possibly do at one time.
Kristen, we hadn t had a real vacation for several years and figured it was about time. My husband hates the winter and always wants to go somewhere chicago dinner cruise warm in the dead of winter, so that s why we chose the vacation we did. It was the perfect temperature down there upper 70s and sunny. The only thing bad about traveling this time of year is that I was SO paranoid one of us was going to get sick just before the vacation. I guess it s a good thing we both had the flu at Christmas and got that over with!
J, you describe perfectly chicago dinner cruise some of the other reasons I like to go on cruises the worry-free, (almost) all-inclusive atmosphere. We went to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico chicago dinner cruise for our honeymoon and that was also relaxing for the same reasons.
Are you guys having chicago dinner cruise trouble submitting comments on this blog? I m noticing it s very slow and a couple of times I ve had to refresh the page, then the comment shows up. Please let me know so I can pass it on to our online folks. If you are getting annoyed trying to comment, feel free to email me instead at lindsey.nair@roanoke.com .
Yes, from the 10th cruise on you are in Carnival s Concierge chicago dinner cruise Club. You get VIP treatment which includes Priority chicago dinner cruise Embarkation! This one is really chicago dinner cruise cool, you have a dedicated spot to check in, usually no wait, 5 minute check in and you re on the ship! As opposed to waiting in the lines w/ hundreds of others. They bring special gifts to your stateroom most every day throughout the cruise, and you have a dedicated line at the pursers desk. AND, you get free entry into a blackjack or slot tournament, usually $20. I think they ve changed the name of it now, but you re still a VIP!
We have been on several different kinds of cruises and LOVE them all! Disney cruise (Wonder) in the Bahamas was awesome. You really don t see all that many kids except at dinner in the dinning rooms, otherwise, you act like a kid again and it s all fun! Best food on a cruise, ever. My husband and I still compare all cruise dinners to Disney. After all, Disney is the best in the business We also did a 2 week Mediterranean cruise with Holland America (ms Westerdam) for our honeymoon. It was a cruise geared towards the older crowd, but we really enjoyed it as well. Food was really good, but obviously. not Disney. Being able to see a different country everyday and eating local foods and the shopping all very fun! Our last cruise was Royal Caribbean (Monarch of the Seas). It was okay, food wasn t anything memorable, and everything looked chicago dinner cruise outdated. Considering that it was their oldest boat in their fleet
My only advice is to pick one that has high reviews and the most importantly is the age of the ship. The newer, the better the amenities will be. I can tell you that we can not wait to do another Disney cruise and try out Remy, their new high end restaurant. It is suppose to be like Victoria and Alberts at Grand Floridian, a AAA 5 diamond restaurant. We ate there at the chef s table last trip to Disney and was the best meal ever!
It s interesting to hear opinions of different cruise lines. When we were leaving chicago dinner cruise our ship, I talked to a woman who cruises all t