Do Not Go To Camp without Asking

By Lonnie Lorenz

Here are some things to consider when visiting a camp, watching a video or flipping through the brochure. iPlease note many of these areas may affect your child's stay at summer camp. Be sure to ask the camp director if you can not find information that you feel is a top priority for your child.Summer Camp

Facilities Take careful note of the condition of the facilities. Are the buildings well maintained, or do they show clear signs of a lack of maintenance. Though well worn and rustic buildings are perfectly ok, make sure that they are not being neglected. Specific things you'll want to look for and ask about include:

Bunks: * Do children live in cabins, tents, or dorms? * How many beds are in each cabin? * Are they bunk beds or individual cots? * How do the campers choose which beds they want? * Where do the campers store their belongings? * Are the cabins to crowded? Is there enough storage space? Has the camp overbooked and crowded extra campers in? * Are the cabins clean? Are beds made by the campers and belongings stowed? * How many counselors sleep in each Cabin?

Bathrooms: * Where are the toilets? Does each bunk have it's own toilets or is there a common bathhouse? * If there is a common bathhouse, do children have to walk alone at night? Is the path lighted? * Are there showers in each bunk? * Do campers have to walk in their bathrobes/pajamas to the showers? * If the camp is coed, how separate are the shower facilities? * Who cleans the facilities, and how often?

Waterfront or Swimming Pool: * Can the pool accommodate all swimmers? * Are the waterfront areas for swimming, boating, water skiing and diving separate and clearly marked? * What kind of waterfront toys are provided? * What is the supervision and ratio of lifeguards to swimmers? * Are life jackets always worn whebn boating? * Are swimming tested on skills? * How do the camp keep track ofr swimmers? Buddy board?

The Grounds: * Are playing fields freshly reseeded and mowed? * Are the trails clearly marked? * Is the equipment in good condition?

Dinning Hall: Believe it or not this one of the most important areas at camp. Nearly 25% of their day is spent in the Dinning Hall. So the Camp needs to understand this and work to make it a clean, exciting and nutritious experience Will the camp meet your dietary needs. Don't be forget to make sure they can accommodate you Kids Summer Camp * Are there alternatives if your child does not like the offering? Is there a salad bar? * When, how and what Are the snacks? Is there a canteen/camp store? * What does a typical menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner look like?* Is there enough space for the whole camp to be served in one seating? * Do cabins eat together? This is your child's friends. * Are meals buffet style or are campers served family style? If they are served, who serves the food? * Who is the kitchen director and what are his or their credentials? How long have they been at this camp? * What are the safety and cleanliness standards? Who inspectes the state and local codes?

Remember this article has to do with the comforts of camp and not with safety at camp. The American Camp Association has a certification program that looks at over 300 different aspects of camp. It is always best to select a camp that has been ACA Accredited. ACA CAMPS

You can learn more about selecting a wonderful Teen Summer Camp by visiting Summer Camp Advice Finding a Summer Camp

About the Author:

About the authors: Jeff and Lonnie Lorenz are the directors of Swift Nature Camp, aMinnesota Campthat's a non-competitive, traditional coed overnight summer camp. Boys and Girls Ages 6-15 enjoy nature, animals & science along with traditional camping activities. Swift specializes in Adventure programs for Teenage Campers and First Timers too. To learn more click Summer Camp

Key Pieces of Vegas Shows

By Deniss Durrell

When spending time in Las Vegas, it looks like most of the experience is focused around gambling in the casinos. Though , one of the greatest points to see in Las Vegas is to take in Vegas Shows. The shows in Las Vegas are some of the preeminent in the world, and there is a large variety for you to choose from.

Perhaps the most traditional type of Vegas show is the traditional type that features lots of showgirls dancing in elaborate costumes. These types of shows have been around for decades, and are highly regarded because of their intricate showgirl style and choreography. Some of the more famous are Bally's Jubilee and the Follies Berger.

However, Vegas shows are changing. There are more than just the traditional shows that entertained the crowds of past decades. Instead, now Las Vegas is becoming the second Broadway in the United States. With shows like The Phantom of the Opera and Mama Mia! running in Las Vegas and pulling in crowds there has been a turn toward creating Vegas-sized versions of traditional musical theatre.

Another terrific form of Vegas shows is a comedy show. There are loads of good comedians in Las Vegas, and they give a great night of amusement. If you are looking to entertainment very much then you might desire to check out one of the enormous Vegas headliners.

Perhaps the most popular form of Vegas shows are the Cirque de Soleil shows. There are some different shows presented on the strip for you to pick from. Visitors come from all around the world to enjoy this awesome blend of circus and performance art. Going to see a Cirque show, you are definitely to undergo something that you have never felt before, and it is well worth the price of ticket!

About the Author:

About Author: Vegasshow-s.com. Here's the most popular type of Vegas Shows. Different varieties available on the strip for you to choose from.

Areas of Interest in Tropical North Queensland

By Joseph Richards

The Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest and Atherton Tableland can all be found in Tropical North Queensland. Tropical North Queensland is the only spot on earth where the rainforest meets the sea.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the natural wonders of the world. It stretches some 2300 kms and can even be seen from space .More than 2,000 species of fish and innumerable species of hard and soft coral are found in the waters here which makes it extremely popular for snorkelers and scuba divers .The whole area is strictly monitored by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority but this is all for a very important reason. This place is so beautiful and so breathtaking that it is imperative that it is conserved for future generations to enjoy .The Barrier Reef is also home to wonderful wildlife above the water too, such as a huge variety of tropical bird life as well as dolphins, sharks, whales, turtles and sea snakes.

At 1200sq km the Daintree Rainforest, just north of Cairns, is the largest around. It is home to over thirty percent of the regions frog, marsupial and reptile species as well as sixty five percent of all Australia's bat and butterfly population.

If you drive west of Cairns you will come across the Atherton Tablelands. Here you will discover cute little towns, villages and many great attractions. This is a great place for a little getaway.

You must keep in mind the time of year you are visiting and what the weather will be like. It is wiser to travel to these places during the Australian winder (June to August) and the summer months tend to have high rain fall, monsoon and cyclones.

About the Author:
If you are interested in Port Douglas Hotels you should go to www.tropicalnorthqueensland.com. Here you will also be able to find a variety Port Douglas Accommodations that you are looking for.

Middle East key growth area for World Travel Market

The Middle East region is one of the largest growth areas at World Travel Market with both visitor and exhibitor numbers increasing year on year.
This year WTM will welcome over 400 exhibitors from the region where new products and services will be launched further increasing awareness and recognition of this growing tourism region.
Along with the growth of Middle Eastern representatives at WTM, increasing numbers of visitors from around the world are interested in finding out more on the region and actively selling it to their customers. 36% of visitors, comprised of over 8,000 international senior buyers who attended WTM 2007 actively sell the Middle East to their clients.
More than 47,000 travel professionals, senior management and buyers are expected to attend World Travel Market 2008 at ExCeL London, representing regions, countries and industry sectors throughout the world.
It is this scale and calibre of visitor which has persuaded the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) to sign on as WTM’s Premier Sponsor for 2007 and 2008 and, according to its Director General, His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, the sponsorship is paying dividends.
“Last year we used WTM for the international launch of our new brand and achieved huge global awareness. This year we will build on the solid foundation of the past 12 months and have major announcements in the pipeline for the show.”
“Overseas promotion is a key strategic business priority of ADTA’s five-year plan 2008-2012 which looks to achieve 2.7 million hotel guests a year by 2012 – 1.25 million more than the annual guest stay achieved last year. This managed approach to growth holds out substantial opportunity to the travel trade and hospitality investors who are looking to play a role in the advancement

Travel Etiquette - the new travel rules

People are travelling more frequently and farther afield than ever before, thanks to the huge growth in affordable travel and easier access opening up of areas previously off the beaten track to visitors. The exhibitor list for November’s global showcase, World Travel Market, in London underlines how the world is getting smaller as more destinations target tourism. But does travel broaden the mind? As we jet off to distant lands and come face to face with different cultures are we really savvy travellers? Apparently not, judging by the plethora of etiquette guides in high street and online book stores telling us how to behave when we travel so as not to upset our hosts. They could be just more examples of political correctness gone mad, of course. Yet the trend would seem to show that while we are taking holidays in ever more exotic and distant lands, our understanding of these country’s cultures and the sensitivities of their people is sadly lacking. We may have smiled at HSBC’s series of TV adverts highlighting the differences in cultures around the world, notably the business traveller whose Chinese hosts order ever-larger eels for him at dinner because he mistakenly thinks he has to eat everything on his plate, but committing faux pas in other countries is a serious issue and can have repercussions. In 2004, the government of Thailand announced that it would publish an etiquette guide for visitors to try and tackle the problem of insensitive foreigners after posters for the film Hollywood Buddha showed a man sitting on the head of Buddha – deeply offensive to the nation of devout Buddhists. The poster also upset monks from Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Burma and sparked large demonstrations. It was quickly withdrawn by the producer, but not before the damage had been done. Uncouth behaviour while on holiday is another no-no which can upset locals as well as embarrass fellow holidaymakers. We all know about Brits behaving badly in Mediterranean holiday hotspots such as Ibiza or Faliraki, on Rhodes, from TV documentaries. But it isn’t just a British phenomenon. Germany’s Travel Channel produced its own guide advising German travellers how to behave abroad in 2005 after conducting a survey which found three out of five holidaymakers from the country cringed when they encountered loud-mouthed and beer-swilling compatriots abroad. Lack of understanding about what is acceptable in other countries is again a problem, too. “Many German tourists are naively oblivious to the most commonplace rules of behaviour in other countries,” the guide said. They included blowing your nose or using a toothpick at a meal table, both practices considered acceptable at German dinner tables according to the respected Knigge Guide to Etiquette. But lack of cultural understanding is a two-way street, with local residents often unaware their habits or blunt questions may offend or upset visitors. Prior to this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing, officials from the Dongcheng district of Beijing put up posters to educate locals on how to properly welcome visitors during the Games. They advised residents to avoid asking questions about visitors’ age, salary, love life, political views, religious beliefs and other sensitive topics commonly discussed. Other pre-Olympics campaigns aimed to educate Beijingers included how to queue and to avoid spitting in the street. Silly questions posed by visitors to tourist attractions run by WTM exhibitor English Heritage take the biscuit when it comes to lack of understanding about where you are visiting, however. During a tour of palatial Osborne House on the Isle of White, the former summer home of Queen Victoria, one visitor asked if it was where Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne lived. Another asked why the English were so fond of building ruined castles.

The next level of life coaching - a travel coach?

Professional coaches are a part of everyday life now. As we try to manage our ever-stressful lives we seek help from experts for everything from health and fitness to careers, finance, image, parenting, relationships, time management, spiritual development and personal goals in our lives.Now, according to World Travel Market’s Global Trends research commissioned by Euromonitor International, more people are turning to travel coaches to ensure they enjoy a personally fulfilling trip when they go away. It says time-starved travellers are employing coaches not only for advice on where and how to travel but also how to use their previous leisure time to ensure that they return mentally stronger and ready to tackle life’s challenges.North America is the trendsetter, and travel mentors are particularly popular with business travellers. The coaches examine clients’ life and career goals to plan how travel can help achieve them. They even handle logistics of trips, which can be long and often involve helping companies with sabbaticals or job relocation for employees.Individual travel coaches are also prevalent, advertising their services in mediums from local directories to online communities. The advice does not come cheap, either. A focus on the emerging trend in 2006 in the New York Times cited fees of $500-$2,000 or more per month for up to four one-hour sessions per month, in person or over the phone, backed up by emails and text messaging. One Toronto company specialising in personal development training undertakes travel coaching trips. Its inaugural trip took six women on a nine-day trip to Italy with their personal coach, the reason for coaching in new environments being to allow people to examine their own personal “environment” according to the company’s website. “During this trip to Italy, the women and Italy each provided a landscape upon which the women could examine their choices about how they treated themselves, how they felt about their beauty and, consequently, how they expressed themselves in the world,” it enthuses.As for the need for travel coaching, it adds: “When we journey into another country or culture, we automatically see that life happens in very different ways. We are reflective of our own situation, culture, beliefs and choices.”Lifebreak coaching is how one San Francisco-based trainer describes his one-on-one programme to help clients plan and take their much dreamed-of sabbatical, such as sailing off the Greek coast for six months. “Lifebreak coaching is for anyone who's looking to refresh, renew, or recharge their life by stepping off the daily treadmill and trying something different for awhile,” he says. Visitors to the World Travel Market trade show at London’s ExCeL in November are unlikely to find coaching gurus on stands of exhibiting destinations. However, travel coaching has made its way across the Atlantic. Polish-born writer and sometime London resident Rafael Wlodarski, author of several guide books for WTM exhibitor Lonely Planet, has travelled through more than 60 countries and offers travel coaching and consulting in person or by phone. Topics include advice about responsible and ethical travel, helping motivate people to plan, save for and enjoy the trip of a lifetime and discussing cultural sensitivities, “reducing culture shock and laying the foundation for a richer travel experience.”A four-star Welsh guesthouse even offers guests an on-site holistic therapist “to soothe away the stresses of the day” – in case its private Brecon Beacons garden and airy bedrooms don’t do the trick.

Top Travel Trends for 2009

Authentic travel, second-city travel, and "climate" sightseeing

American Express Travel specialists revealed their top travel trends for 2009, including the continued growth of trends that have been building steadily over the past year. Though some emerge out of this year’s economic downturn, others show travelers determined to create new and fulfilling travel experiences despite the economy.

Second City Travel— Visiting smaller, lesser-known cities within a destination can yield a more affordable, though equally enriching, vacation experience. For example, visiting Birmingham, England instead of London; or vacationing in Calgary, Canada instead of Toronto.

Tried and True Travel— Travelers are expected to return to destinations that they know and love in greater numbers. Not only is it a safe way to ensure an enjoyable vacation, it allows travelers to explore destinations more thoughtfully, while giving them a true sense of costs.
Closer to Home Travel— Expanding beyond this year’s “staycation” trend, travelers are expected to seek “closer to home”, affordable alternatives to overseas destinations. For example, visiting Montreal instead of Paris.

Vacation Home Rentals Support Multi-Generational Travel— Vacation home rentals and villas that offer multi-generational families a “home away from home” experience while on vacation, will continue to gain popularity.

Value Vacations Expected to Grow— Value oriented vacations, such as all-inclusive resorts and cruise lines that continue to expand their offerings will become more appealing to travelers that had not considered them in the past.

Other trends indicating that some consumers are moving forward with their travel plans regardless of the economy are:

Climate Sightseeing— A growing number of travelers are moved to visit destinations threatened by climate change such as the Galapagos, Machu Picchu, Alaska and Canada’s Churchill, an area whose polar bears are threatened by extinction.

Authentic Travel and Niche Tours— According to American Express travel agents, demand for vacations driven by special interests will continue to rise in 2009. Among these, agents named both “authentic travel”— experiencing a destination more intensely through longer stays and deep cultural immersion— and niche tours, where groups of people with like-minded interests travel together.

Solo Travel— Travel agents expect to see a rise in solo travel due to lifestyle factors, and the rising age of couples getting married.