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Plan a Jamaica Family Vacation Without Breaking the Bank

October 5th, 2010 Comments off

Isn’t it time that you rewarded yourself? You work hard so now it’s time to play hard. Get away from the stress and hassle of your job for awhile and take the whole family on a vacation to Jamaica, which is the closest thing to paradise on the planet. And you can do this without breaking the bank in the process.

Jamaica was the first place to offer the all-inclusive resort idea. Instead of being nickel and dimed to death for everything, how about a luxury vacation where virtually everything is included at a single price after you arrive? In fact, these types of resorts, which are plentiful in Jamaica, are huge and offer almost anything you could want right on the resort property, so you do not even need to leave the resort after you arrive, and could leave your wallet in your room or in a safety deposit box at the front desk if you want to.

Many of these resorts also cater to the family vacation, and not just to the business traveler or the honeymoon couple. Many of these resorts offer babysitting services with certified and qualified babysitters who can entertain your kids for hours while you and your significant other enjoy some time together just getting to know each other again. Your kids will have the best time they have ever had, exploring the beaches, searching for treasure, and learning more about the culture of Jamaica and what makes Jamaica a premiere vacation spot.

If shopping is your thing, you will not be disappointed there either. Virtually all the area of Jamaica offer shopping in very unique gift shops, most of which offer items that are not available anywhere else in the world. And if you enjoy haggling, you will find that the typical Jamaican shop owner will be disappointed if you do not haggle with him to get a better price on that item that you have been looking at. This type of haggling is something that you have to become skilled at, and it only adds excitement and a bit of adventure to the task of shopping.

If you plan ahead, even a few weeks, you can usually find great deals on airfare. The Jamaican airports are served by many commercial airlines, and cheap seats can usually be found with a bit of digging and planning. If your travel schedule is flexible at all, the cheapest seats are usually flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

If a luxury resort is just outside of your budget right now, do not let that disappoint you because you have a lot of other lodging and hotel possibilities. There are many upper end and middle rated hotels available at very competitive prices, and many of these also provide special interests for the kids as well as the whole family. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, there are also several bed and breakfast options available to you, where you can really get a chance to mingle with the locals and learn more about the Jamaica history and culture.

Your choices within Jamaica are plentiful. You can choose the bigger cities of Jamaica for your vacation, or you can opt for a bit more quiet time with quieter and less crowded beaches at other areas of Jamaica, like St Thomas, St Lucia, and Montego Bay, each of which offer their very own unique flavor of relaxation, sight seeing, and yes of course, as much night life and dancing as you may care to do.

If you have never been to Jamaica, make a point to plan a vacation there in the near future. You will wonder why you never vacationed there before, and it will almost certainly become a part of your regular vacation planning.

Breaking Into the ?brick City?: Newark Travel Tips

October 4th, 2010 Comments off

For business or pleasure, Newark is a prime destination for travel within the Tri-State Area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Newark is the most populous and commercially active city in New Jersey, as it is the seat of Essex County and a major shipping port for New York Harbor near the Atlantic coast. Newark Liberty International Airport also happens to be the first major airport to serve the New York metropolitan area and one of the largest airports in the country.

Once you have secured your airfare to Newark, you will soon be able to enjoy a city overflowing with Colonial history, American heritage and central to anywhere you would want to be in the Tri-State Area. Located just 5 miles west of Manhattan and 2 miles north of Staten Island, Newark offers prime access to the sights and attractions of New York City with a more relaxed and refined environment to return to at the end of the day.

Colonial Legacy: New England’s Newark

Newark happens to be the third-oldest city in the United States, with colonial roots dating back to 1666 when Connecticut Puritans established a settlement that was originally known as Milford. Take a visit to Military Park in downtown and catch a glimpse of the Wars of America monument constructed by the artist Gutzon Borglum of Mount Rushmore fame. Military Park was also an actual military training zone for soldiers and colonials in Newark’s early days of the 17th century. For a bit more history and some science, visit the acclaimed collections of the Newark Museum, which includes works by Georgia O’Keeffe, John Singer Sargent, as well as a world-renowned Tibetan collection. Make sure to reserve an entire day as the Newark Museum’s grounds are also home to a planetarium, café, sculpture garden and the Ballantine House, a National Historic Landmark built in 1885.

A Newark Rebirth, One Brick at a Time

Newark was the site of the infamous 1967 riots, fueled by racial inequality and staggering poverty. Since that time the city has suffered considerable flight of capital until the 1990s when development projects hit the streets. Today, Newark is a multimedia and multicultural experience, offering state of the art performance spaces and brand new sporting facilities.

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center is a new addition to the city’s landscape, hosting top Billboard acts alongside international orchestras and theater. The Lincoln Park/Coast district is now a Cultural District with an Arts Park, the Museum of African American Music and the magnificent Symphony Hall. Additionally several of Newark’s 1920s era skyscraper and art-deco buildings have been glamorously restored. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart happens to be one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the United States, brimming with an unimaginable amount of brilliantly intricate stained glass. ’