Archive for the 'Travel' Category

Top 10 Cities For Younger Retirees

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on September 1, 2009
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Young retirees looking out for the best cities in the U.S. to retire young but still be engaged in an active lifestyle may take a look at the top ten cities that have been chosen by the Money Magazine with Bert Sperling of Bestplace.net this year. The best cities have been selected based on important factors for an active lifestyle such as population growth, cost of living, economic health, recreation opportunities and leisure activities. The city’s proximity to a large metro area, college presence in the vicinity and housing costs that are below $350,000 have been taken into account. However, the study also made a few exceptions for cities that offered unique benefits and did not strictly fit the criteria.

1. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho: Pronounced as ‘Core da lane’, this city offers a wonderful ski environment, stunning scenery and a flourishing golf culture. The city is picking up in the tourism sector. The median home price is $311,700 and the population is 38,246.

2. Charlottesville, Virginia: The Blue Ridge Mountains, University of Virginia, and variety of entertainment and recreation, makes Charlottesville an attractive option to retire in. This is also a city with a strong historical background. All these positive features offset the slightly high median home price of $398,400. The population of Charlottesville is 41,425.

3. Logan, Utah: Home to the Utah State University, Logan is a popular city that offers various recreational activities including plenty of water sports at Bear Lake. Logan has a historic downtown and the scenic Logan Canyon Scenic Byway is a great attraction. The city has a median home price of $205,400 and population of 44,599.

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Romantic Destinations in Iowa

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on August 1, 2009
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When you first think of romance, Iowa might not come to mind. In truth, romantic destinations in Iowa are excellent and show you a beautiful hidden side of this underappreciated state.

Romantic Destinations in Iowa

The Hawkeye State, Iowa, holds much more beauty than a lot of travelers give it credit for. There are ten different travel areas for tourists to explore when they come to this state, from the Northwest area (where you can follow the path of historic explorers Louis and Clark) to the Southeast area that boasts of containing the world’s “crookedest” street. Lovers will also find much to do here, such as solitary hiking and just holing up in a room and enjoying each other’s company - romantic destinations in Iowa are enjoyable for everyone!

Romantic Destinations

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50 Fabulous Places to Retire in America

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on May 1, 2009
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Retirement has its joys and pains, but if you’re ready and equipped for it, retirement should be your chance to do what you’ve always wanted to do and live in a town you’ve always wanted to be in. It you’re getting ready to retire, here is a list of the 50 most fabulous places to retire in America in no particular order:

1 to 8. Alabama has not one, not two but eight fabulous places to retire in America - Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Hoover, Dothan and Decatur offer the best of ‘Bama.

9 to 10. California is fabulous in many ways, thanks to lots of sun, beaches and plenty of things to do; all these things and more that you can do in San Diego and Paso Robles.

11 to 13. When people think of retirement, Florida is never far from their mind. So if you want to find a fabulous place for retirement, go Gainesville, Tallahassee or Sarasota.

14 to 17. Washington has Spokane, Lexington and Walla Walla, three fabulous places to retire in. Spokane is a large city for retirees but it sure offers plenty in terms of affordability. Lexington is gaining popularity and Walla Walla was voted one of the best places for retirees in 2006, so there’s your cue. Don’t forget Bellingham, a nature lover’s dream place.

18. Portsmouth in New Hampshire has the honor of being one of the 10 places in America that’s considered safest, so consider retiring here.

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Iowa RV Facilities

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on April 1, 2009
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In many ways, Iowa is the state where you can step back and experience a more traditional America. You can soak in the atmosphere at any of these Iowa RV facilities.

Iowa RV Facilities

A trip to Iowa can bring many unexpected pleasures. The great outdoors are found in abundance here, with activities ranging from hiking and skiing to fishing and bike trails galore. If you enjoy spending time in the woods, or just seeing nature’s beauty, you will find it all here in Iowa. Easily reachable from much of the Midwest, Iowa is a perfect place to take your recreational vehicle for a family trip. Hop on one of the historic routes and byways designated by the state, and find the area you want to visit.

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Relax At Iowa Vacation Rental

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on January 1, 2009
in Real Estate, Travel and iowa
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Iowa is the 29th state of the USA, which is surrounded by two great rivers that are Mississippi and Missouri. It is also known for its rich agriculture production of corn and soybean. It’s a great city that offers an excitement, adventure and rich history. Cuisine, land farms, museums etc are some of the elements which attracts travelers from all over the world. Iowa embraces of all those activities which makes, Iowa a perfect place for holidaying. And, a perfect place for relaxation while holidaying in Iowa is Iowa vacation rental.

Vacation rental in Iowa is regarded as home in the holidaying town. It provides all the amenities present in a home such as washer, dyer, refrigerator etc. It also embraces of fully furnished kitchen, in which the vacationer can cook for his family and friends.

Iowa vacation rental can be in the form of condo, cottage, villa, homes and cabins. While choosing the vacation rental in Iowa, the factors which are needed to be considered are number of people (that will stay in rental while holidaying) and budget. Vacation rental in Iowa suits to every pocket. In other words, each of the vacation rentals carries different rent, so he the person can choose as per his budget. They are regarded as an affordable means of lodging as it involves reasonable cost. It can be used for weddings, spending vacations, honeymoons, family reunions etc.

On staying in the vacation rental, vacationer has to pay for the services and amenities present in rental. Staying at vacation rental is a cheap mode as it involves low rent as compared to the rent involved in hotels. Thus, he can save an amount which he can utilize for other purposes while holidaying.

In present scenario majority of the traveling agencies arrange vacation rental at the desired destination. Through internet, locating traveling agency is easier as the person is only needed to write vacation rental on any of the search engine. Thus as a result, numerous agencies arranging vacation rental will be displayed on the screen. In addition to traveling agencies, the person can also book his vacation rental directly through owners of the vacation rental.

Nowadays, it is also seen that many traveling agencies provide a package, in which the person is obliged to making a single payment which includes all the expenses such as accommodation, air tickets etc. By this means, he can save large sum of money which can be utilized while enjoying other activities at Iowa.

About the Author

Sylvestor Johnson is offering loan and rental advice for quite some time. He is working as financial consultant for ThinkRentals. To find Iowa vacation rental, Apartment rentals, Cabin rentals, Condo rentals, Rental homes, Vacation rentals, Beach house vacation rentals at cheap rates that best suits your needs visit http://www.thinkrentals.com

Iowa is a Better Pace of Life

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on July 1, 2008
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The capital of Iowa, Des Moines is a sprawling city noted for kicking off the U.S. Presidential campaigns every four years. If you are looking for a more traditional place to raise a family, this may be the place.

Des Moines also serves as the seat of Polk County, and is the center of a growing metropolitan area. With an estimated 196,857 residents in 2006, Des Moines has experienced marginal growth since 1990. The core population peaked at 208,982 in 1960. Since then, outlying suburbs have boosted the overall metro population to over 534,230. While Des Moines has successfully annexed bordering areas, a plan to merge governments with Polk County was soundly rejected by voters. The median age of city residents was 35.6 years in 2006 with 76% of the population being White non-Hispanic. Another 8% were African American, 10% Hispanic and 4% Asian. The African American and Hispanic populations are significantly higher than the Iowa average. About 10% of residents were foreign born, significantly higher than the state average. Over 25% of residents claimed German ancestry. Families made up 62% of Des Moines households. The 2006 median income for households in Des Moines was $41,651, slightly under the state average. It was somewhat below the national average of $46,242. Unemployment in 2006, at 6.8% among the civilian workforce, was greater than the national trend. About 15% of the population lived in poverty, equal in percentage to the number of dropouts in Des Moines.

Iowa is a Better Pace of Life

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Great Campgrounds Around the US

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on March 1, 2008
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Camping is a great way to see the world at very little expense. Almost every state (in the US) and every country in the world have campgrounds that are open to the public. There are a few that are free to use, but most charge at least a small fee for use of the grounds. Here are a few stops to get you started on your outdoor adventures.

Alaska - Denali National Park offers several camping areas for those adventurers willing to brave the elements and the animals.

Alabama - Blue Springs State Park (located near Ozark, Alabama) is a 103 acre park that’s center of attention is the swimming pool and spring pool which are both fed by an underground spring.

Arkansas - Caddo River in Glenwood, Arkansas is a great place for roughing it in complete luxury. It offers beautiful cabins and bunkhouses at reasonable prices (or you can just stay in your tent if you prefer).

Colorado - The camping sites at Black Canyon of the Gunnison fill up quickly during the summer months. It offers some of the most sheer walls, narrow openings and startling depths in North America.

Delaware - Trap Pond State Park offers a unique experience of Delaware’s Cypress Swamp. It offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities and camping experiences.

Georgia - Red Top Mountain State Park and Lodge is off the 12,000-acre Lake Allatoona in Georgia. It offers a lot of great activities for the whole family.

Iowa - Muscatine County, Iowa has a hidden Gem in the Saulsbury Bridge Recreation Area. Camping is free on Wednesdays (from May - October) and it offers some of the best environmental education programs around.

Great Campgrounds

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Travel Ideas

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on February 25, 2008
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Be cautious of those amazing airfare deals that have lots of restrictions in fine print. Read all of those tiny words and make sure you aren’t purchasing something that you don’t really want. Sometimes you can get airfare deals that require many layovers or late night flights. I am personally fine with taking a night flight but can’t stand layovers.

Travel Ideas at Stuck in Iowa

If you’re looking to escape winter and do some traveling you should check out this travel blog. You’ll get some good ideas on where to go such as how to enjoy a vacation for two, what to do to plan last minute vacations, and some itinerary ideas for your next trip to Hawaii.

From international adventure travel to weekend getaways, you’re sure to find some useful information to help you plan your next vacation.

Crystal Lake Cave In Iowa

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on January 27, 2008
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Iowa has some beautiful places that are wonderful vacation destinations. One of the must see places is Crystal Lake Cave. There is an interesting story behind this location. Back in 1868 lead miners were looking for a lead vein and they drilled 40 feet into the ground. And although they were not successful in finding the lead they had hoped for they did find something else even more amazing. What they found was Crystal Lake Cave. Although the cave was discovered for many years it was not open to the public until 1932. Bernard Markus, one of the original miners, played a role in getting the cave open to the public and it finally became so after his death.

Crystal Lake Cave In Iowa

While the miners were digging they found quite a few different types of gems and minerals that are on display in the gift shop. There is no other show cavern like Crystal Lake Cave and this is the longest a cave has been “alive” in Iowa. The cave is underground and continues to be one of the most amazing places to visit in Iowa. The tour of the cave takes about half an hour to 45 minutes and it is an adventure like none other you have ever taken. A tour guide will lead you so that you get the most out of the adventure. Keep in mind that no matter what the temperature is outside it will be quite cool in Crystal Lake Cave and the year round temperature is usually around 52 degrees Fahrenheit.

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