Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on May 10

Wow - the sunshine has been fantastic this month, and the talk of the big summer vacation is increasing!

But what has everyone already been up to?  Rather than waiting until July and August, many of you are just heading out there anytime and enjoying yourselves.  So let’s hear about some of them so far…..

Jennifer Miner starts of this bunch of articles with her great little story about a family trip to one of the most child friendly spots in Florida.  Take a look at the article and photo’s right here: Universal Studios Orlando Animal Actors on Location Show.

Dee Andrews then comes along with her little story of technology!  When travelling to some of the more remote places in the world - you have to remember that you can’t have all the modern trapping at your finger tips - and what you might have to do to get it there!  So do enjoy My Travails in Gaucin as a warning for your own travels!

This third article is only short - but what a great game!  I’ve never heard of this, but it certainly sound like something that would pass the time - so join Tom Ranieri to read about The Ultimate Travel Game.

One more about a glad-it’s-over car journey from Laurie Thornton with her Tips for Happy Car Trips at And A Mommy In A Pear Tree. She makes it cound so easy!

And finally Sarah Travaglio finds out what it’s like on the other side of the fence once she started traveling with her young son on a plane!  She was one side and now she is the other: Traveling with Kids « Miss Capa Tosta.

Let me know your plans for the next few weeks - and maybe even feature your own articles right here!

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posted by Travel Cat on May 1

Visit 1 of the most talked about natural sight-seeing spots in the States - but you must look down!

This amazing landscape is something that draws crowds day after day, and is one of the locations on millions of peoples ‘Places To Visit’ list - and I’m not surprised at why.

Here are a few of your questions answered about this magnificent semi-arid gorge!

How Was The Grand Canyon Formed?
The Grand Canyon was formed by the natural effect of erosion on the (colorful) soft rocks of the Colorado Plateau - an action that is still continuing today.

Basically, the Colorado River is wearing away at the softer rocks of the Canyon as it head down to the sea.  What makes the Grand Canyon so deep, is the fact that the Colorado Plateau was raised up really high in the past that the river had no choice but to erode down so deep revealing over 2 billion years of geological deposits in the process!

Mind you, many scientists think that it has taken the river around 17 million years to do so!

How Deep Is The Grand Canyon?
Due to the raising of the sediments in this area, the Grand Canyon is over a mile deep along a great part of it’s route - that’s around 6000ft - about as deep down as Mount Rushmore is high!

Are There Any Other Facts About The Grand Canyon? 
Yes plenty, but lets just say that it is around 277 miles long from it’s start to the ocean - in Mexico, between the Baja state and the mainland.  It can be anything up to 18 miles wide - that’s 29 kilometers, or as little as 4 miles depending on the rivers course and the resistance of the neighboring rocks. 

The Native American people of the area were very familiar with the canyon, and believed it to be a Holy Site.  Infact the Pueblo people who lived in settlements on it’s steep sides called it ‘Ongtupqa’ in their Hopi language, meaning just that.  There storage caves and the dwellings of several other tribes can be found in the area.

Where Is The Grand Canyon National Park Located?
The Grand Canyon is located in the northern part of the state of Arizona, although the Colorado River passes through  4 further states (2 before reaching the canyon, and 2 after) as well as Mexico before discharging into the Gulf of California.

The Grand Canyon National Park surrounds the canyon itself, but also incorporates 4927 km2 of other land and reserves including land in Coconino and Mohave Counties.

Most visitors either drive to the area on Arizona State Route 64, where they arrive at the South Rim where the bulk of the sites and visitor facilities are; but the less visited North Rim uses the State Route 67 in.

What Is The Grand Canyon Skywalk?
The Grand Canyon Skywalk is one of the most thrilling parts of a visit to this amazing place - but isn’t something for everyone!  Basically, it is an unsupported glass platform, that juts out over the side of the canyon, leaving ‘air space’ between your feet and the mile down to the Colorado River!

Obviously it is fully secure and has passed numerous Health and Safety tests and re-tests - but would you have the nerve to actually step off of the side of the gorge and look past your feet to a tumbling white-water river passing underneath?

Is It Worth Going On 1 Of The Grand Canyon Helicoptor Tours? 
The thrill of flying over the natural feature is well worth the flight - but as with the skywalk - you don’t want to be afraid of heights!

You will be able to see an awful lot more of the Grand Canyon itself if you do take the helicopter ride, and you will come away from the site with memories that not many people are brave enough to earn themselves.  I mean if you are going to go all the way there to see the canyon in the first place - then make sure you save enough to get the helicopter ride when you get there - I don’t think you will ever regret it!

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posted by Travel Cat on Apr 10

Hello again, and what great weather we have been having at last! 

Walking in the sunshine always makes the day 10 times better!  And it’s great to spend more time with my nephews and nieces and realising how much they have grown since last spring - and how many more questions they have!

Amanda Sykora has an even better plan - take the kids before they can ask questions, and enjoy the trip yourself! Take a look at her honest review of a trip to Disneyland with her young child: Thanks for the memories!.

The memories aren’t quite so good for MummyT when her 9-year-old finds an unwanted creepy crawly in their room: Winged Creatures « Travels with a Nine Year Old.

Traveling while you are pregnant can also be a worry, but if you are considering this, do take on board some of the tips from Eternal*Voyageur traveling through South America with her family with her article Guide to Pregnant Backpacking.

And why not prepare your child for future travel (and some great job opportunities) by teaching them a second language from a very young age. Here is a great and extensive article on helping you to do just that: so join Mariana Ashley on her blog and see what steps you could take on How to Raise a Brilliant, Bilingual Baby: 100 Tips, Tools, & Tricks! I will be using some of these resources myself for my young niece!

Our first post from a young person (although it’s not strictly about travelling) - just a fun day out with her mom shopping! So join Antoinette Patterson as she struts here stuff in town: The Mother Escapades: To Bugis and Beyond.

See you next time with more traveling fun!

posted by Travel Cat on Mar 30

Welcome back, and we go straight back to the chase with the remaining 5 alternative things to see in Edinburgh - without the crowds…….

6) The Closes or Wynds.
Any guide book will tell you about the tiny little streets that run down off the raised High Street - but make sure you go and have a look up and down a few to really get a feel for their character.  Yes, this is where those steps and slopes come into the picture, so don’t leave these bits to the end of the day, otherwise you will be too tired to bother - and you will miss out on this secret part of the city!

7) Mary Kings Close.
If you are only going to go down 1 of the closes, make sure that it is Mary Kings - because it is actually buried underground!  When they city wanted to build an important building on the High Street, they just built right on over the top of all the houses that were already there - trapping those houses underneath in a permanent time capsule!  You get to wander through these ancient dwellings and along the main street - all of which has been buried beneath the modern city!  It’s not a scary place - but it really gives you an idea of what the city used to be like in the 1500’s!

Victoria Street & Terrace.
This delightful little winding street, leads off down from the main George IV Bridge street at a rate of 1 story every 3 shop fronts!  It’s great to see the tiny cramped first shop curve away into the distance getting lower and lower, while the buildings get higher and higher.  I’m sure the final house has around 12 storeys!  And, above this row of ever-expanding shops is a little terrace that maintains level ground - the only such terrace left in town!

9) Place To Avoid.
If you don’t want to waste your time getting lost and spending £30 a head on your lunch, then don’t go to the National Museum of Scotland!  Although the artifacts and dioramas are nice enough, it was a terrible layout and we kept coming across dead ends! 

We finally made it up to the restaurant which was on the 5th floor that was marked as ‘3′ in the lift, very much hungry - only to find (after 3 more dead ends) that they were serving food from the 13th century!  Quail and roast duck were a common ingredient and the prices started from around £15 for a starter!  I mean, that’s not what you expect in a museum - so we had to leave the whole museum for food - and didn’t bother going back!

10) North Bridge At Night.
Make sure you head out of your hotel room at least one night to see the town lit up at night.  From this spot above the station, you can see some beautiful sites here at night, and of course a walk in any direction will expose even more.  And while you are out at night - why not let yourself be taken on one of the free ghost tours of the city!

A City not to be missed!

posted by Travel Cat on Mar 24

Travel to the Capital of Scotland to see the secret side of the city - and some of it is underground!

 If you are looking to visit a great city but without all the hassle of getting around London or New York, then why not try Edinburgh (pronounced Ed-in-bra) in the south-east of Scotland.

You must have heard of Edinburgh Castle and the Military Tattoo - but what about some of the less visited sites there too? Many of them are free and you can stay as long or as little as you like!

Be aware though, that this city is the most hilly place I have been to since visiting the Monte Verde mountains or Costa Rica!  If you don’t like walking up and down steep hills or skipping up and down endless flights of stairs, then maybe stay home!

1) The Leith River Footpath.
This delightful stroll will take you along the short river that winds around the western edge of the city.  In the summer it is bursting with wild flowers and trees in bloom - and you may even see a kingfisher along the way!  The path is interrupted at many points by alternative cycleways and footpaths, as well as museums, houses and great architecture.

2) The Royal Botanical Gardens.
A short walk north from the city (and along the top part of the Leith river if you want) is the well proportioned botanical gardens - an oasis of peace.  The rock gardens are delightful and seemingly endless, and you are allowed to climbs all over the rockeries!  You can also visit one of the oldest palm houses in the UK, see a heron eating a frog (!) from the Chinese pagoda as well as visit a small aquarium!

3) Step Back In Time.
There are plenty of houses open to the public in Charlotte Square to the very west of the New Town.  They have been restored to how they would have looked when the area was first built, and how society has changed since then.  Step down into the servant quarters and see how dingy their lives were, or read the magnified newspaper of the past centuries when dentists offer to come to your home and ‘painlessly’ extract your teeth!

4) Sit In The ‘CessPit’ Park.
I know it doesn’t sound that nice, but these days the quiet park directly below the Castle to the north is a haven for tourists.  Sitting here, you can look up towards the bastions of the great castle and admire the local church - but in Edinburgh’s hey-day, this was a marshy wetland where all the city’s waste (including toilet waste) was flushed down into.  It’s no wonder it is so fertile and green these days!

5) Museum Of Childhood.
Definitely have a peak in here - and it’s free! It’s got little to do with the history of the city, but it’s great fun to have a look around for your own sake! Just be warned that there is a room completely filled with (scary) dolls and clowns!

See you soon for Part II