Athabasca Glacier. RT if you like this pic – More Pics: http://t.co/QbFUW0yJ ~ http://t.co/LuUdWOxc

Posted in Canadian Rocky on Jul 20th, 2012 | 0 comments

Athabasca Glacier. RT if you like this pic – More Pics: http://t.co/QbFUW0yJ ~ http://t.co/LuUdWOxc – by PhotoPerfect_ (Photo Perfect)

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Bush wraps up weeklong Africa trip

Posted in Colorado Ski Trips on Jul 20th, 2012 | 0 comments

Bush wraps up weeklong Africa trip
DALLAS (AP) – Former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, are headed home after a weeklong trip to Africa with stops in Zambia and Botswana. They left for Dallas on Friday, Bush's 66th birthday. They were in Africa promoting Pink Ribbon Red …
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New jobs report looms over Obama campaign bus trip
Wyoming Road Conditions; Nebraska Road Conditions; Colorado Road Conditions; Wyoming Ski Resorts · Colorado Ski Resorts · Sports · Wyoming Sports Headlines · Prep Athlete of The …. His trip through northern Ohio gave him a post-July 4 splash of …
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Summit County: Get your trail-building groove on
When finished, the new trail segment will give hikers and mountain bikers a connection between the popular Horseshoe Dredge Trailhead, the three forks of the Swan River and the Colorado Trail. The effort is being coordinated by … The long-term plan …
Read more on Summit County Citizens Voice

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Summer Discounts on Family Fun Activities & Attractions in Northwest Florida

Posted in Skiing Vacations on Jul 20th, 2012 | 0 comments

Destin, Florida (PRWEB) July 18, 2012

Travel agency TripShock.com is now offering fantastic Summer Discounts on various activities and beach attractions. Popular Gulf Coast favorites include Jet Ski/Waverunner Rentals, Parasailing, Banana Boat Rides, Craig Cat Power Boat Rentals, Swimming with Dolphins, Snorkeling Excursions, Golf Instruction, Gulf World Marine Park Tickets, Discounted Water Park Admission Tickets and even full day Pontoon Boat Rentals.

New and exclusive to TripShock.com is the Craig Cat Power Boat Rental. One of the coolest attractions to hit Destin, Florida. The Craig Cat is a compact power boat that comes equipped with high back bucket seats, radio, rocket launchers for fishing poles and even room for a cooler. Unlike Jet Skis, the Craig Cat will not flip over and offers exceptional handling.

TripShock.com is announcing an Online Special for the Craig Cat Power Boat Rentals. For a limited time only, TripShock! customers can rent a Craig Cat Power Boat for Only $ 55 per hour, $ 200 per half day rental (4 hours) or $ 20 Off (Regular $ 300) for a full day.

Try something new and adventurous this summer with Cypress Springs Paddleboard and Snorkeling Excursion in Panama City Beach, Fl. This is an All Inclusive 4 hour natural springs and wilderness excursion. Along with a beautiful scenery, explorers will encounter aquatic wildlife including various sorts of fish, turtles, freshwater snails and unique birds. This is an experience unlike any other and is recommended for families of all ages.

Book the Cypress Springs Paddleboard & Snorkeling Excursion online at TripShock.com and receive Free snorkeling equipment and a Free lunch with each booking. Visit TripShock.com today for a detailed listing of prices, availability and more information on this specific tour.

About TripShock.com

TripShock! ? is the one and only online travel agency in the Northern Gulf Coast that enables travelers to book tours and activities directly. TripShock! offers trusted reviews from real travelers, photos, videos and other planning tools to help create the perfect Gulf Coast vacation. TripShock! attracts more than 500,000 visitors annually and partners with over 100 activity and lodging providers from Florida to Louisiana.

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• what is the best prices on boat rentals in destin fl

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Can A Log Cabin or Mountain Vacation Home Pay For Itself?

Posted in Mountain Vacations on Jul 20th, 2012 | 0 comments

When the real estate market was thriving, vacation homes were a luxury that only those with expendable income could dream of owning. Today’s market sets a different tone for second homes with a country wide rise in affordable properties and some of the lowest interest rates in centuries. While second homes of years past may not have been able to pay for themselves, is it possible for today’s vacation home to pay for itself?

When vacation homes were more of a luxury and finding affordable log cabin foreclosures was like searching for lost treasure, the idea of renting out a property for a few weeks a year to counter expenses and taxes often left owners falling short. However the market is flooded with mountain homes for sale and log cabin foreclosures galore. The log cabins and mountain vacation properties available now have a greater chance of producing a positive cash flow if the buyer is diligent in making sure it does just that.

An affordable second home purchased at or below market value would need to be rented for at least 12 weeks out of the year to start paying for itself. This is about 3 months, and for mountain vacation rentals this works great for summer rental properties, but can work equally well for log cabins located in ski areas or attractive fall foliage areas which can extend their renting season beyond the 12 weeks of summer. With renting out a mountain vacation house you have to book the property early. Leave room in your rental price to offer a discount for booking the property for the next year to encourage return renters. It also pays to advertise your log cabin or mountain vacation home on the Internet where you are able to reach a wide audience for minimal expense.

A huge money saver and big step for making your mountain vacation home pay for itself is to leave the middleman out of the picture. Management companies suck upwards of 30% of your rental income into their pockets and not in yours. Handling rentals and maintenance isn’t that difficult, even from a distance. Consider a reasonable property manager instead of a property management company but check the references well as a bad property manager has the potential to hit your return on investment pretty hard. You should take the time to establish relationships with local services near your mountain vacation home and a simple calendar can make scheduling rentals a breeze.

Selecting the location of your mountain vacation home or log cabin will also play a big role in its’ ability to pay for itself. Obviously you will want to select a property in an area that people would want to rent. This usually means a resort area or an area with local attractions in addition to a beautiful mountain setting. Once you select an area to purchase a mountain vacation home, you are going to want to check to be sure the area does not have any fees for vacation-home-owners or costly permits for renting out the property for less than a month at a time. These fees would have an obvious negative effect on the bottom line of your investment and you would need to adjust your weekly rental rate accordingly.

If you have decided to take the plunge and are looking to purchase a mountain vacation home and have it pay for itself, here are the final questions that you need to ask yourself. Are you ready to invest a lot of time and research into costs, maintenance, taxes and more before buying anything? Are you willing to give up use of your great mountain vacation home during the peak renting seasons for at least the first three to five years? Are you willing to put in necessary work for unforeseen issues that arise with any property purchase? And finally, you need to be sure that you can cover the cost of the property should times get rough or you are unable to rent. If you can answer yes to all these things, you just might be ready to buy a log cabin or mountain vacation home that can pay for itself.

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Vacation at Smoky mountains with pregnant wife in Spring break?

Posted in Smoky Mountain Vacations on Jul 20th, 2012 | 0 comments

Question by Smith P: Vacation at Smoky mountains with pregnant wife in Spring break?
My wife and I are thinking to have our Spring break in Smoky Mountains. She is pregnant in her 25th week. Is this place good place for her? Or it would be better to go elsewhere? What are the must-see sights there? Any extra hints will be greatly appreciated.

Best answer:

Answer by Rachael
The Smoky Mountains are a great vacation spot. Consider visiting Asheville, NC. It’s a small city with doctor and hospitals and nice hotels and everything else. Asheville is also home to the Biltmore Estate, which is the largest private home in the United States (built around the turn of the century based on a French chateau), and definitely worth a visit. Because you wife is pregnant, you’d want to stay away from the really remote mountain areas. I don’t think you should hike Mount Mitchell or go white water rafting or anything, but you can drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s a beautiful drive in the spring because the trees haven’t put on enough foliage to obscure the views yet, but it’s all starting to be green again. The dogwoods may be in bloom too

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