Vacation Ideas

WestJet today announced it will begin non-stop service from Vancouver and Calgary to Orange County, California, beginning May 2 and June 13, 2011, respectively, as part of its summer schedule.

“O.C. is a great addition to our already successful service to Los Angeles,” said Hugh Dunleavy, Executive Vice-President, Strategy and Planning. “John Wayne Airport, located only minutes from Anaheim, offers car rentals on site and provides our guests with a gateway to Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm and the surfing hot spot of Huntington Beach as well as water parks, historic landmarks and plenty of shopping attractions. With convenient connections from many great Canadian cities, we are confident that this new destination will be a hit with our guests.”

Details of WestJet new service to Orange County are as follows

• Vancouver to John Wayne Airport Daily starting May 2nd
• Calgary to John Wayne Airport starting June 13th

Both of these daily flights are turnarounds. This means that the flight leaves in the morning from Canada and ends up at Orange Count California just after lunch and then picks people up to go home in the afternoon just 45 minutes after landing

When Hubby announces his intention of sweeping me off my feet and into an unstable craft in lizard laden waters at Old Santee Canal Park, I put my foot down. I’m up for just about any kind of boating. However, if I am going to be in a gator territory, I’d rather not swim. Not that I have ever over-turned a canoe, but there is always a first time.

Old Santee Canal Park South Carolina

Just north of Charleston, South Carolina wander miles of waterways that once made up a vast canal system. Now set apart as a wildlife sanctuary and dubbed Old Santee Canal Park, the area shelters great egrets, little blue herons, water moccasins and lots and lots of alligators. Paths meander around marshy pools and through damp woods and wide walkways provide safe passage over mud flats and soupy green swamps. I crave exploration and will happily go for a walk, but I have no intention of getting up close and personal with a pre-historic green leviathan.

We agree to put boating on the back burner and explore the reserve from the safety of the boardwalk. Cyprus and sycamore trees tower over head and pink rose mallow blooms in the marsh. I take note of my surroundings, mentally cataloging the flora and occasionally stopping to see what fauna I might spy in the tangled undergrowth. A black and yellow garden spider stakes out his territory, his body hanging upside down in a zippered web. A monarch butterfly flits across my path. I peer over the railing to follow her progress and there, in the reeds beneath me, lies a four foot alligator. His eyes are black and his skin is the color of duck weed. I am overcome. Not with fear mind you, with awe. He looks so ancient, like a creature from the land that time forgot. Suddenly I cannot get in that tippy canoe fast enough.

Rent a Boat – Tour the River

We do a quick march back to the interpretive center and, for five bucks, rent a boat. In minutes, we clamber in and push off into the murky water.

Osprey peer at us from tree tops nests and great blue herons hunt mosquito fish in the shallows. Box turtles and yellow bellied sliders sun themselves on floating logs. We paddle into the far reaches of the canal system where wild rice grows and Spanish moss drips from the trees.

The channel narrows and we carefully navigate under a low green bridge. The air is still and warm and tickles my nose. I scan the shore for tell-tale gator slides. And then we see him-a ten foot beauty sleeping on the bank. I can’t help myself; I want to get closer. We paddle once, hard, pull our blades out of the water, and silently drift in. The reptile opens his eyes and, apparently not happy with our intrusion on his siesta, shifts his massive weight, lurches into the water, and swims right under our canoe. I could easily touch him. My heart races. I am enchanted and terrified. And then, just like that, he is gone.

It isn’t until later I learn that alligators jump. We never should have ventured so close to that old boy’s domain. I was afraid of tipping my canoe and landing in his territory. In retrospect…I’m just glad he didn’t land in mine.

Where is Old Santee Canal Park?

Old Santee Canal Park is located in Moncks Corner, South Carolina just ½ hour north of Charleston. The park includes hiking trails, observation platforms, a boardwalk, canoe rentals, an interpretive center, a picnic shelter, a learning center, and the Berkley Museum. There are also tons of activities. It’s open year round from 9am -5pm (Interpretive Center closes at 4:30). Cost is just $3 per person and kids under 6 are free.

Old Santee Canal Park is not only a great place to see wildlife first-hand, it is also home to the Stony Landing Plantation, a beautiful 18th century house furnished with reproduction period furniture. Open for tours daily.

Have dinner on the canal at Gilligan’s Sea Food Restaurant in Monck’s Corner (just minutes from the Old Santee Canal park) where not only will you find the best hush-puppies on the planet, you can feast on sustainably harvested local shrimp and recycle oyster shells. Yes, they plant the shells back in the oyster beds helping insure cleaner water and happy eating for generations to come. Open 11am-9pm and 11am-10pm Friday’s and Saturdays.

Travel Addict, Laura LaBrie, has been wandering the globe swimming in crystal clear underground caves, climbing Mayan Pyramids, laughing with local people, greeting wild crocodiles, and sampling native foods. She finds herself writing about her adventures now and then, in an effort to bring you along for the ride so you too might experience the wonder of this great blue planet and ponder its secrets and hidy holes. You can find Laura on line at http://www.littletinyrocks.com. She’d be more than happy to sit and chat with you.

The garland styled coral paradise in the Indian Ocean known as the Maldives is at the brink of extinction. Environmentalists and the United Nations are raising desperate alarms to make the world realize that it’s not just the Maldives Islands sinking, but perhaps the future of mankind. Holistic measures are being suggested to avert this more than obvious catastrophe, which is fast approaching if selfish nations and irrational human intellect do not get their act together in protecting the environment.

The Maldives ARE Sinking

It is observed that Maldives will be the first sovereign nation that will be submerged under water in approximately 100 years. Maldives, an island nation with 1,190 islands, over 200 of which are inhabited, and which has most of its islands no more than 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) above sea level, has an impending threat which stands to its existence.

The recent United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Maldivian government together have observed the sea level is rising up to 0.9 cm a year and is forecasted to rise at least 7.1 inches (18 cm) by the end of the century.

The recent 2004 Asian tsunami at least partially sunk over 40% of the islands. Sixty-nine islands very completely submerged and about thirty islands were half submerged. Much of Male (The capital of the Maldives), was flooded following this tsunami. Though an attempt to protect Male has been attempted by building a 3 meter protective wall around the island, which took about 14 years to construct at a cost of $ 63 millions, this provides protection only from the tidal surges. But the solution for the threat from increasing sea level is still unresolved and may not be so easy to fix.

Tourism in Maldives – Better Hurry…

The major economy of Maldives depends on tourism. It is estimated this island nation gets approximately 30-35% of its GDP from tourism, which adds up to approximately 60% of the foreign currency that meets the nation’s major developmental needs. This tourism revenue is at risk and poses a great threat to this nation. It is estimated there are over 92 resorts operating, 60 are in process of being built and another 31 islands are considered for development. Although this development provides a quick fix to the budgetary concerns, it may ultimately lead to an irrevocable natural disaster if there is not enough study done on the impact of these developments.

The coral reefs that form the natural barriers from the tides and devastating waves and are home for hundreds and thousands of endangered species are fast depleting. Tourism is observed to be one of the major causes for this in addition to global warming.

Recently Maldives has conducted a cabinet meeting to stress the need for all the nations, especially the developed nations, to sign the Kyoto Protocol, which prescribes cuts in industrialized countries’ greenhouse gas emissions. The nation is also saving a share of the revenue generated from tourism to purchase land in safer countries in case of an eventuality which forces the need to relocate the entire nation.

The country is considering investing in land so that they don’t have to live like refugees in case they have to meet the unfortunate end. It is time for all nations of the world to awaken the fact of global warming before the rising water levels consume more island and coastal areas around the world including the Maldives.

Anjul S. Hazaam is a freelance writer who helps entrepreneurs promote their projects. His latest focus is on a terrific site about finding the best Kids Electric Cars. Find information on quality Kids Electric Scooters and more.

It is usually a good thing to begin an RV trip into Oregon at Portland, Oregon’s largest city. From here, it is easy to connect to highways that reach east, central, southern and coastal Oregon. If you are planning to stay at any National or State Parks or Monuments, you will have to make reservations in advance, sometimes a year in advance.

RV’s are not easy to drive into Portland itself. The highways have lots of curves and multiple bridges, some of which don’t allow RV’s on them. A good place to stay in this are is the Jantzen Beach RV Park. From this park it is an easy drive to the MAX train station which you can take into Portland.

RVing on the Oregon Coast

From Portland which is a the northern part of the state, you can easily drive down by the coast until you reach Eureka in California. The northern area around Astoria does not have any RV parks with ocean views. If your rig is not too tall you can stay in the Cannon Beach RV park which is a short walk to the beach. Cities as you go down the coast that have RV parks by the beach include Lincoln City, Newport and Waldport.

Six miles south of Yachats is a great RV park, but this will run you about $60 a night. If you can afford it, this RV park is worth a stay. Going on down the coast, there are RV parks by the beach in Winchester Bay, Coos Bay, Gold Beach and Brookings. As you enter California, there is a beach front part in Cresent City for you to begin your stay in a new state. From Crescent City, you can easily take in Redwood State Park. These redwoods are not to be missed. The RV sites listed here are all a short drive from Highway 101.

From Crescent City you can easily head off to Crater Lake National Park, Oregon’s only National Park. This park is definitely worth a trip. You can also stay at an RV in Bend, which is not that far away from the park. Staying two days in Bend will allow you to see the sites of the Bend area and the National Park as well. From there, you can continue north and cross the Columbia River gorge area which is breathtaking. It is a short drive from here to visit Mount St. Helen. This is in Washington, but this area has much more to do for a family than Mount Rainier, which offers only hiking.

From here, it is easy to return to Portland. You can end your trip here, or visit other places in Oregon. It is a short trip into the Willamette Valley, Oregon’s agricultural area. This area is simply beautiful to drive through with its wooden bridges and green valleys. The area has many vineyards and wineries as well. This trip can be done in a day.

RVing in the Interior of Oregon

Some other places to fit into your agenda are the Mount Hood area which has spectacular views, skiing in season, and spectacular waterfalls. The high desert area of Oregon features numerous golf courses and rivers to fish. If you want to see the painted desert in Eastern Oregon, there are several places you should plan to visit. One is the Baker City area where you can still see the wagon ruts left by the pioneers. The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center should not be missed. In Kimberly, you can visit the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. This is a large park with several areas and mueseums to visit. These areas offer RV campsites along the route.

If you plan to head home from Portland, along Highway 5 to California, you can also plan to visit Salem, the state capital and Ashland where Oregon’s Shakespeare Festival runs all spring and summer. There is simply so much to see in Oregon, it is hard to decide how to see it all.

Marley Martinerin is a regular contributor to a number of sites and writes articles about such topics as usb joysticks, and usb power adapters.