Visiting Offbeat Attractions in Orlando

With so many attractions competing for every honeymoon vacationer’s limited money and time, some of Orlando’s attractions have endeavored to become ones that you will visit by offering an experience that is truly out of the ordinary.

Gatorland may be one of the oldest and most unique attractions in Orlando. The park began as an alligator farm in 1949 and has grown ever since. The Godwin family has owned the park and they have continued to expand the park to what it is today. Gatorland is a conservation center and education tool, while at the same time it entertains and amazes visitors with views of alligators and reptiles in their natural everglade habitat.

The park recently added a water park to its 110 acres and recently raised admission to $23 for adults and $15 for children. This price also includes all day entrance into the water park. This still keeps it as one of the least expensive amusement parks/attractions in Orlando. At the end of 2006, Gatorland suffered a major setback when a fire broke out from a faulty heating devise. The gift shop was completely lost, as was the famous front entrance to the park, the enormous alligator’s open mouth that visitors walk into to enter the park. Within 3 weeks, the park reopened and they are currently open while at the same time repairing and rebuilding. The new buildings are set for a completion date of June 2008.

Another different sight to see is next door to Orlando, in Kissimmee. It is called the Monument to the States. This is a 50-foot tower that plays tribute to every state in the union. Each stone that the tower has been built from was cut and brought from each state and represents characteristics and fossils from that area. Viewing the monument is free, as it is publicly displayed in Historic Downtown Kissimmee. The monument is made up of over 1500 stones and was put together in 1943. Since then 22 countries from around the world have also contributed stones.

Orlando is the home to one of the largest museum for oddities; Ripley’s Believe It or Not! This museum is full of items from Robert Ripley’s trips around the globe searching for the world’s wonders and oddities. The building itself is odd. The massive museum looks as though one end of it is slowly sinking into the earth. The museum is set up as a self-guided tour that allows you to study the unusual items at your leisure.

Two other more unusual attractions in Orlando have religious themes. The Jesus Film Project is a 2-hour movie of the life of Christ that has been seen by over 5 billion viewers since it debuted in 1979. The other attraction is the Holy Land Experience. This attraction allows the visitor to walk through an ancient Jerusalem as authentically costumed actors portray people from the Bible re-enacting various Bible stories.

Consider another attraction that is a re-creation of another event.
Titanic: The Experience allows you to become one of the guests on that fateful trip as crew members act as guides showing you many of the areas of the ship and explaining what happened.
WonderWorks is another odd sight to see. The building itself looks as though it fell from the sky and landed upside down. An exhibit includes a mock up of the space shuttle and allows you to try your hand at attempting to land the space/aircraft. In the same way, you can enter flight simulators of other aircraft to see how you would fare “up in the wild blue yonder”. In one exhibit you can get inside an actual astronaut’s space suit and in another, you can step in front of blue screens and see yourself as famous sports figures scoring the winning basket, touchdown or goal. They also have an earthquake simulator and a room that allows you to create bubbles of all sizes. It even has a simulator that lets you create and then ride on your own roller coaster.
As you can see, a trip to Orlando does not have to revolve around the major three parks of Disney, Universal and Sea World. If you are looking to experience something a bit more out of the ordinary, consider any of these choices.

San Diego, California’s Famous Wineries

Fine wine is a staple in California and the California Wine Country is a beautiful place to spend your honeymoon destination. San Diego’s North Country area is full of vineyards. Some of them have large wineries that allow tours and there are also mom and pop places.

The majority of these places are located up to an hour away from San Diego’s downtown area from the north. If you’re into outdoor scenery, you might be able to see some of the vineyards that overlook some of San Diego’s hills. There are others that are located among winding dirt roads.

Here is a sampling of some of the more well-known wineries:

If you’re looking for an Italian dish to compliment your wine, look no further than Bernardo Winery. You can get olive oil, homemade pasta and other items that they have available. Their red and white wines are the most popular. Their shops are open Tuesday through Saturday and their tasting room is open daily. The winery also offers tours to the public and picnic facilities are available for use.

Nestled in Temecula Valley, top notch wines are made at Falkner Winery. This winery has grape vineyards that are produced on their property. Some of the well-known wines they produce are Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and other exquisite wines. The winery also offers daily wine tasting and tours of the estate.

Orfila Vineyards is set in an agricultural area in the San Pasqual Valley. It’s also not too far from the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The winery offers daily wine tasting and tours. A gift shop and a picnic facility are available for use.

If you’re not up for driving during your wine tasting experience, Destination Temecula will help visitors to plan wine tasting excursions to North County. These trips include rides to and from the wineries from certain points in Southern California. During this trip, the guides will talk about the winery history and scenic areas. You will also be able to see ranches, massive estates, fruit orchards and lots of vineyards. Of course, you would see the most important part of the trip, the top notch wineries and you’d get to do some more wine tasting.

Downtown San Diego also has a wine tasting facility. The San Diego Wine & Culinary Center has great wine tasting sessions accompanied by food. They also offer private label wines sold in cases. You can also purchase them as gifts and they can be custom wrapped to your specifications.

One of their food and wine excursions, the Behind The Scenes Winery Tour, is held at Fallbrook Winery. You will learn the way wine is made from start to finish. You will actually see how the grapes are grown to how they are processed and turned into wine. Also included in this excursion is a picnic lunch outdoors and a private wine barrel tasting.

At the Culinary Center, there are group excursions for 10 or more people. The excursion can be public or private. Participating in something like this can be fun and educational at the same time.

San Diego’s wineries are some of the best undisclosed hideouts. Before you know it, you too can be a wine connoisseur.

Barcelona Tours

Traveling to Barcelona is an exciting trip. Barcelona is very rich in history and you can enjoy staying here for your honeymoon destination. After word was confirmed of Barcelona hosting the Olympics they started to work on making Barcelona a safe place to be. Improving the sidewalks and streets to make the accessible by car and by walking was one of the many ways that they improved Barcelona. It is still being cared for today in order to maintain the hard work that they put in to Barcelona in order to make it beautiful.

The first place to travel to is called Sagrada Familia. In 1882 Gaudi started to work on the temple. Today it still stands uncompleted. The original purpose of this structure was to be a Neo Gothic Church. Today it is the most popular tourist attraction in Barcelona.

Rambles is another place to see. This pertains to several streets that are attached and adjoined to each other. Because the streets are close to the river it was used to channel the water down from the hill above in the 13^th century.

Go visit The Cathedral while you are out in Barcelona. The Cathedral is one of the older temples that still stand today. The Cathedral was started in 1298 and finally finished in 1913. Be sure to notice the details that you can find in the work when you visit the Cathedral. You can enjoy a tour of the beautiful historic landmark while you are visiting Barcelona.

Travel to Barcelona to find out where Picasso worked on his art while in Barcelona. He wasn’t born her but his best work was created while he lived in Barcelona. The museum displays Harlequin, Las Meninas series. But there are also other art that you can see. Find out how he did research on landscapes in Barcelona. Visit the museum to see work created and inspired by the Avant-Garde movement.

You will also want to see Casa Mila. This structure was built somewhere between the years 1906-1910. The Mila family had the home built to be beautiful and for everyone to notice. They were met with the opposite reaction from the residents of Barcelona and were insulted. In 1984 it was determined that the Mila house would be called a World Heritage Site. It is also known as the world’s largest abstract sculpture.

Castell de Montjuic is a beautiful castle that you can visit located on top of Montjuic Hill. This castle was originally built in 1640 in order to resists the Felipe IV troops. In 1751 additions were added and again in 1779. Today you can see the result as one big castle. It was once a prison for the Military and today it is a museum of the Military.

Barcelona has a lot to offer visitors that are both landmarks and historic places of interest. Visiting museums in the area will give you a sense of what that particular place is all about. When visiting Barcelona make sure that you call ahead to make sure that you can get reservations if they are required.

New York Museums

When you visit New York you will want to take the time to visit all the museums in New York. Visiting a Museum can help you understand the history behind the state, the cultures, and the people that have resided in the past and still do today. A museum is also a great place to take children while you are vacationing or visiting New York. Teaching children about the history of a place is a great way to increase their knowledge and spark an interest in that state.

With over six different museums in New York you will be able to find one that is close to where you are staying and visit it more than once. Sometimes you see more the second trip then you did the first trip. The museums in New York offer a wide variety of displays that will showcase their interest and culture during a certain time period. Here are a list of New York Museums and what you can expect to see in all of them.

American Museum of Natural History

This museum focuses on the scientific aspect of past and modern art. This museum displays all you need to know about plant life, animals, and different rocks that you might find in New York. It offers permanent displays as well as the new displays of arts that you can view when you visit. Be sure to call ahead first to make sure that you can go during hours and find out how much it cost per person.

The Museum of Modern Art

Also known as MoMA, this museum was founded back in 1929 in hopes of preserving the collection of art work that they already possessed. The purpose that the Museum of Modern Art hopes to accomplish is to instill a sense of folk art tradition that you can only find there in New York. The exhibits display over 250 different pieces that include the ceremony, recreation, culture and more.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

This museum is known as the largest museum. There are several permanent exhibits as well as those exhibits that are temporarily there for viewing. Some of the most fascinating exhibits to see are Arms and Armor which allows you to step back in time to the popular era when Armor could be worn. Travel on to see Ancient near Eastern Art, Arts of Africa Oceania and the Americas. You may also be interested in the Asian Art collection as well as the Cloisters. You can see how the proper attire has changed over the last seven centuries when you view the display of costume and dress for men, women, and children.

Guggenheim Museum

Here you will find your step back in time to be the most memorable. You can visit the Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece, there has been several changes made to the Guggenheim museum in order to present the masterpieces in the way that they need to be displayed.

Museum of Television and Radio

This is one museum that everyone shares a common interest in. Everyone has television and radio now, but what about the past when there were not very many who had access to them? Learn about all the different changes that were made to the television and radio to give us what we have today.

Whitney Museum of Modern Art

This museum offers a collection of the 20^th century art display. You will enjoy viewing over 12,000 pieces of art work that includes sculpting, drawing, photos, prints, paintings and more.

A Tour of London For Your Honeymoon

Traveling to London for your honeymoon destination could be quite an adventure in itself. You may enjoy traveling to Europe and seeing the Grand Palace and other historical landmarks that are still being used today. In order to plan your honeymoon carefully you will need to know a little more about all the places that you should visit while in London that is highly recommended. Here are some places to add to your itinerary while you are in London.

London has something called the London Eye. The London Eye is also known as The Millennium Wheel because it was opened in the year 2000. The London Eye is a Ferris wheel that allows you to see all of London while you are riding it. The views can be seen for up to 25 miles around when it is a clear sky. The ride takes thirty minutes so that you have time to see all around you while you are going around. Each capsule can hold up to twenty five people.

You should also go to the Tower Bridge. This is the famous bridge that has a lot of history behind it. Tower Bridge was designed to be raised for tall ships that would pass by. You can see the raising of the bridge several times during the week if you are interested. It also offers a closed in walkway that you can enjoy during every season.

You should also visit Tower of London. This is not the same thing as the bridge. The Tower of London has a lot of history behind it. During Medieval times this was the place of imprisonment, torture and execution for prisoners. You can view the Crown Jewels when you visit the Tower of London. Watch out for the ravens that have made the Tower of London their home.

Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens is a great way to end your long journey. Feel the peacefulness as you visit the royal parks. The Hyde Park is the largest park of the three parks in London. It offers a place to boat, swim, play and it also includes a pet cemetery for all the pets who have enjoyed the park continuously.

The famous Big Ben is something that you will want to see before leaving London. This is a clock that was built into a tour that has a distinct ring. You can hear the ring all around the world in phones, watches, clocks and more. When the House of Commons is in session you can see the light on above the clock.

Last, but not least, you will want to swing by Buckingham Palace to view the royal family’s house. Since 1837 this has been the home to the British Royal Family. Get there in time to see the Changing of the Guard. See the horses and carriages used by the Queen. You can also see certain parts of the palace during certain times of the year so if you want to tour Buckingham Palace you may want to call first.

The California Wine Country for Your Honeymoon

How about a visit to California’s wine country for your honeymoon destination?

When you visit California you can’t help but make a stop at the wine country. California has 58 counties and out of those 58, there are 46 counties that are producing wine. California’s climate allows for optimal soil and growing conditions. With so many counties involved in growing wine the state of California offers several different events and activities geared toward the wine. Wine tasting can be quite enjoyable and educational as well. Sampling the wine is very important in order to appreciate the difference in the wines. California wineries are a old business that have been around for generations. Winery’s take a long time to perfect and to raise the grapes just right for picking.

If you want to arrange for a tour of the winery you need to do some checking around to find out the schedule, be sure to tell them you are on your honeymoon for that extra special service (and trust me, they will do just that!). Each one offers a schedule of tours and wine tasting and some require an appointment before touring. The wineries take their tours seriously and they offer the tourists several different options. When wine tasting is in season you will be able to access an endless amount of wineries. Each winery is different and they have their own set of rules. These rules include the number of guests per party and hours available to tour some require an appointment ahead of time.

Wine tours are scheduled around harvest time when everything is ready and being processed. Other events you may get to see while at the winery include crush events, concerts and auctions of vintage wines, balloon rides over the vineyards, gardens for the perfect atmosphere, museums of the winery and the vineyards, local restaurants come to the festival to display their variety of dishes, and other recreational activities that will make your visit to the winery the most enjoyable.

Because after several wine tasting events you may find that driving is difficult, you and your newly wed spouse may decide to rent a limo which will offer you a safe ride to and from the winery.  If you drive yourself, a lot of the roads leading to the wineries include long, narrow winding roads. It is important to drive slowly and carefully if you decide to drive yourself. They are well off the beaten path and you may not realize how long it takes you to travel to each vineyard. There are also hotels, motels and fantastic resorts to stay at near the vineyards that make beautiful honeymoon stops. Stay at just one or travel up and down the area and enjoy a few.  Many of the hotels and resorts offer spa packages as well as wine tasting tours, so check with them before booking your tour to save a few bucks.

Because California is so big you may not know where to go in order to find a winery. Here is the way that it is divided out:

Northern California offers the Napa Valley and Mendocino Wine sections

Central California offers Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Monterey Wine and Santa Barbara wine sections.

Southern California offers Temecula and San Diego wine sections.

The Central Valley offers Livermore, Clarksburg, Amador, Calaveras, Lodi, and Sierra wine sections.

There are so many places to enjoy during your stay. Viewing each vineyard is a picture perfect memory that will last you forever.

How to Get A Free HoneyMoon

The honeymoon after a wedding can be very expensive. It can pose an unnecessary burden to the new couple or the family. You can go on your honeymoon for free if you have it well planned in advance and are smart about it. After you have determined where you will honeymoon and the amount needed for your trip and all necessities, take that number and put it aside- time to find it free.

Tip #1

There will always be people who will ask you what would you like as a wedding gift. Ask those individuals for cash, a loaded cash card, or a donation made to the honeymoon destination of your choice. Cash, however, is indeed king and you can buy whatever you want including your honeymoon package.

Tip #2

Contact a new resort that has not been widely publicized, or perhaps an old resort that is offering specials. You can offer to write a review or document your honeymoon trip and get paid or receive a large discount on your trip for doing so. Not all resorts will do this, but if you search around and ask your local travel agents or even call the resorts on your own, sometimes you cna work out a great deal. This has worked really well at some of the smaller B&B’s that are looking for free publicity.
Tip #3

Join a honeymoon registry at. That’s right. Most people just sign up for a general bridal registry; then they pick out china, knives, linen, etc. You end up getting just those things. A honeymoon registry provides gift givers an opportunity to purchase services at the place of your honeymoon, such as a spa treatment or dinner for two. The gift givers can also give quantities (of their choosing) of cash to your registry that can be used toward your package or services at your travel site. This concept is not widely known and is under utilized. Its a fantastic concept because its pretty much the same as friends and family giving you cash for your honeymoon, but its more personal. Get enough gift givers to your honeymoon registry site and you will get your honeymoon for free along with the extras such as massages, facials, tours, etc.

Tip #4

Place a small money tree at every table at the wedding reception. This gives everyone a chance to give something. This is especially true for those persons who are too embarrassed to give smaller amounts of cash. You can also hold a cash dance in which people donate dollars to dance to dance with the bride and or groom.

.

Honeymoon At Montego Bay

Now is your chance to have a gorgeous honeymoon vacation and travel to Montego Bay, Jamaica. What are you going to do when you get there? There are several ways to enjoy this beautiful place that can send you back home with a better sense of what Montego Bay is like. It’s beautiful and warm but you already know that. What else can you learn about Montego Bay? There are several different places that you can go in order to learn more about Montego Bay.

Rose Hall Great House has a lot of history behind it. Annie Palmer was said to be a witch who practiced voodoo and cast spells on those who forced her to. She was married three different times and all of her husbands died of something that was mysterious. The three husbands are supposed to be buried in the garden. When you tour her home you will finish up in the dungeon, which is now the tavern.

Pier one on the oceanfront is a great place to see Montego Bay for what it is really like. This pier is used for several reasons; to dock boats and luxury yachts, main headquarters for the Marine Park in Montego Bay, and there is a restaurant and bar located on the pier. Sample the best of Montego Bay when you stop by the restaurant.

Reggae sumfest is another great place to check out. See some of the best reggae performances. Enjoy the beach party first and then following that you can put on your dancing shoes for five nights of music and dance. You can see performers from all over the world come out to perform their shows to the many people who come out to enjoy Raggae.

Sam Sharpe Square is named for Sam Sharp, who was a Baptist Deacon that was hung in 1834. His legacy lives on as his last quoted words are also taught to school aged children as they study the history of Montego Bay. Pavement in the square is of cobblestone, as a replica of the colonial period in which Sharpe was a resident.

Calico Sailing is another place to check out. You can check out Montego Bay from the waters when you book a pirate ship. Enjoy reggae music and captain mates while sailing around. The tour allows you to go snorkeling off of the Marine Park. Then enjoy the beach and a water park while you are out.

The Town of St. Elizabeth has its own history and culture. A group of slaves, also referred to as Maroons, ran away from their owners. They formed a union and were able to battle their British slave owners. Their unity and determination was so strong that the British finally agreed to negotiations and signed a treaty at Peace Cave. Today you can see performances by Maroon singers, dancers and also a bush doctor who can help you cure anything with herbs.

There is one sure way to enjoy marine life without trying to put on the scuba gear. Board a private boat at Margueritaville dock. When you board the vessel you can go down below where you can sit in a room that has glass windows all around. You will be able to see in Montego Bay without leaving the boat. See how many species of fish you can locate.

A Disney Honeymoon in Orlando

Anyone who is visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida for the first time can benefit from tips from people who are very familiar with the parks and how they are run. There are so many things to do and out of the way places to experience at each of the four Disney parks that it is impossible to do them all in an average one week vacation. Knowing some of these tips beforehand can help you to narrow down the best of the best and eliminate some of the hassle.

Let’s start with some general tips when visiting one or all of the Disney parks. Summer vacation and winter or spring breaks are the busiest times to visit for all of the parks and resorts. But, if you are able to be flexible, the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are the least crowded and yet the most festive at all of the parks. The last three weeks in January and most of October are also times when the attendance is a bit lower.

Always buy your ticket packages either before you leave home or at least a day before you plan on going to the first park. There are many packages and the line to enter the park will be long, but if you also have to stand in line first to buy tickets your wait will be twice as long. Any Disney stores in any mall around the country sells ticket packages to the parks, as does any AAA office. Multi day tickets do not last forever as they used to. Once a ticket is used at the first park it will expire in 14 days. It is cheaper to package many days together now in order to save some of them for your next trip to Orlando. That can still be done. Your ticket can be made to have no expiration date for a small additional fee.

Once you are in the park, utilize Disney’s FastPass option. There are very popular rides at every park and standing in line for them can waste an hour each that you could spend seeing other sights. Immediately go to the FastPass Kiosk near the line for the ride you wish and enter your ticket. It will spit out a receipt that will give you an hour-long reservation window for sometime later in the day to return to that ride and go right to the beginning of the line with hardly a wait. This conserves your time and allows you to experience more at each park than the majority of the other visitors.

If you have to rent a stroller or wheelchair for the day, return them before the final fireworks show at the end of the night, if possible. This can save you a lot of time in line, allowing you to get back to your hotel almost an hour earlier. Shop in the gift shops earlier in the afternoon as well. The shops are very crowded right before the park closes and the lines to pay for your merchandise become very long. If there are two afternoon parades being offered, always go to the second one. It will be much less crowded.

Look into attending one of the Character Breakfasts, Lunches, or Dinners. They are a wonderful experience for everyone in your party and allow you perks that you may not have considered. For instance, buying tickets to the Character Breakfast at Animal Kingdom allows you to enter the park an hour and a half before the park opens. You will have a wonderful behind the scenes breakfast adventure and when the park does open, you are already at the head of the line.

There are so many tips that they could fill an encyclopedia. Hopefully, these few will give you some insight into Disney’s parks and increase your enjoyment a bit.

Bagging A Cheap Flight

Buying a last minute flight is actually quite tricky. Many airlines require advance notice of 14 days prior to departure in order to obtain a decently priced seat. Less than 7 days and the price can many times be twice or even three times the amount. Many charter airlines will deal primarily with packages and as such the flight-only option can actually end up costing more than a simple package.

All is not lost though! There are still plenty of ways to pick up a flight bargain. Bear in mind that if you are going for a do it yourself option on your holiday, it is wise to book the flight first, as this is likely to be the largest expenditure and there is generally less of a variety of carriers meaning less room for negotiation. Almost without exception finding a cheap hotel will be easier than finding a cheap flight.

Explore the websites of those flight operators that cover the location which you wish to travel to. Join their mailing list. OK, so you may end up with endless junk mail, but you will also get to hear about all of the deals that they are currently offering.

As a general rule, the best deals are available for flights leaving Monday to Thursday and on domestic flights many bargains can be found on a Saturday. Travelers will almost invariably pay more for a Friday or Sunday flight. Most holiday operators will offer the best deals for those who purchase a set time in advance, normally at least 14 days. If it is possible to stay a Saturday night, this will also normally result in a lower fare.

When searching, if possible, entertain the possibility of a flight that involves a connection. Airlines often place a large premium on non-stop flights and if this is not vital for you, you are likely to be able to save many dollars.

A further premium is normally placed on ‘nice’ flight times, i.e. ones that will not involve a particularly early start or involve traveling over night. Again if you are prepared to compromise slightly on your flight times, you may find that you can make huge savings.

Try not to stick rigidly to your destination. It may be possible to fly into a nearby airport and drive the last hour or so; this may offer you a better price overall.

Whenever you are considering buying a flight, it is always worth going to a consolidator such as Orbitz or Expedia. This will give you some excellent background information, such as the operators that offer the destination you are after and the typical prices. By doing your homework you will be able to act quickly when you see a bargain in the future. Very good deals often only appear for a very short period of time so it is important that you learn to recognize a good deal so that you can pounce on one-off deals before they disappear. When you are doing your homework, try a search with ‘flexible dates’. This will allow you to get a good feel for the price differences that are in operation during your ideal travel period.

A few other hints that can help you to bag a flight bargain is to consider air courier travel. To be able to become a courier you will have to be very flexible, prepared to travel alone with very little luggage, but on the plus side you will get to travel to new places very cheaply.

Some countries offer air passes to tourists that allow discounts if you are planning on spending a lot of time traveling around a particular region such as Australia or Europe.

If you book an airline ticket and then find that the price has gone down, contact the airline and ask for a refund. Many of the large airlines offer to pay back the difference if the prices go down. Read the small print and ask for the refund if it applies. Even if your chosen airline does not offer this sort of refund policy it is still worth asking as with increased competition airlines are very keen to keep customers happy.

Next Page »