Picked this book up at the library today, keep getting emails about cheap cruises so wanted to bone up on the subject.  Thsi is a hefty 692 page book giving expert advice that saves you money, in-depth reviews of 271 cruise ships and info on how to find the best cruise for you, including facilities, food, service etc. The first section of book talks about everything you ever wanted to know about cruising and then second section gives detailed information on each individual ship. This should be a must before booking any cruise.  We have never gone on a cruise but perhaps sometime in the future I will win one?????

We often like to pick up a book as a souvenir of our trips.  For Newfoundland an appropriate one was this one by Ben Hansen.  He has 5 other scenic photography books on NL but the outport villages are the gems of the province so this was our choice.  It is a lovely hard cover book covering all seasons in the small outports.  During our trip it seemed like we visited over 100 of them on the north, east and south coasts and each one was different.  This is a lovely book to share with others and show them the real NL. 

We stayed at this wonderful campground for 5 nights.  Actually we paid for 4 nights, lost track of days and on our last evening a gentleman knocked on our trailer door and advised us that we had not paid for that night and we should go down to the office and straighten it out - first time that has happened to us.  It has over 700 sites both seasonal (April - Oct) and overnight including cable.  Everything is spotlessly clean, all roads are paved, every site has a double concrete pad and beautiful landscaping and lush grass.  Also a very large heated indoor pool and whirlpool, and 2 playgrounds.  It is rated as one of the top campgrounds in Canada.   The sign out front says families only.  Absolutely no complaints here and if we get back to Sauble this is where we plan to camp.  http://www.woodlandparkontario.com/

 

Each week Travelzoo sends me an email with their top 20 picks. It usually has some inclusive holidays, a Toronto hotel, usually hotels for other cities, specific flight deals, etc.  I have booked hotels thru them for Toronto and been pleased with deal I received.  You can sign up for the email if you are interested at: http://www.travelzoo.com/

                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                

 

                                                                                             

 

African Lion Safari near Cambridge ON is a wonderful day's outing for adults and children.  You can get very close to the animals in the game reserve and enjoy the shows during the day, the elephant swim is a hoot. 

http://www.lionsafari.com/mission.asp

 

African Lion Safari is a Canadian owned family business created in the name of conservation. Visit our large drive-through wildlife park and you will surely have a wild experience! View and photograph 1000 unique and rare mammals and birds who are roaming freely, waiting to meet you. The Safari Trail takes you through prides of lions, troops of baboons and herds of zebra. You will see big cats, baboons, white rhino, ostrich, aoudad, eland, giraffe and many other exotic and native species. Travel through the reserves in your own vehicle (Convertibles, motorcycles and other unsuitable vehicles will not be permitted to drive through the Game Reserves. Windshields with cracks are not permitted to drive through the Game Reserves. Keep your windows closed!) or park your car and let an informative tour guide drive you through this wild kingdom in our air-conditioned Safari Tour Bus (additional cost). The drive through tour will take about one hour and the average stay for a family visit is five to seven hours. Relax and enjoy yourself!

Explore our thrilling mammal and bird performances. The 20 minute shows include the Birds of Prey Flying Demonstration, Parrot Paradise show, and Elephant Round-Up, all weather permitting.

Take a cruise aboard the "African Queen" boat. Your guide will point out exotic birds and primates during your pleasant tour around Water Safari Lake. Inhabitants of this area include the Ring-tailed lemur, Ground Horn-bills, Spider Monkeys, and the endangered Angolan Colobus monkeys. Venture off to Waterfowl Lake and take a journey on the "Nature Boy" scenic railway. As you travel through this natural forest you will see some unique wildlife, watch out for the snapping turtles! The boat & train tour are each approximately 15 minutes in length and open daily at 11:00 a.m. weather permitting.

Come and see our daily elephant swim. Here you will see Kitty, Jenny, Maggie and baby Chuck, frolic in the giant recreational lake.

Visit Pets' Corner and come ‘face to ‘face’ with a variety of animals and birds. Take a moment to pet and feed some baby goats.

Children are encouraged to monkey around in the Jungle Playground featuring the Safari Venture, and Toddlers' Play. Then cool down in the Misumu Bay Wet Play area (open May 22 to September 6, 2010, height restrictions apply).

Have visited many times but it is large so try to take some confortable shoes and ride the zoomobile if possible.
http://www.torontozoo.com/

 

Animals: The Zoo has over 5,000 animals representing over 500 species.  

Walking trails: There are over 10 km (six miles) of walking trails.
Size: 287 hectares (710 acres). One of the largest zoos in the world.

Zellers Discovery Zone*: Explore Zellers Discovery Zone, featuring the Kids Zoo, a dynamic, interactive children's wildlife experience, Splash Island, an exciting two-acre water play area and the Waterside Theatre, home of exciting family entertainment.

Exhibits and Layout:  The Zoo is divided into seven zoogeographic regions: Indo-Malaya, Africa, the Americas, Australasia, Eurasia, Canadian Domain and the Tundra Trek. Animals are displayed indoors in tropical pavilions and outdoors in naturalistic environments, with viewing at many levels.

Rides: There are four (4) rides: zoomobile, conservation carousel, camels and ponies.

Must Sees: Visit the incredible 10-acre Tundra Trek featuring an amazing 5-acre Polar bear habitat complete with underwater viewing area, the Gorilla Rainforest home to our Western Lowland Gorilla troop and newest addition Nassir, the Great Barrier Reef, and Zellers Discovery Zone* featuring Kids Zoo, Splash Island and Waterside Theatre. 2010 Special Exhibit Sharks at Stingray Bay - A Touching Experience. This unique and interactive exhibit runs from May 22, 2010 to October 11, 2010

 

I have visited Canada's Wonderland many times in the past. They have a large number of impressive rollercoasters and other rides and a water park and entertainment. . It is a wonderful theme park right here in Ontario.  New rides etc are added regularly and this year is not exception. 

 

Canada's Wonderland has changed the landscape for thrill seekers with Behemoth - Canada's biggest, fastest and tallest roller coaster. At over 5,300 feet (1,616m) in length, Behemoth sets the stage for thrills with a climb to a height of 230 feet (70.1m), followed by an adrenaline pumping 75 degree drop with speeds reaching 125 kilometers per hour in 3.9 seconds.

Wonderland offers the best entertainment value around with two parks in one. The park not only offers over 200 attractions, with 68 exciting rides including 15 thrilling roller coasters, fun-filled children areas and exciting new live entertainment, there's also a 20-acre water park which is open throughout the summer months. Splash Works is sure to be splash headquarters this summer with White Water Bay - Canada's largest outdoor wave pool, a ¼ mile Lazy River, water slides aplenty, and an exciting children's splash area.

Wonderland heats up summer with two new live shows; Snoopy Rocks! On Ice, and MTV Games' Rock Band Live, a one-of-a-kind multimedia experience that combines the thrill of a stage show with live music that's guaranteed to rock you!

This year Planet Snoopy is the place to be for kids. The world's most popular beagle and his friends welcome guests of all ages to new rides, daily character meet-Canada's Wonderland has changed the landscape for thrill seekers with Behemoth - Canada's biggest, fastest and tallest roller coaster. At over 5,300 feet (1,616m) in length, Behemoth sets the stage for thrills with a climb to a height of 230 feet (70.1m), followed by an adrenaline pumping 75 degree drop with speeds reaching 125 kilometers per hour in 3.9 seconds.

Wonderland offers the best entertainment value around with two parks in one. The park not only offers over 200 attractions, with 68 exciting rides including 15 thrilling roller coasters, fun-filled children areas and exciting new live entertainment, there's also a 20-acre water park which is open throughout the summer months. Splash Works is sure to be splash headquarters this summer with White Water Bay - Canada's largest outdoor wave pool, a ¼ mile Lazy River, water slides aplenty, and an exciting children's splash area.

Wonderland heats up summer with two new live shows; Snoopy Rocks! On Ice, and MTV Games' Rock Band Live, a one-of-a-kind multimedia experience that combines the thrill of a stage show with live music that's guaranteed to rock you!

This year Planet Snoopy is the place to be for kids. The world's most popular beagle and his friends welcome guests of all ages to new rides, daily character meet-and-greets and live entertainment. Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and Linus join little riders as they fly, whirl, dive and swoop through brand new attractions including the Peanuts 500, Snoopy's Revolution and Lucy's Tugboat.

Classic animated characters from the Sponge Bob Squarepants television series star in a deep-sea 3D motion simulator movie ride at the Paramount Action F/X Theatre - the world's only ocean motion movie ride. Join the cartoon star as he rides a bubble bicycle in pursuit of a runaway pickle required to serve the perfect Krabby Patty hamburger.

For more information visit www.canadaswonderland.com. -greets and live entertainment. Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and Linus join little riders as they fly, whirl, dive and swoop through brand new attractions including the Peanuts 500, Snoopy's Revolution and Lucy's Tugboat.

Classic animated characters from the Sponge Bob Squarepants television series star in a deep-sea 3D motion simulator movie ride at the Paramount Action F/X Theatre - the world's only ocean motion movie ride. Join the cartoon star as he rides a bubble bicycle in pursuit of a runaway pickle required to serve the perfect Krabby Patty hamburger.

 

 

During our travels in US we have visited several caverns and been impressed with the size and the beauty of them. We have been to Howe Caverns in NY, Luray & Skyline Caverns  in Virginia, Lost River Cave, Mammoth Cave & Diamond Caverns in Kentucky. The columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, cascades, draperies, &  mirrored pools are just some of the features that we have seen and marvelled at. Most of the large caverns are electrically lighted but they often turn all lights off so you can experience total darkness.   Thirty six state in the US have caves or caverns so you can include one in your trip almost anywhere you go. Our goal is to visit Carsbad Caverns in New Mexico which hass  a large cave chamber, the Big Room, a natural limestone chamber which is almost 4,000 feet (about 1,219 m) long, 625 feet (190.5 m) wide, and 350 feet (about 107 m) high at the highest point. It is the third largest chamber in North America and the seventh largest in the world.   

 pic of Luray in Virginia:

 

We did the Grand Circle Tour in Arizona & Utah in 1999 and it was a wonderful month long vacation.  We flew to Phoenix and rented a motorhome (glad we did because we enjoy camping and motels are often quite far from some of the parks).  There are so many wonderful sights like the Grand Canyon, Arches, Zion, Bryce, Monument Valley, Sedona, Colorado River, Mesa Verde and on and on.  I hope to return someday to do it all over again.

 

The Grand Circle is a beautiful, vast region located in the Southwestern United States. Encompassing portions of five states – Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Nevada – the Grand Circle contains America’s largest concentration of national parks and monuments, woven together by extraordinary designated Scenic Byways. Some of America’s most diverse scenery can be found within the Grand Circle – the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Lake Powell and Arches National Park, just to name a few. Bold splashes of color, fascinating geologic shapes and the mysterious remnants of cultures await you at every turn.

 

Over the years, Monument Valley has been the setting for more Western movies than any other site in the United States. Unique sandstone formations, the Navajo Indian Nation and the Four Corners Monument define this vast, open desert region. It is an unbelievable place to visit on the Grand Circle Tour in Arizona & Utah.

http://www.picton-bia.on.ca/attractions.html

Some of Picton's architecturally significant buildings.

 

 

We have driven to the summit of Mount Washington several times.  It is a long narrow turny twisty road but well worth the drive (have to be careful your brakes don't overheat on descent).  Other means of access are small tour buses or the cog railway. 

Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 ft (1,917 m). It is famous for its dangerously erratic weather, and long held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, 231 mph (372 km/h) on the afternoon of April 12, 1934.^[The summit station of Mount Washington has an alpine climate (Köppen ET), though warming to a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) with lower elevation. The mountain is part of a popular hiking area, with the Appalachian Trail crossing the summit and one of the Appalachian Mountain Club's eight mountain huts, the Lakes of the Clouds Hut, located on one of the mountain's shoulders. The most popular hiking trail approach to the summit is via the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) Tuckerman Ravine Trail.  Since 1869, the Mount Washington Cog Railway has provided tourists with a train journey to the summit of Mount Washington. It uses a Marsh rack system and was the first successful rack railway in the US.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington_(New_Hampshire)

I am a member of both Wyndham & CARP.  The Wyndham program offers a large selection of hotels and points are given for each hotel stay.  The CARP rate often beats both CAA & "best rate available" and gives seniors a very good discount on hotels.

 

Wyndham Hotel Group (WHG), the largest hotel company in the world¹, is part of the CARP Benefits program. With 11 hotel chains representing nearly 7,000 hotels² and more than 590,000 hotel rooms on six continents under the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts® , Wingate® by Wyndham, Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada Worldwide®, Travelodge®, Howard Johnson®, Baymont Inn & Suites®, Hawthorn Suites® by Wyndham, Microtel Inns and Suites®, and Knights Inn® brands, WHG comprises approximately 10% of the domestic hotel room supply³.

CARP members now can get up to 20% off the "best available unrestricted rate"⁴ at all participating WHG hotels. Using the program is simple, just call the toll free number 877-670-7088 and give the agent the CARP discount ID number 60056. The discount is applied at the time of reservation. If you prefer to book online

 

I have attended the balloon festival in Hull/Ottawa ON and it was quite an experience to see so many balloons take off in the evening.  There were balloons of all shapes and colors and specialty balloons like Disney castle, the big 4x4 truck, dragon etc.  The biggest festival in the world is in Albuquerque New Mexico and it is on my list of "want to go there someday".   Here is the link to it : http://www.balloonfiesta.com/  or the Hull/Gatineau link is:  http://www.montgolfieresgatineau.com/anglais/frm_en2009.htm

I have 2 of these travel guides and have found them very helpful and enjoyable to use when planning a vacation.  The gudes that show you what others only tell you. I have used the California book and the Arizona & Grand Canyon book.  They are chock full of pictures and details on places to go and things to see.  I have also used them as a reminder of what I have already seen and perhaps forgotten.  Great guide books for 80 of the world's most fascinating destinations.  I bought my copies at Chapter's. or available at  www.dk.com.