Guide to National Park – Plan your Next trip

The US national parks are some of the most beautiful places on earth. Here is a helpful guide to national parks.

Few places in the world can compete with the stunning landscapes, engaging activities and awe-inspiring architecture of the United States national parks. With a host of sightseeing and adventure options, there is much to see and do in these coveted spots. Whether you are visiting the parks for the first time or you have been there before, here is a guide to national park to help you get the maximum out of your trip.

1. Plan well

Millions of people visit the national parks every year, especially during the spring and summer. To ensure that you can enjoy all that a park has to offer, it is best to plan your next trip at least six months in advance. Most campsites and hotels sell out quickly, so it is best to complete your bookings months ahead. Also, many trails are open only at certain months of the year. Planning ahead with the help of a guide to national park will ensure that you do not miss out on anything.

2. Pack lot of layers

No matter which season you are visiting a park, remember to carry layers. The temperatures at parks can change significantly within just few hours, so it’s best to be prepared. Hats, thick socks, hiking shoes and raincoats are recommended for most parks, especially those that have lush forests, rocky coasts and mountain trails. To pack better, make sure to check the planning guide to national park on the website of the park you are planning to visit.

3. Off-season visit

An off-season visit offers you a greater chance of enjoying the best landmarks in peace. Autumn and winter see fewer visitors, but the seasons have plenty to offer to the tourists. If you are looking to avoid huge crowds, plan your next trip during an off-season.

4. Explore the park on foot or rented vehicles

Exploring the park via bike, boat or foot can be a great way to experience it. Also, these options have a discounted sticker price and allow you to better enjoy the trails, caves, canals and monuments.

5. Use the map

As most parks do not have good cell phone coverage, make sure to take the free map that you get when you enter the park. The map will help you stay on track and let you know about the location of the big sights, park amenities, visitor centers and gas stations.

6. Talk to the park rangers

You may have planned everything well, but it is a good idea to check in with the park rangers when you reach at a park. They will have the information you require to ensure that you have a great trip.

7. Protect the parks

If you find trash, throw it in the bin and be careful about not disturbing the wildlife. Make sure to leave the park better than how you found it.

US national parks are some of the most spectacular spots on the world. Follow the guide to national park to plan your next trip and get ready to have a memorable experience.

The post Guide to National Park – Plan your Next trip appeared first on Geeky Traveller.

from Geeky Traveller ift.tt/2kWbd6Q
via IFTTT

The post Guide to National Park – Plan your Next trip appeared first on YachtAweigh.

from WordPress http://ift.tt/2k6mzpC
via Yacht Vacation Rentals

Guide to National Park – Plan your Next trip

The US national parks are some of the most beautiful places on earth. Here is a helpful guide to national parks.

Few places in the world can compete with the stunning landscapes, engaging activities and awe-inspiring architecture of the United States national parks. With a host of sightseeing and adventure options, there is much to see and do in these coveted spots. Whether you are visiting the parks for the first time or you have been there before, here is a guide to national park to help you get the maximum out of your trip.

1. Plan well

Millions of people visit the national parks every year, especially during the spring and summer. To ensure that you can enjoy all that a park has to offer, it is best to plan your next trip at least six months in advance. Most campsites and hotels sell out quickly, so it is best to complete your bookings months ahead. Also, many trails are open only at certain months of the year. Planning ahead with the help of a guide to national park will ensure that you do not miss out on anything.

2. Pack lot of layers

No matter which season you are visiting a park, remember to carry layers. The temperatures at parks can change significantly within just few hours, so it’s best to be prepared. Hats, thick socks, hiking shoes and raincoats are recommended for most parks, especially those that have lush forests, rocky coasts and mountain trails. To pack better, make sure to check the planning guide to national park on the website of the park you are planning to visit.

3. Off-season visit

An off-season visit offers you a greater chance of enjoying the best landmarks in peace. Autumn and winter see fewer visitors, but the seasons have plenty to offer to the tourists. If you are looking to avoid huge crowds, plan your next trip during an off-season.

4. Explore the park on foot or rented vehicles

Exploring the park via bike, boat or foot can be a great way to experience it. Also, these options have a discounted sticker price and allow you to better enjoy the trails, caves, canals and monuments.

5. Use the map

As most parks do not have good cell phone coverage, make sure to take the free map that you get when you enter the park. The map will help you stay on track and let you know about the location of the big sights, park amenities, visitor centers and gas stations.

6. Talk to the park rangers

You may have planned everything well, but it is a good idea to check in with the park rangers when you reach at a park. They will have the information you require to ensure that you have a great trip.

7. Protect the parks

If you find trash, throw it in the bin and be careful about not disturbing the wildlife. Make sure to leave the park better than how you found it.

US national parks are some of the most spectacular spots on the world. Follow the guide to national park to plan your next trip and get ready to have a memorable experience.

The post Guide to National Park – Plan your Next trip appeared first on Geeky Traveller.

from Geeky Traveller ift.tt/2kWbd6Q
via IFTTT

The post Guide to National Park – Plan your Next trip appeared first on YachtAweigh.

from WordPress http://ift.tt/2kpKe0e
via Yacht Vacation Rentals

Incredibly Daring Man Swims To Hawaii’s Lava With A Selfie Stick

Most people are familiar with the expression, “If you play with fire, you might get burned.” Well, the same goes for scalding lava, and we really hope the guy in the video above gets the memo.

Last August, Hawaii-based photographer Kawika Singson was filming the lava flowing from Kilauea volcano into the ocean off the coast of the Big Island when a different type of spectacle crossed his lens.

Singson, a nature photographer who’s famous for getting extremely close to lava himself, filmed a Hawaii man swimming in the surf near the lava’s entry point. As seen in the video above, the swimmer appeared to be taking photos of the steaming lava as it poured into the sea.

Singson uploaded footage of the daring man to his YouTube channel last week, and, unsurprisingly, Singson’s fans were shocked. 

“It’s extremely dangerous, [but] we’ve been living on this volcanic island since we were kids,” Singson told The Huffington Post, referring to himself and the swimmer in the video, which he asked not be named to protect his identity. “If you look through my pictures and videos, you’ll see that I’m no stranger to lava and its inherent dangers.”

“But, no,” Singson added. “I absolutely do not recommend anyone do this!”

It is here that we’ll remind you of the obvious: Do NOT try this at home, in Hawaii or anywhere ever.

Lava, as you may already know, is hot. We’re talking about a fluid substance that can reach an estimated 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Factor in Hawaii’s rough and unpredictable surf, which could have thrown the swimmer into the molten lava at any time, and you have yourself one of the most dangerous situations nature can conjure.

Even worse, the mixture of lava and seawater creates a dangerous scorching steam and volcanic glass.

“It’s super-heated steam laced with hydrochloric acid from the interaction with the seawater and has shards of volcanic glass,” U.S. Geological Survey scientist Janet Babb told The San Francisco Chronicle. “It’s something to be avoided.”

And if you’re still underestimating the risks that swimmer took, consider this: Just a month ago near that area, 26 acres of a seaside lava delta, including an area reserved for lava viewing, collapsed into the ocean without warning.

Those same flows of lava began pouring into the ocean off the southeastern coast of the Big Island in July, marking the first lava ocean entry the island has seen since 2013.

So, yeah. Don’t swim near the lava flow.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from Travel – The Huffington Post ift.tt/2kugzFH

The post Incredibly Daring Man Swims To Hawaii’s Lava With A Selfie Stick appeared first on YachtAweigh.

from WordPress http://ift.tt/2ln0rYr
via Yacht Vacation Rentals

We Found A Cheap Way To Move Your Stuff Across The Country

Search online for “cheapest way to move” and you’ll find a whole bunch of services that claim to haul boxes across the country for cheap. However, it can be tricky to know which of them to trust.

We’ve found one company, however, that’s worth a shot for the mover with no furniture. It’s more affordable than many of the other services and doesn’t require renting a truck or packing a pod. 

The service is called Busfreighter, and it can ship a whole room’s worth of stuff from New York City to Los Angeles for about $160. That’s about as good as it gets.

How it works:

Busfreighter is a partner of Greyhound Package Express, a service that ships personal packages on Greyhound buses. You can ship any number of boxes with Busfreighter, but four or more will get you discount bulk prices: Busfreighter ships bulk orders for 70 cents per pound, whereas going directly through Greyhound costs nearly double the price at about $1.19 per pound, a phone representative told HuffPost. Other companies’ prices are even higher (more on that later).

To use Busfreighter, simply pack your boxes and drop them off at a Greyhound terminal, or have Busfreighter pick them up at your door for an extra fee (about $45 for five boxes, but it varies). Wait three to 10 days, and voila! Your boxes have been bussed to your new city. Visit a Greyhound terminal to collect them, or have them delivered to your door for a fee.

Who it works for:

Busfreighter is best for people moving with boxes only, as its weight and height requirements won’t accommodate furniture. In order to score the lowest pricing, you should also be willing to drive to your nearest Greyhound bus terminal and wait three to 10 days for delivery. 

Why it’s good:

Busfreighter’s closest competitors are Amtrak Express Shipping and FedEx. To compare them, we got quotes for a shipment of five large moving boxes weighing 40 pounds each on three different routes: New York City to Los Angeles, San Francisco to Austin and Chicago to Nashville. Busfreighter won out for a number of reasons, including…

Cheap pricing: 

To ship five large boxes from NYC to L.A., Busfreighter quoted $161.60, Amtrak quoted $162 (a close second), and FedEx quoted $480.75. It should be noted that these Busfreighter and Amtrak prices require you to drop off and pick up your boxes at a bus or train station, whereas the FedEx quote is for drop-off at a FedEx location but the boxes will be delivered to your door (they also have an option for at home pick-up for an even higher price).

But even if we opted for the most expensive door-to-door service with Busfreighter, it would cost $258.80, which is still cheaper than FedEx.

More drop-off and delivery locations:

We couldn’t get quotes for Amtrak shipments directly from San Francisco or to Nashville, because Amtrak only ships from neighboring Oakland and does not ship to Nashville, according to a phone representative. Busfreighter handled it just fine: San Francisco to Austin would cost $145.94 and take five to seven days (compared to FedEx’s $416 in four days), and Chicago to Nashville would cost $124.34 and take three days (compared to FedEx’s $226 in two days).

Easiest to find a quote:

Getting quotes for Amtrak required a long phone talk with a representative. You can quotes for FedEx Ground online, though you’ll need to set up a free account if you want them to pick up packages at your door. Busfreighter quickly gave quotes online.

Do your homework: 

You can also find online quotes for fancier moving services like Pods and U-Pack, which have higher prices but come with perks like more truck space and potentially quicker delivery. If you’re moving furniture or want your belongings to arrive ASAP, you may want to choose one of them. But for the low-maintenance mover… well, you know our pick already. 

Happy moving! 

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from Travel – The Huffington Post ift.tt/2lshHIp

The post We Found A Cheap Way To Move Your Stuff Across The Country appeared first on YachtAweigh.

from WordPress http://ift.tt/2kPRWnT
via Yacht Vacation Rentals

Disney Reveals When You Can Finally Visit The New ‘Star Wars’ And ‘Avatar’ Lands

The wait is almost over! Disney has announced the opening dates for new theme park attractions based on the “Star Wars” and “Avatar” movies.

A “Star Wars”-inspired area is set to open in 2019 at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as well as at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. 

Meanwhile, the “Pandora: The World of Avatar” attraction will open on May 27 ―just in time for Memorial Day weekend this year ― as part of Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. Disney CEO Bob Iger announced the dates during the company’s earnings call on Tuesday.

The Avatar-inspired attraction will include floating mountains, bioluminescent plants, two new rides and shops featuring Na’vi art.

At 14 acres each, the two “Star Wars” ventures will be the largest single-themed land expansions at Disneyland and Disney World. The new attractions will resemble a remote trading post on an alien plant, and will include a ride that allows guests to pilot the iconic Millennium Falcon.

Details are still sparse, but guests can expect to find themselves in “the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance,” Iger said in 2015.

The new land will open the same year “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is expected to hit theaters.

type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=Related Coverage + articlesList=5864bb34e4b0eb5864883d55,588a0f0ce4b0024605fe002c,583f5d8be4b017f37fe2a05c

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from Travel – The Huffington Post ift.tt/2kn7UlV

The post Disney Reveals When You Can Finally Visit The New ‘Star Wars’ And ‘Avatar’ Lands appeared first on YachtAweigh.

from WordPress http://ift.tt/2kOZibt
via Yacht Vacation Rentals

Is A Hotel The Right Accommodation For Your Trip?

Your accommodations can make or break your vacation. We once stayed in a hotel in NYC that offered earplugs on the nightstand because it was in such a loud neighborhood. One of your first travel decisions should be whether you stay in a hotel, all-inclusive, or rental. Let’s break down the reasons why you should or should not stay in a hotel so you’ll be able to weigh your decision of whether it is the best accommodation for your family.

PROS:

NO COOKING: YES!!! Cheers break out from moms everywhere!! Even on vacation moms do not go off-duty. The advantage of having a hotel room is you can’t cook…not even if you wanted to! If your plan is to avoid cooking, don’t get a room with a kitchenette or you may as well put your apron on.

HOUSEKEEPING: A week of not making beds or vacuuming sounds like heaven to me. Leave your housekeepers a large tip because they deserve it.

CONCIERGE: I love to plan my trips in advance but there are always problems that can pop up that the concierge can solve. If you have a sick child he can find you a doctor, if a rainy day means you can’t go to the zoo he can find you an indoor activity, and if you need a restaurant recommendation he can point you towards the best one. In London, at the Waldorf, the concierge walked to the restaurant to make sure we had the best table and his favorite waiter. When we got there, they knew our names without asking and gave us an appetizer on the house.

SAFETY: Some rentals can be in residential areas and may not have good security. Some hotels have doormen and got to great lengths to ensure your safety.

AMENITIES: Some hotels have gyms, spas, restaurants, bars, golf courses, libraries, or indoor pools. Don’t just use a hotel for a place to sleep, make sure you make it an experience.

PACKAGES: Some hotels can get you a good deal on rental cars, airfare, and discounts to local attractions.

REWARDS PROGRAM: The more nights you stay at certain hotels, the more points you can accumulate. You can turn those points in for free hotel rooms. Also, depending on the status of your membership you can get free perks such as room upgrades, ­­­­gift cards, and travel packages.

ROOM SERVICE: Don’t feel like getting out of your PJ’s to get breakfast? No need…you’re on vacation…let the food come to you!

CONS:

TINY SPACE = LOTS OF BICKERING: My family likes to have our space…actually we NEED. When we are confined to a small area we become caged animals. Make sure you check the square footage of your room.

CLEANLINESS: You expect your room will be perfectly clean but that’s not always the case. You sometimes find a little more than a mint on your pillow…ugh. I hate thinking about the amount of people that have slept in the no amount of bleach is enough.

NUMBER OF KIDS: My friends that have three or four kids sometimes have a hard time finding a reasonably priced room because they need a suite. In Europe, they would not allow any cots in standard rooms and were extremely strict about the number of people in rooms. I read many reviews where people were turned away for trying to sneak in a toddler.

LACK OF OUTDOOR SPACE: If you want to let your kids run around to get some fresh air, you’ll need to search for a hotel that has a courtyard or some sort of grassed area. This can often be hard to find.

After weighing the pros and cons, you should be able to make the first decision in your trip planning. Happy travels!

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from Travel – The Huffington Post ift.tt/2k3plfb

The post Is A Hotel The Right Accommodation For Your Trip? appeared first on YachtAweigh.

from WordPress http://ift.tt/2lrsp27
via Yacht Vacation Rentals

Is A Hotel The Right Accommodation For Your Trip?

Your accommodations can make or break your vacation. We once stayed in a hotel in NYC that offered earplugs on the nightstand because it was in such a loud neighborhood. One of your first travel decisions should be whether you stay in a hotel, all-inclusive, or rental. Let’s break down the reasons why you should or should not stay in a hotel so you’ll be able to weigh your decision of whether it is the best accommodation for your family.

PROS:

NO COOKING: YES!!! Cheers break out from moms everywhere!! Even on vacation moms do not go off-duty. The advantage of having a hotel room is you can’t cook…not even if you wanted to! If your plan is to avoid cooking, don’t get a room with a kitchenette or you may as well put your apron on.

HOUSEKEEPING: A week of not making beds or vacuuming sounds like heaven to me. Leave your housekeepers a large tip because they deserve it.

CONCIERGE: I love to plan my trips in advance but there are always problems that can pop up that the concierge can solve. If you have a sick child he can find you a doctor, if a rainy day means you can’t go to the zoo he can find you an indoor activity, and if you need a restaurant recommendation he can point you towards the best one. In London, at the Waldorf, the concierge walked to the restaurant to make sure we had the best table and his favorite waiter. When we got there, they knew our names without asking and gave us an appetizer on the house.

SAFETY: Some rentals can be in residential areas and may not have good security. Some hotels have doormen and got to great lengths to ensure your safety.

AMENITIES: Some hotels have gyms, spas, restaurants, bars, golf courses, libraries, or indoor pools. Don’t just use a hotel for a place to sleep, make sure you make it an experience.

PACKAGES: Some hotels can get you a good deal on rental cars, airfare, and discounts to local attractions.

REWARDS PROGRAM: The more nights you stay at certain hotels, the more points you can accumulate. You can turn those points in for free hotel rooms. Also, depending on the status of your membership you can get free perks such as room upgrades, ­­­­gift cards, and travel packages.

ROOM SERVICE: Don’t feel like getting out of your PJ’s to get breakfast? No need…you’re on vacation…let the food come to you!

CONS:

TINY SPACE = LOTS OF BICKERING: My family likes to have our space…actually we NEED. When we are confined to a small area we become caged animals. Make sure you check the square footage of your room.

CLEANLINESS: You expect your room will be perfectly clean but that’s not always the case. You sometimes find a little more than a mint on your pillow…ugh. I hate thinking about the amount of people that have slept in the no amount of bleach is enough.

NUMBER OF KIDS: My friends that have three or four kids sometimes have a hard time finding a reasonably priced room because they need a suite. In Europe, they would not allow any cots in standard rooms and were extremely strict about the number of people in rooms. I read many reviews where people were turned away for trying to sneak in a toddler.

LACK OF OUTDOOR SPACE: If you want to let your kids run around to get some fresh air, you’ll need to search for a hotel that has a courtyard or some sort of grassed area. This can often be hard to find.

After weighing the pros and cons, you should be able to make the first decision in your trip planning. Happy travels!

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

from Travel – The Huffington Post ift.tt/2k3plfb

The post Is A Hotel The Right Accommodation For Your Trip? appeared first on YachtAweigh.

from WordPress http://ift.tt/2llcYf5
via Yacht Vacation Rentals