2008 Summer Travel Hot Spots You Won't Want To Miss

By Jeff Mills

2008 SUMMER HOT SPOTS SURVEY ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) announced the results of its survey conducted on the most popular domestic and international destinations being booked for Summer Travel in 2008.

For the Sixth year in a row Orlando, Las Vegas and New York City remain the most popular summer destinations booked by travel agents.

Orlando came out on top with a 21 percent share of responses.

Las Vegas maintained the second spot, with 19.1 percent of the votes.

New York City maintained its place in the top three, posting an 11.8 percent share.

The top 10 domestic hot spots are Orlando, Las Vegas, New York City, Honolulu, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, San Diego, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Top international hot spots are London, Rome, Cancun, Paris, Jamaica, Punta Cana (DR), Florence, Puerto Vallarta, Venice and Frankfurt.

Western European destinations are the most popular overall with six cities in the top 10. Destinations in the Caribbean are the other major category in the international top 10.

Coastal vacations along the beach shores are becoming a very popular getaways as you can see from the results, most of the top destinations have beach front access and safe parks for the kids to play at.

Travelers can find the best rates, when they use the web, or even better rates when they book through wholesale travel clubs or organizations.

Remember that resorts in the Summer, start to fill up and book in the Spring. Don't wait till the last minute, or you'll end up at Mom and Pop's Roadside Roadkill Inn!

Prepare Your Pet For Summer Travel

By Marc Morrison

As the summer heat approaches, we wanted to offer some tips to make sure your pets' travel during the summer is as safe and comfortable as possible!

Under Coat Removal: Most experts recommend against shaving your pet for the summer months. A dog's coat helps to protect his skin from the sun and provides insulation from the heat. Dogs don't sweat to cool themselves the way people do, so they don't need exposed skin to stay cool.

Shaving double-coated breeds like Golden Retrievers, German Shepards and Shelties does not keep them cooler as their undercoats help protect them from the elements. By shaving them down you destroy the natural protective properties their coats offer them.

However, regular brushing and combing to maintain the coat are important during the spring and summer months. If your dog is badly matted or tangled, their coat may actually trap the heat and humidity close to the skin, adding to their discomfort.

You can improve their comfort by removing just the dead undercoat as this will eliminate the natural barriers which can trap heat. Bringing your double-coated breed into a salon for a professional undercoat removal prior to departure is a great way to help them feel comfortable.

TRAVEL CRATES: Your pet will spend most of their travel time inside their travel crate. The following tips will help make this as pleasant as possible:

Acclimate your pet to his crate: The #1 most important step in the process! You should start the acclimation process at least two weeks in advance.. A great way to start is to just leave it in the family room or your bedroom and allow your pet to explore.

Next, you can put him in for short periods of time while you are home. Then, for short trips to the store and slowly for longer and longer time periods.

By implementing the above strategy, you will greatly reduce the chances of anxiety and help ensure a successful pet relocation.

Ventilate all four sides: Every travel crate should be ventilated on ALL FOUR SIDES of the crate. If your travel crate does not have holes on the back, you can use a drill to make them. Depending on the size of your pet, we recommend that you drill even rows of holes, about 5 holes across and 3 rows down. The holes should be as big as possible, without your pet being able to stick his nose or paws through. Generally a half or 3/4 inch drill bit does the job.

Always Provide Water Dishes: The clip on bowls from the pet store work ok, however if you have a bigger pet, consider fastening a plastic Tupperware bowl to the door of the kennel with a zip tie. A great way to ensure your pet has access to water for as long as possible, freeze the water in each dish the night before travel. This will ensure it doesn't spill out during the ride to the airport.

Provide Suitable Bedding: The airlines require there to be "absorbent" material in the bottom of all travel kennels. We have found that shredded newspaper is the absolute best. A liberal amount is recommended. The newspaper is easily discarded at the other end and provides comfortable padding during the trip. An old T-shirt with your scent on it for comfort is also a good idea. Try to avoid thick blankets and beds as they trap heat during the summer.

Avoid Battery Operated Fans: While they are great for cooling your pet at home and in the car, the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) will no allow any batter operated devices on the plane. If you attach them, they will most likely be confiscated.

Here's wishing you Safe Travels!

Exciting Summer Travel Jobs For Teenagers To Help You Make Money And Have Fun This Summer

By R. Sharp

When it comes to summer travel jobs for teenagers, the possibilities seem endless. And, in addition to being a great way to make some extra cash over the summer, travel jobs make it possible for you to see new parts of the world that you may have never seen before. Or, summer travel jobs can help you revisit some of your favorite locations around the world!

National Park Summer Travel Jobs

If you love the great outdoors, one of the coolest summer travel jobs you can pursue is employment with a national park. Summer travel jobs commonly available with the national parks include clean up crew workers and maintenance workers. You may be responsible for picking up trash, emptying garbage cans, and cleaning rest stations. Or, you might be put to work maintaining trails and ensuring their safety for visitors. If you have special knowledge in a particular area, you might even get to lead tours or answer questions from park visitors. Whatever the position you fill, you will be thrilled to work in such beautiful surroundings.

Camp Summer Travel Jobs

You may have your own camp experiences to recall, but have you ever thought about working for a camp? When you pursue a position as a camp counselor, you can take satisfaction in knowing that you are help bringing a little joy into the lives of other campers. At the same time, you can make a decent wage and have all of your room and board paid for in an exciting new location. Camp positions are perhaps the most abundantly available summer travel jobs. But, this doesn't mean the jobs are easy to land. Be sure to learn as much about the camp as possible before applying and be ready to put your best foot forward throughout the interview process.

Theme Park Summer Travel Jobs

Although many theme parks are open for longer than just the summer season, this time of year is the peak season. Therefore, theme parks are typically looking for extra help during the summer. Every state has at least one theme park. So, pick the state you are interested in traveling to and do a little research to learn more about the theme parks in the area. Once you find a few theme parks that are of interest to you, visit their websites and put in an application.

Resort Summer Travel Jobs

Whether you are at home on a ship, on the slopes, or on the beach, there are resort jobs available to suit your interest. While the available positions may not be glamorous - they typically include maintenance positions and other laborious types of work - the surroundings are fabulous. And, you can often receive accommodations in the resort as well. So, if the thought of waking up every day to a snow-covered mountain, to a bustling cruise ship, or to a sun-kissed beach sounds ideal to you, one of these summer travel jobs might be just what you are looking for.

Whether you are looking to stay in the United States or to travel to another country, there are numerous summer travel jobs available. All it takes is a little searching and the time to fill out the applications and, before you know it, you may have a job in your dream location.

Summer Cruisin' - Travel Tips to Enjoy Your Cruise

By Amy Dunn

Ahh... summertime. Warm weather, school is out, longer days, and of course-vacation. Just because this summer is flying by does not mean you missed your chance to book a relaxing getaway cruise!

FINDING THE BEST CABIN LOCATION
There's a lot of confusion and misinformation concerning cabin location
choice on modern cruise ships. High speed elevators whisk passengers from lower to higher decks and return in seconds. Modular construction insures that cabins on lower decks are identical with their counterparts further up. If these premises are correct, what should the savvy cruise traveler be looking for in their cruise cabin location and does it really matter at all?

Modern cruise ships are fully stabilized and in normal weather conditions,
display no discernible difference in motion between deck locations. Our vast super liners ensure the comfort of even the most motion sensitive passengers in almost all circumstances. However, in some inclement weather scenarios, cabins closest to center ship may have less motion than forward or aft cabins. Imagining a pendulum will explain the comparative motion as it relates to deck location. Ironically, cabins located on lower decks are generally lower in cost and yet also may indicate less motion under certain conditions than a comparable higher deck cabin.

Based on these assumptions, why pay a higher rate for a higher deck cabin? It comes down to convenience. On many cruise ships, decks that contain restaurants, show rooms, pool decks, spas etc tend to be on middle to higher decks which are more easily accessible from higher deck cabins. The decision of whether to pay more is more a function of budget limitation rather than overall enjoyment of the cruise experience. The choice is yours.

UPGRADING YOUR CRUISE CABIN
Getting an upgrade on your cruise cabin means that you pay a lower rate and get a cabin which is listed in a higher category on the published deck plan without paying a supplement. Upgrades may be in the same cabin type such as inside to inside (no ocean view) but located on a higher deck or they may be in a different cabin type such as inside to outside (ocean view). How can the savvy cruise traveler arrange a cabin upgrade?

1. Special Promotions - Cruise Lines sometimes offer cabin upgrades as an incentive based on a qualifying factor. The qualification may be membership in a past passenger group, a group promotion, payment with a certain credit card, frequent flier promotion, or other qualification. Check with your agent at the time of booking to confirm whether any of these promotions are available.

2. Guarantee- To Be Assigned (TBA) Some cruise lines permit booking in a guaranteed category with the POSSIBILITY of upgrade with the actual cabin number assignment being made closer to sailing date. As the name implies, the passenger is guaranteed that his cabin will be at least the equivalent of the rate paid. Booking on a guaranteed TBA requires some flexibility on the part of the passenger but in many cases, rewards this flexibility with a cabin upgrade

3. Registration for Upgrade - Some cruise lines allow passengers to register for a possible upgrade if one becomes available. This approach normally gives the client an immediate cabin number and the option of accepting or rejecting an upgrade if available. The upgrade option is usually offered close to sailing date.