What child, or adult for that matter, wouldn’t like to spend a week in Salzburg? Well, if you are considering a family vacation this October, consider Salzberg, Austria as one of best destinations for your family.

A typical vacation package to Salzberg would include:

* Round-trip airfare from your home city
* Six night hotel accommodation in Salzberg
* Daily continental breakfast
* Hotel taxes and service charges

The highlight of this trip, of course, would be the Sound of Music Tour. Take a wonderful ride with breathtaking views of the landscape where the opening scenes were filmed. Relax and listen to the original Sound of Music soundtrack. An English-speaking guide not only shows you the highlights of the film, but also the historical and architectural landmarks in the city, as well as part of the picturesque Lake District.

The tour would include the following sites:

Mirabell Gardens
The Mirabell Gardens were laid out in the 18th century. Maria and the children were seen dancing around the statue of Pegasus, the winged horse, and throughout the gardens singing “Do-Re-Mi”.

Leopoldskron Castle
The front side of the castle was used as the von Trapp family home, where the children were boating on the Leopoldskron Lake and fell into the water. The Venetian room was copied from the castle and used as the ballroom.

Hellbrunn Castle
This hunting castle was built in the early 17th century by Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus. In the gardens, the glass pavilion was reconstructed for the pleasure of those fans still returning after 30 years.

Nonnberg Abbey
Nonnberg Abbey is the oldest convent in the German-speaking part of Europe. Maria was a novice there. The baron and Maria were married here in 1927. The scenes for the movie made here include the opening scene wherein the nuns were going to Mass. Remember Maria running to the Abbey after spending a morning singing on the hillside.

St. Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang
Scenery shown at the beginning of the movie was filmed at Lake Fuschl on the way to St. Gilgen. Like the Mozart family, visitors from all over the world appreciate the beautiful village in the Salzkammergut.

Wedding Church Mondsee
A visit to Mondsee Cathedral, where the film wedding between Julie Andrews as Maria and Christopher Plummer as the Baron, took place.

While in Salzberg, you can also make arrangements to visit the home of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He was born here on January 27, 1756. Today the rooms once occupied by the Mozart family house a museum. The most famous exhibits include Mozart’s childhood violin, his concert violin, his clavichord, the pianoforte, portraits and correspondence of the Mozart family.

As you return home from this amazing vacation, your family is sure to be singing many of the songs from “The Sound of Music”.

Are you and your family ready for a new family adventure among the lakes, glaciers, and alpine wonderlands of Western Canada? If so, here is a wonderful seven-day adventure to consider when you make plans for a family vacation.

Day 1
The tour departs at 3:00 PM from Calgary Airport. Your family adventure in the Canadian Rockies starts with a trip to Lake Louise. Walk down to the lake and look up; it’s like you’ve stepped right into a picture postcard, where the forest around you is reflected in the mirror-like water.

Day 2
Start your day in the Rockies with a drive from Lake Louise to turquoise-blue Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. After lunch, you will set off on an unforgettable journey along the Icefields Parkway to Jasper National Park. There are mountains, glaciers, waterfalls and snowfields as far as the eye can see. There are also moose, deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, or bears you may see along the way.

Day 3
Enjoy a full day in Jasper National Park. Your family can rent bikes, a canoe, a paddle boat or kayak, play tennis or racquetball, or hit a bucket of balls at the driving range.

Day 4
Today you will enjoy cascading waterfalls, mysterious potholes, age-old fossils, lush plant life, and towering, chalky limestone walls as you explore Maligne Canyon in Jasper National Park. One of the most beautiful canyons in the Rockies, it was created about 160 million years ago. Afterward, take off on an exciting white water raft trip along the glacier-fed Athabasca River; fresh from the massive Columbia Icefield, these same waters will eventually flow all the way into the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans.

Day 5
Today you will visit the Columbia Icefield. As you step across glacial ice more than 400 years old, look up and you’ll see what looks like tiny toy trucks crawling along the ice. They’re specially designed Ice Explorer vehicles which your family will ride as you climb up the surface of Athabasca Glacier. Later, watch for soaring eagles, hawks, grizzlies and caribou as you return to the Icefields Parkway and depart for Banff National Park.

Day 6
Enjoy the most beautiful Banff National Park’s 2,500 square miles of valleys, mountains, glaciers, meadows and forests. Today, you can shop in the village of Banff or relax in the world-class Willow Stream Spa. Take in a round of golf or engage in other activities such as hiking – or simply sit back and take in the alpine scenery. As an optional tour, you can ride the Banff Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain for amazing views of six mountain ranges, and visit the historic Cave & Basin, the Whyte Museum, the Banff Park Museum, and the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum.

Day 7
Return to your home city.

Upon arrival home, someone will be busy uploading all the pictures into the computer and printing out photo after photo of the most breathtaking sites you have ever seen. This Canadian Rockies adventure is one that will be talked about for years to come. That’s a promise!

When talking about New York and the places that you should not miss seeing when you visit this world renowned city; Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty should be on the top of the list. These two famous spots are synonymous to each other because the only way to reach the Statue of Liberty is by passing through Ellis Island.

Standing 150 feet tall and weighting 225 tons, the Statue of Liberty is a representation of the good relationship of the United States and France on July 4, 1884. Each year, every 4th of July is celebrated as the freedom and Independence Day of America. The Statue of Liberty has since then become the character symbol of New York.

Things to Do When Visiting the Statue of Liberty

On the 10th floor observatory of the statue visitors will have fun going over the exhibits on display. Another interesting feature that sightseers can take pleasure from is the copper-clad steel skeleton of the statue, which is viewable through a glass ceiling that is also present in the 10th floor. Guests can stroll and wander in the walkway of the statue either led by a ranger or just walk around by themselves. Read the rest of this entry »

About Easter Island

Easter Island is well-known for the massive stone monoliths surrounding the shoreline of this triangle of volcanic rock in the South Pacific. This giant stone structure is known as the “Moai Statues”.

Easter Island is a place that is very far from other communities. This is the reason why the island is referred to as one of the most remote places in the world. Pioneer settlers referred to the island as “Te Pito O Te Henua”, meaning “Navel of the World”. It was Easter Day of the year 1722 when Admiral Roggeveen arrived at the island. It was him who named the island “Easter Island”. Eastern Island is also known to many as “Rapa Nui” and “Isla de Pascua”.

As of the moment, visiting Easter Island will provide you the chance to see of the most distinct places in the world. It is a perfect illustration of a very captivating and intriguing but lost civilization and culture. A visit to the island will give you the opportunity to see a wonderful landscape showcasing volcanic craters, beaches with brilliant blue waters, and most importantly archaeological spots. Read the rest of this entry »