The Press Hacker

As you might have already imagined, RDMSDIA portrays over 120 extremely beautiful road trips, and after reading this book, I want to take every single one of them.

So let’s see, where would I start? Maybe I could begin on the west coast where I could take the North Cascades Loop, a 400 miles circular trek that takes Hwy 20 through te North Cascade Mountains National Park, the Wanatchee National Forest and back up along the Puget Sound.

Much of this road trip was not even possible until 1972, when a highway was finally built through the rugged Northern Cascades.

Next, I might take the Big Sur road trip along the northern coast of California. This road trip has long been on my to-do list, and after reading this book I have to wonder why I have been putting it off for so long.

This trip, which runs from Monteray to San Luis Obispo along Hwy 101 has long been considered one of America’s most breathtakingly beautiful scenic highways.

Another California road trip that cannot be missed is the Redwood Highway, which runs from the California-Oregon border down through the giant Redwood National Park. From there it continues on through some of California’s historic gold rush towns like Eureka, where I may stop to see some of the historic old mansions the tycoons of that era built and lived in. The Redwood Highway ends in the town of Leggett, home of the famous Drive Thru Tree Park.

Another road trip I now feel my life would be incomplete without is the Upper Peninsula Drive through Michigan’s (you guessed it) Upper Peninsula. Of course once you get to Mackinac Island, you really can’t drive anymore because the island’s jurisdiction forbids the operation of a motor vehicle.

So you will have to park your car and take a ferry across to the island. But it is well worth it because once on the island you step back in time to the 19th century. When the ferry docks, you can then take a horse-and-buggy taxi, visit any number of the quaint shops and even witness reenactments of the island’s historic past.

I am running out of space here, but I just have to include a short mention of the Hudson Valley road trip. This trek begins in New York City and follows the Hudson River north. Along the way you will pass through Rip Van Winkle country, see innumerable Revolutionary War sites, pass the United States Military Academy at West Point and circle back once you get to the bridges at Newburgh and Beacon.

But make sure you get back before dark or you just might see the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow.

The Reader’s Digest Most Scenic Drives in America is a great, beautiful book. But be warned that if your travel lust is easily aroused (like mine) it might also turn out to be the most expensive book you ever buy.

In the meantime, I have to go put gasoline in my car. I feel like driving.

COPYRIGHT © 2005, Charles Brown

Vacation on the Beach the Smart Way

Almost everyone agrees; there is no more relaxing way to vacation than to take it to the beach. For the vacationer/traveler who hasn’t considered a beach house rental before, they represent an affordable and fun family oriented alternative. There is an intelligent way to plan your vacation on the beach. It all starts with thorough good planning, research and flexibility. This guide will give you a few pointers for vacationing on the beach the smart way.

First off, start planning your trip as early as possible. This is the key to experiencing the best possible relaxation. If you want to vacation in August, you really have to start planning as early as September or October. Planning ahead is the best way to ensure you get the exact dates you’re looking for. This is especially true for beachfront houses. At the very least, make reservations BEFORE Christmas because prime booking time for beach houses starts on December 26th. This date begins the heightened pursuit of people wanting to book beach houses and continues all the way up until May.

Research your trip thoroughly. The Internet is an excellent tool for doing this. To get the right location and best accommodations to suit your preferences, there is no substitute for being informed and fully aware of what is available. In the information age, there are huge amounts of travel information available on the World Wide Web. If you are looking for beach vacation rentals, the most comprehensive site, and largest directory I found was http://www.beachhouse.com. If you’re making a decision about a destination you are not familiar with, you should do research on the Internet about the specific location with a particular focus on the weather. It can vary from place to place depending on the time of year. You’ll want to consider travel insurance in case anything goes wrong. Examples of why you’d need travel insurance include hurricanes, sickness, cancelled/delayed flights and lost luggage.

Get Everything in Writing. Get a list of amenities from the house owner. One big reason for this is you need to know what to bring, and what not to bring. For example, you may need to bring linens. Some rentals will provide them, but most do not. You need to know check-in/check-out times, and if you don’t want to lose your deposit, leave the place as close to the condition as when you arrived. Make sure the person you are asking the questions to is the beach house owner or manager. Review the details of the rental agreement. Things to consider are security deposits, damage deposits, who to call in case of emergency. Ask for references of people who have rented the house before. Make sure you have contact numbers for the owner or on-site manager on hand.

Look for off-season and last minute deals. If you are looking for a deal and can be flexible, off-season rates drop dramatically. Some beach house owners who charge $5,000 a week during peak season are willing to go as low as $800 per week in the winter. Additionally, if you’re looking to vacation before Memorial Day or after Labor Day, it can’t hurt to ask for a 10% discount. Keep in mind though that during peak season it’s highly unlikely rates will be negotiable. You can also save money by not getting beachfront property, say by renting houses not directly on the beach but maybe one to three houses back. These houses are generally going to be a bit cheaper.

Beach House rentals are great for larger reunion or family groups. One of the benefits of renting a beach house is having your own kitchen and saving funds on cooking for the family. Hotels generally have restaurants, maybe kitchenettes for extra. For a family of 4 this may cost a bit, but still be affordable. However, for an extended family, you would have to book a set of rooms. If this isn’t expense enough, a large family eating in restaurants three times a day, plus the cost of all the things they need that isn’t supplied by the hotel, and WHEW! That can cost a bundle. Hotels don’t lend themselves as well to a larger group of people as beach houses do.

To vacation on the beach the smart way, start planning your trip as early as possible. Research your trip thoroughly and get everything in writing. Look for, and ask for, off-season or last minute deals, but be flexible. And for the most memorable and best possible vacation on the beach, do it in a beach house.

Desiya hotel reservation has been of immense benefit to tourists who wanted to enjoy a pleasant cruise across the backwaters of Kerala. The Southern Indian state of Kerala is adorned with a number of canals, lagoons, lakes and rivers. In local parlance these water bodies are known as backwaters. A week or two in this beautiful part of the country is sure to rejuvenate the mind and the body. Book a hotel through the online hotel reservation facility. Among different websites that provide hotel booking facility, www.desiya.com is a unique website in its own right. Here tourists can easily find and book hotels of different categories near the backwaters.

The backwaters of Kerala have been nature’s most magnificent gift to what is now popularly referred to as “God’s own country”. The meandering waterways form a network that has found great favor from international tourists. While the houseboats silently cruise along the verdant landscape criss-crossed with meandering waterways, the soft sound of the lapping up of waves on the bank provides a beautiful aberration to the tranquility. The visitors are fascinated by the unhurried lifestyle of the place. No wonder, millions of people from all over the world come here to spend some time in close communion with nature.

International tourists prefer to make hotel reservation in advance online. In India, Desiya.com has redefined the concept of online hotel reservation in India. The website has a powerful and accurate search and hotel reservation engine that can book more than 495 hotels spread across 150 Indian cities. The website can book 45 hotels of all categories in Kerala. The hotel booking engine makes Desiya.com different from any other website. Desiya is powered by a real time hotel reservation engine that can book hotel rooms instantly as the inventory in updated by the minute.

As a total travelsite, Desiya.com also facilitates car and flight bookings as well. Its easy to use user – interface makes online hotel reservation a new experience.

For more information on hotel bookings, contact:

Mr. Amit Taneja,

MM-18, DLF City – 2,

GURGAON 122 002,

India.

Phone No.

US Toll Free: 1-877-desiyaa

UK Toll Free: 0 – 808 – 234 6797

While In India: (0) 9899011047

Public transport is normally very safe and most taxi companies are reputable licensed firms whose drivers have been vetted, so here is some advice that should help you feel more confident when traveling by bus, train, subway, or taxi.

On The Bus

- Use a bus stop you know is usually busy and is well-lit.

- Know the departure and arrival times and try and let someone at the other end know which bus you plan to catch. They could always meet you at your stop.

- Sit close to the driver. If someone starts up a conversation, be pleasant and confident, but don’t give away personal information like where you live or work.

By Train

- Wait on a well-lit section of the platform, close to the exit or where there are other people around. Many stations now have CCTV cameras and staff that are trained to deal with emergencies.

- When you get on the train try to sit in a busy compartment and keep any bags and personal possessions you have next to you.

- If you feel uncomfortable, switch seats or even consider getting off the train and catching the next one. Only do this if the station where you are getting off is manned and busy.

- Know where the emergency button or cord is situated or any help points at the station.

Taking a Taxi

- Carry the phone number of a taxi or mini cab firm you know and whenever you book a taxi, ask them for the driver’s name and the type of car they will be driving.

- Try and book the taxi you need to bring you home before you go out. Give your name and when the driver arrives, make sure they know the name it was booked under. If you have to book your taxi in a public place, do it quietly where people are unlikely to overhear your name and address.

- If you can, share a taxi with a friend and have your money ready and keys handy at the end of your journey so that you can enter your home quickly.

- If ever you feel uneasy in a taxi, ask the driver to stop in a busy place that you know well and get out.

Stay safe! Visit http://www.UrbanSafetySupplies.com and http://www.HiTechHiddenCameras.com for all of your self defense and security item needs.

Several days after attending the Father-Son-Challenge at ChampionsGate we actually got out and played the International Course ourselves. It was an exciting experience to play a championship golf course just shortly after a major tournament, when it was still in tournament condition with just a few extra degrees of difficulty. The open wind-swept design features a multitude of bunkers and a variety of water hazards, and with a difficulty rating of 76.3, one of the highest ratings in the state, we were duly humbled by the challenges that this course threw at us.

The impressive entrance to ChampionsGate

ChampionsGate is an impressive facility with 36 holes designed by famous golf legend Greg Norman. What sets ChampionsGate apart is that its International layout and the National course have totally different designs. The hard, fast fairways of the International course are reminiscent of the great old Scottish and Irish links, while the more modern American-style National course winds through citrus groves and stands of pines, emphasizing challenging shot-making choices and a range of memorable par-3s.

Golfers who want to improve their game can do so at the world-famous David Leadbetter Golf Academy which offers two or three-day mini-schools or retreats, private sessions or David’s “Beginner to Winner” program. David Leadbetter even offers video lessons via the Internet, providing access to his teaching expertise to golf students all over the world. The Callaway practice facility consists of an expansive practice area, putting green and short game area and is always complimentary with a round of golf.

The Omni Orlando Resort

As you come off exit 58 on the I-4, ChampionsGate greets you right away with imposing gates. The road takes you past the luxurious Omni Orlando Resort and Spa which has been welcoming resort golfers since 2004 in 730 premier rooms, including 25 guest suites. In conjunction with the Omni Resort, ChampionsGate now offers an upscale resort golf experience, complete with a European-style spa, state-of-the-art conference facilities and a 15-acre tropically landscaped recreational area featuring an 850 ft “lazy river”. The Champions 9 Golf Experience, the resort’s lighted 9-hole, par 3 golf course, adds to the recreational opportunities.

The resort will be complemented by a master-planned community including villas and condominiums. The 59-unit phase 1 of the Villas is set to open in the summer of 2006, which will be followed by groundbreaking for the 110 units of Phase 2.

The clubhouse with its huge wrap-around veranda

The 30,000 square foot clubhouse at ChampionsGate with its enormous wrap-around veranda features a panoramic view of both golf courses and a unique menu that is split right down the middle, featuring international cuisine on the left, and American fare on the right. ChampionsGate specializes in hospitality and customer service, and last year the club hosted more than 340 business or charity outings. After our challenging round we enjoyed a tasty lunch and were joined by Alan Findley, the General Manager of ChampionsGate, who gave us a better overview of this facility.

Alan is particularly proud of hosting the Father-Son-Challenge, a nationally televised golf event that features many present and past legends of golf, including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Vijay Singh, to mention just a few. The Father-Son-Challenge is a veritable “Walking Hall of Fame”. What makes this tournament really special is its relaxed family atmosphere and the opportunity to see different generations of golf icons playing with their sons, daughters and even grandchildren. It’s an opportunity to see these famous golf legends from a human side and we indeed enjoyed watching Vijay Singh relax with a cup of coffee on the 18th hole, awaiting the arrival of his son Qass, hoping for a great final score.

In our conversation Alan also indicated that at the David Leadbetter Academy you never know what golf celebrity you are going to run into. Michelle Wie is a famous Leadbetter student, Charles Howell III was practicing while we were there, and Greg Norman helicoptered in for a lesson last week. Alan also pointed out Michelle Wie’s favourite spot in the clubhouse: the table right in front of the big screen TV.

Links-style golf

Alan also made us aware of the unique wildlife inhabiting this golf course: two American bald eagles have made the course their permanent home, and on any given day you could see whooping cranes, gannets, alligators or armadillos. For a special glimpse of ChampionsGate’s atmosphere come here at the end of the day, when you could see bald eagles perched on a tree in the sunset right in front of the clubhouse, while listening to a Scottish bagpiper, a feature Allen himself has introduced to the club.

Driving Directions: ChampionsGate is located 10 Minutes from Disney World at Exit 58 on Interstate 4, just minutes away from International Drive and area attractions.

Statistics for ChampionsGate International Par 72 Yards Rating Slope Black 7363 76.8 143 Blue 6792 74.1 137 White (M) 6239 71.5 132 White (L) 6239 75.7 134

Statistics for ChampionsGate National Par 72 Yards Rating Slope Black 7128 75.2 138 Blue 6427 71.9 133 White (M) 5937 69.1 124 White (L) 5937 74.7 125

In that case Meacham versus Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory the Supreme Court interpreted a provision of the ADEA that permits an employer to take an adverse employment action against an employee. Twenty-eight of those 33 employees sued under the ADEA claiming Knolls illegally fired them because of their age. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit initially affirmed the jurys findings but after the United States Supreme Court asked it to reconsider the Second Circuit reversed itself and ruled in favor of Knolls. It has the burden to prove that its decision was based on a reasonable factor other than age. The Supreme Court then agreed to hear the case and eventually reversed the Second Circuit and reinstated the jurys finding that Knolls policy unlawfully discriminated because of age. In other words the ADEA permits employers to discriminate based on age considering age is legitimately necessary under the circumstances. It then used those totals to decide who to lay off. At the trial a jury found Knolls had violated the ADEA because its layoff procedure had a disparate impact based on age. For example it would not be illegal to consider criteria for a particular role in a movie that has a disparate impact on age if the part calls for someone of a particular age. Knolls totaled those scores and gave the employees additional points based on their years of service. The BFOQ defense states that it is not unlawful for an employer to take adverse employment actions otherwise prohibited by the ADEA where age is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the particular business. In Meacham Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory was planning to lay off a number of employees. Specifically the jury found that although the plaintiffs did not prove that Knolls intentionally discriminated against them they did prove that Knolls method of deciding who to lay off disproportionately harmed older workers. The company had its supervisors rate their subordinates based on their performance flexibility and critical skills. The Supreme Court ruled that if an employer seeks to rely on that defense. A lawyer from Urk won from a attorney in Madison Wisconsin The Supreme Court has previously recognized that the employer has the burden to establish the BFOQ affirmative defense. Even if the employment action is otherwise prohibited by the ADEA. In reaching its conclusion that the employer has the burden to prove the reasonable factors other than age defense the Supreme Court looked at another provision of the ADEA the bona fide occupational qualification defense. As long as the adverse action is based on reasonable factors other than age. Thirty of the 60 salaried employees the company laid off were at least 49 years old.

Isla Mujeres in Mexico is a great way to escape the tourist crush in Cancun. Roughly 9 miles offshore, the island contains the Mexican beach culture of a bygone era. Oh, and the name translates to “The Island of Women.”

Isla Mujeres

First things first, the Island of Women is not populated with more, different or any other classification of women than you would normally find in Mexico. Okay, there is a Bay of Women, but don’t go there. Instead, Isla Mujeres is simply a stunningly beautiful island.

Snorkeling and Diving

El Garrafon National Underwater Park is located on the southwest end of the Island. If you’re interested in underwater fun, this park provides tremendous visibility in warm water. Unfortunately, a private company now runs the park. This, of course, means you have to pay to enter and the tranquil area has a definite touristy feel with kayaks and other water toys for rent. Still, the park is very large and your experience shouldn’t be overly impacted.

If you’re looking for more of a beach town feel, the northern tip of the island should be your destination. Playa Norte’ offers nice beaches, restaurants, hotels and more or less everything you could need. Head out on Zacil Ha road and you can find some fairly isolated beaches.

If total isolation is your thing, there are plenty of remote beach areas on the island. Walk south from Playa Pescador and you’ll leave humanity behind. The same is true if you head north from Playa Lancheros. Just grab a map of the island or ask a local for directions.

Getting There

Isla Mujeres has an airport, but traveling by boat from Cancun is cheaper. There are numerous public ferries traveling to the island. Getting back and forth is no problem. Just make sure you check the schedule for return trips.

Although Isla Mujeres doesn’t live up to its name, there is definite beauty to be found. If you vacation in Cancun, make sure you visit the island for a one-day getaway.

Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com – makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read more travel articles and travelogues.

“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing.” Edmund Burke

The kids will eat burgers and hot dogs. The adults will have steaks and salad. Ice cream will be our dessert, and strawberries, blueberries, and vanilla yogurt will make a celebratory appearance as a side dish. Seems a little funny that we remember the fallen by eating outside, throwing Frisbees, and drinking lemonade in the shade.

Yet this is one way we Americans have come to honor our heroes.

What began as Decoration Day after the Civil War in 1866, has evolved into a National holiday, celebrated across this great land of ours with picnics and barbeques. It all started with activist concern: Henry Welles, a resident of Waterloo, New York, felt that the soldiers who had died in the Civil War should be remembered and honored. His fellow citizens agreed, and everyone banded together and paid their respects by placing crosses and floral bouquets on each patriot’s grave. The town flag was raised at half mast. Local veterans held a processional through town.

Waterloo honored the fallen the next spring as well, and two years later, General John Logan officially proclaimed May 5 Decoration Day. It was officially observed on May 30, and the tradition beganafter World War I when the South joined in honoring their patriots as wellin 1882 when the name was changed to Memorial Day. By 1971, it was declared a national holiday, and now our entire nation looks forward, every year on this last Monday in May, to a day off from work, a day off from school, travel soccer tournaments out-of-state, gardening and all-day honey-do projects, extra coupons at the mall, and last but certainly not least, the aroma of beef cooking on the grill.

We have taken a day set aside to honor our heroes and turned it into one big, happy, American playdate. And I am as guilty as the next one.

So as I reflect on what sense of history and due respect I want to impart to my own kids, it boils down to the little things. (And isn’t that the case with most things in life?) It requires that we instill in them respect for the principles upon which this great country of ours was built. It requires that we inject into them a healthy shot of patriotism when many hate everything for which we stand…while yet others risk life and limb to cross into our borders.

It requires that we impart to them the names of some of the tall shoulders on which our freedom stands. It requires that we remember.

So just how do we do thathamburgers and Frisbees aside?

• Have a healthy discussioneven if it’s over hot dogs on your deckabout the hardships our country has had to endure to maintain our freedoms. Share with them stories of family and friends whose freedom has been jeopardized, or who never tasted its sweetness in the first place. My own in-laws sent their four kids on two separate planes to America without the knowledge that they’d ever see them again. They sacrificed everything in the name of freedom and democracy.

• Commit to readsometime this yeara book on American history or on one of the wars in which our citizens fought. Even if it’s not your “thing” and you’d rather curl up on the sofa with The Secret Life of Bees. Become painfully aware of the cost in human life of those freedoms which you so thoroughly enjoy.

• Watch a war movie together with the older children in your family to help them get a realistic picture of the horror of war. Gruesome scenes can be fast-forwarded for those children not old enough to handle it; for many, seeing is believing.

• Participate in a local paradeor attend as a cheering bystander. Show your enthusiastic support for those who have personally fought for your freedom. Flag-waving and applause for our country’s heroes go a long way in fostering national pride.

• Take time out today to pray for our president, his closest advisors, and other world leaders. Maintaining strong leadership in wartime is an arduous task; offering up prayers for their endurance, emotional and physical strength, and wisdom to make the right decisions will go a long way towards binding us in our large circle of brotherly love.

• Pray for families who have loved ones serving our country in the war, as well as in strategic positions around the globe in efforts to preserve democracy. Pray for peace for spouses and children left behind, and for the brave service men and women who long to be back in their loved one’s arms.

Above all, be thankful. Be thankful for each one of the freedomslarge and smallthat you enjoy every single day because others were willing to sacrifice on your behalf. Never, ever take their actions, or these freedoms, for granted.

Enjoy this Memorial Day!

Carolina Fernandez earned an M.B.A. and worked at IBM and as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch before coming home to work as a wife and mother of four. She totally re-invented herself along the way. Strong convictions were born about the role of the arts in child development; ten years of homeschooling and raising four kids provide fertile soil for devising creative parenting strategies. These are played out in ROCKET MOM! 7 Strategies To Blast You Into Brilliance. It is widely available online, in bookstores or through 888-476-2493. She writes extensively for a variety of parenting resources and teaches other moms via seminars, workshops, keynotes and monthly meetings of the ROCKET MOM SOCIETY, a sisterhood group she launched to “encourage, equip and empower moms for excellence.” Please visit http://www.rocketmom.com.

Going from England to France with a caravan takes a long time. If you are a wine lover the time it takes to get there, despite the whines of your kids in the back, is thoroughly worth the wines you will enjoy upon arrival.

>From your home town you will probably have a long slog driving to get to a channel port for the ferry, or the tunnel crossing. Once the other side of the channel everybody drives on the wrong side of the road, which is a bit tricky at first but sort of comfortable after a while. Your English front-seat passenger will be very nervous at first as well.

As it’s often only the kids who speak French, many English families have to rely almost entirely on 11/15 year olds to translate the road signs, menus and caravan-site instructions to their parents, usually after a long whine from the kids. “Are we nearly there? Why do I have to do all the talking?” and many others.

You may wish to tour the vineyards and taste your way around the Loire valley at your leisure. It’s easy if you have a caravan, a decent map of caravan-sites and Chateaux in the Loire valley, and a wine guide. Your hope is that perhaps you can find something to do for the younger family, whilst slipping away with your wife for a day’s wine tasting and sightseeing.

If you have a caravan this is possible. You can unhitch your car in your temporary “home” at a caravan-site near your favourite chateau, preferably one which has lots of activities for juveniles, and take your wife out for the day and the real purpose of the visit.

On your eventual return in the evening, having sampled several vintages, your kids will probably not whine. They have possibly come across a couple of French children who they have been having fun with all day, been invited back for coffee with their parents and maybe had their first beer. As the caravan is next door to yours it would seem churlish not to accept the invitation to dinner with the parents, so you take one of your bottles of Loire wine with you.

A few hours later you may wonder where the children have disappeared to, so you stand up, perhaps a little groggily, to find out. Ah! Yes! They found a bottle of Loire wine too and are sleeping it off in your caravan.

Your new French friends have told you about a couple of little known vineyards off the beaten track and have marked them on the map for you, along with the location of the nearest caravan-site. You agree to rendezvous at that place the following day in the evening and go to the obscure chateaux together the next.

Naturally the kids whine in the morning. It’s their first proper hangover.

Because the wine and food the day before were good, you have no hangover, and any whines go over your head. Another week of this and you may even start to learn a bit of French for when the kids are too hung-over to read the road signs.

Interested in caravans and motor homes? Try this link for more of the same

Luggage tags are used to identify your luggage and until recently have been made of paper inserted into a plastic pouch or just plain cardboard paper tied with a string to your luggage. Luggage tags are now or can be as unique as you are.

Luggage tags now are made of durable plastic. There is a variety of colors, designs and themes available. Your name and address are printed in black ink either on one or both sides of the tag. If you get it on one side you can choose a picture or theme for the other side depending on your interests.

Themes for the tags can be related to occupations such as police or EMS service. They can reflect patriotic scenes such as a flag or the American Bald Eagle. Others reflect various branches of the armed services. Still others identify the crew members. Some more available themes are emoticons, quilting squares, and animals. You can have fun creating a tag that will be identifiable and quickly spotted.

Customized tags can be created with images of your own choosing, company logos (with written consent from the company), or you can simply have your contact information on both sides of the tags. Always check with the tag manufacturer before sending your own images as they may not be returnable.

The more durable type tags such as these have the potential of reducing luggage loss and theft. The tags are brightly colored and easily seen on the bag carousel.