While I haven’t made it to Africa (YET!!), I got close to some African wildlife on the Save a Species tour at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida. For 45 minutes, we rode through the park on an open safari truck while a guide talked to us about the animals we passed. We stopped to feed lettuce to some of the giraffes, including the baby in the picture with me, and to learn all about endangered black rhinos from their keeper. It was a lot of fun and we still had plenty of time to check out the rest of the park when the program ended.
Tickets for the Save a Species tour are $44.99 and do not include admission to Busch Gardens which is $54.95. It is a bit pricey, but $2.00 from each ticket is donated to the World Wildlife Fund and where else can you feed a giraffe?
This month we’re back in The Netherlands so I’ll be updating my Amsterdam post and hopefully writing about some of the additional Dutch cities we plan to visit.
Check out this great video of us with some manatees on our trip to Homosassa Springs, Florida!
Special thanks to Captain Don at Air Tank Divers for shooting the footage and to the incredible, beautiful, gentle manatees for letting us into their world for a few hours. They loved the camera!
Following the new tradition of volunteer vacations, Ritz-Carlton’s 70 resorts around the world are offering guests the opportunity to give back during their stay. Each property invites visitors to sign up for an outreach program aiding the environment, fighting poverty and hunger or helping disadvantaged children. Volunteers will pay a fee to participate which is donated to the charitable organization involved. Ritz-Carlton hopes these educational and fun programs will encourage guests to continue philanthropic efforts when they return home.
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Chanel handbag, the fashion house has launched a traveling museum showcasing art inspired by the iconic clutch. Karl Lagerfeld, head designer at the label, teamed up with world renowned architect Zaha Hadid to create a fabulous spaceship like container which will hold the exhibit as it tours various cities over the next two years. The exhibition, which kicked off in Hong Kong in February, will appear in Toyko before making its only stop in the United States in New York in October 2008. It will travel to London and Moscow before finishing its run in Paris in early 2010.
It’s easy to compare flight and hotel prices on a travel search engine to ensure a good rate, but what about a trip with tours and multiple destinations involved? Zicasso is a new website that will help you get the best deal no matter how complicated your itinerary is. Just fill out a trip request describing what you are looking for (flights, hotels, tours, interests, etc.) and in 2-3 business days you’ll receive quotes from up to three travel agents. There is no charge for the service and no obligation to book but if you see something you like, you can proceed with the operator of your choice.
As gas prices hit record highs, many people are wondering how they are going to afford their summer road trips. Luckily, there are plenty of websites out there to help road warriors get the most bang for their buck. Here are a few to help you plan that summer vacation:
Gaspricewatch.com – tracks prices at over 128,000 stations to help you find the best rates.
Gasbuddy.com – tracks lowest prices by city and state and provides maps.
Gasprices.mapquest.com – features a gas calculator to help you estimate the cost of a road trip.
AAA.com – gives you a customized fuel savings guide based on your zip code.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City unveiled a new exhibition this week called “Superheros: Fashion and Fantasy”. The exhibit features movie costumes, runway couture and sportswear inspired by various superhero characters. It represents the ability of fashion to transform. The display runs until September 1st.
Keeping with the fantasy theme are three new Jeff Koons sculptures showing on the museum’s roof. You may know Koons for his famous balloon rabbit sculpture that was turned into a real balloon for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade last year. This exhibition runs until October 26th.
To celebrate the release of “Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, Expedia and GAP Adventures are offering trips inspired by the movie. There are 10 different itineraries to choose from including trips in India, China and Africa. The tours are fairly all inclusive and are rated by physical difficulty and style so you can choose wisely.
You can learn more about the tours by clicking the link below and book one by calling the reservation line posted on the site.
I’ve seen countless parents struggling to board a flight with a car seat in tow. Many believe this is the only way to fly safely with children but the FAA has approved another option called CARES (Child Aviation Restraint System). Manufactured by the top producer of airplane seat belts, it’s a harness that can be attached and adjusted to any plane seat except those in an exit row. CARES provides the same level of safety as a car seat for children ages 1 through 4, up to 40 inches tall and 22-44 pounds. Designed specifically for air travel, it is much easier to transport and set up.
For those driving on their travels, most car rental agencies can provide car seats or you can check your own onto the plane so you don’t have to worry about carrying or stowing it.
