This past week, a man with a rare and often fatal form of tuberculosis decided to travel on two international flights. Now, several governments are clamoring to find the passengers who were on his flight in order to test them. Instances such as this may be rare, but this particular strain of TB is much more common in other countries than in the U.S. and thinking about this brings up the issue of protecting your health when you travel.

Whenever we plan a trip to a foreign country, it is so important that we research what illnesses and diseases may be prevalent there and the best way to avoid them. Vaccinations may be required or recommended. Special care may be needed when it comes to eating and drinking the water.

A visit to the traveler’s website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a good start. Here you can look up a country or region and determine what you may need to do to prepare for your trip. Another great idea is to make an appointment at a Passport Health clinic. These medical centers are currently located in 31 states, plus Puerto Rico and they specialize in dealing with travelers’ health needs. They can administer vaccinations, write prescriptions and generally prepare you for health concerns regarding the region you plan to visit.

We can’t foresee every medical problem that might arise while we are travelling, but we can be educated on the best ways to protect ourselves. A little prevention often goes a long way.

Traveler’s Health by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Passport Health

This summer Disney will begin sailing their cruise ships to European ports. That’s right, you can see Rome, Barcelona and the French Riviera with Mickey in tow….at least on the boat. I may not be a big cruise fan, but if you have children or are a Disneyholic (we all know at least one), this might be just the ticket!

Disney Cruise Line - Europe Cruises

Check out My Adventures to read about my trip to San Francisco. You can see my pictures on my Photos page or by clicking into the album through one of the pictures posted.

AAA is predicting a record number of people travelling by car this holiday weekend. If you are driving, and are concerned about gas prices, Response Insurance has compiled a list of tips to save on gas.

— Smooth out your driving style by avoiding “jack rabbit” starts and sharp braking. Both waste gas and can present a hazard for others on the road.

– It is estimated that every mile per hour driven above 55 MPH costs 1% in fuel economy. So, slowing down can be both safe and fuel-efficient. Maintaining a constant speed also maximizes your car’s performance. If road conditions permit, use the cruise control.

– Air conditioners can account for a 10-15% impact on mileage. If you can’t avoid it, do not turn on the air conditioner as a first response to the heat. Start your drive with the windows open to exhaust the hot air out of the rear windows and then put on the A/C if needed. This will also enable the air conditioning to work faster and more efficiently when turned on.

– Accelerate as you approach a hill, rather than hitting the gas and switching gears once on the incline.

– Lighten the car’s load by removing all unnecessary items from the trunk, such as the bag of sand and shovel from the winter. Every 200 pounds of weight reduces gas efficiency by one mile per gallon.

– If you have to carry a lot of baggage, avoid using a roof-top container, which will increase the air drag. If you drive a pick-up truck, the open bed will have the same impact, so put a cover on it.

– Keep your tires inflated to the level recommended by the manufacturer. Incorrectly inflated tires impact fuel efficiency.

– Plan your trip routes and combine trips to minimize travel.

For more information and additional safety tips, visit Response Insurance.

Drive Responsibly and have a happy and safe holiday!!

Winvian, a luxury resort in Connecticut’s Litchfield Hills has some of the most interesting rooms I’ve ever seen for rent. Each of the 18 cottages is decorated with no expense spared in a chosen theme. Examples are the Library, King Arthur’s Court and the Greenhouse. If you are feeling really adventurous, you could stay in the Treehouse, suspended above ground in a five star playhouse with a full bar or the Helicopter, an old Coast Guard copter converted into an amazing hotel room. If it sounds too cool to be true, I must warn you that it is pricey. One night will run somewhere between $1,450 and $1,950 but meals and cocktails are fully included. If you are going to splurge, this looks like the place to do it!

For more information and reservations, visit the official site:

Winvian

Source: The Week

FlightStats mobile can give you flight status and alerts as well as airport information, including security waits and weather delays, right on your web enabled PDA or cellphone. Simply log on to http://mobile.flightstats.com and type in your airport code, flight number and departure date. You knew that Blackberry was good for something!!

Incidentally, if you’re not on the road, you can log onto the site from your computer for the same information.

Source: Budget Travel

Summer is coming and it’s time for sunglasses. Usually we’ll go for the shades that look the best, but did you know that there are several varieties of lens tints and choosing the right one can affect your ability to see well for certain activities? Weather conditions also play a part in how well you will be able to see with a particular shade.

I found the following list on Lifetips which describes the most popular sunglass tints and some of their compatible activities:

Gray or Green: These tints are good for clear days and general use. They offer the least amount of color distortion of the tints used in lenses.

Brown: Brown tints are excellent for increasing depth perception, so they are great for many outdoors sports from hiking to tennis.

Gold and Yellow: Gold and yellow tints add contrast, and are best for low-light and flat-light situations. Many hunters and shooters use these types of lenses, and they are also good for night driving.

Blue: Blue tints are best for partly cloudy or even sunny situations. They allow the maximum amount of available blue light, and are often used in sunglasses for tennis, shooting in certain situations, winter sports, and even golf.

Violet: Violet tints increase contrast, but they can also downplay certain background colors. They are often used in sunglasses for shooting and hunting, but are also sometimes used for skiing, other snow sports like snowmobiling, and golfing.

Mirrored Lenses: Mirrored lenses actually reduce how much light reaches the eyes, so they are great in high-altitude situations, where the air is thinner and brighter. They are often used in ski goggles and sunglasses.

Find these and many more sunglasses tips on the Lifetips page here:

Lifetips Sunglasses Tips

Read all about my trip to Paris in My Adventures. You can also check out my pictures on my Photos page or by clicking into the album through one of the pictures posted.