Some of the most romantic weekend getaways exist in the most populated destinations in the US. Here are a few to consider.

I’ll Take Manhattan. You can spend a fabulous weekend in New York City and stay either at the Marriott Hotel on Broadway, for example, which is right near the Theatre District; or you can book a weekend at the Plaza hotel overlooking Central Park. Perhaps you would like to stay at the Mandarin Hotel and Spa where you can both be pampered for the weekend. No matter what your budget is; Manhattan is more than accommodating.

Needless to say, Manhattan is considered one of the most romantic spots in the U.S. Whether you enjoy dinner in your hotel suite or dine at any one of the five star restaurants, the night is always young for lovers who seek solitude in a city that hosts millions of tourists each year. Whether you take a carriage ride through Central Park, enjoy an opera or symphonic performance at Lincoln Center, or walk along Fifth Avenue during the evening hours; the city offers something for everyone.

San Francisco. With its rolling hills, fantastic cuisine, and friendly people; San Francisco offers hotel stays that are sure to enhance your romantic side. Among the most notable hotels are the Fairmont hotel, located in the Nob Hill area; the Mandarin Oriental, which is known for its best views of the Bay and the city; or the downtown W San Francisco hotel that is close to cable cars, shopping, restaurants, and theatres.

Stroll along Fisherman’s Wharf and stop by Ghirardelli Square where you can pick up some of their famous chocolate before having dinner at one of the many seafood restaurants there such as McCormick and Kuleto’s, where the panoramic view of the Bay, as well as Alcatraz island; both of which are a stunning backdrop. You may also wish to stop by O’Neill’s Irish Pub for an after-dinner drink. You may leave your heart here after departing this great city by the Bay.

Las Vegas. Time will stand still at this resort destination. With a myriad of hotels to choose from you can enjoy your time here without having to worry about time, because there are no clocks in the casinos.

With great weather year round (hot, but always dry), you can wile away the early morning hours at the hotel’s pool and enjoy the evening attending a fabulous show or visit lady luck at the casino.

Whether you take a stay at the Venetian Hotel and enjoy a romantic ride on a gondola; enjoy the Spa and Salon at the Hotel Bellagio; or marvel at the lush indoor gardens, aquarium, and the Secret Garden at the Mirage; Las Vegas is both affordable for any budget and is the perfect weekend romantic getaway.

Lake Placid. Far away from the maddening crowd, you will find comfort and romance at the Mirror Lake Inn. With gorgeous mountain and lake views, fireplace, and very large tubs, you will find the accommodations more than satisfactory. In fact, they are quite conducive to a romantic weekend.

Among the many things you might like to do is to take a walk to the neighboring town of Lake Placid, only two miles away. Here you will find shops along Main Street and you can stop at the Cottage for lunch. Swimming, fishing, canoeing, and kayaking are some of the activities available at Mirror Lake Inn.

Popularity: 27% [?]

The best beaches can be found along the Atlantic and Pacific Coast. Here are a few ideas you may wish to consider for your next family beach vacation.

Florida. From Ft. Lauderdale to Miami Beach, Florida is a prime resort area for family vacations. With perfect weather and miles and miles of beaches, this area is affordable, diverse, and has a wide variety of water-sports, restaurants, and a myriad of activities for children. Cocoa Beach is only an hour away from the Kennedy Space Center and Disney World. In addition, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort is considered one of the best in Florida.

Myrtle Beach. Among the many favorite activities for children include: Ripley’s Aquarium, Le Grande Cirque, a show quite famous for its acrobatics and other circus performers; and Myrtle Waves Water Park. For older children, a definite must-see is the NASCAR Speed Park.

With a myriad of dining options, shopping, and other historic sites; Myrtle Beach has been named the number one choice for beach family vacations in the U.S.

Hampton. One of the most affordable vacations for beach-loving families is East Hampton, New York. The best place to stay is at the East Hampton House. The rooms are available in one and two bedroom units that contain fully-equipped kitchens and/or kitchenettes. Moreover, you have guest privileges at the nearby beach.

Although this vacation spot does not offer food, it does have an indoor gym and offers morning coffee there as well. But, across the street is a deli that has an array of items on their breakfast menu and is very affordable. In addition, there is a Chinese restaurant across the street as well as a take-out barbeque, and deli.

The grounds are impeccable and there is a very large pool (one for the kiddies, too) where you can lounge in the sun. A tennis court is also on the premises. Every room has its own balcony with lounge chairs and a table.

If you live in the New York area, it is a 90-minute trip by car. The East Hampton Inn is centrally located – five minutes from town, restaurants, shopping, and a movie house. You can even take a short trip to Montauk and visit the historic lighthouse or spend time at the beach there.

Hawaii. Of course, nothing can compare to the beaches that are in Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. No matter what island you choose, Hawaii has the most pristine beaches anywhere in the U.S. Moreover, there are black-sand beaches on the island of Maui as well as a myriad of activities for the entire family.

San Diego. Shifting to the west Coast, your family might enjoy a stay at the Beach Cottages. This site offers numerous amenities such as water sports, biking, as well as an amusement park. For the kids, San Diego Zoo and Sea World are not far from the Beach Cottages.

Centrally located to restaurants and shopping, Beach Cottages is an affordable vacation spot where the family can enjoy the sun, the surf, and other amenities available. In fact, you can book a studio that offers a fully equipped kitchen.

Redondo Beach. Located on Santa Monica Bay, this report haven is perfect for family beach vacations. Here you can enjoy water sports, fishing bicycling, kayaking, as well as fine restaurants shops located not far from the Santa Monica Pier. There are many hotels that are situated across the street from the beach or within walking distance. Each has its own set of amenities that are geared towards families.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Ken Chadwick

You arrive at your holiday hotel at 4.0am, tired and frayed after a long and arduous journey, flight delays, airport security, fractious kids and surly passport control and now all you want to do is leap fall into bed and look forward to the sunrise and the first day of your holiday.

That could possibly prove to be the most expensive mistake you’ll make this holiday!

The bed bug (Cimex lectularious) has come back with a vengeance and its food is you!

Bed bugs are small blood sucking insects about the size of an apple-pip.

They feed on the blood of warm blooded creatures and their favorite meal is human blood.

Some cite increasing migration, availability of cheap travel and resistance to pesticides but whatever the reason, they are thriving and they love holiday makers!

They feed on human blood every 5 -10 days, emerging from their hiding places in the small hours when the target is likely to be in a deep sleep, perhaps aided by large quantities of the local sangria.

They sense the location of a target initially by sensing the carbon dioxide in exhaled breath but switch to infra-red sensing of body heat when closing in on the target.

They puncture the body of their target with a need-like probe containing two tubes, with one they insert saliva which contains both an anesthetic and an anti-coagulant and with the other they suck blood.

In a heavily infested room it is possible to receive up to 500 bites per night.

So how do you check if your room is infested?

So how do you check if your room has bugs?

Start by stripping off the bed down to the mattress, turn the mattress over if possible and concentrate on the headboard end.

Look for dark colored smear marks, live or dead bugs and spots of congealed blood.

Bed bugs are quite easy to see and move very rapidly when exposed.

You can see photos of the bugs and their smear marks at http://justbedbugs.com

You can see photos of the bugs and their smear marks at http://justbedbugs.com

If you stay in a bug infested room you are very likely to transport back to your own house as contrary to popular belief they can survive the flight home in your suitcase very easily.

The industrial center of David is where most of your major purchases will be made while living in Boquete. You will find grocery stores, restaurants and banks in Boquete, but will probably go to David for government offices, lawyers, Price Club (Costco), hardware, auto dealerships, building supplies and, yes, the Golden Arches. Spend an hour or two in David if your time allows and see what services are available.

Boquete, Panama – The World’s Greatest Coffee

At this point in your travel you will certainly be ready for the quiet and beauty that is Boquete, Panama. The sign for the turnoff in David from the Pan-American Highway is easy to see, but anyone can point you the way. It takes about 45 minutes to climb to 3000′ where the city sits at the foot of the famous Volcan (volcano) Baru. If you get stuck behind a truck or bus, just mellow out and enjoy the view. The road is scheduled to be widened to four lanes soon.

As you head up the highway from David the majestic Volcn Baru will become visible. This is the highest point anywhere in Panama. You will never forget the view as your drop from the canyon rim into the little village of Boquete. However, here’s a little reality check before you go into town… If you have been reading all the prose and poetry about Boquete in the press you may be expecting something like Napa or Sonoma in California’s wine county. Boquete is a charming, yet funky, town typical of Latin America. Fear not! Have a look around, take a breath, and slow down. The friendly people will charm you immediately.

After you have settled into your hotel (Oasis, Panamonte, Boquete Garden Inn, Los Establos are all recommended), take a little walking tour of the town to get your bearings and a feel of the local charm. Practice your Spanish while wandering into the shops, and visit the Romero supermarket or farmers market just off the central park to get an idea of prices and selection. Coffee, vegetables, fish chicken and rum are very inexpensive. Imported goods (Kraft cheese) are more costly. A bottle of Panamanian beer (cervesa nacional) will run you a dollar, or less, at the local bars and restaurants. Speaking of restaurants, try the Panamonte, Boquete Bistro, Amigos and Delicias Peru, just for starters.

About the author: Ken Chadwick BA (hons) is a writer on pest control issues.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Past all of La Jolla’s ritzy homes, hotels, and well known restaurants, lies Windansea Beach. Down the hill, this beach is flanked by surfers and sunbathers on hot summer days. With sandstone cliffs, a sandy beach, and amazing surf breaks, Windansea Beach has been a popular surfing haunt as far back as the 1940s and a gathering spot of the Windansea Surf Club since the 1960s.

The shack on the beach that was built by surfers during World War 2 is now a San Diego Historic site. The beach is also great for body surfing and snorkeling. The north end of Windansea is fairly rocky, with the south being sandier, great for walking along the edge of the water. You can also enjoy a picnic in the grass next to the beach and bask in the splendid views of the Pacific Ocean.

At Windansea Beach, there are no restrooms. During the summer months, lifeguards are stationed all along the beach, even in some weekends of fall and spring. There are separate swim and surf zones at the beach, with no wheelchair access. When you visit, you can park on the street or try the tiny single lot near the beach.

Getting to the beach
You can find Windansea around 6800 Neptune Place. From the north, follow I-5 south to the Genesee Avenue exit then head west. Turn left on Torrey Pines Road and follow the road into downtown La Jolla. Turn left on Girad Avenue then take a right on Pearl Street. Take a left onto La Jolla Boulevard then make the right on Nautilus Street and your there.

From the south, follow I-5 north to the Ardath Road exit, Ardath Road will become Torrey Pines Road. Take a left from Torrey Pines Road onto Girad Avenue. Make a right onto Pearl Street then take a left onto La Jolla Boulevard. Take the next right on Nautilus Street and your there.

Windansea is possibly one of the most beautiful beaches in Southern California – and a great place for romantic strolls at sunset. Parents should use caution with small children at the beach, as the surf often breaks directly onto the shore with a lot of intimidating power.

If you plan to visit the Windansea Beach, you should make sure you get there early. As with most beaches in San Diego, getting there early will help you get the best parking and more privacy when the crowds start to arrive. Windansea is a very amazing beach, and worth your time on hot summer days. Windansea is possibly one of the most beautiful beaches in Southern California.

Popularity: 6% [?]

You could easily spend a week in La Jolla, walking on the beach, puttering around town and enjoying meals in great restaurants; but if you only have one day, you can still enjoy some of the best La Jolla has to offer.

You’ll want to start off by going to the beach. La Jolla Shores is one of the best beaches in the state of California, with a gently sloping beach and panoramic views. A sunset or morning walk on the beach is enough to relax even the most stressed individual. The walk is better with the tide going out, as it leaves the beach with a mirror like water display.

La Jolla is home to some of the best restaurants, with many of them serving excellent cuisine at lunch, although a lower price at night. This way, you can live large on just the right budget.

Something else you’ll want to do is go tide pooling. The Tiny La Jolla Cove is a couple of blocks away from downtown, and accessible by a stairway. At low tides, the tide pools will have hundreds and hundreds of hermit crabs.

Walking around is also a great way to spend part of your day. You can go for a window shopping stroll along Prospect Avenue and the side streets there. With chain stores in sight, you’ll probably find something you must have.

If you have time to stay through the evening, the La Jolla Playhouse is worth your time, as it offers plenty of entertainment for the entire family.

For just a day to spend in La Jolla there is a lot that you can do. Once you spend a day in La Jolla, you’ll probably find yourself wanting to come back for more – the town is simply that good.

Popularity: 37% [?]

A trip to sunny La Jolla isn’t complete with a tour of the city’s downtown area, known by locals as the village. With trendy shops, galleries, and nice places to eat, La Jolla Village is something you need to tour on foot to appreciate.

If you are traveling from a distance and must drive to the village, parking is not easy. The downtown streets offer two hour free parking, although your best bet will probably be one of the garages along Fay Avenue where a flat rate will ease your mind of parking worries for the entire day.

Once you have found a place to park, you should begin your tour at the corner of Fay Avenue and Prospect Street. Here, you’ll find some of the most famous restaurants in the downtown area, including Moondoggie’s and IL Forno.

As you pass by the restaurants, you’ll see the Arcade Building, which resembles an old hybrid style. The Arcade Building leads to an alleyway with many specialty shops.

After you explore the treasures of the Arcade Building alley, continue your tour North along Prospect Street and you’ll come to a stretch of art galleries. If you appreciate art, you’ll love everything the village has to offer you.

Just across the street from the art galleries, you’ll find The Grande Colonial Hotel. This hotel is famous and well known for its rate of $1 per day since the opening in 1913, has been renovated many times and now ranks as one of the best landmarks in La Jolla Village.

As you continue your walk down Prospect Street, you’ll encounter Girard Avenue, which offers you plenty of shops and eateries. La Jolla Village Tour.

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Village of La Jolla is the vacation showcase of La Jolla. The village offers postcard type beauty, with elegant homes, lush real estate, resorts, luxurious hotels, and even the best in intimate bed and breakfast lodging. The La Jolla Village is the gateway entrance to some of the most amazing beaches San Diego has to offer.

The village consists of a 30 block downtown La Jolla area that’s home to over 1,400 businesses that are fully committed to vacation pleasure to the over 7,000 people that visit the village each and every day.

In the village you’ll find all the conveniences that grace the shores, such as world class shopping and quaint boutique shops. Upscale restaurants, intimate cafes, museums, art galleries, and attractions such as the Birch Aquarium can be found here as well.

The La Jolla Playhouse is in the village as well. It has earned over 200 awards, including the 1993 Tony for outstanding regional theater. The Playhouse is a creative haven that attracts more then 150,000 theater enthusiasts each year.

Most visitors to the La Jolla Village like to walk the shoreline around Scripps Park and soak up the perfect weather and majestic views of the oceanfront panorama. If romantic tranquility is what you seek, late afternoon and early evening strolls are less crowded and at dusk you can catch some of the most stunning sunsets.

The beaches of La Jolla are the biggest tourist attractions here. All you need to do is choose your style of water recreation and relaxation. Swimming, surfing, bodysurfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, sun bathing, or just watching others swim. Make sure you arrive early to avoid the crowds, and then stay late to catch the beauty of the moonlit skies.

La Jolla Golden Triangle
The Golden Triangle of La Jolla is an area that’s intersected by three major freeways – I-5, I-805, and State 52. The Triangle lies east of La Jolla Village and ten minutes north of downtown San Diego.

The established residential community blossomed into a financial triad of high rise office buildings, full service hotels, shopping, and plenty of restaurants.

The Golden Triangle also offers the business traveler and vacationer all they need within a self contained area of business, retail, shopping, hotels, dining, and boutiques. The Golden Triangle is also located close to the oceanfront beach area of the village and all the vacation attractions that San Diego has to offer.

Popularity: 6% [?]

La Jolla California is a seaside resort community of around 25,000. Spanish for “the jewel”, it’s often times referred to as “jewel by the sea”. La Jolla borders the Pacific Ocean to the south and extends north to Torrey Pines State Reserve and Del Mar, California.

Along the way, La Jolla encompasses neighborhoods like Bird Rock, Windansea, La Jolla Shores, La Jolla Farms, Torrey Pines, Mount Soledad, and even La Jolla Village.

Residents of La Jolla and business owners refer to the “village” or “town” of La Jolla. The official postal address for the zip code 92037 is actually La Jolla, and not San Diego as it is for most communities within the City of San Diego. Sometimes, tourists get confused and believe that La Jolla is actually a separate city, which it isn’t.

La Jolla is a community of the City of San Diego. La Jolla has several community groups that work to unify the voice of the area, including several non profit organizations.

With it’s palm lined streets, large homes, and tropical climate and atmosphere, La Jolla is like a southern European village with it’s own touch of Beverly Hills along the retail shops on Prospect Street. A lot of the natural charm from La Jolla stems from the presence of the ocean and Mount Soledad.

Several narrow curvy roads follow the contours of Soledad with hundreds of nice homes overlooking the ocean, nestled gently on the slopes. There are several sandy beaches here as well, including the Windansea Beach, La Jolla Cove, La Jolla Beach, and La Jolla Shores.

La Jolla also has the Torrey Pines Golf Course, which was made famous by the PGA Tour Buick Invitational held there each February. Down the steep cliffs from the golf course is the famous Black’s Beach.

The downtown area of La Jolla is well known for it’s jewelry stores, up market restaurants, and even hotels. Prospect Street and Girad Avenue also offer several famous boutiques. Well known for its architectural and historical presence is the La Valencia Hotel, which used to welcome movie stars on retreat from Hollywood.

Recently, harbor seals have taken over the Children’s Beach, which is a quiet man made cove near the downtown area. The seals are protected under federal law, so removing them is nearly impossible. Now, the beach is open, as the rope is down. Swimming here is allowed, although it’s not recommended. Introduction to La Jolla, California.

Popularity: 27% [?]

You can find a lot of safety tips online and offline resources. Traveling is among the most common activities of people, whether it is for pleasure or for business. Frequent travelers are no longer ignorant to these safety tips because they make use of them whenever they are in a foreign place. If you want to make the most of your trip, safety first when traveling is of utmost importance.

Here are 10 travel tips you can do to ensure your safety:

1. When traveling, it’s but natural for you to carry luggage. If you need to place luggage tags, just put your email address and never indicate there your name, phone number, and home address.

2. Air traveling is already part when going abroad or to a far place. You can see in the news that there are terrorists who sometimes highjack planes. One effective shield that you can use against an attacker (if there is trouble on the plane) is the seat straps. You have to use all your strength in ramming the strap on the attacker’s face. This move will cut off the attacker’s vision and once this happens, you can kick that individual in the groin or in any other sensitive body part. Knock that person until unconscious.

3. Don’t forget to bring a handy flashlight and batteries. You can use it if there is no light or you can even use it against an attacker when needed.

4. Don’t forget to carry wallets. If you want, you can take two wallets with you. One wallet can contain some non-important items and a few cash while the other wallet should contain your important IDs, insurance cards, cash, and emergency contacts. Keep the wallets in separate places. For instance, the insignificant wallet can be placed in your pant’s back pocket and the important wallet should be in your coat’s front pocket.

5. When eating in foreign restaurants, you must acquaint yourself with the place’s layout. Take note of the front and exit doors.

6. Charge your mobile phone at the hotel. When you leave, bring it with you and other gadgets that can be easily carried. You can even use these gadgets in case of emergencies.

7. Never travel alone. Though there are some travelers who do this every time they travel, you shouldn’t take the chance. Who knows, perhaps they are just lucky but you’ll never know what’s going to happen in the next few hours. Always be prepared. Remember that devious individuals are just waiting to see a helpless traveler, alone and so vulnerable.

8. You must be mentally alert at all times. Observe the people around you, how they move or look at you. Somehow, you will feel uneasy if something’s going to happen.

9. Before you travel to a foreign place, it would be best to make a hotel reservation. That way, you don’t have to fumble or ask for directions in trying to locate a certain hotel.

10. Don’t travel with so many luggage unless when needed. Try to wear comfortable clothes and don’t wear something that might attract the attention of bad people. Be simple as you are. For women, avoid wearing high-heeled shoes when traveling. These are just ten safety measures that you can follow every time you travel abroad or even locally. If you follow them, you can ensure your safety. 10 Safety travel first when traveling for enjoyment.

Popularity: 100% [?]

Located in the Ocean Beach Community, Ocean Beach is actually just south of the entrance to the Mission Bay channel. Located at 1950 Abbott Street, the beach is a very popular location in the summer. During the winter months, couples like to walk the beach and just bask in the presence.

The Ocean Beach is wide in structure, about a mile long. Along the north end of the beach, you’ll find a volleyball court. During the summer, the court is always teeming with people playing volleyball while the sand around it is teeming with people watching.

At the south end of the beach you’ll find the Ocean Beach Municipal Pier. The Pier is open to the public with plenty of walking and fishing available. Located on the pier is a bait and tackle shop along with a restaurant. Although you don’t need a fishing license to fish off the dock, catch regulations are enforced.

If you walk to the south end of the beach you’ll find many restaurants, surfing shops, and many other commercial shops and establishments. Although you can travel to the north end of Ocean Beach, it’s mostly bordered by residents of the ocean area.

The unique part of Ocean Beach is the Dog Beach, located at the north end. This sandy area is where dogs can run and play without a leash – anytime – day or night. Although dog owners are responsible for their dogs and the clean up of them, Dog Beach is actually pretty nifty for anyone who owns dogs.

For your protection along the beach, lifeguards are out each and every day, year round. They are generally on duty from 9 AM until dark although you can check with them for their specific hours of operation. They are there for your protection and very willing to answer any question that you may have.

Keep in mind while on the beach, California beaches do experience powerful rip currents. It’s because of these currents that beaches in California experience over 1,000 rescues by lifeguards every year. To be on the safe side while in San Diego at Ocean Beach, it’s always a good idea to swim near a lifeguard.

For those who like surfing, surfing is permitted at Ocean Beach in designated areas. Scuba isn’t recommended however, because of the lack of undersea life, heavy rip currents, and the surf.

For swimming or enjoying the California lifestyle, Ocean Beach is a great place to go. It is a very popular place in the summer, drawing hundreds of thousands of people. If you long for a taste of the California lifestyle, make sure you visit Ocean Beach in San Diego. Travel to Ocean Beach in San Diego, California.

Popularity: 2% [?]