Tennessee - Nashville Vacation Guide

Nashville a.k.a Music City, is the home to country music. Even if you are not much of a country fan, there is a lot to keep you busy in this great city. Nashville has Museums, sporting events and a lot of history to it. But let's face it, if your going to nashville for vacation by choice, it's because of all of the great country music fan fair. I love Nashville, so will you...I'll let you in on some of the great hot spots.

Hotel rates in Nashville

Home to the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame, not to mention all of the other great attractions and events like the CMA Music Festival.

Travel Dude's Nashville Checkout List:


Country Music Hall of Fame
Spanning an entire city block, soaring 107 feet, and featuring over 40,000 square feet of exhibit space is the impressive Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The Hall features live music daily and many interactive exhibits. Even if you're not a country music fan, you'll enjoy all the museum has to offer. Click here for more.

Hard Rock Cafe - Nashville
Experience Dinner at Hard Rock Cafe Nashville. Here, you'll enjoy great food coupled with memorabilia from legendary and today's top artists in the worlds of rock and country music. Click here for thier website

Discover Nashville Tour
You'll enjoy tours of top attractions like the Ryman Auditorium and the Country Music Hall of Fame as you ride in comfort aboard a 25-passenger bus to see Historic Downtown Nashville and other favorite attractions like the Parthenon, the Tennessee State Capitol, Fort Nashborough, and more. Your tour will conclude with a true "taste" of the city as you enjoy a soft drink at Legends Corner, an authentic downtown honky tonk! The tour also includes admission to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Click here for more.

General Jackson Showboat Cruise
Create great vacation memories when you board the historic General Jackson Showboat Cruise including either dinner or lunch. You'll dine in style aboard this historic 300 foot long paddlewheel vessel as you cruise the beautiful Cumberland River. Click here for more

Grand Ole Opry
For an experience that's unique to Nashville, take in a performance at the Grand Ole Opry. Check it out at opry.com

Wildhorse Saloon
Enjoy a family-friendly visit to the Wildhorse Saloon, where your admission includes a drink to get you started. This unique 66,000 square foot structure was once a warehouse but has been renovated into a restaurant, bar, concert site, dance venue and TV studio. While you're there, check out their award-winning menu. Check out the Menu

Jack Daniel's Country Tour
Visit the oldest registered distillery in the United States as well as view the lovely mid-Tennessee country side when you partake in the Jack Daniel's Country Tour via bus. Click here for more

Nashville Nights Tour
Nashville will come alive at night when you enjoy the Nashville Nights Tour. See the Ryman Auditorium, State Capitol, Second Avenue, Wildhorse Saloon, Country Music Hall of Fame, and Honky Tonk Row. Click here for more

Grand Legends Tour
A must-do on everyone's itinerary should be the Grand Legends Tour. Explore the awe-inspiring gardens and waterfalls of Opryland Hotel aboard the Delta boats, and visit Music Valley, Country Music Sidewalk of Fame, Opry Mills, Grand Ole Opry Museum, and the famed Grand Ole Opry House. Click here for more

The Historic Tennessee Tour
Will keep you delighted and entertained as you view southern plantations, presidential estates, the Nashville countryside and Civil War history. Click here for more

Nevada - Las Vegas travel tips

Sin City…what a wonderful place. There is so much promotion when it comes to Las Vegas that the average person has some what of an idea as to what to do there and what is available. So I figured, I would list some things that may help you if you have never been there.

First decide what you really want out of your trip. Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world; so you really can do anything you can think of there. Most people want to gamble, but nowadays it seems to me that more and more folks just want to check out all the other things Vegas has to offer. So I will give you some helpful advice and some websites with great information.

Las Vegas air and hotel charter packages usually offer the best deal for your Las Vegas vacation. Whether you choose a charter or booking a flight and hotel on your own, your point of origin determines the travel costs. Sometimes driving to a larger airport some distance from the airport nearest to your hometown can result in huge savings on the price of a charter package or airline ticket.

If you're planning a long-weekend getaway, choosing a Saturday arrival and Monday return is usually cheaper than arriving on Friday and departing on Sunday. And if you are able to travel during the week you won't pay the much higher Friday and Saturday night hotel rates. Not only will you save money, you'll also avoid the weekend crowds.

Gambling

Always have some money figured into your budget for gambling. It is always fun to drop a dollar into a random machine with the chance of winning big and Vegas has machines everywhere. Remember the legal age to gamble in Vegas is 21; make sure you have your I.D. It sounds trivial, but always check to make sure you have your I.D. on you before you head out from the hotel to the casinos. I remember traveling 3 hours to a casino one time with a friend. We had just got done going to a concert and headed to the casino to gamble as planned and he forgot his damn I.D., Man I was pissed. I wanted to gamble so bad...but he said he probably saved me a few hundred dollars so I owed him one. He was probably right.

Driving and Transportation

Most people that fly into Vegas take a shuttle service or cab from the airport, which is a great way to get to the hotels on the strip, which is less then 2 miles away. Charter packages usually include airport-to-hotel transportation, but if you arrive on your own, the cheapest way to get to your hotel is by Airport Shuttle. The shuttle can be a van or mini-bus and currently costs $4.50 per person to Strip hotels and $6 to downtown hotels. If your group consists of 3 or 4 persons it might be cheaper (and faster) to take a taxi. Shuttle buses are located outside Exit 14 at Terminal 1 and at the Bus/Taxi Exit at Terminal 2.

In Vegas you don’t drive, you walk the strip, driving just takes too damn long, not to mention, where and the hell are you going to park? There is the Las Vegas Mono rail that can run you up and down the main part of the strip. This may not seem like much to you but the mono rail can make your trip a lot easier and more enjoyable. I will get into more detail on the monorail in a minute.


Hotels

Check out Las Vegas Rooms Rates right Now.

Check-in age can vary from hotel to hotel so make sure and check on the hotels policy, if you are under 21 years old, if you can check in yourself. Some hotels allow 18 year olds to check in, like the MGM Grand. It is best to get your hotel on the center strip. You can get the best deals on the north strip, like at the Stratosphere, which always has great deals and is a great hotel, but you are away from all the action. Las Vegas hotel room prices fluctuate wildly. A room that goes for $69 a night one week may cost well over $200 a night the following week. It all depends on whether or not there is a big convention or sporting event in town. If you find room rates are high, check the following week or weekends when they could be considerably lower. Also keep in mind that prices are always higher for Friday and Saturday nights.

Las Vegas Room Specials

Besides their quoted rack rate, casino hotels also have a reduced "casino rate" for guests who play their slot machines and table games. It is even possible to get your room, restaurant meals and more for free.

There are deals on hotels all the time; you just need to look out for the promotions. Hotels also have promotions that include free casino chips, restaurant credits, drink specials and other great perks. I say if your going to Vegas to gamble, you wont be in the room that long, so look for a great deal with min perks for a lot less money, just a clean quite place to rest your head for a few hours. But if you are taking in the shows and other great attractions Vegas has to offer then make sure you have a list of amenities you want, like indoor and outdoor pools, bars and casinos in the hotels, spa and sauna, gym, office services, room service, child care service, laundry and dry cleaning and other great stuff like that.

When people talk about going to Las Vegas they actually mean the strip, not actually downtown Las Vegas, which actually located north of “the strip”.

The Strip

“The strip” is actually a street called Las Vegas Blvd S., which runs north and south. The strip is broke down into three parts called the “North Strip”, “Center Strip” and “South Strip”. Most of the action is located in the “Center Strip”, which is located between Flamingo Road and Tropicana Avenue.



Those who want to splurge and surround themselves with the utmost in luxury might consider booking into Bellagio, Venetian, Caesars or Wynns. If you're a budget-minded traveler, the Tropicana, Imperial Palace, Sahara or the Riviera will fill the bill.

"Middle of the road" options are Bally's, New York New York, Monte Carlo or Luxor. And if you bring children along, check out Excalibur, Treasure Island and Circus Circus. The latter of the three will probably have the lowest rates as well as the most child-oriented entertainment.

Vegas Hotel Deals

Now if you find a hotel with a price that is too low to believe, it probably is not on the strip at all, always check out the map to see it location.

Monorail and Tram Services

There is one main Monorail in Vegas, which is called the Last Vegas Monorail (there are also two trams, also called monorails fyi). Here is info on the main monorail. For more info go to LvMonorail.com

Single Ride Ticket
$5.00

One-Day Pass
$12.00

Three-Day Pass
$28.00

HOURS OF OPERATION:

MONDAY - THURSDAY
7:00 A.M. TO 2:00 A.M.

FRIDAY - SUNDAY
7:00 A.M. TO 3:00 A.M.

It has seven pickup and drop off locations called stations. Going from the southern most station north the order goes as the following:

MGM Grand Station
Bally’s / Paris Station
Flamingo / Caesars Palace Station
Harrah’s / Imperial Palace Station
Las Vegas Convention Center Station
Las Vegas Hilton Station
Sahara Station

So if you stay at any of these hotels you can catch the monorail to any of these other casinos all day!

Mandalay Bay Tram
It is actually a cable system that connects Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay bay Hotels and Casinos. It is located on the South Strip. This tram's route varies based on what hotel you start at. If you start at the Excalibur main station, the monorail will take you directly to Mandalay Bay - about a 3-minutes trip. If you start from Mandalay Bay, you will stop at the Luxor and then the Excalibur - about a 7-minutes trip. It is in operation 24 hours a day, and trains leave every 3-7 minutes.

Mirage-Treasure Island Tram
It is a cable system that connects the Mirage Hotel and Casino to the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. The Mirage-Treasure Island tram runs between 9 a.m. - 1 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. - 3 a.m., Friday through Saturday. The tram arrives just about every 15 minutes and the ride lasts about two to four minutes.

For some great ideas on what to do other then gambling or if the moneys run out and the bets are off, here are some great ways to stay entertained, check this site out.

Remember what happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas...Well hopefully you have a great time and take home a bunch of fun and exciting memories!

Florida - South Beach Night Life

Everyone knows the best place to party in Florida is South Beach (a.k.a SoBe). South Beach is the section of Miami Beach, Florida that encompasses the southernmost 23 blocks of an island separating the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.



Known for its nightlife South Beach has a very active night club and bar scene. Not really what you would call family oriented. It is host to more the 150 clubs and other venues, most of which don't close until 5am. South Beach is also one of the world's hottest locations for fashion shoots. Just watch a rap video once and a while and you will see what I mean. According to Wiki.com 1500 models live in the area and many more arrive during the prime fashion shooting season, so it is easy to say that it is the hub for some very beautiful people.

Best time to go? That is a very good question. It really depends on what you are wanting. Springbreakers love South Beach. Do you want to have a great time without all the young drunks around? Well Spring Breakers are around from the end of February until April, most schools are out one of the weeks in March. I mention this because prices go up during spring break from airline tickets to hotel stays.

Click here for Hotels in South Beach Area

There are some great hotels that are newly renovated and close to everything you just have to look for them. Keep in mind when looking for a hotel room to make sure they have secure parking. Some hotels have parking but a few blocks away from the hotel in a unattended parking lot. If you’re like me you don't really like that situation.

With great fun you need to remember great food. SoBe has lots of places to eat, any type of food you crave, check it out here. Most restaurants offer outdoor seating so you can enjoy the ambience and beautiful weather.

Floridagonewild.com (not safe for work)is a good resource for night life on south beach. If you’re looking for a South beach weekend escape you should click here.

Remember you only live once, so live it up but be careful and make sure you party with friends, never party alone, make sure someone has your back. Drinking can impair your judgment and if you’re single, make sure your wingman knows when to get you away from that one-night stand disaster. South Beach can be the most fun you’ve ever had, just make sure you remember it.

New York State - Niagara Falls State Park

There's so much to discover at Niagara Falls. The falls is one of many destinations many of us have on our list of "must see". I think it is on the top of US destinations to visit right up there with the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore.

Click here for hotel deals in the area.

For generations, Niagra Falls has given a sense of awe and wonderment to many, with its majestic beauty and humbling power of its rushing torrents and spectacular scenery. There is a US side and a Canadian side; both have a variety of activities. But for now I will be talking about the US State Park.

Niagara Falls State Park draws millions of visitors each year. The park has many activities to keep you busy and well fed. You can take tours by foot or by boat. The Cave of the Winds tour is a short walk to the bottom of Bridal Veil Falls and gets you really close to the falls and the mist. The Maid of the Mist boat ride is very famous; you might remember it on the movie "Liar Liar" with Jim Carrie. The boat ride goes to the base of the falls.

If you enjoy history you need to go to the Visitor's Center and Niagara Gorge Discovery Center. You can even feed the seals at the Aquarium of Niagara. There are also Miles and miles of nature trails. If you like to collect a memento, then you will want to pick some great swag at the gift shop.

The views are breath taking at the falls, but the best view and best food is at the Restaurant on the top of the falls called...get ready for it..."Top of the Falls Restaurant".



If your lucky curtain times of the year they will have a fireworks spectacular, usually on Fridays and Sundays around 10pm from May through September.

Check all this out at niagarafallsstatepark.com

Best time to travel might be during a bad economy

Everyone knows that the economy is hurting and everyone is in charge of damage control. No one knows for sure what the future will hold, so why not take a vacation??? Sounds crazy right? Maybe not...

The travel industry, like all industries right now is going through a hard time. Some travel agents reports that cruise bookings have fallen by more then half. This is actually a good thing for the vacation traveler. In this type of environment, uncertainty is your ace-in-the-hole, because travel companies start to discount, discount, discount. Which is exactly what we want to hear when planning for an expensive vacation. Why pay more for the same thing?

Cruises

Many cruise lines are scrambling to get people on the ship, there are fares as low as $25 per night for Bahamas cruises. Mediterranean cruises as low as $599, plus airfare for seven nights (newer cruise lines still command top dollar though). "We are focusing more on deals than we ever have in five years," says Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of Cruisecritic.com, a consumer information Website.

The point is there are deals to be found right now and this is a very good time to go on a cruise, just keep in mind some of the big name cruises will still be expensive. The travel dude's forecast for cruises is very hot! If you have even thought about going on a cruise in the last five years you need to take advantage of the great opportunities out there right now.

Hotels

Room rates are falling. Each year hotels will make agreements with large booking companies and set up rates for blocks or unused rooms. You will see this with expedia.com, hotels.com, travelocity.com and others, since it is a new year, new deals have been struck. These companies buy hotels rooms in bulk at a night rate you and I could not get, and then pass the savings on to the consumer, it helps the hotels keep there rooms booked all year long even in non-peak seasons. So they may say, ok we know you need to have a 90% occupancy rate in order to be profitable. We will buy 1,000 rooms from this hotel for this year at $69 per night (which normally goes for the rack rate of $150-$180 per night) and they pay in advance. The hotel is happy because the rooms are prepaid. Then these sites will turn and resell the hotel room for $89-$120 depending on if it is a weekday or weekend. The consumer is still saving, so it is best to use these type websites to get the best rate. You can always check out the lowest prices on Hotels by going to LastMinuteDealsonHotels.com
My point is that last years rates were set in stone and had to be sold at what ever rate was negotiated at the beginning of the year, this year’s rate will be much lower due to the current economy and will just now be going into effect.

Hotels are also giving extras to get people to book, like credits to there in-house store or casinos. You should check out the hotel's website directly for those sorts of deals. Another way to save on hotel rooms is to book your hotel through hotwire.com or priceline. They do the same thing as mentioned above but, they don’t really tell you what hotel you’re going to. It will be a four star hotel, but you don’t have any say as to which hotel. You pay and then find out what you get. I think it is a great way to go if you’re flexible like that, but for most people that have an agenda and need to be near certain areas of attractions, it may not work for you. Booking directly with the hotel is usually the most expensive way to go, unless your booking a large group or have a deal with the hotel directly for the “Turkey hunters” Special.

Flights

Airfares, although dropping for some dates, remain pretty high. Hawaii has been very expensive lately, but I do have good news. You can still have your Hawaiian dream vacation, just try and make sure you got before May and peak season. Check out GoHawaii.com, which has a lot of great information about Hawaiian travel.

This is the best time to travel and do it big for little cash. Just keep in mind of things like spring break coming up; you don’t want to pay triple just because you didn’t realize the kids were on vacation too.

The First Post

Welcome everyone to the Travel Dude's Guide to Everywhere...
If you are like me you love to travel. Funny thing is I love to travel, but hate to drive and not a big fan taking a plane. But if someone else drives and I come along, it's the best. I love to stop at every little unique fuel stop on the way.

Travel is the closest feeling to that out-of-body experience, I should say out-of-my-life experience. It sets your soul free to roam and lets your mind wonder the possiblities of what your life might be like if you could just go anywhere.

In this express lane life we all live today, I think most of us need to get out of line and just take our time to live more. Everything is rush, rush, rush and I need to do this and that. We eat on the go, get mad if our food is not cooked in under 10 minutes. We get as much done as possible at work and even bring the work home. We rush to hangout with family and it goes by too fast. We rush so long we lose sight of why we do it...to live the best life...eventually. We work hard and play when we can. Eventually we forget to live our lives and enjoy what we have. Tomorrow will always be a day away and all that work will always be there. Make time for yourself and more importantly your soul. Travel is a very great way to let your soul roam. Join me in learning the best ways to let your soul free.