Fairhope Alabama Arts Festival

Spring in the South is one of the most beautiful times of year, with blooming azaleas and grasses greening far earlier than in northern climes. For more than half a century, the folks in Fairhope, Alabama have enjoyed the beautiful weather at their own arts and crafts event every year, the Annual Arts and Crafts Festival.

This year's 56th Annual Arts and Crafts Festival will feature almost 250 exhibitors from all over the US at the juried show. Live entertainment is on the bill, and all the usual festival foods are available to enjoy as you stroll along the wide aisles and enjoy oooooo-ing and ahhhh-ing over stunning and unique works of art. Among the many awards given to the annual event are the inclusion in top 20 events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society.

Because the event attracts so many visitors, it can be difficult to park nearby. But free parking is available in many locations, and there is a shuttle service provided to the grounds for only $1.

If you're planning to visit from outside the area, you might want to enjoy the local beaches during your stay. There are also a number of nice State Parks as well.

Family Broadway Shows

Some of the longest-running Broadway shows of all times have been wonderful family events. Enjoying live shows as they grow up helps children develop a wider appreciation of the arts, and is an important aspect of the cultural education of youngsters whenever it is possible to include such events. While tickets can be expensive as a family affair, consider purchasing Broadway Tickets online, which can result in substantial savings.

Some of the best shows for families include Mary Poppins, Wicked, and The Little Mermaid, and Lion King.


Mary Poppins is Disney's classic rendition including all of the songs you remember and love, and your children will be singing for weeks: "Chim-chim-cheree," "Just a Spoonful of Sugar," and the tongue-twisting mouthful "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." The cast is starred by the uncanny nanny that is practically perfect in every way, and supported by the loveable chimney sweep that "does what I likes and likes what I do."




Wicked is the story of how two girls meet in the Land of Oz, long before Dorothy arrives there. The smart, green-skinned, and generally misunderstood girl ends up being called "The Wicked Witch of the West while the pretty and ambitious Glinda trades on her popularity. Children and adults alike will enjoy this twist on the Wizard of Oz, but it is recommended for children over 8 (and children under 4 will not be admitted).





The Little Mermaid will transport you to a magical kingdom under the sea, where a young mermaid yearns for a different life but must defy her father and escape the machinations of an evil sea witch to try to win the prince of her dreams. The music featured is some of Disney's most popular, including "Kiss the Girl," "Part of Your World" and the Academy-award-winning "Under the Sea."






Lion King is a brilliant masterpiece in its own right, with extraordinary sets and costuming that will instantly draw you into the pageantry of a royal Lion family in the African plains and have you on the edge of your seat during the dramatic moments. This captivating production has been described by many as "Broadway's most spectacular show."


Visit online ticket brokers for these and other family events. You can see their current broadway show tickets here. It is often even possible to secure tickets for events that have already been sold out as well. Go here to view their sold-out seating for broadway tickets. Take advantage of money-saving offers on tickets and treat your family to a cultural masterpiece they won't soon forget, and use the money saved to buy a treat at one of the local restaurants afterwards.

Australia Hotels

The Gold Coast is Queensland's most popular tourist destination. With world-famous surf beaches, Fleays Wildlife Park, Currumbin Sanctuary, the Australian Outback Spectacular and Paradise Country, the Gold Coast has much to offer those who enjoy the great outdoors. Themed attractions include Sea World, Warner Brothers Movie World, Dreamworld, White Water World, and Wet 'n Wild Water World. Travelers looking for Gold Coast Hotels should consider the Conrad Jupiters Casino Hotel.

The Conrad Jupiters Casino Hotel has an idyllic location on one of the Gold Coast's pristine beaches and is nestled among the hinterland ranges. This 5-star hotel has a variety of prime accommodations, including guest rooms, 29 suites, and two luxurious penthouses which offer either a sun terrace or balcony from which to enjoy the surrounding beauty. Featuring seven world-class restaurants onsite, guests can enjoy a variety of cuisines suited to every taste and mood. The Conrad Jupiters offers all of the amenities one might expect from a luxury hotel, including swimming pool, fully equipped exercise gym, professional massage services, steam room and sauna, and a private outdoor track with lush tropical landscaping.

The popular Darling Harbour destination in Australia is home to Sydney Wildlife World and Sydney Aquarium -- one of the world's largest aquariums. Local museums include the Powerhouse Museum and the Australian National Maritime Museum. The Chinese Garden of Friendship is another favorite attraction. Star City Casino hosts the Lyric Theatre and the Star City Theatre. Annual events include the Hoopla street theatre/acrobatic festival. If you are looking for quality Darling Harbour Hotels to enjoy any of these attractions or one of many others, the perfect choice is the Star City Hotel.

The Star City Hotel is a 5-star hotel located within the casino complex, just a few minute's walk from Darling Harbour. Guests enjoy easy access to everything Star City and Darling Harbour have to offer. The Turbines Health Club has an indoor/outdoor pool, sauna, spa, and fitness equipment. A variety of dining choices are available with a number of restaurants within walking distance, offering everything from Astral Restaurant's fine dining atmosphere to a casual noodle bar.

Budget-conscious travelers to Sydney can also find excellent accommodations in cheap Sydney hotels as well. One of the best values is the 3-star Y Hotel Sydney offered from a low rate of only AUD$35.00. They Y Hotel offers 120 comfortably appointed rooms, conference facilities, an on-site cafe, and a convenient location in Hyde Park. Guests can walk to a number of nearby restaurants, shops, and local attractions.

Travel directories

Travelers have more options than ever for accommodations. You can, of course, contact the hotel chain of your choice and make reservations for you trip. A second choice (and one we often feature) is a hotel broker, which is a great way to save money because they offer specials that are generally below any you can secure directly from the hotel yourself and usually feature a wide range of hotels -- and sometimes other types of accommodations -- to choose from. Today we are featuring another opportunity for travelers seeking vacation rentals. A travel accommodations directory allows homeowners to directly list their rental property, so you don't pay the extra fees associated with a middleman's services.

Travel accommodations directories can offer a very wide range of accommodation types to suit every traveler and every budget. From small studio apartments or condos up to huge homes suitable for multiple families, almost any size group can find suitable lodgings. Owners tend to take a lot of care in designing their vacation rental properties as well, in order to make them attractive to prospective clients, and you can usually count on more personality as well as more privacy, tailored to your needs. Prices are usually much more reasonable than those offered by hotels, while many properties are more spacious and have even more amenities.

The Orlando vacation homes being offered are a good example. With Orlando being a prime US travel destination, and Disneyworld being one of its major attractions, there are lots of Disney-themed properties that rival (or even exceed!) Disney's own resort hotels. Take a look at "The Magic Palace" vacation home, for example. Three of the bedrooms are themed in Pooh, Princesses, and Mickey Mouse, with the bathrooms being equally decorated. This 5-bedroom, 5-bath, 3000sf home is only 2 miles from Disney, and features a heated pool on the lanai along with a jacuzzi, fitness room, game room, washer and dryer, full kitchen, high speed internet, widescreen TV, playstation, and much more. Large enough to accommodate several families, rates range from only $169 per night.

Another popular US destination is Lake Tahoe. Searching for a Tahoe vacation rental, we found everything from cozy cabins decorated in a woodsy style perfectly suited for a quiet romantic getaway up to huge chalet homes with breathtaking vistas and innovative design ideas that bring the spectacular beauty of the surrounding forests and Lake Tahoe indoors with glass walls.

The variety of lodgings available from travel accommodation directories makes searching for your travel reservations a fun part of planning your vacation, and the savings are an added bonus! We highly recommend you check this option when planning your next trip.

New York City

Most of our destination posts focus on international cities, such as Amsterdam, Paris, London, Rome, Tokyo, and others, but we want to feature something a little closer to (our!) home this time.




New York City, also known as the Big Apple -- home to the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and Times Square. Just the name of it brings excitement, and the image of a high-rise skyline, sparkling in the night, in a city that never sleeps.



New York City is a world unto itself, with dining that features cuisine from all over the world, ranging from street vendors to chic and exclusive restaurants that require months-ahead reservations (and probably that much time to save in order to pay the bill!). Diversity of cultures is seen as nowhere else in the world. Even the city holidays reflect the variety of peoples living in New York, from the Hindu Festival of Lights to the parades representing diverse ethnicities including Irish, Puerto Rican, Chinese, West Indian, and more.

Some of the premier museums are located in New York, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. Visitors can also enjoy the American Museum of Natural History, and many other museums showcasing the sciences, arts, history, and world cultures.


New York's Broadway is nearly synonymous with the word "theater" ... the city is one of the most important theater locations in the world. Music aficionados can enjoy Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, the New York City Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and much more. The Lincoln Center for Performing Arts is housed in New York City, and the city is home to professional performing companies in each of the performing arts.



New York City is also a prime destination for those who enjoy shopping -- the city offers major stores and designers. Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Madison Avenue, Sak's Fifth Avenue, Tiffany's ... what more could any shopaholic ask for? World-famous designers and high fashion, interspersed with discount fare, New York has something for everyone.

Before you go, check out New York City guides for useful information. You'll want to know about the weather, local hospitals, driving, tipping customs, safety tips, and more. You should also book your hotel before you go. While the prices vary tremendously depending upon where you wish to stay, an accommodations broker can offer prices significantly lower than the hotels themselves in most cases. The best of these will offer detailed information about each hotel online so that you can avoid unpleasant surprises upon arrival.

For example, we decided to take a look at the Waldorf Towers. (Why not? Might as well think big and have fun!) We viewed photos of the hotel from outside, as well as those of a number of types of rooms. We learned of its proximity to Park Avenue, Grand Central Station, and Fifth Avenue, as well as Times Square and the Empire State Building. We learned such details as the height of the ceilings in the room, the type of surfaces in the bathrooms, the kind of linens on the beds, and exactly which amenities are included, as well as details such as check-out time and more. (We also learned that they are booked up well in advance!)

Travel reward miles & credit cards

We looked at a variety of air mile credit cards and their reviews, and found some good sites to compare air mile credit cards as well as other types of credit cards. To see the features of various plans and the cards themselves, you can view a credit card comparison between easyJet, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and other credit card travel reward plans.

One of the programs caught our eye -- easyJet, Citibank's new low-cost airline miles reward plan that offers some extra perks. The card rates are competitive enough (16.9% APR) with no annual fee. The earnings are among the highest with up to 3 miles earned for every £1 spent (depending upon where you spend), and a bonus of 4,000 miles is available if you spend £250 within the first 3 months.

The interesting feature of the easyJet card is the way in which miles are redeemed. Rather than saving miles until you finally have enough to take the flight you want, consumers can use the card any way they wish and, whenever they are ready to fly, purchase their ticket using the card. Any miles earned up to that point will be immediately rebated back to the cardholder as a savings off of the flight they purchase, so there is no need to wait.

You can read a full review of all the details in this credit card guide. Just click on the easyJet link and you can read a full description of the travelers that will benefit most from the card, and how to use it to its fullest advantage (as well as situations where you might want to use a different card) and how each use affects your mileage accrual.

Speaking of which, the credit card guide site is quite useful itself, especially since it analyzes the different types of features for each card and then tells you how to use the card to your best advantage, and which card would better serve you under specific circumstances. Just knowing how the foreign transfer fees interact with mileage accrual rates and how to find a good card for cash advances, for example, can save you money in the long run if you consider how you tend to use credit cards and select the right card for your personal needs.