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People living in the U.S. might not want to travel to North Korea or Iran anytime soon. America isn’t too popular in these countries right now and getting detained in either country is a strong possibility these days. We recently seen the release of two American journalists who were held against their will in North Korea. It took a lot of connections and a former president (Bill Clinton) to finally get the release of these two American journalists in North Korea.

Now Iran is making headlines with a possible underground nuclear facility. Some European nations are even claiming that Iran may have a dozen or more of these types of underground sites for nuclear weapon purposes. Iran has stated that their attempts in the nuclear sectors have been for energy purposes only, but now they are claiming to have missile capabilities that could reach any country in the world. Israel is taking a hard-line stance against the Iranian nation and has even talked about delivering a first strike military action if needed.

Normally the United States is the country that takes the lead role in these weapons of mass destruction claims, but they appear to be taking a backseat when it comes to the latest news coming out of Iran. America is not taking their usual hard-stance and some countries in the region appear to be upset with the current relaxed U.S. stance toward Iran. Perhaps this has to do with President Obama and his team not wanting to follow old patterns that the U.S. normally takes in these types of situations. Israel is considered a friendly nation toward America, but Obama may be pushing the U.S. allies to the side, in the latest controversy surrounding the country of Iran.

Due to all the news that has happened this year in North Korea and Iran; Americans would be smart to stay out of both of these hostile nations. It just isn’t safe for any American to travel to Iran or North Korea in 2009 and the same will probably hold true in 2010. It’s unclear where the tensions will go from here with the United States and the nations of Iran and North Korea, but all travel plans should be cancelled to these two countries right now. Travelers have enough to worry about when they travel abroad and the fears of getting held hostage in North Korea or Iran are very real right now. The two American journalists did nothing wrong in North Korea and it took a long time for them to reach U.S. soil again. Iran has also been accused of holding American hikers that accidentally crossed over the borders into Iran. Both of these stories should be a wake up call for anyone that has plans to travel to Iran or North Korea.

I’m sure this has crossed your mind many times and you have probably dreamed about having a million dollars and all the things you could buy. I think taking trips and going on long vacations would be a good starting point on spending a million bucks. Vegas vacations are something that takes a little money to have fun and I would like to take a few thousand to Las Vegas for a few days on the slot machines. It would be interesting to see how long a thousand or ten thousand dollars would last in Vegas playing the slots.

Most people have these million dollar dreams and they get their money by playing the lottery. If I ever get lucky enough to have a million dollars; then it probably would come from the lottery too. I don’t think I will ever have a job or invent something good enough that would be worth a million dollars. If it isn’t the lottery paying me, I guess it would have to be contest related.

Paying off your bills would be a thing everyone would do if they won the lottery. Getting out of debt is tough and it would be nice to wipe the slate clean for all the bill collectors we owe money to. Buying a new car and a new house would rank high on everyone’s list too. These are pretty much the basic things people say they will do with a big lump sum of money. Most people are willing to share their money and help friends and family pay off their bills if they won a million dollars or more. I think most lottery winners end up spending their money entirely different from their original thoughts on how they would spend the money. You really can’t say what you would spend your money on; until you actually had that much to spend.

The swine flu continues to make headlines in North America. As the cold and flu season gets closer we will probably start hearing a lot more cases of this new flu virus. The experts are sticking to their guns on the advice they are telling people in America and in other countries too. Keeping your hands washed is still the best way to prevent a transfer of swine flu. Going to your kitchen and bathroom sinks as much as possible is the best way to prevent a flu virus. At least this is the advice that’s going around right now and it would appear water is our best defense to this point.

Medicines are still being worked on and tested by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) in Atlanta. They haven’t came up with a proven vaccine yet to fight off the new swine flu virus, that is rapidly spreading all over the globe. The good news is that it doesn’t appear to be that deadly in most parts of the world. I don’t think anyone should have a fear of traveling to any other countries right now; due to swine flu outbreaks. It’s looking like we will all catch this new flu virus at some point in our lives and just dealing with the symptoms is the only game plan right now for those contracting swine flu. Keep plenty of soap by the sinks in your household and just keep telling your family to wash their hands and maybe you can prevent the flu from entering your home. Clean water may just turn out to be the cure for this new virus; that has so many people’s attention right now.

I haven’t been doing a lot of driving these days and this is because my car is in need of some major repairs. I wish I just needed a few car accessories that would make my car look nicer, but I need repairs so it can just keep running. It all started when my super charger went bad on my 1998 Buick Regal. This was followed by my belts not being tight enough and those need to be fixed too. My car runs on a 2 fan belt system and if one of those loose belts break; then the car isn’t going anywhere. I have been putting off these car repairs and not putting any money in my vehicle and now I need other things fixed. An oil job and the tires being rotated is just the start and I need to get these 2 things taken care of soon. My blinker was out on one side and now I have two blinkers that are not working. I’m not sure if my blinker problems are related to my battery, but I think I need a new battery too. The car acts like it doesn’t want to start when you try cranking it and I hope it just needs a new car battery. I would never be able to afford a new starter if that turns out to be the problem. As you can see my car needs a lot of work done to it and I hope I get some money coming in soon, so I can start knocking out some of these mounting car repairs.

Williamsport, Pennsylvania is the place every little league baseball player dreams about being this time of year. That dream is coming true for a group of young boys from Warner Robins, Georgia. They continue to win baseball games together as a team and they are receiving a lot of national recognition right now. Their pitchers have been pitching well and the batters continue to slug the ball out of the park and for base hits. They have a really good team this year and no team has beat them yet.

It’s been a fun ride in the LLWS for these guys from Georgia. Looking at the remaining teams left in the Little League World Series, it would appear that Georgia has a great shot at winning again this year. I say again, because in 2007 the Little Leaguers from Warner Robins won it all, after they beat Japan 3 to 2 with a walk-off homer. The magic would continue a year later when a team from Columbus, Georgia won the 2008 LLWS in Williamsport.

Who knows when the magic will end for the boys from Warner Robins, but they have certainly put the state of Georgia on the map; when it comes to little league baseball. Other countries that participate in the LLWS are keeping an eye on Warner Robins too and trying to learn the secrets they are using to be successful on the baseball diamond. Warner Robins is a great place to live and raise a family in Georgia and it should be interesting to see how many future Major League Baseball Players this tiny town in Georgia will produce. The sky is the limit for Warner Robins and the girls softball team has already won the title for their terrific play. If the boys from Warner Robins can win it all this year; then it will be the first time an area has produced both champions in softball and baseball. Go Warner Robins!

Not many people in the past would ever think of taking a trip to the state of Missouri. I’m sure this was just an U.S. State that most travelers would travel through and not really stop at to visit. This isn’t the case anymore and lots of people are now making plans to stay in the state of Missouri. The most sought after place in Missouri is Branson and this is a great place to plan a family vacation to. Branson vacations isn’t nothing new and this great city in Missouri has been around for a number of years. The attractions just continue to grow in Branson, Missouri and they offer something for all ages of the family. The grown-ups will love the shopping and golf that is available in Branson and the kids will want to visit the theme park. It really is a place to take a trip to someday and everyone in the household will love their stay in Branson.

Have you been to Branson before on vacation? What was the things you liked best and would you want to return for a 2nd trip to Branson, Missouri? I don’t think this is a seasonal destination like some places are and you would enjoy a trip here anytime of the year. I look forward to reading your feedback and seeing how well a Branson vacation stacks up against other popular vacations spots.

ATTRACTIONS:

* Silver Dollar City

* Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede

* Celebration City

* Ride the Ducks

* Titantic Museum

* Comedy Jamboree

* Ripleys Believe It or Not

* Veterans Memorial Museum

* Hollywood Wax Museum

* Much More…

Since 1995 California New York Express has provided the needed assistance to help people make these long distance trips. Finding moving companies Los Angeles or any other moving companies in California is probably pretty easy to do. Finding one that is willing to travel across the country for you might be a little harder to come by. If you’re currently living in California and will need to start making plans soon for a trip that will take you across the country; you can feel better about this future event now, since you know there is a company that specializes in it. I hope you and your family have a safe trip and all of your items do get transported safely in the move too.

I know choosing where to spend your yearly vacation is just half of the decision you have to make each year. Once a destination has been chosen, you then need to find which motel, hotel, resort, condo, or other venue is going to keep you for the week. I know we can over look this sometimes, but it is important to stay at a nice place. The more comfortable you’re with the housing you have selected for the week; does make for a better vacation. If you travel to one of the states that have a Westgate available; then you would have no problems on which choice to make. This is the top of the line accommodations if you ask me and it doesn’t get any better than the services that are offered from any of the Westgate locations.

Maybe you already have a favorite company or chain you like to stay with while traveling. Please feel free to let me know what establishment you prefer to make your reservations with while on trips or the yearly vacation. I would like to know why you choose them and what sets them apart from the competition. If you are open to new places to try; then be sure to jot down the Westgate locations and see if there is one close to your travel destination the next time you travel. You can find these in:

*Florida

*Missouri

*Nevada

*South Carolina

*Tennessee

*Utah

*Virginia

I live in Georgia and I think a Westgate would do really well here. I hope they decide to bring one to the Peach State one day. I know my family and others that live in North Georgia love to visit the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. If you have been there or plan to visit these beautiful mountains in Tennessee, there is a Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort that you can make reservations for. I can’t think of a better place in those mountains to stay at and I’m sure you will love it there!

Have you ever been to North Carolina or South Carolina? Where did you visit and why? Did you have a good time and would like to go back? The Outer Banks is one such place that you such visit.If you live in one of these states, please let me know the number 1 recommendation you would give to a traveler visiting. I love the casino in Cherokee, North Carolina but this is real far from the beaches. The Carolinas do offer the beach and mountains for any tourist looking for either of these on their vacation.

New Zealand is an island country off the coast of Australia. It is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I would love to go there some time and see the majestic waterfalls that are found in New Zealand. It is a taste of paradise from all the great pictures I have seen online from New Zealand.

I don’t plan to travel to New Zealand anytime soon, but it is certainly one of my top destinations to visit one day. I will have to make a trip to New Zealand, so I can experience all the breathe-taking views this tiny nation offers. It’s primarily made up of two islands and there is a northern and southern part to this island nation. I haven’t figured out which part I would like to see most, but hopefully I get the chance to see Northern New Zealand and Southern New Zealand.

Any island that is surrounded by an ocean makes a great place to visit. I can just imagine all the sea breezes and warm air that this island would offer. I do love going to the beach and I’m sure the beaches off of New Zealand are spectacular. I will have to start saving up my money now, so I can make a trip here some day.

The big grizzly bears that roam the Alaska terrain have it made. Alaska is one of the most scenic places in the whole entire world. I would love to visit Alaska one day and take-in all of the beauty that is there. It can get really cold in the winter time there and I’m not sure if I would want to spend a winter in Alaska. Once the weather starts to warm up in the spring and green starts growing on the mountains is when I would want to take my trip to Alaska. The wildlife is every where in Alaska. Visitors would have no problems capturing the animals on film or seeing them in their natural habitat. I hope the global warming trend we are in now or “climate change” isn’t hurting these animals too much. The polar bears have been affected with less ice around to float on, so I know they are in trouble. I’m not sure if the grizzly bears are having their own problems, but if the salmon population slows down in Alaska, this would hurt the big bears in the fall and winter seasons in Alaska. These mammoth bears rely on the fats they get from the salmon’s skin and they need this for hibernation. If bears don’t over eat in the fall season, they will wake up too early during the winter and will struggle to find food. Let’s hope the natural beauty of Alaska stays the same and we can prevent the warming trend that is currently happening in our environment.

Have you ever been to Alaska before? Do you live in Alaska? Please be sure to tell me any stories or adventures that you have experienced in Alaska. If you did make a trip there at one time, do you plan to go back? I would want to find a cabin that is by itself in the mountains of Alaska. I wouldn’t want to be near any cities or towns, so I could enjoy the silence that Alaska offers. I’m sure the wildlife makes noises up there, but that would be the only noise I would hear. I think it would be fun to arrive in the fall and chop wood for a few weeks and live out a winter in Alaska. It would be a game of survival to have enough food and medicine to survive the harsh conditions that Alaska offers in the winter months. I would be up for the challenge, if I could take the time off from work. I just need to win the lottery and I would embrace an Alaskan winter. Money is the only thing keeping me away for now and I hope that changes real soon.

Scenic View of a Smokey Mountain Homeplace

The Cades Cove park in Tennessee is a great place to take a weekend trip to. If you’re a christian with a baptist faith, there are many churches in the area to attend on Sundays. Taking a drive to Cades Cove on a Sunday and going to meeting at one of the baptist churches in the Smokies and then after church making a trip through the scenic park of Cades Cove is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in the Great Smokey Mountains.

Cades Cove is a valley in Tennessee that has been adopted into the Great Smokey Mountains that are protected by law today. The residents that were forced out of this area was not happy to leave their land when this area became part of the Smokey Mountains and I can understand why. Who in their right mind would want to leave such a beautiful area of the country and I can understand the people that wanted to remain on their homeland. The courts ruled that the properties must be seized and people that called Cades Cove home would have to leave their land, so that the area could be a part of the Great Smokey Mountains.

The Cherokees use to live in this area and the Indian tribe would hunt in a lot of the present day areas that make up the Cades Cove park. You can still see a lot of wildlife that run freely through the park as visitors drive through the area. It’s not easy getting to Cades Cove and you will travel through a very curvy road to get to the park. I’m not sure how long those curves last for, but it seems like a 15 to 20 mile journey that will lead you through the curviest road ever made in America. For those that have visited the park before, know exactly what I mean and it’s no fun hugging all the curves that run through a very scenic area of Tennessee.

Many of the man-made structures that were built more than 100 years ago are still standing and you can see these when you visit Cades Cove. The Dan Lawson Place that was built by Peter Cable was inherted by Mr. Lawson when he married Cable’s daughter. I really like this area and Mr. Cable couldn’t have picked a better spot in all of the Smokey Mountains as far as I am concerned, to have built this home. Make sure you get a chance to see the Dan Lawson Place up close and personal if you get a chance to see the Great Smokeys anytime soon.

The Great Smokey Mountains are located on the borders of North Carolina and Tennessee. This is a travel destination that millions of people make each year and many of those return sometime in the future, because it is such a great trip to make. If you love the mountains and like to travel, you will be hard-press to find a place better than the Great Smokey Mountains. Make sure you find the area that is called Cades Cove in Tennessee and plan to spend a day there on your trip to the Smokies.

A beautiful state just north of my Georgia home is the great state of North Carolina. A trip for the day, a weekend, or for an entire week is a great decision if Carolina is on your mind. The mountains are what I like best about North Carolina, but the Atlantic Ocean hugging the Carolina shore is a great site to see too. Staying in North Carolina is simple with renting a cabin in the mountains or staying at one of the Outer Banks rentals near the ocean. You and the whole family will love a trip to North Carolina and if you haven’t been there yet, you must jot it down on your “places to see” list. Not many places in the country can offer you a vacation near the mountains; while hanging out at the beach all day. This is what makes a trip to North Carolina so unique and Mother Nature pulled out all of the stops when North Carolina was in production. Be sure you come back here after your trip to the Tar Heel state and let me know what you liked best about North Carolina.

I would think moving companies and companies that were related to moving services will be busy in January of 2009.

Las Vegas is like no other city in the world and most big cities that lure tourists in each year like Las Vegas, Nevada does have only one strip to learn. You really have two main strips in Vegas and many refer to this as Old Vegas and New Vegas. The casinos you see on television and know as a legendary Vegas casino are all located on the old strip of Vegas. You will find these in a different area than the newer casinos and hotels. Your newest casinos are built on the new part of Las Vegas or the New Vegas and it’s real easy to take a vacation to Las Vegas and never make your way to the Old Vegas or the New Vegas. A las vegas strip map can come in handy to travelers wanting to see certain casinos that might be new or the legendary ones you see on TV or in all of the movies. If your hotel is on the new strip in Vegas, you may never make your way to the older side of Las Vegas, because there is plenty to do on the new side. You can still spend all of your money on either strip, but I think most would like to visit one or two of the older casinos in Vegas, since you have seen or heard about them so much over the years. Just remember there are two sides to Vegas and if you go there, make sure you see both!

We never know what dangers might be lurking just around that next turn. It’s not always a good idea to take risks and failing to prepare for the future is preparing to fail. I know failure is a broad term and everybody’s definition is different, but I think when it comes to our vacations a lot of us share the same definition. We don’t want our trips to fail ever and nothing can be more frustrating if it’s the trip our family takes once a year for vacation. No matter how carefully you planned your trip or the amount of time you spent working out every little detail, things do go wrong sometimes. I believe most travelers could soften the blow if they would stop to consider travel insurance on all of their future trips. It doesn’t take long to evaluate the different insurances that are out there and you can compare travel protection plans online at your computer. Just having insurance doesn’t guarantee your trip will be smooth sailing. It will help if any bumps pop up along the way and I think this is the reason more people should consider insurance when they’re traveling. A long trip to a special destination is very exciting, but I know it can be stressful too. Reduce that stress for your next family vacation and just take an extra minute or two to look over different travel protection plans.

The holiday season is a time many people make long trips to visit relatives and friends. The weather in some places can be really cold and even going below the freezing mark during the night hours. You don’t want to get caught off guard and keeping a emergency kit is a good idea for motorists. You want things in a emergency kit that could be very useful in case your car breaks down and there is no businesses or homes nearby. You may have to stay warm or eat until help can arrive to assist you, if you’re caught stranded on the side of the highway. Just a few simple things can go a long ways into making you more comfortable if your car does break down or you have an accident and no one can see you from the main road. I would suggest putting some trail mix or beef jerky in the emergency supply bag for your food source. These items don’t perish quickly and you don’t have to keep changing the food in your emergency kit. If your breakdown happens at night, you will be glad that you had a flashlight and pack extra batteries if your light source runs off batteries. Simple medications like aspirin and first aid supplies for cuts would be helpful if you or someone in your vehicle was hurt. The final things I would add to any emergency kit would be a blanket and lighter. Your car’s heater may not be working and a blanket would help you retain body heat and carrying a lighter would be an extra source of light and would also give you the choice of building a fire for light or warmth if needed. I hope everyone has safe trips this year, but go ahead and throw together a few emergency supplies, just to be on the safe side.

For those of us that live in the city, I think our number 1 dream is to have a place in the country that we can visit on the weekends or go for family vacations. Something like a log cabin sitting on a lake with woods surrounding it would be the type of place many people dream about. Perhaps just owning a piece of land and building a small house or log cabin would be good too and just some place we could travel to, so we could escape city life. The log cabin dream would be perfect for me and having windows in the cabin they gave a scenic view of the mountains would be heaven. Big rooms inside with wood flooring in every room of the cabin is the way I would want to construct my vacation getaway place. A place that would be surrounded by trees and no busy roads nearby or other houses that you could see from the cabin is the ideal location. Just a place in the middle of no where is what a lot of us living in the city need and it’s the best medicine for clearing the mind. We spend so many days of the year doing things we don’t want to do, we all need a place to go when we do get a chance to do things our way. The log cabin in the mountains would be my greatest accomplishment, if I ever could manage to have a place like this for my very own.

It is now possible for ordinary folks like you and me to go into outer space. Well almost, you do need an extra-ordinary amount of cash. It’s not cheap to fly to the stars these days, but people are traveling to Russia these days and taking advantage of space flight. I think the cost is around 1 million dollars and this will get you a short trip into outer space. I could see this becoming more affordable years from now, but there is only a few ways we have to launch man into outer space these days.

I believe more private companies will try to link-on to space travel and more citizens will get to experience life as the astronauts do. I’m not that big on flying, so a trip into the stars and away from the Earth doesn’t sound like something I would want to do. This is great for the people that never had the time or luck to become an astronaut and average people can blast off into the heavens.

These space trips work like anything else does and it’s all about money. So it is a rich man’s game and only the people with huge sums of money can make the trip into outer space right now. I believe I could find better things to spend my money on, but many folks feel they have a destiny with outer space. If you happen to have a spaceship lying around somewhere that works, you might want to dust it off and start using it for a Taxi to the stars. People will pay lots of money to make the space trip and they will be waiting in line to go! I think the airplane is the only space travel I want to do right now, but it would be nice to have 1 million dollars, so I would have the option of deciding.

I’m starting to see some major tourist places beefing up the promotions and lowering prices that you normally wouldn’t see. I’m not sure if this is because of the current economical situations or just an attempt to get families to plan the upcoming holidays to their cities. If these vacation packages get too much lower, I think many will start grabbing up these Vegas vacations at these discounted prices. These big tourist destinations are always ahead of the game and they know how to target families for all occasions. I think Las Vegas will continue business as usual for the remainder of this year and travelers are gong to be treated to some really cheap vacation packages. See if you can find one for your family now and try to lock in on the low rates before they go back up!