Wealthy Travelers

Summer is the prime time for vacation.  The weather is better during summer for most destinations; kids are out of school, and it’s midway through the year sandwiched between the winter at the beginning of the year and winter at the end of the year.  So summer is the perfect time to take a vacation.  And when you do vacation, no matter what time of the year, wouldn’t you want to save some money on your trip?  I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like a bargain, so why not consider a resort membership?

A resort membership has many advantages. 

• Pay a one time membership fee for life
• No monthly fees
• No annual dues
• No black out dates
• No limit as to when you go
• Your first stay most likely will pay for your membership
• A HUGE variety of world wide destinations to choose from

So, where would you like to go on summer vacation?  The beach?  The mountains? Europe?  Asia?  Start dreaming and have a fun vacation!

There is a myriad of Caribbean luxury resorts to choose from for your next vacation.  Many are geared for families with plenty of fun and interesting activites.  And the most popular way of going on a Caribbean luxury vacation is to take advantage of the all-inclusive packages.  These packages many times will include air fare, resort hotel, unlimited drinks and meals, and sometimes some amenities.

Some of the most popular Caribbean destinations are the Bahama Islands of which Paradise Island is part, with it’s white sand beaches and aqua blue water.  The Virgin Islands is another popular Caribbean island destination.  It has the advantage of being a U.S. territory and therefore, U.S. currency can be used.  The ever popular Dominican Republic and Aruba are all suited for either family or adults only luxury vacationing.

Any Carribean destination you choose will have a wonderful variety of luxury resorts to choose from with excellent prices.

Summertime….vacation ….fun in the sun.  Do you know what all this means?  It means ourminds turn to places like luxury beach resorts for fun and relaxation.  Whether your taking the kids with you, or it’s just the two of you, it seems that vacation and sand and surf  are synonymous.

Now, if you want to stay within the United States, you have both east coast and west coast, as well as the Gulf coast areas to choose from.  But we also have the pleasure of the Hawaiian islands as part of our country.  And talk about an abundance of luxury beach resorts!  Everything from the smaller, quaint resort, to the over-the-top luxury of a 5 diamond, 5 star luxury resort. 

If you’re taking the kids, many of these luxury beach resorts have activities geared to the likes and interests of kids.  And some luxury beach resorts are for adults only.  Whatever you’re looking for, there is a luxury beach resort to meet your wants and desires.  Begin your plan, do some research, and get ready to bring your swimsuits, beach towels and sunscreen.  Enjoy the sounds and sites of the ocean, palm trees and salty breezes.

In this next article on Canada vacations; for the wildlife enthusiast, Canada holds unique adventures.  These adventures happen for only a few weeks in the fall.  In the Great Bear Rainforest, in western British Columbia, you have the opportunity to watch Grizzly bears come out of the forest to hunt along the rivers for salmon as they struggle upstream to spawn.  At the same time, in Manitoba, on the shores of the Hudson Bay, you can see Polar Bears gathering, waiting for the great freeze that heralds winter time.

Inland, close to Alberta, you can enjoy natural sulphur hot springs at Radium or Fairmount.  While in Alberta, you can also visit Calgary, famous for its’ annual Calgary Stampede, held in the second week of June.  After a day at the Stampede, you can have a pleasant dinner at the famous Calgary Tower, in the revolving restaurant that gives you a 360 degree view of the city.

If any of you out there are like me, I LOVE to go on vacation!  Vacation time gives you the opportunity to see new sites, partake in new adventures, find out about different cultures, taste the local foods, and just relax and enjoy a different pace of life.  Many years ago, a timeshare was the affordable way to have the space to enjoy a resort vacation.  But on the rise are vacation memberships which are replacing the antiquated timeshare programs.

The reason?  Originally, a timeshare had a reasonable buy-in cost of a few thousand dollars, and you had the chance to spend your week at a luxury resort with plenty of amenities.  But now, the buy-in amount can be upwards to $8,000, $10,000 or $25,000 or more.  And that doesn’t include plenty of fees; utility fees, maintenance fees, resort fees…..well, you get the picture.  These fees can be anywhere from $500 to as much as $1,000 per year.

But the up and coming vacation memberships are affordable up front, with no ongoing fees of any kind, and have a variety of destinations to choose from, anytime you want to vacation at luxury resorts at hundreds and thousands of vacation spots.  Most are either a condo, a villa, or a high-end, well furnished cottage.  Places to go, things to do and people to see.  Have fun!

Just about everyone likes to travel.  In fact, trillions of dollars are spent worldwide on travel each year.  People dream of far away places they would like to visit, but sadly most of those dreams go unfulfilled.  The expense can be prohibitive.

There is a movement under foot though, for affordable vacations, using a resort membership.  Resort memberships are available through resort and vacation  clubs and vacation vendors.  A resort membership makes taking a vacation affordable by charging a one time fee, and allows a lot of flexibility in destinations and times. 

Have you dreamed of visiting countries in Asia, half way around the world?  Or traveling to Europe, trekking through ancient history?  Or how about visiting a tropical paradise or exploring the areas where Lewis and Clark blazed their trails across America?  These and many more destinations await you through a resort membership.  Dare to dream and find a resort membership that suits you to make that dream destination happen!

Today, now more than ever, resorts are marketing to families that want to travel but aren’t sure they can afford it.  So resorts are giving incentives, discounts or freebies, trying to draw in the market that is a bit reluctant to spend the money for a vacation.

To find discount vacations you have some options.  Timeshares are popular, but have some drawbacks, including extra expenses such as a monthly maintenance fee, yearly dues, and being locked into a certain week or two during the year.

Travel clubs on the other hand, are a great alternative and have become quite popular.  A one time affordable membership fee for a lifetime of discount vacations at worldwide resorts.  And the variety of destinations is almost endless with an added bonus of flexability of time!  Discount vacations can make vacation an affordable, great time for relaxation in today’s stressful times.

In the last 2 posts we’ve explored Rome, Venice, Milan and Verona.  In this last of the 3 part series on vacations in Italy, I want to highlight the cities of Turin, Bologna and Genoa.

Turin was host to the 2006 Winter Olympics and is a major Italian cultural hub with museums, shops selling all kinds of Italian made items, and of course, restaurants.  It’s also known as the place where the Shroud of Turin,  which is thought to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, has been kept since the middle ages.  Turin is located in the northwestern section of Italy and lies in the foothills of the Alps. 

Bologna is known for it’s beauty, wealth and cuisine.  But even more well known is that Bologna is the birthplace of the pork sausage we have all grown to love as a staple for sandwiches.  Of course, most people pronounce it Bologney!  Bologna is also the home to one of Europes oldest universities.

Genoa is located on the northwest coast of Italy and is Italy’s principle seaport.  It is also the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.  Genoa has a fasinating aquarium as well as a wonderful historic center, and a wealth of churches, palaces and museums.

In the last post I talked about vacations in Italy, highlighting Rome.  In this post I want to inform you about visiting Venice.  Venice is located in northeastern Italy and is built on water in the middle of a lagoon.  It’s famous for it’s gondolas that are the main transportation to different points of the city.  Venice has many historical sites to explore including the Piazza San Marco with it’s magnificent church, along with museums and palaces.

Milan is a faster paced city full of restaurants and shops filled with the latest in fashion, as well as the home to one of the world’s most famous opera houses, La Scala.

Verona is known for the story of Romeo and Juliet.  Verona is also known for it’s Roman Arena and is the venue for a top operal festival.  Verona also has Roman remains and an interesting castle complex.

In part 3 of this series, I will share some interesting facts about Turin, Bologna and Genoa.