Vacation

Are you still waiting for summer time?

happiness is the way

Winter vacations usually take the form of travel to warmer climates, basking on sunny beaches, drinking pina coladas and flaunting the good weather to folks back home.

Not so with Bonnie and Mike Vance, of Mt. Pleasant.

They had visited most continents, but not Antarctica or Asia. So, this year, along with some traveling friends from Wisconsin, it was off to Antarctica. FYI, winter in the Midwest is summer in Antarctica, but don’t plan on working on your tan. Highs are in the neighborhood of 45 degrees. But you can take your golf shoes if you like — the spikes might work as good ice grippers.

Bonnie and Mike drove to St. Louis, hopped a flight to Miami, met up with their Wisconsin friends, then flew to Buenos Aires.

They loved Buenos Aires, except for one thing. Bonnie had her purse stolen, losing credit cards, drivers license, cellphone, etc. Fortunately, her passport was back in the hotel safe. Mike, who is a lawyer and magistrate judge, found out first hand what it is like being on the other side of a police department, not speaking the language and dealing with a lot of misunderstandings. To top it off, one of Mike’s credit cards had been compromised.

But everything was worked out, and they were on a cruise ship to Montevideo, Uruguay, then the Falkland Islands. After a two-hour jeep ride through terrible rocky terrain, they saw their first penguins. Rock hopper penguins are really cute. The parents hop up and down this 100 foot cliff to the water and back to bring food to their chicks. On the jeep ride back, one of the jeeps got stuck in a peat bog and had to be pulled out.

Then it was back on the cruise ship and off to Antarctica. There is this Beaufort scale wind chart that goes from 0 to 12. They were at a nine, with 30 foot waves and 50 knot (57 mph) winds, making drunken sailors out of them all. Spray was hitting the observation-deck windows, ten stories up. Passengers were told to stay in their cabins. Mike got a little sea sick, but ginger in hot water straightened him right out.

the source

1. Create a travel budget with the Travel Budget Calculator from IndependentTraveler.com.
2. Research travel costs with BudgetYourTrip.com.
3. Plan a Disney vacation with the Disney Vacation Account Budget Estimator.
4. Track expenses with the Trail Wallet - Travel Budget & Expense Tracker app.
5. Check flight prices with the Skyscanner app.
6. Track down cheap vacation rentals with the Airbnb app.
7. Secure package deals with the Kayak app.

the source

Tokyo at Night
Photo by Jim Lopes

5 Most Epic Beaches, Oceans, and Islands to Photograph Now

In honor of Earth Day (April 22), we’re shining the spotlight on the Four Elements: Wind, Water, Earth, and Fire! This month on ISO, you’ll find stories about the best 500px photographs that capture these four elements in a groundbreaking way—and the crop of talented photographers behind the shot. You can follow all our Four Elements posts on social media with the hashtag #PlanetPX. Let’s move on with our next Element—WATER!

When it comes to spectacular seaside escapes and island living, I look to the swoon-worthy photos of 500px community member Sarah Lee for a surge of inspiration—and instant wanderlust. Hailing from Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii, Sarah is obsessed with camera viewfinders, swim fins, and the sea. Her passion for underwater and surf photography was shaped by a childhood spent constantly playing in and around the ocean.

Her goal as a photographer? To capture and enhance the beauty that surrounds her. I’ve been a long-time fan of her work now, so I caught up with her and asked her to share some of her favorite destinations in the world for underwater and ocean photography with me. Thanks to her recommendations, I have summer AND travel on the brain again.

1. Dreamiest Beach to Photograph: Number One Beach, Dominica
2. Dreamiest Ocean to Photograph: Ba’a Atoll, Maldives
3. Best for Underwater Photography: Tavarua Island Resort, Fiji
4. Best Sunrise to Photograph: Manly Beach, Australia
5. Best Sunset to Photograph: Byron Bay, Australia

the source

Wow! These are all good tips and pleasant information in relation to savings and vacation plans. Actually, I'm also contemplating on these because our family has a plan of spending a few days abroad.

Sunset over Panama City
Photo by Josue Friedrich

New York City 1944 - colorized

Immigration form for entering earth. C.1969