One of the busiest ports, business and manufacturing centers in the US is situated on the west bank of the Hudson River in New Jersey. Jersey City has always been a major port for incoming immigrants and the city is important in the manufacture of textiles and electronics. It also has oil refineries and chemical and petroleum plants. The city is unusual in that most of its streets are named rather than numbered. Boulevards are named after the famous e.g. John F. Kennedy Boulevard. Many drives are named after historical figures e.g. Christopher Columbus Drive and Martin Luther King Drive.

The area is one of the most cosmopolitan in America with many Hispanic, Asian, Cuban, Filipino and Italian residents. Jersey City is a thriving place now but it has not always been so. In the latter part of the 20th century, the city suffered crime, political corruption scandals and poverty. However, there has been a recent re-juvenation with some districts becoming a fashionable area to live. These residential areas have high quality stores and restaurants. Businesses have moved into the area and many international financial institutions have re-located from New York City, across the water. Read more »

Fun is the keyword along the Grand Strand region of South Carolina. It’s a popular tourist spot along this bit of coastline and includes the city of Myrtle Beach, which receives more than 14 million visitors alone. A Myrtle Beach vacation is a gateway to all the great beaches and facilities.  Keen shoppers have plenty retail outlets and the restaurants are of a high standard, many of them specializing in local seafood.

The long standing Sun Fun Festival is designed to get everyone in holiday mood. It takes place at the start of June and includes beauty pageants, parades and human checker board games. It’s a favorite with tourists and locals and demonstrates the area’s sense of humor. Anyone not wearing shorts or swimwear during the festival gets a fine! Read more »

Nicknamed the Raisin Capital of the World, the sixth largest city in California and the county seat of Fresno County, Fresno California is an important center for local government.  Its economy was mainly agriculture based but it has an industrial core now in food processing, engineering and medical technology. Its proximity to Los Angeles and the Yosemite National Park brings constant tourists through the city. It’s well worth a visit for itself, with many cultural pursuits available.

There are several parks in the area, including zoological gardens. Kearney Park is the site used for the annual Civil War re-enactment. The Forestiere Underground Gardens is an eccentric subterranean labyrinth of courtyards and passages with attractive fruit trees.  Fresno California has other unusual claims to fame. The city established the first ever modern landfill site in America in 1937, namely the Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill. It had a pioneering waste disposal technique. After its closure in 1987, it was declared a National Historic Landmark. Read more »

The rugged scenery of the state of Colorado is well known and Colorado Springs was established as a tourist resort, attracting visitors because of its dry climate, mineral waters and the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. Tourists have been coming here since the 1870s and fortune seekers were also attracted by the lure of gold and silver for a while.

Today, it is a modern city, important in its contribution to the nation’s economy. There are several blue chip companies that have their base of operations here and the area is also a major center for military establishments and national defense agencies. The population has grown to such an extent that measures are being taken to tackle the problem of traffic congestion. There are numerous visitor attractions in Colorado Springs and an average of 250 days of sunshine a year to enjoy them in. Read more »

Airfare To Australia

For me, Australia is literally on the other side of the earth. Though when I was a kid I was told that China was on the other side of the world, I know now that this is not true. I found a website that went by your zip code to tell you where you would end up if you dug a hole straight through to the other side of the world. From where I live, I would end up a few miles out in the ocean off of the coast of Sydney. I do want to visit Sydney very soon, but I think I’ll skip the digging and opt for airfare to Australia instead.

I have friends in Australia and I can’t wait to meet them in person. I am fascinated with the country, and I can’t wait to explore it with these friends. The biggest expense facing me on this upcoming trip is airfare to Australia. This is going to cost me upward of three thousand dollars because I am taking my daughter with me. I have a year to buy my airfare to Australia, and I am going to make sure I can get the best deal that I can find. Read more »

One of the prettiest cities in the antipodes is the state capital of South Australia. Adelaide Australia is a thriving place, contributing to the economy and cultural life of the nation. It is located on the coast of the Southern Ocean and is an important manufacturing base, particularly for car production.

This fifth largest city in the country was established in 1836. It is also known for its sporting activities including the hosting of the Clipsal 500 V8 Supercar race.

It’s just a short ride away from the city to parkland and wildlife. The Cleland Conservation Park is in the Adelaide Hills and includes a wildlife park where visitors can see emus, koala bears and kangaroos. The Park also works to help endangered animals such as rare species of curlew, wallaby and bettongs. Another protected area, also located in the hills of Adelaide Australia, is the Belair National Park. This is a treasured place for the residents of the city and for tourists. There are trails for horseback riding, hiking and biking. Children love the adventure playground and there are tennis courts and a lake. Read more »

I went on my first backpacking trip when I was ten. My dad was always quite an outdoorsman, and I had come along on fishing trips many times already, waking before down to drive out to the lake and catch the fish feeding on morning stillness under a soft blanket of mist, but this was to be something altogether different.

You see, on those trips, although the morning lake sometimes provided moments of the illusion of solitude, the noise from the road, shattered it every few minutes. And later in the day, the motor boats destroyed it completely. Read more »

I am a keen camper and hiker, and I like to have good equipment when I’m setting off into the countryside. Living in the UK means putting up with unpredictable weather, and it seems to be worsening. Warm sunny days can be swiftly followed by gray skies and pouring rain. I always like to have one or two 4 season tents ready in my loft. They are more expensive than normal tents, but they are well worth it.

If you just want a tent for occasional use or for the kids to mess about in, in the garden, then 4 season tents are not for you. Read more »