Things to Do in San Francisco: Fun Tourist Attractions to See

San Francisco, California is a fun tourist destination, and there are millions of people who visit there every year to see the sights. There are plenty of things to do in San Francisco and we are here to help make sure that you get the most out of everything you see! For starters, here a look at things to do and see when you visit San Francisco!

Alcatraz Island San Francisco

A prison with this much history is a must see no matter where you are. One of the most famous sites of San Francisco, Alcatraz has been out of commission since the early 60's, but remains an attraction that millions flock to.

The tours here take place seven days a week, although most of the time you need to have a reservation at least 90 days in advance. Something worth noting, though, is that there is a special night time tour that is both haunting and captivating. You should definitely check out the latter option if you have the guts for it!

The Golden Gate Bridge

This landmark was constructed in the 1930s and has since been seen by countless people. Local residents drive along it every day, but that doesn't mean that it isn't something special. By taking a guided tour along the Golden Gate Bridge you will get a history lesson while also getting one of the best views of San Francisco that anyone can imagine.

This free landmark is available anytime, but during the day you can pay for one of the guided tours that are highly recommended.

Pier 39

Pier 39 is a one stop shop for people wanting to see sights and get some shopping in. From here you are able to see things like Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, all while taking in an aquarium and plenty of retail stores. This also happens to be where the famous San Fran sea lions congregate.

There is something for the entire family at Pier 39 and is a must for anyone traveling with their family. Adults can shop and dine while the kids enjoy the carousels and animal exhibits that line the pier.

SF Giants Baseball Stadium

The final item on our list of things to do in San Francisco is one of the most important for any sports fan that comes here. The SF Giants baseball stadium opened in 2000 and features a variety of sights to anyone taking in a game. The five statues of all time greats from the team is a pilgrimage that many fans make every year. Unique to the park is the ability to catch balls from boats in the waterfront right outside of the stadium, should anyone manage to hit a home run of that distance.

Check out the latest available Giants tickets here at StubHub.com!

These four places are only the beginning to your journey. There are historic sites throughout San Francisco, but no list of things to do in San Francisco would be complete without these four. If you make a trip and visit all of them, you won't be able to help but see plenty more on the way!

Sites to See: The Great Wall of China

(Recent picture of The Great Wall of China)

The Great Wall of China is one of the most magnificent landmarks standing today and many tourists make the trip to see this structure in China. Here are some of the interesting facts and history surrounding the Great Wall of China.

- There were several Great Walls built to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from attacks by Xiognu during the 6th century BC and the 16th century . The most famous of the walls has very little remaining of it. It was built by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, between 220 & 200 BC.

- There are a total of four Great Walls during China's history, built under the direction of different dynasties:

208 BC (the Qin Dynasty)

1st century BC (the Han Dynasty)

1138 - 1198 (the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period)

1368-1620 (from Hongwu Emperor until Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty)

- The current wall was built by the Ming Dynasty. Construction continued by the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), and the Great Wall became the world's largest military structure ever erected.

- The Great Wall is considered the world's longest human-made structure stretching over 4,000 miles in total length from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west.

- It is estimated that some 2-3 million Chinese died during the centuries it took to build and maintain the Great Wall of China. At its peak, the Wall was guarded by over 1 million men.

- Signal points are prominent on certain sections of The Great Wall. These were located at high points along the wall to allow for increased visibility so soldiers could warn of enemy attacks, or call for reinforcements.

- The Great Wall was mainly built from Earth or Taipa, stones, and wood, before bricks were used. The Ming Dynasty introduced heavy use of bricks in many areas of the wall, as well as tile, lime and stone.

- A 1932 Ripley's Believe it or Not! cartoon claimed that the Wall was visible from the moon. This claim is unfounded and untrue. There's a more popular debate over whether the Great Wall is visible from low orbit outer space. Several astronauts have claimed they saw it, but not without the aid of a viewing device. Others thought they saw the Wall from space but saw the Great Canal of China instead.

- One of the best times to visit the Great Wall may be during the Spring season, in order to avoid tourists. It's a beautiful site amongst the trees, plants and vegetation changing colors. Visiting in fall gives an amazing view with pleasant weather, making autumn another great time to visit. In winer, the wall and mountains nearby can become covered by snow, offering a very beautiful scene. Tourists are also fewer as this time of year is very cold.

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Free Brochures Travel Guides

Free Brochures and Travel Guides are available for over 20,000 vacations at InfoHub. The website InfoHub provides travelers a specialty travel guide service which gives "out of the ordinary and inspiring travel ideas". These range from yoga retreats to artist workshops to trips you never even knew existed! Since InfoHub partners with many vacation package and tour package companies, it's a helpful resource if you're planning your dream vacation. You can get vacation ideas, free travel guides and brochures or even contact vacation package suppliers to get more info to plan your next vacation!

With these free resources you can choose activities, locations and accommodations for your next dream trip. InfoHub provides you the best collection of travel guide resources for vacations based on activities, sight-seeing, thrill-seeking or pure relaxation. Some of the activity-related tour brochures you can receive for free include those for kayaking/whitewater rafting trips, hunting trips, bird watching trips, bicycle tours, spa resorts, hiking, guest ranches, golf resorts and more!

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Barbados Beach Vacations

Barbados is a relaxing island paradise full of sun and fun! The 167 square-mile independent island nation in the Western Atlantic Ocean is home to several white sand beaches, food, fun and cruises! Continue reading for all sorts of attractions and adventures as well as more information about the island of Barbados.

Tourists usually arrive to Barbados as part of a Virgin Island cruise, but those primarily traveling to the island by itself, may stay in local hotels, private villas or time-shares. You can use the following resource to find vacation packages: Barbados Vacations

One of the great features of Barbados is its duty-free shopping. Visitors enjoy the ample variety of jewelry, clothing and other shops in addition to wildlife reserves, helicopter rides, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, cave exploration and sipping on exotic drinks. There's annual festivals also held during the year such as the annual crop over in July/August. A highly recommended attraction to visit for beach-goers or nightlife is known as The Boatyard.



The Boatyard is open 365 days a year and features a variety of activities as well as the simplicity of relaxing on a sunny, scenic beach. The Boatyard features many attractions including Adventure Beach, a beach package offering beach-goers a loung chair, complementary cocktail, use of ocean trampolines, rope swings and iceberg rock water slide, as well as a shuttle back to your cruise ship.

Barbados Airfare, Hotels Vacation Packages:



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As for nightlife, food and beverage there's Sharkey's Bar, a colorful bar by the beachside by day, and the most happening place on the island by night! The bar features Fat Tuesdays, where every Tuesday drinks are free from 8PM to 2AM! There's also the South Deck restaurant on the beach of Carlisle Bay featuring an extensive menu of international and local cuisine. Enjoy a delicious meal at the bar or on the beach as you check out the scenery!



Tourists also love to take a scenic Catamaran Cruise while visiting Barbados. The tour will offer the chance to swim with friendly sea turtles and enjoy crystal clear waters, with colorful reefs. Those preferring to relax can stay on board and bask in the sun on the deck while enjoying a cocktail.

No matter what you choose to do, a vacation to Barbados offers the relaxing, scenic beaches, as well as great duty-free shopping, plenty of activities and active nightlife!

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More Travel Information:

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Disneyland Tickets & Walt Disney Vacations

Honeymoon Travel Deals & Destinations

Manchebo Beach Resort Vacations

Orange Beach Vacation

Holden Beach NC Vacation

Vacations in Myrtle Beach, SC

Vacations Packages in Maui, Hawaii

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Sites to See: Graceland - Memphis, TN

(The resting place of Elvis Presley & family at Graceland)

Heading to Tennessee? Dirt Cheap Travel Blog highly recommends you take a tour of the Graceland Mansion and surrounding attractions. The Graceland Mansion is the home and final resting place of Elvis Presley, located in Memphis, Tennessee. The King was one of the Rock & Roll genre & music's great contributors since the late 40's, early 50's.

Graceland is a 13.8-acre (56,000 m2) estate and large white-columned mansion that once belonged to Elvis Presley, located at 3734 Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis, Tennessee. There's several great tours available of the mansion as well as Elvis' airplanes, military items and an automobile museum. A guided audio tour is given with headsets so visitors can learn more about Elvis and each attraction.

History and interesting Graceland facts:

- Graceland was founded in 1939 by S.E. Toof, a publisher of a Memphis newspaper. Toof named it after his daughter Grace who later inherited the farm. Later still, the land was given to a neice and her husband (Ruth and Thomas Moore) who turned it into its present colonial-style mansion.

- Elvis bought Graceland in 1957 for an estimated $100,000. The singer/musician was just 22 years of age. Elvis vacated his other residence due to privacy and security issues, and neighbor complaints about the hysteria of adoring fans coming around.

- At one point Elvis' father and mother lived on the premises with him. His mother passed away n 1958, and his father remarried. Elvis' wife Priscilla lived at Graceland for 5 years before the couple was married in 1967. Five years after their marriage, they separated and Priscilla left in 72'.



- Elivs died on August 16, 1977 in the bathroom of Graceland upstairs. The cause of death has been a conflicting point, with some saying it was due to possible anaphylactic shock from codeine pills a dentist had prescribed. The popular cause of death many people know of is an alleged heart-attack.

- Every year on the anniversary of Elvis' death, a large procession goes through the mansion and past Elvis' grave site. In 1997, on the 20th anniversary of Elvis' death, there was an estimated crowd of 50,000 people who visited the area for "Elvis Week".

- Famous visitors to Graceland have included US President George W. Bush who hosted Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2006, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. who unveiled a special race car with his grandmother in 2007.

- Upon entering Graceland, visitors will see a splendid white staircase. The top of the staircase is sealed off to the public as it contains the bathroom where Elvis Presley died in 1977.

- The tour of Graceland lets visitors see the Living Room, Music Room, Elvis' parents' room, dining room, kitchen, Trophy Room, Jungle Room, Shooting Range, Car port and Meditation Garden, among other sites. All sorts of intricate designs and sculptures/portraits can be seen within the mansion and surrounding areas.

- Graceland has an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 visitors each year. There are currently plans in the works to turn Graceland into a bigger site, utilizing the surrounding areas to showcase more of Elvis' personal items, and allow for a more complete Elvis Presley experience.

- Visitors to Graceland can also go inside two private planes that Elvis once used for transportation. There is the Lisa Marie (a Convair 880 named for Elvis' daughter) and the smaller Hound Dog II (a Lockheed JetStar) on display.

- In 2006, Graceland was added to the list of National Historic Landmarks which also include the White House, the Alamo, Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Dealey Plaza, and Mount Vernon.



- The public can take tours of the Graceland mansion as well as an Elvis Automobile museum, Private Presley (a tribute to Elvis' military items) and two of Elvis' private planes. Flash photography and video cameras are not allowed, but regular picture-taking is allowed (non-flash). For more info about Graceland, see the official Elvis Presley site.

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More Sites to See:

Sites to See: Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy

Sites to See: Country Music Hall of Fame - Nashville, TN

Sites to See: Trevi Fountain - Rome, Italy

(The famous Trevi Fountain located in Rome, Italy)

Pictured above is the Trevi Fountain, one of the most calming, relaxing and beautiful places you can visit. It's one of the major attractions in Rome, right nearby the Spanish Steps and some great shopping! The fountain also has a bit of folklore associated with it involving what happens when visitors toss coins into the waters! Read below for more info...

Here's some key facts about this wonderful site, found in the historic and beautiful travel destination, Rome, Italy.

- Historically the Trevi Fountain marked a terminal point in the "Three Roads" (tres vie), where water was supplied to the city.

- Pope Urban VII asked sculpter Bernini to come up with renovations in 1629. The pope died and the project was abandoned, but many Bernini touches are seen in the present fountain.

- Pope Clement XII held a contest in 1730 to re-design the fountain. Alessandro Galilei won the contest initially over Nicola Salvi. A public outcry ensued that a Florentine won, and Salvi was granted the commission.

- Salvi began work on the fontain in 1732, but died in 1751 with the fountain only half-finished. It was finished in 1762 by Giuseppe Pannini.

- The various statues sculpted on Trevi Fountain are: Oceanus (guide of Tritons), Abundance (spilling water from her urn) and Salubrity, holding a cup from which a snake drinks. Tritons and horses are used on the sculpture to provide symmetrical balance.

- The fountain was refurbished in the year of 1998, when the stonework was scrubbed and new water recirculating pumps were put in.

- The tradition with Trevi Fountain involves tossing a coin over your shoulder into its waters. If a visitor does this, they are ensured of a return trip to Rome!

- In terms of coins tossed into the water, it's estimated that 3,000 Euros are thrown into the water daily! The coins are collected nightly, and go towards a market to feed the less fortunate. There's been many attempts to steal coins including use of magnetic poles.

- A scaled down replica of the fountain exists at Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada.

- The Fountain has been featured in several films including 2003's Under the Tuscan Sun and the 1953 comedy, Roman Holiday starring Gregory Peck. A Bon Jovi music video, Thank You for Loving Me, was also filmed here.

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(Info source: Wikipedia.org)

More Sites to See:

Sites to see: Graceland in Memphis, Tennesssee

Sites to See: Country Music Hall of Fame - Nashville, TN

HGTV's Best Places in the Country

Cable channel HGTV recently presented an interesting show called "You Should Live Here". The program took a look at the best places to live in the country for such things as best place to have children, best place for pet owners, best place for pizza, best place for singles, and of course the overall best places to live in general. These can be great places to travel to as well.

Some of the Best Places profiled:

Best Place for Dog Owners - Denver, CO
Hottest Place to live - Avondale, AZ (Highs of 107 degrees)
Coldest Place to live - Fargo, ND (Lows of -2 degrees)
Best Place for Singles - Atlanta, GA
Best Place for Entrepreneurs - Phoenix, AZ
Best Place for Pizza - New Haven, CT
Best Place to Have Kids - Portland, OR
Best Looking People - San Diego, CA
Best Place for Working at Home - Washington, DC

Top 3 Best Places to live (voted on at HGTV.com):

1) New York City, New York
2) Denver, Colorado
3) San Diego, California

You may consider planning your next vacation based on a few of these selections. Why not visit scenic Connecticut and sample some of the best pizza in the US? Or visit San Diego or Atlanta if you're single!

HGTV will offer a second airing of the program "You Should Live Here" on Sunday, November 02, 2008 at 3:00 AM ET/PT.

Also check out the interactive quiz at HGTV.com to find out where you should live!

Honeymoon Travel Ideas, Destinations & Deals!

The "honeymoon" is a custom that originated in Western Culture for newlyweds to celebrate their recent marriage in intimacy and seclusion. The concept originated way back in 19th century Great Britain, and was a "bridal tour" which often included guests who were unable to attend the wedding. Today, honeymoons are celebrated almost daily and the choice for honeymoon destination becomes a major part of wedding planning. Often times the honeymoon is a gift given to the newlywed couple as a gift from a friend or family member. Honeymoon travel destinations are usually exotic and very romantic. You'll find 10 ideas for your special honeymoon vacation below as well as info on where to find the best Travel Deals on your airfare, hotels and more!

10 Destinations for Honeymoon Travel:

- Aruba

- Bahamas

- Barbados

- Bermuda

- Cruises to the Caribbean or Virgin Islands

- Florence, Italy

- Jamaica

- Las Vegas, Nevada

- Paris, France

- The Poconos in Pennsylvania

- St. Thomas

Those 10 ideas should get your started on coming up with the ideal destination for your Honeymoon! Make sure it's a place that is romantic and has plenty of activities/attractions that you and your significant other will enjoy!

If you're looking for Travel Deals for your Honeymoon, you should seriously consider the website Kayak.com. Kayak gives you the best deals available for airfare, hotel accommodations, car rentals and more for your vacation!

12 Things to do for a Las Vegas Weekend!

Planning a trip to the exciting and fun city of Las Vegas? Perhaps you're looking for a weekend getaway or for your honeymoon travel destination! Vegas is a great spot to visit for all of its great attractions, not just for its gambling! We have 12 cost-effective tips and ideas to try when you see the bright lights and fun-filled city!

1) Try to do the lunch buffet at the Wynn Casino. (about $23 per person)
2) Definitely do a walkthrough of the Caesar's Forum shops if you are into shopping/ fashion.
3) Try to catch the water show in front of the Bellagio.
4) Take a Gondola ride at the Venetian.
5) Venture downtown to "Glitter Gulch" and check out the light show at about 9:30.
6) See the "Dealertainers" at the Imperial Palace. (impersonators who play games with you.)
7) Check out the view from the 63rd Floor of Mandalay Bay's "The Hotel's" "The Mix" nightclub (go early - or call and ask to be on the guest list to avoid the cover charge) at night for the best view of the strip.
8) Check out the flower garden inside the Bellagio.
9) One great lunch suggestion (midrange): Canneletto inside the Venetian - $20 avg entree.
10)Two great higher end restaurants we can vouch for - "Hugo's Cellar" in 4 Queens (downtown), or Seablue (MGM).
11) Try Tix4Less for deals on shows & select restaurants (located between MGM & Planet Hollywood)
12) Have brunch at the top of the stratosphere's revolving restaurant in the morning.

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Manchebo Beach Resort Vacation

The beautiful Manchebo Beach is an all-inclusive resort & spa located on Aruba's largest beach, Eagle Beach. It is also adjacent to the Alhambra Casino & Shopping Bazaar and just minutes away from the downtown Oranjestad shopping and nightlife.

Rates for staying at the resort on Aruba are typically between $185 and $295, making it an affordable vacation. There are also meal plans available ranging from $15 to $119 per person. The resort has 71 non-smoking air conditioned, tropically decorated guestrooms with patios or balconies overlooking palm trees, tropical gardens, and a very expansive beach to relax on! Rooms include microwaves, fridges, 32 inch flat screen TV's, wifi internet ports, AC, alarm clocks, ironing boards, maid service and safety depost boxes. Also included are live music, beach shade huts, a full service spa, fresh water pool, car rental, fitness center, library and a French Steakhouse.

Travelers can fly into Queen Beatrix International Airport on the island. For info on securing flight arrangements see Kayak.com



Some of the fun attractions located convenient to Manchebo are the 18-holes Robert Trent Jones Jr. – Tierra del Sol golf course, the 9-holes Divi Links and the Arikok National Park featuring the Natural Bridge and Ayo Rock Formations.

Manchebo Beach Attractions

Natural Bridge - 25 minutes drive
Butterfly Farm - 5 min
Tierra del Sol 18 hole Golf Course - 10 min
Divi Links Golf Course - 2 min
Downtown Oranjestad Shopping & Night Life - 5 min

More info for planning your trip to Aruba at Manchebo Beach:

Airfare at Kayak.com website.

Aruba Reservations Office
J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 55
P.O. Box 564, Oranjestad
Aruba, Dutch Caribbean
Telephone: (297) 582-3444
Fax: (297) 583-2446
E-mail: info@manchebo.com / reserve@manchebo.com

SA & Canada Reservations
Ralph Locke Islands: 1-800-223-1108
or 1-310-440-4225 Fax: 310-440-4220

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Helpful Tips for a Cruise Vacation
Vacations in Myrtle Beach, SC!

Holden Beach NC Vacation

Looking for a peaceful, relaxing island beach vacation? Holden Beach is a beautiful island beach town located in North Carolina's Brunswick County. It is small at just 3.4 square miles in area with an estimated population of over 1,000 people.

Holden Beach History:

In earlier times before the American Revolution, the land was bought by a man named Benjamin Holden who used the land for fishing and grazing for his farm. Later on, John Holden, who was Benjamin's grandson, started the first beachfront subdivision of the land called Holden Beach Resort. Holden later built Holden Beach Bridge. His son, Luther began building homes and renting land to vacationers in the 1940's. Back then someone could buy an ocean front home with property for a mere $600!

Holden Beach Attractions:

Some of the available resources for travelers include Vacation Equipment rented by Beach Fun Rentals, which offers everything from baby equipment, beach equipment and office equipment to electronics and kayaks. Beach Fun Rentals products

For the adventurous, there is Deep Sea Sportfishing with Swag Charters, and for those looking to relax with a good book, there is a bookstore called The Bookworm. See more info on these thorugh the Holden Beach Town Hall site here.

Other places/events of interest:

Cape Fear Fishing tournament (offshore & inshore)
Ingram Planetarium
Indigo Farms Produce & Garden Center
Museum of Coastal Carolina
Silver Coast Winery

Vacationers also attend religious services at the only church on the island, interdenominational Holden Beach Chapel. The church was first built in 1940 but destroyed by Hurricane Hazel in 1954. The church was rebuilt soon after and travelers staying on the island attend mass and ceremonies there.

Make future travel arrangements with Kayak.com

Holden Beach zip code: 28462

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Vacations in Myrtle Beach, SC

The beautiful vacation spot, Myrtle Beach is located in South Carolina's Horry county. In the year 2000, Myrtle's population was at 22, 759 people with 1,356 people per square mile. At first, Myrtle started as a resort town for Conway Lumber Company employees over 80 years ago. In 1940, a highway was paved and a Municipal Airport was constructed making it more accessible.

For travelers today, it's possible to arrive to Myrtle by car via Insterstate 73 or Interestate 74. Downtown North Myrtle beach is arrived at by taking 74 to the North Myrtle Beach Connector. To travel to Myrtle by air, you can fly into Myrtle Beach International Airport, which is located on a former Air Force base.

For Myrtle Beach Hotels, rental cars and other travel arrangements, check out Kayak.com for the best travel deals.

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One of the major attractions in Myrtle Beach is golf. Myrtle has been dubbed "Golf Capital of the World" with 120 golf courses located there. There's also as many as 50 mini-golf, putt putt style courses, making it perfect for the whole family. Most of the golf courses in Myrtle are open to the general public as well.

The city of Myrtle Beach also boasts four recreation centers with swimming pools, basketball courts, weight and fitness rooms, skateboard parks, tennis courts, hockey rinks and picnic shelters. There's 17 playgrounds and 45 landscaped parks as well as nine and a half miles of beach, making it a great travel destination. For more info,See CityofMyrtleBeach.com.

While Myrtle Beach doesn't have any professional sports teams, it hosts stock car racing at Myrtle Beach Speedway. There's also an annual Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach marathon, which features a Friday night 5k Marathon, followed by Saturday's half-marathon, marathon and relay. Also in Myrtle are the Myrtle Beach Pelicans who are the farm team affiliated with the Atlanta Braves. The Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz, an ECHL hockey team also reside and play games there.

Consider taking your significant other, family or friends on a beautiful and fun-filled trip to South Carolina's Myrtle Beach! There's plenty of places to relax and have fun while taking in the beautiful beach scenery!

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Free Stay & Play Guide for Myrtle Vacations

There is a free "Stay & Play" guide available which includes visitor
information for the communities of North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach,
Little River, Atlantic Beach, Garden City Beach, Loris, Conway, Aynor,
Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach and Pawleys Island. To get yourself a copy of the guide, visit online at VisitMyrtleBeach.com, or call1-888-886-9232, or visit the chamber of commerce welcome center at 1200 North Oak St., Myrtle Beach, SC 29578.

Myrtle Beach Vacation Attractions:

Breakers Myrtle Beach Resort

Broadway at the Beach

City of Myrtle Beach Website

Crown Reef Resort at South Beach

Ocean Dunes Resort & Villas

Myrtle Beach Hotels

Nascar Speed Park

Ocean Forest Plaza

Ripley's Aquarium

Find the best Travel Deals for your next vacation at Kayak.com!

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Entrepreneur's 2008 Business Travel Awards

Entrepreneur magazine's May 2008 issue features the "2008 Business Travel Awards". The picks according to the magazine feature the best in comfort, innovation and convenience to help business travelers get the most out of their trips.

Entrepreneur's 2008 Business Travel Award Winners:

Best Laptop: ASUS EEE PC

Best Airline Value: Southwest Airlines

Best Frequent Flier Program: Frontier Airlines Early Returns

Best Budget Hotel Value: Aloft Hotels

Best Midprice Hotel Value: Kimpton Hotels

Best Upscale Hotel Value: Omni Hotels

Best Gadget: Duracell Power Source Mobile 100

Best Cell Phone: Samsung Blackjack II

Best Car Rental Value: Thrifty

Best Website for Travel Deals: Kayak.com

Source: Entrepreneur Magazine/Entrepreneur.com

Helpful Tips for Your Cruise Vacation

Going on a cruise ship vacation can be a fun, sun-filled travel event where you can experience a scenic new part of the world. You can take cruises to all sorts of places like Alaska, the Virgin Islands or the Greek Islands. During your trip you'll make daily stops at different locations (for example 5 of the different Virgin Islands) to check out the culture, shops and landmarks. Cruises can be anywhere from a week to a month-long journey, depending on what sort of options you go with, but you'll want to be prepared in advance for your big trip.

Here's 10 helpful tips for anyone taking a cruise vacation.

1) Research your cruise line - Many cruise lines cater to specific groups such as families or singles. Age may be a factor when you select the cruise line. You don't want to end up on a family style cruise which could include younger kids running around, if you are looking to relax on board the ship or meet other singles.

2) Look at cruises as a way to tour a future vacation spot - You usually make daily stops at different locations during a cruise. You may find one stop in particular that you find interesting and worth a longer future vacation trip. For example, Santorini is one spot I've found that I'd like to re-visit.

3) Join a cruise message board or forum - Several months prior to your big trip, it's a great idea to join a few cruise message boards. Find message boards or forums which have topics relating to your exact cruise or with topics relating to cruises of the area you will be visiting. You can form great relationships with other potential passengers ahead of time. You can also get great info from those who've been on the same cruise you're going on. This is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for the cruise you're taking.

4) Check into package tours for the cruise stops - If you can splurge, organize a local tour of the spot you're visiting, with a local guide. They will know the area well and be able to take you to the best landmarks, shopping areas and other attractions. Again, you probably will want to use the Cruise chat rooms, message boards and forums to find tours and guides in advance. Keep in mind the location you are visiting. Some locations may be best seen via a boat or ground transportation. Be careful of possible scams if you book these types of tours in advance. We hired a great tour guide when we visited Turkey and still exchange holiday greetings with her.

5) Watch your cruise tab/bill closely - When you're on your cruise, you are definitely looking to relax and have fun, but don't go "overboard". Be cautious when ordering drinks and special items on board, because this can easily add to your final bill. Almost every cruise ship uses a "running tab" style for drinks and other items. This means you could easily over-spend by ordering drink after drink. At the end of your trip you'd be in for a surprise when you get the final bill. So be cautious with this and set a budget ahead of time. This is especially important if you're taking a family on a cruise, to make sure the kids and teenagers don't go crazy ordering tab drinks!

6) Get to know you cruise staff - It's possible that a staff member from a previous cruise you went on has transferred to another cruise ship you'll be traveling on. We found out that a staffer from a previous cruise had transferred to another cruise ship we were taking. We brought him a gift on the cruise and in return he had a plate of appetizers sent to our room daily to make sure we enjoyed our voyage! It can pay to make friends with all cruise staff, especially if you're going to see them on a future voyage.

7) Barter for some great local deals - You'll find on many cruises of various islands that the local merchants look to tourists to help them make some money. They'll most likely engage in bartering for the various handmade crafts and goods they have for sale. Do your best to talk them into a lower price and pick up some great additional items and souveneir gifts for friends and family back home. There's also "duty free' shopping at many island locations which you should take advantage of if buying gold or silver jewelry. Some cruises offer seminars and lectures on finding good jewelry deals as well.

8) Bring extra items you'll need - You'll want to make sure you have the basics for clothes and toiletries, but also think ahead. If you're bringing a digital camera, you may want to bring additional memory cards and batteries. Most cruise ships and shops will sell these items but they will also take advantage of cruise passengers by charging higher prices on them. Think in advance of first aid items and medical items you'll need such as medications, aspirin, sea sickness remedies, ointments and creams.

9) Budget your time - On an island cruise, you'll most likely want to enjoy as much of each stop as you can. You'll probably do a lot of partying and socializing on board the ship at night, or on travel days. Make sure to be up at a relatively early time so you can enjoy each island you visit and its attractions during the day. You may also want to plan appropriately if there are activities you'd like to enjoy on board the ship, so you can fit everything in.

10) Have fun and enjoy yourself - This is the most important of the 10 tips, simply have fun and enjoy yourself while on the cruise. There's plenty to do on most cruises, such as sports contests (basketball, ping pong tournaments), dancing at the clubs, hot tubbing or swimming in the pool or checking out the fun nightly entertainment. It can be a lot, so be sure to budget your time for total enjoyment of all activities. Remember to enjoy yourself on board the cruise you take...Bon Voyage!