Hop a ferry from San Francisco’s Pier 33 and stroll the damp, gray halls of the maximum-security pen, which housed criminals like Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly from 1934 to 1963. (You can even get behind bars in one of the cells, if you dare.) Don’t miss the audio tour, which w…as updated in 2007 when former inmates and guards recorded their memories of doing time at “the Rock.” If you’re feeling brave, take the night tour, which lets you roam the prison after dark. San Francisco offers a ton of fun, tours and history. See the mighty redwood trees of Muir Woods, ride the trolley, visit the cable car museum, see all the sights from Coit Tower, explore Fisherman’s Wharf and more!

Follow our blog and you’ll have so many great summer travel ideas, you’ll have to pick one out of a hat to decide where to go first!  Have you been to visit the Grand Canyon?  Well, if you haven’t been there within the last 4 years, you’ve never seen it like this…

       
Visit the “Grand Canyon Skywalk,” a U-shaped, glass-bottom observation deck that juts out 70 feet over the canyon’s West Rim and sits 4,000 feet above the Colorado River. Come sunset, hit the Grand Canyon Apache Stables, where you can hitch a one-hour ride on a horse-drawn wagon that ends around a campfire for $25.50 per person.
If heights aren’t your thing, why not ride the Grand Canyon Railway?  Long before there were Grand Canyon helicopter tours, white water rafting tours or even mule tours, there was the Grand Canyon Railway.  This historic train took it’s first journey to the south rim in 1901. The Grand Canyon Railway brought interested travelers from all over the world to stand on the rim and gaze upon the wonder that is the Grand Canyon.
 
Keep checking back…. more great summer vacation ideas are on the way!

All of London, the rest of England and much of the world – excitedly awaits the April 29 wedding of Prince William of Wales and his bride, Kate Middleton. While few will actually be invited to sit inside Westminster Abbey for the ceremony, up to a million people are expected to line the streets around the gothic church, well known as the site of other royal weddings and coronations. If you plan to be in the crowd, here are some things you should know:

England has declared a special “bank holiday” for the weekend of the wedding, which means it will be a four-day weekend. That will give more people time to travel to London for the wedding, making it essential to secure flights and accommodations, either through independent travel or an organized tour group as soon as possible.

Be aware that on the day of the wedding, it may be difficult to get a glimpse of the royal couple if you’re at street level, as each block along the one-and-a-half-mile route from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace will be thronged with people. Some tour organizers have been able to secure space in private venues that will provide upper-story views of the wedding procession.

Outside the historic wedding, London is full of great things to see and do, and depending upon when you get to the United Kingdom’s capital, you might consider making your own visit to Westminster Abbey, as well as to St. Paul’s Cathedral where Prince William’s father, Prince Charles, wed Lady Diana Spencer 30 years ago this summer.

With the greater-than-usual number of visitors, you should purchase tickets or make reservations for theaters, tours and restaurants as soon as you can.   Also, keep in mind that it’s a quick two-hour ride from London to Paris or Brussels on the Eurostar train.  A side trip to one of those cities could turn your trip into a mini-European tour!

It’s more important than ever to plan time away to rejuvenate. As the travel industry rebounds and travel agents return to importance, a new event has been registered – “National Plan a Vacation Week.” To occur annually the third week in March, this event is aimed at encouraging Americans to take vacations with the help of travel agents.

The U.S. economy needs people to travel again.  Not only does leisure travel help fuel economic and job growth, it actually helps make people more productive and healthy also!  A 2006 Alertness Solutions study by former NASA scientists is stunning: “Among the findings is a dramatic 82 percent spike in performance among vacationers, showcasing the highest increase ever documented through objective testing. Even more relevant to corporate America is that the subjects continued to operate at an increased performance of nearly 25 percent even after returning from vacation.”

Plan a Vacation Week is particularly interested in promoting the role of travel agents – 100,000 strong in the U.S., many of which are self-employed or small businesses. Recent research indicates a return to travel agents, supported by younger consumers and those dissatisfied with the complexity, fragmentation and irrelevancy of online travel websites. According to the American Society of Travel Agents, 51% of all airline tickets, 87% of cruises, 81% of tours and packages, 45% of car rentals, and 47% of hotel stays are still sold by travel agents.

Americans are encouraged to help make “National Plan a Vacation Week” their annual reminder to take time for themselves and explore the world.

What makes your travel “bucket list?”  According to a Travel Leaders survey, these are the top desired destinations that travelers are seeking to book this year:

Top 10 Domestic Destinations for 2011

1 Las Vegas
2 Orlando
3 Alaska Cruises
4 Oahu / Maui
5 New York
6 Washington D.C.
7 Hawaiian Cruises
8 San Francisco
9 Chicago
10 Phoenix/Scottsdale

 Top 10 International Destinations for 2011

1 Caribbean Cruises
2 Cancun, Mexico
3 Mediterranean Cruises
4 Riviera Maya, Mexico
5 Rome, Italy
6 London, England
7 Montego Bay, Jamaica
8 Playa del Carmen, Mexico
9 Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
10 Mexican Cruises

Where ever your travel dreams take you, your travel agent can get you there!

Obtaining a passport is a quick and easy process.  If you fill out the paper work, have two passport photos and your official birth certificate, you can be in and out of the government center in 2 minutes flat.  You can print the paper work at http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

For an extra $60 fee, you can get your application expedited.  And for a real travel emergency, you can even have one printed on the spot.  For this service, you must have an appointment at the Minneapolis Passport Agency and proof that you are traveling within 14 days. 

Apply for a passport today, the world is waiting for you!

El Dorado Resorts have new air conditioners that use 30% less energy, and solar panels heat 40 to 100% of the water at each resort! They also now have a 70,000 sq ft Greenhouse at El Dorado Royale that produces fresh fruits and veggies for the restaurants. A water treatment process was developed to reuse water for the gardens.  Not to mention the luxury accomodations and gourmet food!  The beautiful El Dorado Resorts can be found in the Riviera Maya area south of Cancun, Mexico.  A travel agent can best help you choose which resort is right for you!

 

Are you a fan of Harry Potter? While you are waiting for the final movie to come out this summer, you must travel to Florida’s Universal Orlando and check out “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” theme park.  The entrance is like walking into the movie pass through a recreated version of the Hogsmeade station, leading into the village of Hogsmeade, complete with Hogwarts castle.
Rides include a twin high-speed rollercoaster named the Dragon Challenge and a family roller coaster called Flight of the Hippogriff. The park’s main attraction is The Forbidden Journey, a dark ride that takes passengers through many realistic scenes influenced by the movies and books, including travelling by Floo Network, soaring over Hogwarts, narrowly escaping a dragon attack, having a close encounter with the Whomping Willow, and getting pulled into a Quidditch match.
Every shop and restaurant is themed – Honeydukes sell sweets, such as chocolate frogs and ’Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans’, Ollivanders offer magic wands, Zonko’s joke shop sells various items including Sneakoscopes and the Three Broomsticks serves food and drink, most notably Butterbeer.
No matter if you are a die hard fan of the JK Rowling series of books or not, fun and entertainment is sure to be experienced by all at Universal Orlando, even mere ”muggles!”

Passengers are now charged per bag for checked luggage. If you are traveling for the holidays, you may want to ship your gifts to your destination in advance to avoid having so much luggage. Or shop after you arrive!
If you really don’t want to arrive empty handed, don’t wrap your gifts! Security may have to unwrap your gifts to see whats in them and ruin your hard work.
Also remember that liquids are restricted in carry-on bags and so many common gifts contain liquids. Examples of gifts that will be confiscated by security personnel include baskets with food items (salsas, spreads, jams or salad dressings); cologne, perfume and body sprays; soups; lotions; wine/beer/liquor; and snow globes.
As always, be sure to use a reliable travel agent like Travel Leaders/Travel Now in New Richmond to keep you informed on the best travel practices!