Accessible Travel To Chicago – Easy Holiday For The Disabled Or Handicapped

Chicago is truly one of the great travel destinations for anyone.  I especially recommend it in the summer when the lakefront (Lake Michigan) and the beautiful parks are bustling.  However, my very favorite time of year for a Chicago vacation is during the holidays when the areas of the Loop, the Miracle Mile and the water tower are as magical as a fairyland.

The Windy City offers a wide array of guided tours that are wheelchair and otherwise accessible.  Several water based tours exist including the Architectural River tour and skyline tours on Lake Michigan boats (Shoreline Tours and the Spirit of Chicago tours both leave from festive Navy Pier).

Landlubbers might opt for the North Side Chicago tour or hop on a trolley or double decker sightseeing bus.  It’s a good idea to make arrangements for these at least two days in advance to be certain that these will include the accessibility that you need.

Nearly all of the city’s major landmarks are disability friendly.  Be sure not to miss the child pleasing Museum of Science and Industry (we recommend a taxi to this south side destination), the Chicago Art Museum, the Field Museum (natural history) or the aquarium.  Chicago’s two most famous skyscrapers are wheelchair accessible for the city’s best (or at least most elevated) views.

The least expensive ways to get around are either the bus system or the “L” (light rail).  All bus routes are accessible.  As for the light rail system, many stations provide elevators necessary for those with mobility issues, but not all do so.  Consequently, plan your route carefully to be sure that you can get on and off the train where you want.

As is the case in any major city in the Western world, you will not find any difficulty locating a hotel to meet your needs, and taxis and rental cars are plentiful.

Best times to arrive in this bustling city are late mornings, mid-afternoons and after about 7:30 p.m.  During the rush hours expect traffic to be at its worst, comparable to any major city in the United States.

There is so much to do in this beautiful city, so plan plenty of time…or plan frequent return trips.

Related articles:

• Chicago: A dab of history with dollops of 21st-century style (nationalpost.com)
• Top 10 free things to do in Chicago (guardian.co.uk)
• Gay Chicago: Vacation Hotspots (worldwidegaytravel.com)

How To Get Your USA Passport Fast

We live in a society where things move and change rapidly. And it’s no surprise therefore that we’d want to have everything on our hands quickly. If you can have something now, then why wait for it until the next minute? The same thing goes when you are applying for a passport nowadays. Today, you can already apply for one without having to wait that long. And in this article, we’ll show you how to apply for a New Passport Quickly.

For people who don’t need to travel within ten weeks’ time, routine passport processing would be enough time to have their passport applications taken care of. But if you are pressed for time and need to have your passport quickly, then the routine processing is definitely not an option. And that’s exactly why the US Department of State recommends passport applicants who need to leave within ten weeks to have their passport application expedited.

Expedited Passports cut the processing time of your passport from the normal four to six weeks to just around two to three weeks. This is definitely convenient if you need to travel within that time frame. In fact, expedited passports are given to those who need to travel within two weeks, or those who need it in less than a month for their foreign visa application.



But wouldn’t it be better if you could couple the speed of service with convenience? That’s exactly what you can do with expedited passports because you have several options to make the application a lot more convenient for you. To make you application hassle free, you can either apply for a passport online, or send your passport application by mail.

Because you’re reading this article, we’re sure that you want to have your passport processed quickly. And since you’re reading this on your computer, you have an Internet connection that will enable you to download the form from the US Department of State’s website. You can fill that form in on your computer and print it, or print it first then fill it in by hand. Obviously, this option is a lot faster than having to go through the nearest passport office just to obtain the forms you need.

Also, you can mail your passport application instead of sending it in person. To mail your application, make sure you clearly indicate the word “EXPEDITED” outside the envelope. This will tell the passport office of your choice of passport processing.

This type of convenience that you get from having your application expedited comes at a small extra price. But this price is already offset by the fact that you’re paying for the time that you save and the convenience that you get when applying for your passport. It’s a kind of deal where you simply can’t lose.

For ultimate speed and convenience, getting an Expedited New Passport is the way to go.

Thailand Holidays : Ideas To Make Your Trip One To Remember!

Thailand is the perfect place to spend a holiday. Why? Well, for starters, it has stunning rainforests, incredible mountain ranges, and beautiful beaches. While Thailand is most famous for its beaches, there is so much more adventure to find in this amazing country. From flying through the jungle like a monkey, to lady-boy’s strutting their stuff, to the biggest water fight in the world, Thailand delivers some serious adventure goods. Here are just a few ideas to spice up your trip…

Zipline Canopy Tour: The Flight of the Gibbon Adventure Tour lies just outside Chiang Mai in a 15 centuries old rainforest. You can access the top and middle layers of this rainforest through a combination of platforms, sky bridges and ziplines. It can be a little bit fast and scary, but it is totally safe, and there are plenty of families that get involved as well as your typical adrenalin junkies.

Songkran Festival: This annual festival, which starts on April 13th and lasts between 3 and 10 days depending on which part of Thailand you are in, is the highlight of the year for many Thai people. It is a time when Thai people, and tourists in the country, come together to celebrate the new Solar Year. The main way of celebrating this festival is to throw water over as many people as possible and, as such, the whole of Thailand becomes one big water fight battle ground. As this takes place at the hottest time of the year in Thailand, it is not only fun to get involved, it is also refreshing too!

Rock Climbing: Climbers of all ages and abilities have been visiting Thailand for years so as to experience the amazing limestone rock formations that are widespread there. With so many adventure tourists visiting, it no surprise to find that several specialist companies have formed to cater to their needs. Of the many available, Wee’s Climbing School is considered to the best in the south of South Thailand, and Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures the best in the North.

Elephant Parks: Elephant parks are plentiful for in Thailand, but one that stands out from the rest is the Elephant Nature Park in northern Thailand. Set in a beautiful valley which is surrounded by rivers and mountains, there could hardly be a more appropriate place to have built it. Located in about 60km from the city of Chiang Mai, it provides a home for more than 30 elephants, all of which have come from distressed backgrounds. The basic aim of this park is to provide a rescue center and a sanctuary for the elephants. It sets itself apart from other elephant camps by promoting elephant tourism based on respect and dignity for the animals. Therefore, you find any elephant rides or juggling elephants here, just a chance to see and interact with elephants in a natural environment.

Visit this site for raw, unedited experiences of Thailand Holidays.

Cheap Holidays – The Cheaper way to Travel

We all love holidays, but in this economic climate it has made it hard to plan for them. It can be difficult to budget for a holiday even when we are desperate to get away, which is why last minute cheap deals are becoming more and more popular. When you arrive on your cheap holiday it may be that other people there may have paid a lot more for their deal.

One of the main reasons that cheap holidays are available is that often as the departure date for the holiday gets closer not all of the places on the holiday are booked. This results in the travel agent deciding to reduce the price of the holiday to make sure that they sell it, which is when you get the holiday at a really low price. You can get bargain holidays to all the great destinations in the world, but you may have to be flexible if you want a last minute deal. You also need to be quite flexible to really be able to benefit from a cheap holiday as some of them are quite last minute and are reduced in the few weeks or even days before the departure date.

A cheap holiday is isn’t just available for couples, families can also take advantage. Keep an eye out for last minute cheap holidays for you and your family or friends?
Finding cheap holidays is actually easier than you would think, you don’t have to spend hours trawling the internet to find them, it is easy to find one as you walk down your local high street. Travel agents often advertise their bargain holidays in their windows so you can casually browse as you walk past on the highstreet.

A cheap holiday is the cheapest way to try a holiday that you would not normally go for. When you do this you can get some amazing experiences that you wouldn’t normally do. Imagine what it would feel like to be on a holiday of a lifetime to a far flung corner of the world knowing that you haven’t broken the bank to get there. This is what will happen when you book a cheap holiday.
So for a if your looking to save money on your next holiday grabbing a cheap holiday is a must. One thing is for sure once you have taken one you will be hooked and want to look out for amazing bargains every time you want to book a holiday.

Top Balearic Waterparks for the Family

If you are heading out on recession beating family holidays to any of the Balearics this year, try to make sure you get yourself over to one of these awesome waterparks.There is nothing more enjoyable than cooling off in a water park, especially when the sun is blazing. Its also quite a fun way to cool down.

Aqualand – Magaluf, Mallorca
This park is large.  With more thank 15 slides and many other attractions, if you’re visiting Majorca and are in the west of the island you need to visit this park.  From unique slides like the boomerang, black hole and the tornado to the super slaloms and the 8 lane ‘multi-pistas’ there is an attraction for all.  They even have surf beach pool that can create over 1m high waves, and for the people that just want to relax, try the Congo River.  For the younger children there is the mini park catering in smaller versions of some of the grown up slides

Hidropark – Alcudia, Mallorca
If you are not located in the west of the island, over in the east you have the Hidropark in Alcudia.Hidropark is a smaller park than Aqualand but has plenty of slides. If you really want to make a splash take a trip on the kamikaze, this attraction is not for the faint hearted.  This park has nothing on Aqualand so if it’s in your budget, I would try to get to the other side of the island and experience the sheer size of the Aqualand.

Aguamar – Playa den Bossa, Ibiza

The White Isle has two worthy waterparks the first, and larger of the two is the Aguamar located just 15 minute bus drive from Ibiza town.  The Aguamar has many slides all will depend how daring you are feeling in your quest to cool down.  There are around seven types of slides as well as your relaxing rubber ring style slides.  They also offer what other people describe as the high and fast one.This slide is definately not one for the faint hearted.

Agualandia – Talamanca, Ibiza
Talamanca is a family oriented resort that benefits from having Aqualandia nearby.Aqualandia is a little smaller than the Aguamar park but caters more for children as it has many more children’s slides an benefits from sheltered areas.Aqualandia has the very fun multiple lane slides and also the twisty inflatable slides.This is the most family friendly waterpark in Ibiza.

Aquacenter – Los Delfines, Menorca

Family friendly Aquacenter in Los Delfines has many attractions for the whole family to get splashing.  The main highlights of this park are the Black Hole and the Giant Toboggan.They also have the rides that all water parks have like multi lane slides for the whole family to race to the finish. For the adults there is also a Jacuzzi area.

Aquarock – Cala’n Bosch, Menorca
The main attraction in Aquarocks is their kamikaze slide.For anyone adventurous, this slide will pummel you into the water at a cracking rate.Like the other parks in this article this water park has a good family area that included smaller versions of the adult slides.If water is not really your sort of thing there is always the go kart for you.

The Babymoon getaway

An exciting new trend in pregnancy is the practice of taking a ‘Babymoon’, a trip that pregnant couples take before giving birth in order to enjoy some rest and relaxation before their baby joins them. If you, or someone you know, is looking for some quietude and pampering before broken sleep and midnight feeds become ‘the norm’, then a pre-baby getaway is the perfect answer!

The word ‘Babymoon’ comes from the more traditional term of ‘Honeymoon’ and was first used in 1996 in a book by childbirth educator Sheila Kitzinger entitled ‘The Year After Childbirth’. “The transition to fatherhood is easier,” wrote Kitzinger, “when a man can take time off to be with his partner and baby in what I call a ‘Babymoon’.”

Many couples took Kitzinger’s advice, however, most opted to turn the Babymoon into a trip taken before the birth of their baby – not afterwards. Noticing the ever increasing numbers of pregnant couples checking in for Babymoons all over the world, the tourism industry seized on this hot new trend and nowadays pre-baby vacations are among the most requested travel packages and with good reason.

Babymoons are popular because parents-to-be know that the luxury of holidays without sterilisers, baby monitors and diaper bags in tow may be out of reach for a while, they therefore seize the opportunity for one last romantic get-away. For this reason, Babymoons are designed for optimum indulgence and pampering and provide the perfect setting to unwind and reconnect as a couple before embarking on the path to parenthood.

A growing number of resorts and destinations are offering special packages tailored to the needs and interests of parents-to-be and at Mount Tamborine’s Witches Falls Cottages, the experience is made even more exclusive due to the property’s peaceful location and the natural privacy and tranquillity of its setting.

Tucked away on Tamborine Mountain, in Australia’s Gold Coast Hinterland, the Witches Falls Cottages offer intimate and cosy accommodation for couples and are the ideal location to relax, rejuvenate and reconnect at any time. During a Witches Falls Cottages Babymoon, plan to do nothing more than rest, relax, be pampered and, as dusk falls, stargaze from your cottage’s large double spa through the glass ceiling above.

The Witches Falls Cottage Babymoon Package includes your choice of gourmet or BBQ breakfast in the morning, a cuddly companion for your baby from the local Teddy Bear Shop and the sheer indulgence of a one and a half hour pamper session in the privacy of your cottage. Choose a one and a half hour massage by therapists trained in pregnancy massage, or a one and a half hour Pamper Package that includes a ½-hour facial, a ½-hour manicure and a ½-hour pedicure.

If you are looking for the best Babymoon Australia you will delight in the gentle sanctuary of a Witches Falls Cottages Babymoon.

In August this year, Jonathan and Amy wrote in the Witches Falls Cottage’s Visitors Book, “We spent ages gazing up at the stars and making wishes for our unborn bub. Thank you for providing an exquisite Babymoon getaway!” We look forward to welcoming you to Witches Falls Cottages soon – the stars await you…