National Police and Colombia Military at Chipichape Cali

www.caliplaza.com Chipichape is a large modern Shopping Center in Cali Colombia. In this Video, the Policia Nacional where at Chipichape celebrating their birthday (Not sure which Birthday). The Police were exhibiting training and exercising techniques. Many Policemen were fully armed, with Colombian Military Patrols on the Street in front of Chipicaphe. Colombia is known worldwide for danger and drugs, but Colombia has changed in the past 3 to 5 years. It is much safer now, but still with problems. Colombia and Cali are fast becoming a great Vacation Destination.

Yosemite National Park Lodging: It’s a Family Affair

Yosemite National Park Lodging has earned a reputation as the family destination in America. More than 4 million people visit each year, and Yosemite National Park Lodging makes all of them feel right at home. Your family will, too. Because Yosemite lodging offers something for everyone! Yosemite lodging gives you an opportunity to experience Yosemite National Park up close and at when the park is at its best…which is any time of the year. A park for all seasons and plenty of reasons to visit soon.

Yosemite National Park lodging has comforts, conveniences, sights, and attractions to suit every age and every budget. Snug in your bed or sleeping bag, when you’re lodging in Yosemite, you’re a stone’s throw away from pristine waterfalls, granite domes, and giant sequoias. Yosemite National Park is a national treasure and Yosemite lodging is a national pastime!

For many, visiting Yosemite National Park is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will never be forgotten. Youngsters experience the wonder of nature for the first time while parents and grandparents re-experience the Park again through the eyes of their children.

Yosemite National Park lodging is especially popular with multi-generational families. One important reason is that the disabled may access Yosemite lodging –as well as the Park’s sites – with ease. Grandparents with special needs who still want to keep up with their active grandchildren…and kids with special needs can keep up with today’s active seniors! Meanwhile, mom and dad will be able to keep up with the affordable costs of Yosemite lodging. Affordable camping rates, outstanding R/V deals, and wallet-friendly lodges make Yosemite National Park lodging within reach of almost everyone.

Active families who choose Yosemite lodging during the winter months have a wide range of group activities to choose from. Kids (10 or older) can join adults in strapping on snowshoes at Badger Pass. The costs are as family-friendly as Yosemite lodging. For just $3, you can follow a ranger on a guided walk. If you’re feeling more independent, you can outfit family members in snowshoes for just $10 at the cross-country center and do your own independent exploring.

Yosemite lodging is so comfortable that you may find it hard to get the kids out of bed in the morning. A good incentive is the fun of photography. In the summer, shutterbugs as young as 7 and as old as 12 may join a Kodak photographer for a one-hour workshop. Weather permitting, kids can head out from at The Ahwahnee Hotel while the grown-ups retire to their welcoming Yosemite National Park Lodging for a little rest and relaxation of their own.

Yosemite National Park Lodging is welcoming, but it’s not unlimited. Yosemite Lodging for overnight visitors is limited to 1,871 campsites and 1,632 lodging units. There are also a few R/V camps and horse camps, but those Yosemite lodging options can accommodate only about 900 or so additional guests. Visitors seeking prime Yosemite National Park Lodging, a particular location, special amenities, etc. should be sure to make their reservations early so that they’re not disappointed

Yosemite Park Lodging – Where Kids Find Their Smiles

Yosemite lodging is what the guidebooks call it, but kids call the campgrounds, r/v parks and rustic accommodations of one of America’s best-loved vacation destinations “a little slice of heaven.” And no wonder! Lodging in Yosemite National Park delivers everything a kid (of any age) could want: a sense of the old, a taste of the new, and the thrill of something completely unexpected waiting to be discovered. Open the door, pull back the tent flap, turn in any direction and you’re face-to-face with one of the world’s most kid-friendly landscapes.

Yosemite lodging doesn’t have something that you might expect: reception. As a result, it’s difficult to use telephones and radios, and the only place that TVs can be found are at one of the Park’s hotels. Fortunately, the same thing that makes it difficult to stay in touch with the ‘outside’ world is what helps kids get in touch with the world around them. Yosemite Park lodging options, especially campgrounds and R/V parks, help young travelers uncover a completely new definition of ‘fun.’ Disconnected from electronics and technology, they develop an appreciation for nature and nuture the ability to find pleasure in simple things…lingering long after a vacation in Yosemite ends.

Yosemite Park lodging offers something else kids’ crave: quality family time. With both parents working in many households, opportunities for everyone to be together are often few and far between. Camping provides an inexpensive alternative to the vacations many families would like to take but cannot afford. Kids and parents alike enjoy being able to kick back and relax as a family, with no distractions…and none of the day-to-day problems of home life to get in the way of a good time.

Yosemite Park lodging even makes mom and dad feel like kids again. Carefree…at least as far as money is concerned! You can go the deluxe route when you visit Yosemite, of course. But Yosemite lodging is so varied and diverse that almost any family can find a budget- friendly option…and a destination that kids can look forward to visiting again and again…maybe even dreaming of the day they’ll bring kids of their own..

Yosemite Park lodging is perfect for “city kids” who may not be used to the wilderness. They can get a healthy taste of the wilderness experience without having to rough-it too much. Comfortable R/V parks and campsites rich in amenities and creature comforts make Yosemite lodging a nice place to come home to at the end of a child’s busy day.

For kids more comfortable with rough-and-tumble activities, Yosemite lodging is an ideal home base for favorite activities such as biking and river rafting. Horseback riding is especially popular with teens. Guided scenic rides depart from and return to stables in Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Tuolumne Meadows…each one in close proximity to different Yosemite National Park lodging choices.

From a child’s perspective, simple experiences are often the most meaningful Sitting around a campfire is one of the best forms of entertainment that parents and kids can enjoy, and an experience to be remembered and savored for a lifetime. Yosemite is the perfect place for young imaginations to soar along with the mountains.

Yosemite Valley Lodging Is A Winter Savings Wonderland

Yosemite Valley lodging is always the ‘in spot’ because fun is in-season 365 days a year! California’s ‘gift of nature’ is constantly changing, and many love Yosemite best during the warm summer months. In July and August, Yosemite lodging hosts families on summer vacations. The park is a happy destination for kids and adults eager to escape the heat by rafting on a river or sitting in the cool shade of giant Sequoias.

But when the weather outside is frightful, many people find Yosemite Valley lodging delightful! Because despite the fact that many of the roads in the park close due to heavy snow in winter; Yosemite Valley is open all year long and Yosemite lodging is, too.. At 4,000 feet, Yosemite Valley’s winter temperatures are relatively mild… 26 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, even in February. The unpredictable weather makes winter an excellent time for photography in Yosemite Valley. Stormy clouds hang over the cliffs and valley floor like cotton balls creating spectacular shots that make amateur shutterbugs feel like pros.

There’s more good news. Yosemite lodging comes in many price ranges, but it is especially affordable during the winter months. Winter is considered “off-season” and Yosemite Valley lodging costs dip right along with the mercury. In general, there are fewer people visiting and rooms…especially during midweek…are available on very short notice. This makes Yosemite lodging options a perfect choice for people with flexible travel plans. They can take advantage of last-minute airfare specials and get a great rate on Yosemite lodging.

Yosemite lodging may host fewer human guests than usual when there’s snow on the ground, but there is an abundance of wildlife to be seen. Deer, raccoons, coyotes, and mule are common. And when winter robs Yosemite trees of their leaves, it’s possible to see bears outside their caves – their own version of Yosemite Valley lodging!

You can’t say “Winter in Yosemite” without talking about the winter sports scene there. Elite athletes and amateurs share Yosemite Valley lodging, and both groups take advantage of Yosemite’s deeply discounted winter sports packages that combine lifts, equipment rentals and (for novices) instruction in skiing and snowboarding. The Badger Pass Ski Area, about a 40-minute drive from Yosemite Valley lodging, is California’s original ski area. The Pass’s gentle slopes and the quiet backdrop of Yosemite in winter have made this area a traditional destination for generations of holiday travelers throughout California.

Although most of Yosemite Valley’s lodging goes to ski enthusiasts in winter, skating under the amazing shadow of Glacier Point and the world-famous Half Dome monolith has brought winter visitors to the Park for more than 70 years. The outdoor rink at Curry Village is the perfect skating spot on a starry night and inexpensive rentals make it easy to spontaneously join the fun. Or if you prefer, settle in beside a crackling fire with something warm to drink and watch the skaters glide by.

Winter in Yosemite Valley is whatever you want it to be…as long as you want it to be fun!

does anyone know of an inclusive list re:discounts etc. for disabled veterans? ie. camping at national parks?

National Professional Golf Tour Offers Aspiring Professional Golfers Convenience And Affordability

The National Professional Golf Tour is the creation of avid golfer and accomplished entrepreneur Larry Lunsford. Mr. Lunsford’s professional interest in golf began in  Florida while working as an apprentice at the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at the Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando. In 1996, he accepted a position at Grand Cypress Resort, the sister course to Arnold Palmer’s Bayhill Country Club and Lodge, as an apprentice operator. While attending turf school during the evening, Larry learned every aspect of the golf course design, maintenance, and management business and during the day he worked at the golf courses. In 1996, Larry continued to pursue his interest in golf by founding the “American Amateur Golf Tour,” the world’s largest amateur golf tour. Larry sold the tour to an investment group in 2005, and it is now known as the Golf Channel Amateur Tour and airs on cable’s The Golf Channel.

The National Professional Golf Tour was born in 2009 out of Mr. Lunsford’s desire to give aspiring golfers the chance to earn their way to the PGA Tour. In 2010, NPGT and Larry joined forces with the Arnold Palmer Golf Management and Century Golf Partners to offer a dream to some of the top golfers in the United States. The NPGT is also a supporter of the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, a 150 Bed facility providing care for kids of Central Florida. Raising money for charity is one of the main objectives of the NPGT and its tournament directors.

In March 2010, aspiring golfers will have the opportunity to participate in professionally run golf tournaments across the country. The National Professional Golf Tour (NPGT) is launching a 12-tournament season in each of the 22 cities across the country. Sponsored by ProPlay Sports and Parker Golf, the tournaments are designed as a stepping-stone for professional golfers whose ultimate goal is to play on the PGA, Nationwide or Champions Tour.

Unlike other professional tours, golfers who participate in the National Professional Golf Tour won’t have travel all over the state or region to find a tournament. The tour locations and schedules are combined with the ease of purchasing membership packages, eliminate the weekly travel costs, hotel and restaurant expenses and outrageous entry fees that characterize other tours. The NPGT provides golfers with a competitive golf experience that is both affordable and convenient.

In 2010, the NPGT will be making hosting tournaments across the country including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Seattle, San Antonio, Miami, Atlanta, San Diego, Phoenix, Kansas City and Dallas and more. In 2011, the tour will expand to include Chicago, Nashville, locations in North and South Carolina, Colorado and Louisiana. Members of the National Professional Golf Tour may compete on both their local tour as well as any NPGT tournament nationwide.

The NPGT is open to professional golfers of all ages who may compete in one of two divisions.  Any player with a 4 handicap or better may compete in the Open division while the Masters division is reserved for players 40 years of age or older with a handicap of 6 or better.

There are currently six membership packages available, ranging from a single amateur tournament to a platinum membership, which includes all twelve tournaments and the three Major events.  A $1200.00 annual membership fee grants players an opportunity to compete in any of the 22 markets across the country. Pricing for membership packages ranges from $500 to $10,025 and members who win tournament events are eligible to have the $1200 membership fee waived for up to three years.

NPGT golfers also have the opportunity to compete in three 54-hole Major events, The National Open Championship, The Players Championship and The Southern Masters.   The tour culminates in two events, the National Cup Match Play event and the National Tour Championship and members must qualify to participate in these events.

At stake in the National Cup match play event is a $25,000 prize. The top 124 money leaders from each division who have participated in at least eight tournaments are invited to compete in the National Tour Championship where players have the chance to compete for both a $500,000 purse. The first place winner will receive $100,000 in prize money as well as the prestige of the Tour Championship title.

Members also have the opportunity to qualify for a paid entry into the PGA Q-School, where they’ll have the chance to compete for a spot on the PGA Tour. Additionally, the NPGT’s Player of the Year will receive a $10,000 bonus.

The National Professional Golf Tour is an exciting opportunity for professional golfers to enjoy the prestige of playing in a national golf tournament while gaining valuable experience that can potentially carry over to a spot on the PGA or Nationwide Tours. The tour’s affordability and convenience, combined with the hundreds of thousands of dollars in available prize money make the NPGT a tour unlike any other. The NPGT experience is one that is sure to benefit aspiring golfers of all ages in realizing their professional goals.

The National Parks System Offers a Myriad of Opportunities for Disabled Travelers

I’ve said it before, but I am happy to reiterate that traveling in a motorhome is a very comfortable and affordable means of transportation for the disabled.  It allows you to explore different parts of our country and experience some unforgettable opportunities.  I can think of nothing more awesome than a trip to our National Parks.

There are 391 areas in the National Parks System covering more than 84 million acres.  These areas consist of National Parks, National Seashores, National Forests, historical and military areas, as well as scenic and recreational trails and waterways.  All are kept immaculately clean, amply staffed, and easily accessible.

The National Parks Service offers a National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass absolutely free to disabled persons.  This Pass, called America the Beautiful Pass, allows the pass holder, plus three additional persons in their party, free entrance to federal recreational sites that charge a free.  It also provides a 50% discount on extra activities such as camping, swimming, boat launching, tours, and specialized services for the cardholder.  Concessionaries (gift shops, food, etc.) are usually not included in this discount.

The America the Beautiful Pass is a lifetime free pass and can only be obtained in person at any National Park.  In order to obtain this pass, you must provide valid documentation for your disability.  This documentation can include a written physicians statement; documentation from a Federal agency such as the Veterans Administration or Social Security Disability Income; proof of Supplementary Income; or a document issued by a state agency.

The National Parks System wants their parks accessible and enjoyed by everyone, regardless of their disability.  Many provide specialized programs in which to participate.  The best way to find out about these programs is to investigate the parks via www.nps.gov.  It is also highly recommended to visit each park’s Welcome Center upon arrival, in order to take full advantage of the programs and activities they offer.

Depending on the disability needs and the particular National Park, there are a variety of services offered.  Most offer ADA compliant tours; some tours are accessible with assistance.  For the visually impaired, audio stations and Braille are used to describe the sights and history in detail.  Service animals are permitted, but due to safety issues, some areas are limited.  For the hearing impaired, employees using sign language assist; as well as the Hearing Helper, which amplifies the audio descriptions.

There are wheelchair accessible decks and doors, as well as paved boardwalks at many of the scenic vistas.  Tram service, golf carts, and beach wheelchairs, which are ambulatory in sand and shallow water, allow access to areas within the National Parks.  For those who cannot get to these sights, CD-Rom, photos, and touchable exhibits are available in the Welcome Centers and Ranger Stations.

Many of our National Parks are easily accessible by motorhome.  The roadways are easily drivable and pull-offs are large enough to afford ample space in which to accommodate the motorhome so the breathtaking views can be enjoyed and appreciated by all.  Some campsites are also specifically reserved for those with disabilities.

Our National Parks System has been set up in order for all of us to experience our country’s natural beauty and history.  Because of a few extra considerations, like free access, special tours, and ADA compliancy, those with disabilities can enjoy our National Parks, as well.

Related articles:

• The Best Of National Parks (slideshare.net)
• Miami daytrip: A journey to the Everglades (locals.oyster.com)