Top 10 Romantic Getaways in the United States

1. Mountain Cabin Part One
If youre the kind of person that equates romantic getaway with mountain seclusion, then a cabin in the Rockies might be just the thing. The popular ski towns of Aspen and Vail, Colorado are popular for another reason cabin retreats. Imagine the snow falling around your warm and cozy cabin. Imagine the smell of hot chocolate and the bubbling sound of a hot tub. And just imagine being there with the one you love!

2. Mountain Cabin Part Two
The Smokey Mountains come up on a lot of romantic getaway lists. For instance, each year approximately 10,000 people get married in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a popular vacation spot in the Smokey Mountains. Because of this, the mountain town has become known as the unofficial wedding and honeymoon capital of the South. With its wooded seclusion, small-town charm, and breathtaking mountain views, its no wonder so many people equate Gatlinburg with romantic retreat.

3. Bed & Breakfast in Vermont, Manchester,
Vermont offers all the ingredients of a classic New England getaway - white-steepled churches, bed and breakfast accommodations, romantic dining and great skiing. In more recent times, shopping has also taken root in Manchester. The city's website, ManchesterVermont.com, says: Today, visitors to our community come to enjoy Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren and J. Crew, as well as the more traditional recreational activities.

4. Cape Cod, Massachusetts
There's a reason the Kennedy family owned vacation homes in Cape Cod. This New England seascape is the essence of small beach town tranquility. Dont expect an action-packed beach-resort experience Cape Cod is not that kind of vacation spot. But if your idea of relaxation is a seaside stroll along historic harbors, biking and boating, and visiting an antique shop or two, then this is your place.

5. San Francisco, California
San Francisco is a picturesque city with a diverse mix of cultures and populations. It's also a popular destination for couples in search of a romantic getaway. Between the Golden Gate Bridge and their world-famous trolleys, San Francisco offers something for everyone. As an alternative, you might also consider adjacent Sausalito, California, a Mediterranean style village that marks the gateway to California Wine Country. And speaking of California wine.

6. California Wine Country
If your idea of romance involves good wine and good scenery, you cant go wrong with California Wine Country as your destination. Napa Valley and Sonoma County are about an hour's drive north of San Francisco, and they have long been an attraction for honeymooners, wine lovers, and wine-loving honeymooners. Add in the scenery and the availability of bed-and-breakfast-style lodging, and you have all the makings of a great romantic getaway.

7. Big Island, Hawaii
Sure, some parts of Hawaii are quite touristy. (Waikiki comes to mind.) But there are plenty of locations on the volcano-formed island that offer beauty, seclusion and a nature-rich experience you can't find anywhere else. On the Big Island of Hawaii, the Kona Village Resort is famous for providing comfort and luxury in an otherwise remote tropical region. The resort is also a popular spot for honeymooners, and it comes up on quite a few "top ten" lists like this one.

8. Charleston, South Carolina
I grew up in Virginia and have traveled all throughout the
Carolinas. But when I think of Southern hospitality, one place comes to mind above all others. Charleston, South Carolina. Marjabelle Young Stewart, one of America's well-known etiquette experts, once called Charleston the most mannerly city in the U.S., and I think she was right. Founded in 1670, Charleston held significance during both the American Revolution and the Civil War. To this day, it retains much of its old-world charm and gentility. Conde Nast Traveler has named it a top-ten domestic destination for nine consecutive years. Theres one other thing I love about Charleston. I'm a southerner by birth, and I vote for Charleston as having the most delightful of all the southern dialects.

9. Niagara Falls
Okay, so this one's a bit cliche. But the reason Niagara Falls has been in so many movies, songs and water-cooler conversations is because so many people flock to it with romantic notions in mind. Straddling the border between the U.S. (New York) and Canada, Niagara Falls has attracted honeymooners and getaway-ers for 200 years. In fact, if you played word-association and said Niagara Falls, most people would probably say one of two things waterfall or honeymoon. For that reason alone, Niagara Falls has earned its place on this list.

10. Home Sweet Home
If you consider your home a cozy refuge from the world, it is in a sense a getaway. After all, home is a place to get away from lots of things - work, school, crowds, relatives, noise, traffic and hassle. It's also a place where you're the most comfortable. So there's certainly nothing unromantic about a crackling fire, a bottle of champagne, and a table for two in home sweet home.

Winter has come

As we approach the festive season it is clear that this winter on both sides of the Atlantic is going to be harsh, cool and very cold at times, so wrap up warm!

A Prescription for Happiness

During the winter months when spring seems so far away, it's easy to sink into a depressive gloom - especially as we are all being deprived of those important doses of Vitamin D from the sun! Of course, a simple solution is to book a few days vacation somewhere warm and top up - But when times are tough financially, it's not always possible.

But don't despair, read the wise words of Robert Louis Stevenson below and you may decide life's not so bad and you will find a way to muddle on til that next vacation arrives!

A Prescription for Happiness

• Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure in simple things.


• Make the best of your circumstances. No one has everything and everyone has something of sorrow mingled with the gladness of life. The trick is to make the laughter outweigh the tears. Don't take yourself too seriously.


• You can't please everybody: don't let criticism worry you.


• Don't let your neighbour set your standards.


• Do the thing you enjoy doing, but stay out of debt.


• Don't borrow trouble. Imaginary things are harder to bear than actual ones.


• Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish enmities or grudges.


• Don't hold post-mortems. Don't spend your life brooding over sorrows and mistakes. Don't be the one who never gets over things.


• Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.


• Keep busy at something. A very busy person never has time to be unhappy.

by R L Stevenson

Spectacular Ice Rinks

Now the Northern hemisphere has entered its midwinter and the dark nights have consumed the daylight, it's the perfect time to have a look around for something to occupy the family over the festive season. Outdoor Ice Rinks have become de rigeur in many places - it is no longer a surprise to come across one on a visit to a new town or city. But have you ever given any thought to which one you shouldn't miss??? Well here's a few!!!!

NEW YORK - in my view, the best place in the world to skate must be the Rockerfella Centre, New York. New Yorkers have a special enthusiasm for Christmas and all that is special about this time of year. The city is on fire with the magic of winter wonderland - nothing beats the lights, the carols, the decorations, the snow and the crowds. The Rink is just the icing on the cake!

LONDON - now for plain good old British class, try the Festive Ice Rink outside Somerset House in London. It gets more imaginative every year and is spectacular with the splendor of Somerset House as the backdrop and a Christmas tree decorated by Tiffany and Co.. This year join in with Party Club Nights on ice with Guest DJs providing the music as well as late-night torchlit sessions.

LAPLAND, SWEDEN - why not try one of Sweden's best kept secrets - the Ice Rink at the River Torne in Jukkasjarvi, Lapland. It's a frozen river and the ice is so clear - while you're at it checkout the Icehotel next to the rink. The scenery is from a perfect winter setting of ice and forests, huskies and mystical Scandinavian countryside - just add the Northern Lights and you are in heaven but this time, a heaven on earth.

INZELL, GERMANY - if you enjoy skating surrounded by alpine mountains, this could be your perfect choice - the Eisstadion Ice Rink in Inzell. Whilst it was a speed skating venue, it is now open to the public and a perfect winter setting.

MOSCOW - this city, of course, has one of the most famous outdoor rinks in the world - Gorky Parks Ice Rink upon which the whole of Moscow descends. You could brave the Sunday Ice Rink Disco which begins at 6pm and dance the night away.

YOSEMITE PARK, CALIFORNIA - not to be out done, down below mighty Half Dome and El Capitan is a purpose built Ice Rink in this huge National Park. Skate beneath the dark starry skies of California and loose yourself in the magic.

Other places with great rinks: Paris, Berlin (with Christmas Market) and Helsinki.

MySpace and Facebook

Today we have launched our new MySpace and Facebook community pages, this is just another great way that we can stay in contact with successful affluent professionals. Be sure to ask to be our friend and we will be happy to acknowledge you personally.

Belgian forests in Autumn

Hiking in the Belgian Ardennes, the southern part of Belgium with some hilly terain and a lot of forests : it's one of my favorite weekend activities, and it can be a bit adventurous too ! This story will show you some of the autumn beauty of the forest. After a two and a half hours drive I arrived in the little quiet village. It was clouded and it had been raining a little.

I had a few hours to spend before the sun would set behind the hills. I decided to do a little discovery walk, up to some medieval fortress ruins. The ruins were deserted as I arrived there. The (new) bridge that replaced the one once used by the knights, was wet and slippery. I went further towards the outlook point - the view was good and as I sat there for some 10 minutes. The sun managed to break through the clouds - this could be the beginning of a good weather weekend ! I went down again and continued my walk following a rocky hill ridge and along the river. It was time to go for diner and sample some of the local delicacies.

The next day, mist was hanging in the valley. After breakfast, as I put on my hiking boots, sunshine already welcomed me, and I was in the mood for some serious hiking now. I went through the forests to some nearby lake, about 10 kilometers away. In this season, there is quite a lot of hunting in this area, and the hunting dates are always marked at the main entrance paths to the forest. I was happy to read that there was no hunting that day, so nothing could spoil my plan anymore. Around noon, after having struggled with loads of mud on the paths, I arrived at the lake with a castle and a scientific station nearby. The surroundings of this lake are a nature preservation area, so it was off limits to hikers - but the views were good. I continued my walk after my lunch towards the Semois river, to reach a little dam that was previously used by the monks (I later went to the acient monastery, it's a very luxury hotel now). Although I had been to this place before, I never hiked there in autumn with forests full of leaves that cover all the paths and dim light. I got a little lost, that is, I had to walk back further than expected, which resulted in difficulties reading my map during the last half an hour of my hike. As I reached the village again, I saw some local people in full camouflage outfit, going into the now almost dark forest - hunters or nature watchers ?

The next couple of days, I made some other hikes, and the weather just was splendid. I could fully admire the whole range of autumn colours. At one point, I was walking on a little road through the forest, and a car approached me - one of the only cars I had seen till now. Two people came out of the car, talked quietly and pointed at some trees... Soon I also saw a herd of animals ! At first the seemed to be deer, but as I looked with the binoculars, it was clear this were mouflons. (These animals are originally imported from Corsica). There were like ten animals, just grazing between the trees. I had been hiking a lot in the forests before, but this was some unique experience !

On the next day I could not hike a lot, because the village was being invaded by hunters... They had a lot of jeeps and carriages with dogs and were all dressed like going to war... They made a lot of noise. There were "no trespassing" signs everywhere, hiking was not an option today.

Italian town of Pisa

The tower of Pisa is maybe one of the best known landmarks in Europe or even in the world, but there is more to it than just the tower - which is by the way still worthwhile and unique, not because of the way it stands, but because it is an architectural perfect round tower with I don't remember how many pillars... It is also the place where Galileo Galilei did his experiments about gravity.

When you think about Italy, it's about churches, palaces, art...and a sense of religion and mysticism is never far away.

All the cliches and souvenir stalls, and the crowds aside, this tower still is impressive and really stands in a dangerously inclining position. After the tower has been closed to the public for a long time, it is now open again, but only for a restricted number of people at the same time and for a "good price" - the ticket went up to 15 EUR per person, high enough to preserve the tower from too many tourists.

The most interesting to visit on the "miracoli square" however is the cathedral. Outside and inside are stunningly beautiful and the atmoshere is not fake - this is not just a museum. When I was visiting, a couple was getting married. The baptism chapel is the biggest of its kind in the world. The round chapel looks just splendid like the cathedral from the outside, on the inside it is rather simple and empty - but I guess that's just the point.

When in Pisa, do not forget to take stroll along the Arno river, visit the surrounding churches, chapels and discover interesting little squares in the city center. Absolutely fabulous to me is the chapel of the holy needle - there is nothing much inside, but on a clear day the contrast of the sharp white details against the blue sky is fantastic. Another piazza we encountered had great buildings with sgraffiti, a technique to make great detailed paintings on the outside of the building.

Some final thoughts. Eating a pizza in Pisa is a must, the many restaurants in the city offer a good variety of the local cuisine, enjoy it ! And beware of the numerous students on 'vespa' - they often drive not so slow in the narrow streets, and they always think they have the right of way ...

Chased by an elephant

A travel to Africa is not complete without a safari tour. That's what they say... So I went on a safari tour. I had no big expectations to begin with. "We've seen it all on National Geographic Channel already", I thought. But the truth is : it really is exciting, it's not like on TV and it raises your adrenaline levels... sometimes. It's something not to miss.

At first, it started rather disappointing. After a couple of hours driving in the Kruger park, after the 'thrill' of seeing your first zebra or impala in the wild, you start thinking 'where has all the wildlife gone, where are the elephants, the rhinos, the lions,... - did I travel this far to see some zebra and a couple of birds ? ' But then suddenly it happens, the show begins, ... suddenly an elephant or a rhino crosses the road, right in front of your car, ignoring all about you, just as if you're not there - you're not allowed to drive faster than 40 km/h in the park, so you're supposed not to bump into something. Seeing these big animals in their 'daily life activities', in their natural habitat, it's really impressive. Sometime later we 'bumped' into a family of elephants, feeding on the leaves of the trees. The whole family including the little ones. The sound of the elephants, the trees that crack as they pull against them. It's something unforgettable.

Another 4WD passes by and tells us they have seen lions further down the road. Let's go ! Arriving there, what we saw was really impressive. Eleven lions sleeping together, just besides the road. A real intimate athmosphere. We could touch them if we wanted to - but beware : these are real wild animals !Every year people get killed in Africa because they get out of their vehicles 'for the picture of a lifetime'. Soon after we arrived, some of the lions started to wake up, but none of them were aggressive to us; just like the rhinos and elephants we had encountered before, they just seemed to ignore us completely.

From a distance they seemed to be fighting with each other, but as we approached we quickly saw these two had something completely different in mind. Love was in the air, so we approached even more to watch the spectacle. After half an hour of approaching each other, it seemed the male was too small (young ?) for her, so he seemingly went away... She stood there without moving, flapping her big ears heavily, as he went away and started feeding. Was she still waiting, was his leave just a part of the ritual, could he come back ? What has happened next , I'll never know, as we had to move further...

Again, what surprised me was that these two also ignored the presence of humans-in-their-vehicles completely - as if we were invisible intruders. It really felt like an intrusion into the life of these animals at that time. However... a couple of hours later, after we had seen almost nothing since this last meeting with the 'love birds', except for the odd eagle and a turtle, we encountered an elephant that was not ignoring us...

We just came driving by, and from a distance, we could see an elephant next to the road. Big deal ... we had seen elephants before... we did not intend to stop to take pictures. Suddenly our guide stopped and put the vehicle in reverse. She had seen a snake on the road, and that was something to stop for ! The snake appeared to be hit by a car and as dead as a dead snake can be. So we moved on again, approaching the elephant again.

The next moment, as we came next to this massive animal, it started to chase us ! Our driver didn't notice this at first, so we shouted : "Full throttle ! Elephant behind us". The elephant was accelerating fast and approaching our vehicle dangerously close. If he would hit the car, we would flip over ! Luckily enough our acceleration in first gear was good enough to escape from this aproaching danger and the elephant stopped following us - thank you Volkswagen.

Who said safari was boring again ?

Nepal

Upon arrival on the international airport of Kathmandu, after an exhausting trip of more than 20 hours and three connecting flights, the hills of Kathmandu valley and the country side housing welcomed me on my first encounter with the Kingdom of the Himalayas. Inside the airport building, everything seemed like it was set up just last week , some signs were handwritten and attached with ducktape to the walls, saying where to go for immigration or luggage. Speaking of luggage, Kathmandu X-rays your luggage also when leaving the plane (something I've never encountered before in other airports), and the machines are not filmsafe, so better take out your film rolls and hand them over to officials to avoid coming home after your wonderfull holiday with nothing but pictures of 'Nepal by Night'...

The luggage handling system is mainly manual and seems all too chaotic - fact is , I discovered at that point that my luggage was missing. I had to explain to some of the airport staff around and he filled out a form and told me to call the airport tomorrow. 'Who should I contact' , I asked ? 'Anyone, just ask and they will know', he replied. I didn't take the chance and returned the next day in person, stepped inside some of the offices and finally got my luggage back (after all it had been delayed in Bangkok, so Kathmandu was not to blame for this). But let's return to the taxi drive from the airport into town on the first day. Upon leaving the airport building (after I changed some dollars into Nepalese Rupees, the woman behind the counter just couldn't figure out how the computer program worked and changed to the pen and paper method after ten minutes) , all of the drivers were outside waiting for the first 'victim' to come out. I was approached by many men at the same time all wanting to drive me into town. I quickly went along with the guy that seemed to walk the fastest and left the others behind. We agreed on the price of 200 or something Rupees and I got into his (very old ) cab. It took some minutes before he managed to get the car starting, but after several retries we were on the road. At first we took a main road, and I passed some very poor housing and the piles of garbage were everywhere, and there were cows in the middle of the road... After some 15 minutes, we took some small roads and were in the middle of the hustle-and-bustle of Kathmandu city. Everyone was using their horns all the time, it was crowded and I just couldn't figure out if we were supposed to drive on the right side or on the left side of the road, this driver was switching sides all the time !

Then he stopped at a petrol station and asked me for money for the petrol. I first didn't agree because I thought he would charge me at the hotel for the ride anyway and 'forget' about the money for the petrol. But he assured me I just had to pay in advance now for the taxi ride, so he could buy petrol and he wouldn't charge me twice for the ride. I had little choice anyway, we were out of petrol (later it turned out I could trust him, he kept his promise when at the hotel). Finally we were back on the road and I reached my hotel in the Chetrapati area. All the noises, the smell and crowd was really overwhelming; the weather was hot and sticky - where had I gotten into ?

The hotel was actually OK and tidy, far better than I expected based on the surrounding streets and the impressions I had sofar. I decided to wander around a little. It turned out quickly that my city map was not very useful, most streets have no names and I was disorientated very fast. I met some guys that told me to be students and wanted to practice English, they walked along with me for I while and I soon knew as they started explaining the history of the temples and other some stuff, they would ask me for money soon. But at the same time these guys took me to several streets (that were very dirty with piles of garbage everywhere) few tourists would wander into, and I saw several lesser known Hindu temples. I enjoyed the walk but at some point I absolutely had no idea where I was into this maze of little streets. Of course that was the moment they started to discuss the money issue, and I must admit I had to pay them far more than I had planned to give them in the beginning, but I was alone with these guys and I didn't know where I was... I insisted they 'escorted' me back to my hotel, which they did eventually. Afterwards, the next couple of days I discovered that nearly everyone in Nepal pretended to be a student wanting to learn English... 'OK, they got me', I thought, I hope they do something useful with the money... Of course there are all the time other people in Kathmandu wanting your attention : the beggars for money or food, the guys that want to sell you hash or tiger balm (nobody ever seems to buy this stuff but they go on trying to sell it to you), the mountain guides and porters trying wanting you to hire them, etc...

I also visited some of the well known tourist attractions, like Durbar Square and the 'Monkey Temple'. I saw the Kumari (the living goddess) inside the Kumari Temple, had lunch on a rooftop restaurant with a view on Durbar Square, and saw some Saddhu (holy man). Everything considered this first impression of Kathmandu was an exciting experience.

Grand Canyon

This was one of my dreams coming true; to see the biggest canyon in the world I heard and seen so much about already. I was finally there, so I had to hike it.

Since time was limited, I took one of the classic hikes, the one to the 'plateau point', about 2 or 3 hours hike down, from where you can see the Colorado river beneath. The hike starts at the visitor centre, where you can buy a 'I hiked the Grand Canyon' T-shirt, even if you only walked the rim... I bought some trail mix over there, and refilled my water bottle. To hike the canyon, you need at least 3 litres of water, but drinking water fountains are available every hour or so, you can refill on the way.

The hard thing about Grand Canyon is that you start hiking down, hurting your knees in my case, and then have to go all the way up again. This seems obvious, but do not underestimate the canyon : it gets very hot in there, as it already was by the time I started. The vistas are beautiful as you go deeper and deeper into the canyon, there are flowers and cactusses , and squirels. I rested at 'Indian Gardens', a place with pick-nick area. As I arrived there, black clouds were coming in now. It had been clowdy all day but this change was very sudden. I hesitated if I would go further or not. Finally, I decided to go back up as it was clear a thunderstorm was coming in.

About half an hour later, hell broke loose. It started to rain and hail, and soon there was also thunder and lighting. I luckily had my rain gear with me - as I always do when hiking. I had to stop for some time because this hail really hurt on my back and mud streams were coming down, crossing the path. The lighting struck some trees in the distance, there was smoke. This was totally different from what I expected Grand Canyon to be. Moments later, I continued the hike. There was one advantage; it was much less hot. By the time I reached the rim again, the thunderstorm was gone, but the clouds were still there and the views were somewhat misty now.

Next day, the weather was great and I took a helicopter flight above Grand Canyon. Although these flights are really the top of 'tourist things to do', it was really spectacular and well worth the price.