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The Vatican Celebrates the Beatification of Pope John Paul II

May 1, 2011 celebrates the beatification of Pope John Paul II, the ceremony by which he will becomes a Saint. The Holy Mass for the Beatification of the Servant of God John Paul II will be held in Saint Peter’s Square at 10 a.m., with Pope Benedict XVI officiating. The casket has already been exhumed and is now lying before Saint Peter’s tomb. It will be moved to the main alter during the ceremony, and following will be reinterred in the Chapel of St. Sebastian. While only a select delegation will be allowed inside for the ceremony, hundreds of thousand of visitors of all religious backgrounds will gather in Saint Peter’s Square to watch and listen as Pope John Paul II becomes a saint. As is typical for many events, large television will show the events inside to the outside […]

UNESCO Sites in Prague

Visiting UNESCO sites is a popular travel activity, and I always look up what sites might be in any area that I’m traveling to. Whether it’s an appreciation for history, a love of natural beauty, or both, there’s a UNESCO site sure to appeal to most travelers. While making summer travel plans, the city of Prague (capital of the Czech Republic) figured prominently on the list for awhile. So, of course, I went to check out the UNESCO sites in the country to learn which ones might be practical while visiting the city. There are 12 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list that are in the Czech Republic, and only one is in Prague. But when you consider that that one is the entire center of Prague, consisting of the Old Town, New Town, and Lesser Town, that’s a […]

Majorca: One Island, Hundreds of Beaches

There’s a reason European beach lovers have made the island of Majorca (also spelled Mallorca) a popular holiday destination – it’s because every where you turn there’s a beach calling out to you to relax and enjoy. Even the fondest sun lovers must come off the beach sometime, and Majorca holidays offer plenty of shopping, restaurants, bars and nightlife to go along with your sun. So how about those beaches?! Any listing of beaches is sure to stir up an argument as one person’s favorite is not included and another’s most dreaded beach is. So consider this a sampler of some beaches that may be worth a try, selecting one that best meets your geographic location and beach style. Busy Beaches If you’re looking to mix and mingle with lots of people, turning your time at the beach into one […]

Spring Break Travel Questions from Kids

Spring break might be over for some kids, but there are still a lot of families traveling on the planes. I’m not sure if parents are taking the kids out of school, home schooling, or if perhaps there are schools with a really late spring break. Most of the families seem to be having a good time, the parents may be tired and the kids a little rambunctious – it’s spring break, after all – but every day it reminds me how families choose to make travel a priority. Kids are full of questions, whether they’re experienced travelers or first timers, and they’re not afraid to put it all out there. From questions about flight etiquette to other information, here are some of my favorite questions from spring break – along with a few answers (always slanted to be appropriate […]

Planing Summer Travel to Italy

Today is travel planning day! Summer travel looms, and for the first time in many summers we have no plans firmed up. Air fare has been outrageously expensive, and although I have been tracking it since last fall, there has been no meaningful movement on it up and down. I expected fares to be high for peak summer travel, but these price points are shocking even me! But we can’t put it off any longer, and so today is travel planning for our Portugal and Italy holidays. First up, buying airline tickets. They’re nearly as much as a mortgage payment, but it’s time to bite the bullet and lock things in. They’re not going to get any cheaper. Our first stop on our summer travels is Lisbon, Portugal. We’ll be there for a week, for a week. We’ll be looking […]

History Lesson at Women’s Rights National Park

Turning on the news these days inundates us with struggles for democracy around the world. Even here at home, there are reminders to be ever vigilant about our civil liberties and individual rights, and I cannot even imagine a life in which women couldn’t vote or didn’t have individual freedoms. But the history is not all that distant. To honor the continual struggle for equal rights, and to celebrate National Park Week, why not take the family to the Women’s Rights National Park in Seneca Falls, New York. The first Woman’s Right Convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848 when five women organized a meeting to protest the laws and customs that discriminated against women. While those determined, courageous women are long gone, a visit to Seneca Falls today will allow you to “meet” the women via […]

Plan a Stopover in Krakow, Poland

Adventurous travelers are continually seeking out different and unusual destinations, but for many people who feel that they still haven’t seen some of the major sights of the world, there’s a sense that those destinations need to wait. In fact, you can easily add on a stop in central or eastern Europe while en route to that traditional stop in western Europe. Not sure how to make it work? Look for airlines and itineraries that allow you a stop over – that is, instead of making a close connection to your final destination, allow you to spend a few days seeing someplace that wasn’t exactly in your plans. For example, one of the connections for my trip to Europe this summer routed me through Krakow, Poland. After noting the reasonable price, my next focus was checking the map to make […]

Introducing: The Traveler’s Way

I’ve been laying low lately, not out of a lack of interesting travel experiences to write about or because I’m on the road, but because I’ve been in the midst of a big, big project. And when there’s a big project going on, I sort of go to ground, working hard to let things play out as they’re supposed to. So what’s been going on? After a number of years as working for other companies as a travel editor, I have gone out on my own, so to speak, joining with two highly respected individuals in the online travel space (more about them in a moment), to start a new online travel magazine. This is a big, and very exciting big step for me, and I am so darned excited that I can hardly stand it. The magazine is called […]

Noblo Umbrella Buddy Aids Beach Safety

There are so many safety considerations on a beach vacation, that sometimes it’s seems like it’s more work than fun. Sunscreen, water safety, jelly fish, and all the other potential hazards of spending the day on the beach multiply even more when you’re vacationing with children. The Noblo Umbrella Buddy, created by two moms concerned about the dangers of unsecured beach umbrellas blowing around on the beach, lets travelers enjoy the beach while also enjoying sun protection. Small enough to fit in your beach tote, the umbrella buddy attaches easily with velcro, and the uses beach sand to weigh down your beach umbrella, anchoring it into the sand and keeping it from flying down the beach. (Those flying umbrellas are apparently not some freak occurrences, not if those reports of legal settlements are true.) It folds up small enough to […]

Polynesian Cultural Center Invites Visitors to Participate in Island Life

The Polynesian Cultural Center is a popular attraction for visitors to the island of Oahu, and with its new Go Native! programs, visitors will have even more opportunities to learn about the Polynesian culture. Guests will be enticed into participating in traditional aspects of daily life from Pacific island cultures like those of Samoa, Tahiti and Hawaii, as they are introduced to activities that include coconut tree climbing, canoe paddling, spear throwing, and what looked to be my favorite – cooking. Visitors will learn about building a traditional Samoan aboveground oven, or umu, and then sample traditional Samoan food that they’ve prepared and cooked with their own hands, and to be a part of the meal preparation from start to finish. Food and fire preparations start at noon daily in the tunoa (Samoan kitchen) at the Samoan village. Villagers […]