Golf for free at the Homestead on April 20th

The Homestead is offering a free day of golf on April 20, 2009 in celebration of its 20^th anniversary this year. Tee times will be available to the public starting on April 13 and will be offered on a first come first serve basis. The cart fee will not be included. Tee times can be booked by calling 866-348-8993.

To further celebrate this significant milestone and as a thank you to customers, the Homestead will offer 9-holes of golf with cart for $20 or 18-holes for $40, for the entire 2009 golf season. The course has already opened for the year. The special rates apply to golfers who book tee times seven days in advance, excluding groups.

The Homestead’s 18-hole championship golf course, designed by Bruce Summerhays, has been recognized by the Best of State award organization as the best golf course for three of the past four years as well as the best golf shop in Utah for a total of four years. The Homestead’s 7,000-yard, par-72 course has incorporated a state-of-the-art GPS system for golfers. This high-tech system calculates exact yardages, allows golfers to keep track of their scores electronically, communicates real-time to the leader board for tournaments and includes a food and beverage ordering capability and a help button for staff assistance.

“Over the past 20 years, the Homestead golf course has experienced tremendous growth and has become a Utah favorite for golf enthusiasts across the state and throughout the region,” said Chris Briscoe, Director of Golf at the Homestead. “We enjoy serving the many individuals and businesses who have participated in the 220,000 tournament rounds of golf and 3,000 tournaments that we have hosted throughout the years.”

The Homestead Resort’s championship golf course is a 20 year charter member of the Audobon Sanctuary Program for golf courses. This program promotes ecologically sound land management and the conservation of natural resources. The positive impact that results from these practices extends beyond the golf course and helps benefit the broader community.

The Homestead 18-hole championship golf course, which winds through the surrounding Snake Creek Valley and Wasatch Mountains, continues to offer tremendous value with special offers and competitive rates. The Homestead is known for providing the lowest rate to seniors for $25 from Monday through Thursday after noon.

Eiffel Tower on Strike?

How frustrating would it be? You fly to Paris to see the sites and the grand daddy of them all is closed due to a strike. Unscheduled, unpredictable, unforeseen and Un American.

Flashpacking, the new way to travel

Never heard of "flashpacking"? Much like "staycations" of last year, flashpacking is simply a marketing term to encapsulate a growing traveler trend. In this case, a "flashpacker" is a type of traveler who is similar to a backpacker, but one who prefers bare-bones transportation (such as low-cost airlines, second-class rail service, etc.), and will spend a little more for a decent room and a bath.

Wikipedia defines Flashpacking
Flashpacking is a neologism used to refer to affluent backpacker. Whereas backpacking is traditionally associated with budget travel and destinations that are relatively cheap, flashpacking has an association of more disposable income while traveling and has been defined simply as backpacking with a bigger budget[11].
A simple definition of the term Flashpacker can be thought of as backpacking with flash, or style. One school of thought defines the Flashpacker as a rapidly growing segment of travelers who adhere to a modest accommodation and meal budget, while spending freely, even excessively, for activities at their chosen destination. Another school of thought defines flashpacking as an incongruous mix of 'slumming it' and luxury; of adventurous travel with those on a budget by day and sedate dining and comfortable accommodation by night.[12] Flashpackers have been further defined as tech-savvy adventurers who often prefer to travel with a cell phone, digital camera, iPod and a laptop[13], although none of these is required in order to be a flashpacker. As with other forms of travel, the term flashpacker is mainly one of self-identification. The origin of the term itself is obscure.
The term also reflects a growing demographic of travelers who are forsaking traditional organized travel, venturing to destinations once the reserve of more adventurous backpackers, and the increasing number of individuals who leave well paid jobs or take 'career breaks', using the time to travel independently, but with greater comfort and many of the gadgets they are accustomed to at home. As a result, hostels are evolving and offering more up-market accommodation to those still traveling on a budget[14] in order to obtain their business. The hostels have realized a need to evolve in order to meet the changing demands of travelers.[15]

Travel Gear - Kindle 2 – Amazon’s Newest Wireless Reading Device

Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines
Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback
Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots
Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required
Improved Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and even crisper images
Longer Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging
More Storage: Take your library with you; holds over 1,500 booksFaster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns
Read-to-Me: With the new text-to-speech feature, Kindle can read every newspaper, magazine, blog, and book out loud to you, unless the book is disabled by the rights holder
Large Selection: Over 260,000 books plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs available
Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise

Pros
Screen is easy to read both indoors and out, and font size is adjustable.
Longer battery life than Kindle 1; can last two weeks without recharging.
Slimmer design than original version.
Low-cost books (most for under $10), with free classics available online.
New free application lets you transfer existing Kindle titles to the iPhone.
Cons
High initial cost ($359).
Wireless function doesn't work outside the USA.
Limited participation by major guidebook publishers.
One-column format and lack of color for photos and maps.
Protective cover must be purchased separately; $30 through Amazon.com.

Island Reef Job

The real difference between first class and coach class

February 1, 2009 KSL Travel Show

February 1, 2009
KSL Travel Show


Black Book – Fairbanks, Alaska. Dog sledding day tour, Alaskan Tails of the Trail, by Mary Shields. The first woman ever to finish the 1,049 mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. She has participated in the Yukon quest and the Hope Race from Alaska to Siberia. Mary is the author of 5 books and has been featured in a PBS documentary. www.maryshields.com


Adventure on a Tank of Gas – According to Ski Magazine, Utah’s biggest secret – Snowbasin. The best Resort in the West you have never skied. http://www.skinet.com/travel/2009-01/utahs-big-secret-snowbasin


I don’t normally recommend Hotel’s, but if you do want to stay in one, I would recommend one on the list of HOSCARS.
The red carpet was rolled out in Dublin last night for one of the budget travel industry’s most anticipated events of the year as the HOSCARS (HOStelworld Customer Annual Ratings) took place to recognise the best hostels in the world.

The winners of the coveted Hoscars were:

1. Traveller’s House, Lisbon, Portugal
2. Rossio Hostel, Lisbon, Portugal
3. Lisbon Lounge, Lisbon, Portugal
4. The Riverhouse Backpackers, Cardiff, Wales
5. Greg-Tom Hostel, Krakow, Poland
6. Sitting On The City Walls Courtyard House, Beijing, China
7. Academy Hostel, Florence, Italy
8. Goodnight Backpackers, Lisbon, Portugal
9. Flamingo Hostel, Krakow, Poland
10. Mambo Tango Backpackers Hostel, Barcelona, Spain
Top Hostels by Continent: North America
1. Clarence Castle, Toronto, Canada
2. Hostel Seattle, Seattle, USA
3. Alexandrie-Montreal, Montreal, Canada
Latin America
1. HI Patagonia Hostel Puerto Madryn, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
2. Hostel Estoril, Buenos Aires, Argentina
3. Hostel Lao, Mendoza, Argentina
Africa
1. Equity Point, Marrakech, Morocco
2. Hostel Essaouira, Essaouria, Morocco
3. The Backpack & Africa Travel Centre, Cape Town, South Africa
Asia
1. Sitting On The City Walls Courtyard House, Beijing, China
2. Zhengjia International Youth Hostel, Pingyao, China
3. Eight Elephants Hostel, Taipei, Taiwan
Oceania
1. YHA Rotorua Treks, Rotorua, New Zealand
2. Dreamtime Travellers Rest, Cairns, Australia
3. Jailhouse Accommodation, Christchurch, New Zealand
Special Category Awards were also given to the following hostels:
Cleanest Hostel: Lisbon Lounge, Lisbon, Portugal
Most Secure Hostel: Budapest Bubble, Budapest, Hungary
Most Fun Hostel: Rossio Hostel, Lisbon, Portugal
Hostel with Best Location: Traveller’s House, Lisbon, Portugal
Best Staff: The Riverhouse Backpackers, Cardiff, Wales
Hostel with Best Character: Traveller’s House, Lisbon, Portugal
Best Small Hostel [Max 50 beds]: Rossio Hostel, Lisbon, Portugal
Best Large Hostel [Min 500 beds]: Wombat’s City Hostel, Berlin, Germany
Most Improved Hostel: Marlborough Hostel, Dublin, Ireland
Best Hostel Chain
Wombats, Austria and Germany
Hatters Hostels, England
St Christopher’s Hostels – Belgium, England, France, Netherlands, Scotland


Who says “Any Publicity is Good Publicity”?
TRIPADVISOR'S DIRTIEST HOTELS IN THE UNITED STATES
1. Hotel Carter, New York 2. Continental Bayside Hotel, Miami Beach 3. New York Inn, New York 4. Eden Roc Motel, Wildwood, N.J. 5. Days Inn Cleveland Airport, Brook Park, Ohio 6. Days Inn Airport/Stadium Tampa, Tampa 7. Travelodge Bangor, Bangor, Maine 8. Velda Rose Resort Hotel, Hot Springs, Ark.9. Ramada Plaza Hotel JFK International Airport, Jamaica, N.Y. 10. Days Inn & Suites Gatlinburg, Gatlinburg, Tenn.

This is Hilarious, because with this list above, Tripadvisor lists the price and ability to book on line through their site.