The world around us

My favorite kind of vacation lately has been to go to the beach and just relax. The only activity we end up doing is renting some beach cruisers to explore the local area. Regular cycles just don’t cut it on the sand and if you want to ride a bike on the sand, it must be a beach cruiser. These have only one speed since they are meant for leisure rather than racing. I had read about beach cruisers from XYZ Bikes a few months ago and wanted to get one in time for our vacation last month, but none were available in my area.

Next time, I will be planning to purchase them a bit more in advance to make sure I have a beach cruiser. Most beach cruisers are quite cheap and very affordable, so it’s not much of an investment to make. XYZ Bikes sells a variety of these bikes mostly to customers in California at present, but the trend is catching on in other areas as well. It’s hard to resist them actually, with their bright and peppy colors that are just perfect for the beach. I am especially keen on the bright yellow one, which is one of their most popular beach cruisers.

Just a few more days and then we’re off for a while. We will be heading to Kerala this time and I’m really looking forward to the trip. It’s an area where I have never been to and it will be a great time, I’m sure. I’ve been reading up on places and things in the area, so that I am more aware of my surroundings and the historical significance of them. I find that it’s no use going to a place just to stare at the buildings and artwork or temples, it is important to understand who was behind them. And history is something that India is not short of…there are stories and tidbits of history everywhere you look. And that is the best part of the trip for me, learning something new, something that cannot just be gained through reading abook or watching a documentary.

One of the hottest holiday destinations this year is turning out to be las vegas nevada, especially for the New Year’s eve celebration. For a lot of people, Las Vegas is what partying is all about, for others it is a gambling destination, while still for others it is a great shopping spot, with all the big names on hand. Another huge draw to Las Vegas is the booming spa and rejuvenation industry, which has really been attracting all the big names and as a result a host of travelers and tourists, who want a bit of pampering. The combination of options that Vegas offers is just great, since there is something for everyone. Happy New Year everyone!

I’ve been busy doing my shopping before I head home. As usual, one has to get gifts for everyone, and since we’re visiting quite often, I have to get quite creative each time. I saw a promotion for golf bags and I think it’s the perfect idea, since they are something that will definitely be used and will really be appreciated. When it comes to buying gifts, it is often easier to buy the things that you like, instead of buying the things that your gift recipient will like. But that is the whole point of buying a gift…something that the receiver will like.

Summer vacation time is a great time to go to places like Vegas, but I personally feel that they’re even better at other times. In fact any time is good for Vegas vacations, isn’t it? We personally try to go to places that are not going through their peak rush times, since that really is the fastest way to spoil a vacation. Vegas however doesn’t fit that criteria, as the more people there are in the city, the better and more lively it seems. It really does pay to plan ones vacations in such a manner, since we all generally take one big vacation a year along with a few short breaks, so why mess it up right?

Almost time for us to take a bit of a break. And we’re oh so ready fro it. The summer here has been brutally hot and I’ve been feeling really claustrophobic lately since we’ve had to stay indoors most of the days. I’ve been trying to go regularly for my early morning walks, but most days it has been just too muggy even at 530 in the morning, which I find to be really quite suffocating and sad. This time our trip will have a bit of everything, family gettogethers, parties, weekend trips out of town and so on. Just a week to to.

We all have our weekend haunts don’t we? I think it is really important to have a place to go to, and thankfully we have always managed to find ours fairly quickly once we move to a new place. In Kansas City, I loved the country club plaza area, which is chockablock full of really great restaurants and cafes, especially local ones.

In Providence, we had this incredible diner in Wayland Square which was just a couple of minutes walk from our apartment. We loved going there for breakfast and then browsing through the fun stores there, which included an old bookstore as well! In Bristol, RI which is halfway between Providence and Newport, our good friends and neighbors introduced us to this awesome diner in a trailer of sorts, over looking the bay and the tiny park where one gets a great view of the fireworks in the summer.

In Bangalore, our haunt was the 100 Ft restaurant and boutique, which was not necessarily a breakfast place, but it was a great place to hang out, eat and shop. Here in Dubai, our weekend haunt is The Lime Tree Cafe, which serves really awesome breakfasts and has a wonderful atmosphere.

I recently booked our flights for our trip next month after a good search on the internet and the newspapers for the best flight deals. Airlines are always having some promotion or the other and if one can book a flight on one of these promotions, it usually saves a good amount of money and can even offer special perks like the use of the airport lounge, extra frequent flier miles or some other special deal. Since I wanted flexible travel dates, I was not able to take advantage of the special and ended up paying a bit more, since I’m quite sure that our return dates are likely to change. So, I bought a 4 month return ticket where I can make changes without having to pay for anything at all. I’d hate having to deal with problems when I’m away, so it’s best to anticipate them beforehand and make provisions for their solution.

Ever since a family friend came back from a cruise vacation, we’re really keen on going for one too. I’ve never been to interested in them, for some reason that I cannot understand, but now that I have heard first hand experiences of the variety of cruises that are available, I’d really like to try one out too. Since this summer is pretty much not possible, it has to be next year, but in the cruise industry, time lines like this are completely acceptable. The entire touring plan for a variety of cruises is listed on their sites and you can book a cruise for anytime next year. That is if it is still available, since they seem to sell out rather quickly, especially the short weekend ones. That is a good way to start off on cruising I think, as one can always take a longer one when one has an idea of what it is all about.

There are vacations of all kinds, but my favorite kind is to take a place for a longer time and settle in to really be able to relax and enjoy your vacation. Some vacations are so hectic that one ends up requiring another vacation when one returns, so what is the point of such a vacation. I’d much rather take something like these Outer Banks rentals where one can settle in and make full use of being on vacation. My parents are currently on vacation and they’ve done exactly that and by staying in one place for a longer time, they are being able to explore the area at their own pace and really take in the atmosphere and culture of the town. It’s the right way to vacation, I think.