I-95 runs 1,917 miles along the length of the east coast with over 300 miles of it in Florida. Starting near Jacksonville, running to Miami with main thoroughfares such as I-10 to I-4 intersecting with it. If you’re going anywhere along the east coast in Florida chances are some point you’ll be on I-95.

Known as the “East Coast’s Main Street” I-95 serves the entire Northeast as well because it is an important factor in commerce and tourism, linking New England and the southern part of America. I-95 passes through more states than any other Interstate Highway.

There are many exits in Florida and they lead to some of the Florida’s finest destinations. The first major city in Florida on I-95 across the boarder from Georgia is Jacksonville. Jacksonville is truly beautiful between the architecture and the bridges and the fact that the St. Johns River runs through it, necessitating the bridges, this place is spectacular. One of the best things about Jacksonville is the river. You see they have these water taxis there that you can take when you party around downtown or go to one of the Jacksonville Jaguar Games, I’ve done both. Jacksonville Landing is the place to party on the river. You can eat drink and, in general, be merry. If you were head off to the west this is where you’d leave I-95 for I-10 a road that takes you well into Texas ends in L.A.

The next important stop down I-95 is historical St. Augustine. Touted as the oldest city in America this place takes a good five day visit if you want to see everything there is to see. You can spend a day going through the historic shopping district alone. They have sight seeing trains, ghost tours and are known for their many Bed and Breakfast lodges and the food there is fabulous. They have a famous lighthouse there that recently has been listed as haunted, if you believe. Last time we were there we took a carriage ride through the city at night, it was spectacular. One of the stops on the carriage ride was by Flagler College; Henry Flagler was instrumental in the development of Florida all the way down to the Florida Keys, much like I-95.

Our next stop would have to be Daytona, Home of the world renowned Daytona international Speedway. It’s like this whole city is about speed and engines and RPM’s. Many people travel down I-95 many times throughout the year for Speed Week, Bike Week, Biketoberfest and other races or events. These events bring the city many dollars along with those people so the residence of Daytona put up with the traffic and noise. One of my favorite things about Daytona Beach is that you can drive on the beach which makes sense if you think about it because the beach is where all this need for speed began all those years ago.

Don those ears and grab that Pixie dust because off of I-95, just a short drive west on State Road 528, also called the “Beachline”, and you’re in Orlando a favorite vacation destination of people all over the world. Orlando may very well be the theme park capital of the world. Disney has 4 theme parks there several resorts, two water parks and Downtown Disney a shopping, dining and entertainment venue. Universal studios has two theme parks and tier own downtown venue call City Walk, there are water parks, Thrill ride parks, dinner shows, souvenir shops and just about anything else entertaining you can think of and I didn’t even mention the sports teams, theaters and performing arts centers. Between Daytona and Orlando you’ll find the turn to I-4 the gateway to the west, of Florida that is. I-4 takes you straight across the state and leaves you off in the Tampa St. Petersburg area.

The next significant area you come to down I-95 is called the Space Coast which includes a good portion of North Brevard County. Here, as the name suggests, is where you’ll find the Kennedy Space Center, NASA and Cape Canaveral, where they shoot off the Space Shuttle. The Space Coast is also where you’ll find world famous Ron Jon Surf Shop, in Cocoa Beach. Cocoa Beach is called the small wave capital of the east coast; there are several surfing fests held here each year. It was also the home of the fictional characters Jeannie and Major Nelson, there is even an I Dream of Jeannie Lane. Port Canaveral, which is the busiest cruise ship port in Florida, is located here too.

From here down I-95 there are many coastal towns dotted along the way; Jupiter is one of note, Burt Reynolds once owned a dinner theater here and there is a great lighthouse and an inlet where boats are able to come inland. Jupiter is also considered the start of South Florida.

We are coming to the end of our journey down Florida on I-95 as we reach South Florida. One of the first things you’ll notice when you’re in South Florida, besides the subtropical climate, is the water. The water down there is the same clear blue-green of the Caribbean, so nice. Palm Beach is a popular town in South Florida, its where all the rich and famous from New York come to spend their winters, Donald Trump has a home here. Palm Beach is full of designer shop and swanky hotels. During the winter if you’re from the North and you have money this is the place to see and be seen.

Fort Lauderdale is next down I-95 and was once known as THE place to come for Spring Break. In 1960 there was a famous movie about 4 college friends who come down for Spring Break called “Where the Boys Are” staring Connie Francis and George Hamilton, the song from the movie was actually pretty popular. Fort Lauderdale is still a great place to visit any time of the year.

Now we come to our last stop, the place where I-95 ends – Miami. Miami is an amazingly vibrant city with a powerful Latin and developing European flare. Driving into the city you can feel the energy but that might just be from the pulse of all the traffic. Miami offers the best of everything that is South Florida -food, fashion, water sports. They have a port there where you can leave for a fabulous Caribbean Cruise; they have several sports teams to enjoy including the wildly popular Miami Dolphins, Go Fins! The people of Miami are a mix of people from all over the Latin world and many of them speak Spanish so it might be good idea to pick up a few phrases if you’re going to be down there for any length of time. Trust me this is a place where if you go you’ll want to stay. One of the most famous residence in the area is Gloria Estefan, she came over with her family when she was just a girl and is very involved in building up and promoting the Miami area.

Tattooing is an art form where there is pigment inserted into the skin of people in order to create a decoration or a message of some sort.

Their history dates back to the Stone Age and roughly 8 to 10,000 years ago in both Europe, Asia and Japan. Tattoos have been seen to exist on the skin of ancient mummies.

There are many cultures where this is totally an acceptable practice including on the face. Other cultures although it is present in the society it is not really typical in the business community. In some cultures it has specific meaning or connotations such as in Japan where tattoos are associated with traditional organized crime groups. In other cultures they may have other meanings such as spiritual, religious, for convicts, about love, bravery, protection against evil, etc.

Animals have marks put on them for identification and this sort of marking unfortunately has been used on people as well such as the marking of Jews in the concentration camps in World War II.

More people have tattoos than one might think with approximately 16% of adults in the United States having at least one as of the year 2003. They have come in and out of popularity and in and out of the culture. Tattoos to the lower section of a woman’s back has become popular where they generally had a negative connotation on women priorly.
Military units have been known to use tattoos in both the United States and in England.

The techniques for creating the tattoos has become more sophisticated over the years. Going from a single needle wrapped in thread soaked in dye which was poked into the skin, to an engraving machine in the late 1800s, to today there are machines that have many needles and which go in and out of the skin 100 or more times per second. The dyes and pigments used have also become much more diverse.

There are health and safety precautions which must be taken so ensure that the customer does not get infected. Care must be taken after the tattoo is done to not only ensure that it does not get infected but also to prevent it from getting wet which may minimize its effect.

Although considered permanent, tattoos today can be mostly removed with laser technology.

Retirement is an awaited part of our lives. We plan for it years before it happens. What should we do when we reach this time? Some would opt to spend their years engaging in hobbies or civic activities, or simply just enjoying life. Others though would prefer to spend some time travelling. For some, it would just be once-in-a-lifetime retirement vacation. Whatever it is, go to the best places to travel when you retire. Check out first the security status of these places. Ask for brochures from travel agencies so you can plan your trip. Sometimes, first-hand vacation stories from friends and family can help you choose your travel spots. If possible, combine leisure and educational travel together so you will have a broader experience. Learn from the people and the culture of the places you visit.

If you are from the USA or Europe, you might want to travel to the sunny part of Asia. It is a totally different culture out there yet still with the full comfort of comfort of technology. If you are fond of shopping, come to Bangkok where you can have shopping galore day and night. Enjoy the night market with the rest of the crowd. The beaches are also inviting, and the exotic plants abound. Don’t fail to take pictures of their famous orchids – especially the Vanda.

Then, there’s the Philippines. It is a colorful and vibrant country with distinct tourist destinations. Comprised of 7, 101 islands, the culture varies from island to island and is spiced up by its various religious festivals. Enjoy the famous scuba diving spots and the white sands of the beaches. English is also widely spoken here.

If you are from Asia, go and travel to the snowy places, and even sunny places, of the USA and Europe. We have heard so much about America. During retirement, visit it and see what make it a world power. Go to Las Vegas or Hollywood and witness it come to full life at night time. Have a taste of your first snow in winter.

You can also try the sunny state of Hawaii and be caught in its culture of fun, with the hula girls and the poi. Have a first-hand experience of being close to the other side of nature with the volcanoes and you can really come near them! These are just some of the best places to travel when you retire and there’s more in the world to explore. Take your time planning your itinerary to make sure you make the best out of your retirement trip.

If you are, or want to be a nurse and enjoy traveling, then a career as a traveling nurse may be just what you’re after!
There are loads of benefits to this career choice…
You get to travel all around the country, and indeed the world, not be just stuck in the same place.
You get varying lengths of job, sometimes up to a year.

Let’s not forget the salary is high for a travel nurse.

Other benefits will depend on which agency you have.
As an example, some agencies will give sign on bonuses and completion bonuses.
Maybe you get bonuses if you renew contracts, or loyalty bonuses.
You might have an agency that gives paid holidays.

The better agencies will offer great health options too, as this is becoming more demanded – medical insurance, life cover, dental, vision, and accident
cover, a full range of protection.

Let’s not forget the personal benefits either…
You can get to see all sorts of weird and wonderful places, great if you want to build a collection of snaps!
You can meet wonderful new people, ad get the invigoration that new surroundings provide.

You wont get stale, and in fact you’ll learn a whole lot from the people and places you work.

Of course the traveling can be seen by some as not a benefit at all, but a pain.
To be honest, you shouldn’t approach travel nursing with any misconceptions – it’s hard work, what nursing isn’t, and you need to be strong of heart to
always be moving and be away from wherever you call home.

That might not seem so bad though, if you’re the nurse on a cruise ship in the Caribbean with the sun shinin as you relax by the pool during some down time!

Some people find a simple benefit from travel nursing is that it simply offers them something new.
It’s easy to get bogged down in the same nursing role, and often the change that comes with travel nursing helps you get back to your ideal
of providing medical help to those that need it.

So, as you can see, there are plenty of benefits to be had from being a travel nurse!

If you want to experience Africa in a truly unique, fun and exciting way, consider a safari expedition. This is usually a 4X4 safari trip that can last from 2 days up to 6 months. These are out of the ordinary safari expeditions designed for the fun-loving and adventurous sole. The greatest benefit when choosing an overland adventure is that the traveler can really experience the diversity of Africa by becoming part of it. With Safari Expeditions the other truly great benefit is that the traveler gets to remote, exciting and often off the beaten track areas where the traveler can get a taste of the real Africa.

When choosing a Safari Expedition to travel Africa, it is easy to plan your trip and activities, usually the Safari Company will give you an itinerary and often there is a certain amount of flexibility involved where the individual traveler can manipulate the itinerary to include their own plans. Another consideration when undertaking a Safari Expedition is Budget. When you choose an overland safari the host company will often include your accommodation, food costs and usually visa and gate entry fees into your budget. Often the expedition’s entire cost will incorporate all these costs, allowing you and others to budget for any extra activity you might want to do separately. These optional extra activity can be anything from white water rafting, fishing, horse riding to restaurant meals and buying curios.

An African Safari Expedition is a group holiday; travelers can travel on their own in the group or travel in pairs or more within the overland group. Overland Truck trips can have from 6 to 25 people in a group. As a result, these Overland Safaris are never boring, the days and evenings are filled with activity and fun. On the Safari the group has to perform a limited amount of general duties such as washing dishes and keeping the vehicle clean. These menial duties can often make the group feel united as a team and can promote friendship. Towards the end of the adventure all the members of the group can look back at the fun, excitement and team work that was involved in the entire trip, creating wonderful memories of making great friends along with experiencing the most diverse continent in the world.

The traveler can choose the type of overland experience according to the safari company; there are luxury safari expeditions and budget Over Landers to consider. The accommodation on the tour can also range from luxury safari park accommodation to budget tenting.

When you decide on an African Overland Expedition, research your chosen company on the internet, view testimonials of past travelers and check how long the company has been in business. Your chosen tour company can provide you will all the necessary information regarding your overland trip, such as currency and flights. You will have to consider the type of insurances and vaccinations necessary for the trip.

In summary the best way to describe an overland safari expedition is one of great adventure; this traveling is a truly self sufficient exploration experience which promises un-planned, exciting and memorable occasions.

Before we can understand why people travel, you have to understand the meaning and how its separate from vacationing. The meaning of travel is the movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations for any reason and for any length of time, without or with any way of transport. Travel can also include relatively short stops between successive movements. Movements between locations that require only a few minutes are not considered as travel. As an activity, “travel” also covers all the activities executed during a travel (movement). Travel could be international, regional, national (also domestic), or local. In various countries, non local internal travel might require an internal passport, and international travel usually requires a visa and passport.

Most people travel for business, commuting, to visit people, for tourism, recreational purposes, exercise, migration, and other numerous reasons. There are many ways travel may happen by human-powered transport like bicycling, walking, or vehicles, such as public or private transport, trains, airplanes, boats, and automobiles.

A round trip is a certain type of in which a person moves from her/his usual residence to one or several locations and returns back to residence. A trip can also be considered a part of a round trip. Now the meaning of vacation is a leave of absence from a regular occupation, or you could say a specific journey or trip, for the purpose of several tourism or recreation. Most of the time a vacation is taken during a specific holiday, or celebrations, or festivals. Vacations or holidays are often spent/celebrated with family or friends.

Over a billion people travel a year whether it is for personal or business. The actual word ” travel ” is related to journeys or the activity of making journeys. So how many of those billion plus people actually travel for vacation? The estimation is between 50 million to 200 million people each year travel for vacation. Why do people take vacations? For a lot of reasons and any reason just to get away from the ordinary everyday situation.

First, think about mode of transportation. If you are going in a car, you have more flexibility in terms of activities for children than if you are in a plane or other public transportation. Secondly, think about the age of the children. Very young children are likely to sleep a lot; teens are likely to complain a lot; middle kids are likely to elbow each other and ask, “are we there yet?” or sing “Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall.”

There are a couple of characteristics of kids that are really significant to the travel problem. First off, a bored child is unpleasant to be around. Secondly, when children have a period of active play, they can settle down for awhile. Thirdly, always, always, always at least go into the restroom and try during every stop. How to put all this together: No matter what form of transportation you are using, there needs to be a period of high energy activity before sitting down.

You are going to look strange at the airport doing jumping jacks or running in place, but the other passengers will appreciate it when your kids get in their seats and promptly go to sleep. If you are traveling in a car, the same thing applies. Come up with some high energy games (races, relays, frisbee, whatever) for every rest stop. When you are getting to the point of needing to get back in the car or on the plane, then do a couple of quieter activities to settle people down.

Next, a trip should be a little like Christmas, with kids getting new activities. It might be a video game (with earphones if possible for the comfort of other passengers) or an mp3 player loaded with songs the child or teen likes or a DVD player and some new DVD’s or a travel version of a game (only if the kids aren’t so competitive that the loser will get upset). By the way, mp3 players are great for kids who get motion sickness and can’t look at a video game or a book while riding.

You can load the mp3 player with stories and music. Or, if you have a laptop computer, bring along a new game or two. There are free ones that can be downloaded. These things should be treated like Christmas presents–hidden until the day of travel and actually reserved until the new wears off the experience of traveling. If you are going on a long plane trip, don’t give out the loot until everyone is just starting to get bored with looking out the window and putting the seat table up and down and reading the emergency card.

Finally, it helps to have snacks that are treats to the children but familiar enough to feel a little like home. Some kids have a hard time eating new foods and need to have something they know they like available. If you are on a road trip, you can also pack a cooler of bottled water and soft drinks (although limit the amount kids drink unless you want to visit a lot of rest areas).

If you look at travel from a child’s perspective and keep in mind the key characteristics of kids, you will be able to plan a reasonably happy trip for the whole family.

When an unexpected death or medical emergency befalls a loved one far away, it is often very challenging to find and purchase an emergency airline ticket. It has always been the custom for airlines to charge the highest prices for tickets bought at the last minute, and even more if you don’t know exactly when you will be returning.

For many years the airlines have offered bereavement airfares, but unfortunately most airlines have eliminated or dramatically reduced their family medical emergency and bereavement airfares in the past year. The airlines claim that competition has affected the marketplace so much that they just can no longer afford to reduce ticket prices any further. Really? We all know that last minute tickets with a flexible return date can often cost $1,000 or more! Thankfully three major US airlines are still committed to assisting folks during family medical emergencies. They are American Airlines, Northwest Airlines, and United Airlines.

Here are the steps you need to take to secure a bereavement or family medical emergency reduced rate airline ticket:

1) You must phone the airline’s reservation department. Contact American Airlines at 800-433-7300, Northwest Airlines at 800-225-2525, or United at 800-241-6522. Information for this type of ticket does not exist online. Airlines don’t even admit they have such fares on their websites! Tell the reservation agent that you need a medical emergency or bereavement reduced rate airline ticket and what the circumstances are.

2) You must be an immediate family member – sister, brother, parent, child, grandchild etc. If you have extenuating circumstances, by all means explain them to the agent, they have been known to bend the rules from time to time.

3) The airline agent will verify the information you are telling them, so have the following information at hand for verification: Your relative’s full name, Name and phone number of the funeral home
or Name and phone number of the hospital or medical facility, Name and phone number of the attending physician.

Flights should be able to be booked in the course of one phone call, so be prepared with your desired dates and times of travel before placing the phone call. If the first agent you speak with does not seem able or willing to deal with your request, end the call and dial in again. Finally, you may want to check on Priceline.com, Kayak.com and with low cost carriers that serve your area to see what a standard ticket would cost. You may find that there is a less expensive option available online than with a reduced rate bereavement ticket.

Travelers planning a trip must perform due diligence with the task of choosing a dependable travel agent. This becomes crucial when the planned trip is to Antarctica. The harsh and unpredictable weather as well as remote and inhospitable geographical conditions of the region demand that experienced and capable people handle the affairs of an expedition be it by air or sea.

Choosing a dependable travel agent is a tricky job as there are a dismayingly large number of travel agencies out there. Anyone with a little knowledge of Internet ticket booking and awareness of travel destinations can set up a travel agency. It is hard to expect quality and dependable service even from registered travel agencies as the registration process is simple and doesn’t require much more than filling out a simple form and paying some fees. Airliners and cruise liners affiliations are also meaningless. Let the lure of visiting the White Continent not make you overlook some basic factors in choosing a travel agent. If I were traveling to Antarctica these are the things I would be concentrating on for selecting a travel agent.

Reputation

This is the prime consideration while choosing a travel agent. Usually, the more reputable a travel agency the better is its service. Ascertain whether it’s lower cost or quality service that makes a particular travel agent special. Your target is clearly reputation based on the dependability of service. Cheap and best are not applicable always. You don’t drive the cheapest car, don’t wear the cheapest dress, and don’t eat out in the cheapest restaurant. So why choose a travel agent that specializes in providing cheap services. You are going to Antarctica, remember. Everything should be top notch. You should concentrate on getting that. Getting better rates becomes secondary to getting top equipment, facilities, and services.

People assume that the longer a travel agency is in business the better will be the quality of their service. This is purely a common assumption and there are no statistics to support this. Not how long has the travel agency been in service, but how well is it serving travelers now should be the question uppermost in your mind. The fact is that there are many old travel agencies on the verge of running out of business and there are many new travel agencies offering better services with newer and appropriate policies. Reputed, experienced, and efficient should be the preferred criteria of your choice. Equally important is to choose tour operators that specialize in expeditions to ice covered lands like the Arctic and Antarctica.

Check with Friends, Clients, and Suppliers

The best opinions that you can get are from trusted friends and associates that have traveled to Antarctica. If you can tolerate a little exaggeration or understatement you will get honest opinions from them. However, don’t take a single emphatic recommendation as final. Check and verify with others about any recommendation. Find from the recommended travel agent if they are giving any benefits to clients for bringing in referrals. Make sure that your friend has not referred you mainly to earn benefits for himself.

Get a list of existing clients and suppliers from the travel agent to verify its claims. Find out how the travel agency performs on a bad day. Be careful as it’s natural on the part of a supplier to say only positive things about a travel agent if the latter is the former’s client. You should contact a reliable and reputable supplier to establish the truth whether or not the travel agent does business with it. Clients can better testify about the veracity of the claims made by a tour operator. Get an exhaustive list of clients so that the travel agent will not know which ones you are going to contact. If you are taking the contact address of a few clients then contact them right away so that the travel agent gets no time to tutor clients and dress up testimonies.

Dependable Team

The competencies and expertise of the expedition team are crucial to an Antarctic expedition. In the unending stretch of ice and cold water you have only them to ensure your safety. A dependable team should comprise of at least one veteran captain having several expedition experiences, expert sailors, environmentalists, geologists familiar with the topography of the continent and specializing in glaciology, oceanographers, marine biologists, polar scientists, and polar educators. It’s essential for all the above people to have previous Antarctic expedition experience. Make sure that the team has all the qualification and experience to make your expedition a safe and enjoyable one.

Sturdy Ship

Special attention must be paid for the kind of ship the travel agent is going to put you on and the team that will lead the expedition. The ship must be in top condition. It must have all the latest communication tools as well as expedition equipment. Find out how well the ship can cope with disaster?

Ask the travel agent about which cruise liners are listed in their agency and how many voyages the cruise liners have made to Antarctica? The more successful voyages made by a cruise liner the better – the rule is simple. Is your travel agency offering good ice breaking ships or ice strengthening cruises? If you are more adventurous you should prefer the ice breaking cruises as they will take you to places that just ice strengthened ships cannot take. Ask the tour operator what kind of logistics the ships offer (zodiacs and helicopters). What kind of gear and equipment do they make available on the ship? Will the ship have qualified guides, naturalists, geologists, and sailors to make the expedition safe and successful?

Some More Questions to Ask the Tour Operators

There are expeditions led by people that have explored the entire Antarctic. Your expedition can benefit immensely from the knowledge of such people. Find out whether the tour operators are members of International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO). IAATO is a private body, which has laid down the rules to be followed by tour operators while going to Antarctica and about conduct on the continent.

Ask the travel agent this precious question, “what service they offer which any other agents do not or cannot offer”? Compare the results and answers of the travel agents and go for the most reliable one.

If you plan to fly over part of Antarctica then find out from the tour operator whether the pilot and crew members have previous flying experience to the continent. Some travel agencies make sure that the captain of the airplane has flown to Antarctica at least once before.

These are just five basic factors that you should consider when selecting a travel agent for an expedition to Antarctica. There are more things that you should take into account while doing the due diligence in this regard. Look up on the Internet and guidebooks to cover all the aspects to make sure that you have taken utmost care in selecting a travel agent. Do not always trust what is posted in forums without cross checking. For that matter trust advise or information only when they come from an authentic and reputed source. Cross check them to be absolutely sure. Have a safe and happy voyage.

Seeing as we’re a UK based company we thought we should focus on a UK surf spot for our very first “Spot of the Week.” So here’s a surf travel guide to Fistral Beach for you, probably the UK’s best known spot:

Signs all through the town of Newquay, huge car park on the beach, the most famous surfing beach in England. Whilst reef breaks and some coves may get better waves, the probability of getting good waves on any given day of the year is higher here than just about anywhere.

South Fistral works through all tides, with good lefts and some rights. It’s a bit more protected on bigger days with a southwest wind.

North Fistral is often bigger, and gets hollow at low tide, especially off the rocks at the top end, where there’s usually one of the best left and right peaks.

Little Fistral, right around the corner, and almost swallowed up at high tide, can have great shape too on low to mid. Autumn swells from NW-W are best but it is consistent all year round. 1-8ft intermediate. Crowds in the summer and plenty of room in the winter. Surfer’s Eye map of Fistral Beach.

The Cribber, out the back of Towan Head off Cribber Rock, is a fickle off-shore reef for hell-men, although it rarely breaks in a ride-able way. It needs a very big groundswell in the 8-12ft range to show, and perfect south-east offshore breeze to hold shape. In these conditions it’ll hold any size.