Grab a flight – go on holiday

With the holidays coming up, it’s not too late for a ‘last-minute’ vacation.  A holiday is the perfect time to recharge the batteries; maybe with a cruise to the Caribbean, a beach resort, or one of the popular all inclusive vacation rentals. For your 2011 holidays, I’ve compiled a short list of places you might not have considered vacationing. Clevelanders, if you can’t get away far this year, the last two are just for you.

Take a quick glance, click on the ones you’re interested in (to read more about it) and then hot-foot-it off to your local travel agent or your local search engine. For your holiday flights from reality, may I suggest the following vacation destinations? 

QUEBEC:  Beautiful all year round, this historic city offers sights and attractions both in its city center and for miles around. Relive history in town or go zip lining over waterfalls. It’s the perfect destination for a cruise up the east coast.

GRAND BAHAMA  ISLAND: If you  want the world’s best value cruise, you can’t beat the prices on the Celebration Cruise Line  to Freeport. Top notch entertainment and food for a pauper’s price.  It’s the cheapest way to do the Caribbean you are likely to find; and it’s not a mega-yacht so you won’t be treated like a number.

LONGBOAT KEY: Want to go to Florida without the hassle of the amusement parks?  How about having white sandy Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico beaches within a quarter mile of each other? Want some of the best seafood around. Check in – you’ll want to stay.

SAIL THE CARIBBEAN: For the greatest thrill ever, try sailing the Caribbean on the world’s largest clipper ship – The Royal Clipper. If you want luxury AND you want casual, you need to check out this ship. It’s a trip you’ll never forget. Imagine seven days = seven islands: Barbados, St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Lucia, 

Dominica, Iles de Saintes and Martinique.  That will add to your ‘country counter’ quicker than any other trip.

SAVANNAH: Wrap yourself in the luxury of the south and take a trip back through the centuries in this historic city. Southern cooking never tasted better than right here in Savannah. 

SPORTSMANS PARADISE: Just outside Denver you’ll find some of the finest fishing spots in Colorado. Whether you like lake, pond or stream fishing, there are fish and guides just waiting to please. They don’t call them the Gold Medal Waters for nothing.

HELICOPTER INTO THE GRAND CANYON:  Don’t stand on the rim, dive all the way to the bottom in a helicopter, get out and ride the Colorado on a pontoon boat, then fly back up and walk the Skywalk, 3,000 feet above the river. 

ROCKY MOUNTAINS: If you’ve never been to the Rockies, be prepared to spend some time. The scenery and the wildlife are amazing. Think about staying at the less crowded West entrance in the town of Grand Lake.  It’s the proverbial western town with amenities like none other.

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA:  Looking for a nice drive in the country? Butler County, Pennsylvania has just the thing for you. Get their brochure and head out on the’ Barn Trail’. A leisurely one or two day drive through the hills of western Pennsylvania will bring you up close to some of the finest agritourism available. Ever pet an alpaca?  There are two alpaca ranches on the tour. 

LAKE ERIE: One of Lake Erie’s best kept secrets is the town of Lakeside, Ohio. Right across the bay from Cedar Point is one of the last Chatauqua communities in the United States. For the price of a daily admission you’ll find some of most laid back vacationers in all of the Midwest. Free shuffleboard, tennis, name entertainment and more are just a few reasons people in Ohio love coming here each year.