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At about $200, this is an outstanding option for a brief stay in London when you plan to visit the typical sites, such as Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Churchill War rooms, London Eye, Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London and even Hampton Court Palace.
Our stay was included as part of a precruise package, so This hotel was chosen for us. Normally we would either use Airbnb or choose an American Express Fine Hotel, but it is always great to see other options! Before this trip LTD needed one additional night at this hotel before our package began and the reservation was easily accomplished online. When our driver pulled up to the hotel, the surrounding area seemed a bit unsavory but quickly we realized the this location if excellent for touring the sites of London. Big Ben (unfortunately under renovation at the time of this article) is less than a mile away. Waterloo train station is about 1/4 mile away and the Westminster tube stop is very nearly as well. Take the Waterloo train to see Hampton Court Palace and have dinner at the Muted Swan to step back in time and get out of the city.
To get to the Tower of London, you will need to take a boat which can be fun, the tube or just walk. Look at our visit to the Tower of London in this Video:
LTD had the opportunity for a meaningful weekend in San Diego for the USS Michael Monsoor Ship Commissioning, so we decided to have a healthy weekend too by staying at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort!
Bottom Line:
Check out reviews of the Loews Coronado, rates and book at TripAdvisor by CLICKING HERE!
The Loews Coronado Bay Resort is good for anyone looking for a relaxing getaway, visiting San Diego, or a healthy vacation spot. The hotel is 4 miles away from the village of Coronado but has a shuttle if you desire a full array of restaurants or shops. Dining options at the resort could be more extensive but are adequate if you don’t feel like going into the village. Fitness classes and proximity to a secluded area of beach on the strand and long running or cycling trails make it an easy base for your healthy getaway. LTD always tries to combine meaningful and healthy vacations and this was the perfect weekend to do that!
Individuals who plan are more likely to use all of their time off, take more vacation days at once, and report greater levels of happiness in every category measured.
Over 50% of Americans skip planning vacations and either find themselves losing time off at work or sitting around on vacation staring at social media. Have you ever said: "I just don't have the time to take a vacation?"
It is easy to plan a vacation. Project Time Off is a coalition of organizations devoted to helping you plan your time off. Their website has multiple tools available to help you plan taking your vacation, even if you want to sit at home. The number of days that Americans take for vacation has decreased significantly over the last decade and over 600,000,000 vacation days go unused every year.
There are great deals at Costcotravel and If you are not a member already you can get $20 back for new members. With certain membership levels and the Costco Visa credit card you can get put to 4% back when you book travel, on top of the usual great price!
LTD uses Costcotravel to book cruises, rental cars, vacation packages and hotels. They are especially good forncruises and rental cars.
Luxury Travel Docs awards the HEAT award to Keko Adventure Tours on Kauai Island, Hawaii! The HEAT award is given to those individuals or companies that demonstrate excellence in Healthy Excursions And Travel!
The one thing we have always believed is that Hawaii has some of the friendliest and kindest people anywhere. LTD spent the day with Eben Manini and Ernesto Guerra of Keko Adventure Tours on Kauai island, Hawaii. Spending time with Eben and Ernesto clearly shows what healthy adventures are all about, but you probably wouldn't realize how meaningful their adventures have been.
Ernesto Guerra and Eben Manini of Keko Adventure Tours in front of Heiaus at Lydgate Park
Ernesto Guerra has a very meaningful story about how he founded Keko Adventure Tours that we would like to share with you. Five years before we met him, he was a sales manager for one of the most successful car dealerships in the US. One day he opened one of those suspect emails from a cousin with a story about a boy who raised funds for others, he decided to follow the link and found out about Watercan Canada now called Wateraid. At the time they were looking for volunteers who wanted to raise funds and climb Mountain Kilimanjaro. He sent his application, received a call back and started raising funds while promoting clean water and hygiene. When he talked to the director and owner of the car dealership about taking his 2 week vacation plus another 7 days, upper management said it was impossible and not to mention it again. This experience was unsettling because Ernesto was very moved by this cause and felt that he was not being afforded the same ability to fundraise and pursue his passions as others in the organization. Of course this made him feel that he was only a number, and after 13 years as part of the organization, he quit his job to pursue his own passions and help those less fortunate than him. After climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, he continued to travel the world doing social development work with other organizations such as “TECHO,” building emergency homes for people leaving in squalid environments and “CEDO,” working with students at a school in Cambodia. These travels were very meaningful to Ernesto and he decided that his future would involve giving back to others.
Save with this romantic Valentine’s Day travel deal from Costco! Book by by February 3 and travel before December 31, 2019!
If you are a Costco member and you’re looking for a deal on a romantic European getaway, you might want to check out this bundle deal on a France and England getaway!
We searched an 8 day trip March 20-28 from Charlotte to London and Paris, with 4 nights in each city and the result from a Wednesday to Wednesday were best! The rate for two including everything below was $2,638.40! That is just around $1300 per person. WOW!
This London & Paris Limited Time Offer includes:
Round-trip economy airfare from Charlotte to London and from Paris (based on March departure) on American Airlines
Daily breakfast
A $400 London Golden Tours* credit (per booking based on double occupancy)
Private ground transportation from airport to hotel and return
Four nights in a London hotel: The Gore
First-class train from London to Paris
Four nights in a Paris hotel: Les Jardins du Marais
Hotel taxes
Rail transportation From London to Paris with spacious reclining seats, a cold meal, beverage, newspaper.
* The $400 credit can be applied to Golden Tours – from Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tour to the world-famous Tower of London and tours outside of London such as Bath, Stonehenge, Leeds, Windsor and much more (each tour averages $75-$175 per person)
We could NOT beat this price by booking separately on our own, and if you are a Costco Executive member, you will get 4% back!
Hotels with higher or lower ratings are available and the price may be affected by choosing one, but not my much!!!!
Purchase by February 3. Refer to package ID: EURLONPAR2017100OFF
Pay attention to Costco Travel cancellations policies. If you booked this London & Paris trip today, only 60% of the total price would be refunded if canceled before February 10. Cancellation made on February 11 refunds 55% of the total paid and zero refunded day before departure.
It would be hard to find a better location to stay for the Marine Corps Marathon! LTD has stayed here for years and since last year the Old Town Alexandria Embassy Suites had a facelift.
The lobby is unchanged and still resembles the typical Embassy Suites with an atrium. This area could use a facelift as well and maybe it is in the plans.
Happy hour was also expanded to include call brands of mixed drinks which is a welcome change from beer and bad wine. Snacks are provided which generally include vegetables and dip, pretzels, cheese cubes, chips and salsa. Happy hour is two hours long and well attended.
Remember, if you have questions related to your health, always consult your doctor or medical professional. The information presented here is informative only and is not medical advice.
CES Las Vegas is the world's gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years — the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace.
Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association, it attracts the world's business leaders and pioneering thinkers. One of the latest areas of innovation and very visible at 2019 CES was health related concepts. With sleep being one of the greatest concerns of travelers, it is no surprise that we saw many new exhibitors with sleep enhancing products.
Jet lag, also known as circadian desynchrony, is a sleep disorder in which there is a mismatch with the body’s natural circadian rhythm and the external environment as a result of rapid travel across multiple time zones. This common problem affects all age groups but may have more pronounced effects on the elderly, whose recovery rate is slower than that in young adults.
Many factors, such as the number of time zones crossed and the direction and timing of flights, play a role in the severity of jet lag
Circadian rhythms are biological rhythms that drive changes within humans. For example, we have circadian rhythms of alertness and body temperature. Usually these rhythms align with the environment’s natural light and dark cycle: peak drowsiness occurs around 5:00 AM, when it is often dark out. Jet lag occurs when our rhythms no longer align with the environment. Flying from Vancouver to Moscow — 12 hours ahead — means that peak drowsiness occurs at 5:00 PM, when one would usually want to be alert.
Our internal clocks are regulated by "Zeitgebers" which are rhythmic cues in the environment that synchronize the internal body clock to the earth’s 24-hour light–dark cycle. Light is the strongest Zeitgeber; other non-photic Zeitgebers include temperature, social interaction, pharmacological manipulation, exercise, and meal timing.
American Express has a new deal available in association with Amazon. If you have an American Express Credit Card, you are a member of Membership Reward Points.
There’s a new offer where you can use just one American Express Membership Reward point at Amazon and receive $30 off your order, which can be used toward nearly anything at Amazon, including many third party gift cards. You only need to pay for a portion of your order with Membership Reward Points and it can be as few as ONE Membership Reward Point if you want! , This deal is MORE than worth your time and gives ONE Membership Reward point an insane value of $30.
Unfortunately, Amazon and VISA gift cards aren't eligible for this deal, and it won’t work with third-party sellers, only items shipped and sold by Amazon.com.
The offer is targeted, so click below to see if you can take advantage of this deal. We were able to and are using it for the backpack below. Follow these two steps:
When it comes to under-rated destinations, the Azores are somewhere right near the top of the list. LTD knew little about this group of nine volcanic islands midway between North America and Europe, until it became a stop on a transatlantic cruise.
The archipelago is officially part of Portugal, and has incredible food, lush landscapes, great beaches and hiking, and spectacular viewpoints over lagoons, valleys, and endless ocean.
Ponta Delgada is the largest City of Sao Miguel
We docked at the largest island of São Miguel which happens to be the perfect spot for touring, meeting the friendly locals and tasing the local food and wine. We headed for the hills to enjoy beautiful scenery and to get a feel for the island from above, enabling us to see changing landscape as we climbed! This was a very special day for us, not only because of this beautiful and unique area of the world, but because we were able to enjoy the day with very dear family members! Look at the bottom of this post to see the best website for special prices to this amazing island!
Caldeira das Sete Cidades
About 17 km northwest of Ponta Delgada lies one of the major nature attractions of the island of São Miguel, the paradisiacal landscape of Caldeira das Sete Cidades (Caldera of the seven towns), where – according to the legend – seven towns, founded by expelled Spanish bishops, sank. With a perimeter of 12 km and a diameter of 7 km, this caldera formed from a crater that collapsed during a gigantic prehistoric eruption, its present shape having been created during a tremendous eruption in 1445.
PROTECTED LANDSCAPE OF THE SETE CIDADES LAKE
One of the 7 Natural Wonders of Portugal
One of the 7 Natural Wonders of Portugal, it showcases the Green and Blue Lakes, which according to legend, were formed from the tears of a shepherd and a princess who shared a forbidden love. These lakes can be seen from the Vista do Rei (King’s View) Lookout, named after King D. Carlos and Queen D. Amélia to celebrate their visit to the island in 1901.
There are lakes everywhere, but these two lakes are separated only by a narrow land bridge. The steep, up to 300 m high crater walls, overgrown with lush vegetation, make a fascinating contrast to the tranquil waters and the soft colors, a picturesque and truly unforgettable sight!
Also within the crater, you will find the charming little hamlet of Sete Cidades with its curious houses, a small neo-Gothic church at the end of a cedar-lined road, a picturesque park with magnificent old trees and, besides pretty azaleas in abundance (especially in season), attractive specimens of endemic flora. After understanding the location, formation and history of the Islands, maybe they are the lost civilization of Atlantis??? Watch our video to understand this further...
Starting at the viewpoint ‘Vista do Rei’, which provides superb views over the lakes, the hamlet of Sete Cidades and tranquil green expanses, one of the most scenic walks of the island leads around the lakes along the crater crest, which is bordered by beautiful hydrangeas galore.
