Low cost vacation package

CHALET SUZANNE: The forgotten gem of Lake Wales S haun and I spent a few weeks earlier this year visiting my parents in their snowbird home – Lake Wales, Florida (with stops in Nashville,   Louisville and Key West ). Lake Wales is a sleepy little town in central Florida about 1.5 hours south of Orlando – and the area (Polk County) is home to well over 100 retirement communities . My parents’ is called Saddlebag (great name) and our time there was full of cards, wine, bingo, The Price Is Right, and Let’s Make A Deal. Perfection . My parents have been going there for years and so far the highlight had been a drive to Spook Hill – an optical illusion that makes a car in neutral appear to travel uphill. Awe. Some. That all changed this year when on a drive to the local WinDixie my mom casually mentioned a little resort called  CHALET SUZANNE that was legendary in the area – first gaining popularity back in the 1930s and 40s. I wanted to see it so we decided to pull in and check it out...

Costa Brava may very well be the best kept secret in Spain.  This September, I spent time in this region of Catalonia for the first time ever, and I was blown away by its sheer beauty, the variety of things to do, and its warm hospitality. From beaches to cities, from jamon to tomatoes, Costa Brava is filled with so many treasures — and if you’re anything like me, you’ll fall in love with Costa Brava quickly. Here are 13 reasons to fall in love with Costa Brava: Wild Coastline I’ve seen the coasts of California, Croatia, and the Faroe Islands, and Costa Brava’s dramatic coast blows all of them away.  Pounding surf, wild rocks and stunning beaches dot the landscape — it’s impossible to not want to photograph them all! Where to go: Lloret de Mar.   This may seem like a tired party town, but the coastal walk is absolutely spectacular.  This shot is just one of many. Beaches Not just beaches — absolutely gorgeous...

How do you go on after living through hell? This was the question I asked myself again and again as we toured Sarajevo, Bosnia’s capital and a city synonymous with destruction during the 1990s.  Constant bombings; lack of food, water and electricity; and being surrounded by Serbian forces led to a violent isolation. Before arriving, I had read a quote somewhere that Sarajevo today “bears few scars of its war-torn past.”  Well, that couldn’t have been less true.  There are scars everywhere you look — half-destroyed buildings, bullet holes, a devastated landscape. As we drove around the city, past bullet-strewn buildings and piles of garbage heaps, I kept thinking of how different Sarajevo was from Croatia — in fact, it reminded me more of Cambodia than anywhere else. But not all of Sarajevo is like that.  There are modern parts, beautiful parts — like the cool Bascarsija area, with lots of cafes and restaurants and high-end shops. But firs...

It’s another world. Wind whips over winding roads with deafening sound. No matter how snowy it gets, there’s not a ski resort in sight. Why would anyone go to Iceland in the winter?! Because it’s one of the most beautiful places on the planet. If you’re used to driving in the winter or consider yourself a road warrior, Iceland as a group travel experience with your buddies can be unforgettable. It’s an easy reach from either the U.S. or Europe, almost smack dab in between. Icelandair offers free layovers too if you’re heading either way across the ocean, making this the perfect layover. You’ll be handsomely rewarded with glacier hikes, waterfalls, crashing waves, black sand beaches, beautiful cities and so much more. What to Bring to Iceland in Winter Layers are always key in cold weather. Depending on how hearty you are, you’ll want some under armor, thick socks, gloves, hats and scarves. My LL Bean waterproof jacket was also priceless. My boots weren’t as sturdy as I’d like, so...

                    Flores, Guatemala For those who don’t yet know, I will be spending the summer in Central America, drifting through El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama before heading to South America for the rest of the year. For now, however, my roots lie in Guatemala, a country I will call home for the next two months. But what of Guatemala? What do I know, what have I seen, what are my first impressions of this place? I admittedly did not know much before I got here, and I still don’t. I arrived first in Flores, in the north, a small city that is usually for those who plan on visiting majestic Tikal. Even in unassuming Flores, however, the streets shone as if adorned with jewels, shades of blue and pink and green bouncing off each other with the setting of the sun. The meals were hearty, the smiles genuine. Moving on to Antigua, my new home, I am greeted by everyone with ...