Passport offices are out of control! Get em online!

Right now in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada someone is standing in line at the passport office hoping they are going to be one of the last people to squeeze in for the day.

You see, every day I hear on the radio that more and more people are in need for a passport and the passport office is jam packed with hundred's of people waiting in lines trying to get in. One person even had to go back from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm TWICE in a row. Two full days in lineups just to get their passport renewed.

The problem is right now you need a passport to travel ANYWHERE and that includes our close neighbors down south. In America, things are much the same.

One thing I don’t understand is I don't get why you cannot simply do this online and have the passport mailed to you. In America, they DO have this option (In fact, check our resources page in the next few days and we will have a link to the American Passport agency there) but in Canada, it is harder and harder to acquire public documents from over the internet.

We even tried to get our updated drivers license online and they had a message stating "We are no longer renewing driver's licenses on line, you must go in to speak with a representative". I find in day where you can get your food, furniture, a car and everything else you can possibly want, why not have these documents accessible to everyone?

Hopefully these change for us Canadians and we can get our passports online in the future like we should be able to.

Until next time,
Happy Travels!

Temperature in Malta in December - 2007 Climate of the year!

If you are a snowbird and haven't decided on a place to go during the winter, my best suggestion would be to visit the warm destination of Malta.

According to International Living (www.internationalliving.com) Malta has the best climate in the entire world. It is really ideal for anyone who like to have a nice warm climate in the winter, yet not too scorching hot! Temperature in Malta in December can be in the 70's F (so about 22-23 degrees C) which come those cold January's is a perfect fit!

Since Malta is known for its mild winters and hot summers, it was voted for 2007 "best climate in the world". Every January, they survey 193 countries and Malta came out on top for having just the perfect climate.

When thinking about your next travel place, why not visit "Malta temperature" at its finest; the best climate in the world!

Until next time!
Happy Travels,

Freaky Weather in the Desert

Northern Arizona ended up getting over a foot of snow yesterday, with most everything shut down in the areas where high amounts of snowfall took place. Even in downtown Phoenix and Tucson, they ended up with huge snowflakes and about 2 inches of snow on the roads.

This is pretty much a shock to anyone living in the southern United States to see snow. New Mexico and Texas also received a little snowfall, and some places are still on road alert for icy roads and dense fogs.

I guess in the year where New Brunswick, Canada has weather where you can golf in January (where there is normally 5 feet of snow), snow in Arizona shouldn't be that big of a surprise.

Until next time,
Happy Travels!

Storm batters Europe - Dubbed Cyril

Apparently a huge storm just hit Northern Europe and so far as much as 25 people have been killed.

The storm is actually so bad that its one of the worse they have seen in that part of the world. Ten deaths were reported in the United Kingdom, five people died in Germany, four in the Netherlands, three in the Czech Republic, one in France and two in Belgium. The storm has been called "Cyril".

If anyone has plans to be travelling within Europe, make sure to call ahead. Things are expected to be shut down nationwide until Friday.

Here is a link to the complete article:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/01/18/europe.storm.ap/index.html

Wish you all the best!
Happy Travels,

Banff Ski Package and Resort - A Getaway to Paradise

A few weeks ago, we decided to take a trip to the great old Canadian Rockies! What an incredible experience. For anyone who has never seen the mountains up close, I strongly recommend it. I loved it so much, I would move there tomorrow without hesitation. It is nothing more amazing than waking up to such a beautiful site.

While we were searching for our trip and packages we really took a long time trying to decide where to go and where to stay. There is so much competition and so many hotels to choose from. We decided to go to Banff over Jasper and other surrounding areas, mostly because we heard good things and just wanted something a little cosy. Banff fit the bill and did so very very well! I was very impressed with everything there. The skiing was great, the people were friendly, the hotel was perfect, and the food was excellent. It was one of the best weekends I've had in a very long time.

If you are looking for a nice Banff ski package or Banff ski resort, I would really suggest these two websites:

www.skibanff.com
www.bestofbanff.com

There are tons of great deals here and I am sure no matter what hotel you choose to stay with, all of them should be great. The atmosphere is one of a kind! Again, for those who have not experienced the mountains up close, hop aboard and go ski banff!

Happy Travels!

New Orleans Aftermath

I just couldn't use "The Saints been Marching in" as a title for obvious reasons ;) but I really wanted to shift focus slightly today and talk just a minute about Sports... Yes I am serious but before you travel junkies hit back keep reading.

Today I wanted to talk about the New Orleans Saints, which is the NFL football team 2 wins away from capturing a Super Bowl title. Yes, those same Saints that were predicted to finish dead last in the league at the start of the season. The fact that a team who was 3-13 just one year ago, had their homes, families, and city absolutely demolished by Hurricane Katrina and is playing so great right now is just incredible.

You know that coach Sean Payton and every single one of their players are playing their hearts out for that city and I wish them nothing but the very best! I really hope they can continue their success because football fan or not, you really have to feel for everyone who lost everything during that horrible storm. Familes are still trying to piece their lives back together. I know this football team brightens the spirits of everyone who believes in them. The team members were very active after the storm when it happened. Players were down to the shelters everyday and keeping those people without homes company or helping out in some way. This team gives that city hope and I am sure even now they could definitely use it!

Go Saints Go!

Happy Travels,

New York, New York!

While we were staying in Philadelphia, we managed to take a short trip up to New York city, given it was only a couple hours away it only made sense. Visiting New York city has been a childhood dream for us ever since we were kids. Honestly, I've seen it on TV at least a million times, as I'm sure all of you have too, and it really just don't do it justice at all. It is just absolutely an amazing experience. Standing in the center of Times Square with so many people everywhere, you just don't realize how it will ever be until you get there.

In New York there are a ton of things to do. One thing that I would HIGHLY suggest going to is a Comedy Club. They are a masterpiece and it really doesn't even matter who is performing. We catched a show for 20$ (For both of us - on the condition you had to buy 2 beverages, Alcohol or non was acceptable) and ended up with another great memory from our trip.

Now, normally I don't usually promote any of our own products, especially on our blog because our blog is mostly used for great information and travel tips for all of you :) This time though, I really had no choice given the topic. On our products page, you can purchase a 'New York Pass' starting at about 55$ per person, per day. This also gets much cheaper for the longer you stay. I believe it's only about 140$ for the 7 day pass which is really quite great! Especially in the Big Apple, things are really not cheap and any type of sightseeing tour costs money. Just look at the FREE items included into this package:

* American Museum of Natural History
* American Museum of the Moving Image
* Bronx Museum of Art
* Bronx Zoo
* Brooklyn Botanic Garden
* Brooklyn Children’s Museum
* Brooklyn Museum of Art
* Carnegie Hall Tour
* Central Park Zoo
* Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
* CNN Studio Tour*
* Empire State Building
* Guggenheim Museum
* Historic Richmond Town (Staten Island)
* Lazer Park
* Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum
* Madison Square Garden All Access Tour
* National Park Service of New York
* NBC Studio Tour
* New York Aquarium
* New York Botanical Garden
* New York Hall of Science
* New York Police Museum
* New York Skyride
* New York Transit Museum
* Noble Maritime Collection
* On Location Tours
* Prospect Park Zoo
* Queens Museum of Art
* Queens Zoo
* Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour
* Rockefeller Center Tour
* South Street Seaport Museum
* Staten Island Children’s Museum
* Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island Ferry
* Suede Lounge (VIP nightclub access)
* The Tour at Lincoln Center
* The United Nations Tour
* Tribute Museum
* Wave Hill
* Whitney Museum of American Art

This pass will give you access to each and every single one of these, and that isn't even included what the DISCOUNTS are. Yes, it really is that great I had to share it with you. Here is a link if you want to go to it directly and see what is offered! Well worth the money if you plan to do a lot of sightseeing, Museums and Tours.

New York Travel Package

I have to admit, it was really everything I had hoped for. For a first time couple going to New York City we were extremely happy and can't wait for our next visit!

Best Wishes and Happy Travels!

Loathing in Las Vegas

Recently, Las Vegas has been a very hot spot for tourists. Over the past few years, Las Vegas has re-defined their hotel scene in a very major way. Currently, you can go to Las Vegas and feel as if you are in New York, Paris, Rio, or even the Stratosphere. It is simply amazing how the fantasy hotel and bedroom theme just took off and really stuck to give Las Vegas the marketed name of "The Entertainment Capital of the World"! Not to mention their 1st class Casino's, which are known worldwide for their exciting atmosphere. Las Vegas definitely mixes these two things very well together, and it is really an unforgettable experience.

Nevada is also home to many tourist attractions and is a hot spot all year around. Las Vegas tours such as The Hoover Dam, and Grand Canyon are amazing sites and many Las Vegas tours are offered so you can experience these spectacular landmarks up close.

Remember, Nevada and Las Vegas are one of the most interesting places to see in the world, and there is so much to do. Have a game plan on what you want to see while you're there, and make sure you have a nice pair of comfy shoes. Las Vegas is a site that any adventure getter would absolutely love!

Happy Travels!

Your COMPLETE China Travel Guide

Good day everyone,

I was doing a bit of research this past week, and I stumbled across a very good guide for anything you would ever need or want to know about going to China.

This site covers on topics such as Climate, Languages, Etiquette, Pre-Trip Planning, While Traveling, Transportation, Shopping, Food and Drink, just to name a very small few. In their food and drink section they even give you the name of the meal in English, so you can memorize or write them down before you go out to eat. For example, I really had no idea Sliced Cold Chicken was xiao jianji in Chinese. LOL! :) I swear I am the worst person for memorizing languages.

Great place, I was very impressed. Anyone going to China, I would highly recommend it!

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/index.htm

Happy Travels!

Have a Happy New Year from Tropical Beach Destinations!!

We want to wish a Happy New Year to all our readers and we sincerely apologize for a long delay in our blog posts but over the past month, we have been visiting a TON of places! We spent a few weeks between Harrisburg and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania; We went away to the craziest and most fun loving city of New York, which by the way is an absolute must to anyone who have not seen the big Apple; Went skiing all the way over in the GREAT Canadian Rocky Mountains in the beautiful town of Banff; Experienced North America's largest shopping center at West Edmonton Mall, complete with over 800 stores with a whole lot more and we even got a chance to check out home of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. It has been an amazing adventure and we really are excited to be home and to share all our new fantastic tips and ideas with YOU that we have learned along the way! We have plenty of pics from around the world, which we will be posting in our "About Us" page in the very near future.

Also, look for many new articles, resources and great travel secrets in the upcoming weeks here at Tropical Beach Destinations. In this New Year, we are going to give you exactly what you want! Great travel information and a great vacation guide to help you every step of the way!

Have a Happy New Year!

All the best from your friends at Tropical Beach Destinations!
Sarah and Jason