Jasper National Park

I found this video of Jasper National Park in Canada. It is very beautiful! I would love to go there someday.

Eco Friendly Huts

I found an article about eco friendly places to stay while on vacation. These aren't just hotels but solar powered huts and things like that. If you are up for a real adventure, you should really check on of these places out.

Here is the link to the article.

Dollar-Friendly Destinations

Things are getting more and more expensive these days. So taking a vacation isn't always something everyone can do. Here is an article that lists a few places around the world that are dollar friendly.

South Africa

The dollar has been bouncing up and down against the South African rand as of late, but you'll still get far more mileage out of your greenbacks in Cape Town than Copenhagen. Tipping your glass in South Africa's wine country remains a veritable bargain compared to equivalent tours in Napa or Bordeaux. By doing some savvy research before setting off, you're sure to get more for your money all around. Opt to scope the animals at Djuma Game Reserve -- a state-run park in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. The nightly rate is significantly cheaper than private resorts with no sacrifice to your chances of spotting the Big 5. Also check out the South African Airways Vacations website for packages that include airfare, meals, luxury lodging and game drives -- oftentimes, booking the whole shebang at once saves you more overall.

Argentina

Buzzing Buenos Aires -- where an artsy and bohemian Latin lifestyle meets Euro chic in 1 of the world's most cosmopolitan cities -- has been the word on budget-traveling tongues for a few years now, and for good reason. While the peso is on the rebound, dollars are still worth their salt throughout Argentina. You can have an indulgent night on the town for a fraction of what you'd shell out in London or New York. Carry on the evening by checking out a tango show in the barrio of La Boca and hitting the club scene till the break of day. Getting beyond Buenor Aires, there are wine-centric retreats to be had in the Mendoza wine region and more athletic adventures (hiking, kayaking, fly fishing) in Argentina's piece of Patagonia. From crystal lakes and mountain views that conjure Switzerland to a wine scene that rivals Spain's, basically everything to be loved about Europe can be found in Argentina -- and for far less fiscal damage.

Uruguay

Neighboring Argentina, Uruguay is another appealing South American destination if you're looking to experience the feel of a European country in Latin America with the thrill of not having to get fleeced in euros. Stroll the Ciudad Vieja (Old City) in the capital, Montevideo, admiring 18th-century facades and the lively street cafés. Then venture away from the masses to experience Uruguay's other highlights. From the tiny fishing village turned hippie beach town of Punta del Diablo to glitzy Punta del Este, where South America's beautiful people come to get rid of their tan lines and ogle the super-yacht set, your hard-earned dollar still goes far against the Uruguayan peso.

Quebec City, Canada

The dollar has been hitting head to head against the loonie (that would be the Canadian dollar) these days -- not exactly stellar news, but at least we're on pretty equal footing in Canada and not drowning our currency sorrows in the trenches à la Europe. And no place in North America conjures the Old World quite like Quebec City. Ladies traveling solo or with friends can consider booking a Gutsy Women tour to enjoy World Heritage sites, castles and gastronomy with French Canadian cooking classes built into the itinerary. Aside from airline tickets being cheaper to Canada from the States than they are to France, your dollars will stretch too when it comes to dining out, shopping and transportation.

Puerto Rico

Despite the Caribbean's proximity to the mainland, things can cost a pretty penny in the islands. So why not stay on dollar-friendly US soil by hopping a budget airline (Spirit Airlines and Jet Blue have regular flights from New York and Florida) to Puerto Rico, one of the Caribbean's best values. That's not to say that prices aren't steep around San Juan, the capital, where 5-star resorts and fancy restaurants abound. But elsewhere on the island, you can find charming guesthouses and beach bungalows -- such as the rainbow-colored wooden abodes fronting the beach at Parador Villas del Mar Hau on Puerto Rico's North coast -- for very affordable rates. And because it doesn't get taxed the same as on the mainland, gas is cheaper in Puerto Rico, making exploring the island with a rental car a wallet-friendly way to get around.

Click here to read the full article.

Haunted Hotels

I was looking through the Travel Channels website and saw a link to haunted places. A lot of people are interested in hauntings. If your up for a scary vacation you should check out some of these haunted hotels.

Old School Hollywood Haunts

While Marilyn Monroe impersonators pose for tourists' snapshots outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre, in Hollywood, the film icon's ghost is said to reside across the street at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, a 12-story Hollywood landmark opened in 1927. Marilyn reputedly haunts the hotel's poolside, uber-exclusive nightclub, Tropicana. Unless you're a hotel guest or minor celeb, you won't get past the velvet rope. But there's hope for ghost hunters who prefer blondes. Near the lobby's mezzanine-level gift shop, Monroe's voluptuous reflection has appeared in a full-length mirror relocated from her favorite suite.
Still, Monroe's isn't the only restless spirit said to be permanently checked in to the hotel. Guests may also encounter the tortured soul of actor Montgomery Clift; many have claimed to hear his trombone playing in the ninth floor hallways. Fans should request Clift's preferred digs, room 928.
Room rates at the Roosevelt have skyrocketed in recent years, and it's certain you'll need a movie star's bank account to afford a romp in the hotel's top-floor Gable-Lombard Suite, where overnighters report strong psychic and sexual energy.

Delaware Valley Disturbances

The frights begin before check-in at the Logan Inn in New Hope, PA Recently arrived guests report seeing the specter of a little girl wandering the parking lot. Built in 1722 as a tavern, and later converted to an inn, the Logan, and its spirits, are legendary in a Colonial-era town many consider America's most haunted.
Sleep in room 6 and you'll bunk down with Emily, the long dead mother of a former owner of the building. Emily's ghost, perfumed with a hint of lavender, plays spine-chilling tricks with the room's heater and rearranges your luggage.
You won't need a ghost hunter cam to capture the oft-photographed glowing orbs hovering in the lobby and hallways. After all, the building has nearly 300 years of psychic energy juicing its illuminated spheres. As you ponder the paranormal in the hotel's tavern, watch for the apparition of a Revolutionary War soldier, marching to the beat of his own phantom drum - another frequently sighted ghostly guest.

Supernatural Southwest

If the price tags in Santa Fe's galleries aren't scary enough for you, book a stay at "The City Different's" haunted adobe fortress, Hotel La Fonda. The Santa Fe Trail's storied end-of-the-line hitchin' and sleepin' post began its 200-year-plus downtown tenancy as the rowdy Exchange Hotel. Gunfights frequently erupted inside, while out back, convicted killers swung from the gallows. Today, the spirits of the Old West are said to inhabit La Fonda's lobby and bar.
The current building dates to the 1920s, but its paranormal roots run deep. In the 1850s, a businessman lost his fortune in the hotel's gambling hall. Penniless and suicidal, he jumped to his death down a deep well, a hole currently covered by the hotel's colorful La Pazuela Restaurant. Today, while your guacamole is prepared tableside, keep an eye out for the businessman's ghost, sometimes seen in the center of the dining room, leaping and disappearing into thin air.

Rocky Mountain Shine

Spooking Stephen King is no small feat. But during an overnight stay here in the 1970s, The Stanley Hotel managed to do just that. Overlooking the Rocky Mountain town of Estes Park, CO, the grand old Stanley inspired the fictional Overlook Hotel, the eerie setting for King's novel, The Shining. The building sits on land originally owned by the British Fourth Earl of Dunraven, who once maintained a private hunting reserve on the property. Irate locals and legal battles drove him out, paving the way for famed automaker F.O. Stanley, who opened the Georgian-style hotel in 1909.
The bitter Lord Dunraven haunts the 4th floor, his ghost particularly fond of terrorizing guests in rooms 401, 407 and 418. Lights switch on and off mysteriously; furniture moves around by itself. In addition to Dunraven, the ghosts of children have also been heard playing in the hallway, just outside the doors. And if you've always harbored a secret desire to speak in tongues, request room 412. Here a guest claims to have been possessed by an evil entity, driving him to speak in tongues.
As for Stephen King, he is said to have been tormented by the ghost of a hotel maid, who apparently died in his room, 217. The Stanley celebrates its apparitions with a daily guided tour, though "Shining" fans may be disappointed to discover the hotel bar does not pour "redrum."

New York's Finest ... Frights

From Mark Twain to Andy Warhol, countless writers, musicians and artists have famously found inspiration within the red brick walls of New York City's Hotel Chelsea. In addition to its storied occupants, the 12-story "cauldron of creativity," erected in 1884, is also known for its ghosts. Janis Joplin once rasped, "A lot of funky things happen in the Chelsea." Indeed. Actress Sarah Bernhardt reportedly slept in a coffin while living here.
Thomas Wolfe's presence has been felt on the 8th floor, while the spirit of Dylan Thomas, who drank away his final days at the Chelsea, seems to have stayed long past check-out time. Board the east elevator and you may share a lift with the ghost of Sex Pistol Sid Vicious, suspected of stabbing his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, to death in room 100. Roughly half of the Chelsea's rooms (no 2 alike) are occupied by long-term residents, meaning your neighbors may be a bit more eccentric than your typical chain hotel clientele.

Here is the website where I got the article.

Traveling Jobs

I have always thought it would be awsome to travel for your job. Who wouldn't want to travel the world and get paid for it? I thought i would to a little research on the best traveling job

Here is an article about top 10 jobs... The tour guide and the travel writer are the only ones that seem that fun to me!

This is part of the article.

English Teacher
English teaching jobs are ridiculously easy to find in many parts of the world. It helps to have a college degree or ESL certification, but these qualifications aren’t mandatory.

Tour Guide

Tour guiding jobs are plentiful if you already know a place well and have good social skills. You can either freelance, using the web to attract clients, or you can apply for a job with an established tour company. It helps to have a particular skill or hobby that you can share with your clients, like mountain biking or birdwatching.

Sailor (Navy)
Even when the last factory in America has closed, the military will still be hiring. There are a ton of reasons why this situation sucks, but a Navy job actually isn’t all bad. You’re very unlikely to see combat, and you’ll definitely get to see the world.

Sailor (Yachts)
If you can’t picture yourself on an aircraft carrier, how about a luxurious yacht? Rich people need crews to help them get around, and qualified sailors with good people skills can travel the world in style by hanging out in fancy ports and making connections with the global elite.

Travel Writer

Becoming a travel writer is easy. Earning a decent income from travel writing is more difficult. However, if you can write fairly well and are web-savvy, it’s possible to sustain your travels on writing income alone.

Geologist

Becoming a geologist will take some time and money, but once you get your degree the travel and employment opportunities are mind-blowing. Our hunger for fossil-fuel energy isn’t going to end anytime soon, and people who can sniff out the world’s last stashes of oil will always score high-paying work in exotic locales.

Peace Corp Volunteer
Wait a second, you say. Don’t Peace Corp volunteers get paid pennies? Well, yes, but how does good health insurance, student loan deferrals and a solid $5,000 bonus after the end of your service sound?

Importer / Exporter
There are cheap widgets for sale in China. Americans love widgets. So go to China, buy cheap widgets, and sell them in America. Done and done.

Host / Hostess

Japanese men and women will pay you hundreds of dollars to flirt with them in smoky bars. Hey, it beats English teaching…

Diplomat
Yup, the foreign service is hiring. If you read The New York Times and don’t smoke pot you’re probably qualified. Being a diplomat isn’t all fun and games, but the pay is decent and you’ll have good job security.

Nodaway County

In one of my earlier posts I talked about staycations. Just in case you forgot, a staycation is vacation but you don't actually leave your community. Maryville really isn't that exciting but there are plenty of things around Nodaway County that can keep you busy.

The first thing I would suggest for anyone to do on their staycation is to go to the K&T Bar and Grill in Parnell, MO. I grew up outside of Parnell so i can tell you that the food there is amazing. Every Friday and Saturday night the place is packed.

My senior year, to get confirmed in the church, we had to go to a retreat to Conception Abbey. Even if you are not Catholic I still encourage you to visit. It is a very pretty place!

Another thing you should probably check out while around Conception is all the windmills. They are pretty cool to look at!

These aren't the actual windmills in Conception, but it's basically what they look like.

Growing up in Nodaway County I know that it can kind of be a boring place, but if you keep your mind open and look around you can defiantly find some interesting places with a lot of history.

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo

All of this nice weather lately has given me the urge to go to the zoo! I have and aunt and uncle that live in Omaha so when I was younger we went to the Henry Doorly Zoo a lot. We also went there for field trips in elementary school.

There are so many differnt types of animals at the zoo. They are always adding more exhibits too. Click here to see a list of all the exhibits.

Here are the prices for 2010:

Children (ages 2 and under): FREE
Children (ages 3 through 11):$7.75
Adults (ages 12 and over):$11.50

Seniors (ages 62 and over):$10.00

I found this picture of the Desert Dome and thought it looked pretty cool!

Here is a link for some of the history of the zoo.