Do you have kids? Are you having guests with children this holiday season? Planning your next family vacation in the next few months? Be sure to take advantage of the Kids Go Free deals offered exclusively through TrustedTours.com. For a limited time, Trusted Tours and Attractions has some exclusive deals that give free ticket admission for children when accompanied by a paying adult. These deals are in cities throughout the United States so chances are you might be able to take advantage of these amazing deals. Continue Reading »

I voted today. Early voted.  When I walked in the little eight-booth voting place, the air was tinged with a quiet excitement.  The elderly poll worker in a sweater vest looked pleased, and was helpful.  There was a line, but it was short, and it moved quickly.  The energy was palatable – a sense of purpose mixed with respect.

I was excited to be there, puffed up a bit, I admit, with a hushed pride. After 46 years, you’d think I’d be used to it.  But, as I inked up the ovals, I felt it once again – goose-bumps that come with doing something important.  It never fails. Each time, no matter how unsettled I feel about the nastiness of an election, I feel this way. Here’s why. 

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The history behind Halloween is long and spans almost 3,000 years! There are some remarkable associations which, over millenniums of practice, survive in some form today.

Here are some tidbits and lore on the interesting origins of Halloween which are not widely known. This can help you start a conversation with a Halloween party guest you’ve been dying to meet.  If you’re hosting a party, you can make a booklet on your PC to hand out as party favors. Illustrated with Halloween icons, Gothic fonts or scary photos, adds to its value as an unusual memento and trivia collectible.

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SAN DIEGO ZOO – San Diego, CA
Menderu, a six-month-old Malayan tiger cub, stalks a jack-o-lantern at the San Diego Zoo on Tuesday. Keepers carved the pumpkins and filled them with treats of ground meat for Menderu, his two sisters and his mother.  Menderu is a curious and playful cub that often plays tricks on his family while practicing his hunting skills: stalking, chasing and pouncing. Menderu and his family can be seen almost every day at the Zoo between 9 a.m. and noon.

The Malayan tiger, and the other five tiger species, are endangered. Their beautiful striped coats have made them a target for poachers, and the loss of habitat due to human encroachment has decreased their wild population. The San Diego Zoo is involved in conservation efforts, including breeding programs, for the Malayan and Sumatran tigers.

Photo taken Oct. 28, 2008, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo.

As the end of this contentious, seemingly never-ending, presidential election year nears, one wonders what drives these particular Americans to seek the presidency. Who are they, and why do they run? They are, after all, Everyman. 

For insight, look no further than to those who have come before them.  Visit a Presidential Historic Site.  What you’ll find depends on the era, and the president. All former presidents have at least one, with the exception of Zachary Taylor, who has none. Abraham Lincoln has six, the most by far.

A presidential site can be a birthplace, homestead, residence, museum, or library.  Some are thought-provoking in their sheer simplicity; others are Disney-esque complexes designed to dazzle and engage through multimedia presentations, interactive displays, and full-size replicas of Oval Offices. One even has a real Air Force One! Some are cold; others vibrant. Regardless of style, they are a snapshot of the American presidency at a moment in time and provide a sense of the individuals who aspired to, and reached, the pinnacle of power. 

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I want your info!

One of the biggest problems facing the modern traveler is identity theft.  This is a term which means someone else has gotten enough personal information about you to profit by pretending to be you.  It can be anything from buying an RV in your name to sending inappropriate emails to your family or coworkers.

There are a few crucial pieces of information you should protect at all costs.  These are: Social Security Number, Birth Certificate. Passport, Drivers License

With one or more of these items it becomes much easier to go shopping and stick you with the bill.  Don’t make it easy for the crooks!

Other important things to protect include your checkbook (with your bank information on it), keys, USB drive or other computer storage with private information, family information, and passwords.  Let’s look at these one at a time:

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Truman White House, Key West Florida

Truman Little White House – Key West, FL.
What do Cynthia McKinney, Ralph Nader, Chuck Baldwin, Bob Barr and  Gloria LaRiva have in common?  They are all running for President  along with John McCain, Barack Obama and a host of others!

With less than a month away until the general election, the Harry S Truman Little White House, Florida’s only presidential museum, proudly opens a new exhibit entitled “Every Four Years”. Learn about the US Electoral College as well as see a large collection of pro and con presidential buttons used by Democrats and Republicans to encourage the selection of their candidate for President in the 2008 election.

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This was my favorite of the many New York tours offered! The guide is amazing and the content is funny, interesting and enjoyable. The New York TV and Movie Sites Tour starts at 11am daily next to Ellen’s Stardust Diner. For a treat, spend some time with the Diner’s singing wait staff!

The three hours flies by as one filming site after another is showcased on this tour. We even got treats! We saw current and classic sites, learned about the TV and Movie industry, best sites to spot a celebrity or see something filmed and where the stars lived. It was action packed. I appreciated several opportunities to step off the very nice shuttle bus for short walks to great sites like the “Friends” opening scene building (pictured) and the Cosby Show House.

What an adventure! We even sang theme songs. Got so much out of this tour and would do it again. (They also do a “Sex in the City T=tour” and “Soprano” tour.) One of the best tours I’ve taken anywhere. A must do in New York City.

In fall months, particularly in October, those mysterious intricate patterns carved in agricultural fields sometimes spotted in flights over American farmlands, are not extraterrestrial crop circles – they’re cornfield mazes, wildly popular tourist attractions during the fall festival and Halloween season. 

A cornfield maze, aka corn maze or maize maze, is a labyrinth cut out of a cornfield solely for use as public entertainment, an idea that began with the hedge design in the formal gardens of English castles.  Today, across America, negotiating the detours and dead ends of paths cut through 10′ cornstalks waving gently high overhead is a great way for families to have fun together in the crisp, fall air.  It’s also a way for family farms to generate additional income.

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Washington National Cathedral Gargoyle

Walking down the streets of older American cities, where spired, turreted Gothic Revival buildings tower overhead, have you ever felt the presence of someone watching you?

Well, they are.

Look up.

You’ll be amazed at what’s looking down at you! 

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