Discover romance against the sparkling city skyline. Chicago, the third largest city in the nation, is an exciting backdrop for a truly memorable Valentine’s weekend get-away. A cultural explosion, this Illinois city lies on the massive shore of Lake Michigan, offering the finest in soul, jazz, blues and gospel music, mouth-watering deep-dish pizza, champion sporting events and the city’s famous Chicago hot dog.

Transportation is easy in the nation’s hub, whether you arrive by air, rail or auto. Quickly and cost-efficiently move from Point A to Point B via Chicago’s extensive metro, known locally as The L. You can also make use of airport shuttles, city busses or Chicago’s historic and broad-reaching highway system.

When you visit, set aside a day to explore non-stop art attractions and shopping in and around the business district. At Armitage, you’ll find prestigious shops and million-dollar historical homes. Enjoy a more modern experience in the Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhoods, where you can grab a bite to eat and order a drink at a local bar.

For a low, fixed price, Chicago’s CityPass provides a steep discount on, and front-of-the-line entrance to, five popular tourist attractions including Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, Hancock Observatory, Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, and Shedd Aquarium. Plus, don’t forget the unbeatable shopping opportunities that captivate you at Chicago’s Watertower Place, Michigan Avenue strip and Chicago Place where you’ll find Bloomingdales, Macy’s Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lacoste, Movado, Tiffany’s and countless one-of-a-kind boutique shops.

For the true sports fan, this city is an unbeatable haven. In 2006, The Sporting News named Chicago, home of 16 professional sports teams, the best sports city in the nation. Visitors can plan to spend an action-packed day at Soldier Field, Wrigley Field, US Cellular Field or United Center cheering on champion teams like the Chicago Bulls, Cubs, Bears or White Sox or Blackhawks. Chicago is also home to incredible indoor soccer, hockey, lacrosse and rugby. Pick your event, book in advance and experience the excitement. The day is guaranteed to be a winner.

For dinner, Chicago is renowned for it’s eclectic dining choices ranging from All-American to Korean, Italian and Mexican cuisine. Whether you prefer a posh, upscale establishment or the trendy Hard Rock Café, you’ll find the hardest part is choosing just one. Add icing to the cake by giving your sweet a devilish fresh-baked cinnamon roll covered draped in sugary goodness from Ann Sather or specialty pastries from some of the nation’s most incredible bakeries.

The evening is rich with shows and entertainment. Spend an afternoon finding the ideal attire then leisurely enjoy a delicious dinner. Then sit back and enjoy an night filled with laughter and relaxation. Some options, requiring reservations, include The Blue Man Group, an artistic multimedia performance, or rotating shows at the Steppenwolf Theater, Goldman Theater, Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Symphony Center. If you’re in the mood for something a bit more casual, visit B.L.U.E.S on Halsted or Rosa’s Lounge on Armitage, two unbeatable local blues bars, The Hideout on Wabansia, an alternative folk and bluegrass bar, The Velvet Lounge, offering an incredible jazz atmosphere, or Green Mill on N. Broadway, former hangout for notorious gangster Al Capone, presenting an intense weekly poetry slam and jazz music.

About Author

Clinton Douglas IV, love to travel and teach people about Special Travel Deals. Get his FREE Special Report – “How To Make More Money In Only 30 Days Starting From Scratch” Visit Now ==> Online Business Ideas

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Start your New York vacations with a self-guided tour at Natural Stone Bridge and Caves in Pottersville. The rare formation of the Stone Bridge forms the largest natural marble cave entrance in the Northeast. Follow the well marked trails as you explore the various caves, Echo Cave, Garnet Cave, Cave of the Lost Pool, and Noisy Cave. Other activities include a picnic and play area, trout feeding, rock shop and fossil museum. Watch as your very own geode is cut open with a diamond saw.

Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve is a 3200 acre freshwater wetland located along the old Erie Canal in the town of Clifton Park. This wildlife conservation area is particularly suitable for New York vacations bird watching as it is an important breeding ground and habitat for birds. There are lots of trails for nature walks, hiking and bird watching.

Niagra Falls is one of the few places in the world where you can see such an open display of Mother Nature’s furious power. You can walk right up and touch the cascading water. The Cave of the Winds will take you right to the base of the falls. You get there from Goat Island Park on the U.S. side. The Maid of the Mist boat ride is by far the most popular attraction and plan to get wet.

The Seabreeze Amusement Park, just outside of Rochester, is the country’s fourth oldest amusement park with over 70 great rides and attractions. It has wild roller coasters and water rides as well as family classic rides and kiddy rides. There are live shows, a carousel museum, the Midway of Fun, and the Seabreeze Arcade.

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Finger Lakes National Forest is 16,000 acres of opportunity for outdoor recreation. Camping on the three maintained campgrounds is free. There are five acres of blueberries for picking as well as scattered spots for apples, raspberries, and other fruits. Hunting and fishing is excellent. There are over 30 miles of trails including the 12 mile long Interloken Trail.

Watkins Glen State Park is a spectacular one-and-a-half-mile-long glacier carved gorge. The footpaths wind over, under, and around the 19 waterfalls and 300 foot high cliffs. Walking and hiking are favorite activities in this beautiful setting. Camping, fishing, and other outdoor activities are available as well as an Olympic-size swimming pool.

The annual Canal Fest is held by the twin cities of North Tonawanda and Tonawanda. This huge eight-day long festival commemorates the historical Erie Canal with live music, parades, boat races, and beauty pageants. Take open-house tours of the historic homes. Ride a canal boat. Other entertainment includes mime shows, art displays, games, and a fireworks display to wrap it all up.

The Taste of Buffalo is a food festival that offers up tasty fare from over 50 local restaurants. This is the second-largest such festival in the United States and features live music from four different stages along with the over 150 different culinary delights. You can sample a wide variety of ethnic tastes and cooking styles with this New York vacations idea.

The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology, in Syracuse, is full of hands-on exhibits and activities. The museum offers New York’s only Imax dome theater. Silverman’s Planetarium will have you gazing into the heavens. Have fun while you learn about geology, our environment, the human body, and the wonders of science.

Lake George Village, on the southern end of Lake George, offers many interesting events and attractions. Go parasailing 300 feet high over the lake. Take a cruise ship out onto the lake. Explore the famous Fort William Henry Historic Museum. Lake George contains three Submerged Heritage Preserves for the enjoyment of scuba diving enthusiasts. For bicyclists the nine-mile Warren County Bikeway and the Feeder Canal Trail provide great riding.

For a totally new and unique New York vacations way to see New York City try a walking tour from SoundWalk. Armed with a portable CD player, headset and map you will go on a true urban adventure. Soundwalk’s 3D surround sound CD audio recordings guide you as you traverse places like Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, the Lower Eastside, Chinatown, Times Square or the Bronx. Get a taste of the Big Apple that few other tourists ever experience.

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the best New York vacation spots to take the family. It is famous for its dinosaur exhibits but there is so much more. There are wonderful dioramas with grizzly bears, elks with massive antlers and wolves. Or the herd of lumbering elephants and the giraffes at the water hole. There are numerous exhibits like the interactive Rose Center for Earth and Space with its 95-foot tall glass cube. Or take in a show at the IMAX theater or a space show. There are just a tremendous amount of incredible things to see here.

The Bronx Zoo is a fun New York City vacation idea. They have over 4,000 animals and the zoo covers 265 acres. It’s actually more a wildlife park than a zoo. Every effort is taken to re-create the animals’ natural habitat. The Gorilla Forest, Tiger Mountain and the Butterfly Zone are three of the most popular exhibits. Indoors everyone will enjoy the Monkey House and Jungle World. The Children’s Zoo is great for the younger ones. Their are lots of interactive features that will really spark their interest.

If you would like to combine your passion for running with a New York vacation, then City Running Tours may be just what you are looking for. This is a guided running tour service for New York City. They will provide you with knowledgable guides that will run with you anytime, day or night. The guides are licensed fitness professionals who can help you experience the Big Apple in a totally unique way. They have running tours that will take you through Central Park, Greenwhich Village, along the Hudson River, Broadway and other exciting city highlights.

Author
Peter Shannon - He writes for his website 1001 - Vacation ideas. You
can visit him at by clicking here.

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Learn The Insider Secrets On How To Get A Cruise Ship

Job,Travel The World And Get Paid For It.

After three and a half years of cruising the world, mainly on the Queen Elizabeth 2, I ended up traveling to over fifty countries and six continents around the world. If you’ve ever wondered how to get a job on a cruise ship, then keep reading so I can share with you the secrets on how to do the exact same thing.

Many people wonder what it’s like working on a cruise ship and are even more curious how to get a job on one. You might be thinking it’s like an insider’s secret! In a way it is, but it won’t be when you finish reading this article. My first job on a cruise ship came when a cruise employment agent contacted a friend of mine who was unavailable to work, so my friend told him to contact me and the rest is history. I’ve also got jobs for several friends who ended up traveling the world, but for the people who don’t know me, it’s okay because I’ll show you how to do the same thing in a different way.

Here is exactly how it works. For every department on a ship, there is someone who oversees that department. That person reports to someone on land in the corporate offices for the cruise ship company, whether it is Princess, Royal Caribbean or Carnival. Now here’s the hooker. That person in corporate works with an agency or contractor that hires people by qualifying them before come aboard the cruise ship. This is what happens 70% of the time. 20% are hired through the companies that are on-board contractors. These can be the on-board shops, art auctioneers, photographers or other third party revenue vendors. The other 10% are people who contact the cruise ships directly for certain positions such as Sales Specialists, Printers, Disk Jockeys and people who have jobs that only involve one or a few people.

When people are hired through an agency, there’s a fee that’s paid by either the cruise ship or the employer. Usually this fee is paid by the cruise ship. It’s a way to hire a third party Human Resources to take care of all the logistics and coordinate with the corporate office and employers on-board. This only makes sense because there are many logistics of hiring, ticketing and travel guidelines. From there, the third party agent or administrative assistant from the corporate office will be just a phone call away for anything you need until you join.

There are plenty of jobs to choose from with the amount of ships at sea nowadays. For instance, one cruise line will have more “entertainment” jobs, as to where another ship may have more “hotel services” positions available for you to choose from. Obviously you’ll be working, but you’ll also be traveling. To get days off in ports and spend as much time ashore as possible, work out schedules with your fellow co-workers. You may be thinking that sounds like a daunting task, but trust me, it’s no biggie and takes about thirty seconds before everyone is happy. If you work in certain departments, like the entertainment department, your department gets to make your own schedule. Other departments, like casinos and shops aren’t allowed to work while in port (not a bad job to have)!

If you can, try to get a job on a ship that has a big fleet or that has alot of destinations. When I was with Premiere Cruise Lines, I transferred cruise Lines three times in four months, so instead of going to just two countries, I went to ten. Another example is Princess Cruise Lines, which has several ships that all follow a similar protocol throughout. That way, crew can transfer from one ship to another with ease and confidence.

You would be quite surprised to see how many resources and agencies can help you get a job on a cruise ship. You’re probably thinking, “How would I get a job out of the thousands of people who apply?”

Okay, here’s the secret. Those thousands of people you’re thinking about are thinking the same thing, so they don’t even apply! You wouldn’t believe the shortage of staff cruise ships companies always have. If there isn’t a job immediately, one will open up within three months because that is how the contracts work out with multiple ships. There was NEVER a day when all the jobs were filled in ANY department. Department heads are ALWAYS asking the agencies if they have found anyone to fill the position. In many cases, positions don’t even get filled! Many crew have to EXTEND their contracts because the agencies can’t find the right people, because everyone is wondering, “There must be several people who would get the job before me,” or they just simply don’t know the people to contact.

Many people ask me everyday how to get a job on a cruise ship; after all, I achieved my dreams by twenty-four and have seen several others do the same. What I always tell people is simple. Get a database and resource guide so you can contact these hiring agencies and corporate offices directly. From all the resource guides I’ve seen, nothing compares to the one I came across awhile ago, which was Neil Maxwell Key’s resource site. He used to travel the world on cruise ships as well, but took it a step further to gather all the resources anybody could need to get a cruise ship job.

If you’re looking to do what only your friends and family dream of, then go get a cruise ship job. People are fascinated by the concept and will always be asking you what it’s like traveling the world and getting paid for it.

About the Author

Scott Lundergan did two world cruises on QE2, traveled to over fifty countries and six continents. When people ask him how they can travel the world, he simply refers them to thecruiseshiplife.com