Travel

If you’re traveling in Ontario, Canada with your kids anytime between May 1st and September 8th and find yourself anywhere near Greater Sudbury, make some time, a day would be best, to detour to Dinosaur Valley Mini Golf for a unique experience in family entertainment. Open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, this singular attraction offers service in both English and French.

The park began as a dream for owners Josee and Marcel Rainville, who, after five years of work, completed the first 9-hole course in 1998. Over the years five more courses were added as well as the amazing steel dinosaurs, all scaled to size. The park owners make all of the skeletal replicas.

Dinosaur Valley offers a variety of amusement options ranging from a total of 54 unique holes of miniature golf to labyrinths and over 20 mammoth dinosaur and insect exhibits, plus their new Raptor and Dragon exhibits, added in 2006.

It is fun with a purpose, too. The Rainvilles have dedicated the entire park to cancer families to honor of the memory of their son, Steven, who died of leukemia. Dinosaur Valley also hosted Canada’s first Pro Mini Golf Tournament in which 100% of the proceeds were donated to charity (the Canadian Cancer Society).

This family fun centre is reasonably priced, too, with labyrinth entry only C$2.50 per person and 18 holes of miniature golf starting at C$5.99 for children and C$7.00 for adults. While some of the exhibits may be a little extra, most of the extraordinary metal models are incorporated into the golf courses.  The park accepts cash, debit, Visa, and American Express. For those of you who like to plan ahead, you can book your visit to Dinosaur Valley Mini Golf online via their website

Anyone visiting California who is even remotely interested in movies and celebrities can’t fail include a visit to Hollywood Boulevard on their itinerary of holiday activities.  But the reality of what Hollywood Boulevard falls quite a long way short of most people’s expectations.  The main problem is that when people think about this famous location, they immediately associate it with the glamour of the celebrities whose stars adorn the footpath.  They don’t associate the area with the movie industry work place where make up, costumes and scenery take shape.  That’s not to say that you won’t bump into a celebrity on the Boulevard, it’s just that if they are in their “street” clothes as opposed to their celebrity uniform that adorns magazine covers, you might not recognize them!

Over the years Hollywood Boulevard has been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair, but more recently the area has started to be transformed once again so that there are now a number of things for tourists to do.  One of the more fun things is a look around Fredericks of Hollywood’s Lingerie Museum.   Here you’ll find an exhibition of undergarments that have been worn throughout the ages, as well as some more modern examples that have been worn by some of Hollywood’s familiar faces.  For those who are interested in television sets, a tour around the Hollywood Entertainment Museum will reveal familiar sets from shows such as the X-files, and Cheers.   If you go to Hollywood Boulevard for the purpose of having your photo taken next to your favorite actor’s “star”, then you will probably find it saves you quite a bit of time if you buy a map which tells you where each celebrity “star” is located.

There is still a touch of old style glamour on Hollywood Boulevard however.  No trip to this area would be complete without a visit to the Kodak Theatre, home of the Academy Awards.  You’ll need to get there early to make sure you get a ticket to go inside, but once you’re in, it won’t matter what you thought of the Boulevard itself – the charm of the theatre is everything a movie lover could hope to find, and more!

The Caribbean islands have long been a favorite honeymoon destination for newly married couples. The weather here is sunny all year round and you can enjoy a number of wonderful vacation activities together, like taking tours, trying water sports, and lying in the sun. However, in the past few decades, it has also become very popular to travel to the Caribbean for the wedding itself, not just for the honeymoon. There are both advantages and disadvantages to doing so.

First, you must consider who you want to have present at your wedding. By law, you will probably be required to have a certain number of witnesses, and you may not be able to imagine your wedding without your father to walk you down the aisle or your best friend as your best man. Remember that every guest you want to be present at the wedding will have to be flown to the island. In many cases, the guests will not be able to afford this trip themselves and you will have to pay for all or at least some of it. If this isn’t in your budget, it may not be possible for you to have everyone present at your wedding ceremony. The cost of a Caribbean wedding is definitely a disadvantage.

Remember also that you will probably be vacationing for your honeymoon wherever you hold the wedding. While it may be nice to have friends and family around for the wedding, you might wish they would disappear for the wedding. Your guests may also want to take a vacation while they are in the neighborhood, so if you want some private time, and all inclusive couples only resort may be what you need for them to stay out of your way.

However, one of the main advantages is that you are already in the location where you’ll be honeymooning. Travel is stressful and not a good way to start a new life together, so instead, you can just jump right in to paradise. Not only that, but your wedding will be an very memorable event because the beach background overlooking the sunset and ocean will be beautiful. Many couples love the island scenery, so a Caribbean wedding may be perfect for you.

If you decide to have a Caribbean wedding, contact a wedding planner from the specific island to which you will travel. He or she can help make sure that your big day goes smoothly and that you will have the time of your life on your honeymoon.