Best Missouri RV Destinations
The weather is starting warm up and you know what that means: Camping season! If you live in Missouri, or just enjoy camping in the state, you know that winter is not the most desirable time to visit the lake or camp in the woods. Lucky for you, spring is on its way and camping season is following closely behind. Not sure where you want to travel this year? Take a look at some of the best Missouri RV destinations to help get your travel brain in gear.
As one of the most popular destinations in Missouri in general, Branson has a lot to offer RV travelers. With dozens of campgrounds to choose from, you will easily find a place to park that fulfills your wants and needs. Branson is well known for its many musical shows, its 3 caves, and a theme park that goes by the name of Silver Dollar City. You also won’t be disappointed by their plethora of shopping venues and golf courses.
If you are looking for a more outdoorsy RV experience, Mark Twain National Forest should be the camping destination for you. With over a million acres in the park to explore, you could spend months in the forest if you wanted to. Activities are more of the traditional type, such as hiking, horseback riding, biking, exploring caves, and venturing about via ATV. If you are more of a water lover, this forest has rivers and lakes galore, great for canoeing, swimming, or catching a fish or two. If you love the outdoors, you will fall in love with Mark Twain National Forest.
Nothing screams camping like a huge lake that spans miles of southern Missouri. These RV campgrounds often offer enjoyable hiking trails that allow you to meander through the woods, as well as swimming docks and other traditional outdoor activities. This is a destination meant for those who love swimming, boating, fishing, jet skiing, or all of the above. With miles of lake to conquer, it will take days before you even consider being bored.
Neck and neck with Lake of the Ozarks is Missouri’s incredibly popular Table Rock Lake. This man-made lake covers thousands of acres with a plethora of RV campgrounds dotting its shores. The view while swimming or boating is breathtaking, with jagged cliffs and beautiful landscape lining the edge of the lake. If it gets chilly or rainy, don’t fear, as Branson and its extensive activities are just a stones throw away from your nature filled campsite.
If you think these four destinations are all that Missouri has to offer, you are highly mistaken. Featuring a nature made waterpark at Johnson Shut-Ins, a Mastodon historic site, caves upon caves, rivers, lakes, and hiking galore, there is never a dull moment when camping in Missouri. With a little research, you are guaranteed to find at least one place that is perfect for you and your family. Start planning today for a trip that won’t disappoint.
5 Items to Pack for a Vacation at Sea
Whether you’re headed out for a weekend on a yacht, you plan to go sailing with a few friends for a couple of days or even if you have a week-long cruise coming up, when you’re away at sea, there are certain things that are absolutely essential. So, in order to make your packing process quicker and easier, we’ve got a list of five items that you should take along with you so that you can better enjoy every single moment of your sea vacation.
Swimsuits.
When you’re taking a vacation at sea, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re going to want to go swimming whether it’s in the open waters or aboard the cruise ship. So, make sure that you pack a couple of swimsuits. Make sure that they are comfortable and also provide good support. If you’re a woman in the market for a new suit, it’s best if you get one that’s according to your body type. You can get great tips by going to your favorite search engine and putting “swimsuit for your body type” in the search field.
Sunscreen.
A vacation at sea will also require you spending a lot of time outdoors in the sun. This means that you need to do all that you can in order to protect your skin from potentially damaging rays. You can do this by applying sunscreen. There are actually different kinds of sunscreens that are best for different skin types. SkinCancer.org is one website that can tell you what type is best for children, pale and dark skin and even acne-prone skin. Simply go to the website and put “choose the right sunscreen for your skin type” in the search field.
Dramamine.
Sometimes people don’t know that they have issues with motion sickness until they are out on the waters for a long period of time. Although this doesn’t happen quite as much on cruises as it does when you’re on a yacht or sailing, it’s a good idea to have some motion-sickness medication on hand, just in case. One of our favorites is Dramamine. You can purchase it at your local drug store.
First-Aid Kit.
Say that you’ve been considering using the All Rivers and Saltwater Charters for a sailing vacation. Something else that we recommend that you take along with you is a First-Aid Kit. By having some aspirin, pain pills, tweezers, Band-Aids and hydrogen peroxide on hand, you won’t have to worry about looking for one of these things should you happen to have a headache or experience a minor cut as the boat is riding the waves.
Snacks.
Although cruises are a wonderful experience, they do tend to be pretty pricey; especially when it comes to things like beverages and snacks. That’s why it’s our personal recommendation that you purchase some bottled water, juice, granola, cookies and any other snacks that you might like to have ahead of time. That way, you can have a lot of the foods that you like without having to spend a ton of money in the process. Happy sailing!
Top 5 Balkan Cities to Visit
An urban area break is a great way to discover a thing or two about culture diversity in a couple of days. It offers you the opportunity to have a fresh experience. The Balkan possesses a diverse blend of history, geography and culture. City vacations in the Balkans provide something interesting for everyone regardless of your age, style, or whether you’re travelling by yourself or you are a part of a group. Listed here are ten cities which reflect the identity of the Balkans.
It is renowned for being a lively and fashionable city and it has an identity for providing a captivating nightlife. The very best features would be barges distributed along the banks of the Danube and Sava rivers. Belgrade offers 2 opera houses, several museums, such as the Contemporary Art Museum and the National Museum. There’s also some beautiful architecture. An old river island, Ada Ciganlija, located on Sava river, is the biggest recreational and sports complex. It’s the most popular place to go for visitors and Belgraders throughout the city’s hot summer months.
It is among the world’s greatest and perfectly preserved fortified towns and it has 2 kilometres of walls, some of them are 6 metres thick in spots lined with towers and turrets, running round the city. George B. Shaw said: “If you wish to see heaven on earth, visit Dubrovnik”.
It is a enchanting city. Ljubljana has a lively cultural scene and many parks. There are several museums and art galleries and a mediaeval castle found at the summit of the hill which rules the centre of Ljubljana. City Zoo has 152 animal species. A traditional flea market happens every Sunday within the old city. Tivoli Park is the biggest park in in the area. It has three major avenues, beautifully planted with chestnut-trees.
It is encompassed by the Dinaric Alps and located round the Miljacka River, often called the Sarajevo River. It is probably the key feature of the town. In December 2009, it was listed as one of the top 10 places to visit in 2010, by Lonely Planet. A terrific way to go around Sarajevo city is by electrical tram system. It was the very first city in Europe to possess a full-time functional electric tram network system
It is the birthplace of Mother Teresa and her Memorial House commemorates the date. There are lots of old mosques and churches to go to for people who love architecture and history. Numerous famous artists have attended festivals over time. The Jazz Festival belongs to the European Jazz Network. The Soul and Blues Festival in July is part of the Cultural Summer Festival in Skopje and the May Opera Evenings are probably the most visited events in Skopje.
The Park houses the main museum, a number of monuments, tiny lakes, restaurants and cafes. The Stadium and Zoo are also located here together with a few nightclubs.
The Beautiful Kiev
The Ukraine offers a attractive secret that draws a lot of visitors from all over the world. This is a large vacation getaway. It is outstanding because of its fantastic mountain tops, architectural monuments, human-made sights as well as plentiful ethnic history. It is the most significant nation in eastern Europe. The capital town, Kiev, is trully its joy and pride. It is located in northern part of Ukraine, over the Dnieper River. Kiev features a quite lively city living that just guarantees general satisfaction and pleasure to each and every visitor. Kiev is loaded with lots of fascinating points of interest and popular attractions.
Kiev’s leading sights include the Monastery of the Caves known as the Kiev Pechersk Lavra and also the 1200′s Saint Sophia Cathedral which are one of the most sacred places in the town and contained in the 7 Wonders of Ukraine. An important portion of the town’s lifestyle is the diverse cinemas specially the Ivan Franko Theatre, Puppet Theater, Kiev Opera House and the Lesya Ukrainka Russian Drama theatre. On top of that, it provides outstanding museums such as the Museum of Western and Oriental Art, Museum of the Great Patriotic War, National Art Museum, as well as others.
Make sure you visit the Kiev’s architectural works of art to check the wonderful places and scenery of the past Golden Gate, St. Michael’s Cathedral as well as the Mariyinsky Palace. Its modern sights include the massive titanium figurine of Mother Motherland, Burial place of the Unknown Soldier, and also the House with Chimaeras together with many others. Furthermore, you will definitely enjoy in great monuments much like those in the Independence Square down the middle of the town with the monument on the town’s defender, Michael Archangel and its goddess opponent Berehynia.
Excellent and polite Kiev apartmens for rent are available across the whole town area with easy metro access, making your stay in the town without any trouble. The Ukranian Cuisine is delicious all around Kiev with a lot of exclusive and tasty local meals which will definitely turn into a gastronomic party for all food fanatics along with outdoorsmens. You may also chill out following a tedious excursion in the most of the amusement places for instance pubs in the metro area through the night.
Local weather:
The city of Kiev is renowned for its continental humid climate conditions. Summer months are the hottest with temperature ranges up to 77 degrees during the day. The coolest weather conditions are experienced during the winter months and could move beneath freezing levels. Snow fall tend to be heavy and starts from November continuing the snow season untill the end of March.
City Transport:
Kiev offers among the most substantial and complex public transport structure, guide by the Kiev Subway Metro, commuter lines, trolley and trams, yet bus providers are usually hard to rely on . The funicular, a train that ascends on higher locations and homes transfers as much as 15,000 people on a daily basis. Taxi cabs can also be found yet taxi services aren’t controlled which means you could be charge with a lot overpriced service. Suburban cars is available by short-range engines known as the elektrichkas, buses as well as mini-buses.
Travelistic: The Road to Hana
While waiting on an absurdly long line in Chipotle today, I got to thinking about how people tend to view travel (the actual transportation portion of it) in one of two ways.
First there’s the school of Zen-like masters who preach patience in the face of delayed gratification. This is the “The culmination is worth the effort” club.
Then there is the opposite sect who preach a philosophy not of instant gratification, but constant gratification. That is, “Every minute you aren’t enjoying is a waste.” Or, as we’ve come to know this romantic notion “It’s the journey not the destination.”
I’m not sure which camp I fall into. Clearly the principals require that you fall on one side of the divide – you can’t sometimes appreciate the journey (say, if you are flying first class) and sometimes bypass the journey in favor of the destination (if perhaps you are sitting in front of a child singing the entire Dora The Explorer soundtrack). I’m inclined to say that I am in the “Culmination is worth the effort” camp. Until airports replace those barely padded plastic chairs with massaging recliners, I’m going to have to say that the journey part isn’t all that fun.
Then, as I snaked my way around the far corner of the Chipotle, I remembered my trip to Maui a few years ago. My friends and I thought it would be fun to wake up obscenely early one morning and make the drive out to Hana, a town which is conveniently located on the eastern tip of Maui, completely opposite the developed Western coast, where we were staying. Although Hana is a mere 56 miles from our hotel in Kihea, because the mountainous roads are so windy and fraught with rocky terrain and one-lane bridges, the drive will take the average person 3 hours.
While this trip clearly went against my vacationing motto (“Do less, enjoy more”) my friends hyped Hana as an oasis of natural beauty in a world marred by the unyielding grip of man. It was a strong sell, and despite me seeming lack of motivation in the face of minimal effort, I came to the conclusion that a leisurely drive to a peaceful beach town would actually be perfect. Plus we only had one car and it was easier to just go than have to walk everywhere on my own.
Of course, the guidebook told us of a variety of side trips we needed to take (this was the word they used, as though we wouldn’t be allowed entry into Hana without first securing tokens from these adventures). Apparently, despite strongly worded signs to the contrary (“BEWARE OF HUNGRY RADIOACTIVE DOG”) all of Maui’s beaches are open to the public. The locals, however, like to make it difficult for the tourists to visit them all in order to preserve their cleanliness and beauty.
So our first stop was a dirt road that veered off the highway about 45 minutes in. There was a rusty gate with a NO TRESPASSING sign dangling from a chain. My friends assumed this meant “no trespassing unless you promise to keep things tidy and you have a genuine appreciation for the aesthetic beauties of the wilderness,” so we parked our car and began walking into the woods down what seemed to be a rather defined trail. Quickly, we realized that our trail was nothing more than a minor clearing, one that became less and less clear the further we went. Apparently “NO TRESPASSING” had a more literal meaning: without a machete, you’d have little success trespassing.
Top 10 Local Irish Food Specialties
The Full Irish specialty is commonly known as the “Ulster fry” or as the “fried breakfast”. It is a combination of fried or scrambled eggs, bacon, black and white puddings which is also a type of sausage, sausages, mushrooms, baked beans, fried bread, potato farls, and grilled tomato. It is best when partnered with jam, marmalade, slices of toast, sauces, and coffee or tea. One meal can be your source of calories for the whole day; indeed, it is popularly called as the “heart attack on a platter”. Enjoy eating now!
The Irish stew is a conventional Irish dish but when ordered in an Irish restaurant, it would cost you a big amount of money as if it’s an upper class food specialty. This Irish food specialty is a great combination of a lamb or mutton, onions, potatoes, and parsley and is cooked in a thick casserole. The lamb or mutton meat can be minced or diced. To lift up the dish a little bit more; peas and carrots can be added. You may cook according to your preference and make the Irish stew more soup like.
The fresh salmon is considered as the main ingredient in an Irish kitchen though some countries only take it as a delicacy. A salmon is highly regarded as the most widely found fish in Ireland. It is popularly and commonly prepared as simmering it in liquid or poached in fish stock and is best served with potatoes and peas. Others might cook it as fried as well. New recipes like pasta with salmon are slowly becoming popular nowadays.
Many said that the most well-liked salmon preparation by Irish people is to have it smoked. It is then combined with scrambled egg, sliced bread, or just with a salad on the side. According to them a wild salmon is tastier compared to that of a farmed salmon and also, it costs a lot higher.
Oysters traditionally, have been known to be the food for the poor people. They are not available during the main tourist season. Oysters are only free and available in huge quantities at the Irish coast in the past, but since it became a delicacy and served as an aphrodisiac in Ireland, oysters became popular to all and are now achievable with price. The usual food preparation for this is that, it is with a combination with no-frills food, seaweed, and it is served on ice. In the traditional way of serving it as a side dish, it is handed out as a pint and in Guinness, in a lot of quantity. If you want to order oysters with that combination, try it at Galway where you can buy it at a moderate amount.
The Baked ham dish is a typical upper class food. Traditionally, baked ham is prepared through sugar coating, dressed with some cloves, and then baked until it becomes crispy in its exterior with an interior which is slightly tender. It is presented with fried or cooked potatoes and a lot of boiled cabbage. It is popularly known as a festive meal in Ireland since not every day you can have it right away since it has a significant high cost of price. Baked ham is also available in bargains which can be purchased at some pub carveries.
Irish roads are known to cause a brief intense reaction due to the thrill you may experience with suicidal sheep or lambs. Though it may seem to be like that, its meat is highly pleasant and delectable to the mouth and it will really cost you a lot of money to buy some. Irish peaople choose the best parts which are the fine cutlets or a traditional rack of lamb. It is best served with potatoes, and at times, others would choose it to be served with mint sauce or jelly. It’s again a festive meal for one to have and it’s taste is really enticing.
The people of Dublin Ireland, the so called “Dubliners” has this so called “Dublin coddle” during a Saturday night before their night out. It has been a typical and usual dish for them. The said dish is prepared through chopped sausages and bacon along with ubiquitous potatoes in beef stock and onions. It’s a great dish following the drinks for their night out. Big quantities for this can also be cooked at once since it can be heat up again the following days.
Sambo is sandwich term for Irish people. It has been the name given to the sandwiches whether it may be processed or factory produced ones, those which are plastic wrapped, sandwiches which are available almost everywhere including the famous O’Brien’s freshly made platters. Sambo can be uniquely made according to one’s taste preference. In a traditional point of view it has only been the ham and cheese sandwich, and today, ham and cheese is still popular together with the stuffing and coleslaw.
The Soup of the Day
Irish want to have soup every day, especially during lunch time or for snacks. It is commonly served with bread and butter. They usually ask if what‘s the soup of the day, and almost all the time it includes vegetable soup, they’re loving the vegetable soup.