Wareham – Dorset as a town filled with natural beauty, rich history, and a lot of modern-day things to do.

Thomas Howard, third lord Bindon had Lulworth castle built in the early part of the seventeenth century. The main purpose of this castle was the entertainment of the king and his royal guests. It was used predominantly as a hunting lodge, and a vacation home. During the early nineteen twenties this castle suffered a great fire, which just about left it in ruins. It has since undergone a phenomenal restoration, which has returned it to its former glory.

During the eleventh century, William the Conqueror built what is known as Corfe castle. What remains today in large part are ruins and a tower dating back to the eleventh and twelfth centuries. This castle indeed has an exciting history. At some point during the reign of King John this castle was actually used as a prison. It was also quite well known as the favorite of his properties. Murder and betrayal is not a stranger here. In fact this is the location of the murder of King Edward the martyr. It is also understood that this castle fell during the English Civil War, as the result of a betrayal of Lady Mary Bankes by one of her own officers. Today this place of excitement brings visitors back in time. From the dungeons, to the spectacular views from high spots on the property, to the arrow marks still chiseled into the stone, one can imagine what it was like to be here many, many years ago. Property maps are available for people who would like to discover the sites on their own. There are also guided tour is available, and an amazing open air theater, with reenactments of battles fought long ago. This is definitely a place that the entire family will enjoy.

St. Martins Church is over 1000 years old. Here people will find a spectacular statue and dedication to T. E. Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia. Needless to say, the architecture and art work is found here is magnificent.

The life and career of T. E. Lawrence is also showcased at the Wareham town Museum. Many photographs, much information, and even a documentary film are included as part of this display. This Museum also offers the opportunity to view the relics from the Iron Age as well as Roman pottery, and even a kiln.

Monkey world ape rescue center offers the best in veterinary care and living conditions for rescued primates. These animals have been removed from poachers, kidnappers, and others seeking to exploit them. Here the animals have the opportunity to interact with other animals of their kinds inappropriate setting. This is a fantastic place that is loved by people both old and young.

Thursday’s in Wareham offer the opportunity to visit the local market. This is a nice chance to relax and purchase the locally grown produce and handmade wares. There great restaurants here, plenty of places to stay overnight, an excellent shopping.

Visiting Wareham – Dorset will definitely be an exciting and enjoyable visit for anyone.

A bustling mega metropolis of monumental proportion, Delhi is not just your average Indian city. With a good helping of most of the world’s cultures, the city is an ethnic melting pot of colour and vibrancy that is hard to find anywhere else in the nation. The former imperial headquarters of British colonizers, Delhi is a delectable cocktail of old meets new and east meets west where all of India’s intrinsic diversity is concentrated and celebrated.

Although the city is home to a plethora of illustrious museums and some of the country’s most recognizable landmarks, none dominates its landscape more than the sky piercing Qutub Minar tower. Pleasantly situated in a complex of ancient Hindu temple ruins, the 72.5 meter high tower is the tallest brick minaret in the globe. Built as far back as 1193, this red hued monument is also one of the finest examples of Indo-Islamic architecture in existence.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Qutub complex comprises of a number of medieval buildings and ruins which surrounds the minaret. Attracting nearly 4 million tourists from across the globe the minaret even beat the Taj Mahal as one of India’s most frequented monuments. Three hundred and seventy eight steps lead visitors to the summit of the monument whose base diameter is 14.3 meters and 2.75 meters at the top most point. Exquisite examples of Indian artwork that dates back to 1193 encircle the structure. The red sandstone remnants of a second tower – the Alai Minar is also visible alongside its sky scraping predecessor. The top storey of the Alai Minar was made of gleaming white marble by Firoz Shah Tughlaq.

Built under the patronage of Qutbuddin Aibak, the premier islamic sovereign of Delhi, the Qutub Minar minaret aspired to be a structure similar to that of the Jam in Afghanistan. Similar to Ghurids and Ghaznavids towers, the Qutub consists of cylindrical shafts held up by Muqarnas corbels and divided by balconies. Constructed of red sandstone with quotations from the Quran, elaborate carvings cover the surface of the tower. Built on the former site of the Lal Kot, the Qutub Minar is constructed from the debris of the 27 Hindu temples.

The sacred message engraved on the tower states “Shri Vishwakarma prasade rachita” which translates to “Conceived with the grace of Vishwakarma”. Believed to have been built to call the faithful to prayer in the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, the view from the top of the minaret is unrivalled as it is breathtaking. Famed landmarks that can be viewed from the summit include the Humayun’s Tomb and the walls of Firoz Shah Kotla, Tughlaqabad, Jama Masjid and Purana Qila while the Hauz Khaz is also visible.

Although Delhi is home to several Gurgaon hotels, few match up to the exceptional service and luxuries of The Leela Kempinski Gurgaon, Delhi (NCR). A stylish luxury hotel Gurgaon is fortunate to call one of its finest, guests will hardly be disappointed with the amenities provided by this elegant rest.

Brighton Ski Destination

If it’s that time of the year again to start think about where you want you go on your net ski vacation. Utah has plenty of resort with fantastic powder however Brighton Ski Resort is a world class resort with top notch facilities.

Brighton’s Ski Resort is nested in the Big Cottonwood Canyon about 30 miles from Salt Lake City. So you’ll be getting the awesome saline snow from the winter storms that come through for some amazing powder.

Brighton is actually on public land and all the resort’s land is part of the Wasatch-cache National Forest. Which pretty much mean the resort is open year round. Of course tickets must be purchased to ride the lifts and the ski area.

Interestingly while the surrounding area does provide great dinning, lodging, and shopping a lot of the facilities are not what are the big draw to Brighton. Most Brighton Skiers and Rider and locals and the resorts claim to fame is a “no Frills” place whose business is to provide skiers with top notch trails and runs. Take that as you will.

As for the Resort itself the base elevation is 8,755 feet and a top elevation of 10,750 feet, offering a respectable vertical change. There are 1050 skiable acres with 66 total runs. The ski runs break down as follows 21% beginners, 40% intermediate, and 39% expert. The longest run is the Olympic at 505 miles. And with nearly 500 inches of powder a year expect no shortage of fresh snow.

If you decide Brighton Utah is the place for you remember to relax and have fun!

Remember the classic Seinfeld episode that dealt with the holidays and how stress filled they really are? Frank Costanza had it all figured out; “…there has to be a better way”. And although the vast majority of us do not celebrate ‘festivous’ we do welcome the stress for the few weeks at the end of the calendar year.

Vacationing is one of the best stress relievers that I know about. It may not seem as fun as having the feats of strength that George had to deal with during the tv show, but it will get you back to a more sound place in mind, body and spirit. If you’re not really sure where to go, consider the following destinations:

Paris. What can you say about the ‘La Ville-Lumière’-which translates literally, to “The Light City”? It’s true, if there are questions that are bothering you’re soul, this very well could be the place to find the answers. The first time that I went to Paris, albeit kicking and screaming, it touched my heart; as it does most romantics. The smell of the French kitchens and the erotic sounds of the language are a brilliant combination to make this a great part of your vacation recipe.

Caribbean. Its hard to go wrong with places like Jamaica, Aruba or any of the hundreds of other islands that populate this wide range of salty pieces of land. If you haven’t been keeping up with the travel bug that has been going around, and forgot to renew your passport, the USVI lets you slip by without needing one; regarding you’re an American citizen. Family style vacations or a way to rekindle your romance is what the Caribbean can do for you.

Any place in the USA – other then Hawaii. How about this land of ours, huh? Thanks to this gigantic melting pot of cultures, the US of A has great vacation spots anywhere and everywhere you look. Think I’m pulling your chain? Set your GPS to the great Pacific Northwest; where driving along the coasts of Oregon and California eliminates any stereotype that you may have that the US is not known for a travel destination. Not only is it one of the most scenic drives anywhere, you can indulge in some of the world’s finest wines. The Northeast brings with it the history of this great country. History buff or not, there is a lot of really cool stuff in places like Boston and Philadelphia. Of course, Florida and Las Vegas are also here!

Cruising. I thought about whether or not to put this on this list, but really how can you not? Think about what you have when you board one of these enormous vessels. All the food that you can stand, entertainment, activities and every where you look…water! I have done a little independent survey with the help of a few friends and asked them what their favorite vacation spot would be; and without fail, it was someplace that featured some kind of water themed retreat. I’m a bit of a rookie when it comes to this, as I only been on 4 cruises and they were all to the Caribbean; but each time I caught myself thinking about the same thing; the ocean + a margarita = the perfect vacation!

Canada. Did I really say that? Its true, our neighbors to the north do offer some great fall escapes. My personal favorite, Montreal, offers a very mild taste of European zest. They don’t over due it, but you can tell the influence does reside there. I have been to Montreal about 20 times in my life and any snow withdrawals that I may have suffered from are well taken care of. Overdue snow ball fights were at a premium when I last visited there. Although the temps were frigid, it was made a little more bearable thanks to the many friendly people that call that place home. Bring a few sweaters with you if you’re not too familiar with the cold temperatures that this city tends to blow in.

The craziness of the holidays is right around the corner. Do something for yourself and begin thinking about where you would like to go to kick off 2010!

If you have a favorite spot, let me know about it. You can join in our look into other great vacation spots on twitter.

Travel to Machu Picchu

One of the most visited sites in the world today by travelers is Machu Picchu. It is located in Cuzco, Peru in the high Andes Mountains. It is approximately 724 miles away from Lima, the Peruvian capital. A typical trip by land on a bus takes about 20 hours. One could also take a flight and arrive there in a heartbeat of one hour. The starting point usually begins in Lima.

The ruins sit surrounded by the Andes Mountains at about 11,024 feet above sea level. The name Machu Picchu literally means “old peak”, translated from the Quechua language. It was discovered by Hiram Bingham on July 24, 1911 while he was in charge of a Yale University expedition. It was in this landscape that the Incas built Machu Picchu at the end of the fourteenth century.

The climate is mild, warm and damp. It has a year round average temperature of 55F during the day. There are typically two seasons, a rainy season which lasts from November to March and dry season, which lasts from April to October. Most travelers prefer to travel to the site during the dry season.

Personal Travel Experience

I had the pleasure of visiting Machu Picchu 22 years ago around this time when I was a small child. I was accompanied by my mother. The scenery was beautiful and breathtaking. We took a train from the city of Cuzco and it took us just a few hours to get to Machu Picchu. Then we had to take a small bus up the trail all the way to the top. Nowadays, there are two ways to connect from Cuzco. One is a Tourist Train, which only operates in the high season. The trip takes four hours and returns in the evening. Then there is also the Autovagon, a tourist service that takes three hours to get to the site with an evening return trip as well. Both leave in the early morning hours.

We highly recommend you to put Machu Picchu, Peru as one of your top travel destinations to visit in the near future. The experience will be unforgettable.

UPDATE: On July 7th in Lisbon, Portugal, Machu Picchu was voted in as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.