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May 15, 2009

Maui Golf Vacation Packages: Emerald Greens and Sapphire Seas

 

The stunning scenery and splendid climate of Maui have made it one of the world’s top golfing destinations.  Imagine yourself driving the ball over not a simple hazard, but a bay, a series of lava outcroppings, or a section of rainforest canopy.  You won’t be bored as you wait for the foursome in front of you to hole out, because you’ll be drinking in the ocean views and the scent of salt air.  Even those who shoot the worst rounds of their lives while enjoying Maui golf vacation packages return home with happy memories of their hours on the links!

While many of Maui’s top-tier courses are connected to its top-tier resorts, and will cost extra for anyone not a resort guest, part of the advantage of Maui golf vacation packages is that any additional greens fees are usually included in the total package price.  There are twenty private and public courses on the island of Maui, and even the public courses are breathtaking. 

Visit The Most Breathtaking Golf Courses On The Island Of Maui

Visit The Most Breathtaking Golf Courses On The Island Of Maui

When you enjoy one of the many Maui golf courses, you may get the feeling that the courses included are eerily familiar. Familiar they may be, because Maui’s championship courses, like that at the Kapalua Resort, make frequent appearances on nationally-televised golf tournaments.  The PGA tour, in fact, kicks off each January with the Mercedes Championshipsat the Kapalua Plantation Course.

If you love the challenge of a large, undulating green, you’ll be in heaven if a round at the Kaanapali Golf Resortis included in your Maui golf vacation package.  The rolling  greens at this course average a monstrous 10,000 square feet!   Large greens are also a hallmark of the Arnold palmer-designed Bay Course at Kapalua, where your tee shot at the par-3 fifth hole will have to clear a portion of Onelua Bay if you want any chance of making par!

Choosing one of the Maui Golf Vacation Packages which has you staying at one of the six hotels of  the Wailea Golf Resortwill give you access to not one, but three (the Emerald, Blue, and Gold ) championship course, each with its own striking ocean vistas from every hole.  The wide fairways of the Emerald course make it a ladies’ favorite, while course designer Robert Trent Jones, Jr. referred to the Gold course as the “masculine” one.   The best senior golfers in the world gather at the Wailea Gold Course each February for the Senior Skins Game.   Shots across lava outcrops and ravines are “par for the course” at the Gold Course!

One of the most attractive futures of a Maui golf vacation package is that, while you are out on the links, your traveling companions can enjoy all the other remarkable attractions available in Maui, from water sports to hiking, horseback riding, or cycling through some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth! All this, and daytime temperatures which are consistently in the 75-80°F range all year long!  Shorts are perfectly acceptable on the courses, but jeans may not be.

Almost all travel agencies which offer trips to Hawaii have Maui Golf Vacation packages.  Simply do a bit of advance research to determine which are courses are right for you and talk to you travel agent about making it happen!


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May 5, 2009

Las Vegas: Free Things for Your Free Time

Filed under: Las Vegas — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — myroadtotravel @ 3:00 am
Free things to do in Vegas!

Free things to do in Vegas!

When you hear the phrase “Las Vegas vacation,” you almost certainly will be thinking about expensive hotels and money-inhaling casinos.  But your Las Vegas vacation, surprisingly, can be very affordable as long as you take advantage of the city’s long list of free attractions.  There are, quite simply, far more free things to do in Las Vegas then you will probably have time to manage in a typical three or four-day stay.

Begin by heading for the MGM Grand, where the Lion Habitat awaits.  You’ll come within 1 1/2 inches of glass of being able to touch one of MGM’s 31 lions which appear in the Lion Habitat at any given time.  The lions are “on duty” in the habitat for six hours each day. They spend their off-hours and off-days at the MGM ranch located about 13 miles from the Hotel, where their care is overseen by an expert exotic animal trainer.  The trainer will also visit the habitat regularly, giving visitors educational presentations and playing or hand-feeding any lions that are willing to participate.  Most of the time, however, the lions sleep as they would in the wild, and that’s a lot (18 to 20 hours per day!) 

If you think the MGM lions are impressive (and they most definitely are!)  You’ll be completely blown away by the sights at the Neon Boneyard.  Sitting in a less than spectacular empty lot in the heart of downtown Las Vegas are more than 150 of the cast-aside neon signs and emblems which once adorned the Vegas strip.  From the two-ton Silver Slipper in the hat from the Tam-o-Shanter Motel to enormous chess pieces and individual neon letters from dozens of abandon signs, the Neon Boneyard is an evolving tribute to Las Vegas’ past. While serious efforts are being made to create a real museum to house these fascinating relics, right now you’ll have to see them as they are: neon diamonds in the rough!

If visiting the Neon Boneyard puts you in the mood for some live lights, music, and all around fun, you’re ready for the Fremont Street Experience.  While you have to leave the Strip and head downtown, the Fremont Street Experience is an absolute must.  Just ask the nearly 20,000,000 visitors who participate in it each year. The Fremont Street Light Show uses over 12 million LED modules spread out along a 500-yard canopy, flashing in time with music emitted by a 555,000 watt sound system to create the biggest open-air dance party in Las Vegas.  The canopy, which is actually the world’s largest video screen, flashes amazing pictures in more than 16 million color combinations.  There are currently 15 different shows, including ones inspired by auto racing and a journey to the bottom of the ocean!  The Fremont Street Experience also features live bands each night!

While a trip to Las Vegas may not seem like a trip to the Wild West, you shouldn’t forget that you are in the great state of Nevada.  You can get a taste of the old West at Sam’s Town’s free Sunset Stampede.  The Sunset Stampede takes place within the Mystic Falls Park inside Sam’s Town, and will treat you to a light show accompanied by the appearance of Wild West wildlife including a wolf, eagle, and bear. The Mystic Falls waters will dance to symphonic music for eight minutes, as you are swept back to the days of the pioneers.  While standing close to the action may result in your becoming a little waterlogged yourself, it’s well worth the risk. On those hot days, Mystic Falls Park can be a marvelous retreat with its dense foliage, sparkling stream, and waterfalls.  You can either stroll along the park’s walkways or simply relax on one of its many benches.

We’ve suggested only three of the many free things to in Las Vegas.  You‘ll have no trouble at all finding at least a dozen more once you arrive, so don’t deprive yourself of any of them!


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