It’s hard planning a vacation on a low budget. Something to consider when planning your next trip is alternate methods of doing the things you want to do, meaning finding ways to do what you want without paying for them. If you own a time share like Westgate you might have access to discounted prices. If you attend a time share presentation you might receive tickets to an attraction for free. I know a couple that attends a time share presentation each day they’re in Florida, for three or four days in a row. They save a fortune by doing this. The hitch is you have to be able to say no once the time share sales pitch comes.

I’ve driven through South Carolina several times, on my way to Florida. Once when we stopped I got attached by fire ants. I’ll probably never get out of my car in South Carolina again. Despite the fact that I know they’re there, I never think of South Carolina as home to beautiful island scenery. If you take a look at the Kiawah Island Cam, you’ll get a nice clear view of the beach and ocean from the Kiawah Island, which is part of South Carolina. According to the site this is a 10,000 acre  island that is home to many species of animals, reptiles and amphibians, as well as a spot known for sighting American Bald Eagles.

I saw my brother this morning and we got to talking about travel. One of the places he wants to go is Cancun. That’s why today’s Saturday Safari takes us to Cancun via the Cancun Cam. Cancun is a city on the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. I didn’t know until today that it was also called the Mexican Caribbean. More thaqn four million people visit Cancun every year. There are over 150 hotels in Cancun, most of which are contained within the “hotel zone”.

If you’re planning on traveling outside of the US later this year then hopefully you’ve already checked what travel documentation you’ll need. After all, you don’t want to be stuck in the position where you have to call any immigration attorneys now, do you?

In case you aren’t aware, passport requirements are changing again this year. As of June 1, 2009 people entering and re-entering the US will be required to have a passport, passport card, or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security, no matter how they are traveling. At the present time only people that are traveling by air are required to have a passport, people traveling by land and sea only have to show identity and proof of citizenship. Visit GetYouHome.gov or travel.state.gov for more information and the latest news.

If you have a large family or your extended family does things together such as travel then you know that it can sometimes be challenging to spot each other in a large crowd. My family isn’t all that large and when we al do something together I always feel like I’ve lost someone.  An inexpensive way to minimize that problem is to order a promotional product like a shirt or hat and have a saying or image put on all of them so that you’ll all stand out in a crowd. You could get the typical “Doe family reunion” or go with something a little more personalized like a group photo. I’d love to hear any tips you have for keeping a large group organized.

I got an email from Disney notifying me of a themed cruise that they’ll be offering in March. The Disney Wonder cruise departs on a four day cruise to the Bahamas on March 8, 2009 and will feature the theme Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Legend Lives On. Special onboard guests will include the characters Pintel (Lee Arenberg) and Marty (Martin Klebba), who appeared in all three Pirates movies. Passengers will meet with the actors, see actual props from the movies and watch an interactive viewing of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl as well as have access to special dining times and a hands on workshop.

In recent years digital cameras have increased in quality and capabilities while decreasing in price. It’s not uncommon for households to have one now. I love my digital camera and like to bring it along with me. We take a lot of pictures in my family. It’s definitely more economical to take digital pictures then it was to have tons of rolls of film developed. But what happens if you’re away from your desktop computer at home, or don’t have your laptop with you on your trip, when you fill up the storage card in your digital camera? My tip, the way I handle this situation, is to find a good sale on compact flash cards and buy a bunch and bring them with me. That way you can just switch to a new, empty storage card and download the full card when you get home.

It flurried for a little while this morning. It’s gone. It’s raining a little now and overnight it’s supposed to turn into sleet and ice, then snow.  Yesterday morning when I left for work the stars in the night sky were beautiful. I found the Aurora webcam located in Fairbanks, Alaska. It’s got terrific footage of the Aurora Borealis. They’ve got a great view and I saw some really beautiful footage. The greenish color is beautiful while also sort of mysterious and eerie. Have you ever been to Alaska or seen the Aurora Borealis?

My Mom or I have almost always been the ones to take my youngest son to any doctor’s appointments he had until earlier this year when hubby lost his job. After the first appointment with a doctor I don’t usually need directions because I remember where I’m going. I do still print them out anyway, just in case I lose my bearings. I don’t have  GPS but my hubby does, he got it as a Christmas gift last year. The reason I think removable GPS units are better than the ones built into a car is because a couple can share the unit and move it from car to car. Now no matter which one of us takes our son to the first doctor’s appointment, whoever goes in the future can just take the GPS and stick it to the windshield and have no worries of not knowing where to go. Do you have a GPS? Is it built in to your car or is it the removable kind?

I was wondering what percentage of Las Vegas jobs were in casinos. I never realized how many casinos were out there. This week I found a webcam for the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. This hotel offers scale replicas of the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, the Paris Opera House, the Hotel de Ville and the Alexander III Bridge. It’s even got its own Eiffel Tower,which is a half scale exact reproduction of the real thing. You can take a ride to the top for a view of Vegas or stop to eat at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant on the 11th floor. This sounds like a very cool place!