Turkey Yacht Cruise One of the fastest growing trends in cruising is the small luxury ship. And for many they have gone one step further and are taking cruises on private yachts. Sail or Power this can make for a very memorial vacation. For the ones planning to visit Turkey, to have "The Blue Cruise" sailing holiday with a traditionally built wooden yacht along the Southwest Turkish coastline is one of the unique experience, attracting more and more travellers every season. There are many options and ways to have blue cruise yacht chartering. Yacht H.Dogan (www.YachtDogan.com) is a good sample of these yachts, ideal for families or small groups up to 10 persons. The website offers a listing of various charter routes along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Turkey. Direct contact with a yacht owner is possible, giving you the chance to have comparingly better rates. Bodrum Mariners Association is a non-commercial organization, found by the yacht owners in Bodrum, and has strict regulations which every cruise yacht has to follow. Skip the Hotel, Find a Rental! Maybe your looking for something different, maybe your looking for more room, or maybe you have a large family and are on a budget. A vacation rental might be the answer to your search. A vacation rental is usually similar to a multiroom apartment with a kitchen and other similar facilities. These rentals vary in rate due to number of rooms, location, and included ameniites. Some are "high-end" luxury apartments, but the majority are very affordable. You will tend to find them located in resort areas. Here is a great magazine if your interested in Weekend Getaways Giveaways & Hideaways. But you will actually find more than just condos, you will also find everything from full-size houses to small cottages. With full working kitchens, laundry, phone and TV. But what you probably won't find is daily maid services. When booking make sure you have a contact phone number you can call 24/7 in the event of a problem. Online resources can help you with your search, sites like KeysForRent.com is one such vacation rental site, and how to avoid Rental Horrors. Before you make a rental agreement, be sure you understand what it involves or you could end up in a Treehouse. Start looking as early as possible so that you can understand the terms and rules, physical layout, cleaning and repair services (if any), local transportation, proximity to services that you need, financial arrangements and obligations, deposits and whatever other details come to mind. Minimize your risk of unpleasant surprises when you arrive and when it's far too late to back out. Try Staying at a Bed and Breakfast We always have options when looking for a place to stay. But many people overlook one of the most interesting options, Bed and Breakfast Inns. These properties are usually formerly single family homes in the 4-5-room range. When dealing with B&Bs it is very important that you ask questions. Unlike chain hotels were rooms meet certain fixed expectations, B&B accommodations can vary greatly as can their location. A properties website can't tell you everything. Be sure you contact the innkeeper directly before making reservations and ask any questions you might have. Bed & Breakfast lodgings around the world can be found by using the Bed and Breakfast Search Engine Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers are a great resource of information for travelers. They often help their guests make plans regarding what to see and do in their area. They also can direct their guests to local restaurants and events that the casual visitor may never be able to find. NOTE: If you have ever considered operating a B&B contact their association PAII, or try Start and Run a Profitable Bed and Breakfast or Complete Idiot's Guide to Running a Bed and Breakfast. I repeat, don't make your reservation online without having some contact with the Innkeeper. In most cases this means, don't book online. Not only can you ask the Innkeeper questions, but don't be surprised if the Innkeeper asks you a few questions. For example you may be booking a ski trip, staying in a town with a large ski resort. While discussing your expectations with the property, you may discover that you will need your own car to reach the resort from their location and you were not planning on that. Or that the B&B is located 10 blocks from the main street of town that you know you will want to walk into. To find these options online use B&B Search . So, what is a B&B like? Here is a typical property the Notchland Inn. The Last Battleship The Battleship Missouri is an Iowa-class battleship designed for speed and firepower. Four Iowa-class ships were built during World War II including the USS Missouri, the keel of which was laid on January 6, 1941 at the New York Naval Shipyard. Its armament included the main battery of nine 16-inch guns and twelve 5-inch anti-aircraft guns. The USS Missouri was launched on January 29, 1944 and commissioned on June 11, 1944. It was assigned to the Pacific Third Fleet and cruised into Pearl Harbor on Christmas Eve, 1944. The Missouri was part of the force that carried out bombing raids over Tokyo and provided firepower in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. During the war’s final month the “Mighty Mo” served as Admiral William “Bull” Halsey’s flagship for the Pacific Third Fleet. The USS Missouri secured its place in history as the site of Japan’s unconditional surrender to the Allied Forces on September 2, 1945, ending World War II. The ceremony for the signing of the Formal Instrument of Surrender was conducted by General Douglas MacArthur. In August 1996, the Navy selected the USS Missouri Memorial Association as caretaker for the battleship and Pearl Harbor as its permanent home. On May 4, 1998, the Navy made it official, transferring the Mighty Mo’s care to the Association. Visit the official website. Also don't miss the KH6BB USS Missouri site, this group is restoring the radio room and getting it back on the air. Weddings In Paradise Swaying palm trees are often the background found in photos taken by Lucy Pemoni. Lucy is a photographer who covers the Hawaiian Islands for several major news services. She also photographs weddings for both local residents and visitors who have brought their wedding parties to Hawaii. Taking time is what Lucy does best, it can be talking to a celebrity to get just the right shot, or a helping a bride overcome her nerves. She suggest these books on Wedding planning: Book 1, Book 2. Lucy is originally from the New York City area and has worked for papers like the New York Times. But now her photos of Hawaii are seen on a daily basis in newspapers around the world. She covers spot news, sports, tourism and military news. If you planning to come to the Islands to get married call Lucy. For more information visit Lucy Pemoni's Hawaii photo website at Diamond Head Photography. Also check out the fictional Grand Waimea Resort Fox TV's North Shore Oahu resort location. Ukulele's are fixture here in Hawaii as much as the pineapple and hula. They make a beautiful sound and come in variety of shapes and sizes. Music Festivals abound and everyday people are beginning to play the instrument for the first time. And the art of making these fine instruments hasn't disappear either Ukulele maker Joseph Souza creates custom instruments in a small shop at the back of his house. Located on the Windward side of Oahu the gentle winds mix witht the sounds of sanding at is beach front location. If you buy a Ukulele from Joe, get a book and learn the basics: Ukulele Books Enjoying the South, South Carolina Take a trip to South Carolina and you'll soon discover the meaning of southern hospitality. If the South Carolina Upcountry, with its scenic mountains and forest habitat - or the South Carolina Coast, shouldering the Atlantic Ocean and boasting some of the freshest fish in the country, doesn't bring you back to South Carolina then the community and the atmosphere surely will. One of the thirteen original colonies, South Carolina has had a rich and varied history. When Spanish and French explorers arrived in the area in the 16th century, they found a land inhabited by many small tribes of Native Americans, the largest of which were the Cherokees and the Catawbas. The colony, named Carolina after King Charles I, was divided in 1710 into South Carolina and North Carolina. African slaves were brought into the colony in large numbers to provide labor for the plantations, and by 1720 they formed the majority of the population. The port city of Charleston became an important center of commerce and culture. By the time of the American Revolution, South Carolina was one of the richest colonies in America. Its merchants and planters formed a strong governing class, contributing many leaders to the fight for independence. South Carolina ratified the United States Constitution on May 23, 1788, becoming the eighth state to enter the union. In the following years the state grew and prospered. With the invention of the cotton gin, cotton became a major crop, particularly in the upcountry. Unhappy over restrictions on free trade and about calls for the abolition of slavery, South Carolina seceded from the union on December 20, 1860, the first of the Southern states to do so. When Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor on April 12, 1861, the nation plunged into Civil War. By the beginning of the 20th century, South Carolina was starting to recover economically. The textile industry began to develop first, then in the years that followed other manufacturers moved into the state, providing jobs and economic stability. In recent years tourism has become a major industry, as travelers discovered Charleston, the state's beaches and mountains.