vacation

One of the best ways to enjoy the great outdoors is to take in all the sights from the vantage point of the water. When you kayak, no matter if it’s a gentle coastal tour, or a death-defying whitewater rapid, you get the chance to pass through a variety of wilderness along Mother Nature’s original roads: the rivers and the seas.

The Disney theme parks have always been expensive places, designed to suck as much money out of exasperated parents’ wallets as possible. Whoever called it “The Happiest Place on Earth” must have been referring to the people who own Disney stock. At least we got our revenge with ‘John Carter.’ Disney, however, may have gotten the last laugh.

When the weather is good, and the sun is out, it’s time to start thinking about taking the family out into the American wilderness. For those of you who really want to explore the outdoors, here are some of the best campsites around, spread across the country.

Taking a pet with you on vacation can be a challenge. Just ask Mitt Romney, who still gets grief about the time he strapped his Irish Setter — who was suffering from diarrhea — to the roof of his car during a family trip in 1983. Nevertheless, it seems that most pet owners still take their favorite furball on vacation with them.

High gas prices and a soft economy have many in the travel industry fearing that Americans are going to ditch the traditional summer vacation this year. But is that really the case?

Are you planning on using your passport in 2012? According to a Travel-Ticker survey of 2,301 people, Italy is the most popular overseas travel spot for the coming year, with 43 percent citing it as one of their “dream destinations.”

With the holidays passing by, it’s now the perfect time to plan an all-inclusive vacation somewhere tropical before the winter lulls set in. Even just the brochures will make you feel better, but how can you make sure your dream escape doesn’t turn into a nightmare?