When you are exploring a new and unfamiliar area, traveling in a group is a good way to retain a sense of safety in numbers while still enjoying all the fresh sights and sounds around you. Members of travel groups can even find themselves having more unique experiences than solo travelers simply because each member of the group will have interests, ideas and suggestions for the entire group. However, traveling as a group presents challenges at the same time. One of the primary among these is keeping your group together and finding one another if you do become separated.

Designing and printing custom T-shirts prior to your trip is an easy, fun, and affordable way to mitigate this particular concern. When everyone in the group is wearing the same piece of clothing, fellow members will be easy to spot in a crowd or at a distance. This can be particularly helpful for groups of children or teens or individuals who may not all know each other well before the trip.

Appeal to Your Group’s Needs and Tastes

Ideally, you want to design a T-shirt that will be easily visible at a distance without being so unattractive as to discourage others from wearing it. In addition, incorporating personal information or logos can turn this practical and inexpensive item into a keepsake of a wonderful trip that can be worn fondly for years to come. If you opt to have custom T-shirts printed, take some time to consider your group, its needs, its tastes and any pertinent information you wish to include.

Most importantly, keep your group in mind. If you will be chaperoning a group of children on a trip, choose an uncommon, bright color and insist that each child wear the T-shirt for the duration of the journey. While in a perfect world, adult supervision would be adequate enough to prevent any child from wandering out of sight for even a moment, in the real world, children can be easily distracted and can move quickly. Outfitting them in bright, vivid colors can help immensely in locating them and bringing them back to the group.

Teenagers are more likely to respond to more personalized gear in neutral or muted colors. They will likely rebel against anything they consider embarrassing or unusual. However, they will often be delighted to receive a slightly personalized memento of a trip that is exciting for them.

Making Your Custom T-Shirts Memento-Worthy

Travelers of any age will appreciate a thoughtfully designed T-shirt that carries some personal significance or meaning. For text, short details about the trip along with the date, or at least year, will help travelers remember the trip more readily in the future each time they view their shirts. If you are part of an organization with a logo, adding the logo can also serve to personalize the clothing.

For the most part, you should strive to keep artwork simple. Avoid using copyrighted images to which you do not have the rights. If you are designing an image and shirt design from scratch, photo or graphic design software can go a long way toward ensuring the final version is clean and free of any background noise. Ultimately, T-shirts are an affordable and easy to customize option that can help your group stay together.

Photo credit:Shirt stacks by Alan Levine/flickr

Guest author Kathryn Brown is a stay at home mom who loves to travel and used personalised t shirt printing to create shirts for her travel party.

The Rubicon Trail

In the United States, the clear winner for the best off-roading destination is the Rubicon Trail. Located in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, this trail stretches for 22 miles, with roughly half being road and the other half being a rough terrain trail. Known for obstacles like the Little Sluice and the Thousand Dollar Hill, the Rubicon Trail is a premier destination that sees many visitors every year.

Patagonia

While the trails in Patagonia are not nearly as rough as those found on the Rubicon Trail, the varied Argentinian landscape makes the region one of the top spots for worldwide off-roaders. A vacation to this region will give a visitor access to mountains, lakes, glaciers, and many other natural formations and is best combined with activities like fishing or rafting for a full adventure experience.

Transylvania

In Eastern Europe, several countries have not yet completely modernized their road infrastructure. This is good news for off-roaders who want to explore mountainous terrain unimpeded by paved asphalt. The Transylvania region of Romania remains a top choice with many undeveloped roads and ghost villages that add a mysterious feel to the vacation.

Swat Valley

If challenge is what a person is after, the Swat Valley in Pakistan may be the most difficult and awe-inspiring destination in the world. Ravaged by local wars and extensive flooding, the landscape has been completely changed and drivers will need to negotiate missing bridges, eroded roads, and a harsh winter climate.

Namib Desert

Taking a 4×4 across the desert sounds much easier than it actually is. In the country of Namibia, off-roading across the Namib Desert has become a tradition and drivers are able to see the stark contrast of different areas of the desert. A full desert trip can easily take more than a week, but will provide lasting memories for many years.

Maralinga and Beadell Tracks

All images CC via Flickr

For the land down under, there are plenty of opportunities for those wishing to partake in Australian off-roading. The picks of the litter are the Maralinga and Beadell trails, both of which offer a trek through traditional Outback terrain, complete with a visit to a decommissioned nuclear test site.

No matter which of these destinations an off-roading enthusiast chooses, there will be countless challenges to make the trip even more enjoyable. With a good vehicle, strong driving skills, and the right location, a person will be able to explore seldom-seen places and nothing will stand in their way.

Whether it’s on or off the beaten track, the team at Vroomvroomvroom are dedicated to providing quality car hire from all major airports and elsewhere around the UK.

Worry no more because I will be creating a quick list for you to use. This can be your guide in finding which museums are a must travel. I will be giving you some of the reasons why the listed museums should be included in your itinerary.

Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is also called the MET. How stylish, right? Do you have an idea that this museum holds more than 2 million works? I don’t think that you can finish checking out their works for a day. To date, this is known to be the largest art gallery in the whole world. But if you think that you’ll be drowned in that massive area, you can check out the smaller gallery in upper Manhattan.

Louvre Museum in Paris. I think that you have seen the movie “The Da Vinci Code”. If yes, this museum should be familiar to your eyes. You will not get bored in here. Aside from the great relics, you can also enjoy the live performances. It’s as if you are visiting a museum and attending a concert at the same time. Now I can say that you are putting value in your money.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Of course, this is after you have seen the real pyramids. I’m sure that you will be fascinated by the huge statues at the ground floor of the gallery. And if you want to see ancient jewelleries, the next levels might be your best bets. For those who would like to read books, this museum has a library which you can visit.  

Thailand Museum in Bangkok. Let’s now go to Asia. Why do you think I chose Thailand Museum? This is because it is different from your usual galleries. More often than not, you will see the weirdest relics. That will keep you interested for the whole duration of your visit. Before, this museum is quite disorganized. But now, it is luring more and more tourists.

So if you are planning your next vacation in the above places, make sure that you will give time to visit the museums. Learn their culture and their way of living by just looking at their relics and even their modern art. 

Kim Bookman is a mother of two and always checks for a Museum Coupons Online. You might want to try those too. You can save hundreds of dollars by getting tickets and coupons online. 

Camping Getaways

Camping makes for fabulous memories, no matter the age of your family. Many places in North America offer fantastic scenery and inexpensive options for campsites. If camping is something that appeals to you, don’t think that you’re limited to a tent situation, or cooking over the fire. Nowadays there are plenty of options for campers to get their wilderness on in style. Look into renting a trailer, camper or other RV as a means to experience the wild in the comfort of modern conveniences. From campfires to lakeside adventures in fishing or boating, you won’t regret your decision to camp with your family as you create lasting memories you’ll reference for years to come.

Hotel Packages

Staying at a hotel with your family can be a wonderful blessing, but expensive. Most of the time, one hotel room is all that is required for immediate family, keeping costs on the lower side of things. To keep costs even lower, look for package deals. Package deals include other travel expenses, like food and activities, and some all-inclusive packages even include airfare or rental cars.

Time at the Beach

If you live near a beach, spending time there during the summer might not feel special, like a real vacation. However, you can easily make it a little more special by doing a few things differently. First, get a hotel room for a night or two, even if you live nearby. Not having to make your own bed, clean your own bathroom, etc. is part of the beauty of a vacation! You should also give the entire family permission to have some special treats, like ice cream for an afternoon snack, and splurge a little for some fun activities like renting bikes or boogie boards for the afternoon. After the kids are in bed, relax with a few tropical adult drinks on your hotel room’s balcony overlook the ocean and it’s easy to forget that you don’t live far away.

Prepare

No matter where you’re planning to go, there are steps that you can take to ensure you’re prepared for the best and worst aspects of summer travel. Consider picking up your groceries for breakfast and even lunch before leaving for your trip in order to save money. Pack your camera, as well as plenty of memory cards and batteries so you don’t miss a minute. Make sure your insurance is in order before you live, have your car maintained to ensure it’s ready for your journey, and always call to confirm reservations. Prepare for the worst and expect the best when it comes to summer fun!

This guest post is from Allison with LifeInsuranceQuotes.org.

For guests of the Setai Miami with little ones, a visit to the Miami Children’s Museum is a must-do.  Children and family alike will enjoy over sixteen hands-on exhibits that will encourage them to not only play, but to learn, imagine and create as well.

And if you’re an art enthusiast the Bass Museum of Art will quench your thirst for art.  Spend a day immersed in their impressive collection of Renaissance and Baroque works of art.  The museum boasts of over 3,000 artworks which include European paintings, 15th century to present day sculptures, and seventh to 20th century textiles to name only a few.

However, if shopping is your ideal way of spending the day, then taking a day trip to the Bayside Marketplace is definitely a must!  The Bayside Marketplace is a haven for shoppers – you are guaranteed to have the best shopping experience at this marketplace with its open-air and vast array of restaurants to choose from once your feet get tired from all that shopping.

As for any golf enthusiasts staying at the Setai Miami, they can tee off and enjoy a game at the luxurious Doral Resort PGA Golf Course.  It is famous for its five championship golf courses that sprawls over 34,000 yards of first class golfing.  You don’t need to be a Tiger Woods, at the Doral Resort PGA Golf course; they have golf courses even beginners will enjoy.

After spending an exciting day at the golf course, enjoy the rest of the evening by relaxing and listening to classical music or watch the ballet at the Adrienne Arst Center for the Performing Arts.  The Center is home to the Florida Grand Opera and Miami City Ballet.  After viewing a performance, you’ll be able to return to the Setai Miami to relax and unwind.

Besides all of the amazing amenities that the Setai Miami has to offer, it is important that guests also know about what the city of Miami has to offer.

For the Boys

A wide range of combined activities for a stag weekend is provided in Bournemouth. VIP clubs to catch up on the booze are just the start of the night which might continue into a casino where you could challenge your fortune or try your luck at the bars with the local hot chicks. Even if booze and babes isn’t your thing, you and the boys can still try something new and thrilling – for example, paintball or clay pigeon shooting. The most exciting of all might be zorbing, which is rolling down a hill in an enormous inflatable ball. Adrenaline rushes not your thing? Then slap on some suntan lotion and head beachside to just chill out and enjoy a cold one.

For the Ladies

Watch out, girls, it’s your turn to have some fun now. Choosing to spend your weekend in Bournemouth opens you up to a wide range of choices. Imagine yourself in a spa hotel getting massages, manicures, and sweating it out in a sauna all day. For a bit of fun, there’s chocolate and cocktail-making classes, and even pole dancing lessons for those who want to stay in shape in a sexy way. Trust me, these wind up being both hilarious and useful and are just a couple of unusual activities to occupy your day. There’s a chance that girls can also enjoy a professional photo-session to capture the perfect moments together. By night you also have innumerable clubs and bars to grab a drink and dance the night away. While you’re in town, why not stop in for a male cabaret show? The boys will surely take care of you and make sure that you will never forget the trip.

For Everyone

A fantastic way to celebrate and unwind with a group of friends is to head to the coastline. In Bournemouth you have all the rights to choose how exactly to spend it. You might want to start with a great Italian or Indian meal, after which you can join a Party Bus that will drive you to every single club in the city, or again you could try your luck at the local casinos. During the day, it’s also your call whether you will hit the beach or will take advantage of the offers to ride a four wheeler or relieve your stress in a competitive paintball game.

Bournemouth makes a great destination for Londoners who want to escape the big city, relax, and enjoy a great weekend in the company of good friends.

About the Author: Release Travel organizes exciting trips for men, women, and mixed groups in the UK and throughout Europe.

1. Orbitz

Most people think that Orbitz can only be used to book travel packages, but this is not true. Through the website, users can also locate and book flights only. The Orbitz database is easy to use, and they’ll provide users with a list of information that matches their search criteria. One of the best features of Orbitz is their price assurance refunds. If someone else books your flight for cheaper through the Orbitz website, Orbitz will send you a check for the difference. They also don’t charge any fees for using their services, you can receive real-time alerts relating to your travel and you can earn frequent flier points.

2. Travelocity

Like Orbitz, Travelocity also allows users to search and book only flights—not just flight and accommodation packages. Travelocity searches for the cheapest flights to get you to your destination, and they can even provide you with last-minute flights. They offer the Travelocity Guarantee for flights too. If you find a lower price for your flight on the Internet, Travelocity will match the price and give you a $50 refund. If the airline were to lose your reservation, Travelocity will step in and make it right. This gives some people the extra piece of mind knowing that there will be no last-minute surprises for their trip.

3. Kayak

Kayak can also help you find cheap flights to hundreds of destinations. Through the website, flights can be booked up to three days in advance of the departure. If you can be flexible with your travel times, Kayak can provide you with great flights at a great cost. There is no fee to use their service, and they also offer an itinerary management tool to help keep you focused and on time while traveling.

4. AirfareWatchdog

This site is best for those travelers who can book flights at any second. AirfareWatchdog employees are constantly scouring the Internet searching for the best deals on flights. When one is found, AirfareWatchdog users are alerted to the great deal and encouraged to book. AirfareWatchdog users may receive special promotion codes to use to get the best prices possible, and the site also alerts users to smaller airlines, such as JetBlue and Southwest, which the larger-known travel sites don’t offer.

5. Yapta

Yapta helps you ensure that you received the best deal on your flight. Once you buy your ticket, Yapta will monitor other flights for you. If your ticket price drops, Yapta will send you an email alert, or they can alert you via Twitter. You can then use this information to contact the airline and request a refund on the difference in price. If your $400 ticket goes on sale tomorrow for $200, Yapta will let you know and help you retrieve your $200 refund.

Using these sites to find the best prices on flights is a great idea when it comes to traveling. Be sure to shop around and try out all of these sites. Find the one you’re most comfortable with—or feel free to use them all—and start saving on travel expenses.

Carrie Johnson is a travel agent. She ensures that people are getting the best deals when it comes to purchasing airplane tickets. Carrie and her family recently indulged in a Bahamas vacation package to a island resort.

Photo credit: rburgoss

Going on holiday is something that for most of us doesn’t happen quite as often as we would like. In fact in most cases we tend to go once a year and that’s all of it. And it’s partly for this reason that it is so important to get a souvenir so that you can remember the moment and so that you can relive it. And at the same time of course it’s also traditional to bring back souvenirs for other people – as a kind of apology that you got to go somewhere great while they were staying at home and going to work.

The question though is how you go about bringing those souvenirs back, which are often breakable and which can sometimes be hard to carry. Here we will look at how to make sure that you get your souvenirs back easily without damaging them so that you can avoid that rather disappointing moment where you open your case up to find a whole lot of pieces of china. Here are some suggestions.

Think Ahead

First of all, you know that you are going to be most likely bringing back some souvenirs with you, and so it’s important to think ahead and to make sure that you have taken appropriate measures. This means first of all that you should have some space in your bag when you travel – and this means making sure not to cram your luggage so full that there’s not enough room for even the smallest additional item. At the same time you need to also think about what kind of bag you are going to bring and it’s very important that this have enough padding and protection that you can get your things back.

But furthermore you also need to think about your choice of items to buy. You need to make sure that these are things that aren’t too breakable or too large, and you shouldn’t be tempted to bring that huge glass sculpture of a swan back unless you have some kind of plan.

Wrapping

You should also of course be sure to wrap your items well so that you don’t need to wince too much each time your case knocks into something. This means investing in some good bubble wrap and most important of all it means wrapping any of the exposed edges or the protruding parts. These are of course the most important as otherwise they can snap off. If you can contain it within a box then that’s even more ideal as this will protect those exposed edges, but you need to also pad it well inside that box so that it doesn’t roll around too much in there or knock into the sides and so come apart.

Forego it Altogether

However you should also be smart and in some cases it might be easier to forego the transportation all together. For instance you will find that some of your items can be delivered by the vendors themselves and if you are buying from a large store this is worth discussing to avoid disappointment.

You may even decide that it’s a better idea to buy your products online when you get back – and if you can find the very same item then you will find that you can often save money and that you can often finder even nicer products. For instance if you’re in Rome looking at Venetian masks – then consider buying them online rather than risk disappointment by bringing them back and letting them get broken – you get the same product but with none of the stress.

Jeet is a blogger who loves to party and has recently developed a keen interest for theme parties like the ones using party masks.

Seattle takes its food very seriously. When you visit the Emerald City without some local food knowledge, you might just end up at a tourist trap restaurant and your taste buds will miss out on something amazing. Here are some local favorites where Seattleites go to grub.

• Red Mill Burgers: Voted the best burger in Seattle ten years running. Everything is fresh, hot, and gooey with melted cheese. Don’t forget to add bacon – they are famous for their giant tower of bacon. The french fries are great and the onion rings are even better. The family run business just opened their third location in Seattle. Don’t forget your cash, they do not accept cards. Visit redmillburgers.com to learn more.
• Paseo: One of the best sandwiches in America. Try the grilled pork sandwich, you won’t be sorry. Paseo hand crafts Cuban sandwiches using their own sauces and local ingredients. They have two locations, and probably six chairs between both of them. Get it to go and find a shady spot at either Green Lake Park or Golden Gardens Park. Warning: These are messy eats and they only take cash. Head over to www.paseoseattle.com to learn more.
• Ezell’s Chicken: This family run business makes fried chicken so crispy and juicy that you’ll forget about the colonel’s secret recipe. My recommendation is to get the spicy chicken. Rumor has it Oprah Winfrey has Ezell’s flown to Chicago whenever she has a fried chicken craving. I believe it.   Go to www.ezellschicken.com for more info.
• La Carta de Oaxaca: Located in the Ballard neighborhood, La Carta de Ozxaca (wah-haak-kah) is one of the most authentic Mexican restaurants in the city. The tacos are awesome, I prefer pork, but chicken is good too and my buddy swears by the steak. You should probably get all three, and don’t be shy at the salsa bar. Visit www.lacartadeoaxaca.com for more details.
• Skillet Street Food and Diner: Homemade bacon spread – do I need to say more? Skillet makes classic American inspired food. Try going to the diner for breakfast. They also have a vintage airstream trailer that serves street food with flair, like waffle wrapped fried chicken. For more go to skilletstreetfood.com.
• Marination: What happens when you combine Hawaiian style with a bit of Asian flavor and dash of Mexican? Marination makes sliders, tacos, and rice bowls that taste nothing like you’ve tried before. Try the Spam slider, yes Spam. It is delicious.  They have a diner on Capitol Hill and a food truck that you’ll find parked at different neighborhoods during the week. Learn more about them at www.marinationmobile.com.

If you happen to be visiting during these dates, why not try out these food festivals.

• Seattle Restaurant week: This happens every spring (April) and fall (October) and features over 150 local restaurants that create three course dinners for $28 and/or three course lunches for $15. Go to www.seattletimes.nwsource.com/seattlerestaurantweek for the exact dates.
• Bite of Seattle: One weekend in July each year 50+ local chefs and restaurants and 30+ food vendors come to the Seattle Center to share their culinary creations. Learn more about Bite here www.comcastbiteofseattle.com.
• Seattle Mobile Food Rodeo: The beginning of May 35+ food trucks and mobile vendors come to the Fremont Sunday Market. I’m salivating counting down the days. Find the exact date of the rodeo here www.mobilefoodrodeo.com.

Don’t forget Dessert

• Trophy Cupcakes: Oh so sweet and moist, these are the best cupcakes in the city. They have a rotating menu with multiple locations in Seattle. I like the Vanilla and Chocolate Peanut Butter but don’t forget about the Salted Caramel and Chocolate Hazelnut. Visit their site to see all the flavors www.trophycupcakes.com.
• Molly Moons Ice Cream: Locally made fresh ice cream from hormone-free cows. They have traditional flavors and more adventurous ones like Balsamic Strawberry. Ask for two scoops in a homemade waffle cone, your taste buds will thank you. They also have a seasonal selection too, visit www.mollymoonicecream.com to see what’s being served.

Bonus Food Tip

• Seattle Hot Dogs: There are multiple hot dog vendors around the city once the sun goes down. A true Seattle Dog is grilled to perfection with a toasted bun and has cream cheese and grilled onions on it. Yes, cream cheese. Trust me, it is good.

This is just a small selection of some local favorites in Emerald City; there are a ton more and even some healthy choices. Have fun and Enjoy!
About the author: James Daugherty enjoys snowboarding and eating in no particular order. He writes for the currency exchange professionals at Travelex.
Stock Image courtesy of Shutterstock