hotel
Taking a Holiday with Your Pets
Going on a holiday is fun, but it can be even more fun if you take your pet along with you. Taking your dog or cat along for the trip does make it more like a family outing, but it does bring up a few extra concerns.
First, you’ll have to make certain the hotel you have booked is pet-friendly. Some hotels allow pets with no extra charge, but many will require you to pay a small deposit fee. You’ll also need to take everything your pet will need—water bowl, food and food bowl, litter box, and leash.
Flying with your pet is very difficult. Your animal has to be placed in a carrier that meets regulations and then will be placed with the checked luggage. Many end up sedating their pet during travel, which can be hard on him. Likewise, trains and buses rarely take on trains. If you’re travelling internationally, you most likely will not be able to take your pet with you—there are usually quarantine periods that animals must go through before they can enter the country, and these periods are usually fairly long (months at the least).
Once you do arrive on your luxury holidays and check in to your pet-friendly hotel, you’re going to want to spend some time with your pet each day. There’s not much point in taking your pet with you if all you do it leave him or her in your hotel room, after all. You may want to look into things you can do with your pet, such as walk through the neighbourhood or go to a local park. Think of things you and your pet can do together so as to make your holiday exciting for both of you.
View Toronto From Above at the CN Tower
CN Tower is one of Canada’s greatest man-made wonders. It offers visitors a great view of all of Toronto during both the day and night. There are two different platforms that you can visit. One, the Look Out Level, is 346 m high, while the other, the Glass Floor, is 342 m. There are also several restaurants, the SkyPod, a film, and even a motion theatre ride for you to enjoy!
Heading out from your most Toronto hotels more than walking distance from the CN tower, you’ll want to take the subway and get off at the Union Station. From there, you only have to follow the Skywalk to reach the CN Tower. Once you arrive, you’ll have several ticket options. If you have a Citypass, you’re in luck—you get a free ticket that includes a visit to the Look Out and Glass Floor levels and either the chance to watch The Height of Excellence film about the tower or go on the motion theatre ride. If you want to visit the SkyPod, which is the world’s highest observation deck, you’ll have to purchase an additional ticket.
CN Tower is open from 9 am to 10 pm, although the hours do change during some seasons, and the weather may require some of the higher decks to close. It’s best to go before noon or in the later evenings since the tower is usually less crowded.
Once there, you can have a light meal at the Horizon’s Café, or, if you have some extra money to spend, eat in the 360 Restaurant. As the name suggests, the restaurant actually revolves as you eat. It’s quite the experience. The Glass Floor observation deck, likewise, is exactly like it sounds—you can actually walk across very thick and strong glass panes and look down at the rest of the tower below you. Quite the experience and one definitely not for those who are afraid of heights!
Coral Castle – an Amazing Experience
If you’re in Miami, you may find yourself with way too much to do. You might find yourself leaving your hotel really early in the morning and not getting back until late at night. In fact, you may be so busy that it seems like you never get a moment to just stop and enjoy the view. If you’re looking for a place to visit that allows you to slow down and take a leisurely stroll, you may want to visit Coral Castle.
Coral Castle features over 1,100 tons of different coral, all carved into amazing shapes and sculptures. The castle, also known as Rock Gate, is located a bit south of Miami proper where most hotels in Miami are found, giving you a chance to get out of the busy downtown part of the city.
Coral Castle was built entirely by hand by Ed Leedskalnin over nearly 30 years. He began in the 1950s, and he was incredibly secretive with his project. He built the castle as a tribute to his lost love, Agnes. The two were to be married, but Agnes cancelled the wedding the day before it was to occur. Leedskalnin was heartbroken, and to get over his loss, he began carving coral. Because he refused to let anyone see what he was carving and because it’s incredible that so slight a man as Leedskalnin could move such huge blocks of coral, rumours that Coral Castle was created using paranormal powers circulated for some time after it was opened.
While it may sound odd that someone would spend years carving coral in remembrance of their past love, Leedskalnin’s creations are amazing. You can take a 30-minute audio tour of the castle, or you can simply wander the grounds on your own. Coral Castle is open seven days a week, with extended hours on Friday and Saturday. If you have purchased a Go Miami Card, admission is free.
Getting from the Airport to Your Hotel
One of the most difficult processes in any trip is transportation in your destination city, especially if you aren’t renting a car. Getting from the airport (or the bus or train stop if you’re travelling by land) can be very stressful. You have to get all of your luggage, make it out of the terminal, and then figure out how exactly to get from there to where you’ll be staying. You have a few options, though.
First, you may want to reconsider not renting a car. If you have some free time and want to really explore the city you’re in, you will probably need a car to see it all. However, this can be expensive, so it may not be something that works for you.
Some airports do provide free shuttles from the terminal to specific hotels. If your hotel is one of these, all you have to do is ask any of the airline representatives where to find the shuttle pick up point. Once there, you just wait for the shuttle to come along, pick you up, and drop you off. You can also use this service to return to the terminal to catch your flight home.
If there is no shuttle service, the light rail or subway service may be an option. While not all cities have these forms of public transportation, some do. Those that do feature light rail systems or subways generally have at least one line that runs to the terminal. The only downside here is that you may have to haul your luggage a long way from the nearest station to your hotel.
The city bus often makes stops at the airport, too. Again, you’ll have to haul your bags onto the bus and then off the bus and to your hotel, but it’s fairly inexpensive. To find out about bus options, talk to an airline representative or look for an information kiosk. Most terminals have an area that features information about forms of transportation to and from the terminal.
Finally, the most expensive option is to hire a taxi. This will get you directly from the terminal to your hotel with little or not wait time, but it will cost you, especially if you have to go a good distance. However, in some locations, a taxi may be your only option.
For most airlines, you can search their website for information about shuttles and such. You can also call the airline and ask them about what transportation options are available so you know what to expect when you arrive.