For instance, the Outer Banks of North Carolina are beautiful barrier islands that are often the setting for a romance or mystery novel. With names like Nags Head, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills, how can you resist checking them out? Some parts are fairly old with worn cottage-type homes on stilts, other parts are newly developed with multimillion-dollar estates. The views are equally fabulous.

Further south, you will run into another set of islands in North Carolina. For instance Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Beach are simply lovely areas for families to rent a beach house for a week or two. Then there's Bald Head Island, to which you must take a 15-minute ferry ride. This can be a pain at check-in and check-out times for the rental houses as the lines get pretty long for the ferry. But the island includes Cape Fear. Haven't we all seen that movie, the old one and the remake? You can buy shirts on Baldhead Island that say Cape Fear, very cool.

Pawley's Island is an older development and it's really interesting. The old houses are really jammed in, like there was no real master plan for this island. But regulars love it! It's famous for its hammocks that sell around the world.

And character. You will find lots of it on the east coast. There are a lot of lovely accents that you will hear and the people are real friendly, sometimes sharing gossip about locals before you even ask. Every time I came out of a store, I had another story to tell my family about, for instance, why a multimillion-dollar house has sat half-built for two years. Or which house the famous race car driver owns.

There are a lot more states along the east coast, all worth checking out for your next vacation.

For instance, eastern Europe in the winter (Dec-March) is not a good idea. Watch for hurricane season on the U.S. east coast. If a trip has a deep discount, there is usually a reason for it; no one wants to travel at that time. We went to Vegas once, and I was looking forward to a hot getaway, but the hotel pool wasn't even open yet.

Do your homework, learn all you can about seasons and locations.

When we were looking for a restaurant for dinner, we found a long list of possibilities. There was even a category of "Canadian" food, though I really can't think of anything that is pure Canadian. (OK, like Canadian bacon, or Canadian beer, what am I missing?)When we finally settled on a place, there was a 45 minute wait.

The city was really bustling. We saw a lot of big groups walking around, from conventions, reunions and sports teams. There were a lot of photo opportunities, for sure. We didn't even have time to go to the Ontario Science Center, which is a really cool place. Next time, we will set aside more time so we can fit everything in.

I was a little surprised by the price and even commented to the customer service rep on the phone that it was almost as expensive as a plane trip. She responded: "Yes, but some people just prefer the train."
Well, right she is.

There's a science museum that I would love to visit again. I have great memories of that place. And we're going to a musical, "We will rock you," music by Queen. This should be interesting.

I'm glad we all have passports, that should make the border crossing a bit smoother. Speaking of passports, I hear there is a big log-jam. I finally convinced my mother to send hers in. Now we'll see how long it will take.

They toured vineyards and saw some of the old country. They had suntans and smiles on their faces. Their pictures were out of this world, like something you see in a magazine. I have wanted to go to England, Ireland and Australia, but now I'm adding Italy to my list.

They said it was fairly easy to find a translator to spend a lot of time with them. And many people could speak some English, but I am still going to try to learn some basic Italian. I think that really shows that you made an effort and that you don't just expect everyone to speak English. Americans already have a bad enough reputation as it is...

So now I'm trying to figure out when I can make this trip. I think I'll get some new brochures and check out the charter trips to wine country.

We have a lot of mapping out to do, this seems like a great trip for the family. I have been to a handful of zoos already, and they vary greatly in what they feature and how they feature the animals. For instance, I love the pink flamingos that are at the entrance of the Atlanta Zoo. I have some fabulous pictures of those. The Toledo Zoo is fun with some cool interactive activities for the kids.

I have heard some great things about zoos on the west coast, particularly San Francisco, so maybe we'll head that way if we can manage to get the whole family away for at least a few weeks this summer. We'll check out the baseball schedules and the zoos nearby. This should be really cool, and I'll be sure to take a lot of pictures.

The few times it was sunny only showed us how much we fun we were missing out on. Hawaii is truly paradise and I always wanted to go back – non-rainy season.

Well it turns out; we have just planned a trip back to Kauai in August. This time I did a lot of research on the Internet and found a full service Kauai Vacation rental website that has lots of great information and travel tools.

The best part of the website is they have negotiated some amazing deals on Hawaii car rentals. Often after I set up and pay for a vacation, I realize that I need a car and the rental puts me over the top. This time I was able to stay under budget even with a full week car rental.

My friend and I can’t wait to go back and soak up some Kauai sun instead of getting soaked by rain. I love having a great vacation like this in the future to look forward to on my calendar.

These cottages in Donegal, Ireland are simply amazing.

There's a cluster of 10 traditional Irish cottages, designed to help you slow down and enjoy life. And what a view! The pictures of the cottages almost look like paintings. A friend of mine has been to Ireland a few times to visit a former au pair, and she tells me Donegal is a beautiful part of the country. I'm definitely going to check out these Ireland cottages for a getaway vacation in the fall. Now I just have to decide which of the 10 cottages that I would like to spend a week in, or maybe 10 days.

Most people think of Texas as a flat boring state, those people have never visited the hill country. Imagine a place where crystal clear lakes and giant oaks and cedar trees meet the majesty of the Texas hills. I would often go for long drives in the hill country to find some out of the way spot. I found that when I was visiting the Hill Country is was just like visiting a whole other state.

When I find time, I plan on taking a vacation to visit the Texas Hill Country again – but I better be prepared because the Hill Country is not the secret it was in 1989. This area now serves 5 million visitors annually. Based on my experience, it's easy to see why more people keep coming back and telling their friends.

We all know about the Texas summer heat. To beat the heat, one of my favorite summer activities was tubing down the Guadalupe River with hundreds of other rafters on a hot weekend day. I have lived in quite a few areas in my life and this is one place I really want to go back and enjoy.

So how do I afford it, you might ask? I dig and dig for deals. And I think I found some cheap accommodations. I'm thinking of making a few stops along the way to Asia, so this site is really helpful in planning out my path. I told some friends about it and they are really trying to come along. This should be fun.

I found this site with cheap hotels that lists everywhere in the world that you might want to go,from Argentina to Nepal to Venezuela. It's really worth checking this out if you are planning a trip or even looking for ideas of places to go.

And, if you're not so good at planning or you just really need a quick getaway, you can find last minute hotels at this site. Again, you can search everything from Austria to Hong Kong to Taiwan.

I am definitely planning out my year ahead of travel. I have never been to China or Australia. And if I can find cheap hotels, maybe I'll get to both places this year.

I spend a few hours at the website so far and only scratched the surface of possible places I may visit in the future. This travel site is definitely one of the most comprehensive I have ever found. It has detailed information on traveling just about anywhere in the world – from Detroit, Michigan to Auckland, New Zealand.

These tours include an English-speaking guide and some great lodging. the hotels look top-notch, some have pools. OK, so here's another big draw: howler monkeys, iguanas, toucans and parrots! My favorite page at this Web site gives all the facts to tour Nicaragua.

You can read all about the wildlife refuges, biological reserves, names and locations of volcanoes, and beaches.

I'm glad I learned more about Nicaragua. I'll be sure to post vacation photos when I get back!

People of many nationalities live in Dubai. The best way to visit is to stay a while and really blend in with the residents and other travelers. Then you will get a true sense of its natural beauty mixed with modern amenities.

We found these wonderful furnished apartments and villas and stayed for a few months. It's a great place to relax and read a novel--or write one. The people are friendly and there are many places to dine. The Arabic culture has a lot to offer. Be sure to bring your camera.

Speaking changed travel plans, have you ever missed a vacation due to a family emergency? A few years back we missed a vacation because of a death in the family. Since then I always make sure to purchase travel insurance for major vacations. This page walks you through the steps of finding good travel insurance at a decent rate. It's really helpful to know this information so you don't get stuck with a large bill and no vacation.

I think most of us travel on a budget, so saving money on flights and insuring your vacation will leave you with some wiggle room on your spending once you get to your destination. Then you can have a nice meal and splurge on some souvenirs.