Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Beach Houses In Gulf Shores: Tips For Planning An Extended Weekend At A Beach Resort

By Eric McMillan

Beach houses in Gulf Shores provide an easy base of operations when you want to spend a resort weekend in Alabama. Driving from an airport in Mobile or from points farther afield makes it convenient to be on vacation within a matter of hours. Enjoy the Gulf Coast attractions at a reasonable price when you choose privately owned lodging.

Do your advance planning for the choice of lodging by searching the Internet. Property owners often provide detailed descriptions of beautiful and functional housing while on vacation. Rentals are available for a day or a month. Internet descriptions are often detailed, with pictures, prices and open dates available to those who want to know more about the property before making a decision. Be sure to make your reservations well in advance of arrival to avoid disappointment in finding the right lodging.

If you arrive before Saturday morning, you can take advantage of every holiday minute. You can fly into the Mobile airport and drive to the resort community. You will be impressed with the beauty of the surroundings as you approach the community. The available facilities are well kept, as would be expected in an area where tourism is the most important industry.

Reservations for a meal at one of the many eating establishments may be appropriate. There are also dinner and theater performances that recommend advance reservations. You can find almost any favorite food type while dining in the community. There are ethnic choices such as sausage. There are seafood festivals and shrimp festivals in or near the resort.

If you choose to take advantage of nature, you can spend an entire weekend breathing fresh air with a tang of salt, walking miles of white sand beaches or meandering along trails through the sand dunes. Those who want to get in a day on the waters of the Gulf can charter a fishing boat for a chance to reel in one of the varieties of marine fish that frequent the warm Gulf waters. If you don't like to fish, you can still enjoy a cruise. Helicopter tours cruise over the water to give you a bird's eye view of the attractions.

Many family visits to the area include some time spent at the local zoo. Children will enjoy a petting zoo as well as animal educational shows and features. The private zoo is popular with the community and with visitors alike. Around three hundred creatures call the zoo home, including some that are on the endangered species lists.

If you want to attend a Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday celebration, there's one in the area. Country music shows and festivals occur throughout the year. You can attend an art show or a hot air balloon festival. You can enjoy golfing or tanning during the daytime and reserve the night time to attend the clubs, shows and dances.

Beach houses in Gulf Shores offer a convenient base for all the tourist activities here. You can find something to do each weekend throughout the year. Plan on a relaxing weekend to prepare you for the busy week ahead.

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Gay Holidays To Morocco

By Howie Holben

Morocco is a country steeped in myths and legend and offers gay travel opportunities to experience a rich history and culture that continues to strongly influence daily life. Morocco offers visitors the chance to cross the desert atop a camel, sleep in a hotel made of sand and haggle with aggressive spice and rug traders in marketplaces that look and feel like they are from another time in history. In many towns and cities former homes have been transformed into guest lodgings, called riads, that often offer a more welcoming atmosphere for travelers on a gay vacation and provide the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture and daily life of Morocco. While there is no visible scene in this conservative Muslim country, there are still abundant reasons for Morocco to be part of your gay travel plans, including ancient ruins and architecture, exceptional beaches, desert landscapes that stretch as far as the eye can see and open air souks (markets) that wind through village streets offering exotic wares.

With exquisite Muslim mosques, ancient Roman ruins, snake charmers and street performers, a Morocco vacation is an exceptional opportunity to indulge in this unique country sights, colors, sounds and smells. No Morocco travel experience would be complete without exploring the Dar Si Said Museum in Marrakech, winding through the many quarters of the Fes medina, gazing at Casablancas amazing art deco architecture and standing on an ancient wall in Tangier to view the expansive ocean and breathtaking sunsets.

Morocco was once a popular gay vacation destination for jet set from Europe, including famous writers, composers and socialites; however, although Morocco was once known as a welcoming spot for exotic gay vacations, homosexuality was criminalized in Morocco in 1962. While the law is rarely enforced, travelers on a vacation in Morocco should be aware that same-sex conduct is illegal and is punishable by fines and six months to three years of imprisonment.

The government released a statement in early 2009 stating that homosexuality would not be tolerated and that increased efforts to repress same-sex conduct would be established. This may mean increased enforcement of this 1962 law. This is not uncommon in primarily Muslim countries and does not mean that Morocco should be avoided when planning travel.

It does; however, indicate that awareness and discretion are advised wile on a Morocco vacation. To avoid possible issues, travelers may want to consider participating in a travel group vacation or planning their trip with the assistance of a gay travel tours company well-versed in planning vacations in Morocco.

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