Thank goodness there are people who understand all the pain of holiday travel, like Ellen for instance.  Right before the busy traveling season Ellen revealed some items and ideas that would make travel just a bit easier for everyone.  Take a look!

Now that your mind is relaxed and off of the stress that might occur when you are on the road, be sure to remember the true reasons for the holidays that we celebrate. We all may get a little upset or to our wits end when we travel, but it’s always worth it.

Traveling for the holidays is nothing new, and people have been hitting the roads, skies, and other trails each year about this time for quite some time.  Just around Thanksgiving is when travel really starts to pick up.  In fact you will find that long distance travel increases by more than half.  Those are some pretty large numbers of people heading out to spend time with family and loved ones who live elsewhere, and most of those doing the traveling are not very old.

Close to 40% of the people who travel during the Thanksgiving holidays are twenty-five years old or younger.  That makes the average age of travelers lower at Thanksgiving than it is any other time of the year.  Learn more about who is traveling around the holiday in the infographic below.

You will see in the infographic that vacationing can make a big difference in how well you feel and perform throughout the entire year.  It also shows how men and women choose to chill out on their vacations.  Some of the things that might appeal to you are:

• To relax on vacation more men would rather have a drink, and more women prefer reading.
• Men who vacation regularly are 32% less likely to develop heart disease, and women will have a 53% reduction in risk of heart attack.
• 55% of people prefer waking up early while on vacation.

One of the best attractions in Asheville to see in the fall is the Biltmore Estate.  This 125,000 acre estate sits nestled in the mountains and is surrounding by glorious gardens, a winery, and some of the most breathtaking scenes that you can possibly imagine.  In the fall when you look out over the home’s balcony you can witness all of the leaves in the mountains changing colors, and it is a sight that you will remember for the rest of your life.

To get into the spirit, I have posted a video of Biltmore in the fall.  Have a glimpse of it for yourself.  This is a treasure that you might not want to miss out on.

I have been to the Florida Keys and witnessed first hand what inspired Hemmingway to write all of his wonderful creations.  I have taken my nieces and nephews to Disney World and Universal Studios and watched their faces light up in pure wonderment.  I have been to Miami and looked at the amazing art deco architecture and burnt some great incense from legalherbsdirect.com.  You will be quite surprised at all of the incredible possibilities that Florida holds, and to help you find out more I have an infographic.

The Infographic Shows:

• Things to do for Kids
• Things to do for Women
• Things to do for Men
• Much, much more

Hiking – One my trip I hiked in two different spots, and I highly recommend them both for the fun and the scenery.  The Wawona and Mariposa Grove was absolutely breathtaking.  Walking through the giant sequoia trees was just unreal.  I also hiked through Yosemite Valley, and it was truly amazing.  There are a couple things you definitely should keep in mind when hiking though–stay on the paths (it’s illegal to actually stray from them), the trials are not watched over regularly so you are hiking at your own risk.

Biking – Since the park offered bike rentals, I thought this would be fun to do, oh and it was.  There are twelve miles of bike paths to ride on.  Seeing the park while biking was not only a good time, but it was also incredibly beautiful.  I highly recommend seeing the park this way.

Fishing – I already have my California fishing license, so I thought, why not?  I chose a spot at Lake Eleanor and it was very peaceful.  On top of catching some peacefulness I also caught a ton of rainbow trout.  Just remember that the rainbow trout at Yosemite are catch and release only.

There are so many other things that you can do at the park.  Hopefully next time I return I will have more time to do some backpakcing and and rock climbing.  If you have yet to take a trip to Yosemite, do it now!

The symbol of San Francisco to the entire world is the Golden Gate Bridge.  Fog, wind, and strong water currents seemed to make the mile stretch of water underneath the Golden Gate impassable and unable to be bridged, but in May of 1937, the amazing Golden Gate Bridge was opened for traffic.  This mesmerizing bridge is too amazing for words.  It’s not just the bridge that grabs my attention, but the scenic views around it.  If there is one bridge that you marvel at in your life, it should be this one.

Fishman’s Wharf is another destination in San Francisco that I definitely recommend anyone visit.  Individuals and families alike will find a multitude of activities to do and things to see.  Take a ride on the historic cable cars, check out the amazing variety of delicious seafoods, and much more.  The sea lions around the pier always make for great entertainment, and the dining is incredible.

Wine is something that I have grown to truly love.  So, any trip to California must include a visit to a winery, or three.  My most recent trip took me to Cakebread Cellars and to the Benziger Family Winery.  Cakebread Cellars was first opened over thirty years ago by Jack Cakebread.  Him and his family are so very dedicated to creating the best wines, and with that, this small family winery has flourished into a world-wide distributed wine business.  Each day the winery features tastings and tour that will allow you to see the inner workings and taste their delicious varieties of wine.  Like Cakebread, the Benziger Family Winery is all about family.  Just this year, the Benziger Winery was named the Winery of the Year and the Best Wine Tasting Room.

No matter what interests you, you are sure to find some amazing things to do and see in the San Francisco, California area.  And if you’re like me, you’ll just keep on going back for more.

I had to go back to the Space Needle, of course.  This was one of my main interests the first time I visited Seattle, and I needed to see it again.  The Space Needle was designed in 1959 as a new feature for the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle.  I watch an amazing historical documentary about The Space Needle on direct tv HBO last week. The Space Needle today is known around the world as the symbol that depicts Seattle, and it was built for only four and a half million dollars.  The architectural masterpiece has withstood earthquakes and tremors.  To this day, the Space Needle is the top tourist destination in the city of Seattle.  When I went back this time around, it was everything I remembered and more.  About a decade ago the site underwent a revitalization that cost about twenty million dollars, so while there were some slight changes, it was still amazing.

Pike Place Market is another favorite stop for me on my travels in Seattle.  The Pike Place Market began in 1907, and it was designed at that time to put the consumers face to face with the farmer.  And that still holds true today.  This nine acre market hosts well over two hundred local businesses year round.  There are also street performers, apartments, and others who take advantage of the market’s ability to attract over ten million people each year.  I love how the market seems to stay busy.  There is always movement, something going on, and this excites me greatly.  Another great part of the Pike Place Market is the original Starbucks Coffee that was first opened in 1971, and to this day, the store still has its original appearance.

Other places that I visited in Seattle included the exotic meat company, the Seattle Aquarium, and the Seattle Art Museum.  The parks and other attractions are also inviting and wonderful places to see as well.

I grew up in a very small town in the state of Michigan.  It took two hours to get anywhere that was not just vast fields and farmlands.  I was pretty much forced to have a vivid imagination thanks to the fact that there was never anything to do after school and on the weekends.  My parents were not wealthy, and every summer, our family trip consisted of camping out about two and a half hours from our home.  The first time I ever really traveled I was seventeen years old.  I had been voted as the student council president, and the entire student council–if they raised enough money–was taking a trip to Washington D.C.  Now, fifteen years later, I can still recall that trip like it happened last week.  That was the trip that hooked me on traveling for the rest of my life.  So, why is it that I am an avid traveler?  Well, a lot of it has to do with growing up in the middle of no where, I think, but there is so much more to it.

I am a lover of culture.  Not only do I love learning about different cultures, but I love that you can take a short plane ride to a place in the same country as where you live and find new and exciting cultures.  My trip to Washington D.C. is the perfect example.  I look at where I came from and look at the hustle and bustle of our nation’s capitol and I see almost nothing in common.  There are so many things to do.  There are theaters and restaurants of all types. Very rarely do I sit at home and enjoy my direct SAT tv.

Exploring is something that I was born to do.  My small town made me to have a big imagination.  When I travel, my imagination and interests are piqued.  It is impressive to see monuments and buildings in person that are even greater than any imaginative dream I could come up with.  Other people’s imaginations fascinate me.

It is important to understand where we live.  When you travel, I like to think that you learn a lot about yourself, but you also learn a lot about others.  How people live and carry on with their day-to-day lives is a huge interest for me.  I feel like it is something important.  Traveling allows me to understand the world around me and how people are.  It is so amazing to see the impact of the area in which people live on their own daily lives.

My goal is to travel all over the United States.  I am well on my way, and hopefully on this blog you can join me on my journeys.