Sitting around 7,000 feet above sea level, Park City is the perfect locale to escape from the summer heat!  Park City, Utah is home to the US Ski Team and the Sundance Film Festival, and is widely known as a great winter vacation destination.  What many people don’t realize, is that Park City is also an amazing summer destination.  With a fun, bustling downtown area, wildflowers as far as the eye can see, golf, fishing, and a variety of festivals, the mountain village is the perfect summer vacation destination!

The same mountain that provides world-class skiing also offers some amazing mountain biking in addition to an alpine slide, ziprider, alpine coaster, a climbing wall and more!  For the less adventurous traveler, there is also the option of a scenic chairlift ride, hiking, and mini golf.  Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort, and The Canyons Resort  all offer a little something for everyone in the summer.

When planning your vacation, be sure to check out some of the amazing Park City vacation rentals.  Amazing mountain condos and private homes that command high rates in the winter are often offered for a fraction of the price throughout the summer months!

You may want to center your trip around one of the many festivals that Park City is famous for.  Here is some information on a few of the area’s most popular summer events:

• Park City Food and Wine Classic [July 9-12] -An “Epicurean Extravaganza” featuring master winemakers, amazing chefs, and an impressive guest list!  This delectable event is a must if you love food, wine, and good company!
• Fidelity Jazz Festival [August 21-23] -An annual festival featuring amazing musicians.  In addition to nightly performances, this festival features daily workshops and clinics for budding musicians.
• Deer Valley Music Festival -A variety of musical styles to suit all tastes and ages!
• Park City Farmer’s Market -Held every Wednesday between June and October from noon to seven pm at The Canyons Cabriolet parking lot.
• Park Silly Sunday Market -An eco-friendly open market and street festival.  Every Sunday from mid-June through September.
• Fourth of July Celebrations -There are a variety of celebrations surrounding Independence day! Starting with the July 3rd celebration at The Canyons Resort, finishing up with activities and fireworks at Park City’s Traditional Independence Day Celebration and The Flying Ace All-Stars Show at The Utah Olympic Park.

What are you waiting for? Start planning your Park City getaway today!

Images Courtesy ArtBrom

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Every fall, Gulf Shores Alabama hosts its annual Shrimp Festival -one of the area’s most popular (and most tasty) events.  The festival lasts four days, and is the perfect way to say goodbye to the summer heat and welcome in some beautiful fall weather!

The event is held right on the beach, creating the perfect setting for some fun in the sun while enjoying the freshest seafood available!  The festival features over 300 vendors offering shrimp in every imaginable form, arts and crafts, and much more.  There are two stages offering continuous live music for guests to enjoy, so head on down to Gulf Shores and get your groove on!

The whole family is welcome to the National Shrimp Festival.  Amidst all of the shopping, eating, and entertainment there is a village dedicated to the younger members of your group with face painting, games, free arts and crafts, and much more!

Gulf Shores is widely known for its amazing vacation rentals -great rates, beautiful properties, and miles of pristine beach are the perfect recipe for an amazing vacation! There are a variety of Gulf Shores condos available at nearly every price point, making Gulf Shores a locale with a little something for everyone!

If you’re looking for unspoiled beaches, relaxation, and a great time, look at Orange Beach when you’re planning your next vacation.  The area offers an excellent combination of fun and relaxation.   Go down to the Wharf for an amazing meal and some shopping or an outdoor concert, or do some deep sea fishing with one of the many charter services in the area.  Be sure to visit the beach to experience the feel of powder-fine white sand between your toes.  After a few days of Gulf Shores, you’ll feel relaxed and refreshed, and you’ll never want to leave!

Images Courtesy Diamondduste

Many people immediately think of world class skiing, grand mountain lodges, and winter sports when they think of vacation in Colorado, but the fun doesn’t end when the snow melts.  Colorado’s mountains are home to a plethora of warm-weather activities, from water activities such as white water rafting and gold-medal fishing to backpacking and hiking throughout the amazing rocky mountain region.

Now that the snow has thawed, Colorado locals are hanging up their skis and dusting off their summer gear to enjoy the beauty, adventure, and fun that the state has to offer during the summer months.  A favorite activity of both locals and visitors alike, is taking a step back into Colorado’s wild past.  Visiting historic landmarks and vacationing at dude ranches are two of the most popular ways to do this.  Colorado has a rich and colorful history, take a step into any mountain town, and you’ll see the signs of an era long gone.  Bars owned by men like Doc Holliday that still have bullets lodged in the cieling, historic homes, abandoned mines are abundant throughout the mountain region.

Another fun way to get a taste of old Colorado is to take part in one of the state’s dude ranch vacations.  The state is home to over 30 guest ranches, varying in size and number of amenities.  Some of our favorites even feature spa services to enjoy after a long day on the trail!  (Okay, maybe not completely authentic, but ranching is hard work!)  Most ranches provide amazing accommodations, three meals a day, and a variety of ranching activities to enjoy.  These trips are an excellent way to get the whole family engaged in the vacation experience, with something for everyone.  You can participate in ranch activities at your leisure, so you still have time to take in the amazing scenery or go play in the river for an afternoon or two.

What are you waiting for?  Toss your work clothes aside, turn off your cell phone, and come and enjoy a piece of the rockies -you’ll never want to leave!

Images courtesy The Home Ranch, Clark Colorado

I love vacation rentals.  I have a husband, 2 kids - and a couple dogs - so when we vacation it’s a moving department store/zoological park.  We are dragging around the favorite bunny for sleeping, the special pillow, extra pup treats and the video games.  That’s a bunch of junk to cram in your run-of-the-mill hotel room.  Vacation Rentals are the perfect alternative - there’s plenty of room, you can cook breakfast (or throw donuts at everyone, including the dogs) so you dont have to get up at 7am while you’re on VACATION.  Bonus points - they usually have a washer and dryer - and more than one TV.  It’s like being at home - but you’re not!  A vacation rental at the beach is a necessity - here’s why:

• Beaches mean sand, and sand gets EVERYWHERE.  Being able to wash off and throw the sandy beach stuff in the washing machine is priceless.

• More and more vacation rentals are pet-friendly.  Many more so than hotels.  It’s a bonus when every member of the family can enjoy the vacation.  If you need to, you can even throw the dog in the tub!

• Shells are everywhere - and believe it or not - even the dead ones stink.  LUckily in a vacation rental - you probably have room to bleach them BEFORE you cram them in your suitcase for a day of traveling - leaving your clothing and other things smelling decidedly “funky”

• Privacy and convenience are important when we’re on vacation.  I love having a little beach cottage we can sit on the back deck and the kids can run on the beach til they pass out.  Hotels usually involve a lengthy gathering of junk and hauling it down to the beach - and lots of “back and forthing” to restroom, eat, etc.  If you’re staying ON the beach - you’re right there - no need to travel far to soak your feet.

Westie photo courtesy RandySonofRobert
Beach House photo courtesy The Wolf

One of my family’s favorite beach-type pass times is shelling. We hit the beach and drag great gobs of different shells back to the vacation rental - only to be forced to leave 90% behind because we cant pack them all - or they smell funny.

I did find out you can clean seashells so they don’t smell - but picking up “dead shells” is your best bet for this, although that doesn’t guarantee they’ll be ’stink free’.

Depending upon what part of the states you visit, some of the shells you find are pretty dull. The Oregon coast for example delivers a vast number of mussles - which are pretty neat with their iridescent colors - but after you’ve seen a hundred of those, big deal!

So where else can you go to spend hours picking through shells on the beach. I actually did a search for best shelling beaches in Florida and found out the “Lee Island Coast” in Southwest Florida was actually one of the best places in the WORLD for shelling. Featuring nearly 100 barrier islands, some of the more familiar names would be Sanibel Island, Marco Island and Captiva Island.

Plan your shelling for low tide, so check out the tide tables before you leave on vacation - that way you’ll know the best time of day to hit the beach with your pail. You can also have better luck by checking out the “lay of the land” so to speak. One good spot is where the waves break over as they come up on the beach, it will look like a slight “ditch” just past the water line.
Be forewarned, live shelling is banned - this means if there’s a critter, or a portion of a critter inside, leave it alone!

You can actually “charter” a guide to take you shelling after kayaking to a barrier island. Or visit a “shell museum” - that’s some hard core shelling action!

There are over 400 species of shells that can be found int he area - from the common scallop to something called the brown speckled junonia - but when I search for that type of shell - all I get are images of butterflies - so that one must be pretty rare. You can also expect to find conch and sand dollars in abundance.

When you consider hitting the Lee Island Coast - I always recommend vacation rentals for your stay.  I found a few that are right on the gulf beach and offer great convenience to shelling.  Consider a Marco Island Condo Rental at South Seas on the Beach.  Captiva Island Vacation Rentals also has some nice places on the sand.

top image from adactio

lower image from Francesco Z