Lincoln City

I was born on the Oregon Coast, and as a family we try to visit at least every two years. I don’t have any family left there, but I still get a thrill when we drive the last few miles into Lincoln City and catch our first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. Although my family moved away when I was just 6 months old, every return feels like a homecoming of sorts. Of course, there are a few things we must do every visit - I would be heartbroken if we skipped them, and oh yeah, the kids would too!

Mo’s Restaurant is a MUST. I hate fish, never have liked it - but when we’re on vacation in Oregon, I eat it like crazy. Mo’s has the BEST clam chowder - and I don’t like clam chowder - at all! Yes there are a lot of tourists, and you usually have to wait in line, but I’ve never said “Ugh, I’m sick of this” and we eat there almost daily the 2 weeks we’re on the coast. Mo’s has locations in Florence, Otter Rock, Newport (2 locations), Lincoln City and Cannon Beach. You can also order their chowder base online, which we do every New Years. They ship it in dry ice via FedEx Overnight and it’s TOTALLY worth it!

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Step back in time a bit and consider taking the train to your next ski vacation. RMA Tours is offering great deals from Minneapolis or Chicago to ski destinations in Colorado and Montana - other departure cities are available, just give them a call or visit their website for details.

Enjoy a change of pace with RMA Tours’ Throw Momma on the Train mid-Season Amtrak ski train vacation special to Whitefish, Montana, home of Big Mountain Ski Resort. Starting at $669 per person (based on double occupancy) you will receive round trip coach rail fare to Whitefish, MT from Minneapolis or Chicago, transfers; 5 nights lodging, a 4 day lift ticket taxes ARE included in this price. Rates are good through March 25, 2007.

If you’ve always dreamed of taking a train trip but haven’t known how to approach booking one, let RMA Tours help you. Call them at 800-841-9800 or contact your travel agent.

One of the best reasons to choose a vacation rental can be the amenities offered. Beyond having a kitchen and sometimes a washer and dryer - many resort complexes and property rental companies offer great perks to their guests that don’t cost a dime.

Destin Days Vacation Rentals offers a wide variety of free Destin Florida rental amenities. This is the best and most inexpensive way to see all that the Gulf Coast of Florida has to offer.

Enjoy buy one get one free deep sea fishing with Lighten Up Charters and Captain Doug Richards. This is a 4 hour fishing trip that includes tackle, license, Captain/ Mate and fish cleaning. There must be a minimum of 4 people to book the trip, but if you divide the savings among four, this is a perk you can’t afford to miss.

If fishing isn’t your thing, spend a few hours on the water during a unique and fun-filled dolphin cruise. Enjoy a guided tour around Destin with Boogie’s Glass Bottom Boat. Each tour includes a commentary, viewing through the glass bottom, dolphin encounters, sightseeing, crab trapping, bird feeding and shrimp netting. This boat is even air conditioned and features a snack bar. What an amazing way to see the undersea ecosystem that surrounds Destin.

There are so many other choices, you can fill your vacation with affordable yet unforgettable fun. Enjoy a day snorkeling along the sugar-white beaches and coves or a free bike or scooter rental to explore the area from a different viewpoint. End your ride with a free ice cream.

All in all - a vacation to Destin, FL and a vacation rental from Destin Days is the way to go if you want guaranteed enjoyment on the Gulf Coast.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Denver this week - February 24 through March 2, 2007 - you’re just in time for Colorado’s biggest food-lover’s festival.

It’ll be hard not to eat yourself into a coma, with eateries throughout the Mile High City offering multi-course dinners at the mile high price of $52.80 for two or $26.40 for one. (A mile is 5,280 feet - get it?)

This year, 140 restaurants of all kinds are particpating in the city-wide culinary celebration. You can see the list of participating Denver restaurants online, view them by neighborhood and even peruse the menus each offers for their feast.

Everyone loves a vacation at the beach. It’s particularly appealing when our home territory takes on the drab, dismal and cold colors of winter. That’s exactly when you should head south to Navarre Beach, Florida on Santa Rosa Island off the Emerald Coast.

The inviting colors are sure to cheer you up. The clear aquamarine waters of the Gulf of Mexico gently lap at sugar-white sand beaches decorated with burnished sea oats, all nestled peacefully under a sapphire sky. This barrier island boasts 12 miles of pristine shoreline and traditionally makes most of the top 10 beaches lists year after year.

While Navarre isn’t everyone’s idea of a beach paradise, it is the perfect prescription for beach strollers, fisherfolk, birdwatchers and sun seekers who prefer to commune with nature rather than with hordes of vacationers. Navarre Beach State Park on the east and the Gulf Islands National Seashore on the west provide plenty of serenity and solitude even during the busiest times.

Over 40 artificial reefs in the area provide some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the US and the fishing is legendary, as well.

Some of the newest and most luxurious Florida Panhandle vacation rentals are lofty condo complexes, like Summerwind Resort and Beach Colony, situated right on the sand of Navarre Beach. Townhomes and single family homes are available, as well. Some of the older, smaller complexes offer surprisingly affordable options for your Florida family vacation.

So, when the skies turn gray and the ground is covered in white this winter, think about a colorful escape to the the Gulf Coast of Florida.