Travel Blog

Many Canadians spend their vacation in the US. Snow birds make the annual trip south every fall to escape the snow and ice in Canada. They head to Florida, Texas, Arizona and California to spend the winter. They head home once the winter is over. Canadians have enjoy warm temperatures and also a strong dollar for the past 5 years. However now the dollar is not so strong and Canadians travel cost going up means it is going to cost more.

Canadians travel cost going up – Categories

Exchange rate

Lately the exchange rate, the price you pay to purchase US dollars has been going up. As of writing this post the best rate that is currently posted is ninety cents or in other words it takes approximately $1.11 Canadian to purchase $1.00 US, which is an 11 percent increase in the cost compared to a few years ago. It costs more to travel as a result and Canadians are beginning to look for cost saving measures.

Cost to travel

If your vacation is costing you $1000, then you are going to pay an additional $111 Canadian for every $1000 US you are going to spend. This can be significant and can add a significant amount for more expensive vacations.

Hedging the exchange rate

One solution is to hedge the exchange rate by averaging your cost over a year. As rates change you will pay the current rate, but at least you will not lock in the rate for your total vacation. if rates improve which they might then you get to take advantage of the improved rates. Unfortunately it also works the opposite way as well. The economists are forecast and $.85 cent dollar by mid 2015, which means that your US vacation cost is going to go up another 5%!

Cutting back on travel

Another solution which is not popular with many people is that the Canadians will start cutting back on travel to conserve money and bring it back to levels that they can afford with the increasing costs. This will hurt the travel industry to some degree and could even trigger a decline for a short period in this industry.

Let’s go anyway

Many senior snow birds realize that they may not have than many years left that they can travel and as a result just suck it up and plan to go anyway. They only live once and if they can get the money together they plan to go regardless of what the cost will be.

What are your plans for vacationing in the United States this coming year? For ideas about trip planning, click here.

We predicted that Hillary Clinton surging at Cristie’s expense and all of the attention to Governor Cristi would basically kick him out of the running for the US presidency. It appears to be holding true. His popularity poles have sunk to the point where he is running dead last. This is due to perceived wrongdoing with the bridge scandal and a number of other suggested negative issues.

Hillary Clinton is surging at Christie Expense.

Clinton, on the other hand, has surged in the poles. Although she has not yet declared her intention to run for election to the highest job in the nation, she is the person for the job as far as the Democrats are concerned unless someone comes along to outpace her.

There is a lot more to come in terms of how Governor Cristi will respond to the allegations concerning the bridge scandal. We also wonder whether they will stick or not. This could all disappear if the investigations clear his name. If this happens, the people who fired these political bullets did so too soon. There could be a strong backlash against the Democrats as well if they are seen to be behind this entire fiasco.

We will have to wait and see if there is more to come. Cruise forward to the 2016 presidential race, and this time, Donald Trump is outrunning Governor Cristi. Trump is behind Hillary in the polls. At the time of this update, there are still five months to the election, and anything could happen.

Hillary Clinton is surging at Christie Expense.

But Hillary is now focused on Trump and beating him to the presidential seat in November. This is an amazing race to watch because of all of the trash talk and the issues that are being brought forward by both parties.

It is anyone’s guess regarding who will win in Nov. For more posts about US Politics, click here.

We recently stayed at the Drury Inn hotel in San Antonio Texas. This hotel is modern and looks great from the outside as well as in the lobby.

However it is very difficult to get to from the Interstate Hwy., #10 and 1604. It is right on the corner of these two major highways and very difficult to get to as well as to get back on the highway. We made several wrong turns getting to the hotel.

We recommend that you park using the garage parking lot. For security reasons you should park inside the gated garage to ensure that your cars contents and car remain safe at night. Remember that even in a secure garage, you should never leave anything exposed in the car that might attract car thieves. You do not want to give then a reason to break into your car.

Drury Inn Hotel- San Antonio – Good Deal

We paid $90 plus tax for two people. This includes a hot breakfast as well as hot hors d’oeuvres at night and three alcoholic drinks for each person. You can choose between beer, wine and mixed drinks. Of course if you do not drink, you can also have non alcoholic drinks. Most people will give their unused tickets to other patrons to enjoy.

While generally good value for the money, we did not get a good nights sleep. The king bed that we were provided was very soft, and moved each time the other person in the bed turned over. It was very disconcerting. These are not good beds to sleep on and would not recommend this hotel to couples who want a good nights sleep.

We’ve had too many situations where the comfort of the bed was not sufficient at this particular hotel chain and will not be staying at this hotel chain even though we will pay more for a single nights accommodation plus food.

The above picture was taken from the Aquarius Casino Hotel coffee shop, called the Duet. This casino is located along the Colorado River in Laughlin Nevada.

There are approximately 10 casinos in the area, all of them except one is on the Colorado River. The other one is located across the
street on Casino Boulevard. Laughlin Nevada is a really great place to come visit and to play the slot and table games at the casinos.

It is not as crowded as Vegas, the prices for rooms are less expensive as well as the restaurants. These are older hotels, a little more tired than going to Vegas is of course, but you get
good value for your money.

Aquarius Casino Hotel in Laughlin Nevada

There is a boardwalk on the Colorado river that runs past on the casinos. You can usually walk the half-mile between the casinos and visit each one. Harrahs Casino is a bit further and you have to go to the street to get to that particular casino.

Make sure you get a slot card. Use it in the slot machine to make sure you get whatever comps are available to you. This is the primary way that the casinos reward their best customers.

If you’re driving to get to Laughlin Nevada from Vegas, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, Kingman and any other location make sure you fill up with gas on the Arizona side of the Colorado River. The prices are quite a bit cheaper for gas and you get the deals in terms of car washes and oil changes.

Justin Trudeau is certainly trying to disrupt Canadian politics and make a name for himself in the Canadian political scene. With his recent announcement kicking the liberal senators out of the Liberal caucus and declaring that they are independent from party lines has made a huge statement. As a result it will cause significant disruption in the Canadian political scene.

As this writer understands it, the liberal sensors are now independent from the liberal party. They cannot participate in the Liberal caucus meetings. They are free to vote in whatever manner they see fit with regards to legislation presented to the Senate.

Liberals disrupt Canadian politics

Why did Justin Trudeau take this approach what is behind his motivation for taking a big risk?

He is currently considered a lightweight political leader by the other parties. They have not taken him seriously up until now. This will certainly change their opinion regardless of whether the other parties agree or disagree with this approach. Secondly, the conservatives want to update the Senate and reform the Senate.

Reforming the Senate will take years of negotiation.This requires significant political discussion and debate. As a result in one stroke, Justin Trudeau has begun the process without any legal, political or discussion from the provinces.

The reform of the Canadian Senate has just begun. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few months as the Conservatives the New Democrats respond. More to come.

We have stayed at a number of Drury inns across the US.  This time it was the Drury Inn Lafyette Louisiana. They’re usually in the main cities such as Houston, San Antonio, Detroit and so on.

They offer good value in terms of a place to stay, happy hour at night and a hot breakfast in the morning. The price for two people is typically around $100. This includes both the room, free Wi-Fi, happy hour at night, and a hot breakfast.

Happy hour at night includes three alcoholic drinks per person, plus bar food such as a baked potato, mac & cheese, hot dogs, salad and soup.

Drury Inn Lafyette Louisiana

The Drury Inn in Lafayette Louisiana met all of these requirements. However we are becoming less and less supportive of this particular hotel chain. The rooms are not soundproof, and the beds are generally uncomfortable. We found that this particular hotel was a bit rundown and tired.

The beds are not good quality beds and are uncomfortable. And in fact we had a sore back the next morning.
It just does not measure up to Hampton Inns.

While you get the value for the money consumers may want to decide whether it is worthwhile to have a free meal or pay a little bit more and stay at a Hampton Inn

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We put together a list of travel tips that we feel are must haves for traveling while in your own country or even in other countries. This list is based on our own personal experiences and includes the items that we have found helpful. You may not need these things all of the time on every trip, but you will need some of them from time to time. Just having them will give you peace of mind and make your trip much more pleasant in many situations. Enjoy your trip and if you have one that you would like us to add to the list, just leave us a comment and we will be happy to add it to the list.

Travel tips

• Bring a deck of cards to play solitaire or bridge with new friends.
• A folding paper fan works wonders when waiting at a bus in hot countries.
• A small LED headlamp is perfect for emergencies or for reading at night.
• Small folding umbrella that has light aluminum spines and handle.
• Homemade packages of almonds and raisins for an inexpensive healthy stack.
• Bring toilet paper for those emergency situations in countries that do not provide toilet paper
• Bring a compass to help you find your direction.
• If you are traveling alone carry the front section of the newspaper from home. Keep it in view while you’re dining, it is an invitation to those who speak your language.
• Always dressed down and travel to observe and not to be observed.
• Hide emergency money in an old vitamin bottle with a few pills in it. Thieves will not be interested in your vitamin C.
• Always tell friends where you’re going and check in with them on a regular basis.
• Make copies of your passport and leave them with the same friends in case of an emergency.

The Beau Rivage casino in Biloxi Mississippi is one of the best seafood buffets available. On Friday night, for the price of $30, you can experience an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet plus wine at your table. This includes a Crab leg buffet at Beau Rivage as well.

The picture above shows crab legs that are available at the seafood buffet on Friday night. In addition, you can have shrimp, salmon, fried catfish, and an assortment of other seafood. In addition, there are all of the other usual foods you would find at a buffet of this class. From prime rib to turkey, pizza, Chinese food, etc. along with the deserts this is a great buffet and good value for your money.

Crab leg buffet at Beau Rivage

Located in Biloxi Mississippi, at the end of Interstate 110, along the ocean, the Beau Rivage is a five-star hotel and is one of the best hotels in Biloxi and we can recommend this hotel and restaurants from personal experience.

There is ample free parking in the covered garage. It is also within walking distance of this particular hotel and easy walking distance to the beach. For anything else, you pretty much need your car to visit other activities in Biloxi.

One of those activities that we recommend is a visit to the Shed barbecue restaurant. If you enjoy delicious fall off the bone barbecued ribs, then this is the place to go. We have reviewed this particular restaurant in another post on this blog and provide instructions and information about this particular barbecue spot.

For more details about Biloxi, Mississippi, click here.

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We are in Biloxi Mississippi. I have attached a few pictures. The first picture is the view from our room looking out on the golf of Mexico taken from the Beau Rivage casino on the 23rd floor. The next couple of pictures are from a place we just went for lunch. The Shed Barbecue Ocean Springs. The Shed is a barbecue place out on one of the bayous. It is really rustic and has knickknacks from all over the place. The Shed has been burned down and been flooded by the hurricanes, but it still is in business and they have absolutely the best ribs we’ve ever tasted.

The Shed Barbecue Ocean Springs

It is one of those places that you have to hear about from the locals or see it on TV. It is not a place that you would just drop into without knowing something about it first.It may scare away people unless you hear about it from a third party.

We ended up at the Shed because we saw it on the Food Channel. The owner / chef was interviewed complete with tattoos. If it was not for this show we would never have known about the place. We certainly would not have gone there unless it had been recommended. We have met people who make it a pilgrimage every time they are in the area. It is one of the best barbecue places we have been too.

This picture shows the bayou. Nearby is a large raft you can book for an evenings barbecue on the bayou. We have not done this. We think it would be quite special to spend an evening eating ribs and enjoying the scenery as well as animal life.

For more details about Biloxi, Mississippi, click here.

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If you have not been to the Goldstrike casino buffet recently, you will be in for a really great surprise. The buffet has been totally updated, modernized and decorated in a contemporary fashion. It really looks nice and is a much more pleasant place to sit in and enjoy your meal. All of the food stations are up-to-date, modern, with lots of space for patrons to obtain their food and the quality is fantastic.

The buffet used to allow smoking, however this buffet no longer allows smoking anywhere in the restaurant. This is a big plus as far as we are concerned. There is nothing worse than smelling the second smoke from someone who is smoking beside you. There’s lots of space, chairs are comfortable, and as we mentioned the food is of excellent quality.

They also have a serve yourself drink station, where you can obtain coffee, soft drinks, juice, and water as needed. The waiters and waitresses no longer will bring drinks to your table. Everything is now self serve. The hotel is making other changes as well and we look forward to other major improvements next time we visit. We happen to think that this particular hotel is the best in the area.

Goldstrike Casino – A Great Place to Visit

With the updates that are taking place at the Goldstrike Casino, this destination is becoming more interesting to visit all of the time. Whether you are visiting to go to a show, dine out  or play at the casino, it is a wonderful casino to visit and spend some time at.

We try to visit this destination at least once or twice a year.  It is not far from Memphis and reasonably priced as well. If you are looking for a casino hotel, you cannot go wrong when you visit the Goldstrike Casino hotel.

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Setting dieting goals and objectives is one of the first steps to ensuring that you meet your weight-loss goals. The objectives or goals must be realistic. If you need to lose over a hundred pounds, for example, setting that objective to lose the weight in six months is probably not realistic. Focus on losing the first 10 pounds within a month and then celebrate that weight-loss. Once you have lost the first 10 pounds you can go on to lose the next 10 and so on. Celebrate each goal that you

Setting Dieting Goals

Track results and celebrate your weight loss. This does not mean that you get on the scales every week or every day. What it does mean is that you should track how much you eat, cut down on large portions, focus on eating small meals all the time and give up those items that contain a lot of calories. If you can track what you doing there’s a lot less chance that you overeat. Also, you can plot your weight loss where everyone can see the results and display them where it’s obvious to everyone.

Increase objectives as you achieve results. By adding exercise, you will increase your metabolism, improve your overall health and be able to endure additional exercise overtime. You may be able to assume more aggressive objectives and achieve those results. For example, if you start by walking around the block after a week or so we will find that the walk around the block is quite easy. You’ll be able to make the walk longer and faster and burn more calories.

Get Serious about Weight Loss

Be serious about your weight loss. It is important for your health to achieve a reasonable level of weight. This will improve your overall health condition, your heart condition, blood pressure and sugar levels in your system. You will live much longer as a result. The only way that you can achieve all of this is to be serious about weight loss.

Enlist friends or family to help meet your goals. They can assist from everything including managing the food that is available in your home, encouraging you to go and exercise, and helping you through those times when you’re discouraged. A buddy is a fantastic way to help you achieve your weight loss goals and improve your overall health.

For more exercise ideas and lifestyle suggestions, click here.

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The Shed – Mississippi Barbecue is a barbecue restaurant, located on Highway 57 just outside of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. This is one of the best barbecue restaurants we have ever been to. We enjoyed lunch and enjoyed a two meat combo with ribs and pulled pork. It was the best tasting meal we have ever had.

Decorated with an eclectic mix of antiques and pieces obtained from various garage sales, a tin roof and barn board walls with a gravel floor this is a really different restaurant than what you might normally go to.

The Shed – Mississippi Barbecue – Entertainment

They play blues music over the loudspeaker’s during the day and have live music in the evenings. We were there for lunch on a cool day and it was relatively quiet. We spoke to the cook who assured us that this is a lively place in the evenings.

There’s a local bayou right behind the shed where you can take boat rides and enjoy the scenery of rural Mississippi. We also spoke to two regulars, who come to the shed every chance they can. They think that the food is absolutely fantastic and should be enjoyed by everyone.

This is not a place that you would drive past and say hey I think I should go there. It is just not one of those places. But we can confirm that it as the best barbecue ribs we have ever had.

For more details about Biloxi, Mississippi, click here.

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Ottawa Ontario winter wonderland

We saw this particular poem in an email that someone sent to us, and we thought that our readers might enjoy it. It is about Canada – our winters! Ottawa, Ontario, winter wonderland.

Ottawa Ontario Winter Wonderland

On the sixth day, God turned to the Archangel Gabriel and said, “Today I am going to create a land called Canada. It will be a land of outstanding natural beauty.

It shall have tall, majestic mountains full of mountain goats and eagles,

beautiful sparkling lakes bountiful with bass and trout, forests full of elk and moose, high cliffs over-looking sandy

beaches with an abundance of sea life and rivers stocked with

salmon.”

God continued, “I shall make the land rich in resources so as to make the inhabitants prosper. I shall call these inhabitants Canadians, and they shall be known as the most friendly people on the earth.”

“But Lord,” asked Gabriel, “don’t you think you are being too generous to > these Canadians??”

“Not really,” replied God.. “Just wait and see the winters I am going to give them!”

Canada – our winters

Although this is just a poem, sometimes our winters make us feel as if they were true regarding the winter that God gave us. The last one was particularly brutal and long. It seemed to go on forever, and it seemed that we got more snow than we ever did.

This is one of the reasons that many Canadians go south for the winter and come back when the snow is gone, and the flowers have begun to grow. They do not want to deal with the cold weather, the ice, and the snow. We are among the Canadian snowbirds that head south every year, and we will continue doing so for as long as we can.

For more posts about Canadian politics,  weather etc., click here.

We have not been to an IHOP restaurant in a long time, however, we decided to try one in Biloxi Mississippi. We were very disappointed due to the cold breakfast at IHOP Biloxi Mississippi. This was an IHOP located along the Gulf Coast road that runs along the water past all of the casinos.

The restaurant was crowded and busy and we expected good service and good food based on its reputation and also the fact that there were lots of people in the restaurant.

the amount of food was good for the value however the side order of toast was cold and pancakes although unlimited were also cool. The butter would not even melt on either the toast or the pancakes.

Cold breakfast at IHOP Biloxi Mississippi

When we asked the waitress about this problem, she volunteered to get us a new order. However, we noticed that all of the other patrons were having the same issue. No one seemed to be complaining so we told her not to bother.

We filled in the survey to communicate our thoughts about the issue. We wanted to let them know that this was not a good experience. In addition, we filled out this blog entry to let other readers know about IHOP and its poor service.

For more details about Biloxi, Mississippi, click here.

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The horseshoe Casino buffet in Tunica Mississippi is also a great place to have a meal. It is decorated in New Orleans style. The buffet has many different food stations in many different styles and combinations of food to try. Even if you take one spoonful of each your plate will be overloaded with all of the different types available.

We were comped for this particular buffet. We are not really sure why because we have not gambled very much at the Horseshoe casino. Perhaps they wanted to keep us in the casino as much as possible in order to make a few more dollars of us. Either way, whether it is free or if you have to pay for it, it is a good deal and well worth the money.

Horseshoe Casino buffet – Prices

The buffet in the evening is approximately $22 per person. It is well worth the money even if you have to pay for it. We are very pleased with the service. The food selection and quality of food is excellent. There was a smoking section at the time of writing this post. However most of the dining area is free from any odor of cigarette smoke which is a really great idea.

The horseshoe Casino is located in Tunica Mississippi, right beside the Goldstrike casino. Patrons can walk from either casino to the other without having to worry about drinking and driving. Many people play at both casinos and take comps from each. The Horseshow Casino is part of the Harrah’s brand while the Goldstrike is part of the MGM group. Make sure you use your slot card when playing the slots or the tables to obtain the best value for your gambling dollar.

For more posts about casinos we have visited, click here.

One of the things we like to do on this particular blog is to write about unique experiences and interesting topics. This particular post will be about a barbecue restaurant that we discovered in Biloxi Mississippi, actually just outside of Biloxi. This restaurant is actually a barbecue restaurant located on route 57 just north of interstate 10. It is a barbecue restaurant, called the Shed! This restaurant is actually very rustic and pieced together from corrugated tin, wooden posts and a collection of knickknacks from various locations around the state. It is situated beside the bayou. In the summertime people can eat outside on the bayou. As a result it is a very unique place to visit.

The Shed Barbeque Restaurant

It is known worldwide for the barbecue ribs, pulled pork and a variety of other meats that are absolutely excellent. We went for lunch and had a two meat combo with sweet taters and coleslaw. The ribs were excellent with the meat falling off the bone. The pulled pork tasted great as well. During the day they play blues music. In the evening they play live music with a number of different entertainers that come in.

There’s a campsite nearby and also an RV park. This would be a great place to spend an evening listening to blues music and having a fantastic meal. The interior of the Shed Barbeque restaurant is just like the outside. Very rustic and down to earth literally. Patrons can sit at the bar and enjoy a few beers along with their meal. They can head over to the dining area which are picnic tables on a gravel floor. This is as basic as it gets. The atmosphere is extremely interesting and enjoyable. We have talked to other patrons who tell us that they go to the Shed every time they are in the area. The combination of food and eclectic decoration is wonderful.

In case you are wondering this is not an advertisement written by the restaurant staff. Although it might sound like it. We really like the food . We really enjoy going to this particular restaurant every time we are in Mississippi along the golf coast.

For more travel related stories, click here.

Just like every other city, Palm Springs is home to many weddings every year. There are many scenic locations for pictures that show the desert, the mountains, or fantastic hotel panoramic views. If you’re getting married in Palm Springs there’s so much to choose from. It can be sometimes difficult to decide where to get married and where to hold your wedding celebration.

One of the big advantages that Palm Springs has is that it has an average of 350 days every year of sunshine. They do have rain, they do have high winds, and sometimes the temperatures are cool but for the most part you have a higher probability of having a great day on your wedding than almost any other location in the country.

Palm Springs Weddings – Best Time of Year

February and March are almost perfect in terms of temperatures after that it gets pretty warm. Once you get into April and beyond, daytime temperatures can reach over 100°F. In the fall during October and November is a nice time where the temperatures are in the mid-80s. December January and even early February are also perfect temperatures for getting married However the evenings can be quite cool.

Plan your wedding in Palm Springs based on the temperatures as well as the availability of hotel rooms and venues to hold your wedding party. January through March is the season when the snowbirds come to town. Any other time of the year almost is a better time to hold your wedding. You do not have to worry about competing for hotel rooms and party venues.

Palm Springs organizes many party venues during the year. The motorcycle Harley-Davidson weekends to golf weekends and more Palm Springs is host to many activities during the year. If you’re planning your wedding around one of these events you may want to steer clear to avoid having to pay top dollar for hotel rooms and party vendors.

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Anyone who does not have dental insurance from work or where they’re employed, is effectively providing their own dental self insurance. Self insuring is anytime that you have to pay for your own dental treatment for check ups, root canals, and other procedures .

Many people have chosen this route because they feel that the dental insurance that they were paying is far too expensive. However many others just don’t have dental coverage as a benefit from their place of employment.

What is the right decision – Dental self insurance?

If your family is pretty confident that all they will need is routine twice a year dental checkups. Perhaps with x-rays every year or perhaps every two years, then you probably should be self funding your own dental coverage. If on the other hand you’re going to need a number of treatments Dental coverage should be considered. For example for things like children’s braces, root canals, and other dental procedures can be very expensive.

Before you take dental insurance verify what is covered in the dental plan that you were considering. Many dental plans will only cover 50% of root canals and 50% of children’s braces. Anything that would be considered cosmetic may not be covered at all. It is important to read the details of your coverage. Ensure that you were actually being covered for the things that you will need in the future.

Save for your dental treatments!

If you know that you will have a number of dental procedures in the near future start saving. Perhaps your family has a history of root canals etc. If you do not have dental coverage from your employer, then you may want to set aside some money for these treatments in the future. A separate savings account can be used. You could deposit the same payment that you would have made for dental insurance into this account. Overtime the amount of money in the account will be more than sufficient to pay for all of the dental treatment including checkups and regular procedures that you will ever need.

There may be some years when you’re in the negative. You will have to pay out of your separate regular daily accounts. But your savings account where you’re making regular deposits for your dental coverage will catch up. It will provide all of the money will ever need to cover all of your dental treatments.

Something to think about in terms of providing-year-old self-insured dental program. For more information about health related issues and insurance, click here.

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Just by letting people know that he is thinking about running for the president of United States, the knives have come out. The Democrats are trying to make sure that he never gets to the point of declaring that he’s running for president. They are lining up and trying to pull out all of the bad news they possibly can. They want to reduce his chances of running for president, and to reduce his chances of fund raising.

The Democrats are worried. He has great charisma, is the person of the people and he’s done great things for New Jersey. He has a positive image across the country. The Democrats are concerned that Hillary might have to difficult a battle on her hands if she decides to declare her run for president of United States position.

Christie – Clinton Impact

The Clintons will never be associated with this issue that is plaguing Gov. Christie at the present time. However you can be sure that from a strategy perspective she is in agreement with this approach. Anything that can be done to improve her chances of being elected is and will be done.

Cover Christie is in a lose lose situation. He either did these things that the Democrats are claiming or he has poor management skills and cannot control his people. Specifically the bridge issue was orchestrated by his team. Which he has now fired but it doesn’t clear the air. He should’ve known about this and have done something about it many months ago.

It is too bad, he probably could have made a great president and made a huge contribution to the country. Unfortunately he may be taken down by these rather insignificant paltry issues that the Democrats have brought forward. Of far greater importance and concern is the role that Hillary play while she was at the State Department and controlling the embassies. More will come out about this particular issue in the run-up to the presidential election.

For more posts about US Politics, click here.

It really does not matter whether it is your first time camping or if you been camping for many years, organizing and planning a camping trip will ensure that you make the most of your camping trip. As you gain experience it will become second nature. Still each trip has different requirements and it is important to plan ahead. It will also be the difference between enjoying a few nights out in the wilderness vs. a miserable time and just waiting for it to be over with. Develop a check list of things that you need to bring with you and as your experience with camping increases you will probably add to this checklist often.

Plan and organize your camping trip – Select a site

While this may seem obvious, there are some things that will be needed based on the selection of a camping site. Decide if you want a private campground, need a power outlet, the front country camping site or the back country camping site, flushing toilets, showers, potable water and electricity are all part of planning a camping trip and ensuring you pick the right site. The less crowded sites Will have less amenities and maybe more isolated requiring a hike or canoe trip to get to the site.

Always make a reservation

Almost all of the national and provincial campgrounds have the ability to reserve your camping spot ahead of time. In fact On busy weekends it may be A necessity to book your camping site ahead of time. Many sites have online web sites that will take reservations and ensure that there is a vacant site waiting for you when you arrive.  By the time you arrive all the camping sites will be taken by other campers.

Organize Your Camping trip – Pack your own bags

A tent that is waterproof and easy to set up is a must. Always test setting up your tent in your backyard first particularly if this is a new tent or the first time you’ve been camping. Make sure that you bring warm well insulated sleeping bags and pack lightweight hiking gear with lots of pockets for extra food water bottles and first aid supplies.

Select your camping spot

Always look for a flat surface for your tent. Avoid areas that could be prime for insects or places were water can pool. Build a fire away from Your tent and away from trees to avoid sparks damaging your tent or starting a fire in the trees. Keep sand and water close by to douse the fire if needed. Always keep your food in coolers in your car or off the ground to avoid attracting animals to the campsite.

A friend of ours who’s about 5’6″ tall weighs about 200 pounds. He recently informed us that he had pre diabetes. In other words when he measured his blood it was indicating that he was on the borderline of being diagnosed as having diabetes and would have to take or start to take medication unless he did something about it. Diabetes and losing weight are directly linked.

His reaction was to go on a diet. He did not want to take medication of any kind and also felt that he was overweight. He had been going to the gym. But had given that up about six months ago. Then he found out that as he gained more weight he was becoming closer and closer to being a diabetic.

He decided to go on a diet and basically cut all carbs. He does not eat bread, he does not eat buns. In addition he avoids rice and potatoes and focuses on eating chicken and vegetables and fruit. He has to watch how much fruit he eats because that will generate a lot of sugar in his blood. But by reducing the carbs and focusing on eating a lot of protein he has lost over 22 pounds in the last three months.

Diabetes and losing weight

Not only does he look thinner, he’s able to wear clothes that he hasn’t worn for over two years. The best part is that his blood sugar level has dropped from around 12 to below six. This is a fantastic achievement for him in controlling his blood sugar and also getting his weight under control. He wants to lose another 10 pounds and will continue doing so by following this diet. By the way he has not yet gone back to the gym, although he plans to do so to build up his strength.

We Decided to write this post in an effort to help other people who may be struggling with pre-diabetes, being overweight and trying to focus on controlling their diet. It takes a bit of discipline but if you cut out the carbs, you can almost be sure to lose weight provided that you control how much sugar you take from other sources such as fruit.

For more information about diabetes and losing weight along with exercise, click here.

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We are staying at a Hampton Inn Cookeville Tennessee. It is just off interstate 40 along restaurant Row or at least what they call the street that this hotel is located on.

There has been a hotel on the site for many years, however it has recently been totally renovated and has just reopened in the last four months. Everything is modern, clean and very classy. We would strongly recommend that this is one of the better hotels to stay at in the Hampton Inn chain.

The location is perfect for those people who are traveling across the country on interstate 40 between Nashville and Knoxville. It is located on a road with many chains of restaurants including Logans which is a Texas style roadhouse.

We just came back from there having had extremely delicious inexpensive meal of ribs, Steak, baked potato and Caesar salad for less than $35. This also included two large draft beers each, what a fantastic deal.

Hampton Inn Cookeville Tennessee – Breakfast

The Hampton Inn Cookeville Tennessee has a large dining area for breakfast in the morning. It can accommodate easily up to 40 or 50 people and they provide a hot breakfast along with cereal, fruit and yogurt. For the price which is just above $100 if you qualify as a senior or have a AAA card is excellent value.

The hotel has installed what they call an evolve system. On entering your room you will find a card reading device by your light switch. All you have to do is simply insert one of your room key cards and leave it in the device while you’re in the room. When the key card is removed, their system returns to energy-saving mode, and the room lights and TV lose power. This is a great energy saving device for hotels and even your home.

For more about hotel services and hotels we have stayed at, click here.

This was the second leg or second night of our trip south to Biloxi Mississippi. Our destination is the Beau Rivage in Biloxi where we are spending 3 or 4 nights at this luxurious hotel. We stayed at a Hampton Inn Winchester Virginia and plan to complete our trip to Biloxi tomorrow. This location was a bit better than the previous night in that there are a number of fast food places to eat at plus a Ruby Tuesday’s. We could walk to the Ruby Tuesday’s quite easily. After driving all day, the last thing I really want to do is to get in the car again and drive to a restaurant. Time to relax and take it easy.

This hotel was also a bit tired and not worth the money. It also cost us one hundred and seven dollars for the night and although adequate was not up to the standard that we expect with the Hampton Inn. They are usually always very clean and up to date.

Hampton Inn Winchester Virginia – Changing Rooms

We needed to change rooms once due to the fact that they used aerosol spray to freshen the room to hide the smell of smoke. Someone had been smoking in the room previously. It is not a pleasant smell and not something we want to pay for.

Breakfast was a typical fare for Hampton. There are lots to choose from and you certainly will not go hungry. They also put out hot chocolate chip cookies in the evening.

We are not sure that we would stay here another time, looking for something a little more interesting including a Texas roadhouse or Loan Star to be close by. These are two of our favorite restaurants to stop at when we are traveling. Cold beer, a great steak! What more can you ask for!

For more about hotel services and hotels we have stayed at, click here.

We have just come back from Logan’s Roadhouse Restaurant, in Cookeville Tennessee. This is the second time we have been to a Logan’s roadhouse and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Large 20 ounce draft beer for three dollars, a combination meal of ribs and steak along with baked potato and Caesar salad for $19 large enough for two people to share it easily and great entertainment. It is Sunday night and all the screens are showing the NFL football games. Apparently Payton Manning just beat Tom Brady!

Logan’s Roadhouse Restaurant – Meeting People

There are always lots of characters at any of the roadhouses that we have been to. In this case the person sitting at the bar is a woman, probably in her 70s wearing cowboy boots and a Texas style hat. She’s enjoying herself, having a drink, and a meal and quite comfortable sitting at the bar. By the way she enjoys football because she’s pretty intent on watching the game. The bartenders are very friendly, and helpful when they have the time. That is the one thing about these bars is that they are usually pretty busy with lots of people. They are a popular place to go regardless of what city we seem to be in. Our perfect combination is a Hampton Inn and a roadhouse next door preferably a Texas Roadhouse or a Logans Roadhouse.

We spoke to the manager of this particular restaurant who wanted to know where we were from and what we were doing passing through. We had a long conversation and enjoyed talking with her. She actually has relatives in Quebec. After our meal was finished she gave us a desert on the house. No calories but fabulous, lol.

This was graham cracker base with a light creamy pudding with whip cream on the top covered in Carmel sauce. If you ever have a chance to try Logan’s roadhouse, anywhere in the states don’t miss the opportunity it’s a great place to spend an evening. A great way to end our evening.

Tomorrow we are on our way to Memphis Tennessee and then on to Tunica Mississippi.

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We recently stayed at a Hampton inn Cortland New York. This was a stopover point on our trip south to Biloxi Mississippi. It was late at night and we just needed a room for the night.

This particular Hampton Inn cost us a hundred and seven dollars, with all of the discounts for senior and AAA rates. We found it to be a bit on the high side given that this was an older Hampton Inn and starting to look a bit tired. It is right off the highway and convenient to get to, which is what attracted us in the first place, plus Hampton Inn’s have a good reputation. However this one just did not measure up and we definitely would not stay there again. There are lots of hotels to chose from in the same price range so it is better to look for a better one.

Hampton Inn Cortland New York – Breakfast

They offered the standard breakfast which consists of scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, toasted bagels, cereals, yogurt, coffee and juice along with pancakes. Nothing at all wrong with this picture.

In terms of places to go close by that you can walk there is not a lot. There are a couple of fast food, food places close by and a steakhouse at the Ramada Inn which included a bar. We went to the bar and had a few drinks along with some appetizers.

This is probably not a place that we would stop at again. Although everything was fine, it was not memorable.

For more about hotel services and hotels we have stayed at, click here.

It is hard to believe that Chris Christie would make such a stupid mistake and go along with obstructing bridge traffic! It is just as hard to believe that his staff would initiate such a thing without his knowledge! However it did happen and this situation needs to be investigated. Either way it probably spells the end of any potential run he might have been thinking about in terms of running for president. He is running for president, however he is not doing as well as might be expected for another reason. Donald Trump appears to be running away with the nomination,. Although there is a lot of time yet to go before his position is finalized as the republican nominee.

Chris Christie – Looks Bad

However it looks bad for him either way. He either knew about it which is pretty negative for him or he did not know which also means he cannot control his staff. Bad management skills no matter how you look at it. Bad political skills as well, which clearly takes him out of the running for president.

Who is behind this and who brought it to the attention of media? His enemies of course! The Clinton’s will be involved, but you will never prove it. His republican enemies who also want to run etc.

We think he is finished as far as running for a national ticket! He will weather the charges since we are sure nothing can be provided, however in the minds of Americans, there will also be some doubt. These people will not vote for him and his enemies will continue to use this issue against him to make sure he never even decides to runs for president. Comments?

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We just read an article about tipping, which suggested that just about anyone who provides a service to you should be tipped. This is part of our research about, ” Do Americans tip enough?”. This includes the taxi driver, the person who delivers furniture to your home. Also the person who cuts your grass, the restaurant waitress, the bartender and on and on and on. There have been some acceptable norms in terms of tipping and most people will tip 15% for average service.

But it does not include everyone that provide services to the average consumer. For most people they will tip the waiter or the waitress, the bartender. People who generally provide service in the tourism industry.

Do Americans tip enough?

But recently barristers at coffee shops have tip jars out. Just about anyone who is providing service who didn’t traditionally collect a tip is now suggesting that they should be tipped for the job that they’re doing.

We strongly believe that people who are being paid for the job and doing a job and don’t do anything out of the ordinary in terms of providing service to you should not receive the tip.

For example the taxi driver who does not get out of his car to open the car door for you. Or help get your bags out of the trunk  does not deserve a tip. The coffee shop person who fills your coffee, makes change and get you your cup should not get a tip for just doing their job. Many people will disagree with us, but that is our thoughts on the question, “do Americans tip enough?”.

If any of these people do something special then obviously you should consider tipping. But this new trend of tipping everybody even if they don’t do anything special for you is just another way for people to get ripped off. They pay extra for the services that they should be getting free.

Examples

An example is worth talking about. We think it will illustrative of the kind of location and time that should be considered for tipping. A hotel that we go to quite often, approximately every two weeks provides coffee and drink service.

The waitress only sees us every two weeks among thousands of people that she provides coffee service and drink service for. Yet she remembers our faces. How we like our coffee including how much cream and sugar we take in our coffee without us having to tell her. When we order coffee it is delivered promptly and with a smile. A small conversation inquiring how we are with the coffee exactly how we like it. Consequently this is an example of great service and well worth the tips that we provide to her.

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Can you imagine that you are just about to unveil your latest designs at the Detroit auto show. Then the Feds announce that there is a recall associated with your flagship car! This Tesla recall came at the wrong time.

Yep that is what happened to Tesla today at the Detroit Auto Show. Above all poor timing and poor management by the marketing team regarding release of information. In addition someone in the Government is playing politics when they release information about a recall timed to coincide with the companies newest releases. Do it before or do it after. But not during the auto show. Sounds like someone is involved with the competitors of the Tesla Model S!

Tesla Recall Model S

Someone is playing with words. Here is the gist of the Government announcement, “federal safety regulators classified as a recall Tesla’s move to provide upgraded wall adapters and charging software for up to 29,222 owners of 2013 Model S vehicles, citing the risk of fire.”

That’s right Tesla had already announced an upgrade to the charging system in terms of hardware and software to deal with a potential over heating situation for their charging systems.

All of this taking place at the auto show where Tesla announced that they expect to double their foot print in 2014 and sales are booming. We are sure that more information will be coming out on this issue.

For more posts about electric cars, click here.

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Weekly exercise results as recorded by the jawbone wristband. The Jawbone wrist band can be tailored to the size of your wrist to ensure that it accurately records both your sleep patterns as well as the total number of steps that you take each day. Use the web sites wrist band sizing guideline to help you order the correct size of the wrist band.  You will need a small tape measure to measure your wrist. Compare the measurement to the table and select the proper wrist band. The newer models also have Bluetooth capability so just hold your iPhone close to the wrist band and it will auto connect and update the app with your latest results. You can also use the app to tell your wrist band that you are going to sleep for the night or just push the button on the end as usual.

Jawbone Results

Each week your account will send an email with your results as shown below. this can be useful to keep track and to take stock of how you are doing. Users should use these results as a guideline and a trigger to improve or increase your activity level to help meet objectives in losing weight or improving overall fitness.

The app on your smartphone can also be used to compare results and trends for the amount of sleep you get each night as well as the amount of exercise you also obtain. Set the objective of adding more steps each day to gradually increase your activity level and meet the 10,000 step goal.
Weekly Summary Jan 6 – Jan 12
Last sync: Jan 12, 6:56 pm
You’re getting UP there, Paul.
See how your daily sleep and step averages compare to the week of December 30.
– 10 m /night
+ 1,019 steps/day

You got the most sleep
Friday 7 h 54 m

This week’s average sleep 7 h 5 m

You hit your goal 0 times

Average bedtime 11:36 pm
Uninterrupted Sleep 5 nights
Average wake time 6:45 am

A good night’s sleep is like bad mood insurance…
Everyone gets a little down now and then. A good night’s sleep works wonders for your attitude and helps you snap back into a positive frame of mind.

Your best day of steps-Wednesday 5,267 steps
This week’s average steps 4,043 steps/day
You hit your goal 0 times

Idle watch
You were most idle at 9 am – 10 am

Total distance 12.8 miles

For information exercise issues and more, click here.

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Why is it that tractor-trailers pulling huge loads never slow down regardless of what the road conditions are? Trucks never slow down regardless of the conditions. We just came back from traveling between Ottawa and Montreal. It was a very rainy day with lots of spray and poor visibility. We were passed by several trucks all going over the speed limit without any regard to traffic around them.

It is almost as if they are trying to push you out of the way. The spray from their tires can almost blind you in terms of being able to see the road. All of the rest of the traffic was traveling at approximately 90 to 100 kilometers an hour however the tractor-trailers have to go at least 105 110 kilometers per hour. That means they pretty much pass everything in front of them.

Trucks never slow down – Driving too Close

We saw a couple of cars almost lose it because of the spray from the tractor trailer tires and the slush on the road. These people had to be pretty scared. The other thing we notice is that many drivers of trucks as well as cars tend to drive too close to the next person. They have no time at all to react to any kind of situation and break to avoid chain reaction accident.

Even if you allow space, adequate space between you and Tthe next car, they will always try to pass you and move in front. We try to drive defensively at all times. Avoid being involved in a chain reaction accident. However on many roads especially in bad conditions no one slows down and is pretty hard to avoid being involved in a chain reaction accident. Better off to stay home and wait for conditions to improve.

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