Build a sandcastle today!

For those of us who live very far away from the ocean, I found a website where you can build virtual Sandcastles and send them as e-cards, or keep them for the wallpaper on your desktop. Upon opening the site, I hear the sounds of the beach, which is instantly relaxing. The rhythmic waves, the seagulls, the warm breeze... If I close my eyes, I can picture myself on a beautiful remote beach somewhere, lounging on a hammock with my big toe drawing in the warm sand. Aahhhhh.

The genius about the virtual sandcastle building site is that it is run by Beaches Family Resorts to get you thinking about summer, beaches, and of course, a vacation. I think this is a very effective tool to get people into the mood for planning a vacation and while they are on the website, they will be most likely to book through Beaches Resorts.

OK, I built my very own virtual castle. Here it is:



That was really fun! Now my daughter wants to visit the site and build one of her own too. This free tool is easy to use and today is the perfect day to build a sandcastle, since it is the first day of summer! Happy summer everyone. Have fun and be safe if you are traveling.

Shouldn't a vacation be relaxing?

One vacation option we've never tried is the "all-inclusive" experience. I always thought it would be way too expensive and that we could find better deals searching for hotels, food, and activities separately. But at Vacations.net, the leader in the all-inclusive experience, you can book a Great Beach Vacation with savings up to 50% off regular rates. They've just revamped their website with a customized booking engine and intuitive functionality. The site conveys a relaxed feeling with its color scheme, images, and soft edges. The navigation is easy and everything you need is right there on the front page - simply and without clutter.

Looking back on previous vacations, the most stressful thing is trying to figure out where to get a good meal for a decent price. We would sometimes spend hours walking around aimlessly searching for food. A lot of time is wasted this way. If the trip included all meals, drinks, and activities, you would never have to worry about what to do next or where to eat. More time would be spent where it should be - with your loved ones, having fun and relaxing.

Maybe this is why I always feel stressed out after a vacation instead of rested. Next time, we'll go "all-inclusive" and see what a difference it makes.

"Paradise is just a click away"

This is the slogan for Vacations.net and it sounds very appealing to me! Whether you are looking for an All Inclusive Resort In The Caribbean, Mexico, or the Dominican Republic, their all new website should be your first stop. There are striking images of all the different hotels and resorts to choose from, along with detailed information on customs, culture, history and activities in the areas you are interested in. The website is well organized for easy navigation, which is very important when you are planning a vacation.

The site has all the information you would ever need on every hotel, including photos, maps, features, room rates, and more. There are even traveler ratings so you can see how others felt about their stay. The best part is you can save up to 50% if you book your vacation through their website because they list all the latest all-inclusive deals and vacation packages.