West Yellowstone, Montana
During the winter months West Yellowstone is covered with a thick blanket of snow. The streets of West Yellowstone are covered and most of the motorized transportation is snowmobiles. But that’s not a reason to stay away from West Yellowstone and Yellowstone National Park. There are many motels and hotels open for business. Contact Besthotelsnow.com for reservations. Life goes on in West Yellowstone in spite of the cold and snow. To the residents here it’s just another season to welcome and enjoy. It’s quieter, the snow muffles the sounds. It seems even more peaceful than in summer or fall.

Rent a snowmobile, eat a hearty breakfast and visit Yellowstone National Park; our first national park and one of the most visited in the world.
It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve visited Yellowstone during the other seasons visiting in the winter gives you a different perspective. You will see bison digging through thick snow to find a few blades of grass to sustain them until spring brings a time of bounty. Or you may possibly see a gigantic moose looking for tender morsels so their energy will not wane. The only animals that hibernate here are the bears. There are still many species of animal and birds to see as you glide along on top of the snow.

Maybe after a day or two of riding a snowmobile your back needs a rest. Pull out your cross country skis and enjoy the quiet wilderness as the only noise will be your breath as you place one ski in front of the other. Yes it is great exercise.

West Yellowstone is a great base to enjoy the geysers and mud pots and other thermal features of what is actually a dormant volcano. Don’t dwell on that fact, but scientists believe that someday, they have no timetable, Yellowstone will once again erupt. Visit Old Faithful, it erupts in the winter as regularly as the rest of the year. Enjoy lunch in the Old Faithful Lodge, or just enjoy the warmth of a roaring fire in the fireplace of the giant lobby. All of Montana from the plains to the mountains are beautiful and offer something different that everyone will appreciate.

Back in West Yellowstone there are many restaurants, small shops where you may find that long wanted gift for you or some favorite person.

West Yellowstone is delightful any time of year you visit but everyone should give themselves a trip in the winter so they have another season to compare to.

Seattle Washington
What pops in your mind when you think of Seattle Washington? Starbucks coffee, Bill Gates and Microsoft, or do you think of the space needle and Puget Sound.

Microsoft is actually located in Redmond Washington, part of the greater Seattle area and one of the largest employers in the area. It seems that everyone in the world is touched daily by Microsoft products. This is being written on Microsoft Word.

Seattle is home to many of the worlds’ leading companies and a center of commerce for not only the great Northwest but all of the United States. Until recently Seattle was the home office for Boeing the giant aircraft manufacturer, and Boeing still has a large manufacturing facility located here. Seattle is a major port for container ships. The port is also host to many cruise ships bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Seattle area each year.

Seattle is referred to as the gateway to Alaska. Four different cruise lines depart from Seattle for some of their Alaskan cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Holland American Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Princess Cruises all use Seattle as their departure point for some of their Alaskan cruises. Alaska cruises become more popular every year with baby boomers retiring and having the time and resources to enjoy visiting destinations they’ve dreamed about seeing for years.

There are many attractions to visit while in Seattle and the surrounding area. The space needle which was built for the 1962 World’s Fair is a major landmark not only for Seattle but the United States. The space needle is the equivalent height of a sixty story building with an observation deck located at five hundred twenty feet and the Sky City Restaurant located at five hundred feet. Not only can you view downtown Seattle you can also see the Olympic and Cascade Mountains along with Mt.Ranier and Mt. Baker. Don’t worry you won’t have to climb stairs to attain these dizzying heights, there are elevators that will whisk you to the top of the space needle in only forty three seconds.

Seattle is a great city to live in or visit with the well educated population having mostly high paying jobs. The residents can support great restaurants and entertainment venues which is a plus for Seattle visitors. Contact Besthotelsnow.com for hotel, motel, and rental car needs for your visit to beautiful Seattle Washington.

Washington DC
The D.C. stands for District of Columbia. Washington D.C.is the capitol of the United States of America. Washington is sandwiched between Maryland and Virginia.

Not only are the presidential home commonly known as the White house and the Capitol building which houses the United States Congress located in Washington D.C .our military brain trust is housed in the Pentagon which is in Arlington County Virginia on the outskirts of Washington.The Pentagon is named for the shape of the building. All branches of service are represented here. The Pentagon was one of the terrorist targets during the infamous attacks of September 11, 2001.The terrorists crashed a passenger jet into the building killing hundreds on the ground and in the plane.

Washington is a great place to vacation; many famous landmarks are located here. The Smithsonian Institution which houses untold exhibits showcasing the history of the United States and beyond. The Lincoln Memorial which is one of the more famous memorials in the city is in tribute to Abraham Lincoln. Our sixteenth president had the unpleasant task of leading our nation through the American Civil War. The Vietnam memorial which is a stark black granite wall with the names of the fifty plus thousand who died in Vietnam are memorialized here in Washington. Each Memorial Day an ever growing number of motorcycle riders, a large number who served in Vietnam, visit each year to pay their respects to their fallen brothers. There are many other memorials in Washington to visit so plan enough time to visit them all. The people who are honored on these memorials gave their lives so we would have the opportunity to live free and abundant lives in the United States.

Today, January 20, 2009 at twelve noon, Washington D.C. is the site of the inauguration of Barack Obama as the forty fourth president of the United States. He was the junior senator from Illinois until his election in November 2007. He succeeds GeorgeW.Bush who will return to Texas to begin his life as a private citizen after eight years as president of the United States and before that as the governor of Texas.

Washington D.C. and the surrounding are have an abundance of lodging; hotels, motels, B&B’s along with many fine restaurants and if you have the energy nighttime entertainment. One of these is the Georgetown area home of Georgetown University. Georgetown University is a perennial basketball power. Coach Thompson fields a winning team every year to follow in the steps of his famous father who won many championships while coaching at Georgetown.

Rapid City South Dakota
Rapid City South Dakota is an outdoor lover’s paradise no matter what season you visit. This area is drop dead gorgeous and different from anything in the Eastern United States.
Book one of the numerous hotel rooms in Rapid City and begin your day trips exploring the beautiful and daunting Black Hills.

What better way to spend a day or a month horse back riding or hiking through unspoiled beauty photographing wildlife such as Buffalo, magnificent Elk, Antelope, Big Horn Sheep, or perhaps a bald eagle as our National bird soars overhead on thermals showing little apparent effort to stay airborne. What a great symbol of our freedom.

Spend a day rock climbing in the Black Hills considered some of the best in the world. Climbers say the climbs are mostly short but very difficult. The most famous of these is Devils Tower known far and wide as a must do for experienced climbers.

With fourteen man made lakes that in beauty match some of God’s nicest work you can enjoy a long day skiing, sailing, paddle boating, wind surfing, swimming, and diving. For the trout fishermen there are miles and miles of streams that will take your breath at the beauty you have discovered her in South Dakota. Life will get even better when your line is tight with a fat rainbow or brown trout fighting to escape. Life is good!

Maybe you would enjoy a day or two exploring ghost towns and imagining walking into a salon for a sip of something cold and listening to the piano music playing and card games with rough looking characters eyeing you.
Spend enjoyable time visiting abandoned gold mines, old homesteads or perhaps climb a fire tower for an unobstructed view of the surrounding countryside. Here you can see for miles.

South Dakota  is a great area for a family vacation, come soon and let those memories start.

Pigeon Forge Tenn.
Here in the Great Smoky Mountains a theme park is not what one expects to find but that is exactly where you are going to find the Dollywood theme park and the Dollywood Splash Country water park. Drawing visitors from around the world this is one of the south’s most popular summer destinations.

Dollywood is the brainchild of award winning author, actor, singer, and all around great person Dolly Parton.
Dolly was born and raised in this area and she has deep family ties here that made her want to give something back to the community and to her family and from that sprung Dollywood.

Dollywood is a family destination where you can possibly catch the great performer here but more than likely will have to settle for lesser known stars who none the less will entertain you with shows and productions you will enjoy tremendously. Dollywood also offers a look into the mountain lifestyle with folks demonstrating skills that were necessary to survive in bygone years here in the Smokies
With thrill rides and all sorts of entertainment and different activities the whole family will enjoy Dollywood as millions will testify.

Dollywood is located between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg where you will find an abundance of restaurants, entertainment and lodging to fit any budget. Make plans to visit this summer and start building those memories.

Hilton Resort Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

For those who enjoy a beach to stroll, run or walk your dog this stretch of beach is ideal, no traffic allowed so you can daydream as you look for shells or whatever and if you are
inclined to rise early you will find miles of beach that is mostly deserted, all for your selfish enjoyment.

The Hilton Resort is beachside with over three hundred fifty ocean view rooms, some with balconies that are very conducive to unwinding and ridding yourself of that everyday stress. The pool area is delightful complete with bar where you can have a refreshing drink to ward off the heat that feels so good after a long cold winter.

The Hilton Resort also has a small fitness center, mainly cardio equipment, but there is a shuttle to the Embassy Suites Hotel where you will find a complete fitness center for your enjoyment. The Hilton Resort has everything you need for an extended stay even if you don’t plan to leave the property, a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, Starbucks Coffee shop for those who have to have their caffeine, snack bars, and shops, and a business center for those who must check in occasionally.

Within an easy golf cart ride of the Hilton Resort you can enjoy a round of golf on the Arcadian Shores Golf Course which is a beautiful and challenging course that will give you one more reason to be glad you chose the Hilton Resort for your vacation. For those into tennis there are courts for your enjoyment.

The Hilton Resort Myrtle Beach is located a few miles north of  the city but is close enough to varied dining, shopping, and entertainment so that you feel lucky to have chosen the Hilton for your long needed vacation.

If someone in your party loves to shop there are a wide variety of stores including outlet stores, Bass Pro Shop, and most any other name you desire?

Dining is so plentiful you will find new spots every day with menus so varied everyone will find something to please their taste buds. Be sure to sample some of the low country seafood while visiting, Myrtle Beach and the surrounding area has a wide variety of seafood restaurants to sample from and none of them will disappoint you.

Big Changes In Tampa
Friday afternoon the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that head coach John Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen were terminated.

You can’t lose the last four games of the season and miss the playoffs in Tampa. That’s the cold hard reality of professional football. The Glazer family takes too much pride in their team to let that continue. They’ve brought in too many big time players who don’t seem to get it done down the stretch.

Now the number one question in Tampa is who the new coach will be. Tony Dungy just left the Indianapolis Colts, saying he had had enough of professional football and it was time for new endeavors. But some fans are clamoring for the Glazers to bring him back to Tampa where he was admired by the team and the community. John Gruden never seemed to reach that same plateau.

A large number of professional football coaches have been replaced this year. It is a game where you have to win and win now. There’s not much of that wait until next year.

Mike Shanahan recently fired from the Denver Broncos would be a good choice. He has proven that he can win at all levels of the game. As an assistant at the University of Florida in Gainesville he was a winner and as the Broncos head man he won everything including the Super Bowl. He just didn’t win this year and that cost him his job.

Whoever the Bucs bring into Tampa as the new coach, he has a daunting job ahead of him to make the Bucs a title contender every year. Monte Kiffin the longtime defensive coordinator recently left the team for the opportunity to coach with his son at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. His departure left a gaping hole in the coaching staff; success in the NFL is built on defense. A good many of the Bucs players are past their prime and need to be replaced by young blood, perhaps more than the head coach.

We wish John Gruden all the luck in the world as he moves on to greener pastures.

Concord North Carolina, home to Lowe’s Motor Speedway known for years as Charlotte Motor speedway one of the premier tracks on the NASCAR circuit attracts fans here from all over the world to enjoy door to door stock car racing. This area of our beautiful country is where stock car racing was born and has flourished during the past decade. With most of the race teams making their headquarters here in the area racing is a huge portion of the local economy. With a population around sixty thousand it can be safely said there are more folks at Lowe’s motor Speedway than in Concord proper. Not only does the race track host some of the biggest events in racing including the longest race on the circuit the World 600 and the all Star event that is a past winners event that is run strictly for the glory and the money there are some other great events staged here each year.

October 26th through the 28th the Good Guys southeastern nationals will be held at Lowe’s, hosting more than three thousand cars including street rods, customs, and muscle cars along with a huge swap meet, car corral where neat cars are sold and an auction. To view some of the neatest rides on the planet make it point to put the date on your calendar and spend three days eyeballing some of the nicest cars you’ll ever have the privilege to see. Concord has lots of hotel and motel rooms in the area and restaurants are plentiful.

You may get lucky and find lots of color left in the local forests where you can enjoy a ride through the country and the weather is normally delightful this time of year.

Concord also is home to North Carolina’s largest tourist attraction Concord Mills Mall so if your significant other isn’t into cars let her shop till she drops while you visit some of the race shops such as Hendrick Motor sports home of NASCAR champions Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson the 2006 champion along with Casey Mears who moved over from the Ganassi organization for the 2007 season. Roush Racing is also headquartered in Concord with 2007 drivers Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards and many new faces driving for the truck and Busch teams. Longtime Roush driver Mark Martin has left Roush to pursue a shorter schedule with another organization so there will be a fresh face in the 6 car for the first time in many years.

Concord is a great destination for the car enthusiast and race fan with lots of things to see and activities galore that will make the entire family happy.

Gainesville Florida

Yesterday, January 15 2009 was one of those days. Good news, bad news kind of day. As a Florida Gator fan the bad news was that star receiver/ running back Percy Harvin decided to skip his senior season at the University of Florida in Gainesville. The good news was that middle linebacker Brandon Spikes would return for his senior season.

Percy Harvin is one of the most electrifying players to ever step on a football field. His speed and moves to get free of defenders is beautiful to watch. His concentration on catching a football is another of his strong points. His ability to take on tacklers and run them over is another of his great strengths. His power running after a catch amazes all football fans. When Percy catches the ball or takes a handoff from the quarterback you just know that something good is going to happen. He leaves the University of Florida wonderful memories of his exploits on the field. We wish him only the best as he moves on to the next phase of his life. May he be more successful running and catching the ball on Sundays as he was as a Florida Gator.

Brandon Spikes decided to return for his senior season. With the return of the leader of the Gator defense the 2009 Gators will be stronger than the 2008 defense. Brandon Spikes proved every week that he was a top notch player, and the leader of the defense, stopping ball carriers and intercepting passes against some of the great teams of the SEC. The most memorable and game changing play was his hit on the Georgia running back for a loss after he had run over the Gators at will in last years contest. The Gators went on to hold the vaunted Georgia running back to less than a hundred yards. We look forward to another year of the crushing tackles and fiery leadership Brandon brings to the Gators.

With Tim Tebow on offense and Brandon Spikes on defense we have our most vocal leaders returning to the Gators for their senior season. Their enthusiasm and great play motivates everyone on the team to become better players. We’re looking forward to opening day 2009 in Gainesville; perhaps another championship year.

Orlando Florida
Orlando is the center of the state of Florida. It is one of the fastest growing cities in the state. That growth is easy to see as you travel around the Orlando area. There are new housing developments and numerous new shopping opportunities being built everywhere there is a vacant parcel of property.

 Before Walt Disney World was built in the late 1960’s the Orlando economy was driven by agriculture, mainly citrus. Today the citrus business has moved further south, the Vero Beach area being a prime example of the migration southward. Between developers with large check books and some cold winters where the groves were frozen to the ground it became apparent that it wasn’t economically feasible to farm citrus in Orange County any longer.

Orlando boasts having the number one vacation destination in the world. Walt Disney World with its four theme parks, two water parks, and six championship golf courses is the most popular vacation destination for eight years running. Universal Orlando is another very popular vacation destination, ranking third in popularity. There are other attractions here such as Sea World, Wet N Wild, Gatorland, and many dinner shows.

A short drive from Orlando you will find Cape Canaveral; home to our nations’ space program. This is a very educational attraction where you can learn a great deal about space, rockets, and the history of the program. While in this area visit Cocoa Beach, one of the most beautiful and undiscovered beaches in Florida.
For those wishing to enjoy a cruise Port Canaveral is a centrally located port with easy access from Orlando. The port is home to Disney Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and some of the smaller cruise lines.

Another short drive from Orlando you might visit the worlds’ most famous beach, Daytona Beach. Daytona Beach is a wide white sand beach that is the birth place of speed. NASCAR was started here fifty plus years ago by the France family who have continued to build NASCAR racing into one of the most popular spectator sports there is. Daytona International Speedway is open for tours daily. You might also try visiting Daytona USA, a museum, interactive displays, and an IMAX movie about racing. Daytona USA is also located at the speedway.

Orlando has an international airport with acres of parking and thousands of rental cars for those that prefer to arrive by air. For those driving to the Orlando area there are several interstate highways that bring you to your destination.