Hi everyone,
I was thinking this week about posting something relating to success. I have been reading a lot about how to develop my site, my life, and everything else.

Traveling once a year and having to do it on a budget can stink sometimes. So, I guess I am going to do a series based on some things I have put together about
how we can do things like travel, spend more time with loved ones, etc... and better our lives overall.

There is only so much you can post in a week about travel news and any articles I find relevent go directly on our site.

So, I will hopefully post the first part tomorrow and see how it goes- don't worry I won't neglect what I started this blog for- travel and Florida, but want to expand out on some thoughts I've been having about how we all can travel more often and live fulfilling lives.

Til next time,

Joe

Hello Florida travelers and beach bums!

I found a nice little article relating to travel and frequent flier miles.
Not a bad little read.

School has been ok so far and can't wait to travel again. The Mrs. is now 3 months along and been sicker than a dog.

Looking for more ways to better the site. I am contemplating a few things while I test out Yahoo YPN and put up some picks.

Anyhow, here is the article...

South Florida Business Travel by Mike Seemuth


Make the most of your frequent-flier miles


Treat frequent-flier miles from bankrupt airlines more like cash than savings. Make them go as far as possible now rather than accumulating them indefinitely.

Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines are the latest troubled carriers to enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy with a promise to honor the frequent-flier miles they have issued -- though they could be relieved of their obligation to honor miles and other liabilities under bankruptcy court supervision.

Short of declaring its frequent-flier miles worthless, a bankrupt airline also could devalue its miles by restricting redemption opportunities through stingier rules or reduced flight schedules.

So a customer with fewer than 25,000 frequent-flier miles from Delta, say, should consider redeeming them to upgrade a purchased ticket to a higher class of service instead of saving miles to reach the 25,000 minimum required for a free ticket.

Remember that redeeming miles for a ''free'' ticket can entail out-of-pocket expenses, including the government-imposed September 11 Security Fee of $10 per passenger. Airline fees also may apply. Delta, for example, will charge a customer $50 for using Delta SkyMiles to acquire a seat on a flight 14 days or fewer in advance of the departure date. (There is no charge 15 days or more in advance.) Other airlines with frequent-flier programs also charge various award-travel fees.

Spending miles for upgrades today rather than saving them for free tickets tomorrow not only minimizes exposure to a future devaluation but miles also may go further when redeemed for an upgrade. Airlines assign varying values to their frequent-flier miles depending on what they are redeemed for, starting at about a penny per mile.

To compare how far your miles would go when spent on a free ticket or an upgrade (or anything else miles can buy), divide the dollar value of the two by their prices in miles.

For example, Northwest recently offered round-trip flights from Miami to Detroit for $360 in coach class and $840 in business class. Redeeming 25,000 miles for a coach seat on that flight would be worth 1.4 cents a mile ($360 divided by 25,000). Redeeming 5,000 miles for a one-way upgrade to business class would equate to an exchange rate of 4.8 cents a mile (the $480 price difference between the two classes divided by 5,000).

Getting upgrades also may be preferable to redeeming miles for membership in an airport lounge club. Membership in one, Delta's Crown Room Club, is available to members of Delta's SkyMiles program at exchange rates of less than a penny per mile.

Trading and transferring miles are alternatives, too, but neither is free. Transaction fees usually apply when miles issued by one airline are traded for those of another airline, through an exchange such as website Points.com, or when miles are transferred from one account to another within the same frequent-flier program.

Til next time

Joe

Here is a news story that may deter or alter your travel plans for fall.
Remember to budget appropriately and plan well...


Gas, hurricanes and plane ticket prices affecting fall travel plans
By Aisha I. Jefferson



When it comes to choosing vacation destinations this fall, the hurricane season, rising gas prices and airline ticket prices will play a bigger role than people want in where they will travel, according to travel experts.

Travel expert Edward Hasbrouck, author of "The Practical Nomad" travel book series, said people can expect greater increases in air fares and in hotel prices in the coming months in this country than elsewhere in the world. Hasbrouck cites Hurricane Katrina evacuees, along with potential Rita evacuees, being displaced in hotels across the country who could cause prices to increase because room availability may be low.


Hasbrouck also predicts Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines filing bankruptcy on Sept. 14 will shake things up some.

"The direct effect of the bankruptcy for both the airlines in bankruptcy and other airlines is likely to be higher fares," Hasbrouck said.

Travel expert Candyce H. Stapen, on the other hand, said it is hard to judge whether Delta's bankruptcy will affect ticket prices, but said buyers should beware.

"I would be cautious about booking a flight on Delta right now because nobody's going to know if they're going to be running or not," said Stapen, who specializes in family travel and has authored 26 books, including "National Geographic Guide to Family Adventure Vacations: Wildlife Encounters, Cultural Explorations and Learning Escapes in the U.S. and Canada."



But the threat of high airfare prices is not keeping Clayton and Henry county residents home this fall.

Assistant manager Joyce Thompson with AAA Travel Agency in Morrow, said many Clayton County vacationers travel to the Smokey Mountains, or to the New England states to watch the leaves change colors. Thompson said Walt Disney World in Orlando is another popular spot for families desiring to vacation this fall season.

Stapen, agreed with Thompson, saying normally in the fall, people have a love affair with their cars and want to look at foliage. Some travelers will choose to drive rather than fly because it is less expensive, but rising gas prices have dampened some driving plans, Stapen said.

That is why Stapen suggests that families wanting to travel should consider staying in-state. She suggests they visit state parks and living history museums, such as The Port Columbus Civil War Naval Center or Historical Westville in Lumpkin, Ga.

Travel consultant Sha Hetzler with Lighthouse Travel in McDonough pointed to Savannah, the Forest Hills cabin resort outside Dahlonega and the north Georgia mountains as close destinations that Henry County residents are traveling to.

Hetzler said many people like to go to the northern part of the state to view the leaves changing colors. She said her agency considers driving four to eight hours to be within driving distance, with many people departing for Port Canaveral in Florida or the port in Mobile, Ala.

Stapen said the Internet is a good source for searching for great deals, and said Orbitz.com is a site that should be considered.

Travel experts said choosing the best time to travel all depends on where vacationers are headed.

Early October is good for those who are not concerned with gas prices, and desire to drive to the Northeast to look at foliage, Stapen said.

But if you are looking for a good deal to the Northeast, and don't mind that trees are bare, Stapen said early November, before Thanksgiving, is good because the ski season has not started yet, and hotels, even good ones, may be in a slump.

Stapen said traveling to Disney World in the fall is recommended because theme parks generally are less crowded during this time than in spring.

"You'll be less stressed with your kids. Just pick a hotel that has an indoor pool," Stapen said.

Although Disney World is a hot spot, Stapen said travelers should be leery about traveling to southern Florida until the hurricane season is over. Stapen said travel to the Gulf Coast region should be avoided as well. The hurricane season typically lasts from June 1 to Nov. 30.

While McDonough resident Lee Wheeler hopes her husband gives her the OK to book their vacation for them to Cancun, Mexico next month, she isn't worried too much about traveling to that region during hurricane season.

"I will not travel if it's bad (weather)," Wheeler said, adding that she will purchase travel insurance that will allow her to cancel her plans for any reason prior to departure.

Hope this helps

Joe

Hello everyone and good Saturday.

Say your prayers for those on the Gulf Coast again. Man, this sucks.

Now that we are all settled into fall and getting ready for things like Halloween- I am going as Roy E Munson this year from the movie Kingpin- he's a legend!! It is time to start thinking of holiday travel.

We have stopped adding pages at this time on Discount Florida Vacations! and are focusing on providing you the best sources to book your trip and get deals. Not to mention, you can do any shopping for beach and travel necessities from some of our trusted sources that we use and highly recommend- many are companies you know, but maybe didn't know that you could get quality stuff there?

Any feedback would be great! We have been getting a few responses of how to better our site and many of you have provided positive feedback and told us you enjoy our site and find it helpful- Thank You Very Much!!

If you are traveling now, just be wary of the weather as hurricane season starts to wind down- slowly, and don't forget to visit us at Discount Florida Vacations! to plan your trip or just have fun before you go- work days are long and we try to help you put yourself in Florida before you go to Florida!

Til Next time everyone have a great weekend

Joe

Hi everybody,

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who visits our site and
reads our info.

We are working our hardest to provide fun and excitement about Florida and
travel, while giving you tips and ideas to vacationing.

We have just received a jump in our traffic ranking by one of the Web's traffic analysis sites. We are now in the top 1% of all sites on the web and still growing.

Thanks again and soon we should have some more news and updates.

For now be aware of the storms and travel issues!!!

Joe

Hello to all!

Hope everyone had a good weekend- Ours was good- finishing up cookouts and getting ready for the fall.

I actually watched an entire football game on sat- notre dame and msu! it was a good one and had some beers!!

I know you are supposed to write on these things more often than I do but that is almost impossible with my schedule right now!

New news includes, another storm hitting the keys- God forbid it turns north again towards the gulf coast. Be aware of what Rita is doing if you are heading to Florida this week!

We are looking for another partner to work with- another travel site possibly. I would like to compare the site we partnered with to others.
If anyone has a recommendation on a site they like, let us know by posting a comment.

We have been working with Yahoo's new publisher network- It has been impressive so far and I am very excited about it coming out of Beta.

Other than that stay tuned for fall travel news and updates. We are always looking for good info and stories relating to Florida travel!
Hopefully, once the school schedule simmers, I will be able to get more on our blog.

Let us know what we can do better at our site.
Discount Florida Vacations- We have over 70 pages of content and working on getting more pics up.
We are wanting to make it better and needing stories and feedback. We believe that our site will help those looking to visit Florida from two beach lovers.

Again, if you have a certain online travel site you like, let us know and why!

Til next time

Joe

Hello Florida travelers! Just wanted to post some news for the fabulous travel season.

Looks like the Hurricane moved north (which I'm sure you've seen), but be aware
of high surf and rough currents on the Atlantic Coast.

We also found info regarding the Red Tide in the Gulf. This is why my pregnant wife stayed out of the ocean when we were in Sarasota. It did cause some itchiness to the eyes and coughing- we weren't aware it was there and wasn't as bad said officials.

However, here is a story to keep you informed none-the-less.


NAPLES, Fla. Sep 13, 2005 — A tenacious red tide bloom that has lingered in the Gulf of Mexico off Tampa Bay all year now is being blamed for recent fish kills 100 miles off southwest Florida, state biologists said.

Tests of samples taken Monday confirmed the presence of the toxic algae that can be deadly to fish, said Jeremy Lake, spokesman for the Florida Marine Research Institute in St. Petersburg.

Strong westerly breezes are aggravating the problem by washing the dead fish ashore and causing some respiratory problems for people, he said.

"The red tide is there, but in low concentrations," Lake said.

Crews in both counties have been cleaning up hundreds of dead fish every day from the beaches since last week, officials said. In some places, fish were washing up as fast as workers could remove them.

The massive red tide bloom that has plagued coastal waters this year from Honeymoon Island north of Clearwater to south of Sarasota has been extra toxic and deadly to sea life, scientists say, the worst in more than 30 years.

Fish, sand dollars, sponges, crabs, coral and other undersea life suffocated as the red tide this strain is called Karenia brevis choked off the oxygen in the water. Bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, manatees and birds that swim through it, inhale the nerve-impairing toxins in the surf spray or eat contaminated fish also have perished.

Divers and fishermen have reported a 2,000-square-mile "dead zone" void of undersea life off Pinellas County, where the worst of the red tide is concentrated.


Remember, we aren't an official news source. Just want to provide relevent articles and information regarding Florida travel. There is always news and updates everyday regarding Florida. We just try to look for news about travel and vacationing.

If you have anything please post a comment here about news.

Also, gas prices are still out of hand, so plan that in your budgets when traveling. Be safe, have fun, and come back with stories for us!!

Til next time

Joe

Come visit Florida with us!

Hello,

Just wanted to let everyone know that our Sarasota trip is
live on the site with a page dedicated to our day boating-
man was that fun!!

Fall is here and I am excited about the holidays, finishing school,
and getting this website bigger and better for my visitors.

Pics of the trip will be going up this next few weeks- spent an hour
at the photo store waiting for them to download.

No new news today but will keep you posted- school is keeping me quite
busy.

10 weeks and counting- Angie (my wife of course) is pregnant and things
are looking good so far!! I can't believe I am going to be a Dad.

Already planning our next trip to Florida after tax season and graduation
from college with my parents. Don't know where yet, but it looks
like we'll have a little one with us- also going to fly this time-
I hate that drive!!

til next time- sorry so short- will update more and find some
recent news shortly

Joe

Hi everybody.
I hope this blog finds you well. School has started back up.
We are praying for those in the south wishing we could do more or give more.
Back to work and summer is over. I love fall but hate the winter! Oh well,
just time to visit our site and feel like you're in Florida anyhow.

However, I just found this news article about another storm coming.
Man, does Mother Nature and those up above hate that area?

For those of you heading to Florida, be careful, have a safe trip and come
back with some stories for us.

I am in the process of adding pictures and updating the site to include
our trip and so forth. We had perfect weather, wonderful views, relaxation,
quality time, and came back refreshed for the fall and end of 2005.

So, here is the story and we'll keep you updated with new stuff as it comes
and if you hear of something before we do, let us know!!

---

Ophelia stalls, may bulk up

Storm stationary off Cape; winds up to 60 mph

BY CHRIS KRIDLER, FLORIDA TODAY
and The Associated Press

Forecasters' cloudy crystal ball is giving few clues to where Tropical Storm Ophelia might meander in the next few days.

Wednesday, tropical storm warnings were discontinued south of Cocoa Beach, where surfers were enjoying big waves.

At 11 a.m. EDT today, Ophelia's top sustained winds were 60 mph - 20 mph stronger than 24 hours earlier.

The center of Ophelia was near latitude 28.6 north, longitude 79.6 west or about 60 miles east-northeast of Cape Canaveral.

Ophelia is stationary and little overall movement is expected today.

The National Hurricane Center said Ophelia could become a hurricane by the weekend. Forecasters suggested the storm could linger off the northern coast of Florida, as computer models’ tracks were widely contradictory.

Warm waters offered fuel to strengthen the storm, but shear was slowing its intensification, forecasters said.

"All interests in north Florida and southeastern Georgia should monitor the progress of this developing cyclone," Lixion Avila wrote in the hurricane center's forecast discussion.

"We have to wait and see what (Ophelia) is going to do. The possibilities are endless," said Steve Letro, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service Office in Jacksonville.

"This one is going to keep everybody on the edge of their seats for quite some time," Letro said.

Brevard County can expect more squalls of rain and waves
breaking 6 to 8 feet onshore, with offshore waves building to 10 to 15 feet over the next few days, said meteorologist Scott Spratt of the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

As long as the storm keeps moving away, flooding isn't much of a concern, he said, but beach erosion is.

"It looks like the worst erosion would be Cape Canaveral northward up through Volusia County," Spratt said.

The weather service called for a 60 percent chance of rain today in North Brevard County, with north winds of 20 mph to 25 mph and gusts to 40 mph in the afternoon. Stronger winds and more rain were possible Friday.

In South Brevard County, the rain chances were similar but decreasing slightly on Friday, with winds today and Friday of 15 mph to 20 mph from the northwest.

"Looks like over the next two days, we're just going to see a slow northward or northwestward motion, parallel to the coast," Spratt said. Beyond that, Ophelia's path is too uncertain for the Space Coast to relax its guard completely.

"When you've got something like that sitting over the warm, toasty water, you've got to be very, very careful," said John Madura, head of Kennedy Space Center's weather office.

Kennedy Space Center planned to remain in its lowest level of hurricane alert until the slow-moving storm passed, NASA spokesman George Diller said.

"It's going to be lulls punctuated by brief bursts of excitement," he said of the storm.

Well summer is just about over and I am back from
Sarasota and our vacation.

It was wonderful and I have tons of pics and new content
to add to the site in the next few weeks.

Pray for all those who got devastated by Katrina
and stay safe over the Labor Day weekend

Heck who can go anywhere with these dang gas prices?

The site will be updated over the coming weeks and although
fall is here, its never to early to start planning that next
Florida trip!!

Til then
Joe