Experience Ultimate Thanksgiving in Massachusetts

Looking for the ultimate Thanksgiving experience? Take a closer look at Massachusetts. Approximately halfway between Boston and the Cape Cod area, Plymouth, the site of the original Thanksgiving celebration, is an easy hour drive from your timeshare in either location.

If you want to immerse yourself in American history, stay at Marriott's Custom House timeshare in Boston (left). Dating from 1849, the Custom House wraps you in the grandeur of a by-gone era. An architectural gem and historic Boston landmark, the Custom House combines history with contemporary sophistication. Conveniently located in the heart of Boston on the harbor, the Custom House timeshare puts the delights of the city at your feet. Free valet parking and wireless internet add to the convenience of modern visitors.

You may prefer to get away from the city and head for the quiet and beauty of Cape Cod in the fall. The Cove at Yarmouth timeshare (below, right) provides a convenient central location from which to launch excursions. Spacious suite-style accommodations offer plenty of space and comfort for the whole family. You'll find lots to do at the resort too. Enjoy the beautiful indoor pool, soak in the sauna, exercise with a game of racquetball or indoor tennis. For information on more Cape Cod timeshares, click the post title.

From your Cape Cod timeshare you can roam deserted beaches, visit the cape's many picturesque lighthouses. Without the crowds around, I've had some pleasant chats and a nice cup of tea or two with lighthouse keepers on the cape. Many of the summer beach attractions and food stands will be closed, but you'll find wonderful restaurants and excellent seafood up and down the cape. And prices are cheaper and service even more attentive during the off season.

A visit to historic Plymouth makes a pleasant day trip from your timeshare in Boston or the Cape Cod area. In Plymouth, you can tread in the footsteps of the Pilgrims. The oldest street in North America, Leyden Street dates from their original settlement. To truly appreciate the bravery and perseverance of these early settlers, walk the decks of the Mayflower II (below, left) docked in downtown Plymouth harbor. An accurate recreation of the ship that brought 102 colonists to the shores of America in 1620, the ship is surprisingly small. In high seas and storms, the journey to America must have been a wild and terrifying ride.

Just 3 miles south of downtown Plymouth, at the site of the original colony, lies historic Plimoth Plantation, a can't-miss attraction. The fascinating living-history museum recreates an English settler colony circa 1627 and a Wampanoag Indian home site of the same era. In 1621, Plymouth settlers and Wampanoag Indians gathered for an impromptu, if uneasy, harvest celebration that became known as the first Thanksgiving. Costumed, role-playing actors dispense history and dispel myth as they show visitors what life was like for the hardy settlers who colonized America.

A visit to the plantation's craft center allows you to watch artisans demonstrating pottery-making and woodworking skills of the 17th century. Pieces made at the plantation make a nice souvenir of your visit. You'll want to drop by the visitor's center to take in the fascinating exhibit, Thanksgiving: Memory, Myth and Meaning, which explores the reality behind our first Thanksgiving stories. For the ultimate Thanksgiving experience, call ahead and reserve a spot at one of several traditional Thanksgiving dinners or buffets. The kids will especially like the eat like a Pilgrim dinner where you eat with your hands.

Plymoth Plantation is open from early spring through the weekend after Thanksgiving Day. Wood smoke mixing with the crisp autumn air makes November the perfect time of year to visit and get a true feeling for that early Thanksgiving celebration.

You'll find the town of Plymouth overflowing with historic sites and some very nice restaurants. Locals call the Colonial on Main Street which serves traditional American fare "the best restaurant in town." If you have a taste for fresh-caught lobster or fish, try Wood's on the docks. Wood's lobster rolls are a local legend. For a quick lunch with a great view of the harbor, stop by 14 Union Dockside Bar and Grill for traditional English fish and chips.

'Good Faith' Law Makes Holiday Travel Safer

The holiday season is fast approaching and more timeshare owners will take to the skies to reach their favorite vacation destinations. We should all be aware of a new homeland security law that can help us keep each other safe. Under a new federal law, if you see someone acting suspiciously on your flight, you can report your concerns to the crew without fear of being sued, even if your fears turn out to be ungrounded.

Passed by Congress on July 27, the little-noticed good faith law was enacted as part of the sweeping homeland security bill that implemented recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Under the new law, any citizen who witnesses a fellow passenger behaving in a suspicious manner -- acting nervously, looking around furtively, conferring in a language they don't understand, acting in any way that makes them feel afraid -- can blow the whistle and report their fears to the crew. The measure gives immunity to passengers on planes, trains, buses and cruise ships.

The law was written in broad terms to encourage the public to be proactive about homeland security by shielding the average citizen from possible legal liability if he or she reports suspicious behavior. The law also protects officials who, in good faith, take reasonable action in responding to potentially terrorist activity. While the law does not protect people who knowingly make false statements, the American Civil Liberties Union has expressed concern that it may lead to greater racial and religious profiling.

The need for the law arose out of the 2006 incident in which six Muslim clerics were removed from a US Airways flight after fellow passengers became nervous by their prayers in the terminal, seating patterns, requests for seatbelt extenders and other unusual behaviors. As a result of the incident, the clerics filed a lawsuit against the airport, airline and unnamed passengers. The good faith law was made retroactive to September 1, 2006 to protect those passengers and negate the lawsuit against them. The suit against the airport and airline is still in court, but the lawsuit against John Doe passengers has been dropped.

Much of the fear generated by 9/11 has dissipated and we feel much safer as a nation now than we did just a few years ago. But protecting our country is a constant and ongoing responsibility that we all share. Timeshare owners who travel often are among those who can help serve as the eyes and ears of our country's security forces. If you see someone acting oddly or suspiciously while you're traveling, report it at once to the crew, or to ground personnel if you're still in the airport or station. With the enactment of the good faith law, you can now act without fear.

Use Timeshares to Plan Retirement Travel

A number of savvy retirees are using timeshares to make retirement travel easier. Some started purchasing multiple timeshares 20 or more years ago with just that in mind. Others didn't jump on the bandwagon until they crossed the retirement starting line. But all have found that multiple timeshare ownerships will make it possible for them to continue traveling and enjoying life well into their golden years.

In an open forum on TimeshareForums.com, cathyb told how she and her husband built their timeshare retirement estate:

"Back in 1985 we bought our first timeshare, Carlsbad Inn. We lived an hour from this beach town and it served its purpose for two hard-working people to use as a get-away.... Now we own two weeks in Maui, one week in Kauai, two weeks in nearby Palm Desert, one week in Newport Beach, CA, Worldmark credits and Carlsbad Inn. All along our logic was to buy where eventually we could travel easily when we are old. Well, at ages 75 and 70 we now can drive to four of those owned and fly easily to the rest."

Cathyb and her husband recommend owning at least one timeshare close to home. Airline strikes, rising ticket prices and natural disasters may occasionally make it difficult or impossible to travel to far-flung timeshares. (Hurricane Iniki kept cathyb and hubby from vacationing in Kauai in 1992.) Maintaining an option within driving distance gives you an ace in the hole.

Other retirees say they've done the same thing. Rather than winter in Florida or Arizona, staying in the same place the whole time, they purchase timeshares in a few of their favorite vacation spots. They can then "winter" 3 weeks at one timeshare, 4 at another, etc. Every year they get to travel to all their favorite places without living out of a suitcase. They can put down a few roots in each community and enjoy returning each year to visit favorite haunts and eateries and discover new ones.

On the same forum iconnections agreed with retiree cathyb:

"We also like owning timeshares close to home ... it still feels like a vacation to us because it is on the ocean and that is quite different even if you live very close to the beach already. You don't have the view of the ocean and sound of the waves at home so you still feel like you are far away."

Iconnections noted that day use of your timeshare's pool and other resort amenities are nice perks often overlooked by owners who live near their timeshare. She also said she and her husband find it most restful to spend at least 4 to 6 weeks at each of their timeshares.

Some retirees find they prefer city vacations these days and plan to exchange their resort timeshares for the glitz of New York or the fun of San Francisco. They look forward to quiet afternoons wandering through museums or galleries, poking through shops, taking in a show or two, sampling some great ethnic food and, most importantly, leaving the driving to mass transit.

Whatever your retirement dream, buying or renting a timeshare can make travel easy and affordable. Click the post title to find out more about timeshares on Timeshare Giant.

Exchange Company Awards Can Increase Timeshare Value

RCI and Interval International are the 2 largest timeshare exchange companies in the world. Almost always, when a timeshare resort is newly developed, its developer will choose to affiliate the new resort with either RCI (Resort Condominiums International), or II (Interval International). Both exchange companies have a similar system in which they recognize the outstanding resorts affiliated with their exchange network, for standards of excellence in important categories, but there are a few slight differences in how each exchange company bestows an award.

RCI designates their superlative timeshares as Gold Crown Resorts. Interval International lavishes its Five Star Award on their premier timeshares. What does it mean when an exchange company bestows such a recognition award on a timeshare? Does it compare to the vaunted Michelin Guide's 4-star rating? Or is it just a lot of meaningless hype?

Actually, a Gold Crown Resort or Five Star Award rating is as coveted in the timeshare industry as those Michelin stars are by restaurants and hotels. A premier designation is an outside validation a resort's claim to quality, boosting the prestige of the resort. It assures both buyers and existing owners that the timeshare management is committed to providing high quality amenities, superior service and excellent maintenance. Also, because exchange systems trade accommodations of similar quality, owning a timeshare that has received a recognition award gives you an entree into other award-winning resorts.

Unfortunately, recognition awards do not always guarantee similarly luxurious accommodations and amenities. Here's how the awards stack up:

• Interval International's Five Star Award is the only level of award an affiliated resort can obtain. There is no 4, 3, 2, or 1-Star rating. The 5-Star rating is based on its own Quality Rating Survey which rates five general criteria: area, site, amenities, units and guest services. "Scores are weighted according to the type of vacation experience," explains II spokesman Chris Boesch. "For example, a resort in an urban area may not be required to have a full-size kitchen but may offer more in the way of guest services." Once a Five Star Award is given, II monitors continued quality via guest comment cards. (This is why it's so important to keep II informed by completing your guest comment card at the end of your vacation.)



• RCI's Gold Crown Resort is based on a detailed list of specific criteria that a resort must meet to be recognized. Two lesser levels of recognition are also offered: the Silver Crown Resort designation for resorts that come close but not quite up to the gold standard and the RCI Hospitality award for resorts that meet a minimum standard of excellence. RCI also uses guest comment cards to monitor continued quality. To maintain a Gold Crown Award, however, a resort must also continue to meet specific requirements for resort amenities, guest services, unit amenities/interiors and resort maintenance.
  

You'll note that RCI uses a rating system with a hierarchy of benchmarks while II uses more of a checklist. Without a lesser number of stars to denote various levels of quality, II's Five Star Award can be a bit misleading. Not all II resorts receive a Five Star Award, of course, but neither does the award guarantee quite as discernible a standard of quality as RCI's Gold Crown award. You can't necessarily assume that an II Five Star Award resort will be comparable to hotel that receives a AAA 5-diamond or Mobil 5-star rating.

In 2006, rating organizations in the United Kingdom imposed a new program that rates all of the nation's accommodations by a common set of standards. The same rating criteria and guidelines are now used by VisitBritain, VisitEngland, VisitScotland, VisitWales, the Automobile Association and the Royal Automobile Club to determine the number of stars to award a hotel or resort. Each organization accepts the others' ratings and ratings are jointly published.

While this won't change II or RCI timeshare ratings, it will provide consumers with a more exact idea of a timeshare resort's quality. Consumers might demand more details about an II Five Star Award resort that only receives a 3-star rating on the UK's national rating system. While hotels and resorts are not required to participate in the national rating system, those that don't are prohibited from being promoted by UK tourist boards or journalists. The system doesn't have a specific category for timeshares, but will evaluate them if the property is mixed-use or offers rentals. Properties pay an assessment fee to be evaluated.

A program similar to the UK's national ratings system may never "cross the pond," but some standardization would certainly benefit consumers and timeshare owners.

Escape to Napa Valley Wine Country This Fall

The skies are sunny, the temperatures still pleasant and, most importantly, the crowds are gone. Late fall and early winter are the perfect time to visit the wine country in northern California's Napa Valley. Wineries are eager to greet new customers and, with the crowds and bus tours gone, there's time to linger over a sampling session and enjoy a comfortable chat about the finer points of each wine.

Napa Valley is the home of America's world-class wines and wineries. With a climate and soils to rival France's best, grapes have been grown, crushed and fermented in Napa Valley since the 1800s. When Inglenook wines won gold at the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, the world's wine connoisseurs first took notice of Napa Valley. New techniques and procedures introduced in the 1930s, notably by Brother Timothy of the Christian Brothers winery, ushered in the modern era of commercial wine production, gaining California wines national recognition.

It was Robert Mondavi, a son of Italian immigrants, who brought the large-scale production improvements and marketing strategies to the Valley in the mid-1960s that truly launched America's wine industry into the world arena. When Napa Valley wines bested several of France's most famous labels in blind taste tests at the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, Napa Valley wines finally garnered the worldwide acclaim they enjoy today.

A visit to California's wine country is most enjoyable when you stay at Shell Vacations Club at Vino Bello Resort. Conveniently located in Napa, California, gateway to the Napa Valley wine region, the richly-appointed Tuscan Style vacation residences feature kitchens with granite countertops, the living areas feature finely-detailed woods, rich textures, and a special bottle of Napa Valley wine waiting just for you upon check-in. After an active day cruising through the Valley, you'll enjoy returning to the rejuvenating relaxation of Shell Vacations Club Vino Bello Resort.

If you enjoy an active lifestyle, Napa Valley offers wonderful bicycle trails through serene countryside. Rent or bring your own wheels for lovely rides between wineries and the valley's charming towns. Or rent horses for an exhilarating ride past vast vineyards. Try an early morning ride or hike when tendrils of fog catch in the valley and dew glistens on the grape vines -- breathtaking. For an impressive aerial view of Napa Valley, the adventurous can take a serene balloon ride or cruise above the valley with Wine Country Helicopters. Whatever you like to do, you'll find plenty of recreational activities in the Napa, California area, including golfing, tennis, fishing, riding and boating.

After an energetic day cycling between wineries, spend a relaxing day being pampered at one of Napa's soothing spas. Spa Terra, an intriguing underground spa cave, just opened this year. Ask for the Solo Vina, an invigorating exfoliating grape seed scrub. Or try a wonderfully relaxing soak at Calistoga's natural hot springs.

If you crave a little culture with your vino, COPIA, the American Center for Food, Wine and the Arts provides copious information on all three in visually stunning displays. Outstanding museums abound in Napa Valley. The amazing 217-acre di Rosa Preserve showcases the unique art of more than 900 artists, but make sure you call ahead for current visiting times. Modern art junkies will want to view the impressive Hess Collection and photo buffs won't want to miss Mumm Napa Valley. For history, head for the excellent Napa Valley Museum.

Up valley, shopaholic heaven can be found in St. Helena. Check out the amazing display of wine accessories at Wine Hardware or drool over to-die-for shoes at Foot Candy. Closer to home, the new Oxbow Public Market is scheduled to open in downtown Napa any day now. The 40,000 square foot marketplace will be a foodie's paradise featuring local food vendors, artisan cafes and organic farm stands. A scenic outdoor deck with seating along the beautiful Napa River will make this a delightful spot for lunch or an early evening supper.

But, of course, the reason people flock to Napa Valley is the wine and food. Among the excellent wineries you won't want to miss are Opus One, Quintessa, Rubicon, Clos Pegase, the Hess Collection, Groth, Bouchaine and Far Niente. Call ahead as some wineries offer tastings by appointment only and many charge a tasting fee. If you want to avoid the worst of the traffic, avoid Highway 29 and take the Silverado Trail that runs north-south along the east side of the valley.

For a memorable meal, sample Bistro Jeanty, La Toque or Julia's Kitchen. The Bounty Hunter wine bar in downtown Napa offers more than 40 wines by the glass but serves up some great down-home cooking too. Don't miss their famous Beer-Can Chicken. If you're looking for something distinctly local and a bit offbeat, Taylor's Automatic Refresher is a charming, old-fashioned, high-quality burger stand offering some of the finest wine and beer in the valley. For the ultimate gastronomic experience, lunch at the French Laundry. Their famous nine-course dinner requires at least a 60-day advance reservation and weighs in at $240 per person, but you can sample the same gourmet excellence at a much more reasonable cost at lunch. Bon appetite!

Pet-friendly Timeshares Let Your Animal Companions Share in the Fun

Do you and your pet have a special relationship? I'm sure when you're on vacation, if you see a pet that reminds you of yours, you can't help but wish you had your furry companion with you. I bring my little Maltese dog, Kasey, with me on almost every vacation I take. Inevitably, strangers approach me, and ask if they can pet Kasey to get their 'fix'. They share how much they hated leaving their dog at the kennel or with a friend, because they assume the resort they are staying in doesn't allow pets. Most trevelers don't even think it may be possible that the resort they are going to actually may in fact allow pets.

If you're a pet owner and a timeshare owner, in some cases it no longer means you have leave your pet at home. Many timeshare resorts are now rolling out the welcome mat for both you AND your pet. To view the many Pet-Friendly Timeshare Resorts catalogued in TimeshareGiant.com, click here. Sharing your vacation with your pet can be a lot of fun! It also means that you won't have to spend your vacation missing your pet, and your furry family member doesn’t have to go through the discomfort of not being certain when you’ll return.

Even Marriott Vacation Club has become more open-minded about the concept of Pet-Friendliness. For example, Marriott's Newport Coast Villas is a Pet-Friendly Timeshare Resort. Marriott's Newport Coast Villas is rated 5-Star by Interval International, which is evidence that staying in a Pet-Friendly resort doesn't necessarily equate to staying in sub-prime properties or locations. I think the big-name timeshare developers are finally seeing that there is a huge demand out there for Pet-Friendly timeshare accomodations, and in the near future, we'll start seeing more timeshare resorts getting on the Pet-Friendly list.

Before purchasing or exchanging into a pet-friendly timeshare resort, naturally it's important to check with the resort and learn what their pet policies are. Some pet-friendly timeshares will charge a nominal additional fee. They may have limit on how many pets you can bring. Other places have restrictions on the weight or overall size of the pets they allow. The resort of your choice may also only have a limited number of units set aside for pet owners, so you may need to make your reservations well in advance, to assure a pet-friendly unit.

Many Pet-Friendly Timeshare Resorts offer amenities that will help you and your pet have an enjoyable stay. Many pet-friendly timeshares have grounds that are suited for long walks. During your vacation, you may find there are times, such as attending a show or event that doesn't allow pets, which makes it necessary for you and your pet to be apart for several hours during your vacation. In that case, in many locations there are off-site pet-sitting services, just like babysitting services.

Kasey and I have a great time vacationing together. We talk a lot of walks, we go window shopping, and even eat at many local outdoor cafes. I've met people and seen sites that I wouldn't have seen, had Kasey not been with me. He gets me out and about, on the 'Road Less Traveled', and it's always been a fun experience. I've stayed many times at the Plaza Resort and Spa in Palm Springs, which is one of many timeshare resorts that allow pets. You live with your 'fur-children', so treat you and your pet to some special vacation time with them as well! You will love it!

Spend Halloween With Ghost of Pirate Jean Lafitte

Dark clouds scuttle across the moon, shadows of the night creep across your path, dry leaves rustle ominously underfoot and the scritch scratch of barren branches sends shivers up your spine. Halloween is coming and those who relish a good scare can get their fill of the heebie jeebies in New Orleans. More often associated with great jazz, fabulous food or the excesses of Mardi Gras, New Orleans is #5 in the Travel Channel's list of World's Creepiest Destinations.

Voodoo and mystery imbue New Orleans culture. Halloween addicts will want to visit the crypt of voodoo queen Marie Laveau in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. In the 1830s the Haitian woman was a famous fortune teller, reading the future for the wealthy women of New Orleans' high society. It was rumored that using voodoo she could make a person's enemies die -- for the small fee of $1000. Her death in 1881 was shrouded in mystery. Visitors to her crypt may glimpse a tall woman, a snake coiled about her body, leading ghosts in a voodoo dance.

If you travel to New Orleans for Halloween, set the stage for spooky fun by staying in the Jean Lafitte House timeshare. Named for the notorious Caribbean pirate Jean Lafitte, the house was built in 1831 by Lafitte's ally, the fierce pirate captain Renne Beluche. Meticulously restored, the living areas are elegantly furnished, providing a luxurious base from which to launch nightly forays in search of the supernatural. Nestled in a charming residential area of the French Quarter, the Jean Lafitte House timeshare provides a delightfully relaxing respite from the rambunctious nightlife of the Quarter. You'll find eclectic shops and wonderful restaurants within easy walking distance, or take a leisurely stroll through the Market or Jackson Square. For more information about the Jean Lafitte House timeshare shown in the photos, click here.

For adults in quest of haunted spirits, New Orleans abounds with spooky tours through cemeteries and candle-lit haunted houses. Along with jazz and oyster bars, you'll find the Lalaurie Ghosts in the French Quarter or you may spot the tragic apparition at the French Opera House. Discover the legends behind the ghostly lore at the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum or meet the city's most notorious characters at the Wax Museum on Conti Street in the French Quarter. If you like to vamp it up, Freaks, Follies and Sideshows is the theme of this year's annual gay costume ball and fundraiser which attracts party lovers from across the country. Anne Rice fans have resurrected the defunct Coven Ball as The Witching Hour Ball to pay homage to vampire Lestat and his fanged friends. A haunted riverfront, tours of ghost-haunted cemeteries, scarecrows at the botanical gardens and a voodoo music fest are just some of the frightful activities that await you in New Orleans.

For a complete listing of New Orleans timeshares for sale or rent, click this link or the post title to visit Timeshare Giant.

Private Residence Clubs Take Timeshare Living To a Whole New Level

Like a timeshare, people purchasing ownership in a Private Residence Club (or PRC) are buying into shared real estate.

Sometimes PRC owners are people who considered purchasing a second home, but decided that it might be better to go for partial ownership in a PRC. Although PRC owners still pay annual fees, that is nothing compared to the cost and effort of having a second home. If you were to buy a second home with features like a pool, spa, a