Ski the Beautiful Poconos

You don't have to travel to the Rockies for great skiing. The mountains of the Northeast -- Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Connecticut -- offer downhill runs every bit as exciting as those in Vail and Tahoe. Surprisingly, you'll find some excellent downhill and cross country skiing as far south as Pennsylvania and New Jersey, less than a day's drive from many Midwest and Eastern Seaboard states.

The Poconos are a true year-round vacation destination. From your Poconos timeshare, you can enjoy hiking, biking and boating in the summer. The views are breathtaking in the fall when the mountains erupt in a never-ending riot of color. And winter brings deep, powdery snows perfect for downhill and cross country skiing. You can enjoy everything the Poconos have to offer from your timeshare at Ridge Top Village or Ridge Top Summit in Shawnee, Pennsylvania (see photos).

Nestled in the forested hills along the scenic Delaware River, this 2,200-acre resort features exciting downhill runs, exhilarating cross country treks, even a ski school for those who need to learn the ropes or want to improve their form. The onsite recreation center includes a fully equipped exercise room, sauna, Jacuzzi and indoor pool to keep your muscles limbered up when you're not on the slopes. Snow tubing, ice skating, daily scheduled activities and a children's play area provide fun for the whole family.

Click the post title to preview other Poconos resorts. You'll find more Pennsylvania and New Jersey ski resorts at Timeshare Giant.

Tips for Traveling with Children

A globe-trotting UN diplomat has written a fascinating guide for parents who plan to travel to foreign lands with their children. But even parents who expect to stay closer to home will find the book packed with excellent advice and useful tips. The Rough Guide to Travel With Babies & Young Children (Rough Guides, $15.99) includes a wide variety of tips, including coping with road trips, plane travel, health concerns, entertaining kids on the road and cultural issues. Written by UN envoy Fawzia Rasheed de Francisco who has advised 16 governments on health policy, the guide is the culmination of years spent on the road with her two young sons. She started traveling with her younger son when he was only two weeks old. Her older son had been to five continents by his first birthday. Some of the cultural tips are fascinating:

• In India, have your children apologize profusely if they touch someone with their shoes, an especially offensive act.
• In Thailand, children are perceived to be well brought up if they make light of inconvenience.
• Patting children on the head is considered disrespectful in many parts of the world.

Even if your travel plans will keep you closer to home, you'll find plenty of useful tips for your next vacation:

• Give each child a shoebox to decorate before you leave home or after you get to your destination. At each stop on your journey, let them buy a postcard and have them write a brief memory on the back, along with the date and their age. They can put these and other trinkets they find along the way in their Travel Memory Box.
• Have each child keep a journal. They can write about things they do or see on the trip. They can also ask people they meet along the way to write a brief message. If you're in a foreign country, ask new friends to write in the local language or sign their names.
• Give each child a disposable digital camera to make a personal record of their trip.

Starwood to Open Luxury Ocean Villas in Kauai

Reservations are already being accepted for the April 2008 opening of a new Starwood Vacation Ownership luxury resort on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas will be the third Starwood property on the islands. Crowning a lush cliff along the north shore of Kauai, the Westin Princeville sits 200 feet above famous Anini Beach, providing spectacular views of the azure Pacific.

"Starwood has a long history in Hawaii, dating back to the early 1960s as Sheraton was the first major hospitality brand on the Hawaiian Islands," said Princeville general manager Denise Wardlow.

The spectacular oceanfront property commands 18.5 acres along the coast and is flanked by two world-class golf courses. Designed in the graceful style of a classic Hawaiian sugar plantation, the elegant resort will include 179 spacious two-bedroom villas, four sparkling pools, three relaxing whirlpools and a stunning two-story clubhouse with full-service restaurant, a well-equipped fitness center, and a general store where guests can pick up fresh produce or gourmet deli items. Particularly helpful will be the nightly rental option for guests desiring to lengthen their stay or in need of larger accommodations for family travel. Guests will enjoy all the luxurious amenities and full services typical at Westin resorts.

Each well-appointed luxury villa will feature all the comforts of home: a fully-equipped kitchen with full-size refrigerator with icemaker, microwave/convection oven, dishwasher, coffee maker, toaster, blender, cookware and dinnerware. Dine in the separate dining area or on the private lanai. Guests can also take advantage of the poolside barbecue grills. At night, sink into Westin's signature Heavenly Bed. Villas also provide a queen sofa bed, bath with whirlpool tub (and fluffy robes and towels), washer and dryer, LCD flat-screen TV with DVD player, Bose AM/FM Wave radio, two dual-line phones with voice mail and data ports and high-speed wired and wireless internet connections.

To keep up on new resort developments and the latest news on the timeshare industry, click here to visit Timeshare Giant.

Canadian Border Rules Tightened

Planning to visit the casinos on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls? Have the Toronto Film Festival penciled in on your calendar? Thinking of driving to Alaska this summer? If you haven't applied for a passport yet, better not put it off. It won't be long before a passport will be required for all travel to and from the U.S. This week security will get a little tighter for U.S. citizens traveling home from Canada. Starting Thursday, January 31, you'll need proof of citizenship to cross America's northern border by land or sea. Passports are already required for air travel. Under the new law, all travelers, including children, who do not have passports must show proof of citizenship, either a birth certificate or naturalization certificate, at land and sea crossings to re-enter the U.S. from Canada. Travelers 19 and older must also show government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's license or state ID. Children under 19 can travel with just a proof of citizenship for the time being.

"If you don't have these documents, it's gong to slow down your border clearance," said Mike Milne of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "We won't take verbal declarations of citizenship anymore. You'll have to go into a secondary-clearance area and be asked more questions. Ultimately, a U.S. citizen will get back into the United States, but it will certainly slow down the process."

The new law ends decades of a laissez-faire border crossing policy with our northern neighbors in which oral statements were acceptable on both sides. Since the September 11 tragedy, the U.S. has been moving to tighten its borders. This is just the newest implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which regulates travel between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico and Bermuda. Passports were to have been required for travel to and from Canada sometime this June, but public outcry over processing backlogs caused Congress to move that date back to June 2009. Thursday's new regulations are an interim move.

Grab Hold of Your Life and Start Living!

Would, coulda, shoulda. Everyone has regrets. Regret is universal, spanning age, culture and socio-economic status. Our most common life regrets center on family, romance, career, education and self. For every choice we make, there are countless other possibilities we will never experience. We are forever tantalized by "the road not taken." I have just read a fascinating article about regret in the current issue of The AARP Magazine. Written by David Dudley, editor of Baltimore's The Urbanite, the article suggests that America has entered an Age of Regret. (Click here to read the article.) Raised on the unobtainable idealism of the 1960s, Baby Boomers are having a harder time coping with life's regrets than previous generations. The explosion of options available for everything from choosing a cell phone to selecting a prescription drug plan is paralyzing our ability to feel satisfied with our choices. I found it interesting that fewer choices diminish regret and that the inability to undo a choice actually makes us more satisfied with our decision. The number one regret most people have involves family: My spouse and I don't have enough time just to ourselves. I never have enough time for the kids. I'm missing out on my son/daughter's childhood. Family life is a perpetual blur of carpools, homework, activities and projects -- when do we relax and just have fun? It seems to me that regret is about unfulfilled dreams. The most productive way to put our regrets behind us is to do something about them. Start fulfilling your dreams today. If you aren't spending enough quality time with your spouse or family, make an investment in your family's future. Buy a timeshare property and lock in a couple of weeks a year when you can focus on just being together and having fun. Stop thinking about all the vacations you haven't taken, all the things you haven't done together and put your regrets behind you. Invest in your family's future, invest in a timeshare, and start building some memories today.

New Fractional Ownership Properties to Open in Florida

Florida is the most sought timeshare vacation destination in the United States. The vacation ownership industry is responding to consumer demand with plans to build some fabulous new properties. Here's a peek at what the future holds.

Watson Island on Biscayne Bay off the coast of Miami will be the home of 105 new fractional ownership residences. Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is in the process of developing a 10-acre site on the island with a 147-room hotel, suites and poolside villas. The Residences at Island Gardens (left) will be housed at the top of an impressive 39-story tower designed to resemble a stylized lighthouse. One- to four-bedroom units will be offered in 1/8 shares at prices ranging from $195,000 to $765,000 per fraction.

Designed by architects Eric Kuhne & Associates with interiors by renowned Piero Lissoni & Associati, residences will feature floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows with fabulous views of Miami's skyline and Biscayne Bay. Sangri-La's signature beds and bed linens, luxury bathrooms, wireless internet service and 24-hour butler service are among the planned amenities.

The Shangri-La hotel is part of the $480 million mixed-use Island Gardens project being developed by Flagstone Property Group. Expected to open in 2010, planned features include sophisticated shops and restaurants and a 50-slip super-yacht harbor in a galleried garden setting.

Hyatt Siesta Key Beach Residence Club will rise in place of the demolished Sea Castle motel on the beach of Siesta Key near Sarasota. Hyatt Vacation Ownership will break ground on the 6-story, 44-unit vacation ownership property this spring. Phase I of the Triton Companies development, with expected occupancy in 2009, will offer 11 luxuriously furnished residences of 1,600 to 2,600 square feet to be sold in 1/8 fractional shares at a cost of $200,000 to $750,000.

Like most Hyatt properties, the Siesta Key will offer hotel-like amenities such as full-time front desk and staff, concierge services, pool, fitness center, spa, massage and valet parking. Fractional owners will enjoy privileges at an adjoining beach club.

Explore the Everglades by Canoe

If you've always hankered to explore America's most famous swamp, this is the time to visit the Everglades. Unlike summer when the Everglades are sweltering, sweaty and a-buzz with mosquitoes the size of whale harpoons, in winter the swamp is not too hot, not too cold, not too humid and there's nary a mosquito in slapping distance. The conditions are perfect for a canoe or kayak trek through the primeval Ten Thousand Islands region of the Gulf Coast.

While most people visit the Everglades from the east side entrance near Miami, explorers will want to enter from Everglades City near Naples on the gulf side of the park. The small rural community of Everglades City is an active commercial and sport-fishing port and the jumping off point for most canoe and kayak excursions into the swamp. You'll find a number of full-service outfitters and a variety of guided tours available in Everglades City, including mangrove tunnels, sunset tours and moonlit paddles. A new GPS-marked paddle trail system through the Ten Thousand Islands area can lead you on a long, overnight trek from Everglades City to Goodland, but shorter day-trip routes are also available. Paddlers will also find fun and adventure cruising Collier County's new GPS-marked Paradise Coast Blueway. While you're paddling in the Everglades, watch for alligators sunning themselves, blue herons and egrets stalking fish in the shallows, and the amazing anhingas, a bird that dives and swims underwater to catch its darting, silvery prey.

After a day spent paddling through sawgrass, wandering the mangrove tunnels, exploring the cypress forest and enjoying the exotic wildlife in the swamp, head back to your luxurious timeshare in Naples on Florida's gorgeous Gulf Coast. The Charter Club Resort of Naples Bay (above, left) offers superb accommodations (right) coupled with excellent onsite amenities and a wide variety of area activities. For those who want to enjoy the flora and fauna of the Everglades more comfortably, the fabulous Naples-Caribbean Garden's Zoological Park, Rookery Bay, is located just fives miles south of Naples. And when you're not on the beach, you'll find plenty of charming boutiques and exciting eateries to explore in Naples. Click the post title to preview a complete listing of fabulous timeshares in the Naples, Florida area.

Advantages of Timeshare Exchange

Beach? Mountains? Desert? Big city? Where you like to spend your vacation and how you like to spend your leisure time are two of the most important factors driving the selection of vacation property. When people invest in a timeshare property, they choose one that will provide the leisure experience they crave. Location, climate, resort amenities, leisure activities and accommodations are at the top of the list when buyers shop for a timeshare. Most people look for a property that suits their interests and lifestyle and look forward to returning year after year, like visiting a dear friend. But occasionally, everyone wants a change. Perhaps a change of scenery from mountain to beach, a change of pace from laid-back resort to flashy big city, or a change of activities from winter skiing to summer hiking sounds appealing. The advantage of timeshare ownership is that you can have it all through timeshare exchange programs. You can experience an infinite number of vacation experiences through exchange programs. By joining an exchange service (RCI and Interval International are the two biggest), you can trade your week or interval for a new and different vacation at comparable resorts around the world. Many resorts also offer owners the opportunity to exchange their timeshare for another within the home resort's property portfolio. Exchanging through your home resort generally guarantees comparable accommodations and amenities. Here's how it works: You place your property into the exchange company's pool of available resort weeks and choose an available resort and week from the pool. There's generally a rating system to assure parity -- that you get what you give -- but you can often arrange to upgrade your choice. Expect to pay an exchange fee and annual membership fee to the exchange company. Before you exchange, you'll want to notify your resort/property management firm to clarify any rules or regulations that may govern exchanges. When you buy your timeshare, ask about exchange policies. As a purchase incentive, resort developers often pay a new owner's first year membership fee in an exchange program. You can also "bank" your timeshare. If you can't use your timeshare during your usual interval and don't wish to exchange it in the current year, you can place your timeshare in the exchange company's pool and use your exchange option in a different year. Some exchange programs will also let you exchange your timeshare week for airfare, hotel stays or rental cars.

How Timeshare Ownership Works

Timeshare ownership takes the stress out of vacations. You're not saddled with the mortgage and upkeep of a second home that you may use only a few weeks out of the year. When you purchase a timeshare property, you purchase just the time you need -- and you lock in future vacations at today's low prices. That's a considerable benefit with hotel rates on the upswing. At a timeshare resort, units are divided into usage intervals, commonly one week. You purchase only the number of weeks you plan to vacation each year, typically one to two weeks. Owners pay an annual maintenance fee to cover maintenance and management of the property so that when you arrive for your vacation, you are guaranteed a care-free, relaxing visit. Some timeshares are sold on a points system which places a point value on the size and quality of the accommodations as well as the desirability of each week in the year. For example, purchasing weeks at a Vail ski resort timeshare may cost you more during peak January/February ski months when demand is highest than during summer months. Most timeshare purchases provide you with a deeded real estate interest in the property. In some programs, such as Vacation Clubs, your membership purchases the right to use, but not own the club's properties. (See our January 16 post for a rundown on different types of vacation ownership.) There may be financial and tax advantages to deeded ownership, but it is the desire to invest in leisure time that generally drives timeshare purchases. A variety of accommodation factors affect the price of timeshare properties, including:

• Square footage of the unit
• Number of bedrooms and baths
• Luxury features such as fireplaces, hot tubs, whirlpool baths, etc.
• Resort amenities
• Location
• Season of use

Traditionally, when you purchase a timeshare property, you are purchasing the use of a particular size unit at a vacation resort for one week during a specific period or season. Points programs allow you to redeem the points at any number of resort locations, for a variety of accommodations and number of days, depending on the restraints of the program. Points programs are often linked to lodging and travel loyalty programs which can expand both your travel choices and purchasing power. Next time: The advantages of timeshare exchange

Understanding Vacation Ownership Lingo

If you're new to vacation property ownership, you may find the language confusing. Timeshares, fractional ownership, vacation clubs: What do they mean and how do you tell them apart? In choosing the vacation home best suited to your lifestyle needs, budget and vacation goals, it's important to understand the terminology. Timeshare Giant is here to help.

• Timeshares include deeded property, right-to-use and points-based programs. Owners purchase one-week intervals at a property on either a fixed or floating calendar. Properties range from studios to multi-bedroom villas with many timeshares located at resorts that offer a wide variety of amenities. In addition to the one-time purchase price, owners pay an annual property maintenance fee.
• Fractional ownership is the shared purchase of a vacation property with other parties. Each buyer is allotted use of the property commensurate with the portion (fraction) of the property purchased. For example, 50% ownership would allow you to use the property for 6 months out of the year. Fractional properties are generally affiliated with high-end hotel companies so owners enjoy personalized services and other luxury amenities. In addition to the purchase price, owners pay an annual property maintenance fee.
• Vacation club members do not purchase actual property, instead their membership fee and annual dues buy them the right to use any of the vacation properties owned or operated by the club company. Club companies offer members a wide range of vacation properties, most with concierge services.
• Condo hotels sell a portion of their room inventory to the public. For an annual fee, owners may use their room for vacation purposes, corporate housing or rent it to generate income. Rentals are typically managed by the hotel, though proceeds go to the room owner. Buyers and their renters or guests enjoy hotel services and amenities.

Chase Away Winter Blahs With Virtual Vacation

The excitement of the holidays are over. Everyone's gone home and the last of the turkey leftovers are finally gone. (The dog helped, but don't tell!) Stripped of its festive holiday decorations, the house looks kind of dreary. People stumble around the office in a post-holiday funk. It's dark when you wake up and dark when you come home from work. The gray skies of winter are enough to make anyone feel depressed. Well, we here at Timeshare Giant have the perfect antidote to the January blahs: take a virtual vacation on the web! It's a great way to "get out of Dodge" without leaving home (or the office) and (bonus) it can give you ideas for planning your next timeshare vacation.

A virtual vacation requires no money, no vacation days (not that you have any left), and no planning. All you do is type in the web address you'd like to see, and -- presto! -- you're in the wilds of a Botswana game park or in the center of Times Square or scuba diving in the Caribbean. Since you're watching streaming video, you'll see different things at different times of the day. For instance, tune in to Times Square at 9 a.m. and you'll see "suits" rushing to work to the cacophony of honking cabs. But by 9 p.m. the heart of the Big Apple has been transformed into a neon-bright wonderland populated by elegant theater-goers and colorful characters.

Here are some of the of the most fun travel-related websites I've found. (Note: Viewing some sites may require a software download.)

Hawaii windsurfing: www.mauiwindcam.com/streaming
Watch professional windsurfers glide over the waves along Maui's north shore. Cameras are positioned on the two most famous windsurfing spots: Upper Kanaha and Camp One. Experience the adrenaline rush as surfers launch right in front of the camera. Want to try it yourself? Schedule a timeshare vacation to Marriott's Maui Ocean Club (left) where you can enjoy windsurfing or ocean surfing and much more.

• Times Square: www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/timessquare
  Burning the midnight oil? Take a peak at the raucous heart of the "city that never sleeps." The neon lights are spectacular and the sideshow continuous.


• African safari: www.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/wildcamafrica
  Take a virtual safari across the African veld via live streaming video from the Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana. You can watch lions, elephants, giraffes and other exotic beasts feed and frolic along the grassy banks of a watering hole.


• Scuba diving: http://www.breathebonaire.com/
  Swim with the fishes without getting wet. Watch colorful fish cavort, have a close encounter with a shark, and see eels weave through the vibrant coral reef at Bonaire National Marine Park in the Netherlands Antilles.

Relax and Recharge on Florida's Sanibel Island

In recent polls of timeshare owners, half planned to vacation in Florida and nearly 60% favored a beach vacation over other environments. In the winter (especially if you live in cold, snowy states), the lure of sun, sand and water is particularly enticing. Florida has much to offer the timeshare vacationer, but its wide, sandy beaches are the prime draw.

If you long for leisurely walks along beautiful sandy beaches, breathtaking sunsets and the opportunity to commune with nature and recharge your batteries, you want to head over the causeway to Sanibel Island on Florida's Golf Coast. Sanibel has one of the best seashell beaches in the world -- 12 miles stretching along the island's south shore -- so be prepared to spend some time doing the "Sanibel stoop" as you search the beach for treasures washed up by the surf. Make time to visit the fascinating Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum. The museum not only houses fabulous informational displays on hundreds of different types of shells and mollusks, but shows the many ways in which humans have used shells over the century: money, jewelry, tools, architecture, art, etc. Children will enjoy the hands-on learning lab.

Another must-see is the J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Refuge which covers nearly a third of the island. The refuge covers 6,000 acres and provides shelter from more than 300 species of birds. A lovely 4-mile drive winds through the park with plenty of pull-outs for observing and photographing wildlife. Ranger-guided tram tours, biking and hiking trails are also available. For those who prefer to explore the park from the water, canoes and kayaks can be rented at the park.

You'll find plenty of fine restaurants and interesting boutiques on Sanibel, but it's the extraordinary natural beauty of the island that draws vacationers. Enjoy everything Sanibel Island has to offer from your spacious condominium at Sanibel Beach Club II. Two-bedroom, two-bath units include a living room with cable TV and DVD player, a separate dining area, eat-in kitchen and full-sized washer and dryer. A gorgeous palm-fringed pool, wide, shallow beach (perfect for shell collecting), bike trails, tennis courts and more provide plenty of activities for the whole family. You'll find excellent golfing, deep sea fishing and boat rentals located nearby. Click here for complete information on Sanibel Beach Club II timeshare condominiums (photos above, left and right) To preview additional Sanibel Island timeshare properties, click to post title.

Snow Adds Magic to Yosemite Winter Vacation

Yosemite in winter? It's time to think outside the box when planning your winter vacation. The sheer cliffs, thundering waterfalls and clear blue lakes of this stunning Southern California national park are, if anything, more breathtaking shrouded in snow and ice. As you cross-country ski toward the spectacular sheer face of Half Dome on your way to Glacier Point, you experience the same awe that must have overcome the first explorers to this part of the Sierra Nevadas. It's just you and nature -- untouched, majestic and silent but for the sound of the wind whispering in the pines overhead.

Many of Yosemite's trails and features are open and accessible year-round. Badger Pass offers downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing. You can also try snowshoeing on ranger-led hikes or strike out on your own. The sled run at Crane Flat is an experience as exciting as any roller coaster you've ever ridden. Ice skate in the shadow of Half Dome at the Curry Village rink in Yosemite Valley where folks have been skating since 1923.

There are a number of hiking trails open during the winter. Several of the most notable are paved, wheelchair accessible and stroller friendly. The 1-mile Lower Yosemite Falls loop takes you through Ponderosa pines, incense cedars and canyon live oaks past the base of the falls. The gentle 1-mile roundtrip hike to Bridalveil Falls takes you through pine and cedar-scented forest quite close to the ice-shrouded falls on the shady side of the canyon. A slightly more difficult 3-mile hike to Mirror Lake affords spectacular views of Half Dome and Mount Watkins. Hiking lovers will want to take the Columbia Rock trail, a 3-mile hike that rises 1,000 feet to Upper Yosemite Falls. The panoramic view of Yosemite Valley is magnificent.

After a day of winter fun at Yosemite, return to your cozy Bass Lake, California timeshare (above, right). The 5-star WorldMark property offers spacious, comfortable accommodations with room for the whole family. Cuddle up around the fireplace and sip hot cocoa in the evening while you relive the day's exciting Yosemite adventures. Units are equipped with all the comforts of home, including a fully-equipped kitchen, CD/stereo, cable TV, iron and ironing board, hairdryer and more. Each unit has a washer/dryer so you'll be able to quickly dry out the kids' parkas and snowpants after a day of sledding and tubing. For complete information on WorldMark Bass Lake, click the post title.

Everyone visits Yosemite in the summer. It's the lucky few who savor the park's winter beauty and pleasures.

What Do Timeshare Owners Know That You Don't?

What do 4 million Americans know that you don't? The joy of owning a timeshare vacation property. People who purchase timeshares are making a well-considered investment in their future. Timeshare owners understand the value of leisure time. They understand the need to relax, change environments and recharge their batteries. They value quality time spent vacationing with their family. Timeshare owners are more likely than non-owners to (1) actually take all their vacation days and (2) spend them vacationing, as opposed to staying home and working around the house. Some of the major benefits that attract savvy vacationers to timeshare ownership include:

• Luxury accommodations. Timeshares consistently provide spacious, high-quality accommodations. When you own a timeshare, you acquire a home away from home. Accommodations typically include spacious floor plans furnished with home-like amenities, including fully equipped kitchens with dining areas, stereo, TV, DVD/VCR players, washer and dryer, etc. Timeshares come in a variety of configurations to fit the many needs of owners from studio units to 3-bedroom villas.
• Resort-style amenities. Timeshares provide the resort amenities that make for a fun and relaxing vacation: swimming pool, tennis courts, Jacuzzi, hot tub, spa and fitness facilities, playground and planned activities for your children. Nearby you'll generally find championship golf courses, boating, skiing, water sports, amusement and theme parks, fabulous restaurants, fun shopping and much more. On a timeshare vacation you won't hear, "I'm bored;" you'll hear, "What's next!"
• Fabulous locations. There are timeshare properties everywhere you want to be. In the U.S., you'll find timeshares in every desirable vacation location from exciting big cities to serene mountain hideaways to sunny, sandy beaches to prime ski resorts. No matter what your preferred vacation environment, you'll find a timeshare resort waiting for you. From Alaska and Hawaii to the Florida Keys and from Maine to Southern California, there are timeshares across the length and breadth of America. If you crave international travel, you'll find timeshares in 100 countries around the world.
• Flexibility. The unique advantage of timeshare ownership is its exchange potential. Timeshare owners can trade their vacation time at their home resort for vacation time at more than 5,000 resorts in nearly 100 countries around the world. You can ski the slopes of Aspen one year, then bask on the soft coral sands of the Caribbean the next. You can vacation at the same time every year or change your vacation dates each year to accommodate your schedule. You can even control the size of your vacation space through the exchange system. Enjoy a cozy, romantic vacation with your spouse in Hawaii, then exchange for a villa in Fort Lauderdale and host the whole clan for a family reunion blowout on the Gulf Coast.

Timeshare ownership takes the work out of vacation planning so you can spend all your time relaxing and enjoying yourself. The timeshare industry enjoys an 80% approval rating. Maybe it's time you found out what timeshare owners know. Click the post title and start enjoying and looking forward to your vacations!

Sun and Sand Preferred by Timeshare Owners

With the world at their fingertips, where do timeshare owners plan to travel to in the next two years? Here are the results of the latest Interval International poll which surveyed 3,500 II members:

50% Florida

41% California

32% Hawaii

23% Arizona

22% New York

20% Nevada

18% Colorado

17% South Carolina

15% Alaska

13% North Carolina

What attracts timeshare vacationers? A September 2006 poll of 1,547 RCI members asked them to rate the features they would look for when they purchased their next timeshare. It's no surprise that beaches and entertainment topped the list.

59% Beach

43% Attractions, entertainment

34% Tropics

33% Mountains

30% History, culture

27% Lake

20% Golf

12% Gaming, gambling

12% City, urban

10% Snow skiing

8% Desert

With more than 4 million American households taking timeshare vacations and an 80% satisfaction rating, it's not surprising that 31% of current owners are in the market to buy a second (or third or fourth) timeshare property. More people are getting savvy to the advantages of timeshare vacation ownership. Year-end figures for 2006 (the latest available) show 69% of owners are new to timeshares. To meet the continually growing demand, more than 58,000 timeshare units are planned for development across the U.S. in coming years. Where are the "hot spot" locations for new timeshare development?

21% Mountains

20% Florida

14% Pacific

11% California

8% South Atlantic

8% Northeast

8% South Carolina

6% South Central

5% Midwest

Browse the timeshare listings at Timeshare Giant (just click the link or post title) to preview timeshare vacation properties across the U.S. and all over the world. Timeshare Giant gives you a detailed overview of each timeshare property, complete with a slide show of the property, list of features and nice roundup of nearby amenities. You can even rent timeshares to try them out before buying on Timeshare Giant. Wherever you like to vacation and whatever you like to do, there's a timeshare out there waiting for you -- and you can find it on Timeshare Giant.

New Marriott Vacation Resort to Offer Oceanfront Luxury

Marriott Vacation Club International just announced the development of a luxurious new timeshare resort, Marriott's Oceana Palms, in the exclusive Riviera Beach community of Singer Island, Florida. The oceanfront resort is scheduled to open in 2010 and will offer 169 two-bedroom, two-bath villas. Pricing starts at $25,900 per week, depending on the season and view selected. The Oceana Palms will be Marriott's second resort in the Palm Beach Shores community. The company's Ocean Pointe resort has been in operation for 10 years.

Pairing sun-drenched oceanfront living with the luxurious Palm Beach lifestyle, Marriot's Oceana Palms will create a lush, tropical landscape beside the magnificent, broad, white-sand beach. Two magnificent 19-story towers will flank a brick-paved porte-cochere, welcoming visitors into a fabulous tropical paradise.

Featuring more than 1,100 square feet of living space, spacious villas will offer attractive traditional furnishings with contemporary accents in a lush tropical color pallet of vibrant blues, golden sands and fresh greens. Generously proportioned living and dining areas, large balconies with stunning ocean views, multiple flat-panel televisions with DVD players, washer and dryer, wireless high-speed internet access, gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, and an oversized shower with multiple shower heads in the master bath are among the plush features you'll find in each Oceana Palms villa. Villas will accommodate up to 8 guests.

For more information on Marriott's Oceana Palms, click the post title.

Join the Fun as Quebec City Turns 400!

Time to brush up on that high school French you've never had a chance to use. If you've never been to Quebec City in Canada, this is the year to go. Quebec City is celebrating its 400th birthday and is pulling out all the stops: a floating dance floor the size of Kansas, roaming costumed opera singers, fireworks, the World Hockey Championships, an 1,800-foot multimedia screen, more fireworks, and parades of giant characters with a grand finale from the always fabulous Cirque du Soleil.

Sometimes called the poor man's Paris, Quebec City evokes favorable comparisons to European cities with its narrow, twisting streets filled with eclectic shops. Horse-drawn carriages, open air markets, galleries, churches, centuries-old buildings, and quaint inns all give Quebec City a distinct Old World flavor. Walking through Quebec City, sampling the shops and restaurants tucked around each bend in the road is a delightful way to spend a day. Walking is the preferred mode of getting around in the city, but you may want to take the funiculars (cable-driven lifts) to navigate some of the steeper steps and slopes. Taxis abound, but try a carriage ride for a delightful visit to the past.

Special events are planned throughout the year, starting with the city's famous Winter Carnival from February 1-17 to the Cirque du Soleil grand finale on October 19. There will be so many amazing things to do and see in Quebec City this year, you may want to book more than one week in a nearby timeshare. If you plan to go for Winter Carnival, the Chalets la Falaise (above, left) are nestled in the mountains in the middle of downhill and cross-country ski country and just minutes from Quebec City. An all-season resort, Chalets la Falaise offer summer boating, whale-watching and are an easy trip to the St. Lawrence River spectacular, The Walking Road, planned for August 15.

No matter when you visit Quebec City this year, prepare to be dazzled. For a complete listing of timeshares available in the Quebec City area, click the post title.

What's in Store for 2008 Vacationers

With the new year just starting, it's time to see what 2008 has in store for vacationers.

1. Passports. If you don't have one, apply now. With phase two of the new passport regulations poised to go into effect this year, backups and delays are expected. Though the government hasn't announced a date, sometime this year you'll need a passport for travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. A passport costs about $100, but remember that it's valid for 10 years -- that's just $10 a year, not a bad deal for a week on the sandy beaches of Bermuda or a close-up view of the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.
2. Airfares. Fuel prices are expected to force airfares up, but there will always be deals out there. When you plan your vacation, factor in time for flight delays. The issues that caused the massive delays that plagued summer travel last year haven't gone away and aren't likely to for some time.
3. Meals. Prices at premium restaurants have been rising faster than the puff pastry used to make your appetizer. A meal for two with wine and tip tops $200 at many popular upscale restaurants. Seek out local eateries and ethnic cuisine where you can get excellent food at reasonable prices. Street vendors serve up great, cheap, local food in many cities. Better yet, when you stay at a timeshare, you can eat in your condo part of the time or fix a picnic lunch to take along when you head for the beach.
4. Transit. Cabs or sightseeing tours can take a big bite out of your travel budget. Rent a car or take public transportation. If you're staying in a big city, public transit is the way to go -- no traffic to deal with, no parking problems, no search for gas stations and you get to enjoy more of the local ambiance.
5. Accommodations. Hotel and resort prices are rising which makes timeshare vacationing particularly smart. You can enjoy superior accommodations at the world's most luxurious resorts at very affordable prices. Just take a look on Timeshare Giant to see some of the great values that are available.

This Year Make Resolutions You'll Want to Keep

Happy New Year! I hope you've had an enjoyable day visiting with friends and family, watching parades and football, and my perennial favorite: making New Year's resolutions. In my family we seem to have as much fun guessing how long it will take us to break them as we do making them.

This year I've decided to pass by the too easily broken traditional resolutions -- exercise more, lose 10 pounds -- and focus on things that are important enough to me to demand real attention and effort. This year I'm making resolutions I plan to stick to! Maybe you'd like to add some of them to your list, too.

• Spend more time with family. I'm going to treat my family to a timeshare vacation. There's no better family vacation than a timeshare vacation. You can choose a resort with plenty of activities for everyone in the family from the small fry to the plugged-in teen. Myrtle Beach, SC is one of my favorite family timeshare destinations. You can gather for informal family meals where the kitchen overflows with great smells and laughter, take a picnic to the beach or descend on the local eatery. Timeshare vacations allow you to choose a vacation place and time that's convenient and interesting to everyone in the family -- and affordable to boot.
  


• Spend more time relaxing. Americans take fewer vacation days and have higher job stress levels than their counterparts around the world. Stress is a leading contributor to a host of medical problems that afflict our society. This year I plan to take my full share of vacation days, whether it's lounging on a Caribbean beach or skiing down the slopes of Tahoe.
  


• Take a risk or two. I'm going to go somewhere exotic and exciting this year. Maybe I'll find my sea legs during a yachting timeshare vacation in Cancun. Perhaps I'll pack the nieces and nephews into a motorhome and cruise the Florida theme parks. Maybe I'll finally take that African safari I've always dreamed about!



• Learn something new. I'm going to travel somewhere new this year. Meet new people, experience a new culture, try strange foods. Choosing where to go will be part of the fun. On Timeshare Giant the world is my oyster! There are timeshare resorts available in every nook and cranny of the world. It's time I dusted off my passport and went exploring!

In 2008, I wish you health, happiness, prosperity -- and fabulous timeshare vacations!