World Peace Begins with Bringing Peace Into My Own World by Taking Time Off

…You may be thinking, why is a Karen posting a blog about World Peace on her timeshare blog? Read on!

I remember back in the early 70’s as a young girl, seeing Volkswagen Buses, which often had a non-conforming ‘hippie’ at the wheel. A “Visualize World Peace” bumper sticker was a common sighting on a VW Bus, and seemed almost a ‘staple’ accessory for a free thinker who owned a car.

Then the age of the “Yuppie” came along in the 80’s, and more luxury cars rolled off the production lines to meet the demands of this new breed of people. The purchases they made seemed to place a high priority in ‘making a statement’ in the world. Some owners of yuppie cars sometimes donned a different version of the 70’s bumper sticker that said “Visualize Whirled Peas”…! I remember laughing at that bumper sticker whenever I’d see it, admiring how clever it was… but perhaps the owners really believed the sentiment of World Peace was a joke.

Now more than ever, people are overly-worked, overly-burdened, overly-stressed, and overly-ill, spinning wildly, due to simply not prioritizing the time and space to simply relax and take time to re-group, on the excuse that ‘time is money’, or the list of responsibilities is never-ending. Rest and Relaxation in our world is pushed in the back of the line, in the name of getting ahead, staying ahead, or simply catching up. Westerners are operating at such a high pace, often an entire year passes by without even the thought of taking time off to restore the body, mind, and spirit.

Instead of spending money on vacationing, some people are instead spending money on medical bills and other therapies due stressful lifestyles. Even doctors are telling patients to take time to relax, encouraging vacation time. Rest and Relaxation is no longer a luxury. It is a matter of survival.

I can personally testify that this has been a part of my life story. I, too, have been overly-stressed for years on end, foregoing valuable timeshare vacation time in the name of getting ahead or staying ahead in my career, only to find that earlier this year, I was sick for almost 2 months. My body crashed. My mind crashed. I just couldn’t keep up any more. I knew at that point that things needed to change, in order for me to re-claim my authentic enthusiasm for life. I find it ironic that I’m in the timeshare business, which is luxury vacations made affordable, and I wasn’t even giving myself the time to experience the wonderful product I’ve chosen to advocate as my career over the past 23 years!

I’m a big advocate of the economic benefits of timeshare, but now more than ever, I also value the spiritual, emotional, and physical benefits of timeshare vacationing. It is now a matter of survival for me to pamper myself with at least one week each year to a very special place to leave my cares behind.

Regardless of the type of setting or amenities that suit your tastes, there are almost 6,000 timeshare resorts on our planet now. Millions of families just like you are already timeshare owners. Timeshare Owners who value the importance of taking time off with their loved ones are staying at rejuvenating, luxurious (and affordable) timeshare resorts right now, as you are reading this sentence.

After working hard all year, leave behind the idea of stuffing the family into hotel rooms. Experience timeshare vacationing and you’ll not just see the economic value of timeshare vacationing; you’ll experience a rejuvenating peace in your life, year after year. It’s more important than ever.

Imagine yourself enjoying time away on an island, such as the island of Kauai at the Kauai Beachboy. Or the sweet scent of pines in the crisp mountain air of Lake Tahoe at Marriott’s Timber Lodge. Perhaps a trip South of the Border to Mexico at the Dreams Los Cabos & Club Casa Dorada Beach and Golf Resort is in your list of desires. Take some time for yourself and your family. Do it in luxury. Make it count. Make it memorable. Make it peaceful.

World Peace: Let it begin with me.

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.

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.

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.

For New Year's, It's Vegas, Baby

Las Vegas is calling! It's time to make your New Year's reservations. If you want to ring in the new year with glam, glitz and fabulous entertainment, there is no place more exciting than Las Vegas.

Las Vegas offers lots of fun shopping, gourmet restaurants, premium entertainment, world class golf courses, delightful spas and, of course, opulent casinos. You can tour the world from the elegant Italian Riviera to the mysterious Mayan empire by visiting the many themed casino resorts along "the strip."

In Las Vegas, timeshares come in every shape and flavor. From the newly remodeled Jockey Club (right), located right on the exciting neon-bathed strip, to the secluded desert oasis provided by the Cliffs at Peace Canyon (below, left), your perfect New Year's getaway is available on Timeshare Giant. Just click the post title to preview all 30 outstanding Las Vegas timeshare properties.

While the opulent casinos are still the big draw in "Sin City," modern Las Vegas offers so many other exciting attractions that it's become a major vacation destination. You may be so busy going to the amazing shows, shopping in the unique shops, relaxing at the spas, sampling the gourmet fare or soaking up the sun around the pool that you may never shake the hand of a one-armed bandit!

Vegas has been called the adult's "Magic Kingdom," but it offers plenty of family activities and entertainment, too. On the strip you can watch an exciting water battle between pirate ships, paddle through Venice in a gondola, walk the storied streets of New York City, screech down a giant roller coaster, swim amid waterfalls -- if you can dream it, you can do it in Las Vegas!

Make sure you get off the strip long enough to tour historic downtown Las Vegas. You won't want to miss the dazzling light show on legendary Fremont Street. If you need a change of pace, Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley and Lake Mead make easy day trips.

Nominations Sought for 7 New World Wonders

Nominations are being sought for a new list of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. In a global poll scheduled to begin in January 2009, people all over the world will be able to cast a vote for their favorite natural wonder. Nominations are now being solicited over the internet. So far 300 suggestions have been received from six continents, but there's plenty of time to enter your favorite site. For more information or to make a nomination, visit http://www.new7wonders.com/.

More than 100 million people around the globe participated in the first contest to replace the ancient Seven Wonders of the World, most of which no longer exist. That contest, which concluded in July, asked voters to choose seven existing structural wonders of the world. Voters selected:

1. Taj Mahal in India
2. Great Wall of China
3. Colosseum in Rome
4. Manchu Picchu in Peru
5. Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil
6. The rock city of Petra in Jordan
7. Chichen Itza pyramid in Mexico

The contests are sponsored by the nonprofit foundation New7Wonders. The organization was formed in 1999 by Swiss-Canadian adventurer Bernard Weber to, in his words, "create respect and enthusiasm ... for the beauty of our planet. The closer we bring the beauty of our planet ... to the people, the more likely they will say, 'Oh, we have to do something to conserve it.'"

It is expected to take several years to winnow the nominations down to a list of finalists, conduct the vote and tally the results. In early 2009, the 77 sites receiving the most nominations will be reviewed by experts who will select a list of 21 finalists for a global vote. Winners will be announced in 2010. America is a land filled with natural beauty. What will you nominate? The Grand Canyon? Brice Canyon? The Everglades? The Great Smoky Mountains? The giant Sequoias?