Friday, May 3, 2013

Road Trip Games

With the weather starting to warm up, summer is on everybody’s mind! To kids, summer often means no school. And with kids out of school, summer is a common time for family vacations.

Family vacations vary drastically depending on the type of activities they enjoy doing. Some families enjoy camping and spending late nights around a campfire roasting s’mores, while others like to head to the beach for some sun and sand. There are even families that like to explore big cities. No matter what families like to do on vacation, getting to their travel destination often means loading up the car for a road trip. Even with cell phones, iPods, iPads, DVD players and more, it is easy to get bored on a long car ride! To prevent answering “Are we there yet?” multiple times, try playing these fun road trip games!

The Alphabet Game

For this game, you’ll want to pay attention to billboards, road signs, or anything with lettering that is outside the car. As you’re driving down the road, you’ll be looking for the letters of the alphabet, in alphabetical order. The whole car can play this game as a group or make it a competition by creating teams or playing solo to see who can find all the letters of the alphabet first! You can also play this game by using just license plates.




The Counting Game

A great game for little kids that can keep them occupied for a long time as long as you pick a good item! The game is simple, tell kids to count the number of red cars, or cars with bumper stickers, or license plates from a certain state. If you pick something with a high volume, kids often stay busy for a good chunk of time!

The Picnic Game

Each round of the picnic game starts with “I went to a picnic and I brought…” The first play finishes the sentence with something that starts with the letter A, such as asparagus. The second player repeats the phrase “I went to a picnic and I brought…” followed by the item that starts with A and adds an item that starts with B, like blueberries. The game continues as you repeat each item through the whole alphabet. If your kids don’t like the idea of going on a picnic, try this game on the way home using the phrase ”I went on a vacation and I saw…” It will be a great way to relive some of your trip! 


This post was provided by a contributor from America by Rail, a provider of luxury train vacations

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Top 10 things to do in Singapore

I have been to Singapore a few times so I wanted to share a short list of things I would suggest to anyone traveling there:

Night Safari - The Night Safari is what you would typically expect of a guided safari tour except you get to see what the animals do at night. They also have a really good show with some Servals that were amazing as well as fire dancers for entertainment while you eat in the food court. It is open from 7:30 pm to 11 pm.

English: Display board at the entrance of Juro...
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Jurong Bird Park - There are over 9,000 birds and 600 species at Jurong Bird Park. The park is known to be one of Asia Pacific’s most impressive bird parks.

Merlion Park - A must for a tourist. Everyone has at least one photo of them standing in front of it!

Singapore River - Taking a walk around the river is a really great way to see the city and enjoy the scenery! 

Massage - Get a massage!! You will always need one after a long flight and they have really good deals everywhere! Check out the numerous shopping malls or ask at your hotel.

Singapore Duck Tour - A tour that takes place in a half-boat / half-truck sightseeing vehicle that takes you for a city drive and a harbor cruise.

Sentosa Island - At Sentosa Island, you can swim with the dolphins or visit Underwater World.

Shopping - Go shopping at Suntec City where you will find the world’s largest fountain. Or check out the 24 hour mall called Mustafa Centre. 

An interior shot of the Raffles Hotel, Singapore
Interior of the Raffles Hotel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Raffles Hotel - If you don't have the money to spend the night, visit the hotel just to have a look! It is the most expensive hotel in Singapore and it even has its own drink - the “Singapore Sling”.

Boat Quay & Clarke Quay - Lots of restaurants and nightlife all right on the river. It is a major area for locals, expatriates, and tourists!

If you've visited Singapore and have any other things to do or would like to comment on my suggestions please feel free!

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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Tokyo Attractions

Tokyo tower
Tokyo tower (Photo credit: apple 94)
Tokyo, the capital city of Japan, lies at the center of the most populated area in the world, Greater Tokyo. This wealthy metropolis of Japan is a wondrous amalgam of hi-tech modernity and ancient Japanese heritage. Despite its population of 32 million people, Tokyo is one of the most courteous cities in the world. There are many Tokyo attractions that make a visit to the city worthwhile.

Among the popular Tokyo attractions is Tokyo Disney Park, the third most visited Disney Park in the world. The first Disney Park built outside the US, it is not owned by the Walt Disney Company. There are quite a few Disneyland hotels built around the park to attract visitors to the picturesque location.

Gorilla at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo
Gorilla at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Other great places to see in Tokyo are Ueno Zoo, Tokyo Sea Life Park, Hakone and Mount Fuji, and Sanrio Puro Land. The Ueno zoological garden is the oldest zoo in Japan, and a must on any Tokyo sightseeing itinerary. With over 2,650 animals from 465 different species, the zoo is quite a visual treat. Other Tokyo tourist places include the Tokyo Sea Life Park, a large aquarium located in the Kasai Rinkai Park, which is sure to captivate you. The Shingawa underwater aquarium is famous for its entertaining sea lions and dolphins.

Fiji and Hakone are places you must visit. You can get passes for the areas that are valid for three days. These passes allow you to avail of return transport and admission to various tourist attractions in this area at reduced prices. There are various kinds of transport like cable car, sightseeing cruise, bus, train and ropeway through which you can enjoy the scenic beauty of Mount Fuji and Fuji Five Lakes.

One of the major Tokyo tourist places is the Sanrio Puro Land indoor theme park. It includes attractions like the Discovery Theater, Sanrio character boat ride, Time Machine of Dreams and Kitty’s House — each one a sheer entertainer. You can definitely have a great time doing some Tokyo sightseeing.