Travel Tips: Ways To Survive The Holiday Airport Rush

Tomorrow is not the busiest travel day of the year. It’s not even the busiest travel day of Thanksgiving week — that would be Sunday. But the day before Thanksgiving is a busy day indeed for airlines, and with the holiday travel season here, we wanted to provide some invaluable tips for making airline travel better for you.

Trust us, you’ll want all the advice you can get. If you’ve got a flight tomorrow, you’re joining a bit less than 2.5 million people taking to the skies. A bit more than 2.5 million will fly Sunday. All told, airlines expect to fly 1.5 percent more people this Thanksgiving season than they did during the same period last year.

To make matters worse there is a heavy winter storm bearing down on the eastern part of the country.  This will mean delays, cancel flights and bad tempers.

According to travel experts, the best day to travel for Thanksgiving is actually the day of. If you can’t get a jump start on your vacation, consider leaving the morning of Thanksgiving, when most have already reached their final destination and most airlines offer reduced fare options.

All airlines suggest customers arrive hours before their scheduled boarding time during regular travel periods in order to allow an adequate amount of time to get through security. While the normal time frame, a minimum of two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights, will usually ensure you don’t miss your flight, but it is recommended adding extra time to allow for the expanded number of passengers traveling around the Thanksgiving holiday.

Not only will carrying on your luggage save you time at the airport, it will also ensure that you have the essentials handy in the case of an emergency. During the holiday season (especially during a winter storm watch) it isn’t uncommon for flights to be canceled or heavily delayed. Having your basics such as a change of clothes, medications and toiletries handy (remember: only liquids and gels in 3.4-ounce containers or smaller allowed), will make airport delays all the more bearable.

Speaking of weather-related delays, checking and double-checking your airline reservations will only ensure a more stress-free holiday travel experience. Checking in virtually 24 hours before your flight, and reconfirming your seat reservation, is a smart plan of actions if you’re planning to get out of town for Thanksgiving Day.

Not only will preparing for the security screening process, such as remembering to place liquids in plastic baggies, taking off your shoes and jackets, and placing metal and other objects in bins help, but utilizing the TSA’s prescreening process can also add less time to your travel time. Passengers 12 years of age and under and 75 and older, known travelers or active duty service members are allowed to apply for the TSAPre check process to potentially avoid the pat-down process.

We hope you have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving holiday.

Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you with all your reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

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Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
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Castillo De San Marcos National Monument Florida

A monument not only of stone and mortar but of human determination and endurance, the Castillo de San Marcos symbolizes the clash between cultures which ultimately resulted in our uniquely unified nation.  Still resonant with the struggles of an earlier time, these original walls provide tangible evidence of America’s grim but remarkable history.

Though its construction started in 1672 the Castillo de San Marcos’ history embodies the struggle and contest of the entire colonial era as well as the foundations of American identity.

The Monument site consists of 20.5 acres and includes a reconstructed section of the walled defense line surrounding the city of St. Augustine incorporating the original city gate. The Castillo de San Marcos' architecture and detail are distinctive and unique. It is the oldest masonry and only extant 17th century fort in North America. As such it is an excellent example of the "bastion system" of fortification.

The 300 years of the colonial era (c. 1500-1800) were ones of constant warfare. As European countries vied with each other for the economic wealth in the “New Worlds” they increasingly came into military conflict as well. Encounters starting in Europe, Africa, Asia or the Americas quickly escalated into international global warfare. The Castillo de San Marcos, though a remote outpost, weathered many attacks during these almost incessant colonial wars.

The Castillo de San Marcos was originally constructed to defend Florida against pirates hunting the Spanish treasure fleets traveling along the Gulf Stream.
 
Unique among National Parks, the Castillo de San Marcos embodies nearly 450 years of history and culture that can not be fully experienced in a single visit. A little planning ahead will help make the most of your time.

Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you with all your reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

Let Us Help You Get Lost

Choosing the right vacation is an important decision. Choosing the right agent is an even bigger decision. Don't leave your vacation to chance. Insist on the best, Rawhide Travel and Tours.

Whether business or pleasure, Rawhide Travel and Tours delivers. Internet Travel sites list hotels and destinations, but offer little else. Our years of experience in the industry will help you design the perfect traveling experience. From romantic getaways to large events, our experienced agents will handle all the details. Traveling does not need to be stressful. You can count on us for great value and dependable service.

We arrange travel air, land and sea. We can arrange the perfect destination package including, resorts, conference rooms and meeting locations, special events, and attractions.

Call us and start planning that special vacation or event today. 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
 rawhidetravel.com

In the News: NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Week, Las Vegas

The final checkered flag may have flown on this years season, but from December 3-8, NASCAR races into Las Vegas. That's when race fans descend on Las Vegas for the fifth annual post-season NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Week. Join the Chase for the Sprint Drivers as they take over the Las Vegas Strip, complete with Q&A, a game show and a victory lap, culminating in the Sprint Cup Series Awards. Check out these three interactive fan-favorite events that let you in on what it's like in the driver's seat.

Fanfest presented by Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Fremont Street Experience is home to Fanfest on Wednesday, December 4, which kicks off at 1:30 p.m. with the arrival of the 13 Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers. After the drivers walk the red carpet, they'll take to the stage for an only-in-Vegas game show. Audience members will have a chance to win tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards on Friday, December 6. Free to the public, nascar.com

NASCAR Victory Lap
Head to Las Vegas Boulevard near the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood where the NASCAR Victory Lap starts with a green flag at 3:30 p.m on Thursday, December 5. Watch the 13 Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers parade down the Strip, complete with a pit stop in front of the iconic Fountains of Bellagio. To get a full feel for the NASCAR experience, there will be driver introductions, two burnout sections and viewing areas along the route. Free to the public, nascar.com

NASCAR After the Lap
On Thursday, December 5, one of the big fan favorites, NASCAR After the Lap features all 13 drivers as they tell all from the confines of The Pearl at the Palms. Sponsored by Ford and Coca-Cola, the 90-minute Q&A session reveals secrets from series, as well as celebrates the newly crowned champion. As those who have attended in previous years can attest, there are always some surprises After the Lap. Jeff Gordon breakdancing? Denny Hamlin doing the Dougie? Who knows what will happen this year? 5 p.m., $20, proceeds benefit The NASCAR Foundation, nascarafterthelap.com

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

Unique Holiday Destinations: San Juan, Puerto Rico

There are only twelve days of Christmas, right? Not in Puerto Rico. This U.S. commonwealth begins its celebrations the day after Thanksgiving and keeps the Yuletide spirit flowing until the feast of the three kings on January 6. During the six-week-long festivity, visitors can enjoy the Christmas decorations seen at homes, businesses and throughout the streets.

While you're there, you should also witness one of Puerto Rico's famous holiday traditions - group caroling called parrandas. Visitors to this Caribbean locale can also experience unique holiday culinary customs like lechón asado (roast pig on a spit) a coconut pudding called Tembleque, or the sweet sap from a Chilean palm tree, coquito.

 The holiday season may get started earlier, and the buildup to the big day is similar to ours, but once the 25th rolls around, there are two weeks of family get togethers, parties, food, more parties, drinking, and one final family celebration on January 6, Three Kings Day. Old San Juan makes a good base, but a relative’s or friend’s house is even better.

How many places in the U.S. can light up an ancient city that's more than 500 years old? That's the true magic of the Christmas lights in Puerto Rico: the timeless colonial beauty of Old San Juan decorated with the colorful whimsy and brilliance of the holiday season.

Puerto Rico is well known as a shopaholic's destination of choice, and not just during Christmas. But the holiday season is also a terrific time to get a special Christmas gift (like a hand-carved wooden saint, or santo), a uniquely 'Rican souvenir, something shiny for a loved one, or even a great bottle of rum!

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

10 Travel Photography Tips

Irish Tree copyright 2005 H R Litman

1. Get lost
Wander down alleys. Sit in cafés and watch life pass by. Don't eat where the tourists do, but where you see locals. Just set off down a street and see where it leads. Look around the bends, over the rises. Get away from the crowd.

2. Get up Early
The best light to capture most kinds of subjects is in the golden hours- one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset (depend off course on where you are on the globe). So get up early to get that amazing photo opportunities, while all the other tourists are still asleep.

3. Learn your Craft
Don’t waste your expensive traveling time on learning how to operate that new camera, lens or flash. Do your homework at home.

4. Edit on the spot
You're not going to want to come back home and spend a long time at your computer going over eight images of the same thing. Delete the bad ones while you're still in front of the subject (if there's time). Be selective even before taking your picture: Spend a little more time making one photograph rather than randomly pointing your camera in every direction.

5. Move in
Zooming can degrade photo quality. Let your feet do the work when you want to get closer.

6. Be sure to back up your photos
There are few things more annoying than going to take a shot and finding that the card is full or the battery is flat. It’s all too easy to leave images on a memory card, and then forget whether you’ve transferred them to your computer.

7. Avoid boring shots of buildings
When you are photographing buildings, statues, or other monuments, think about what they represent before you shoot. For example: There's a large statue of Vulcan outside Birmingham, Alabama. You could make a perfectly nice image of him standing on his hill on a sunny day, but such a picture would not say a lot about who Vulcan is. A photograph on a stormy evening, with perhaps lightning in the background, would. Cannons on a historic battlefield might look better in fog than in bright sunlight. Get the idea of the subject, then think of the weather, light, angle, etc. that best communicates it.

8. Feel the Place
Photography is not only about visual inspiration. Try the local food, smell local markets and hear local music, this will help you to better understand the story of the place.

9. Say Hello
People help your photos capture the life of places you visit. Learn how to say “Hello” in the local Language, and greet the locals and ask to take their photo. It leads to a conversation and you get some great local advice.

10. Don't photograph everything
Even accomplished professionals say a photograph never trumps the experience of real life. Don’t try to see everything on your limited time. It is much smarter to get a better understanding about each place you visit on your journey. Slow things down, and your images will get better.

Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you with all your reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

Fort Sumter National Monument South Carolina

Decades of growing strife between North and South erupted in civil war on April 12, 1861, when Confederate artillery opened fire on this Federal fort in Charleston Harbor. Fort Sumter surrendered 34 hours later. Union forces would try for nearly four years to take it back.

The first shot of the American Civil War didn't hit anything. It was a 10-inch mortar shell, fired from Fort Johnson, that exploded above Fort Sumter as a signal for Confederate artillery to open fire on the Union-held fort.

Fort Sumter is located on an island in Charleston harbor and is only accessible by boat. Visitors without their own boat cannot reach Fort Sumter from Fort Moultrie. A concession-operated ferry service takes visitors to Fort Sumter from downtown Charleston and Mount Pleasant.

At the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center, Liberty Square offers a connection by the Cooper River where visitors may sit, rest, read and watch the harbor traffic in a very pleasant setting.

Fort Sumter is designated historic, so recreational activities are limited to passive pursuits such as scenic viewing and bird watching. Ranger talks are offered to each group of visitors who arrive by ferry. Wayside exhibits interpret the historic resources found throughout the site and the vistas visible from the observation level.

Fort Sumter's island was constructed with a foundation of over 70,000 tons of granite and other rock. For over a decade contractors from as far away as New York and the Boston area delivered this material by ship and dumped it on a shoal in Charleston Harbor.

Fort Moultrie (Sullivan's Island) can be toured using the self-guided brochure. Interpretive wayside exhibits are posted throughout the fort. By using these signs and the park brochure, visitors guide themselves through the fort traveling back in time from World War II to the Revolutionary War.

Fort Moultrie is the only unit of the National Park System where the entire 171 year history of American seacoast defense (1776-1947) can be traced.

Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you with all your reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com