Maui is one of the islands found in Hawaii. It is known as
the second largest island in Hawaii and it is also called
Valley Isle. It is one of the more visited islands of
Hawaii because of its favorable weather. Maui rental
property is fast becoming a priority with lots of
visitors. Maui has been ranked several times as “Best
Island in the World” and this is one of the reasons why
Maui has become a popular year-round vacation destination.
Other than this, Maui has so many sceneries that it can
boast about especially its beautiful beaches. This is
complimented with the numerous world-class resorts,
wonderful restaurants, overwhelming shopping destinations
and the limitless activities that one can do while
vacationing in Maui. These are just some of the reasons why
so many people fall in love with the island. Due to all
these wonderful positives, people end up considering
renting a property in Maui.

There are several places that one can rent in Maui like in
Kihei, Kahului, Lahaina, and Haiku to name a few. Some of
these Maui rental properties can be rented for as short as
one day or as long as one year. There are owners who can
give different lease terms to those who want to consider a
Maui rental property. Some of these Maui rentals are
furnished and some are unfurnished. There are studio
rentals and some lofts. There are 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom and
even 3-bedroom Maui rental properties for you to choose
from.

Things to Consider

There are several things to consider when choosing Maui
rental property. Below are some tips for those who wish to
find a property rental in Maui.

First of all, find all the Maui rental property agents you
can possibly find. You can surf the net to see the
different Maui rental properties available. There are many
choices of the kind of property rental you would prefer,
such as a condo or maybe a house, how many bedrooms,
possibly a studio. The most important choice of all is the
location of your Maui rental property. Do you want a
beachfront rental or do you want more greenery?

Second, find out if your desired Maui rental property has
all the amenities that you are looking for.

Third, cost will be an important factor in picking a rental
property. Once you’ve decided on the location, the type,
you need to confirm that it fits your budget, making sure
that there are no added fees aside from the rental fee.

Fourth, learn more about your surroundings. Try to find out
what kind of area you’ll be staying at. Learn more about
the community. This will be very helpful during your stay
in your Maui rental property.

Lastly, find out the various activities available near your
desired rental. There may be different water sports that
you might enjoy. Are there nearby tourist attraction that
you can visit? Just simply find out all you can about your
location and this will certainly make the stay in your Maui
rental property much more enjoyable and very memorable.

Charles & Susan Truett are the website owners of Maui
Realtors Online. For a comprehensive listing of Maui
Properties, visit:
maui-realtors-online.partnersinsuccess.net/ maui-realtors-online.partnersinsuccess.net/

Trekking is a great outdoor activity because it is cheap and you can do it practically anywhere. Indiana is such an example and there is more than enough to wet the taste of any backpacker.

Backpackers and Indiana

While in the Midwest, you are never really far away from great hiking and climbing adventures. Trekking in Indiana can be especially rewarding, with a number of different sites available to suit any of your adventuring needs. Depending on your stamina, and whether you are traveling with children or inexperienced hikers, there are trails ranging from short walks in the Muscatatuk National Wildlife Refuge to the longest hiking trail in Indiana, Knobstone Trail.

Knobstone Trail starts at Deam Lake in the Southern Indiana Knobs area, and continues for 59 miles to Delaney Park in the north. There are several different legs of the trail that are mapped out for hiking, and any of these legs can be combined to create as long of a hike as you wish. The trail passes through Clark State Forest, Elk Creek Public Fishing Area, and Jackson-Washington State Forest. While using the Knobstone Trail, you’ll be encountering an environment that many outdoors people compare to the Appalachian Trail (in fact, some people use the Knobstone Trail to train for the Appalachian Trail).

This trail runs across many different types of terrain because of its length and the areas it crosses through. As the Knobstone Trail runs along the Knobstone Escarpment, it contains many areas of elevation as well as sunken areas, so be prepared to do a bit of climbing. The trail also crosses some major roads at different points, so it is very important to be cautious when hiking these areas. Camping is allowed along the trail, but many other outdoor activities are prohibited because of erosion and other risks to the environment. The Knobstone Trail is a hiking-only trail, and no bikes or other modes of transportation are allowed.

If you remember to obey the rules of the land, hiking in Indiana can be an exciting adventure. Be sure to prepare yourself thoroughly for your trip on Knobstone Trail by packing all necessities and obtaining maps before setting out. Everything brought onto the trail (such as supplies) must be brought out again, and organic wastes should be buried. It is also recommended that you register at one of the offices within the State Parks or Forests if you plan to spend the night on the trail, for your own safety, though it is not required.

Rick Chapo is with Nomad Journals – makers of nomadjournals.com/journals.cfm gifts for dad. Visit us to read more articles about nomadjournaltrips.com/backpacking_backpacker backpacking.

Neighbourhoods:

Toronto has a multitude of ethnic neighbourhoods, including Greektown (where the action keeps going until way after midnight), Little Italy, Corso Italia, 3 Chinatowns, Korea Town, Little Poland, Little India, Portugal Village. Other ethnic communities also congregate in certain parts of town and you can explore Jewish, Russian, Ukrainian, Somalian and many other restaurants and stores. There you can browse for ethnic food, fashion and art from far away places and check out delicacies from the entire world in Toronto’s more than 7000 restaurants.

In addition to the ethnic flavour that Toronto so plentifully offers, there are a variety of other unique neighbourhoods. Downtown has several interesting areas to visit:

- the Financial District with all its skyscrapers. It also houses the “underground city” – 11 km (6 miles) of interconnecting passageways under the streets that feature more than 1,200 retail stores and services.

- the Downtown Entertainment District – bars and dance clubs galore

- Queen Street West – a hip and eclectic shopping area

- the Gay Village: this is where Toronto’s large gay and lesbian community congregates. Here you can find bars, shops, restaurants and open-air patios

- the Fashion District with a myriad of fashion outlet stores and loft apartments that were converted from 19th century factories

- Harbourfront with its boat cruises and the ferry terminal, restaurants and art, theatre and music venues

- Rosedale and Forest Hill: two stately very upscale neighbourhoods in a park-like setting

- Cabbagetown: a former working class area, it now houses beautiful renovated Victorian homes

- the Distillery District: North America’s best preserved collection of Victorian industrial architecture, formerly the Gooderham & Worts Distillery founded in 1832. It now houses galleries, artist studios and workshops, boutiques, retail stores, restaurants, bars and cafés

- The Beaches, one of my favourite areas, with its shops, parks, sports facilities, bike trails and beach volleyball facilities are Toronto’s version of California on the waterfront.

Check out more information on Toronto’s neighbourhoods here.

Main Sights and Architecture

Being a relatively young city, Toronto has a rather eclectic mix of architecture which includes

- the CN Tower, at 553 m the world’s highest free-standing structure

- the Skydome, a modern multi-purpose stadium with a retractable roof

- the shiny downtown skyscrapers

- Historic Fort York, the site of the Battle of York during the War 1812 and the birthplace of modern Toronto

- Old City Hall, built in the Richardson Romanesque style

- the campus of the University of Toronto, Canada’s largest university

- Casa Loma, built in the 1920s as a dream castle by Sir Henry Pellat, a wealthy famous Toronto industrialist

- Queens Park, the provincial government buildings, also built in Romanesque style

Culture: Theatre, Music, Museums

Toronto is the 3rd largest theatre centre in the world. Here you can enjoy Broadway-style musicals, homegrown productions, traveling road shows and classical concerts. Some of the great theatre and music venues include the Royal Alexandra Theatre, the Princess of Wales Theatre, the Elgin/Winter Garden Theatre, the Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts, Royal Thomson Hall and many others.

A more complete list of theatres and production companies can be found at this link:
www.showmetoronto.com/toronto_theatres.htm

Toronto also boasts a great diversity of cultural institutions and museums:

- the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum)

- the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario)

- the Bata Shoe Museum

- the Hockey Hall of Fame

- the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art

- the Bay of Spirits Gallery – Toronto’s finest collection of native arts and crafts

- Black Creek Pioneer Village: a collection of 40 restored homes, tradeshops, public and farm buildings, with interpreters and artisans in period dress

- The Holocaust Centre of Toronto

- The Ontario Science Centre

Markets and Shopping:

- St. Lawrence Market: the city’s original market, where farmers, artists and artisans ply their wares. Known for the freshness and high quality of its meat, fish and farm products.

- Kensington Market: known in the 1920s as the Jewish Market, Kensington Market today is a collection of merchants from around the world. Here you can find fishmongers, street musicians, impromptu speechmakers and shoppers all crowding the streets.

- The Eaton Centre, Toronto’s famous indoor shopping mall, built around an airy atrium, features 285 stores in the heart of downtown Toronto. It is one of Canada’s great public spaces.

- The Bloor Street/Yorkville holds many upscale designer boutiques, antique shops, galleries, spas and restaurants.

www.torontotourism.com
www.city.toronto.on.ca
www.toronto.com
www.torinfo.com
www.showmetoronto.com

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions( travelandtransitions.com travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.

Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest( travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River.

“Life is a Journey ­ Explore New Horizons”.

The interview with photos is published at travelandtransitions.com/travel_tips/green_travel.htm Travel and Transitions – Interviews

Why are baby boomers taking such a huge interest in vacation ownership and timeshares? Let’s look at a few main points. First, over time the cost of everything has gone up. Our homes cost more than 10 years ago, our cars cost as much a some of our parent’s first homes, education costs skyrocketed, and hotel costs and travel are much higher than years past. Most people believe that we’re not going back to the days of the nickel bag of peanuts at the ball game. It’s not happening. We have to face reality and do something about our future money and fun.

We’re not going to argue about the level of inflation but if we believe that prices will increase for travel and entertainment in the future, we can take steps in the present to lock in costs and have a good idea how to plan and better enjoy our future vacations and fun times with family and loved one. It’s about making vacation ownership or timeshare part of our retirement planning.

How can we consider vacation ownership or timeshare? Like anything else, you decide what you want and set goals and take steps to get what you want. In vacation ownership and timeshare you have to make some choices. The best way to make those choices is to take time with some vacation ownership and timeshare professionals to discuss your retirement dreams , goals, and desires. Ask yourself, where do I want to go and what to I want to see or experience while I’m alive?

Make a list if that helps you of the places you want to go and how many people you want to take with you on those trips. A vacation can be whatever you want to create. It can be 1 hour from home at a resort so that you just have a change of scenery and get out of the house or it can be a huge journey or adventure that you create in another country, many time zones away. It doesn’t matter, it’s your life and you probably want to know how to enjoy it better and make more of your dreams a reality, not impossible fantasy.

Often people will say that they will make their dreams happen “someday.” I heard that so often that I researched and tried to figure out when “someday” will arrive. I figured it out..”Someday is in the month of Nevuary when the blue moon appears.” Today, not someday, is the time to take control of your future vacation dollars, decide what you’d like to accomplish, the number of days you’d like to have fun, and get with the professionals who can guide you in making your plans a reality.

Purchasing a vacation ownership or timeshare can allow you to have a plan that you own that you can get paid off, preferably now while you’re working, and then enjoy for the rest of your years , and ultimately share with friends and family and then pass on in your estate or sell if you don’t have anyone you like or love you want to leave the ownership to. Without a plan, you might have the time but then sacrifice the quality of your vacations if you haven’t planned for them and figured out the best use of your money. Enjoy your retirement and plan for it now.

Lori Wilk, MBA, is a Las Vegas Strip Performer, not a stripper. She makes daily humourous vacation ownership presentations on the Las Vegas Strip. She’s is an author of business and self-help books and host of the internet talk show “Successipes” at success-talk.com/. success-talk.com/. Lori looks forward to meeting many of you soon at Successipes2008 in Las Vegas. If you enjoyed this article go to loriwilkarticles.com/ loriwilkarticles.com/

c.2007 Lori Wilk All rights reserved.