New York City also known as the Big Apple, the city that never sleeps is one of the biggest cities in the world. New York is the center of business affairs, music, art and culture. You can get in New York by plane, train and bus. There are many airports; John F. Kennedy International Airport is the biggest the best way to get from hear to Manhattan is by cab; two railway stations Penn station and Grand Central terminal; and many bus stations. Greyhound is the major private bus company in the States. Once in New York you should definitely buy a map because even though there is a large network of transportation means you can easily get lost.

There are a great number of landmarks the most popular ones are: The Statue of liberty opened every day of the year except on Christmas. You need to take the ferry to get here and it would wise to book a place on the ferry. The Brooklyn Bridge has a fantastic view over Manhattan, Time Square, Lincoln Center, Rockefeller Plaza, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Empire State Building, and World Trade Center Site and may others.

Metropolitan Museum of Art the biggest museum in the west hemisphere, it is so big you cannot visit it in only one day but it is worth your time. Visiting the El Museo del Barrio should be an interesting experience because is the only museum dedicated to Porto Rican art. There are an enormous number of art, culture, science and technology museums with great exhibitions. You should visit the Lower Manhattan on foot because is a great feeling to look up and see the famous skyscrapers. There are many different companies that offer bus tours of the city but due to heavy traffic the tours take a long time. For entertainment you can choose from a large variety of Broadway shows; New York has a great number of cinemas and theaters, you should buy the Time Out New York the best entertainment guide. There is practically a cafeteria, bar, club, pub, restaurant at every corner therefore you shouldn’t have problems finding a place where you can drink a beer or eat a good meal.

travelgde.com travel vacation | travelgde.com/New-York.html New York

Whether you are refurbishing, buying an existing property or building a new facility hotel financing can be a tricky investment. Understanding all of the aspects of raising working capital and being able to make construction loan and mortgage payments prior to the hotel realizing a profit is important to the success of the project.

Before any attempt can be made to secure hotel financing a working business plan must be developed. A valid plan usually covers all aspects of the operation from turning the first shovel of dirt for new construction through at least 10 years past the expected date of loan payoff. If you are unable to show how any and all loans and debt will be eliminated over time, without the need for additional debt, there is little chance your hunt for hotel financing will be successful.

Regardless of how many business partners are involved each one will want assurances that their investment is a secure one and that an escape route, in case of total business failure, is not limited to selling the property at any given point. In other words, you cannot have a plan stating if something goes wrong and you cannot afford the payments, you will sell the building and return their money.

Initial Equity Can Be Good Selling Point

How much of an initial investment you are capable of making can be the deciding factor in obtaining hotel financing. If you can begin with 25 percent of the total project cost for example, it should be easy to finance 75 percent. Keep in mind, your investment will be for the construction cost and most of your initial earnings from operation will go to the other 75 percent of costs. You will still need fund to pay for day to day operations and other expenses such as franchise fees and advertising.

For instance, if your hotel financing plan for construction is a $30 million facility, by the end of construction the cost, with loan payments could rise to about $35 million or more, depending on interest rates. You must also, in your plan, look at the ramifications if the interest rate rises. You can look at history and project an interest rate increase based on a similar time frame rate increase for the immediate past. Meaning, if you are looking at the first five years of operation, look at the rate increase for the most recent past five years and figure that percentage increase into your plan.

Copyright © John Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

John Hanna has cruised the world on all of the top cruise lines and stayed in most of the world’s top hotels. He recently sold his bricks & mortar company to expand his internet consulting business. Visit his other Websites at:

Perhaps people have suggested to you the idea of taking a cruise vacation, but you are not the type who cares for tropical palms and sandy beaches. Well, I think you are mistaken in your impression about cruise holidays. They are not just for visiting the South Seas and other sunny parts of the world. They also travel to more rugged frontiers. Some expeditions that may be more to your liking may include the Royal Caribbean Cruises to Alaska.

Now, this is the tour for wilderness lovers who also enjoy ocean travel and wouldn’t mind having the luxurious accommodations of an ocean cruise liner on the way. The Alaskan cruise features both a land tour of the great outdoors and an exhilarating cruise on the northern seas. It is your choice whether to go on the land tour first followed by the sea cruise, or do it the opposite way.

What can you expect on the land tour in Alaska? Well, you get to take a through some of the most beautiful parts of the wild Alaskan frontier. The scenery you will experience will be nothing short of breath-taking, and you are sure to fill up your digital camera’s memory with countless images. You can hike on majestic trails, or go on an excursion using mountain bikes. You can even ride on a helicopter that will take you to a journey across the remote Alaskan ice fields. And of course, what land tour in Alaska would be complete if you didn’t go on a dog sled ride?

One of the main stops on the land tour is Juneau, a city on the southern panhandle of Alaska. Its origins lie in the nineteenth century Alaskan gold rush; it was settled sometime in 1880 after prospectors (including Joe Juneau) found gold nuggets around Gold Creek. Juneau is a unique place, situated as it is in the middle of deep forests, mountains, glaciers, and inter-coastal waterways. Juneau is also the capital of Alaska and has been so since 1906. The capital city is a great base for forays into the wilderness, which is still home to many wild creatures including bears. There are also places around Juneau where you can watch the salmons or even see whales.

Another great cruise attraction is the Hubbard Glacier, which is the longest tidewater glacier in the state. It is a very active glacier and in fact it has been advancing for at least a century and continues to do so today, sometimes leading to dangerous overflows. The Hubbard Glacier has a length of some 76 miles from its source to the sea, stopping just north of Yakutat in Disenchantment Bay.

Do you want to find great articles on thecruisetravelguide.info/ holiday cruises? Check out thecruisetravelguide.info thecruisetravelguide.info

On a trip to Africa I went hiking with my friend, Colin, on his ranch in Kenya. The trail varied between rock and brush. Colin’s dog, Uzuri, came with us, sometimes running ahead of us, sometimes following behind, but almost never on the trail. Well into the hike we encountered a section of trail infested with burrs. Soon Uzuri came up next to me. She was limping on three legs, obviously having picked up a burr.

I called the dog over and looked at her troubled paw. When Colin came up behind me, I asked him the best way to remove the burrs. He replied, “Oh, I don’t do that. I let her sort it out. Otherwise, I’ll spend all my time out here picking burrs off her.” I put her paw down and, sure enough, moments later she was running along next to us again on all fours, the burr gone and forgotten.

As we hiked, I thought about Colin’s words and actions. He lives in a country where self-reliance is a necessity, not a luxury. In a land as brutal and harsh as Africa, people and animals must be strong and learn to depend on themselves. Without independence no living thing lasts long in the African bush.

Principles That Work in the Bush Also Work in Business

This principle also applies in our world, the world of business. Sometimes when faced with a business challenge, we must figure it out on our own. If we come up with our own solutions, we grow stronger. Excessive reliance on others for our success merely weakens us. Soon even the simplest task becomes difficult. Challenges we once conquered with relish and ease become nearly impossible.

Goethe said, “That which doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.” His words, while a bit overly dramatic, ring true for all entrepreneurs. You don’t usually die in business. You may suffer some injuries – to your pride, your reputation, your pocketbook or your dreams. But if you don’t learn to be independent, your dreams may die, and they’ll certainly always be in someone else’s hands, not your own.

My sympathy for Uzuri caused me to almost intervene to her detriment. If I had helped her, I would have had a friend for life. Instead, Colin encouraged me to let her be independent. The next time she picks up a burr, she’ll handle it like a pro. She won’t limp back to the main house looking for Colin or me.

Mentors Help You Become Your Own Burr Removing Expert

Mentors play a similar role for you. They will guide you and teach you how to remove your own burrs. But a mentor won’t protect you from every burr or help you every time you get one. They know that removing burrs for you keeps you from experimenting and learning the vital skill of independence. They appreciate the wisdom of the old saying: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day – teach him to fish, and you feed him forever.

This doesn’t mean you should never ask for help in removing a burr. Some burrs are too big or too thorny to pull out by yourself. The successful person knows when to ask for help and when to “just do it!” They also know that the taste of victory is never so sweet as when it comes from your own efforts.

May you never have a dream you can’t attain or a burr too big to pick out. Got to go! I’ve got a big burr to remove!

Inc. Top 10 Entrepreneur Vickie L. Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD is the founder and president of Vickie Milazzo Institute, the oldest and largest legalnurse.com legal nurse consultant training and certification company. Credited by The New York Times with pioneering the LNCEzine.com legal nurse consulting profession in 1982. She is the author of the bestselling InsideEveryWoman.com self help book for women, Inside Every Woman: Using the 10 Strengths You Didn’t Know You Had to Get the Career and Life You Want Now.

If you are a wine aficionado, Mendocino County offers a tasting paradise. Stay at one of the rejuvenation retreats in Mendocino and you have a double delight.

Mendocino County in California is a great family and romantic vacation destination. Whether you’re heading here for the coastal delights of the beach and water sports, or the great wines of California wine country, you can combine your other vacation activities with a trip to one of the many health retreats in the area.

Finding retreats in Mendocino is the easy part. Choosing which one you’d like to go to might be a little harder. All of the spas here offer such varied and comforting services that you might be tempted to try more than just one on your stay here.

One of the retreats available here is the Elk Cove Inn in Elk, California. This Inn is rated highly by the American Automobile Association, and its bed and breakfast atmosphere makes it a great vacation destination for both rejuvenation seekers and those who are just looking to relax. The health center at the Inn offers many different services, all in a European style. There are massages and facials, all done with organic and cruelty-free ingredients. The Elk Cove Inn recommends that you book treatments at least two weeks in advance so that you’ll be assured of getting the services you desire.

Another of the health retreats in Mendocino is the Sweetwater Spa and Inn, located in the town of Mendocino, California. Here, private cottages allow you to have a relaxing and secluded stay, while the rest of the time you can be enjoying Sweetwater Gardens, the resort’s hot tub and sauna spa. They also offer some of the best massages in the area, including aromatherapy, hot stone and deep tissue massages. There are also specials available, such as stay and spa packages, that will allow you to enjoy the atmosphere with someone special, or just to relax on your own.

It doesn’t matter which of the many resorts and health retreats in Mendocino you choose for your experience, you’ll be sure to have a great time in a rejuvenating atmosphere. The beautiful California wine country, combined with the nearness of the beach, makes this area of the state a great place for any type of relaxing vacation.

Richard Rspad is with ResortSpaDestinations.com – reviews and articles on resortspadestinations.com/resorts resorts. Visit us to read resortspadestinations.com/spa spa articles as well.

Paris is the essence of all things French. With its gourmet selection of the finest garlic, cheese, chocolate, wine, and seafood, and its romantic and overwhelming ambience along its breezy boulevards, stunning monuments, impressive landscapes, great works of art and magic lights, Paris will indeed kindle all your senses.

Visiting Paris is great all year round. It is beautiful in the springtime and has all sorts of cultural events in the winter. In the summer, when the heat is sizzling and the climate is warm and lazy, Paris becomes a relaxing paradise. Finding a place to stay is not difficult. Paris is the home of all lodge types, whether you’re looking for a guest house, a residence inn, town house, suite, bed and breakfast, studio apartment, villa farm, inn, vacation club, or any other type of hotels.

In addition to the convenience and relaxing ambience inside Paris hotels, you can also enjoy the world-famous tourist spots nearby. These hotels are splendidly located all over Paris. Most are situated in lively districts like Gare St-Lazare, and along the world-famous business and tourism streets like Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Most glamorous shops and prominent department stores such as Place Vendome, Galeries Lafayette, and Printemps, are within walking distance of the Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Opera and Louvres, Latin Quarter and Cite Internationale.

You can choose to stay in the hotels that offer fascinating views of the historical Parc Montsouris, the Eiffel Tower, Invalides Dome, and the typical Parisian square Place Pigalle, overlooking Saint German des Pres Church, Notre Dame Cathedral, Pantheon and the Sorbonne. Or, you can check in close to the artist and painter district that’s one of the most picturesque quarters of Paris, where Le Sacre Coeur and Butte Montmartre are found.

There are hotels that are just a few minutes away from Palais des Congres of Porte Maillot, Place des Vosges and the Cultural Center Georges Pompidou, the Opera Bastille, and many museums, from the Carnavalet to the Picasso. With just a stroll, you can get to Moulin Rouge and the most elegant restaurants, bars, clubs, and cafes like Café des Deux Magots and Café de Flore.

You can surf the Internet for detailed information about Paris hotels, their locations, services, and facilities. You can also find easy reservations online with discounted rates.

i-ParisHotels.com Paris Hotels provides detailed information on Paris Hotels, Paris Luxury Hotels, Paris Casino Hotels, Paris Hotel Reservations and more. Paris Hotels is affiliated with Paris-Source.com Discount Flights Paris.

Currently so many general aviation manufacturers must burden the costs of increased liability from potential lawsuits. Even if an aircraft crash is pilot error, attorneys usually get involved with the families of the victims and this triggers a lawsuit. Lawsuits are costly and that means additional staff is needed in the legal department of the Aircraft Manufacturer and each time the products liability insurance increases.

If you look at a company like Mooney in Florida consider also their dilemma, super safety record compared to the “Doctor Killer” Bonanza V-tails or the Piper Malibu, with issues of behind power curve tork when going from zero to full throttle flipping over. A company like Cessna producing 39,000 C-172s has the economies of scale advantage, but the legal costs and insurance is still a huge chuck of change and the over all cost pie of an individual produced unit you see?

When I talked with an aviation Independent Commercial Insurance Agent who often calls on aviation underwriters for you for quotes on private planes he indicated and stated: “Lance, if you think your aircraft insurance is high, try the finish products liability insurance for the manufacturers.” We got to talking and I figure it is $50,000 for a Cessna products liability insurance per unit built and $25,000 cost for counsel, legal departments, etc.

No wonder China and India think they can build general aviation aircraft cheaper than us? We seem to be killing our manufacturing sector and this is not good for states like New Mexico and Colorado who would like to see General Aviation Manufacturing in their states and some of the jobs for all these future under 1 million dollar mini-light weight Biz Jets. And what about all those jobs in Wichita, KS too? Consider all this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” – Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/

It’s a coveted tourist destination; it’s the most celebrated and esteemed destination of Spain; it’s your wonderful playground for the tourists; it’s your Majorca, also known as Mallorca. Located off the coast in the Mediterranean Sea of Spain, your Majorca is the largest island of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Balearic Islands, an archipelago including Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera, and Cabrera.

Your Majorca has two mountainous regions occupying northwestern (Serra de Tramuntana or Tramuntana range) and eastern thirds of the island. Located in the municipality of Fornalutx, the Alfabia Mountains and Els Cornadors are the mountain ranges in Majorca. Puig Major (1,445m) is the highest peak in the Serra de Tramuntana of the Island. Your Mallorca has two bays, the Badia de Pollença and the larger Badia d’Alcúdia, on the northeast coast.

Your Majorca enjoys Mediterranean climate, with higher precipitation in the Serra de Tramuntana. Its summer is hot, and the winter is cool, and gets hilly chilly in the Tramuntana range that gets brief showers of snow. Your Majorca has always been darling of the Hollywood stars and Celebrities. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas, Michael Schumacher, Claudia Schiffer, Annie Lennox, Julian Lennon, Cynthia Charles, Boris Becker have maintained residences on the Island.

Your Majorca is a perfect vacation destination offering potpourri of beauties, beaches, oceanic pleasures, mountains, Mediterranean cuisine, museums, art galleries, parks, theaters, shopping malls, bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants, hotels, etc. Your Majorca offers you a wide range of tourist attractions including Palma de Mallorca (the capital), Playa de Palma, Bellver Castle, Santueri Castle, Palma Cathedral, Cuber Lake, Mallorca Caves, Aquacity, Marineland, Placa Major, Soller, Mallorca Harbour Front, Placa d’Espanya, Valldemossa, Serra de Tramuntana, and lot more.

Palma de Mallorca or Majorca, the island’s capital and largest city, is your “must visit” city on Majorca. Occupying the north western end of a bay in the south west of Majorca, Palma de Mallorca is your destination for Castell de Bellver (site of Muslim ruins, and museum of archaeological finds and classical sculptures), Pueblo Español (architectural museum), Banys Àrabs (the Arab bath building), Museo de Arte Español Contemporáneo (museum of contemporary art), and Catedral de Mallorca and Museo Catedralicio (Majorca’s spectacular cathedral & museum). La Seu is a Roman Catholic Cathedral located in Palma de Mallorca. Near to La Seu Cathedral, Almudaina Palace is the Muslim palace of the Banu Ganiya, at the edge of the port.

Reaching from Andratx to the Cap Formentor, the Serra de Tramuntana is the mountain chain running along the north-west coast of Majorca.The scenic mountain chain is your destination for cities, such as Sóller, Pollença, Alcúdia, and Andratx. Soller and Port de Soller are a beautiful town and a local fishing port/harbour. You can access the town by a scenic train journey from Palma, or by tram from Soller to Port de Soller. Mallorca Caves are one of the most visted sites of Majorca.

You can enter Majorca thru Palma de Mallorca airport. There are a number of discount airlines offering daily flights to the Majorca airport. You can also get a ferry to Palma de Mallorca from the other Balearic Islands or from several points on the Spanish coast, including Barcelona and Valencia. You can also get a ferry to Alcudia from Menorca.

Orson Johnson writes for Holiday Velvet, a website providing listings for apartments, bed and breakfasts, holiday-velvet.com/majorca Majorca apartments hotels and holiday-velvet.com/majorca Majorca vacation and holiday rentals

Are you longing for a break from work but cannot get away for too long? Have you ever thought of taking a day off to Houston for some world-class entertainment? Before you grab your car keys, how about booking a limousine for your quick getaway trip to Houston? If you want to have a relaxed and stress free trip, booking a limousine is the best choice to make.

Booking a limousine for your Houston trip is just a phone call away, or in some cases, a click of a mouse away, so why do you want to trouble yourself driving your own car? If you think that having the limousine all to yourself is a selfish thing to do, how about getting a few friends along with you? Once you have arranged for the limousine, just pack yourself and your friends into the limousine and tell the driver to take you to the Theatre District in downtown Houston.

The Theater District in downtown Houston is a great entertainment destination with over 2 million visitors annually. This 17-block area is home to some eight professional performing art organizations and five marvelous theatres. One of such is the Wortham Theater Center, that has two theaters with sophisticated lobbies and ample space for the performers and supporting personnel. Another theater that you and your limousine pals may want to go to would be The Alley Theater, which is just down the street from the Wortham Theater Center. The Alley Theater has a castle like appearance with nine towers and open air terraces. The inside of the theater is just as elegant with a grand spiral staircase, and there are 2 stages – the Large, which seats 824 while the Neuhaus Arena, can only accommodate 296 patrons.

After the theatre experience, tell your limousine driver to take you to the Shanghai River Restaurant for some Chinese dining. It is said to be a favorite place for white tablecloth dining and authentic Chinese flavors. Since the opening of Shanghai River Restaurant, they have consistently served first rate Hunan and Szechuan cuisine, using their homemade recipes. The ambience of Shanghai River Restaurant is understated elegance with crisp white linens and candlelight against the background of gleaming walnut paneling, beveled mirrors and crystal chandeliers, as well as antique Chinese screens.

When you and your limousine pals are through with dinner and feel that it is time for you to head on home, you will find your limousine driver waiting to do just that.

UsCoachwaysLimousine is a leading US-based limousine service provider with an impressive list of limousine service clients. Check out uscoachwayslimousine.com uscoachwayslimousine.com for more info.

Japan offers a wide range of accommodation options, but nothing is as quirky as a capsule hotel. The first capsule hotel opened in Osaka in 1979 and they can now be found in major cities across Japan. The capsule hotel idea has not taken off anywhere else though which makes for a unique Japanese accommodation experience.

Upon arrival you take your shoes off, as you would in a Japanese home, and place them into a shoe locker at the front entrance. Hand the locker key to reception and once you are done with check in formalities you are given another locker key attached to a wristband. The number on your wristband is your locker number and capsule number.

The hotel’s make the most of a small space, so The lockers aren’t built for long haul travel. The locker’s might only have enough room for a suit and an overnight bag. Capsule hotels are mainly frequented by business people staying in town overnight and people who have missed the last train home, so accommodating for bulging backpacks and unwieldy wheelie bags is not usually required. If you have larger bags you can leave them in a secured luggage room.

When you are ready for bed you go to the locker room and change into your usual nightwear. If you go to bed ala naturale, you are supplied with a yukata (Japanese bathing robe). You are also supplied with a Japanese stlye bath towel, which is about the size of a tea towel.

Now it is off to capsule. The capsules are located on multiple levels, separated into male and female floors. Climb in and draw the bamboo blind at the entrance hole and you are in your little Japanese bolthole for the night.

The capsules are the width of a single bed and are high enough for you to sit up in. A TV is built in to the roof and everything is designed as to not get in your way should you awaken suddenly in the night. A control panel with clock radio, alarm, TV controls and light switch is built into the side with a small ledge for personal items.

There are toilets on each level and the bathroom can be found next to the locker room. The bathroom is in the style of Japanese bath houses. There are showers and a large public hot bath. You are required to shower first before using the hot bath (of course).

There is usually a floor which is a common area with vending machines, newspapers and internet facilities.

Capsule hotels encapsulates (pun intended) the hi-tech, limited space image of Japan. So if you are looking to do something a bit different, then a stay in a capsule hotel could be for you.

This article was written by James Clark, owner and editor of itravelnet.com/ itravelnet.com Travel notes from James can be read at itravelnet.com/blog/notes.html Notes from the Editor