We all want to please and impress that special someone in our lives with a romantic gift. Millions are spent every year trying to accomplish this feat. We may peruse the jewelry store and spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on beautiful trinkets. Perhaps a night over at an elegant resort is a consideration for your romantic gift idea. But consider this…

A lasting impression can be imprinted on our special someone if he/she is treated to an unforgettable experience. For the price of a fine pair of earrings, you can treat your romantic partner with a dinner cruise along one of the waterways near your corner of the world. For the price of a necklace and earring set, you can book an elegant cruise of four to eight days aboard a magnificent cruise ship. How impressive is that for a romantic gift?

Consider your options here. An afternoon cruise near your home for less than the price of an elegant dinner can provide for a memory of romance and togetherness. For a few dollars more, an enchanted evening of romantic cruising with a lovely dinner and a bottle of fine wine will be lastingly remembered.

Romantic vacation gift cruises can cost as little as $500.00 per person. These romantic experiences can provide you with a lifetime of memories. Envision exotic ports of call, majestic landscapes, sipping a glass of vintage wine on your private balcony, enjoying an exquisite meal in an elegant dining room and dancing into the night… All of this can be yours each day of your cruise!

Would a fabulous gift cruise conjure up a vision of romance? Picture it… Is that a romantic gift idea? Of course it is! No matter what type of romantic gift cruise you choose – afternoon river cruise, evening dinner cruise, four day Caribbean vacation cruise, seven day Alaskan cruise, intriguing Mediterranean cruise or exotic South Seas cruise – you will not be disappointed!

Don’t consider yourself selfish if you’re thinking “with this romantic gift, I’ll get a gift vacation as well”. Your special someone will want you to be as happy as they will be. That’s part of the beauty of romance. Each partner wants the other partner to be happy and to enjoy each others’ company. What better way than to break away from the traditional romantic gifts than to offer your company aboard a floating resort with pampering service and elegant surroundings while visiting exotic, intriguing, majestic and exciting ports-of-call!

Romance is what we are all looking for here. Throughout the ages, the sea has been synonymous with romance. Cruise ships have become synonymous with romance as well since the television weekly “The Love Boat”. What better romantic gift idea is there than a romantic getaway aboard a magnificent cruise ship?

For more interesting articles related to romantic getaways, gift ideas, cruises, and cruising, visit a1-discount-cruises.com, your #1 source for cruise information and great cruise discounts! Don’t put it off. Check out some of the special deals from our merchants. Your romantic gift could cost less than you think. But you must act fast as cruises are very popular and do sell out. Get some quotes and compare. Then all that’s left to do is to book your romantic gift cruise on-line and get excited!

- Brian A Schmidt is the author and web publisher of A1-Discount-Cruises.com your #1 source for cruise information, discounts and great deals! Visit a1-discount-cruises.com/romantic-getaways.htm Romantic Getaways to book your fabulous romantic gift cruise vacation! For more interesting articles visit our a1-discount-cruises.com/articles.htm Article Map pages. If you have any comments or questions regarding choosing the right cruise line for your romantic cruise vacation, contact us at mailto:info@a1-discount-cruises.com info@a1-discount-cruises.com using the subject line “Cruises”.

There’s really no better way to experience the beauty and serenity of the snow covered mountains around Steamboat Springs, Colorado than by sailing through the snow in a brand new, extremely comfortable snowmobile with any of several professional tour guides at the helm. You gaze in awe as the experts lead you on a two-hour, four-hour or sunset/dinner tour through either Rabbit Ears Pass or the Flattops Scenic Byway where you’ll see some of the most beautiful scenery in the United States.

Over Rabbit Ears Pass you’ll begin with a brief training orientation explaining how to use the new Polaris snowmobiles that are the only ones used in Steamboat Springs. They come equipped with every safety device that exists as well as accessories such as hand warmers to make your trip that much more enjoyable. You’ll fly over well groomed trails, enjoy breath taking views of unlimited expanses of champagne powder and rugged peaks as you travel along the Continental Divide. Treat yourself to a perfectly grilled steak in a cabin along the divide at the bottom of a 10,000 foot peak. An experience you can’t duplicate anywhere else in the world.

Or try the Flat Tops Scenic Byway tour – at a 12,000 foot elevation for the more adventurous amongst you. You’ll encounter no crowds on this unbelievable journey into the Rocky Mountains. The only life you’ll see on this journey is the native wildlife indigenous to the mountain ranges you’ll be gliding over. You’ll see things on this tour that have only been seen by a limited number of people who have the spirit of adventure necessary to climb on the back of a snowmobile and follow a guide over peaks and trails not frequently traveled by man. When it’s over it will be just one more of the many special memories you’ll take home from a vacation in Steamboat Springs.

e-steamboatsprings.com Steamboat Springs Info provides detailed information about Steamboat Springs real estate, restaurants, ski resorts, lodging, snowmobiling, and more. Steamboat Springs Info is the sister site of e-poconos.com Poconos Web.

Many people who have never been to Alaska have never experienced a display as powerful as the northern lights. Aurora Borealis is the scientific name for this phenomenon. You may not even exactly understand what they look like, what causes them to happen or when the best time of year to view them in Alaska is. The point of this article is to help shed some light on these questions and help better educate visitors to Alaska so that they may enjoy the amazing spectacle that is commonly know as the northern lights.

What causes the northern lights?

Without getting too scientific there are several factors that come into play when discussing what causes the northern lights. When the sun experiences large explosions or flares there are large quantities or solar particles thrown into space. These particles form plasma clouds that usually take between two to three days to reach our earth.

When the plasma clouds near the earth they are captured by the earth’s magnetic field and guided towards the earths two magnetic poles, the North Pole and the South Pole. As they travel closer to earth towards the two poles the plasma clouds are stopped by the earth’s atmosphere. The atmosphere helps protects us from these deadly particles. When the solar particles are stopped by the atmosphere this collision creates an energy between the atmospheric gas particles and the solar particles. The energy is released in the form of a photon or a light particle.

Millions of these light particles being released into our atmosphere at one time cause the northern lights. This helps explain why they appear to dance across the sky as they intensify or subside.

What do the northern lights look like in Alaska?

In Alaska the closer you get to the North Pole the better of display you can see. Above the Arctic Circle there are amazing displays. However, living in Anchorage I have still seen many impressive displays of green and red lights in the night sky.

The northern lights seem to shimmer and dance across the sky as they are displayed. The usual color is green but more intense displays will have red or purple in them. They almost appear as a ghostly cloud of light that rapidly moves, intensifies and subside during the display. Northern lights displays in Alaska can continue for several hours.

What is the best time of year to view the northern lights in Alaska?

The winter months, October through March, are the best time frame to view the northern lights in Alaska simply due to the fact you will have some darkness. In the summer months it can stay light for nearly 24 hours. You must have darkness to witness this phenomenon happening. However, you should expect cold weather during this time period and be sure to bring clothes accordingly if you plan to stand outside and watch the northern lights.

Viewing the northern lights is an experience everyone should have at least once in their life. This truly amazing sight is almost mystical and hard to believe the first time you see it. In my opinion there is no better place than Alaska to witness the northern lights.

Ryan T. has compiled a comprehensive onlyalaska.com/pages/index.html Alaska Travel Guide and onlyalaska.com/photo/index.php Northern Lights Photo Gallery which he credits to his many years in Alaska . Learn everything you need to know and expect from your onlyalaska.com Alaska Travel before you begin your travel.

In 1652 the Dutch East India company establishment a refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope aiming to provide fresh food to the company’s fleet on voyages to India and surrounding areas. As a result of this trading station South Africa now boasts a flourishing wine industry and colourful, multi-cultural nation.

The fertile soil and Mediterranean climate of the Western Cape, makes the Cape Winelands one of the most renowned wine producing areas in the world. The Western Cape is also cooler than its position of 34º South of the equator might suggest, making the area ideal for growing a wide range of noble vine varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinot Noir. The traditional wine growing areas along the coastal regions are seldom more than 50km from the ocean and are exposed to cool breezes blowing in from the sea.

All the wine grape varietals cultivated in South Africa, belong to the Vitis vinifera species, originally brought from Europe. Unfortunately these European vines were susceptible to phylloxera and as a result many South African viticulturists these days often have to graft their vines onto American rootstock in order to resist the insect.

Although Cape Town and the nearby Boland basin is best-known for it’s superb Bordeaux-style red wines, the wine-producing regions of the province extends further north- and eastwards and has established itself as producer of world-class red, white, fortified and sparkling wines from a wide range of varietals.

Constantia
The oldest and one of the most famous wine farms in the area is Groot Constantia, which was granted to governor Simon van der Stel in 1685, by the Dutch East India Company. The estate is located on the Southern Slopes of Table Mountain and is still world-renowned for it’s superb wines and breathtaking location. It’s beautiful Cape Dutch homestead also forms part of the Iziko South African National Museums. The Constantia region also features such formidable estates as Steenberg well know for it’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc and Semmilon while the nearby Buitenverwachting produces outstanding Chardonnay. Both estates feature award-winning restaurants.

Boland
From Cape Town, the Winelands spread north-east and eastwards to the beautiful Boland basin with Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek and Wellington being the most prominent producers. Some of the oldest wine farms in South Africa are situated in and around this beautiful Cape Dutch village, which at over 300-years old, is the oldest town in the country. Although the area hosts an endless amount of superior wine estates, well-known farms towards the east include the Shiraz and Port producing Alto; the prolific Blaauwklippen estate which produces one of the only Zinfandel’s in the region; the red wine producing Delheim; the famous Lanzerac estate and hotel; the prominent Middelvlei; the international award-winning red wine producing Rust en Vrede estate; Vriesenhof with it’s outstanding white wines; the exclusive Engelbrecht Els estate and the beautiful Tokara with it’s adjoining restaurant managed by famous local chef and saucier Etienne Bonthuys.

Towards the west of the town there’s the well-known Beyerskloof, famous for it’s award-winning Pinotage; the superior sparkling wine producing House of JC Le Roux, the scenic Meerlust estate with it’s legendary Rubicon blend; the family-run Overgaauw; the “Cap Classique” producing Villiera and Zevenwacht estate.

The nearby Franschhoek, which translates as “French corner” also boasts some of the country’s oldest estates: The beautiful Boschendal with it’s typical Cape Dutch homestead; Cabriere Estate with it’s flagship range of Pierre Jourdan “Methode Cape Classique” sparkling wines; Graham Beck with it’s signature Brut Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine and Rhona Muscadel; and the beautiful La Motte estate which produces outstanding Shiraz.

Overberg
On the otherside of the Franschhoek and Hottentots Holland mountain ranges, the Overberg region includes quaint villages such as McGregor, Montagu and Robertson – the latter boasts the De Wetshof estate, owned by the prolific Chardonnay producer Danie de Wet, while the nearby Hemel-and-Aarde valley close to Hermanus is home to such spectacular wineries as Hamilton Russel with it’s well-known Pinot Noir and the legendary Bouchard Finlayson.

Swartland
North of Cape Town, the predominantly wheat producing Swartland region includes the fructuous Riebeek valley, well-known for it’s Shiraz wines and olive farms. This region hosts such prestigious estates as Kloovenburg, Allesverloren and Twee Jonge Gezellen, as well as the larger co-operative wineries such as Riebeek Cellars, Swartland Cellars and Darling Cellars, extending further east, towards the Hexrivier Valley at De Doorns and north towards the Olifants River valley close to Citrusdal and the fruitful Orange River Valley near Upington in the Northern Cape.

Use capetown.cityguidesa.com CityGuideSA to plan a trip to South Africa and its beautiful winelands. With up to date information on Where to Stay, Eat and Play in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and the Garden Route we’ll make sure you have a memorable stay.