How to Look For a Perfect Vacation Home

Vacations are great ways to relax and rejuvenate yourself, but if you’re not able to enjoy yourself as you should because of the lousy dump they call a hotel, then the money and time spent on this sojourn are just not worth it. If you’re going away in order to get away from the maddening crowd, it’s best to rent a vacation home rather than stay at an impersonal hotel. For one, you get complete privacy, and for another, you get the comforts of home away from home. So if you’re looking to rent the perfect vacation home, here’s how to go about it:

• Do your research: Rather than choosing the first home you see or know that’s available for rent, do your research and see how well the place is maintained and find out about all the comforts and facilities that are available at your disposal. If you do know people who have vacationed at the same location before, ask for recommendations. Some companies offer virtual tours on the Internet so you can actually see the place before you get there, so use this facility to see exactly what you’re getting.
• Call ahead: You need to talk to people rather than just email them and get responses because the personal factor must come into play. Don’t use your calls to just make reservations; instead, ask about the facilities available at the vacation home.
If you value your comfort, then you may need maid services, room delivery and other options. If not, check out how well stocked the kitchen is so you can make your own food.
• Learn about the neighborhood: It’s not enough to just see the interior of the home you’re going to stay in; you also need to check out the general locality and neighborhood to determine if it’s safe enough to
venture out on your own, especially in places where you know crime is rampant.
• Don’t send money ahead: Unless you’re certain that you’re going to get all that is promised, do not send any money for a reservation. If you must pay ahead, use your credit card so that you can stop payment in case the terms of your service are not met.

A vacation home must be a home away from home, one that makes your holiday relaxing and enjoyable. But if you are used to having people wait on you hand and foot, you would be better off going to a good hotel.

By-line:
This article is written by Kat Sanders, who regularly blogs on the topic of a construction management degree at her blog The Fixer-Upper Blog. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: katsanders25@gmail.com.

Get Ready – Summer in Colorado is Almost Here

What Is There To Do in Colorado?

As vacation time approaches, families wonder just exactly what to do with the lazy days of summer.  Colorado has so much to offer.   The following is a sampling of only some of the activities available to you right here in our home state.

Breckenridge gets to be 150 years old this year.  As early as 1860, local residents were skiing to get around town.  Now, the locals and many out-of-towners ski the slopes during season, but walk or drive to get out and about.  The town was established in 1850 by some prospector’s who came looking for gold.  Some even found the “pot of gold”, others discovered an incredible lifestyle in incredible surroundings.  There are special events in town all summer long.  Check out the Breckenridge CO website to find something about the town’s history on the biking, hiking and Nordic ski trails as well as the improvements being made to historic sites and museums.    The Grand Celebration will be August 8-9, 2009.  There is something for everyone.  Check it out.

Colorado Springs has a multitude of places to visit and things to do.  One of them is the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo.  It runs from July 8 – 11th. You get to see steer wrestling, bareback riding, tie-down roping, bull riding, saddle bronc riding and team roping.  You even have rodeo clowns and more.  If you are a car buff, you just might want to return to the Springs for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on July 19,  2009.  You can see some of the weird, bizarre and humorous photos of the race found there.  It is amazing what people can do with, in or over a car!

Evergreen Colorado also has a parade and rodeo June 19-21, 2009.  Evergreen is a wonderful place to visit, to play or even to live.  It is 7,200 feet high so you get very mild temperatures even in the summer and the winters aren’t bad either.  Evergreen Lake features boating, fishing, birding, ice-skating, weddings and concerts.  They have mountain parks and miles of trails to hike, bike, snowshoe or horseback ride.  The Evergreen Chamber of
Commerce will tell you everything you want to know about their various activities available.  It is only 35 minutes from Downtown Denver off I-70.

If baseball is your game, check out the JUCO Tournament.  This is the Junior College World Series.  Games 18 and 19 are being held May 29 and 30th, 2009.  Professional baseball can also be found in Denver as played by The Rockies, although so far they are off to a rough start this year…

For those peach lovers, you haven’t had a great one until you have experienced a Palisade Peach.  They are the most luscious things you have ever tasted!  The Peach Festival in Palisade runs from August 13 through the 16th, 2009.   There are shops, artists, fruit stands and orchards, restaurants, wineries, bed and breakfasts, historic walking tours, biking and rafting trips and a Sunday Farmers Market.  Sounds to me like a visit to Palisade Colorado is definitely called for.

If you haven’t had enough of “rodeoing” try out the Steamboat Springs Hot Air Balloon, Rodeo and Art in the Park July 11 and 12.  Like much of the Rocky Mountain area, Steamboat Springs is a year round event with something to do winter, summer, spring or fall.  The best place for more information is www.steamboat-chamber.com.

Telluride offers another great Colorado experience.  The Bluegrass Festival held June 18 – 21, 2009 is a national event.  You might be too late to make your reservations already but you can try.  June, July and August in Telluride are a true experience.

Last but certainly not least is Winter Park.  The resort opens for summer June 13th through September 7th, 2009.  The YMCA of the Rockies is based here for a great family get away – no television, no radio, no cell phones – just peace and quiet in a beautiful setting.  Through out the season you have everything from rodeos, to a chili cook off to bike races to the Grand County Blues Fest, to the 17th Annual Salute to American Veterans Rally and Festival (August 14-16) where 40,000 motorcycles are expected.

Plan your outings now and enjoy our beautiful state – Colorado. – by Jacqui Jeffress