Calgary's Beautiful Summer - Winter Travel Not Far Behind

Today is another beautiful sunny day in YYC. I can't believe the kids will be heading back to school in a couple more weeks!

 In looking back over the past two months we have been fortunate to have one of the best summers that I can remember in years. On that same token, we also had the worst winter that I can ever remember. Even with the temperature rising to the high 20s or low 30s during the day, our evening always cool down to temperatures in the teens so it is much cooler for sleeping.

However, we all know that with September approaching the snow and then the cold weather is not far behind. There is a lot of talk in the travel industry that airline fares and hotel rates will be lower this fall due to the unstability of the US economy. It's time to start dreaming about your next winter vacation.  With so many beautiful places in the the world to visit, it is often hard to make a choice. Hopefully my blog will give you some inspiration. I'm always looking for new places to write about, so if you know of a great place to vacation , I would love to hear from you.  Start making your travel plans today and if we can help in any way, do not hesitate to call or email me at travelinfo@delsoltravel.ca.

Here's a couple of pictures from my trips in the past year to get you started thinking about your next trip.

North Shore of Kauai - Lumahai Beach

View of Mazatland, Mexico from across the bay

Costa Rica

Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island, Hawaii

Secrets Silver Sands Resort, Riviera Maya



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Muriel MacRae plans destination weddings, exciting getaways and customized vacations for discerning travellers, honeymooners and families. As the owner of Del Sol Travel, she offers romantic vacations with personalized service and unique itineraries. Getting to know and understand her clients is critical in helping turn their ideas and vision into a unique and memorable masterpiece when creating their customized vacation. Located in Calgary, Alberta, she plans weddings, destination weddings, and honeymoons for couples in and around the Calgary and Banff area and throughout North America. For more information about planning your wedding, honeymoon, or romantic getaway, please contact her at travelinfo@delsoltravel.ca or phone 403-477-0643.

Five Fabulous Things to do in Kauai

I find that Kauai is one of the most beautiful islands in Hawaii with its lush vegetation, beautiful flowers, and its long white sandy beaches. It’s the perfect place for a family holiday, a honeymoon or a romantic getaway.

Kilauea Point Light House

 Here are five things that you will want to experience when you travel to Kauai:

1) Take a Drive Along the North Shore – Everyone who visits Kauai needs  to take the drive along Kauai’s North Shore. 

Hanalei Valley

There are many beautiful locations along the way where one can stop and enjoy the view: Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Secret Breach, ‘Anini beach, Princeville, the Hanalei Valley, Lumaha’i Beach and Tunnels Beach. 

Lumaha'l Beach where South Pacific was filmed

2) Take a Helicopter Ride – Kauai has such diverse terrain that it impossible to drive to over 80% of the island. Take a helicopter ride and see some of Kauai’s spectacular canyons, waterfalls, mountains, valleys and secluded beaches.

Coast near Tunnels Beach

3) Take a boat ride to see the  Napali Coast – experience the breath-taking scenery of Kauai   by travelling along the coast to view areas which are not assessable by car. Take some time out to go scuba diving or snorkelling or just enjoy the water. 

Rugged mountains along Napali Coast

4) Drive up to Waimea Canyon or Koke’e State Park –Located in the western part of Kauai ,this drive  has a number of viewpoints along the way and the scenery is amazing. The Waimea Canyon is breath-taking with its different colours of deep reds, browns, and greens. 

Waimea Canyon

There are two roads that make their way up the canyon. Waimea Canyon Road starts from the town of Waimea and Koke’e Road starts from the town of Kekaha. 

Viewpoint along the road

5) Visit the South Shore, the sunniest part of the island – I always like to stay at Poipu simply because there is more sunshine there than any other part of the island.

View of Shipwreck Beach from Hyatt Kauai

It includes some excellent hotels including the Grand Hyatt Kauai, numerous resorts and condominium resorts, and some of the world’s most beautiful beaches with breath-taking sunsets and lovely sunny days.

Grand Hyatt Kauai

Take time to visit the Kukui’ula Village Shopping Center which has many shops, galleries, and great restaurants.

Beautiful Kauai Sunset

All photos courtesy of Muriel MacRae

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Muriel MacRae is a wedding planner, a design consultant and event choreographer, and a destination wedding coordinator with Creative Weddings and Occasions and the owner of a boutique travel agency called Del Sol Travel.  She is a certified wedding planner and destination wedding coordinator through the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada. Getting to know and understand her clients is critical in helping turn their ideas and vision into a unique and memorable masterpiece when creating their customized vacation. Located in Calgary, Alberta, she plans weddings, destination weddings, and honeymoons for couples in and around the Calgary and Banff area and throughout North America. For more information about planning your wedding, honeymoon, or romantic getaway, please contact her at travelinfo@delsoltravel.ca
 or phone 403-477-0643.

Why Disney World and Hawaii Are Two of the Most Popular Destinations in the World

[Editor's notes: This article was taken from Travel Kat website.]
Disney World and Hawaii rank as two of the top vacation destinations. Disney World is an entertainment theme park founded by Walt Disney, which is located in California. Over the years, it has evolved to become one of the most popular travel destinations in the world catering to both children and adults. The main attractions in this place are the cartoon figures from Walt Disney cartoon films. The park is divided into eight different lands, including adventure land, fantasy land, tomorrow land, and frontier land. All of these provide different attractions and rides to the visitors of the theme park.


Why Disney World is so Popular

                                       

Normally, planning an all-inclusive family vacation can be a headache. This is because it is relatively hard to find one destination that is pleasing to all family members. However, Disney world is exceptional as it offers activities to children as well as adults of all ages. This serves to make it one of the most popular travel destinations in the world.

Disney World is not a secret and it is known all over the world as one of the best family vacation spots. If you have young children, they will have an opportunity to meet their favorite cartoon characters. For the older children, they may not be very excited to see the cartoon characters. However, the exciting rides in various theme parks are surely going to keep them occupied.

It is a vacation gem with activities for everyone in the family, from the children to the adults. The main attractions are the water parks, go-carts, amusement parks, mini golf, live entertainment and scenic tours. Another great feature of this water park is the indoor water parks offered in the resorts. This means that you will not have a problem of ruined vacationing due to bad weather. For a perfect family vacation trip, you can check out any of these popular travel destinations and you will not be disappointed.

Why Hawaii is so Popular

Apart from Disney world, there are also other destinations that are perfect for a family vacation. For instance, nobody can argue against a trip to Oahu, Hawaii. This has become a popular travel destination due to the diverse activities, which are available on a family vacation. For instance, children of all ages will have the opportunity to play at the Waikiki beach. Older children can also venture to the north shore for some surfing experience. This can be completed with a tour of the Pearl Harbor for the whole family.

Hawaii is often the ideal vacation spot because of its long sandy beaches with warm sea water. In addition, the views are amazing and the weather is always warm and sunny. Experience the vacation that everyone can enjoy by visiting the tropical islands of Hawaii.

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Muriel MacRae, owner of Del Sol Travel and Del Sol Destination Weddings, is a travel consultant and wedding planner who specializes in destination weddings and romantic getaways to tropical areas. Located in Calgary, Alberta, she plans destination weddings for couples in and around the Calgary area and throughout North America. For more information about planning your family holiday, please contact her at travelinfo@delsoltravel.ca or 403-477-0643.