Tag: United States

Whether you’re an expert angler or a first-time fisherman, you can’t beat Minnesota ice fishing!

Minnesota ice fishing is the best in the world. If you’re after prize Northern Pike or Walleye, though, you’ll want to seriously consider Lake of the Woods ice fishing.

Lake of the Woods is located at the top of northern Minnesota, in what many people consider “God’s country.” The lake itself is huge, about 80 miles long and 60 miles wide, and straddles the United States and Canada border. It’s home to many large fish, including Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike and Sturgeon. You might say this lake is an angler’s paradise.

Most Lake of the Woods resorts offer ice fishing as well as traditional warm weather fishing. However, many anglers swear that by far, ice fishing for Walleye is the most exhilarating and satisfying fishing experience.

What can you expect when you go ice fishing for Walleye? Many people envision sitting on a bucket over a frozen lake, chilled by frigid winter snow and winds, trying to reel in a rod with frost-bitten fingers.

This picture couldn’t be farther from the truth!

Today’s ice fisherman can take advantage of many comfortable innovations, including a nice, warm ice fishing house. Imagine fishing in a small cabin, complete with heat, toilet facilities, even a cooking stove and bunks for a nap when desired. There are several small holes drilled in the floor so that you can drop your hook and line and ice fish for Walleye, all in the comfort of your snug ice fishing house. Some people like to stay overnight on the ice in their sleeper fish house.

And the best part is that anyone, young or old, can ice fish.

If you can bait your hook with a minnow and drop your line through a hole in the ice, then you can ice fish! Just jiggle your line every so often to help the passing Walleye or Northern Pike notice your bait and before you know it, you’ll be pulling in a prize fish. Of course, a Minnesota fishing report can provide you with some of the best Walleye fishing techniques.

If you need more help, any Lake of the Woods resort can suggest additional ice fishing tips.

Okay, now you’re ready to try ice fishing. How do you know when the fish are biting? One way is to look at the Lake of the Woods fishing report. Minnesota fishing reports are available online and from most resorts, and you’ll want to be prepared for your Lake of the Woods ice fishing expedition.

What’s included in a Minnesota fishing report? Generally other anglers will note where they’re finding fish, for example, the depth of the water, weather conditions, whether the fish are found near the shore or out farther, and so on. You’ll want to check a Lake of the Woods fishing report before you head out on the lake, because this will be one of your Walleye fishing techniques – you want to go where the fish are!

Why do anglers like to fish for Walleye and Northern Pike? Walleye are a delicious fish, with firm white flesh and very little, if any, -fishy- taste or odor. Northern Pike are a fighting fish, and provide the fisherman with a battle that can be thrilling!

Really, Lake of the Woods ice fishing is unparalleled.

So you’ve decided that Minnesota ice fishing is for you. How do you determine which Minnesota fishing resort is best? One way is to check on reviews for local Lake of the Woods resorts. You’ll want to see what other people have said about each resort. For example, do previous anglers say good things about their stay? Were they pleased with their hosts and their fishing experience? And most important, did they catch fish?

Of course, it’s always a good idea to contact a few Minnesota fishing resorts personally. You can tell a lot from a telephone conversation! A Lake of the Woods resort rep who answers your questions helpfully and politely will provide a good indication of what your ice fishing holiday will be like.

Many Lake of the Woods resorts offer ice fishing tips and the Lake of the Woods fishing report. One of the best Minnesota fishing resorts is Wheelers Point Resort. They’ve been around a long time, and you can benefit from their many years of angling experience. Wheelers Point offers ice fishing houses for large and small groups and can custom tailor your ice fishing experience.

The Mexico Tourism Board has launched a new campaign that will promote the countrys most romantic resorts as wedding venues.

The new Love Mexico campaign is being pushed in cities across Mexico and the United States to encourage couples to book destination weddings at the countrys resorts and hotels.

The Tourism Board, a Mexico-based government agency, is running a series of events in Dallas, New York and the Riviera Maya where resorts, wedding suppliers, wedding planners and wedding travel specialists will be able to showcase their offerings.

We were delighted with the response to this years Love Mexico events; all of the vendors and buyers that I spoke to had great feedback, explained Eduardo Chaillo, the Executive Meetings Unit Director for Mexico Tourism Board.

With its combination of natural beauty, rich culture, world-class hotels and resorts and outstanding service, Mexico is the ultimate destination for weddings, honeymoons and romantic getaways. As the destination weddings market grows and changes Mexico will continue to develop its offering.

The number of couples planning weddings abroad is on the rise and Mexico is a popular destination for engaged couples from all over the world.

Mexico weddings are chosen by many couples from the United States due to the countrys beautiful landscapes, close proximity to the U.S, reliably warm weather, and the array of resorts that offer incredible value for money.

Cabo San Lucas is one of Mexicos leading wedding destinations and the city is located at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. It boasts beautiful sandy beaches, world-class scuba diving sites and upscale hotels and resorts.

Beach weddings are a favourite for many couples and Mexico has plenty of beautiful sandy beaches that create the perfect setting for a romantic ceremony surrounded by family and friends.

Cancun is located on the Yucatan channel which separates Mexico from the Caribbean island of Cuba and it is a fantastic region for idyllic ceremonies. After weddings in Cancun, newlyweds can extend the celebrations with fun-packed honeymoons where they can enjoy water activities in the Nichupte Lagoon or explore historic Mayan archaeological sites such as Kinichna, Dzibanche and Tulum.

Mexico is also expected to become a hotspot for gay and lesbian destination weddings and according to the U.S business magazine, Forbes, this could lead to a USD9.5 billion increase to Mexicos economy each year.

The multiple ownership of individual weeks brought with it the guarantee of reservations for those who wanted to ski in the area. It was an immediate success. By the 1970’s some faltering condominium projects in St. Thomas, Fort Lauderdale and Puerto Rico were converted over to vacation ownership and thereafter timesharing became a viable vacation alternative.

Once the concept of vacation ownership was embraced by the United States it began to gain wide acceptance by the public. Sales jumped to over 50 million by the mid 1970’s and has climbed to more than 2 billion annually today. Vacation ownership has enjoyed substantial growth over the years with approximately 3.3 million timeshares sold since 1980. Currently there are over 5,000 vacation ownership resorts in over 75 countries around the world.

Exchanging a vacation ownership week in one resort for that of another resort was introduced in 1974 and thereafter timesharing offered variety and flexibility in the vacation experience. Although there are many exchange companies available which provide excellent service, the two major forces are Resort Condominiums International (RCI) which has approximately 3,250 member resorts and Interval International (II) with approximately 1,600 member resorts. Combined, these two companies provided over 1,600,000 exchanges last year.

During a 30 year span, the industry has grown from small (15-20 unit ) hotel conversions to the high quality condominium resorts of today. The evolution of the industry from scattered entrepreneurs to well managed professional development companies has brought with it a noticeable change for the better. Definitive leaders have emerged and created standards and ethics for management, marketing and sales practices. One such organization is the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) who’s members are required to comply with the established “Code of Ethics.” The recent entrance into the marketplace by major hospitality chains such as Disney, Hilton, Ramada, and Marriott has greatly enhanced the quality and image of the industry. Vacation ownership resorts of today are luxurious, spacious and well located.

By the advent of these stronger and more professional development and management companies along with the weeding out the less desirable developers and marketers, the industry is experiencing a noticeable swing from a historically negative to a very positive public image. One of the industry’s leading analysts (Ragatz and Associates) concluded that the majority of timeshare owners are very satisfied with their purchase and in fact, many own multiple weeks. The future of vacation ownership is very optimistic and has tremendous potential.

What Is Vacation Ownership ?

Vacation Ownership “Timesharing” is the right to use specific weeks of a resort during a specific time period. Simply put, it is the pre-purchase of a vacation. It is important to understand that vacation ownership is a commodity which is purchased to be enjoyed and used over the years. One should never purchase a timeshare with the intent of reselling it for a profit. Vacations are holidays for which we spend money to relax and rejuvenate; they are not investments.

Ownership of a timeshare is very similar to ownership of a condominium except that your rights are limited to a certain week during the year. The form of ownership can be Deeded, Leased or a License.

The License is somewhat different in that it is most commonly a membership in a club. Providing you are a member in good standing, you have the right to use the club and all it’s amenities. Be sure to read and understand all the terms and conditions of your club membership before you make the decision to buy. Most vacation ownership consists of either a deeded interest or a leased interest for a specific number of years.

A Deeded interest is owned outright forever. It an absolute right which can be sold, leased, or even willed to your heirs. Most timeshares which exist today are deeded ownership.

The Leased interest is much like an apartment lease except right to use it is restricted to a specific week during the year. Upon the expiration of the lease term your right to use will generally terminate and return to the resort. With a leased interest you should know the terms and conditions of the lease prior to making the decision to buy.

The time of your use can be either Fixed or Floating. Fixed time is a specific week during the year usually defined by a number. Generally the week will begin on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday and is given a number starting with the first week in January an run through the end of December. (Example – week 14 might be April 7 through April 13.)

Floating time means you have the right to select any available week within a certain season of the year. Therefore, if you own a summer season week you could pick any week which falls within the

defined summer months. However, competition between existing owners for prime weeks in very desirable location can impact availability. It is important to find which type of use best fits your specific travel needs.

Each resort is different and you should ask if there are other benefits which are available to its owners. Many resorts offer special reduced rental rates for extra nights or us of other resorts which are owned by the developer. This can add to you flexibility and provide substantial saving on vacation costs. Additionally, consider carefully how and where you normally vacation. This is very important in making your decision about where you should buy and what you will be trading.

Important Facts About Vacation Ownership

– Timeshare is one of the fastest growing areas of the travel and tourism industry.

– Timeshare owners live in more than 200 countries around the world.

– Major brands now involved in timeshare internationally include Hilton, Hyatt, Four Seasons, Sheraton, Ramada and De Vere.

– On a worldwide basis, more than 12 million people took a timeshare vacation in 1999

– There are around 5,500 timeshare resorts throughout the world in more than 90 countries.

– The industry is worth in excess of $6 billion annually. The top 10 timeshare companies alone reported combined sales in excess of $2.64 billion in 1999.

– During 1999 each of the top 10 performing timeshare companies worldwide recorded sales in excess of $100 million.

– RCI, the world’s leading timeshare exchange organization, arranged vacations for seven million people worldwide in 2000, making it one of the world’s largest travel companies.

Timeshare Today And In The Future

The modern timeshare industry continues to expand at a rapid rate, with new markets opening up in Asia and Eastern Europe and consolidation prevalent in the established markets of Western Europe and North America.

Firmly established as a key sector of the mainstream vacation market, the multi-billion dollar timeshare industry now embraces modest entrepreneurs and mighty corporations. Its global reach with close to 6,000 resorts in more than 90 countries extends from Spain to China, Mexico to South Africa.

Some of the world’s biggest names in the hospitality and leisure sector now have timeshare interests – Hilton, Sheraton, Disney, Ramada, Four Seasons, Hyatt, Westin, Ritz-Carlton and Radisson. At the same time, the list of well-known European companies with timeshare interests continues to grow – RIU Hotels (50% owned by TUI – Touristik Union International, Europe’s largest tour operator), Sol Melia, De Vere, Macdonald Hotels in partnership with Barratts (the UK’s Number One house builder), Mondi Ferienclub in Germany.

Quality developments around the world are enjoyed by millions of owners, their families and friends, making the phenomenon of timeshare a success story without equal. In 1999 over 12 million people took a timeshare vacation.

Timeshare owners come from over 190 countries but more of them live in the United States than anywhere else in the world – 47%! In fact the US has the lion’s share of timeshare resorts – over 1,500. And that accounts for more than 37% of the total worldwide. In the western world, timeshare is now a highly organized and regulated industry. Trade bodies such as the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) and the Organisation for Timeshare in Europe (OTE) work to apply codes of conduct and ensure that expansion is based on sound commercial practice and ethical standards.

There is also considerable regional, national and international legislation in place which aims to help protect the rights of potential purchasers and discourage the use of high-pressure sales tactics.

Timeshare in the future The worldwide timeshare industry looks set to grow in popularity and log record sales in the months and years ahead. Social trends mean more people have more time and money to devote to travel and the concept of vacation ownership. In many parts of the world, regulation has given timeshare a firm footing, helping to reassure and protect purchasers with a series of consumer protection measures.

Since its inception, timeshare has undergone a metamorphosis, according to Timeshare: Coming of Age, an independent report published in October, 1999. With the advent of the points-based system, the original real estate concept has been transformed into “a flexible, pre-paid vacation membership concept, placing timeshare where it belongs – in the mainstream of travel, tourism, hospitality and leisure”.

In 10 years time who knows where the next development will be?