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San Antonio, Texas is so beautiful; the downtown river walk is very pretty and inviting. My wife and I went there a couple of years ago for the first time and fell in love with it. And what’s not to love every one is friendly, that Texan hospitality, the streets are clean and beautiful landscaping and gardens are everywhere.

Last summer when we were up there for a weekend we were talking about how beautiful the river walk is with the lights of the city shimmering in the river the reflection of the rising moon and country music filling the air. We spent every night we were there somewhere along the River Walk.

One evening we speculated on how much more magnificent the views of the River Walk must be at the holidays and that gave me an idea. I would surprise Gloria with a trip up to San Antonio for Christmas.

I booked us a room at San Antonio luxury hotels along the River Walk. The reservations start on Christmas and go thru to New Years Day. I will be letting her know we are going on Christmas Eve when we usually exchange out gifts. It will be quite a surprise to her; I know she doesn’t suspect anything at all is going on, I hope it stays that way.

The plan is on Christmas Day after having breakfast with the family we will be heading to the airport and off to San Antonio. It is a great plan and flying on Christmas saved me a bunch of money, I was not really expecting that. We will arrive in San Antonio early that evening get some dinner and settle into our room.

We will have all week to do what we like there shop, eat, hear some great music and enjoy a nightclub or two. For New Years Eve we have reservations at a near by five star restaurant and after dinner I think we will play it by ear and see what we want to get into.

It’s not easy coming up with unique and thoughtful gifts year after year, but I think I did it this time.

When traveling through Australia with the entire family, the Gold Coast of Queensland is the place to be.  This is the destination not only for world travelers, but for those living in Australia as well.  The reason is…four of the most popular, and the largest, of the theme parks in the country are located here.  SeaWorld and the water theme park Wet ‘n Wild are two of the parks located on the Gold Coast.  One of the exhibits currently running at the Gold Coast SeaWorld is titled “Ocean Rescue”.

“Ocean Rescue” is a twenty minute short film documentary that follows the team from the SeaWorld Research and Rescue Foundation as they attempt to save injured and trapped marine life.  One such rescue involves a dolphin that had been severely attacked by a shark, and another involves a Humpback whale that had become entangled in a fishing net.  This is a behind the scenes look of an amazing group of scientists and their triumph over adverse situations and circumstances.

The Foundation is non-profit, and their dedication remains to promoting and funding research projects and rescue.  They hope to increase public awareness, for with knowledge comes appreciation for and concern for protecting the species in need of their protection.  This team of scientists is on call 24/7 to ensure that should a dolphin or a shark, a turtle or whale in distress will be attended to quickly and efficiently.

The two other major parks are Dreamworld and Movie World are located conveniently close to any luxury hotel. Australia Movie World is similar to the Universal Studios Tours in Los Angeles, California USA.  For movie buffs this is one stop that you should not miss.  This is the Australian affiliation with the American movie company, Warner Brothers.  Not only are there exhibits and lectures on how movies are made, histories of those movies and the characters in them, but there are photo opportunities to be found with Wonder Woman, Batman, Marilyn Monroe and other such famous characters wandering through the park.

One of the most splendid things that the world has to offer is travel.  Even for those who don’t have the innate wanderlust that calls people to light out for the territory every once in awhile, spending time in another place is very exciting, and also very refreshing.  Getting to know a new culture, a new city, explore new traditions and experience local attractions, and especially seeing local art and performance, can feed the soul as well as the mind.  It’s a way of seeing yourself in new light, where you find things that reflect who you are, and in very unexpected places.  Travel is a way of learning about the self through learning about others.  It’s an interesting contradiction.

There are many ways to see the world.  You can grab your backpack, with some basics, like a change of clothes and a few books, and buy a ticket somewhere.  There are hostels all over the world, and some of them are very elementary, and some are actually quite nice.  It’s a great way to meet people, and there’s always the chance that you’ll find people who are doing the exact same thing you are, and might even see the world similarly to you.  On the other extreme, 5 star hotels are a way to see the world from the lap of luxury.  There is barely any need to make any preparations at all, as these have pickup service at the airport, and they take care of your every need.  There are master chefs ready to cook your favorite things, as well as a host of amenities to make your days brighter.

Both extremes are terribly interesting, and both offer their own unique perspectives on how to see the world.  It really depends on what you want to see, and what you’re willing to experience.  If you like luxury, and you’re interested in tasting the finest things in life with the finest touches, it’s certainly possible to see new cultures from the vantage point of a luxury hotel.  If you like to experience the city in all its rawness, finding the attractions and events that are more edgy, or just more youth-oriented, then a hostel is more likely to appeal.  A little bit of experience in both is a good way to gain a broader perspective, to see both sides of life in a new surrounding, as both have their own particular kinds of sweetness, and it all depends on what kind of honey you like.