Now if we can just do something about the situations with the airlines…

I can just picture myself visiting the land that many of our ancestors and prophets walked thousands of years before us. As I browsed through images of Egypt at Flickr, I came across these absolutely gorgeous photos by professional photographer, Joanot …

Serene and peaceful relaxation awaits you (and me!) at the Rancho Valencia Resort. Not only can you stay as a guest of the hotel, you also have the opportunity to have part ownership of one of the 12 luxurious villas on the property. It’s the perfect second home for golf and tennis enthusiasts or for those wanting resort-style living but don’t want the hassles of maintenance and upkeep of a home in San Diego.

For more information, visit: www.ranchovalencia.com

“Before you travel to Europe, make sure to change your debit card PIN number to four digits. ATMs accept only four-digit PIN numbers.”

For more Euro travel tips check out the Europe a la Carte Blog (via the Budget Travel‘s Blog). Here are more budget travel tips to Europe from the Kayak Blog .

Have any tips to share from your own European travel experiences?

I got permission from my brother to share some of the photos from his trip…

It used to be that airline flights were so relaxing. It was part of the vacation experience to enjoy a flight with somewhat decent food, in-flight movies, and soothing music. Now we’re lucky if we even get food on a flight and if we do, we’re charged up the watoozi for it (yes, that’s a word, I declare). There’s $25 charge for extra baggage, extra long lines to check in, and sometimes you may even have to sit in the bathroom because the airline has overbooked the flight.

All of this is enough to cause a bit of stress. Just a little bit.

But regardless of all of this, let’s remember that the airline employees are trying the best that they can to serve our needs. Put yourself in their shoes for just a few minutes and think about all the angry people they have to deal with in one day. Think George Bush in a room full of Democrats.

All airline employees can do is smile as irate travelers yell at them because their flight got canceled or they can’t get a fluffy and clean pillow. The next time you feel your blood pressure rise because something didn’t go your way, take a deep breath and think that life really could be worse.

That’s not to excuse the airline companies for nickel and diming us, losing our luggage, or simply treating us like dirt. Charging us a fee just to breath is not acceptable. Ok, they don’t do that…not yet anways.

Photo Credit: Eric Chan

I came across Adam Sach’s blog, The Vacationist. In addition to being a travel blogger, Adam is also a travel and food writer with an impressive resume of articles he’s written for publications such as Conde Naste Traveler, GQ, and Food & Wine, just to name a few.

And now I’m off to visualize that I’m in some exotic place…

1. San Diego - Of course, I’m a little biased because I live here, but it’s the perfect place for a long weekend. There’s the gorgeous weather, beaches, and all the fun things to do. There’s Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, and the myriad of parks to hang out and have a BBQ!

2. Miami - I’ve never been here myself, but I hear it’s about as gorgeous as San Diego. So many shops and beaches - plus great ethnic food too.

3. Yosemite - If crowded beaches are not your thing, why not take a drive up to the gorgeous mountains of Yosemite National Park? Rent a log cabin for the weekend and take in the serene waterfalls or go hiking along the many trails.

“If your flight is cancelled, don’t wait in the long line in front of the ticket agent to get on another plane. Just step aside and call your airline directly from your cell phone. It’s just like cutting in line, but nobody will get mad at you. “

I have somewhat of a similar tip when renting a car from an Alamo that has those self-service check-in kiosks. If you don’t have a reservation and don’t want to wait in the long line to rent a car, simply call their reservations and make a reservation over the phone. Then you can “skip ahead” of everybody else and get your car via the self-service kiosk. I did this before and saved about a half hour in wait time.

Have a travel tip to share?

Pictured here is Tipu Sultan’s masjid where he used to offer prayers. I absolutely love the architecture.

Photo Credit: ZeHawk

My next big trip will be later this year and the plan is to go to the beautiful Central American country of Costa Rica. Here’s a traveler’s guide video of Costa Rica I stumbled upon that makes me want to make that trip sooner rather than later…

Here are some great blogs about Costa Rica…

• Living Life in Costa Rica
• A Broad in Costa Rica
• Costa Rica Blogger