Island Trader Vacations Reviews the Missouri River Breaks National Monument

Missouri River Breaks is a national monument that encompasses nearly 500,000 acres that is a series of badland areas. The area is characterized by steep bluffs, rock outcroppings and beautiful grassy plains. It is adjacent to the Missouri River. The area here remains virtually untouched since it was traversed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805, the first to document the region with notes and drawings.

The Upper Missouri River Breaks is home to more than 60 mammal species and hundreds of bird species.  It is easily possible to see an elk herd and bighorn sheep. The flora and fauna along the river are striking to behold with willows and shrubs along the bank and the prairie abundant with sagebrush and short grass. 

Many of the captivating, inspiring views were captured on canvas in the paintings of Charles M. Russell, and the Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge makes up the eastern border of the park. The western boundary is made up of the Missouri River which was designated a Wild and Scenic River in 1976. The water here flows at nearly 9000 cubic feet per second. If you want to take in the whole experience on the river stop in at the Interpretative Center in Fort Benton where they can help you plan your excursion. They have one day excursions and even up to a full seven day one that will take you into even more remote parts of the region.

If you’re looking for a place to stay try the Missouri River Breaks Lodge. It is located on the North Dakota prairie on nearly 300 acres. It is an exclusive hideaway that is log built and nestled into the hillside right above the Missouri River. The lodge has beautiful Australian cypress flooring and hand-crafted Victorian furniture throughout. The lodge offers luxurious accommodations, several amenities and bountiful activities to take part in. It is a perfect place to stay for any occasion and to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Be aware they are easily booked so make your reservation far in advance.

Island Trader Vacations reviews news, tips and information about top destinations for travel with you. Learn and explore more travel destinations and tips to help you get there with us and travel more.

Island Trader Vacations Reviews Lubbock A Top Texas Destination

While it may not be as large as Texas other top cities including Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, Houston or even San Antonio, Lubbock is making a name for itself and not just in Texas for what it has to offer travelers. Nicknamed the “Hub City”, Lubbock is an economic, healthcare and educational hub and now, a growing travel destination as well. 

Founded in 1890, the ity of Lubbock dates back another 14 years to the arrival of its first residents. Made famous in 1951 to those interested in the paranormal, this growing Texas city is more than just lights in the sky. From art and historic sites to parks, restaurants, clubs and annual events, there is always something to see and do in Lubbock. 

For art lovers, top attractions include:

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•  Art on Texas Avenue
• Ballet Lubbock
• The Louise H Underwood Center
• Many galleries

For fun and outdoor lovers top attractions include:

• Joyland Amusement park
•  Lubbock Water Rampage
• Lubbock Memorial Arboretum
• Mackenzie, Maxey, McAlister and Tech Terrace Park
• Buffalo Springs Lake
• Lake Alan Henry
• Buddy Holly Recreation Area

For history lovers attractions include:

• Bayer Museum of Agriculture
• Buddy Holly Center
• Lubbock Lake Landmark
• National Ranching Heritage Center

Other unique must sees include:

• American Wind Power Center
• Mackenzie Park Prairie Dog Town
• West Texas Walk of Fame featuring the Buddy Holly Statue

For wine lovers, Lubbock offers 5 wineries including:

• Cap Rock Winery
• La Diosa Cellars
• Llano Estacado Winery
• McPherson Cellars Winery
• Pheasant Ridge Winery

Other facts to note

• Although Lubbock may not be a massive metropolitan area, they understand convenience and cater to pet lovers as well. Offering pet friendly parks is just one way of offering convenience for pet owners, the city is also home to more the 10 pet hotels to help accommodate you.
• Lubbock is located in West Texas and is 3,241 feet above sea level
• It is in Central Standard Time
• The average temperatures range from 80 in summer to 40 in winter
• Lubbock offers more than 4,800 hotel rooms
• The entertainment district is called the Depot Entertainment District

Find out for yourself what is making Lubbock such a growing destination for travel today. Get out and explore and review top destinations for travel with Island Trader Vacations reviews.

Canada Our Neighbor To The North A Destination Review From Island Trader Vacations

A land of diversity, wilderness and natural wonders as well as culture, history and urban city centers, Canada is renowned for its diversity. From the areas of Montreal, Quebec, Ontario and Toronto which are home to millions of people, world class attractions and a wide variety of other metropolitan features to the vast expanses of unspoiled wilderness in its nationally protected wilderness including Banff and Jasper or perhaps its infamous gold region such as the smaller and yet no less amazing cities of Dawson City and Whitehorese, a lifetime would be needed to even scratch the surface of all it has to offer. 

Most popular wilderness areas

• Icefields Parkway – A wilderness corridor in the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Jasper – Home to Canada’s longest tram ride and hot springs
• Banff – Canada’s first national park and host of 4 million visitors a year
• Algonquin Park – Ontario’s largest and oldest park it is home to 2500 lakes within the boundaries of the Park

Top cities

• Calgary – Home of North America's fastest zipline at Canada Olympic Park
• Toronto – Capital of Ontario and 5th largest metropolitan area in North America
• Montreal – Diverse and home to two distinct populations
• Quebec city – A charming city unique from all other cities in North America

Other must sees

• Niagara – One of Canada’s most famous tourist destinations
• Ottawa – Canada’s national capital Ottawa is 4th largest urban area in Canada and hosts 8 million visitors a year.

Things to consider when planning your trip

1. All travelers require a passport
2. International visitors may require a visa, check your specific destination to find out what is required
3. Phone service may or may not be available depending on your destination
4. Canadian appliances operate on 110 volts
5. Canada formally adopted the metric system in 1970
6. Fishing regulations in Canada vary by province and territory
7. Canada's highway system includes the Trans-Canada Highway, which will take you from coast to coast
8. Canadian traffic rules are similar to American rules
9. American driver’s licenses are accepted in Canada

Island Trader Vacations reviews areas and destinations to help you learn more before you travel.

Travel To Lincoln National Forest For A New Mexico Adventure

Happy Birthday Smokey Bear

August 9^th is designated birthday of The Smokey Bear, symbol of the National Forest Service and preventing wildfires. Today he turns 69 and in honor of his birthday we invite you to take a look at Lincoln National Forest. Home of the original Smokey Bear, a small cub who was rescued from a fire in the Spring of 1950 in the Capitan Gap in Lincoln National Forest.

Established in 1902, Lincoln National Forest was named in honor of our 16^th president, Abraham Lincoln. Headquartered in Alamogordo New Mexico it is just one of many national forests, national parks and protected areas in the region today. Made up of four mountain ranges which include:

• Capitan Mountains
  
• Guadalupe Mountains
  
• Sacramento Mountains
  
• Sierra Blanca
  

Elevations in the forest range from 4,000 to 11,500 feet above sea level. Much different climate and ecologically than the surrounding areas, visitors heading from southwest Texas to this forest see an elevation change of over 4,000 feet in only around 20 minutes of driving. The temperatures in the common camping areas of Lincoln range from the 50's to the 80's in the heat of summer but commonly see snow and much lower temperatures in the winter months.

A great place to spend the day or a week, many small towns and surround the forest including the city of Cloudcroft and its larger nearby counterpart just over the mountains Ruidoso. For the traveler who enjoys the quaint small town charm of a mountain town, Cloudcroft is a fun choice. Located just miles from the forest headquarters and popular areas such as the Trestle Trail, they offer quaint accommodations, small town charm, rustic camping as well as fishing areas, a museum and great local food and wines. Take a stroll in the lovely downtown and enjoy some amazing history and views no matter where you go.

50 miles through the mountains lies the city of Ruidoso home to Ruidoso Downs, a popular destination for travel. Hiking and biking in the forest are still popular ways to enjoy the areas however, a town of almost 10,000, visitors to Ruidoso can enjoy other popular activities as well including festivals, horse racing and casinos, golf, shopping as well as museums and historic sites.



Get out and find out what you have been missing. Small and large destination offer unique and fun ways to enjoy each other and all the world has to offer you. From New Mexico to Alaska, visit America's forests and much more when you travel with Island Trader VacationClub.

Travel News

Not long ago the TSA announced plans to allow travelers to carry on small pocket knives as well as golf clubs, hockey sticks and plastic whiffle ball type bats. Soon after the announcement however, flight attendants and other travelers with concerns for the safety and security of the planes began boycotting the decision made by TSA officials. According to the TSA, the decision to allow these items which included knives with a blade shorter than 6 cm and narrower than ½ inch was based on the fact that these items would not pose a significant threat to those onboard in the case of a possible hijacking.

According to the Flight Attendants Union Coalition the decision would “further endanger the lives of all flight attendants and the passengers…..”

In the beginning of June, the plans to put this plan into action were abandoned by the Transportation Security Administration saying that they had decided instead to focus on other priorities such as expanding the now rapidly growing Pre-Check program.

According to the TSA, screeners confiscate over 2,000 of the small folding knives each and every day.

 If all theses changes or lack of changes have you confused, you are not alone. Before you travel, be sure you know what is and is not allowed in your carry on by spending a little time getting to know the rules. You can find a list of what is and is not allowed in your carry on by visiting the TSA at http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/prohibited-items. Island Trader Vacations reviews the news and information to help you become a more informed traveler.

Staying Healthy While You Travel A Tip Review From Island Trader Vacations

From exercising to eating take a look at some of the easy ways you can do your part and stay healthy when you travel. Make the right choices and make your vacation better.

1. Avoid buying sugary snacks – One of the best ways to gain weight when you travel is to buy snacks along the way. Usually not only pricey but filled with empty calories and sugar, even the healthiest person can quickly find themselves in the next size larger and wishing they hadn’t bought that last candy bar. Pack snack bags when you travel to stay healthier. Trail mixes or dried fruits are all a good idea. Healthier for you, you will also save money as well.
2. Watch where and what you eat – When dining at restaurants it is easy to overindulge. This is an easy way to find yourself sick later on. While part of the joy of travel is trying something new, too much of a good thing can leave you searching for the antacids later on. Try new things but do so in moderation and be choosy. Don’t just eat anywhere.
3. Don’t’ trust the water – You may not have dipped it from a river but that does not make it safe. When traveling abroad, you never know about the water. Better to be safe than sorry and only drink bottled water while traveling. Note: Skip the ice cubes when drinking at restaurants; you don’t know where the water came from.
4. Get out and exercise – This does not mean that you need to spend time jogging or weightlifting; it can be as simple as taking a walk, choosing a bike over a cab or doing some laps in the pool. Just do your best to get out and be active.
5. Get plenty of rest – Studies have found that the more tired we are the more prone to illness we are. Be sure that you get plenty of rest before and during your vacations to prevent illnesses.

Island Trader Vacations reviews news and topics about travel with you. Learn more about travel and enjoy traveling more with Island Trader Vacations.

Island Trader Vacations Reviews Travel And Your Health

Travel has been linked to a healthy lifestyle. It reduces stress, allows us to rejuvenate and gets us out of the house and into the outdoors. Active vacations are a great way to benefit from travel by allowing us to enjoy healthy activities such as hiking, biking or other types of exercise in a fun way.

Another part of being health is to expand our minds as well as enhancing our bodies. A well rounded person is generally a well balanced person and our minds and bodies are certainly connected. Traveling and exploring new cultures forms new connections in our brains. As we expand our minds, we increase our level of awareness and allows our minds to slow down and relax.

Top reasons to travel for your health include:

Learning – Especially in children, those children who travel are shown to learn at a higher level than those who did not travel. For adults, our brains need to learn new things in order to continue forming new connections and for this reason, the more we travel, the more opportunities we have to expand our minds and form these new connections.

Good for your heart – New studies are showing that not only is travel fun but it is also good for your health. Both men and women have shown to have a reduced risk of heart problems later on. Stress is a common source of many health issues faced by people today. Not just our eating habits, but the fast pace of life in today's world is hard on a persons body as well as their mind. Vacations have been linked to lowered risks of heart disease, heat attacks and depression

If you don't travel for fun, at least travel for your health.

While traveling, you can benefit even more from the health aspects of travel by taking good care of your body as well including eating fresh foods, being sure you have all necessary vacations to any destinations outside of the U.S., not drinking the water, getting plenty of rest and washing your hands often.

Take care of yourself, take a vacation and let Island Trader Vacations reviews help you now and for years to come.

Beijing A Top Destination For Travel Reviewed From Island Trader Vacations

Just 5 years ago, Beijing China was thrust into the world spotlight as the host of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Now 5 years later, the city continues to provide visitors with amazing sites to see and the added convenience of added English street sights and other additions made to the city for ease of travel during the Olympics.

Known as an artistic and cultural center of China, Beijing is home to some of the most well known and historic sites in the country. Seat of the Ming and Qing dynasty, this capital city literally means Norhtern Capital and has an intricate history dating back thousands of years. Home to many famous sites, the most important and well known of all is Tiananmen Square. The largest public square in the world it was the sight of one of the most infamous massacres in history, that of the student activists by the Peoples Liberation Army in 1989.

Other popular attractions today include the newly added National Stadium, the Ming Dynasty City Wall Site Park as well as the most famous palace in China known as the Forbidden City. Once home to the Imperial courts of both the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Forbidden City remains intact unlike many other historic sites and houses such popular structures as the Meridian Gate, Hall of Supreme Harmony and the Six Eastern Palaces. The Beijing Zoo, Aquarium, Botanical Garden,  in addition to dozens of other sites such as ancient tombs, parks, mansions and the Jiankou section of the Great Wall are some of the other must sees.

While travel is much simpler of late with the addition of the high speed rail, public transportation and English signs, there is still planning involved with visiting Beijing. Visitors need to be aware of what paperwork is required for entry including both a passport and visa. In regard to money, visitors are advised to exchange at banks to get the best rates in addition, credit cards also work well here.

Beijing is a wonderful city to explore. Home to history and filled with natural beauty, find out what makes Beijing one of this year’s top destinations for travel. Review more about travel and vacation destinations with Island Trader Vacations Reviews and start exploring the world.