Phila Airport Parking Vacations

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All our luggage and camera gear is packed in the van by 8 a.m. and we are on our way to our first destination, soon to become a real life adventure. We are on a photography tour so everyone is talking cameras and pictures. This is the first day, we are getting to know one another, and the level of excitement in the van is high looking forward to the tour.

We are on our way to Arenal, an active volcano in Costa Rica, but there are a few stops along the way. First, we stop in Sarchi, famous for its tropical furniture, where magnificent, brightly decorated ox carts are made in an eighty plus year old water powered factory. From there, we drive to the little mountain town of Zarcero where the focal point is the old wooden church with its much-photographed double row of topiaries leading to its entrance. You can fill your camera’s memory card just at these two places with the colours and patterns in Sarchi and the fantastic shapes of the topiaries in Zarcero.

The roads in Costa Rica are famous, not only for the magnificent land which they traverse but for their condition. Our driver, Luis, knows that we will encounter many potholes so he is cautious and as a result we are passed by most everything on two or four wheels. Many drivers here, from the ubiquitous taxistas to truck drivers, think they are Formula One drivers. Indeed, reportedly there is a bus driver whose passengers frequently find religion on his overland route.

After Sarchi and Zarcero we stop for lunch in La Fortuna and are now just a few miles from the lodge in Arenal. Upon leaving the main highway for the lodge we find ourselves traveling in, out, and around potholes. The rainy season ended about the beginning of December so many roads are still in very poor condition. Our road is unique because it was built out of crushed lava.

We round a curve and a come to a clearing at a river and there is Arenal Volcano! Most have never been face to face with a volcano before and it is truly an awesome sight to see, a perfectly shaped volcano.

The top of the cone is shrouded with little fluffy white clouds against a blue sky. It is picture perfect and we quickly stop and everyone piles out of the van attaching cameras to tripods, some of us wading into the river to capture an image from a different perspective and others shooting from the riverbanks.

Who is to say how dangerous being this close to an active volcano can be? Fortunately, Arenal is very predictable and today is closely monitored so there is a very low risk of a serious, catastrophic, unexpected eruption. Only 1 km away from the base of the volcano and 2 km to the top of the cone is the lodge where we stay and without a doubt any activity attracts the attention of everyone.

While unpacking and getting settled in, Arenal speaks. It is a great roar, smoke and gas billowing many hundreds of feet into the sky and the sound of the rocks tumbling down the slopes. After the eruption, the Mantled Howler monkeys are extremely vocal but we do not know if they are protesting the roar of the eruption or just answering back.

While sitting in the lodge dining room enjoying our dinner Arenal speaks again. Everyone had been told of the many photo opportunities in Costa Rica but who would imagine eating dinner and having something like this happen? And this was only our first day of the tour!

Most of us do not get much sleep for the first two nights. Instead, we find some comfortable chairs in the common area outside our rooms and attach cable releases to our cameras and put them on a tripod. From past experiences I decide to use an 80-200mm lens set at 80mm and an aperture of f8, the camera shutter set at “B” for time exposure.

With the activity of the small flare-ups at the cone and the lava flowing down the opposite side I think a time exposure of more than twenty minutes will produce an ugly yellow blob of light, so if there had been no eruptions after this length of time I will close the shutter and start another exposure. Using a cable release makes these exposures very easy and Arenal puts on quite a display while we are there.

What a magnificent first day of the tour in Costa Rica. Eight more days of photography to go and everyone is anxiously looking forward to what exciting adventure tomorrow will bring.

Based on information recently released from the FBI, crimes of violence and property crimes dropped across the state of California. Very few cities saw increases in crimes. Those that did, tended to be amongst the smaller cities in the state. In large California cities, the overwhelming majority witnessed substantial decreases.

Violent crimes, which are of a particular concern, dropped in Los Angeles. Even more assuring, the numbers from LA were very similar to the numbers of California as a whole. For every 100 crimes from the previous year, there were 4 less this year.

The city of San Diego was another city that saw less property incidents and violence. They had 5% less crimes involving violent crime from the previous year. That exceeds the national drop by almost 2%. With respect to crimes involving property (i.e. theft, grand theft auto, etc.) the city saw a 9% drop.

California can be proud that it has 6 out of 25 of the safest cities in the country and none of its cities are among the top 25 most dangerous. Additionally impressive, San Jose and San Diego are amongst the most safe cities with 500,000 residents or more. According to the FBI, the safest cities in California include Hillsboro and Moraga (Bay area communities), San Marino, Sierra Madre, Palos Verdes Estates, Soledad, Moorpark, Rancho Palos Verdes, Saratoga and Avenal.

With some places to choose from, California offers some of the best vacation spots in the world. With gorgeous weather and beaches, you can be sure your family will enjoy every second of their California trip. Plus, you can rest assured that you aren’t putting your family in a dangerous situation. There is nothing worse than being victimized by crime while on vacation.

Do you like to travel with your child – but you are concerned with their comfort and safety when it comes to bed time when you are away from home? Maybe it is a simple overnight trip to the grandparent’s home. They have the old second-hand crib – but how safe is it? Or how about at a hotel – how safe and reliable is the crib that they quickly setup for your son or daughter? Maybe now is the time to consider a toddler travel bed for your child.

Safety and comfort is number 1 at all times when it comes to your child – and even more so when travelling with you son or daughter. Have you ever had that one night when your child cries all night – and you just know it is a result of them sleeping in an uncomfortable bed? How about getting to a hotel room and you see the crib they have set up for your son or daughter – and there is absolutely no way that you will be placing them in there to sleep – not clean – not safe – and so on. You may be ready for a toddler travel bed. There are many good quality beds to choose from – but how do you decide on the one that is the best option for your family. Read our 7 tips to help clarify your decision.

1. Look for a bed that is light to carry. When on the go with your child there is always lots of gear to take along. A lightweight travel bed helps to make it easier when on the go. Stay away from the heavy monsters – get a bed that weighs less than three kg. (that’s under six pounds).

2. Compact in size. Whether you are off on a 2 week trip to Europe or just an overnight to grandma’s all of your gear has to be compact to fit into your trunk, or to check in on a plane. Make sure that the travel bed you select can be easily packed away (in its own travel pack). The bed when collapsed should be smaller than 60 x 20 x 20 (centimeters) or in inches 24 x 8 x 8.

3. No hassle set up and put away process. Speed and simplicity are the keys when setting up or putting away your toddler travel bed. You arrive at your destination – your child is tired – you don’t want to struggle to get the bed set up. You want a bed that one person can handle on their own for set up and for putting it away in its travel pack. The bed you get for your child should be easily set up in less than one minute or so, and it should be put away in a similar amount of time.

4. Simple and quick access to your toddler. If your child needs you in the middle of the night you want to be able to easily reach into the bed to pick them up or to pat their back. The bed you decide on should have a way for you to quickly get to your child – usually with a side panel that can be lowered by a quick zip of a zipper.

5. Mesh panels for good air flow. When travelling the room your child may be sleeping in may be stuffy. Choosing a bed with mesh panels on the side will maximize the amount of air circulating past your child helping to keep your son or daughter comfortable during their sleep-time.

6. Comfortable and light mattress – you want your toddler to be comfortable and you also want to have a lightweight bed. Make sure that the portable bed that you purchase has a comfortable foam mattress.

7. Guarantees and returns. A toddler travel bed is an investment in your child’s comfort, safety, and happiness. You want to make your purchase with confidence. Look for a bed that has a lifetime warranty. And make sure that it can be returned to the retailer with no hassles if it just isn’t right for your family.

A toddler travel bed is an excellent piece of baby gear for families with babies under the age of 3 years old. Keeping these 7 tips in mind when you purchase a toddler travel bed will ensure that the one you decide on will be a good fit for your family.