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South Carolina, also known as the Palmetto State, receives over twenty-nine million visitors per year. It lies on the east coast of the US and borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. The original colony was named in honor of King Charles I, as “Carolus” is Latin for Charles. It has a population of over four and a half million and is ranked twenty-fourth among the US states. Columbia is the capital of this state and its forty-six counties. Like most of the states in the region, the weather is quite temperate year round which provides many months of comfortable tourism. If South Carolina is one of your destinations, there are many places you might consider visiting. Here are five of them, in no particular order: Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Columbia and Greenville/Spartanburg.

Charleston is the county seat of Charleston County. It is the oldest city in the state and the second largest. The city’s original name was Charles Towne in and it moved to its current location on Oyster Point in 1680. Charleston is known as The Holy City due to the prominence of churches and numerous steeples which dot the city’s skyline. It has a population of over one-hundred and twenty thousand. Marjabelle Young Stewart, an American etiquette expert recognized Charleston as the “best-mannered” city in the US in 1995.

Myrtle Beach is a coastal resort city in Horry County, South Carolina. It is the hub of both the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area and the Grand Strand, a complex of beach towns and barrier islands. The area’s attractions include its beaches and many golf courses as well as amusement parks, an aquarium, retail developments and nearly two thousand restaurants. Myrtle Beach has an estimated 460 hotels. The area also has an IMAX theatre, dinner theatre and nightclubs. Myrtle Beach welcomes Hard Rock Park, so named after the popular Hard Rock Caf chain (now called Freestyle Music Park). The Carolina Opry is another highly-acclaimed attraction as well as the Myrtle Beach Convention Centre. An interesting point, while gambling is not legal in South Carolina; visitors may access a gambling boat which sails into international waters beyond the reach of federal and state gambling laws.

Hilton Head Island or Hilton Head is resort town (located on an island of the same name) in Beaufort County, South Carolina. The island features twelve miles of beachfront on the Atlantic Ocean. In 2004, an estimated two and a quarter million visitors came to stay. The island’s population growth rate has been over thirty-two percent over the past decade. This town is known for its “eco-friendly” development and as a result enjoys an unusual amount of tree cover relative to the amount of development. Over 70% of the island is located inside gated communities; however the town maintains several public beach access points. The island offers an unusual number of cultural opportunities including Broadway-quality plays, the 120-member full chorus of the Hilton Head Choral Society, the Symphony Orchestra and the largest outdoor, tented wine tasting event on the east coast. It also hosts the Verizon Heritage, a stop on the PGA Tour.

Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the US state of South Carolina. The city’s name comes from a poetic synonym for America, derived from the name of Christopher Columbus. It is located thirteen miles northwest of South Carolina’s geographic centre and CNNMoney.com named Columbia as one of America’s 25 best places to retire. US News and World Report ranked the city 6th on its 2009 list of “America’s Best Affordable Places to Retire” List.

Greenville is the seat of Greenville County, in upstate South Carolina, US. It is the third largest city in the state and is the largest of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Combined Statistical Area (CSA) which in 2006 had an estimated population of over 1.2 million. The CSA is an eight county region of northwestern South Carolina known as the “The Upstate.” As the largest city in the Upstate, Greenville offers many activities and attractions. Greenville’s theatres and event venues regularly host major concerts and touring theatre companies. Greenville has the only golf course in the world that has each conceived by a different designer. CrossWinds Golf Club is a public Par 3 course that can be played in one hour for 9 holes or two hours for 18. Other attractions include Falls Park on the Reedy, Liberty Bridge, Greenville County Museum of Art and the Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery.

With so many amazing places to go and different places to see, the culture and history of this state are boundless to absorb. It is easy to see why so many tourists make South Carolina their destination of choice on vacation.

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She waited 500 yards offshore in the tropical warm eastern Pacific ocean off Ostional Beach. Only fifteen the olive ridley sea turtle was in a small land that Christopher Columbus had named “Costa Rica”, the “rich coast” 500 years earlier.

The nearly daily afternoon rains of October had ended as the marine turtle waited expectantly. The moon was in its final quarter and, though she did not know why, it was having an effect on her.

A dozen meters away, a second olive ridley sea turtle joined her, followed by a dozen, then hundreds, thousands, and soon tens of thousands, all waiting quietly. For epochs the moon has silently passed its timeless phases that affect the world’s tides-and today it was bringing her ashore this night, just as it had led her forebears to ancestral nesting beaches for more than one hundred million years.

Nature is always magical. Just a few months ago, this turtle was living in the middle of the Pacific Ocean more than 2,500 miles away. And the multitude of sea turtles now alongside her were scattered over more than a million square miles of ocean.

Though food was plentiful far out in the Pacific, something was stirring inside her. She and hundreds of thousands like her felt the same need to return to Ostional Beach. They had to go back to where they had hatched.

Now, as she waited in the soft moonlight, she was ready. Over the thousands of miles she had swum she had been bred by several different males in the clear tropical waters because, somehow, they, too, were being affected by something unseen, a force primeval. It was something so compelling that it had been bringing her species back to the same Costa Rica beach since the days of dinosaurs.

In the tropical night this olive ridley sea turtle was waiting. She had somehow found to the very beach where she had hatched in 1995. We do not know how a Pacific marine turtle finds the exact beach where she started life. There are only a few nesting beaches on earth and they are not very big. Indeed Ostional Beach is only a few hundred meters in length. Now part of Costa Rica’s Ostional National Wildlife Refuge, it is without a doubt the most important olive ridley marine turtle nesting site on the planet. Wonderfully, in 1995, the year this turtle hatched, perhaps as many as 500,000 female olive pacific sea turtles had come ashore to nest here in huge waves. These massive invasions are called “arribadas.”

Unfortunately, our sea turtle’s mother will not join her to nest at Ostional this year even though for the last two decades, she had been part of massive Ostional arribadas several times every year. Not long ago, she drowned in an illegal shrimping net on her way back to the ancient nesting grounds. It was a needless waste since it could have been avoided by the simple use of an internationally required, but typically ignored, law requiring a turtle escape device. Thousands more were destroyed in what is politely called “incidental catch” by long line fishermen who refuse to use larger hooks that would prevent tragedy to this magnificent and ancient creature. And, no one knows how many thousands were killed awfully by eating carelessly discarded plastic bags. And, of course, there has been the ceaseless pillaging of nests: millions of eggs from just a few small, precious beaches.

Of course, the hundreds of thousands of olive ridleys just offshore know none of this. As we look out over the water in the pale moonlight, there are now so many that it almost seems one could walk on their backs for at least a mile. We stand in awe at the sheer magnitude of God’s creation. They don’t know or comprehend that they were on this planet long before there was a Tyrannosaurus Rex. They don’t know that we are waiting for them to come ashore so that when they lay their eggs on this tiny wildlife refuge, men, women, and children will legally raid their nests and take 1,000,000 eggs in return for protecting the rest of the clutches and preserving the species. They only know that this is where they are meant to be.

Then, though we do not know why, it happens. It is as though the same quiet voice that told them to come and provided flawless directions to a tiny sand beach thousands of miles away, the same silent command that demanded they wait offshore, now tells them it is time to come ashore. As quietly as they first appeared offshore, as silently as they gathered for days and weeks, their patience has been rewarded. They begin to come to the beach. A single olive ridley marine turtle is followed by a second, then another and another. Soon there are hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands—even more than that. All on a particular little beach. They come in increasing numbers all night. More arrive in the day. All day, day after day. It is the magnificent Ostional Arribada of Costa Rica. As timeless as the moon itself, it is the spectacular reaffirmation of life itself.

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Some of the most popular beaches in Costa Rica are close to the small yet bustling town of Jaco. Two hours away from San Jose, and easily reached by car or comfortable, cheap, ubiquitous buses, Jaco is located on Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast in the northern part of Puntarenas province. This is a party town.

About a two hour drive from San Jose, this bustling town sits on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. For many years, it has been one the most popular beaches in Costa Rica, in large part because of its nightlife. Its reputation as a fantastic “party beach” is now well known.

Only about half a dozen years ago, Jaco was still pretty laid back and quaint. Not so much anymore. With tourists came more bars, restaurants, and shopping centers. They were followed by developers: more hotels, more resorts, and now towering high rises. But, the beaches remain—and they are still spectacular.

College kids have long traveled to Jaco because of its “party beach” and cheap accommodations. There is great surfing and lots of bars and discos. They are joined by people of every age and background who come here to enjoy the many things to do and see. Today, there are many restaurants, taverns, tourist traps, and nightclubs to choose from. Whatever your budget, from luxury to basic (think hostels without hot water) there’s a place for you—-not to mention a tourist souvenir shop.

Though Jaco Beach (directly in front of Jaco) has been one of the most popular beaches for many, many years, nearby beaches (literally just a couple of miles/kilometers away), are much better. You’ll find far fewer people and some of the most ecologically pure water on the planet which have been awarded Blue Flag certifications for cleanliness. If you visit Jaco, I strongly recommend spectacular Hermosa Beach. It is only a couple of miles from Jaco. Though it is not recommended for swimming (due to its currents) it is pristine with some of the best surfing on the planet. Indeed, this July it will host professional surfers from more than 35 countries who are going to take part in world surfing championships (and party at night in Jaco).

Costa Rica is one of the smallest countries in the world but it is world-famous for its many places to go and things to do. When you vacation at Jaco, youll be close to innumerable activities. Head over to one of the fabulous volcanoes. Go windsurfing at Lake Arenal. Learn to surf. Visit fabulous Corcovado National Park, described by National Geographic as the most biologically intense place on earth. Take your life in your hands and bungee jump into a deep gorge just outside Jaco. Zipline through tropical forests, whitewater raft, go sea kayaking. Or just lay back and enjoy the beach and romantic sunsets.

And, if you exhaust all the other activities (probably pretty difficult), don’t forget that you can also experience great off shore fishing. The warm, tropical waters are alive with marlin, tuna, sailfish, porpoises, dozens of other varieties, and often whales. But, whatever your tastes, Jaco is definitely a wonderful place to take your vacation.

Though it is easy to reach by air, Costa Rica remains to be discovered. Columbus was the first to find it and, indeed, gave it its name “Rich Coast.” It remains a spectacular haven with one-fifth of every species of plant and animal on the planet residing together in a tiny little country. So, don’t limit yourself to the beaches of Jaco. There’s lots more waiting.

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Costa Rica is a very small Central American country bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. Many who visit find a tropical paradise. It got its name 600 years ago by Christopher Columbus who, when he landed along its Caribbean coast was so enraptured he named the place ‘Costa Rica’ or the ‘Rich Coast’.

In a part of the world often known best for its instability, Costa Rica is a proud, stable democracy and, along with Switzerland, only one of two countries in the world without a military. With an ever-improving tourism infrastructure and two international airports, it is a great place for a spectacular vacation. There is nearly an endless list of things to do and see in a country famous for its incredible diversity of plants and animals.

Costa Rica tourism is struggling due to the world’s economic problems. Still, a challenge always presents an opportunity and today is no exception. Now may be exactly the time to travel to Costa Rica. Airfares are down and you will find some great travel and accommodation bargains. To check out a few, simply Google ‘visitcostarica.com/crplus’ to go to the Costa Rica government’s official Institute of Tourism (ICT) website that has discount coupons but lots and lots of other hotels and resorts are offering special prices right now.

For many, Costa Rica is particularly famous for its plants and animals. Though tiny, only about the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica boasts one of every five species of plant and animal on the planet. There are more kinds of butterflies than on the entire African continent. Little Costa Rica has almost as many different kinds of birds as in the continental United States and only about 100 fewer species than in all of Europe. The diversity is simply staggering. You are going to find fascinating tropical rainforests, spectacular cloudforests, beautiful beaches and rugged coastlines along two tropical oceans. It even has a teeny, teeny park, just half the size of New York City, which National Geographic calls ‘the most biologically intense place’ on earth. Hundreds of kinds of birds, six species of wild cats (including the mighty jaguar and puma), reptiles, amphibians, and (yes!) insects galore in a staggering array of primary rainforest only 20 miles long and 8 miles wide.

Perhaps you would like to see a volcano. There are over 100 in this little country but only a handful are active. Arenal Volcano is the most active and with some frequency erupts with spectacular shows. Hot springs resorts have popped up nearby and lots of folks sit in the warm waters, tropical drinks in hand, and marvel at the nearby volcano. Just minutes away is Lake Arenal, Costa Rica’s largest lake, famed for its great freshwater fishing and world-class windsurfing. Or, just outside San Jose, nearby the international airport, nestled in the cloudforest, is Poas Volcano with the second largest volcanic crater on the planet. My advice is to visit this place early in the morning (before the clouds come in) and on a weekday (because it is packed with Costa Ricans on the weekend). And, by all means, drive to the top of mighty Irazu early in the morning. Only a few miles from San Jose, it is like no place else you’ll ever go. Why? Because, on a clear day, you can stand on an active volcano and see the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans at the same time! I love the romance of this place because, just a few months before he was killed, JFK flew into Costa Rica and was greeted with a spectacular eruptive salute. Two greats in awe of one another!

Do not forget Costa Rica’s Seven Wonders, chosen by Ticos themselves. Two great volcanoes: mighty Arenal Volcano and spectacular Poas Volcano near San Jose International. World famous for its ecotourism is Monteverde Cloudforest Reserve with its great plant and animal diversity—including its spectacular orchids! Hop a boat for a get-away to magnificent Cocos Island (300 miles off the coast), described as the “most beautiful island in the world” by Jacques Cousteau, a famous pirate island with millions of dollars of still-missing buried treasure, and the best large animal diving anywhere. The tallest mountain in Central America is called Mount Chirripo where you will hike from tropical forests to glacial lakes. Unknown to most folks is the Rio Celeste (Celestial River) where the river changes, literally and almost magically, from crystal clear to sky-blue in front of your eyes. And, for real nature lovers, there is remote Tortuguero National Park along the Caribbean coast, the world’s largest protected area for green sea turtles and waters teeming with great sportfish.

No vacation is complete without visiting several of its simply amazing beaches. You are going to find nearly 800 miles of beaches: white sand beaches, brown sand beaches, black sand beaches, even coral beaches. Along two oceans. Dozens have been awarded the famed ‘Blue Flag’ certificates meaning they are the best of the best ecologically. The north Pacific coast is increasingly developed with great resorts, hotels, and golf courses. Meanwhile, the Caribbean coast remains far more undeveloped while maintaining its particular Caribbean flavor. There are very popular beaches (particularly over Easter and Christmas) and virtually deserted beaches. To go from one to another is often just a few minutes’ drive.

In Costa Rica there are activities to suit just about everyone. While you can go in for the extreme sports, many people take part in swimming, cycling or sunbathing, all pastimes which are particular popular for tourists to Costa Rica. Costa Rica is also famous for having some of the best tropical golf courses in the world. And, if that is not enough, here are a few more things to do to keep you busy during the days: 1. Fish the deep sea for marlin (I recently fought a 450 pounder before releasing it), sailfish, huge tarpon, snook, and dozens of other varieties. 2. Surf! Don’t know how? Go to surf school. 3. Raft or kayak in some of the world’s best whitewater or leisurely raft a tropical river with the kids. 4. Sail or take a dinner cruise. 5. Windsurf at Lake Arenal, considered the second best place in the world. 6. Defy death and bungee jump into deep canyons or at night. 7. Take an ecotour 8. Zipline 80 feet up the air through tropical forests. 9. Become a bullfighter. But beware that in Costa Rica the bulls cannot be harmed, anybody can jump into the ring with these critters, and you can buy insurance just before you take your life into your hands. 10. Take a horseback ride in the mountains, along the beaches, or even across the entire country. 11. Take a hot air balloon ride or go hang gliding. 12. Become a canyoneer and rappel tropical waterfalls. 13. Take a train ride—in a genuine Swiss train to a genuine Swiss mountain hotel or from San Jose to the beach. 14. Visit a tiny park, Corcovado, only half the size of NYC but the most biologically intense place on earth. 15. Scuba dive or skin dive in a Caribbean marine park at the largest coral reef in the country. 16. Watch whales (Costa Rica has the world’s longest whale-watching season). Wonder at the sea turtles as they have nested since the days of dinosaurs. 17. Enjoy tropical gardens or tour plantations where the finest coffee in the world is grown. 18. Hike, bike, rent motorcycles or ATVs. 19. Take a walk on the wild-side into the crater of an active volcano. 20. Tour an African wildlife park. 21. Take a photography tour. 22. Go on a volunteer vacation. Enough ideas? I have more!

Night provides more attractions. Bars, restaurants, nightclubs (many are very adult in tone and tenor), gambling, and, of course, beautiful women. Costa Rica is world famous for its women of the night. For gays and lesbians, there are an increasing number of places to go and things to do as well.

Fishing is an old sport. Earlier, it was done at a very elementary level. Men used to sit on rocks that were scattered on riversides and keep their angles in line with the rivers. Sometimes, they caught a bounty. We mean the small fishes. At other times, all they got was nothing. Since that time, fishing as a sport has evolved a lot. Today it is followed both as a hobby and as a profession. In this regard, the role of California fishing is praiseworthy. It has given an array of options to the boaters and fishers alike.

There are various fishing centers where you can catch hold of the corbina, bass, halibut and rockfish. In fact, even rays and sharks are available by a score. The Goleta pier is one of the very best for the fishing business. The facilities are good and anglers get easy access to the pier. On an average, thirty different species can be found on the pier. Fishes per trip is also very high.

The California piers are simply blessed. You can even look out for the bass kelp, the white sturgeons and the pacific mackerels. Another one is the balboa pier. It is not entirely made for the purpose of fishing and fishing is at best a secondary occupation but it provides great depth and fishing facility at the corner of the 920 feet pier. Here you can look to catch the snovel guitarfish and bat rays with your squid baits.

On the Sacramento River, there are glorious fishing opportunities. There are customized jet boats and drift boats. These provide all kind of facilities in a very safe, harmonious and laid-back environment. Be it the Smith River fishing or Feather River fishing, no angler would be disappointed sitting in the 24 feet custom-built boat looking for angles. Today, there are many defining books that can suggest you about catching the trout, steelheads, sturgeon and many other kinds of species. These contain roughly a1000 photographs and a lot of informative write-ups.

Even California boating is developing into a huge industry. The boating clean and green campaign is hot today. It teaches various techniques of protecting the waterways from invasive species. It also preaches the value of safeguarding various marine ecosystems and habitats. The dock walkers get to know a lot about inspecting waterways for identifying what might turn out to be an intrusive breed of fish like the sharks.

If you possess a trailer boat, you can look to get easy access to the California waters. San Francisco bay also offers quite an amazing repertoire of boating facility. You can have fun in the Francisco bay or move towards northern California for catching the big prize. If a combination trip interests you then you can look forward to boating and fishing simultaneously. Ambience and amenities are great. All you need is awareness. Thankfully, even that is not missing in people of California.