So how does it work?
1. Strap on your 28-pound marine engine.
2. Press your start button.
3. Listen to the cues from your flight team who are in constant communication through a headset.
4. Using hand controls, make gentle movements left, right, up and down to control your flight while a 33-foot hose shoots you into the air.

Packages range from $150 for an intro flight experience (20 minutes) to $2,500 for a full-day flight experience.  It is absolutely one of the best things to do in St. Thomas.

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2 Be social The Roaming Gnome was a social butterfly at TBEX!  He never turned down an instagram photo op, a Vine, a group hug or a chance to meet new people!  So take a cue from him, and put yourself and your blog out there. You might be writing the most fabulous travel blog in the galaxy, but if you don’t socialize it, no one will ever know!

3  Writing is great but don’t forget video The Roaming Gnome loves jumping in front of the camera – he’s a total ham!  He doesn’t only appear  in television commercials and The Amazing Race but he’s also on Vine and he even convinced me to take him along to shoot my Travelocity YouTube series, Let’s Roam!  Because let’s face it…it’s always more fun to travel with the gnome.

4  Go and smell the roses  The Roaming Gnome knows that the world is a magical place but you gotta get out and travel to experience it.  Your budget shoudn’t prohibit you from experiencing the wonder of travel.  Beautiful roses are probably growing right in your own backyard!  No excuses.  

5  Be a storyteller  Next time you see the Roaming Gnome, ask him to tell you the story of being gnome-nabbed from a garden eight years ago and taken around the world on an epic adventure.  He’s a fabulous storyteller, and you as a blogger should be too.  The Roaming Gnome never just gives you the facts.  His stories are weird and awesome, and keep you wanting more.

6  Have fun  Travel blogging and vlogging is one of the coolest professions out there…so make sure you’re smiling along the way.  Yes, we all need to lock ourselves in our hotel rooms sometimes to bang out deadlines, but always infuse fun into your writing, your photos, your videos and your travels.  Have a permanent smile on your face, like the Roaming Gnome, and every day will feel happier!
That’s all from us, @CourtScott and @RoamingGnome signing off.  Until we TBEX again.  Keep roaming!

The post Travel Blogging Tips from TBEX and The Roaming Gnome appeared first on The Window Seat ®.

So, you’ve decided to visit Walt Disney World but you’re not quite sure where to begin when planning such a magical vacation since there’s so much to see and do.  Well, lodging is a great place to start, but many families worry that staying on property will not fit their budget. But with more than 25 unique Walt Disney World Resort hotels to choose from there is an option to suit almost every taste and budget. From affordable value resorts to luxurious deluxe resorts, there’s truly something for everyone at the Walt Disney World Resort and the benefits of selecting an “on property” hotel are innumerable. The value and moderate level resorts were designed with the budget-minded family in mind but no expense was spared in ensuring each guest has a purely magical experience that only Disney can provide!

The Value Resorts are the most affordable among all Walt Disney World Resort accommodations. The rates are low but there’s no shortage of Disney theming and the level of service can’t be beat. The Disney value resorts offer a multitude of amenities that will sprinkle pixie dust on your family vacation including food courts, playgrounds, and themed pool areas with kiddie pools for the smallest mousketeers, all without breaking the bank.

Jumping up a tier to the moderate level resorts, families will enjoy more spacious rooms, a magically themed resort atmosphere less like a standard hotel, and many magical little extras including water sports rentals, organized recreation activities, and immersive, themed pool areas featuring water slides and interactive features. All this while staying in tune with a conservative family budget.

Although the rates are much lower, guests of the Disney World Resort value and moderate hotels are welcome to take advantage of the same guest perks that are afforded to guests staying at the more expensive Deluxe Resorts. Some of these attractive amenities include free resort transportation, Extra Magic Hours, Disney Dining Plan, Key to the World Card, room charging and daily “mousekeeping.”

When planning your next vacation to Walt Disney World on a budget, consider these top five budget hotels:

1 Disney’s Port Orleans Resort: Disney’s Port Orleans Resort is a Walt Disney World moderate resort themed after the tranquil, romantic and rural Louisiana Bayou. For an extra special interactive experience, guests can choose to stay in an all new Royal Guest Room, equipped with ornately decorated beds featuring special fiber optic fireworks effects in the headboards, custom bed coverings and drapes, and unique artwork featuring Princess Tiana and her royal visitors. The Royal Rooms offer a truly luxurious and royal experience at an affordable price.

2 Disney’s Art of Animation Resort: Traveling with a large family? The need for multiple rooms can be costly, but at Disney’s all new Art of Animation Resort, groups requiring extra space can rest comfortably in a spacious family suite featuring room for six guests plus two bathrooms and a kitchenette! When you visit Art of Animation, you’ll feel as if you’ve been magically transported into your favorite Disney films with buildings themed after the classic movies The Lion King, Cars, Finding Nemo, and The Little Mermaid.  Art of Animation is considered a value-level resort and a room here can be reserved for far less than what it would normally cost to book two rooms for larger families.

3Disney’s Pop Century Resort: Take a trip through time at Disney’s Pop Century, a value resort that pays homage to the decades of pop culture that have molded our country into what it is today!  Pop Century is conveniently located and features over the top Disney theming as well as a fabulous pool area and yummy food court that some guests argue is the best on property.  Pop Century’s room rates are among the lowest at Walt Disney World so you can experience the magic of staying on property while pinching pennies along the way!

4 Disney’s All-Star Resorts: Three unique properties make up Disney’s All-Star Resorts, so guests can take their pick from All-Star Movies, All-Star Sports, or All-Star Music. Guests at these value resorts can enjoy attractive rates plus the perks of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, not to mention the convenient location, just minutes from Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. Traveling with a larger party? Well All-Star Music Resort has got ya covered with spacious family suites designed to sleep six comfortably! They are even equipped with a kitchenette!

5 Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort: Argh Mateys! Set sail to Walt Disney World where a magical high seas adventure awaits at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. Upon arrival, guests of this moderate level resort will feel as if they have been whisked away to an island paradise! With a pirate themed swimming area, boat rentals, and white sandy beaches, Caribbean Beach Resort is a destination for those guests wishing to escape without braking the bank. To take the experience to the next level, guests can choose to reserve a pirate-themed guest room decked out with pirate ship beds and decor that are fit for the swashbuckler in all of us.

Disney World Resort hotel accommodations may be booked well in advance, so be sure to visit Travelocity.com!  Right now you can receive up to 30% off for travel June 13 to September 28, 2013. Book by July 31, 2013.

Amanda Ficili is a member of the 2013 Disney Parks Moms Panel. Panelists have received/will receive a Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, Disneyland Resort or Disney Vacation Club vacation for panelist and up to three family members and/or park tickets for their participation on the Walt Disney World® Moms Panel. The views expressed in the Panel are those of the panelists, who are independent contractors. These views are not intended to reflect the opinions of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Online, its affiliates, its management, its agents or its employees and have not been reviewed or approved by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Online prior to posting.

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Step 1: Load up your basket.  Preparing for your picnic is as easy as making a stop at the Dallas Farmers Market where farmers come from miles around to proudly present the fruits of their labor. Essentials for my picnic — a little wine, a little fresh fruit, some meat and cheese.  Be sure to visit The Old World Sausage Company and the Cheese Peddlers in Shed 2.

Step 2: Stake out your spot at Klyde Warren Park, a five-acre grassy park built over an eight-lane freeway. It’s only been on the Dallas scene for less than a year, and locals are already flocking to it’s wide open space and grassy green parks. Blanket. check. snacks, check. Now bring on the sun.

Step 3: Finish your day with a moment of zen in the garden at the Nasher Sculpture Center. Here, the Nasher family has put their extensive art collection on exhibit for all of Dallas to enjoy. It’s the quietest moment you will find in the center of a big city – a  true sanctuary.

The Guide:

Dallas Farmer’s Market
1010 S Pearl Expy  Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 939-2808

Old World Sausage Company (in Dallas Farmers Market)
1010 S Pearl Expy  Dallas, TX 75201
(214)760-9000

Klyde Warren Park 
2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway Dallas, TX 75201
(214)716-4500

Nasher Sculpture Center 
2001 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 242-5100

The post How to Plan the Perfect Summer Picnic in Dallas, Texas appeared first on The Window Seat ®.

Like its people, New York’s animal inhabitants come in all colors, shapes and personalities.  They are 100% part of the family.  And while thousands of pets have found a loving home in New York, the ones that haven’t turn to Bideawee, the cupid of canines and cats.  For over 100 years, Bideawee has made New York’s pet welfare their number one mission, finding life-long homes for thousands of animals in need.

For animal lovers, Bideawee is a dream voluntourism experience.  The cats, well, they oversee your cleaning duties and make sure to let you know you’re doing a good job.  While the puppies, they will give you a run for your money.

And play time –  it’s an essential piece in making sure these precious pets are prepared for their new homes.  But pairing pets and people isn’t an easy task.  So, what’s the secret to  Bideawee’s match-making success?  Their team knows the ins and outs of every cat and dog.  So the only risk of a volunteer day at Bideawee is coming home with a few new friends!

For more information on volunteering at Bideawee go to www.bideawee.org.

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via Andrew Zimmern on Instagram (Chefaz)

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Watch the first two episodes at www.travelocity.com/letsroamtv and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to our YOUTUBE channel for a new episode every Wednesday.

The post Travelocity Unveils New Weekly Web Series – Let’s Roam appeared first on The Window Seat ®.

Travelocity Roaming Gnome and The Property Brothers (Drew & Jonathan Scott).

via Twitter (@MrDrewScott)

Send your fan photos to courtney.scott@travelocity.com to be featured on the blog!

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