OE TRAVEL BLOGS - Travel Reviews

Travel Guides/Blogs

1/12/2016

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You Can Get Top Quality and Service at a Cheap Hotel

30/11/2016

You Can Get Top Quality and Service at a Cheap Hotel

Very often, when you are thinking about traveling either for business or for a holiday, the first thing that you want to consider is the hotel you are going to stay at. Pretty much everywhere you go today will give you a choice of various hotels in the area to stay at so you want to make sure you take the time to look at what is available to see what best suits your particular needs. You may also have a certain budget that you need to stick with for your travel and you do not want to overspend for a hotel room that you likely are not going to spend a lot of time in. That is why it is good for you to know that when you are looking for an accommodation in Reading that you are able to get top quality and service from one of the cheap hotels in Newbury in Reading.

Making the Time to Look
The trap many people fall into when they are making travel arrangements is that they wait too long to book their travel and end up having to overpay for their hotel because there either are no other rooms available or they simply selected the first hotel that comes along when they are searching in a particular region. If you make sure you give yourself enough time ahead of time to make proper travel arrangements, you can then spend time looking around in the area you are visiting so that you can be sure to select a hotel that is right for you in terms of amenities, comfort, location and price.

Know the Amenities You Want
If you are aware of the particular amenities that are most important to you when you travel, you will have a much easier time finding a hotel that fits within your particular price range. Many of the budget hotels today offer the same level of quality and service that you will find at a luxury hotel; the difference often lies in the various amenities that are available to you. Make sure that any hotel that you choose has the things that are most important, such as wireless Internet capability, comfortable bedding, work space, in room bathroom facilities and other amenities. When you look around, you will see that you are able to get a hotel room that can offer all of these things to you and more at a significantly lower price than what you might pay at a luxury hotel.

You will find that you can get the top quality room and service you are looking for at a cheap hotel. Take a look at the various hotels in Reading and check the accommodations available at the Best Western West Grange Hotel. The Best Western West Grange Hotel provides a variety of different room sizes and types that are suitable for all kinds of travelers and they offer high quality amenities and comfort at room rates that will save you a great deal of money.

By Dev

New Orleans to Chicago Road Trip

30/10/2016

US Road Trip - New Orleans to Chicago

America, the land of the free. With so much to see and do, every state is different in it's own sense, it can get a bit mind boggling with what there is to offer.

We recently did a road trip, starting in New Orleans and finishing in Chicago. Travelling over 1500km over 3 weeks, this was just the trip for us.

New Orleans, Louisiana. The Big Easy, it is just that. Stay in the French Quarter (or close by) because that is where everything is. Bourbon Street, or the less touristy Frenchman Street, are all within walking distance for your fix of live music and cheap drinks. Cafe du Mond is the place to get the famous French Beignets. No trip to New Orleans is complete without a swamp tour to catch a glimpse of the aligators in their natural habitat (this can be booked the night before and there are plenty of companies offering trips starting from around $70 USD, add $20 for a hotel pickup and it is too easy).

Jackson, Mississippi. This can be seen in a day. We stayed one night and were happy seeing the old State Capitol building where we were greeted by the very friendly lady behind the counter. This gave us a good insight into civil war and the deep history of the South. For a good feed in an authentic American diner, check out Brent's Drug store in the Fondren neighbourhood (http://www.brentsdrugs.com/)

Memphis, Tennessee. Now this is a gem. First stop, Graceland! All things Elvis, including his home, multiple museums and even his aeroplanes (https://www.graceland.com/). Sun studios where greats such as Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis 'The King' Presley all recorded and got a start in their career (https://www.sunstudio.com/). Check out The Peabody ducks at the Peabody Hotel (center city), they have been coming into the hotel to find the fountain since 1940 at 11am and 5pm every day - and what's better, it is free to view, just walk into the foyer! (http://www.peabodymemphis.com/ducks-en.html), We went to a College Football match, how amazing! Make sure you turn up 3 hours early with a couple of drinks to the tailgate party - they do it well!

The Museum of Civil Rights is worth investing a few hours, a great museum depicting a terrible history, but well spaced out and even has a restored room and balcony where Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. Other points of interest in Memphis are the Gibson Guitar Factory, and of course, the legendary Beale Street where you can soak in some more great live music in every bar along the street.

On our way out, we went to Reverend Greens full Gospel Service. If you are in town on a Sunday, it is such a good morning, with everything you imagine in a gospel service, and of course, all your sins from the night before on Beale Street will be forgiven. Tour groups welcome. (Full Gospel Tebernacle is the Church, Google it for updated times of service) Finally, do yourself a favour and listen to Marc Cohns song to get into the mood - he even mentions Rev Green so you know it is good! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK5YGWS5H84)

Nashville, Tennessey. Ye haw, get yourself straight to the main strip (top end of the Nashville Boulevard). Tin roof, Tootsies, Robert's Western World were some of the many Honky Tonks we visited. The Bluebird cafe is where all the unknowns go to get famous, just a short taxi out of town. With live music everywhere this is an amazing part of the world. We went to the Country music hall of fame which is well worth a visit which gives you a great insight into what makes this part of the world tick. No visit to Nashville is complete without a visit to the Grand Ole Opry - with daily tours and multiple shows each week, book early as these sell out and are well worth the trip (http://www.opry.com/)

Louisville, Kentucky. Another unexpected gem. They have regular race meets at the legendary Churchill Downs where the Kentucky Derby is held. We paid a $3 admission fee and were treated to 8 races on a Thursday evening, we even left $1.50 up!.

There are a heap of museums next to each other on Main Street, we went to the Louisville Slugger Museum, and Muhammad Ali Center, both not to be missed. The Slugger came with a tour of the factory so you can see how baseball bats are made, and they give you a miniature bat as a souvenir. Finish your visit with a trip to the batting cages where you can pay $2 for 10 balls. Batter up!

The Muhammad Ali Center is an amazing tribute to the greatest of all time. Finish your visit with a drive out to Cave Hill Cemetery to pay tributes to multiple famous people, including the man mentioned above, Muhammad Ali, and Colonel Harland Sanders (the founder of KFC!)

Indianapolis, Indiana. Worth a look in town and a walk along the canals but we were there for the race course. See (http://oetravelblogs.com/travel-blogs/indy-racing-experience-review) for more information.

Chicago. This was our last stop. We dropped off the car after being advised that Chicago drivers are a bit psycho compared to the country folk. Expensive place for accommodation centrally but a great city to explore. Jump on one of the Architecture Foundation boat tours who will float you down the river for 90 mins and talk about the different buildings which make up the amazing sky line. (https://www.architecture.org/experience-caf/tours/).
Time your trip in with a Chicago Cubs game and get to Wrigley field - just don't secure an 'obstructed view' seat, or else you may have a large pole in front of you!

We hired the hop on/off bikes (Divvy bikes) and found a cupcake ATM which were amazing (get to 50 Walton Street East), went up the John Hancock tower to get a birds eye view 94 floors up (http://www.360chicago.com/) and finished off with a walk along the lake via Millennium park - make sure you don't miss the giant found mirror the locals call 'the bean'.

Throughout our trip, we tried to get off the 'tourist' track and experienced some events the locals like (like a drive-in movie). It was an amazing part of the country, and totally different to anything we had seen on the East and West Coasts. We learnt a lot about the history of the Southern States, experienced some amazing live music, and met some great locals who were genuinely interested in our travels and made us feel so welcome. Totally recommended!

5/5 (unless you are on a diet, it is hard to eat healthy with so much fried chicken and catfish everywhere)

By: Jerry

Being Bumped From A Flight

22/10/2016

Being bumped from a flight

Have you ever been hugely excited for an upcoming trip? Packed and ready to go? Triple checked that your passport has not expired? Only to find you get to the boarding gate, and the airline tell you there are no seats left on the aeroplane? A.K.A - Being bumped from a flight!

This happened to us recently when flying from Philadelphia to Los Angeles on American Airlines. We were starting our 30 hour homeward journey towards Australia when we decided to get an early morning flight which would give us the day in LA.

Unfortunately we made it onto the bridge, right up to the door of the aeroplane to be told we would be on the next flight 4 hours later - lucky we gave ourselves plenty of time before our connecting flight later that day!

I quizzed the American Airlines staff, who said it was normal that they over sell the aeroplane. According to their algorithms, there is a certain percentage of people who do not turn up for a flight, which allows everyone at the gate on the flight. On this occasion (and I am sure it happens frequently), the algorithm failed. We paid for a service, which American Airlines could not deliver.

If this happens to you, as long as you are not in a rush, it can actually work out beneficial, as the airline is obliged to pay compensation of up to 400% of your flight fare depending on how much you are delayed.

On over booked flights, airlines will start announcing over the loud speaker during boarding if anyone wants to volunteer to miss the flight and be paid compensation, but be careful doing this, as the compensation will not be anywhere near what you will get if you are involuntarily denied boarding.

We walked to the nearest currency exchange to cash our cheques with bitter sweet feelings, missing out on a full day in LA, but with our wallet almost being classed as excess baggage. It was not all bad.

By: Jerry

Things to do on the Coral Coast of Fiji

30/9/2016

Country/Town Visited: Coral Coast, Fiji
Date of stay: September 2016
Where you stayed: The Warwick Resort
Tour or pre planned: Pre-planned holiday with
family

The Fiji islands lie roughly 2100km north of Auckland, New Zealand and around 2700km north east of Sydney, Australia. Fiji’s two largest islands are Vitu Leevu and Vanua Levu and the country’s capital city is Suva which is located on Vitu Leevu. There’s also two international airports, one in Nadi and the other in Nausori Suva.
In September of 2016 we flew to Fiji to spend 8 days relaxing at the Warwick Resort, located on the Coral Coast. We booked a package holiday and our flights were with Fiji Airways where you can find some great deals throughout the year. Flying from Brisbane, Australia the flight was only about 3 ½ hours to Nadi, Airport and we’d pre-arranged transfers through the resort which cost $260 Fijian dollars. On arrival to Nadi airport we were ushered to the arrivals hall where we had a very long wait before getting through customs to collect our bags, 4 airlines had landed at the same time which caused a few disruptions and as you could imagine was quite difficult with children.
Driving from Nadi to the Coral Coast takes around 1 ½ to 2 hours depending on the resort, on route to the Warwick we passed the Outrigger, Naviti & the Shangri La resorts so you have plenty of choice when searching for some where to stay. The Warwick is a 5* resort and you have everything you need to keep you entertained while on holiday, from kids club for the children to the water sports activities. Click on the following link to read our review of the resort.

Things to do: We’ve listed a few things we chose to do while on holiday. Some of these activities can be booked through the resort but we opted to buy from the beach stall for the Village tour and water fall visit, this also helps support the local village and of course cheaper than buying through the resort. The beach hut location: head to the beach towel hut at the Warwick Resort near the end of the main pool, then turn left and walk around 500-700 meters down the beach, (Just ask for Leno Cappuccino and he’ll help you out) Cappuccino was in the first hut waving to get our attention. They also sell water, coke, do massages and hair braiding which is very popular with the children. We booked the village tour which included a visit to the local school and village, kava tasting and a guided hike to the Biausevu waterfalls (awesome and easy walk and highly recommended). This tour cost $70 Fijian per adult and $10 for children, under 3’s were free. You can also hire a horse to ride up to the falls if you’re not too keen on the walk. It’s recommended to bring some good sandals for walking as you’ll go through around 4 or 5 streams. The resort has plenty of other daily activities plus the snorkelling and kayaks are free to use around the coral reefs daily unless it’s rough weather.

Glass bottom boat tour – we did this tour from the Naviti resort as the boat was broken down at the Warwick resort. We booked the tour and transfers through the resort which cost $25 Fijian (taxi for 8) and the boat tour cost $60 per adult I believe and $30 for children over 3. This tour was ok but some of us started feeling sick with the bumpy waves and smell of diesel from the motor.

Kula Eco park – its Fiji’s only Wildlife Park and home to birds, snakes, Fijian iguanas, tropical fish and other various animals. On entry to the park you get a chance to meet the Iguana’s and snakes and have photos holding them. You’ll also find a number of walking tracks and you can also purchase lunch here but it’s nothing to write home about. Entry cost $30 Fijian for adults and $15 Fijian for children (under 2’s were free) Location: The wildlife park is near Sigatoka & opposite the Outrigger resort. Getting there, we booked a cab for half a day which cost $70 Fijian. Taxis are easy to find, we just walked out the front of our resort to the bus stop and Mohammad greeted us and gave us some prices. Worked out a lot cheaper than using the resort transfers. In complete honesty, at the time we visited it wasn’t really worth the money we spent but we saw that they were building a few activities whilst there so it may get better.

Golf range – the golf range is located next to the Kula Eco park and also just across the road from the Outrigger resort, we actually noticed a path going under the road which leads you directly into the Outrigger grounds so this would be a great location to stay while taking in some other activities. Balls cost $15 Fijian for 50 and $25 Fijian for 100 balls.

Good places to eat – The Warwick resort has a number of restaurants to choose from and the Wicked Walu (Seafood Restaurant is highly sought after and has good ratings. Another restaurant with good ratings is the Eco Café but unfortunately this was closed for refurbishments during our visit. I’ve heard great things about this place and that they make amazing wood oven pizzas. We’ll be back next year for a visit.

Tips: The following are just a few tips that may help during your visit to Fiji.

Bring some local money with you, we used our bank to get some currency a few days prior to leaving as you’ll get a much better rate then using the airport kiosks.
On arrival to Nadi airport you’ll see the duty free items while waiting to collect your bags, don’t bother buying beer, wine and water here as it’s much cheaper from the local mini marts. We purchased some Fiji Gold at the airport and then some more from the mini mart later in the week and it was almost $30 Fijian cheaper than the airport.
We’d suggest buying a few bottles of water from the mini marts as well, a 1l bottle at our resort cost $8 Fijian and a 1.5l from the mini mart was about $2.50 Fijian.
The drive to most resorts on the coral coast take around an hour to 2 hours or more and if your departure flight is around 8am then a good tip would be to spend your last night at the Tokatoka resort which is just opposite the airport. We opted to do this as we had 3 young children in our group, the Tokatoka also has some great facilities for the children including a large water slide.
If you plan to visit the local schools and villages it’s a good idea to bring some pens, pencils, colouring books and stickers for the children. They don’t have much in the villages and loved the gifts we gave them.
If you have children and want to try to avoid the busy periods and hiked prices a good tip is to take the kids out of school a week early. The resorts are still busy but not as busy as it would be during school holidays.

All in all we loved our time in Fiji and look forward to visiting again in the near future, we only really scratched the surface as there’s much more to see and do. If you’ve been somewhere else in Fiji please feel free to share your comments below.

Rating system
Would you recommend this destination: Yes
Would you recommend your tour: N/A – Resort & Self-guided
Would you recommend your hotel: Yes, The Warwick
Overall rating destination (FIJI): 5 out of 5

By: Nick

Indy Racing Experience Review

30/9/2016

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.

All you have to do is dump the clutch, flick the switch then fire it up. Sounds easy? If you want to enjoy the experience of driving an indy car, this is the one. Founded in 2001, Indy Racing Experience has been filling peoples need for speed by offering different experiences around the track at the home of racing. From driving to being a passenger, or even a support person watching from the pit lanes, they've got it.

Our experience started from the time of booking where we were given plenty of information about the day which made finding the venue easy. Once we spotted the tents, we were greeted by helpful staff who guided us through the check in process.

Once checked in, we were sized up for our fire suit. You've gotta look like a race driver to be a race driver right? Aesthetics aside, safety was right up there. We had a good safety brief before stepping out on to the track, which gave us enough information we needed to operate these machines. It was then that the butterflies started fluttering.

Out on the track, it was time to drive. We had 3 laps each, and could open up the throttle as much (or as little) as we felt comfortable. The cars handled well and the g-force felt was incredible. The cars all have mounts for Go-Pro (or similar) cameras, so bring your sliding attachment for the best point of view photos!

Next up, was the part when we played passenger and sat behind a Indy League accredited driver. Achieving speeds of up to 180mph (280-290kmph), this was an amazing experience. It was hard to wipe the smile off my face!
After these laps, we had a photo taken which was printed out free of charge, or you could pay for it to be mounted on a plaque which wouldn't look out of place on the coffee table at home.

Family and friends are more than welcome too, so bring your own "pit crew" who can take photos of you and feel involved with the experience for free!

Overall the experience was amazing and definitely recommended. They had great staff working out there who kept you safe and were happy to answer any questions.

Head over to their website at www.indyracingexperience.com for packages and prices.

Rating system
Would you recommend this experience: Yes
Overall rating: 5 out of 5

By: Jerry

Visiting Perth Western Australia

17/9/2016

Perth City Visit

We visited Perth for two reasons. One, to visit family, and two, to escape the cold of the Winter in Melbourne. I will keep this blog brief, like the amount of time we spent in Perth (4 nights), as most of its activities are out of the CBD.

The first thing we noticed about the city, was that everyone is fit and loves to get outdoors. There are some gorgeous tracks for cycling and running almost everywhere.

Kings Park Domain is a must visit - with great panoramic views over the city at the War Memorial, there is plenty for the whole family and very easy to get lost in its many walks and tracks in between the native bush.

Perth City itself seemed quiet, we did the WACA (Western Australia Cricket Association) tour, which took about 3 hours. It was a very interesting look at the history of the ground, but also shed light on the upcoming plans for a new stadium on the north side of the river.

The buses are all free in the CBD and inner suburbs. there are three different colour lines to jump on, and they arrive every 10-15mins so you can't complain with the service. Elizabeth Quay is a neat up and coming area, but as it has not matured yet, was again a bit quiet.

Freemantle was great. About 20 minutes drive south, we went there on the weekend and it was a hive of activity. There were buskers on every corner, tourists grabbing selfies and of course, the Little Creatures Brewery which served up a great tasting pizza, not to mention the local brew!

North of the city hides a wee gem in the Swan Valley. Lots of Winerys, Breweries, chocolaterian places, coffee growers and more. The town is on the doorstep (Guildford) and has an information centre which is very handy to plan your day. You can hire bikes and do the self guided tour around the well set out cycle lanes, or you can drive the distance which takes about 40 minutes if you do not stop.

All in all, a good place to visit (if you have family and friends). It felt like a great place to live for young families, and I would have no doubt it would give you a fairly relaxed lifestyle. It lacked the hustle and bustle that the East Coast cities have, but if you have a surf board and a can of brew, then I guess that doesn't matter.

Rating 3/5

By: Jerry

See the great History of London

16/9/2016

For those that are planning a trip to London, you may be coming to the city for any one of numerous reasons. Perhaps you are traveling to London as part of a business trip and will be working most of the time. Maybe you are coming to look at schools in the city like Imperial College or the London Business School. Perhaps shopping is your thing and you want to spend time at places like Bond Street, Regent Street, Park Lane or Knightsbridge. It could just be that you know London has many great places to visit that are rich and steeped in world history. If you are planning to come to London for the history, you are going to want to make sure to check some of these places that might often get overlooked, like:

The Natural History Museum – If you have an interest in dinosaurs and prehistoric history then the Natural History Museum is going to be the place for you. The museum provides an amazing look at dinosaurs of the area from millions of years ago and you can see some amazing exhibits here. Best of all, admission to the museum is free.
Victoria and Albert Museum – The Victoria & Albert Museum dates back to 1852 and contains millions of different relics related to the history of the UK and the world. You can see everything from famous works of art, engineering designs, clothing and costumes from different time periods, jewelry and much more that are parts of the collection. The admission to this museum is also free, though certain special exhibits may have an extra charge to them.
The Science Museum – Located very close to the V & A Museum, the Science Museum affords you the opportunity to get an in-depth look into the world of science. You can learn more about some of the most important medical, scientific and technological discoveries the world has seen and there are a number of exhibits and activities that are fun for the whole family. Again, admission is free to this museum.
Shopping and Entertainment – you can see more of the history of London by taking the opportunity to see some of the great entertainment and shopping areas of the city. Head out to places like Portobello Road, Bond Street, Regent Street, Park Lane, Knightsbridge, High Street Kensington and Leicester Square so you can see unique shops, local cinemas and entertainment and much more to get a true flavor of the city.

One of the best ways to make sure you can fit everything into your trip is to stay at one of the hotels near St. Mary’s Hospital or Hyde Park. Check out the London 4 star hotels in the area and see what is available at The Westbourne Hyde Park.

The Westbourne Hyde Park is right in the heart of this part of London so you can get to all of the best museums, shopping ,dining and entertainment that city provides and have a clean, comfortable and luxurious place to spend each night.

By: Dev

Tips on choosing budget hotels in London

24/7/2016

Choosing Budget Hotels in London

As you get ready to plan your big trip into London, you may be worried about just how much the trip is going to cost you. You want to be able to enjoy yourself to the fullest when you are in the city and do all kinds of fun things, but you also have a budget that you need to consider so you do not break the bank during your trip. Finding places where you can save a little bit of money along the way can be pretty important to you and one of the places you can see some savings is in the hotel you choose to stay at. Here are a few basic tips that will help you to choose among the budget hotels in London so that you can save some money.

Look in Central London – When you are looking for budget hotels, you may want to focus your attention on Central London as the place to stay. While there are certainly expensive hotels in this part of the city, you can also find some great bargains that give you a comfortable room to stay in at a very reasonable rate. Staying in Central London allows you to stay close to some of the larger train and transit stations in the city so you can use them to get around town instead of getting taxis everywhere or renting a car, both of which can cost you a lot of money. You can get a hotel that puts you within walking distance of places like Pimlico Tube Station or Victoria Coach Station so you can walk over each day and get the train for your travels.

Easy Distance to Tourist Sites – You will find that by staying in Central London at a budget hotel you are also within easy walking distance or a train stop or two away from many of the best tourist attractions in the city. You can get over to Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, London Eye or Theatreland London and be at each place in a matter of minutes instead of having a long trek to get over to the sites. This will allow you to see more of the city that you want to see without spending a lot of extra money to get there.
Know that you know you should stay in Central London during your trip, you want to be sure to find a place that fits well in your budget. When you want an affordable accommodation in London Victoria you want to be sure to make a reservation at the Comfort Inn Buckingham Palace Road. Among all of the budget hotels in Victoria London the Comfort Inn has the best location so you are in easy walking distance of the trains and to many great sites. You will also get a clean, comfortable room to stay in with all of the amenities that you need to make sure your stay is wonderful without going over your budget.

By: Dev

Winning the lottery and globetrotting go hand in hand!

6/7/2016

Winning the Lottery and Globetrotting Go Hand in Hand
There are so many benefits to taking a trip and it doesn’t matter whether you’ve won a lottery or not. Everyone needs a good vacation. It’s the ones that can truly afford it, however, that have the best experiences. Vacations prevent burnout on the job and actually improve job performance upon return. People also believe that vacations improve their creativity and they can reduce the risk of heart attack. Whether any of this is true not, vacations are beneficial to the mind. The lottery winners and the vacations they’ve taken are going to show that, some people who have won lotteries take lavish trips while others take smaller, local trips and there’s no correlation between where they travel and how much money they won in the lottery. You’ll see some big winners who took small local trips instead.

Steve West Goes Overboard on Travel
In October, 2005 the Wests won what was then the largest single-ticket Powerball jackpot in history worth $340 million. They actually took two family trips. One of the trips was to Italy and Switzerland where they saw all the famous sites. Steve said that Europe was very expensive. He said that they spent $80,000 and that was just for transportation and the tour. It did not even cover the meals. The family also took a trip to Oahu. So, the West family had the time of their lives on their vacations and they could afford it because of the lottery. You can win too even if you don’t live in America. US Powerball lottery tickets are also available online and everyone can enter the game.

The Fish Are Biting for Ed Nabors
In March, 2007 Ed Nabors won half of a $390 million Mega Millions jackpot. He was shaking so hard they had to send him home from work when he realized he won. Nabors did not make any radical changes in his life, however he vowed to do a lot of fishing. Fishing is his hobby and now he can afford to fish in the best fishing spots and catch himself a trophy fish. Close by to his native Georgia is Red Drum-Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. Red drum is the pride of North Carolina’s salt water fishing. We hope Ed came home with a good catch.

RV Heaven
In August of 2001 Mr. Roberts won $20 million in a Texas lottery. He and his wife were looking into a Recreational Vehicle to do some local travelling. This couple never had the desire to travel abroad, however, they’ve always wanted to travel across the United States in an RV and that they certainly did do it with the money they’d won. There are many must-see places when one travels across the US in an RV. The Coastal Route of Southern California is not to be missed. Of course, the Grand Canyon should be on the list as well. Seeing the US by RV can be a grand trip.

Lord of the Rings
John and Susan Brands from Missouri won a life-changing $96.5 million Powerball jackpot. Their travel plans were a bit more elaborate than most. Since they adored the films, “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit,” they decided to take fly off to New Zealand where those movies were filmed. Their dream holiday turned out to be unique for them, as they learned new languages and acquired various new skills, such as cooking and playing the guitar.

More Fish!
In September, 2002 an Austin, Texas couple grabbed themselves a $4 million Texas lottery jackpot. Although the drawing was on Friday the 13th, there was no bad luck put in Mr. Slobojan’s path. When asked what he would do with the money, he said, “I’m going fishing off the coast of Belize with friends. It’s lobster season over there.” Belize has world-class game fishing that is only now being discovered. It is home to the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. So, an interesting destination, however a humble dream.

Where Are You Going?
It seems it doesn’t matter how much the lottery winner wins. The winner ends up following their travel dreams, whether it be trotting the globe to exotic places for expensive reasons, or they just want to stay local and spend time fishing. A trip is a trip and with the money these people have won, they can take just about any kind of trip their hearts desire.

By: Emma