If you’re anywhere near Eureka Springs, Arkansas, then you can definitely stop by and enjoy a luxurious day at the spa in the New Moon Day Spa & Salon. I definitely need a spa day, but I am nowhere near Arkansas, so lucky for those of you who are.

The New Moon Spa is the largest spa resort in Northwest Arkansas and located on a 7,2000 square foot facility on the garden level of the Crescent Hotel and Spa in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. They offer world class spa and salon services which include, but not limited to, massages, body wraps, hot stone and exfoliating scrubs. Now the sound of that already relaxes me.

Upon further snooping, they offer Swedish massages, best for stress release, for 30 minutes, an hour, and an hour and a half duration, costing from $45 to $100. They also offer deep tissue massage, which helps with pain and injury, for the same duration and prices.

What I’m really interested in is in the hot stone massage. I’ve always seen those types of massages on TV and I’m curious. At the New Moon Spa, an hour of the hot stone massage will cost you $100, but will get you an hour of aromatic oils and stone massages that soothes the body.

Aside from that, I’d love to get a facial. Maybe a rainforest facial which sounds amazing. Using ingredients from the Amazon, exotic lemongrass, anise and banana, receive a soothing facial for $95 an hour.

*sigh* Sounds heavenly.

Visit New Moon Day Spa & Salon website for more information that would definitely draw you into a day at the spa.

With the opening of the highly anticipated Twilight movie, and being a huge, huge fan of the series, one tour I’d kill to join is the Forks Chamber of Commerce’s 3-hour Twilight Tour which takes you around locations that play important roles in Stephenie Meyer’s phenomenal Twilight series.

The tour highlights locations such as Charlie Swan’s house (which is a private residence, so please don’t trespass); the Cullen’s house which is really the Miller Tree Bed and Breakfast; the real Forks High School; the Fork’s Outfitters; Fork’s Hospital where you can take a picture of Dr. Cullen’s reserved parking space; and La Push Beach, home of the Quileutes.

The tour is hosted by Mike Gurling but only a maximum of 13 people can be taken at a time, so you can call ahead for reservations at (360)374 2531. And because of the popularity of the book series, the tour is pretty popular as well and is usually fully booked. The tour starts at the Visitor Center, located 1411 South Forks Ave. (Hwy 101).

Visit forkswashington.org and twilight.inforks.com for more information.

Photo Credit: twilight.inforks.com

Photo Credit: sparkyd
Alaska, as I have found out, is more than ice and cold. You may want to go on an Alaskan cruise to get a fair picture of how gorgeous this winter landscape is. You may want to check out my entries on Fairbanks and Anchorage to get more information about what I’m talking about.

Interested in more? Why not try a Princess Cruise to Alaska? One of the leading cruises in the world today, Princess Cruise offers an experience you would never forget with every cruise you join.

Their Alaskan cruise includes an insider’s view of Alaska where Libby Riddles, the first woman to ever win the 1,100 Iditarod sled dog race comes aboard in Juneau to share her adventures with guests. You can also hear more about Alaskan life in Skagway from more of talented storytellers.

You will also sail with full-time onboard naturalists to teach you about Alaska’s unique and intriguing flora and fauna. And you can also learn about the Glacier Bay National Park, one of the Alaskan treasures you shouldn’t miss.

I think I may have to add an Alaska cruise to my to-do list. And one cruise no matter where the destination on one of the Princess Cruises ships.

My most favorite city in the United States at the moment is New Orleans, said to be the most celebrated city of the American South. Okay, so I love it because of a book series that I’ve been following and have been obsessed about, the Dark-Hunters series by Sherrilyn Kenyon, and most of the stories are set in the Big Easy.

What I can’t do is write about the whole of the Big Easy in one blog. It just won’t do. So what I’m going to do is pick a chunk of the glorious city and write about them one at a time.

Probably, one of the most popular citizens of New Orleans is my favorite couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie who are back stateside after the birth of their twins, Knox and Vivienne. The couple lives with their extensive brood in a $3.5 million home in the city. Angie has recently been seen strolling with three of their children, Pax, Shiloh and Zahara. Hubby, Brad has also been seen cycling around the French Quarter.

The French Quarter or the Vieux Carre, is the oldest, most famous section of the city, laid out in the 18th century. It stretches alongside the Mississippi River. Although it is compact, there are loads to see in the French Quarter and you may need several days to completely enjoy it.

If getting drunk is your main vacation goal, you can go straight to Bourbon Street where countless bars, fine restaurants and pubs and joints abound designed specifically to cater to the hard-drinking tourists. Be ready to go to some really wild parties as the 8 blocks of Bourbon from Canal Street are not for the faint-hearted.

If you are to go to Bourbon at night, Royal Street is where a tourist should go to by day. These are where the art galleries, antique stores and specialty shops abound. Just one block away from bourbon, but as different as a an exotic dancer is in appearance from the queen mother.

Another enjoyable part of the Quarter is Jackson Square where live music and tarot readers abound.

You can also enjoy carriage rides, street entertainers and walking tours where you can mostly appreciate the magic that is the French Quarter. Try it and see what Angelina and Brad saw.

Brad Pitt’s photo courtesy of Popsugar.

Photo Credit: mcclave
I’ve always been partial to words such as magic and mystic. Since I was a kid, the word “mystic” had always been one of my favorites. So I was delighted when I found a place actually called Mystic.

A major tourist destination, Mystic, Connecticut is a village split in the middle, one part in Groton, another in Stonington. What’s lovely is that you can find the Mystic Seaport, and the Mystic Aquarium there, along with the more popular tourist shopping destination.

The Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration boasts of indoor and outdoor exhibits, and habitats where you can watch the beluga whales and the Pacific white-sided dolphins. Being a sucker for aquariums, I’d sure head there first before anywhere else.

You can also visit the Mystic Seaport, also known as The Museum of America and the Sea, which is America’s largest maritime museum. While at the seaport, you can also ride the Steamboat Sabino, the oldest, operational wooden steamboat that can take you on a tour of the scenic Mystic River.

For shopping needs, the charmingly named Olde Mistick Village is an outdoor shopping area, home to over 60 shops where the whole family can spend a day.

What I remember though is a movie called Mystic Pizza, starring Julia Roberts. Apparently, the real Mystic Pizza still exists on West Main St. They don’t have Julia Roberts but they do have great pizzas.

For something quietly mystical, head on over to Mystic.

Photo Credit: wyntuition
Thinking of where to go on vacation next? Let this article be your guide.

Miami, Florida wins as the city that has the most beautiful people, according to “America’s Favorite Cities” by Travel + Leisure magazine online survey. So if you feel like people watching is the best activity, get your suntan lotion and squeeze into your bathing suit and hit the Miami beaches.

If your up for wild, wild weekends, Las Vegas and New Orleans (my current favorite US city) still rank right there at the top for fun under the moonlight. Although, New Orleans has its work cut out for it in the clean city category. Thank God, Brad Pitt is there to save the day.

Not surprisingly, Washington, D.C. is top city for historical sites and monuments. And THE city of cities happens to be New York, receiving the most No. 1 rankings, for arts, shopping and skyline. Although you can’t expect it to be quiet, and affordable. San Antonio, Texas won the most affordable city award.

Honolulu apparently offers the best for a romantic interlude, while Orlando, Florida is at the top of the list for family vacations.

How I’d love to visit all the US states, but if you ask me my top five right now? I’d list New Orleans, LA (for Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunters); Portland, Oregon (for the set of Twilight); Orlando, FL; Las Vegas; and of course, New York.

For a more comprehensive look at the list, visit www.reuters.com.

Photo Credit: K _ Thomas
The Mesa Verde National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the southwestern corner of Colorado and is renowned for wonderfully-preserved cliff dwellings. This is said to be one of the most interesting sights in America. The name literally means “green table” in Spanish, referring to the verdantly green plateaus.

The are was covered by a shallow sea about a hundred million years ago, and as the sea receded, uplift in the area created the high plateau that is Mesa Verde. You can come into the park at Montezuma Valley where elevation is a steep climb to the mesa top. Park elevation ranges from 6,100 to 8,400 feet above sea level.

One of the best places to see is the Far View Visitor Center where you can sign up for guided tours of Cliff Palace, the Balcony House and the Long House. Or you can go on one of the many scenic views of the park where you can bask in the beauty of nature. There’s the Montezuma Valley Overlook, the Park Point Overlook and the Geologic Overlook. Most of the old service buildings can be found in the Historic District which you can visit. The Spruce Tree Terrance restaurant is quite a place to see.

Another must visit is the Wetherill Mesa, open seasonally from 9 AM to 4:30 PM from Memorial Day to Labor Day. You can walk the Badger House Trail or look at the Step House where the trail descends a hundred feet from the Wetherill Mesa Kiosk.

Lots of walking but incredibly beautiful. It’s going to be worth it, trust me.

For more information, visit the official site of the Mesa Verde National Park.

Photo Credit: fjarlq

The Arches National Park is located in the Canyon Country of Utah and is home to the world’s biggest concentration of natural sandstone arches. It preserves more than 2000 arches including the Delicate Arch which is one of the most famous, having found lasting recognition by being in the Utah state license plate. The national park is home to the most outstanding geologic formations found in the world from three-foot arches to the Landscape Arch which measures 306 feet.

There are a lot of incredible things to see in the Arches National Park. Park Avenue is a one mile trail by the park entrance that leads to a sandstone canyon with steep walls and a smooth bottom.

Want to see an important Hollywood scene? The Double Arch is a joining of two arches that has been prominent at the start of the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, just a walking distance from the North and South Windows and Turret Arch.

You can also marvel at colorful formations of ancient sand dunes that had hardened into stone, giving them the charming name Petrified Dunes.

Join a ranger-led tour of the Fiery Furnace which is one of the most interesting geological areas in the Arches National Park. You might also want to visit the Devil’s Garden Trail which is home to numerous arches including the Landscape Arch, the Double O arch and what used to be the Wall Arch which sadly collapsed very recently.

Be ready to hike, backpack and view the almost 50 mammal species that live in the arches. But remember that these geological treasures are very delicate. Stay on the path so that your prints won’t erode the soils. And please, please take to heart the adage: Leave only your footprints, take only photographs. That tiny pebble you take might be the only thing that holds an arch together.

For more information, check out its Wikitravel article.

Photo Credit: sleepyneko

Another island off the coast of Cape Cod is the dramatic Nantucket with its harbors, cliffs, beaches and old mansions. If Martha’s Vineyard mostly caters to celebrities, Nantucket is more for the average folks-doctors, lawyers, executives. The little island allows them to get away from the hective and intense work life of the city. Nantucket offers many restaurants that has the finest seafood cuisines in the country, and all of them comes with a five-star service.

The entire island has also been declared a National Historic District for its historic sites which include the Brant Point Light which is the second lighthouse in America, having been built in 1746, after Boston Light; the the Nantucket Atheneum, and the First Congregational Church among others.
The island also has a number of beaches where you can enjoy fresh air and the lovely Atlantic. They also offer many aquatic activities, and you can chose which beach to visit, depending on your preference. Click here for a list of Nantucket beaches.

The Main Street is also the main shopping district where you can find expensive boutiques that sell clothes, shoes, jewelry and handbags to outfit every body. You can also find a lot of antique and gift shops, and book shops. You can technically find anything that you need for a grand vacation.

Don’t forget to buy a gold miniature Nantucket Lightship Basket. The actual baskets are considered as one of America’s most unique artistic treasures and are unique to the island of Nantucket.

Photo Credit: cking

Eight miles off the peninsula of Cape Cod was once a whaling center, but is currenly a popular summer destination, Martha’s Vineyard. It is technically divided into six towns, as far as locals are concerned, its just “up island” to mean the Aquinnah, Chilmark and West Tisbury, or “down island” to mean Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Tisbury. And also, as far as locals are concerned, there are too many celebrities coming and going that they have gotten used to the glitter.

One of the must-see is the Gay Head Cliffs at Aquinnah, or what used to be Gay Head. Below the cliffs is the gorgeous Moshup Beach. Menemsha is also a gorgeous place to visit where you can actually see the sun set over the sea.

It also boasts a few interesting lighthouses, such as the Cape Poge Lighthouse, the Gay Head Lighthouse and the East Chop Lighthouse which are both open to the public for sunset tours.

Martha’s Vineyard also has four beaches, South, State, Aquinnah (also known as Moshup) and Lucy Vincent. South Beach has the best surf while the State Beach is calmer, and best for the kids. Aquinnah is the most picturesque for the cliffs. Lucy Vincent is more of a private beach for locals.

So enjoy the beaches, but watch out for the jellyfishes. All in all, it’s a wonderful summer experience.