Call a truce with those who bother you
Let all the fighting cease,
Give your differences a breather
And declare a time of peace,
Don’t let angry feelings taint
The precious time you have to spend,
And allow yourself some happiness
It’s Christmas time again!

Like some cool refreshing water
Or a gentle summer breeze,
Like a fresh bouquet of flowers
Or the smell of autumn leaves,
It’s a banquet for the spirit
Filled with family, food and friends,
So allow yourself some happiness
It’s Christmas time again!

by Bob Lazzar-Atwood

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Carefreetrip.com!

But New Mexico isn’t all about the past. New Mexico continues to be on the leading edge of new science and technology. The state is home to Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, the Very Large Array, and several observatories. The clear night sky offers an amazing view of the stars. Speaking of stars, New Mexico will soon be the launch pad to them. The new Spaceport America is a visionary project many years in the making. New Mexico’s weather and wide-open spaces have been ideal for the aerospace industry since Robert Goddard, the father of modern rocketry, began conducting research in Roswell in the 1930s. He was followed by Wernher von Braun in the 1940s, and NASA in the 1980s. With the founding of Space Port America, the nation’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport, New Mexico stands on the brink of the new space age.

Beaver Mountain Ski Resort

In the winter Logan Canyon offers respite and refreshment to the pent-up spirit. Enjoy Beaver Mountain just 30 minutes from the city of Logan and ski or snowboard its quaint slopes. Also in the canyon, the Sinks offer outstanding snowmobiling. Elsewhere, dozens of trails await back country skiers and snowshoers. For all winter lovers, the sun-reflecting white scene, intermingled with dark green pines, is exquisite

Green spring and the gurgling river lure winter prisoners from their homes. Come enjoy the kayaking and rock climbing along the byway. As the snow melts and earth dries, add hiking and mountain biking to the list of things to do. For awesome views, hike The Wind Caves or the Crimson Trail; to see the oldest living tree in Utah, try the Juniper Trail.

Hiking on Blind Hollow Trail

To escape the valley heat during the summer, don’t miss fishing on the Logan River or camping at Tony’s Grove. Visit Bear Lake where you can swim, sail, or boat. Its bright blue waters are inviting even to those shy of water.

Right Hand Fork in Logan Canyon in the Fall

The fall comes gracefully to Logan Canyon. Natural “fires” will delight your eyes in amazing, still fireworks of exploding colors of red, orange, and yellow. The weather cools but hiking and biking is still enjoyable. Afterwards, feast on a barbecued meal and marshmallow roast at Third Dam, beside the placid, retained waters of the Logan River.

With the waning fall and short-lived bright colors come winter snows and the pattern of seasons is repeated. Yet each canyon visit is different. Every touch with nature in Logan Canyon is unique and savory. Try a taste today, along the beaten path, but not far from the seemingly untouched wilderness.

Personal Sedan Services boasts that their goal is to provide the smoothest experience, whether you are going to or being picked up from the airport, need stylish transportation for your wedding events, conventions or trade shows - they deliver!

Their cars are amazingly clean! You feel like you just stepped into your own clean car. My driver was the best! Frank helped me with my bags, provided EXCELLENT recommendations for entertainment and dinner, and best of all was NICE! Because of the excellent service I received, I will be using Personal Sedan Services every time I visit Las Vegas. I have forwarded this blog post to their corporate office in hopes that Frank gets the appropriate recognition he deserves!

Whether you are going to the airport, entertaining corporate clients, planning a special event, or taking a tour especially planned for you and your guests, you will travel in luxurious comfort and safety in Personal Sedan Services fleet. Thank you Personal Sedan Services! Thank you Frank for your excellent advise on where to go and what to see as well as providing EXCELLENT customer service!

Carefreetrip.com gives Personal Sedan Services out of 5 suitcases!

I will see you again in November, when I visit the amazing Las Vegas again!

• The Eurostar service runs 17 daily services to Paris and 10 to Brussels
• Tickets can be booked up to 120 days in advance of travel
• You are normally required to check in at least 20 minutes prior to the Eurostar train’s departure.
• Less well known is that the Eurostar trains also serve Kent via the established Ashford International station and now the new Ebbsfleet International station, Calais-Frethun, Lille-Europe and Disneyland Paris, with additional services to the Alpine towns of Moutiers and Bourg St. Maurice in the ski season.
• The Eurostar offers passengers three different service standards: Premium First (London-Paris only, with a special carriage and superior service); first class (this includes complimentary food and drinks during your journey); and standard class.

The fares you are quoted will also include the price of the mandatory reservation you will need. A full buffet service and licensed bar operates on each train and all stations served by the route offer comprehensive catering and other facilities.

It was the ever-increasing traffic through London’s airports and associated problems of air and noise pollution which plagued the city, which was a driving force behind the introduction of the Eurostar service. Though troubled by initial teething problems, the Eurostar service is clearly coming into its own offering a highly efficient alternative to the environmentally damaging route by air, to the very heart of Europe. The service currently commands over 70% of the London to Paris route and 65% of the London to Brussels route.

The first thing you notice is the quality of service. From the ticket agent to the pre-boarding staff to the crew, everyone is friendly and, stay with me, helpful. My check-in was smooth, my questions answered, and they even gave me a free gift on Green Day. Once on the plane, you are introduced to a new look and mood lighting - yes mood lighting. 9 specific settings of light pink and purple lights give the plane a ‘club’ feel. After you sit down you will notice several other features like the leather seats, in coach, the adjustable headrest, which for all of us over six feet tall really appreciate, a 110V power outlet for my electronics, a USB plug, Ethernet plug (for broadband Internet), and Red.

What is Red? Red is the 9-inch touch screen in-flight entertainment system that is available on every seat, on every Virgin America flight. You can watch, listen or talk. Watch satellite television, from Dish Network, music videos, or over 25 pay-per-view movies. Listen to over 3,000 MP3s, you can even create your own play lists, or 20 streaming radio channels. Talk to other travelers by using their in-seat keyboard that allows you to chat with other flyers. You can also use Red to play games, read the latest news, order food (using a cashless ordering system), or Shop. By the way, I can’t believe I am going to recommend this, make sure you watch the safety video on Red. It is an animated instructional video that is very clever and this is the first time I actually saw a majority of people paying attention.

This flight was very impressive and very refreshing. Low prices, excellent service, and tons of amenities. The only concern I had was a loud noise during take-off and during our final approach that sounded like a hand-saw cutting wood. I tend to become concerned with odd sounding noises, especially when flying.

Carefreetrip.com gives Virgin America out of 5 suitcases. Thanks for a refreshing change of pace and a great ride!

Historically I have always liked their prices, but I have hated (yes I know this is a strong word) their boarding process and how they treated their passengers in-flight. I did enjoy the singing, attempted humor and the scared look on new air passengers faces when the flight attendants would announce “we will be hitting the ground in 10 minutes” instead of something a little less concerning like “we will be landing in 10 minutes.” The old boarding process was nothing more than a weak attempt at a cattle drive using letters to designate which herd you belonged to. It also drove me crazy that you had to get to your flight 3 hours in an attempt to be the first one in line for your herd. Without being first in line, you weren’t guaranteed a good seat, a seat next to your traveling companion or even overhead bin space for your carry on luggage.

This time I noticed something different on my paperless ticket - a letter and a number. What was this? An attempt to make the cattle drive a little more civil? My heart began to beat a little faster. Would this cattle drive more resemble getting in the lunch line when I was in grade school instead of the herding of cats that usually occurred? Maybe this new found freedom would spill over into the in-flight service being just a little bit better. Maybe the flight attendants would make an to find overhead bin space for everyone’s carry on-luggage! To much to ask for?

B-26 was my line location and and my wife was B-27 - this meant we were in the second herd, location 26 and 27. We lined up with the B group who had numbers 25 to 30. It was a fairly orderly process, even though they told all the B’s and C’s to say seated while the A’s took center stage - a little tact would have been nice. When the announcement came that the “B” group from 31 to 60 was loading we were pretty optimistic. We looked for two seats together towards the front of the plane - this seemed reasonable since we were only in the second group. Well reason seemed to have gotten off at the previous airport because the only two seats we could find together were in the last 2 rows of the plane. Once again, confined to the back of the “bus” because I couldn’t click my mouse fast enough during the online check-in process.

Content with finding the two seats together, we counted ourselves blessed because the only carry on luggage we had was my wife’s purse. I made the comment to my wife that we were lucky we didn’t have to test the in-flight crew on their overhead bin packing skills - then it happened. There was a 70+ year “younger” lady who was pleased to be in the “A” herd. She was already seated in an isle seat with her bag safely stowed in the overhear compartment. Then came this 30+ year old man who proceeded to cram his backpack into a small space next to the “younger” lady’s bag. The lady asked him to be careful of her bag with which he replied she was taking up to much space. To much space?? Really? You just brought on a backpack that there was no snowball’s chance in Hell of fitting into the approved carry-on luggage measuring box. What a dork!

Much to my surprise, a flight attendant headed to her rescue. Finally a little help for a patient “younger” customer. The flight attendant asked the man what the problem was. He explained his tale of the women’s bag. Without missing a beat (or asking the “younger” lady anything), the flight attendant took the backpack, crammed it into the overhead bin (on top of the women’s bag) slammed the door shut and said “problem solved”. The “younger” lady was in shock - as was I. Under her breath she mumbled something about being in herd “A” and that she deserved to be treated better.

Did Southwest’s attempt at improving their boarding process work? Probably. I didn’t seem as concerned with standing in line for two hours before my flight hoping I would find a seat. Did it help with improving a customer’s ability to find valuable, safe overhead bin space - not so much. Especially for a 70+ years “young” lady who follow-ed all of their rules.

Southwest! Thank you for the change in boarding procedures as it was much needed, but will you please work on the overhead bin space problems you have and maybe throw in a little customer service!

Carefreetrip.com rates our Las Vegas flight on Southwest Airlines out of 5 suitcases.