Bluegreen Resorts News by MC

It can be difficult to maintain your fitness routine while traveling, but it is possible.  With a little creativity and discipline, you can find creative ways to fit some exercise into your day even while you are on the road.  Fitness requires three elements which are cardiovascular training, weight bearing exercise and nutrition.  With the right motivation, you can work all of these things into your vacation.  In fact, changing up your diet and your fitness routine is actually good for you by shocking your system and re-energizing your metabolism.

Bluegreen Corporation resorts have fitness rooms on site generally, but if your resort does not have a fitness room, you can still get a work out in.  Cardiovascular training is probably the easiest form of fitness to get creative with by running stairs, finding the nearest jogging path or park or using the swimming pool.  If it’s possible for you, pack a jump rope.  Jumping rope burns 11 calories a minute, and you can find a place to jump rope somewhere on site.

For resistance training, if your Bluegreen resort has a fitness room, take full advantage of that.  If your resort doesn’t, you can still get a workout in your room.  Some resistance moves are push-ups, squats, lunges, calf raises, leg lifts, crunches and planks.  You can probably put together an hour routine using just these different moves and work up a pretty good sweat.

Before performing cardiovascular training or resistance training, make sure you stretch.  Yoga can also be done in your hotel room and is so beneficial to keeping that long and lean muscle tone so sought after.  It is also a great way to unwind and relax after a busy day of business meetings or site seeing.

The last element of fitness is nutrition.  Make sure you stock up on healthy snack items so that you do not fill up on restaurant menu options that may have hidden fats and oils in them.  Don’t be shy about asking your waiter how your food is prepared and asking for some slight modifications.  If you are ordering a chicken salad, ask for the chicken to be broiled rather than fried, and ask for the dressing on the side.  If the bread basket is too tempting, ask them not to bring it to the table.

Above all, make sure you stay hydrated while traveling with good old fashioned water.  Juices, soda and even sports drinks have too much sugar in them and can be diet busters.  If water is a little too boring for you, try some of the flavored waters but make sure they use artificial sweetener rather than sugar.  Although it’s not good to consume too much artificial sweetener, in limited amounts, it’s better to stay hydrated with some flavor than to choose a sugar laden drink.

Maintaining your fitness routine can be challenging while traveling, but it is possible with a little creativity and motivation.  Cross training really helps shock our metabolism and muscles, so it’s not such a bad thing to switch things up a little sometimes.  Long walks, climbing stairs and swimming are great exercises that can be done in any hotel.

October is a great month for stargazing.  The night skys are active with shooting stars, it gets dark earlier, and it is still fairly warm outside.  If you are having trouble seeing the stars in your neighborhood, try getting out of the city for a brighter view.  There are Bluegreen vacation resorts tucked away in mountain towns where lying on a blanket outside will give you fantastic views of the night sky.

October is the month to observe both a minor and a major meteor shower. With clear weather, you will see meteors blaze across the sky as Earth sweeps through streams of star particles left behind by comets.  The minor shower, the Draconids, peak on the night of October 8-9. But because of the full moon on the 6th, the sky will not be as dark as usual so only the brightest of the meteors will be observable. If you face north, look for the Big Dipper, expect a maximum of 10 meteors per hour during the peak.

The waning Moon is on October 9-10 and will slowly glide in front of the Pleiades star cluster, covering and then uncovering many of the stars over the course of several hours. If you are in the Northeast, this event will occur sometime around midnight.

For an observing hint, as the night progresses, the constellation Orion will rise higher and higher in the eastern sky, allowing more meteors to be observed. Again, if you are traveling to a Bluegreen Corporation resort that is out of town and away from the city lights, you will be able to see the stars more clearly.  The optimum time to see the greatest number of meteors will be during the pre-dawn hours on the morning of the 21st.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour on Sunday, October 29th!  For more great star-gazing tips, go to MSNBC.com.

Wayne Newton has been performing in Las Vegas for over 40 years.  He has performed over 30,000 shows in Las Vegas earning him the nickname  Mr. Las Vegas.  His most famous songs are “Daddy, Don’t You Walk So Fast” and “Danke Schoen”.  Newton’s Casa de Shenandoah estate, which is a forty acre estate in Las Vegas with a 10,000 square foot home on it, has plans of opening his estate to the public.

Last year,  Newton received permission to turn his spectacular home into a tourist venue which includes South African penguins, sweeping crystal staircases and an antique-filled living room gilded in gold.  He has an amazing collection of historical memorabilia collected over the years, which will also be on display in a museum, including items like a watch from Nat King Cole, a Frank Sinatra champagne glass and a guitar from Johnny Cash.

A few of the additions to be added to his estate are to build a car museum, a 71,187 foot theatre that when Newton isn’t on stage, will run a documentary about his life, a Newton-themed car wash, and a zoo.  Arabian horses, Impressionist paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and 17th-century antiques collected from European castles will all be on display.  Newton, his wife and his daughter have plans to move into a smaller home on the property.

Bluegreen resorts are in Las Vegas, while not as splendid as the Wayne Newton estate, will make you feel spoiled and pampered.  A vacation in Las Vegas, reliving the days of Elvis, the Rat Pack and the glamour that is Las Vegas, will be all the more fun by staying in a Bluegreen Corporation resort.  Bluegreen Club 36 is few blocks off the magnificent Vegas Strip near the MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, New York New York, Luxor and Excalibur.

Wayne Newton is a colorful character who has led an extraordinary life full of amazing friendships and financial ups and downs.  The opening of his estate to the public should draw visitors from all over the world.  For more information regarding the plans for his estate, go to ABC News.

Hard to believe, but Walt Disney World has been open for 40 years in Orlando, Florida, this year.  Today, it is more than twice the size of Manhattan Island, New York.  Walt Disney World has survived our economic down turn over the last few years, and the park is currently updating a section of the park which is set to open in 2013.
New Fantasyland, an expansion of the area in Magic Kingdom, is set to open, replacing Snow White’s Scary Adventures with a Seven Dwarfs theme mine ride and adding a new version of Dumbo the Flying Elephant, as well as the Beast’s castle from Beauty and the Beast. Construction is also scheduled to begin on an “Avatar” themed land in Animal Kingdom.
Part of the reason Walt Disney World continues to attract visitors, in spite of our economic times, is that the Disney characters are reminiscent for most parents.  Tourists know that Disney WOrld is a safe place where they can take their own children while re-living part of their past as well.  In spite of ticket prices and food costs, Disney continues to thrive.
Bluegreen Corporation resorts are in Orlando, Florida.  The Fountains, a Bluegreen resort is a self catering condo property in Orlando. Downtown Disney, SeaWorld Orlando and Discovery Cove are a few area attractions near by. The Fountains has an onsite restaurant, a poolside bar and a bar/lounge, massage and treatment rooms, a spa tub, a fitness facility, a sauna and a steam room, ensuring a restful and rejuvenating stay.  It’s a great resort to come home to after an active day with the kids.
Before you head back to your Bluegreen resort for wonderful dinner, bring the whole family to Aloha Isle in Adventureland for a Dole Whip to celebrate Walt Disney World’s birthday.  Vanilla soft-serve and pineapple is truly a rejuvenating gift from Walt Disney to you.  For a list of some of the best rides to go on during Disney’s 40th birthday celebration, go to CNN Travel.

Alaska Airlines has added a new application to their page called “FlyingSocial”.  If you click on the link, it will ask you to allow Alaska Airlines to access your friends on facebook, and  then it populates a map with photos of your Facebook friends located in cities Alaska Airlines flies to.  With a click, you can view one-way fares or mileage award levels to the closest airport near your friend’s. To purchase a ticket, click on ‘Shop Now’ and you will be automatically directed to alaskaair.com.

Currently, there are not any Bluegreen Corporation resorts located in Alaska, however, if this new application takes off for Alaska Airlines, other airlines could follow suit.  It is a great idea and would encourage people to visit their friends and family more often if you don’t have to leave Facebook to shop for airline tickets.  Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, serve 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico.  There is likely a Bluegreen resort near your friends or family.

Alaska Airline began offering FlyingSocial on its Facebook page on August 31, 2011 and has had more than 2,000 people access the new application.  Last month, they also rolled out a new travel app for the iPhone and they plan to launch an Android smartphone app later this year.  If you would like to learn more about this story, or signup for Alaska Airlines “Flying Social” program, go to The Sacramento Bee for more details.

Fall is the time of year for foodies and festivals.  Right now, from September 19th – 22nd, Gwinnet Restaurant Week is being held in Atlanta, Georgia.  Twenty local restaurants are participating this year and each restaurant is offering three-course meals for just $21.21, plus tax and gratuity.  The theme is to taste the flavors of the world, so included are restaurants with Italian, French, Indian, Thai, Greek, Moroccan and more delicious items to try.  Information on this festival can be found at the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau and tickets can be purchased at Open Table.

On September 24th, 2011, the Tallahassee Food Festival is hosting eating contests, a tailgate area, a farmer’s market and more.   Admission is only $8.00 , and children under the age of 12 enter free.  Local restaurants will be offering samples of barbecue, vegetarian items, Italian and local recipes.   There will also be amateur cooking stages providing an opportunity for home based chefs and baking experts to share recipes and compete in a bake-off.  Bluegreen Corporation resorts are located in Florida to make your vacation even more memorable.

For more information on festivals and events happening around the United States, go to Festivals and Events.  A Bluegreen resort is probably near by.

When Google purchased ITA Software in April 2011, it struck fear in many travel search engine providers like Orbitz and Expedia, as the ITA matrix is one of the most powerful out there and Google is one of the most powerful search engine providers.  However, the search is not ready for prime time yet.

Google may have released the launch of its “Flights” search a little prematurely.  The search is not yet showing up on the left hand side of the page.  To find it, you have to use the search box to find the page and the flights listed are still only domestic, to only a few cities.  Ten years ago or so, search engines like Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz, had their technology systems designed by MIT graduates, and Google is describing the process of completing the “Flights” search as overwhelming, even with the existing technology from ITA.

Once the bugs are worked out and everything is working properly, Google will be able to bring up specific information such as airlines, schedules, and fares along with the websites that sell the tickets.  Bluegreen Corporation resorts are all throughout the United States, close to major attractions and airports.  Resorts will be included with the search, as will car rentals.

As a customer, having Google enter the arena of booking flights online may help bring up more unbiased fare rates.  Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz were suppose to deliver unbiased rate information, however, this may not be the case anymore.  Some airlines may be paying for visibility, and the search engines could be leaving out competitive airlines who are not paying.  Having Google as another competitor may help the consumer receive all flights available, not just the ones the airlines are paying to have you see them.

For more on this story, go to MSNBC.com.

Google has acquired ITA Software with the approval of the Department of Justice.  ITA Software powers flight searches which Google is going to add as a search category.  Google would like to compete against Orbitz, Kayak and Bing eventually and since Google is the number one search engine used right now, it is definitely possible their new “Flight” search will take off.

As of today, the “Flight” search was not readily available on Google, however, if you type in Google Flight Search, it will take you to their flights page.  The flights searched right now must leave from a domestic airport, there were no searches available leaving internationally.  Currently, the flights are also only available from a limited number of U.S. cities, smaller cities are still not available and the results only came up for round-trip economy class flights.   It appears the search is not quite ready for prime time, but it won’t be long.  Google is going to make searching for flights, as well as Bluegreen Corporation resorts, more simple and robust.  There are Bluegreen vacation resorts all over the United States, so there could be one at your destination.

The Department of Justice did place some operational guidelines for Google to abide by to make sure they do not become a monopoly that could unfairly allow Google to enter into agreements with airlines that may restrict the airlines’ right to share seat and booking class information with Google’s competitors.  For more information on the acquisition of ITA Software by Google, go to their Google Press Release.

There are many different hotel rating sources out there today including Forbes, AAA, Orbitz, Priceline and Hotels.com, and each one has different standards for obtaining a rating.  Forbes and AAA remain the most reliable sources with the most consistent standards.  There are basically four different types of companies that produce hotel ratings for the public which are those operated by private companies such as AAA, those run by hotel booking sites such as Hotels.com, user-generated systems such as TripAdvisor, and government-run agencies.

Privately run companies like AAA and Forbes are the most reliable as they pride themselves in being the best resource possible with the most unbiased ratings as their reputation and future success depends on it.  Hotel booking sites are not as reliable as they send out scouts that are not anonymous and the scouts may work directly with the hoteliers.  Hotel booking sites also use guest feedback as part of the rating system, which although is direct feedback, can vary from guest to guest substantially.

TripAdvisor is an example of a user-generated hotel rating system.  TripAdvisor is valuable as you get direct feedback from guests.  However, TripAdvisor does not double-check ratings, and so guest expectations or moods can affect a hotel rating.  With these types of sites, they are best used as a resource but double checked against Forbes or AAA.  Also, try to look at several different ratings as the same hotel will be given many different ratings.

Government run agencies are the least reliable as they have special interests in regards to tourism.  The United States does not have a specific government run hotel rating site, but Europe uses these sources regularly.

Bluegreen Corporation resorts are rated well by guests through TripAdvisor and have numerous locations throughout the United States.  Accommodations range from quaint mountain cabins  to high-end resorts capable of hosting corporate functions.  Before you book your next vacation, verify your hotel rating through Forbes or AAA for the most reliable information.

For more on hotel ratings, visit CNN Travel.

GAEMS has come out with a mobile gaming station, just in time for early holiday shoppers.  The new gaming station is called the GAEMS G155  and comes in a heavy duty briefcase with the display contained in the inner lid. The game console is secured inside and held in place with fabric fastener straps.  The GAEMS supports recent models of  Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 but does not support Wii because it doesn’t have an HDMI jack.

If you are planning a family vacation next summer to a Bluegreen resort, and have avid gamers, this may make the perfect gift.  Giving the GAEMS G155 will allow other family members to come up with accessory gifts such as an optional wireless remote, a portable case for the games along with new games.  The unit costs $299.00 right now, but keep your eyes open for a sale between now and Christmas.  The only thing you need to operate the system is an electrical outlet, so the kids will have something to do with the babysitter while you and your spouse go out for date night.

However, the GAEMS display is built into the wall of the case and only one side is protected by a padded liner, so it is not intended to be checked as luggage.  This is a carry on unit if you are flying.  The velcro straps and tight plastic casing will keep it safe from the elements, but do what you can to keep it out of the rain.  The case is about 20″ W x 15″ H x 6.8″ D and weighs a little less than 9 pounds. With a console and accessories inside, the weight can get as high as 15 – 20 pounds.

Family vacations are getting easier all the time.  For more information on this portable gaming station, go to USA Today.