Summer is here, which means it’s time for epic actions and epic memories. We think of summer as a bottomless well, but the reality is there are only so many summer months you will truly get to revel in over the course of your lifetime. So why not make them count?

Here are some useful tips towards enjoying yourself and leaving all your worries where they belong, on the street curb:

Exercise and Stay Fit When You’re Away

Since you are on vacation (whether or not you actually leave home) it is pretty easy to forget about working out and keeping a fit body, but this is the time when you need it most! Try to exercise every other day, no long hours in the gym are needed either. Just get a cardio workout outside while enjoying the weather or, better, find a local trail or hike! Jog or speed walk around your hotel property, in the hotel gym or even more enjoyable: at a gorgeous beach!

Of course, you aren’t looking forward to exercising on your vacation so much as you are looking forward to eating. If you’re in a new city or country, by all means–sample the local fare in abundance. But try to keep it on the health side. Yes, you are going to eat out and yes you are probably going to give into temptation, but make healthy food choices for your body and wallet’s benefit.

You are wise if you look up different restaurants and their menu’s before leaving home, to make sure you minimize the risk of being tempted to eat unhealthy food. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a good restaurant abroad while out sightseeing, at least if you are like us; we tend to walk on the wrong streets all the time…

Healthier foods are anything on the menu that have been roasted or steamed. Or even try a diet that is not only healthy but disease combative.

Save While on Vacation

Vacation means your own personal time to get away from the worries and stress of modern life, but it does not mean you must spend your life savings in order to achieve a memorable vacation experience. Use your investigative skills to find deals from travel companies on certain essentials like rental cars, discounted hotels or even stay at the more budget-friendly hostels.

Register with airlines and travel companies. Check online for airline deals that are partnered with travel companies and submit your email to mailing lists so that you will stay up to date with their coupons and monthly offers.

Packing light will help save on costs. Most airlines tend to charge for every bag that you check and those fees can add up quickly. Check the airlines baggage policy before booking your flight and make sure that you are considering these fees when you are buying your ticket and more importantly, packing your bags. For many airlines you can carry-on two bags, keep that in mind when packing as well.

See What the Others are Saying

Things may not always be as they appear. Before you plan to do anything, do your research. Most vacationers already know where they are about to go, so after your trip is booked get to know the stories of others who have been to your destination. Check out Yelp and other review sites, even social bookmarking sites like Reddit. Users of these sites often drop hints on the best places to eat, or the best events they attended while on vacation. Benefit from the experiences of others.

Secure Your Home Life so You can Enjoy the Time Away

Don’t allow your worries at home to affect your beautiful get-away, so secure your home life to better enjoy your vacation. Call your friends, family, and neighbors just to let them know you will be out of town, give them the date and the time you will be departing and when you will be returning. By doing this they know it may be tough to contact you during your time away.

Don’t worry about your home either, as long as you have a good security system to keep your house under watch. If your home isn’t protected, take a look at www.securitychoice.com for security options that match your price point and neighborhood.

Capture Memories with Great Vacation Photos

Bring a digital camera along and go trigger happy. Take all the pictures you would like, from the clear beaches to the city skyline, anything that will capture not only the trip’s memories, but the feel of the experience.

Be sure to take a look at 10 Steps towards taking better Travel Photographs. You probably want to show your friends or family back home so bring your camera out and literally snap until the battery dies.

Ideally, it’s best to construct a life for yourself that you don’t need to escape from. But the reality is, people need vacations in order to unwind and explore new experiences and places. Maximize your time away from home.

Lifecruiser Love Vacation Tips

Other Vacation Tips posts at Lifecruiser:

All inclusive holidays ways pays
Travel and Credit Card Use
Why getting organised for your holiday will save you money
8 Essentials for Any Trip Through Europe
How to get cheap holiday deals
Top 5 Travel Tips When Visiting Foreign Countries
Where to find late holiday deals
38 Accessible travel links for disabled travelers
 

In my serie of travel related paintings, I will now show you a travel related painting with the text London together with a party dress with the Big Ben in the background. Not really sure what the connection is here, but still it’s a nice motif, especially for a traveler or for a London fan.

Right now there really are so many travel related interior decors that it’s difficult to avoid them actually, even for a person not so keen on travel.

Have you spotted any in your location/s too?

©Lifecruiser Love Travel

A couple of other travel painting related posts at Lifecruiser:

A Travelers City Paintings
Travel Paintings: Happiness not a destination
 

British Columbia is widely known in Canada for it’s colorful arts scene, culture fests and fresh, trendy food scene, rivaling that of Montreal.

As tourists and locals alike visit Sagat-approved restaurants and popular fish and farmer market hot spots, foodies everywhere are shifting their interests out of mainstream eateries and transitioning into more unknown, non-popularized dives that know how to pack the flavor into every morsel they concoct.

If you’re one of these foodies that are looking for a new dining experience without having to wait hours for a table or make reservations weeks in advance, there may be a few hidden eateries in British Columbia ready for you to explore. Enjoy!

RauDZ Regional Table

Located in Kelowna, B.C, just a few hundred miles northeast of Vancouver, RauDZ Regional Table provides its customers more than just a plate of fresh, organic produce, it offers a fresh, new age dining experience. Popular among locals, RRT provides visitors with both a regional and local menu that’s appealing to all customers; and it’s affordable too! If you happen to be in the area, check out their seasonal menu, you’ll love it!

Ferris Oyster Bar and Grill

Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, known for its lush scenery, historical landmarks and its growing gastronomy scene. However, within the bustling city lies a hidden treasure that has been attracting people from all over the surrounding metropolitan areas in recent years.

The Ferris Oyster Bar and Grill is known locally as the go-to-place for refreshing cocktails, filling tapas and Spanish-inspired local seafood menu. With both upstairs and downstairs quarters to accommodate all parties, The Ferris Oyster Bar and Grill gives customers a unique, experience, completely redefining the term “bar and grille”.

Hakkasan

It’s not easy finding a high-end Chinese restaurant, but if you’re ever in Richmond, B.C., just ask locals where you can find a good one, and certainly enough, they’ll all agree on one name: Hakkasan!

Following new cuisine trends of cage free product and organic produce, Hakkasan offers its customers a modern Chinese dining experience with a splash of contemporary cuisine. Dubbed Richmond’s best Chinese restaurant, Hakkasan will no doubt satisfy your craving for high-end dining and traditional Chinese fare.

La Casa Ouzeria

Located a few miles south of Kelowna in the town of Penticton, B.C., is one of the best Greek eateries east of Arrow Lake. La Casa Ouzeria has received critical acclaim from food writers and chefs in Canada, praising its take on traditional Greek cuisine and its use of local organic produce.

Owned and operated by the Portalakis family since 1973, La Casa Ouzeria continues to exude its rustic charm and serve its customers Greco-inspired dishes that keep people coming back for a plate of their famous pastichio.

The Acorn

If you’re looking a combination of simple, contemporary and flavor, The Acorn in Vancouver may be just what you’ve been looking for. Lauded by its appealing and savory vegetarian menu, The Acorn is known for having a warm and approachable atmosphere that has been attracting foodies in the area for years.

The Acorn is also widely regarded for its use of food art, using dishes as landscapes and food as the subject! If you’re looking for a unique dining experience, The Acorn is ripe for the tasting.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a hardcore foodie, why not try a few of these choices? In fact, try something different. Why not visit food trucks, diners, dives or even order online seafood delivery to satisfy your pescetarian appetite! Whether you live in Vancouver, Victoria or a small town in British Columbia, there’s still a wide variety of local and regional eateries that have yet to be discovered.

Lifecruiser Love Food Travel