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Power of the Internet Makes Travel More Fun

Travel & Recreation

(ARA) - Finding your way off the beaten path for the family summer vacation has never been easier as the Internet levels the playing field between quaint small towns and the destination resorts that frequently overshadow many hidden gems.

Nearly 64 million travelers -- 30 percent of the U.S. adult population -- used the Internet in the past year to get travel and destination information. Of that group, 44.6 million actually booked at least one travel service or product online in the past year. "The Internet has put consumers in control of their plans and they like it. They're able to gather all the facts they need and compare prices and options to obtain what they feel are the best deals possible," according to Dr. Suzanne Cook, senior vice president of research for the Travel Industry Association of America.

It used to be that resort destinations dominated the local travel scene because they had the most money to market and advertise. Resort dominance was and largely remains particularly acute in popular destinations such as Florida, California and Colorado, the country's top three vacation destinations according, to Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell's Leisure Travel Monitor.

For an example of the power the Internet can wield in the hearts and minds of travelers, Lee Hart, president of Brand Amp, a strategic communications firm that works with several smaller destinations in Colorado, offers Chaffee County as a case study. Just a 1- 1/2 hour drive from Vail, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge and Crested Butte, Chaffee's two small historic towns, Salida and Buena Vista, have struggled to be heard amidst the marketing messages trumpeted by its internationally acclaimed neighbors.

Little more than a year ago, Chaffee County launched an integrated image campaign anchored by a new Web site optimized for key search terms that would appeal to Colorado-bound visitors and bought Internet advertising to actively direct visitors to the site. Today, Chaffee County is not only easier for travelers to find but also for the travel industry trade to discover, as well as travel editors hungry for new and unusual destinations to write about. As proof, in the past few month's Chaffee County has been named one of America's Top Dream Towns by Outside magazine, won the Governor's Award for Outstanding Community Tourism Initiative for its Adventure in Arts year-round series of monthly countywide arts events, and received a Bronze medal from Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International for Chaffee's integrated print and online advertising campaign touting its new marketing campaign, Colorado's Headwaters of Adventure.

Hart said the progressive-minded visitor's bureau board of this rural mountain community is continuing its quest for greater visibility, moving still more of their relatively small budget from print advertising into Internet advertising, including pay per click keyword campaigns.

The rise of importance of the Internet in the travel industry is good news, Hart said, not just for smaller destinations eager to welcome more tourists and their resulting positive economic impact, but also for the travelers themselves who can now "more easily find destinations that rekindle the spirit of adventure and discovery."

Hart offers these tips for finding fresh locales no matter which state you plan to visit.

→ Enter the state name and the terms "travel and tourism" and the official visitor's bureau of that state will appear as one of the top search results. Government supported and frequently tax funded, state tourism bureaus are charged with providing information on all visitor resources and destinations from the very small and unheralded to the very famous so you can browse a broad gamut of options, usually segregated by interest area and/or geographic location within the state of your choice.

→ Search by an interest area in the state you want to visit such as "whitewater rafting in Colorado," one of the most popular activities in Colorado. Other popular search terms for mountain destinations could be "hiking" or "mountain biking." Similarly, search by the types of activities you'd like at beaches, America's most popular vacation target, by searching terms such as "beach volleyball Florida" or "surfing California."

→ For active outdoor enthusiasts, whether traveling solo or packing a family, camping or resort-bound, Hart suggests visiting online versions of your favorite magazines such as Outsideonline.com, NationalGeographic.com and guide book publishers such as Fodors.com or LonelyPlanet.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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The A, B, Sees of Vision

Personal Wellness

(ARA) - Will eating carrots help to improve your vision, or will sitting too closely to the television impair your eyesight? Here are a few facts and myths. Let's see if you can determine which is which.

→ Vision loss from eye diseases will increase as Americans age. This is a fact. According to the National Eye Institute, vision loss is becoming a major public health problem. Researchers have found that by the time a person is 60 years old, he or she needs up to 15 times more light than when that person was 10. Try using a metal halide reading lamp to see better and reduce eyestrain. Microsun makes beautiful lamps that offer a close simulation to the sun, creating a brighter, whiter light, and the lamp only uses 68 watts of energy, which is less than incandescent and florescent bulbs.

→ Eating carrots will improve your sight. This too is a fact, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Carrots are high in vitamin A, which is essential for good vision; however, a person only needs a very small dose. Milk, cheese, egg yolk, nectarines and liver, to name a few, also contain vitamin A.

→ Sitting too closely to the television will damage your vision. This is a myth. Although it may cause a headache, it won't damage your vision. Reading in dim or dull light also can cause headaches. Metal halide lamps, though, provide an incredibly bright light for reading. In fact, until recently, metal halide lamps were only used on a larger scale, such as in malls, factories and at sports arenas. The manufacturers of Microsun lamps were able to package this light for consumer use.

→ There's nothing a person can do to prevent vision loss. This is a myth. Blurred vision or flashes of light should be brought to your doctor's attention at the first sign. If an eyesight problem is detected early, there may be corrective treatments or at least the loss of vision can be halted or slowed.

→ Looking straight at the sun can damage your sight. This is a fact. Looking directly at the sun will cause a headache, just like sitting too closely to the television, but it also can cause permanent eye damage. UV exposure has been linked to eye disorders such as macular degeneration, solar retinitis and corneal dystrophies. Be sure to protect your eyes with UV sunglasses.

→ The leading cause of blindness in adults is diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes. This is true. According to the National Eye Institute, the longer a person has diabetes, the more likely that person is to develop diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes can damage blood vessels inside the retina, and a healthy retina is vital for good vision. People with diabetes should have regular examinations through dilated pupils.

→ If you cross your eyes, they will stay that way. This, of course, is a myth. Contrary to everything your elders threatened, if you cross your eyes, they won't stay that way forever.

Ultimately, regular vision exams are the best way to keep those eyes a' smiling, and good light is essential to ease the vision strain for older adults and those with glaucoma, diabetes, macula degeneration and other eye diseases. Visit www.bestreadinglamp.com to find a Microsun lamp to match your needs, or call (888) 526-0033 for more information.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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Summer Vacation Season Goes into High Gear -- Is Your Vehicle Ready?

Automotives

(ARA) - Memorial Day has come and gone and so begins the summer vacation season in earnest. Despite gasoline prices, the old-fashioned auto vacation will once again be a popular choice for families looking for convenience and ready mobility.

But with summer weather comes special automotive maintenance challenges; extreme heat, humidity, and heavy stop-and-go traffic can cause marginal systems to fail.

The experts at the non-profit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) offer the following tips on getting your vehicle ready for your summer vacation:

* Read the owner's manual and follow the recommended service schedules. The manual contains a complete checklist of services and schedules and other important information about your vehicle.

* If you are not a do-it-yourselfer, look for repair facilities with vehicles in the parking lot equal in value to your own, modern equipment in the service bays, and signs of qualified automotive technicians as evidenced by trade school diplomas, certificates of advanced course work and training classes, as well as national certification of the individual technicians by ASE.

* Flush and refill the cooling system (radiator) according to the service manual's recommendations. The level, condition and concentration of the coolant should be checked periodically. If you are doing your own work, make sure the engine has cooled down before removing the radiator cap and make sure you choose the proper coolant for your vehicle make and model.

* Have engine performance problems -- hard starts, rough idling, stalling -- corrected. You'll get better gasoline mileage and you might just prevent more expensive repairs later on. For example, something as simple as a rough idle could indicate an underlying problem that could ruin your vehicle's catalytic converter over time. The old adage, "Pay me now or pay me later," is especially true with today's high-tech, computerized systems.

* The tightness and condition of belts, clamps and hoses should be checked by a qualified auto technician. Most do-it-yourselfers do not have the proper equipment. But weekenders can look for signs of wear, cracking or frayed belts. And, once again, don't ignore the service schedules listed in the owner's manual.

* Have a marginally operating air conditioner system serviced by a qualified technician. The air conditioners on older vehicles often contain ozone-depleting chemicals that could be released into the air through improper or incompetent service.

* Change the oil and oil filter as specified in owner's manual. (Properly dispose of used oil.) Poll after poll of technicians indicate that this is one of the most neglected services, and one that can greatly reduce the life of your automobile, light truck or SUV.

* Replace other filters (air, fuel, PCV, etc.) as recommended in the service manual.

* Check the condition of tires, including the spare. Let the tires "cool down" before checking their pressure. Uneven wear, 'cupping,' vibrations, or 'pulling' to one side indicates problems with your tires or suspension system.

* Don't neglect your transmission. Costly repairs can be prevented by routine service.

* For safety and convenience, inspect all lights and bulbs; replace burned out bulbs. Replace worn wiper blades and keep plenty of washer solvent on hand to fight summer's dust and insects.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) was founded in 1972 as a non-profit, independent organization dedicated to improving the quality of automotive service and repair through the voluntary testing and certification of automotive technicians. ASE-certified technicians wear blue and white ASE shoulder insignia and carry credentials listing their exact area(s) of certification. Their employers often display the blue and white ASE sign.

For a free brochure with summertime automotive tips, send a self-addressed, stamped long envelope to: ASE Summer Brochure, Dept. ARA-405, 101 Blue Seal Dr., S.E., Suite 101, Leesburg, VA 20175, or visit www.ase.com for more information.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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What About Me? The Effects of Divorce on Children

Family & Pets

(ARA) - According to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, divorce affects about 1.5 million American children each year. Most divorcing parents ask themselves some tough questions about what the divorce will do to their children and wonder how the children will make sense of what is happening.

How will the children react to both parents as the family changes? Will they adjust well to a new marriage partner, and perhaps to stepsiblings? Will their grades suffer? Will they withdraw from their friends, and perhaps suffer permanent emotional harm?

"No matter what age a child is, he or she will have more difficulty adjusting to divorce if there is continued conflict between parents," explains Dr. Deb Huntley, professor of psychology at Argosy University/Twin Cities. "Other factors that add to this difficulty include: loss of contact with a competent, non-custodial parent; financial stress; a change of address; loss of continuity in school and home routines; and psychological problems in the custodial parent."

According to Huntley, a survey of literature shows that some studies have found negative effects, other studies have found no effects, and even a few studies show positive effects of divorce on children. "Research shows that children of divorce are more likely to show more behavioral problems, more psychological symptoms, lower academic achievement, more social difficulties, and poorer self-concepts than children from intact families," says Huntley. But many psychologists and family counselors caution that the overlap between children of divorce and children of intact families is great, and the children from these two groups look more alike than different. The better question to ask is "for which child does divorce has a negative impact?"

Huntley cites an overall trend in the research that has been conducted that boys seem to have more difficulty dealing with divorce than girls, and that younger children have more difficulty with the divorce than older children. Preschool children have a developmental disadvantage in understanding the meaning of divorce and may respond with confusion and anxiety. "It is not unusual to see regression to earlier stages of behavior, such as thumb-sucking or wetting the bed, in these children. They may foster the belief that if they had only been better-behaved, the parent would not have left," says Huntley.

Children who are in elementary school have a better understanding of the loss and may experience sadness and depression. "There is a continued fantasy that the parents will get back together. Adolescents may feel anger and blame toward a parent but are also uncertain about their own ability to stay in a relationship," explains Huntley.

Here are some tips suggested by Dr. Huntley for children coping with divorce and new familial situations, regardless of gender or age:

Going Through A Divorce -- A Child's Perspective

1. Don't put me in the middle. If you need to talk to each other, please do it yourself.

2. Don't make me take sides. You may not have a husband/wife anymore, but I still have a mom/dad. When possible, tell me something positive about my parent.

3. Unless there is an abusive situation, allow me to have access to both parents. Take this into account when you are deciding where to live.

4. The better you get along with each other, the better I will be able to cope with the divorce.

5. Ask me how I am doing and what I need. Even though you are going through your own loss, I need help talking about what is going on.

6. Try to keep everything else in my life the same. It is stressful enough to lose a parent to divorce, but even tougher to move to a different school, a new neighborhood, and a new home.

7. Remember that I am your child. Although you have gone through a divorce, my role is not to replace your spouse or be a friend. Continue to treat me as your child.

8. If you need to talk to somebody about what you are going through, find a friend or a therapist. It is too much for me to carry your burden as well.

9. No matter what my age is, this is still a loss for me. I may show my grief in many different ways, including anger, depression, anxiety, or acting-out behavior. Please get me help if I am having difficulty.

10. I long for continuity, routine, and tradition. Although our family has changed, keep as many traditions and routines the same as possible.

For more information visit Argosy University on the World Wide Web at www.argosyu.edu.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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