Enjoy Myrtle Beach is designed by a local. I know what families want when they plan their vacation. As of 2007, nearly 14 million visitors return to the Myrtle Beach and Grand Strand area of South Carolina year after year. Our 60 miles of beautiful coast, stretching from Little River to Georgetown, is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the US, and has been voted Best Family Beach several times. The top reasons people love Myrtle Beach are, of course, the beach and golfing. The third reason is shopping, followed by dining in our fine restaurants. The Grand Strand is well-known for its fresh seafood, but you will find something for everyone: Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and even restaurants specializing in vegetarian menus. Miniature golf courses are popular for the entire family and it’s difficult to drive down any main street without passing one. Other family activities include Broadway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing. The Grand Strand offers a wide area to explore. Choose Things to Do, find the restaurants locals love, pick a place to stay.

The UK now has roughly 33 million registered vehicles on its roads, and this figure is ever increasing. Correlating with this is the number of road related deaths, which two years ago was roughly 258,000. With congested roads filled with frantic motorists its imperative that you are clued up on basic road tips both for your sake and that of others.

First and foremost, never, ever drive while under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicating substance. Even though this is against the law in every established country, with heavy penalty’s being imposed on those found guilty - it is still a wide-spread problem. Not only does alcohol give you a false sense of ability, but it slows vital reaction times down considerably.

Tailgating, or following the car in front too closely, is another major contributor to road accidents in the UK. When tailgating you are essentially cutting off the view of any activity ahead of the car in front of you and reducing the amount of time you have to react to any sudden changes the car ahead makes. The space in between you and the car ahead should be considered as a sort of “buffer”, as a rule of thumb leave a two second gap, four seconds when wet and 10 when icy.

Following on from the above point, many motorists fail to adjust their driving speed based on the condition of the road. When the road is wet or icy, braking times are increased considerably - your speed should therefore be adjusted accordingly. Minimising the number of distractions you have while driving also helps a tremendous amount, common distractions include, hand-held phones, loud music, eating food etc.Having a good idea of what is going on around your vehicle at all times is imperative, relying solely on your mirrors is not enough - its important that you check your “blind spots” before slowing down or changing lanes etc.

While most people visiting Curacao spend their time on the gorgeous beaches or exploring some of the world’s best coral reefs, there are also a number of fascinating destinations within the island’s interior. If you are looking for adventure on land in Curacao, there is no better place to start than one of the national parks. Christoffelpark, Curacao’s largest and most ecologically-diverse nature preserve - Shete Boka, a site dedicated to sea turtles and the beautiful northern coastline - and Den Dunki, a historic site ideal for relaxation - each provide adventurous travelers numerous opportunities for sightseeing and outdoor recreation. If you want to experience the best of both worlds  in Curacao, make some time in your beach routine for a tour of the island’s national parks.

Curacao’s most well known park - Christoffelpark - features a vast expanse of trails that traverse up and around Mt. Christoffel. The easiest hikes can be enjoyed by families with small children, while adventurous travelers can devote the morning hours to an ascent of Mt. Christoffel. Regardless of which path you choose, there will be plenty of unique plants, birds and creature to identify. In fact, there are several species residing amongst the eight trails of Christoffelpark that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, including the Curacao White Tailed Deer and the Palabrua, a reclusive native owl. Even if you don’t feel up to hiking, the park can still be enjoyed by automobile, as a few scenic routes visit many of the park’s most striking sites.

Christoffelpark also has its share of historic sites, including one of the Curacao’s first plantations and well-preserved ruins of colonial buildings. While the Savonet plantation didn’t leave any structures behind, the wells and dams of this early colonial settlement are still visible throughout the park. The Zorgvlied plantation - perched on the side of Mt. Christoffel - features a number of interesting ruins, including the foundation of the original house and slave’s quarters.

Curacao’s most newly minted national park - Shete Boka - is located along the island’s rocky northern coast. The park begins at the picturesque inlet known as Boka Tabla. As you descend the rocks towards the Caribbean waves, you will find a series of steps carved into the cliffs that lead into a remarkable cavern. At the mouth of the precarious inlet, you can dangle your feet over the sea and watch the waves crash against the rocks. Above the cavern, you will find an incredible vista of Curacao’s windswept coast. A well-maintained dirt road leads from Boka Tabla to a series of six smaller caverns, two of which have dedicated hiking trails. In addition to being great places to enjoy a view of the Caribbean Sea, all of the inlets within Shete Boka are protected sea turtle breeding grounds.

The Boka Pistol Trail in Shete Boka offers visitors a chance to see one of the sea turtles’ hidden breeding grounds up close. In addition to the placid coves frequented by sea turtles, hikers will find plenty of spots worth photographing along the hour-long trek. As the trail follows a stretch of windswept shoreline, visitors can expect plenty of crashing waves and remarkable views from atop the limestone cliffs.

The Boka Wandomi Trail carves a calmer path, but the views are no less spectacular. Set amongst the same limestone cliffs as the Boka Pistol Trail, the Boka Wandomi Trail is known for its rolling, black lava hills and natural stone bridge resting above the Caribbean Sea. This trail leads back to the Boka Tabla trailhead and can be comfortably hiked in about one hour.

With the vast amount of different rivers and canals in France, and having such a varied landscape, you can be sure that you will be able to find just the right type of holiday for you and your family.

So, as you cruise along one of the rivers or canals at a leisurely pace you will get to see things that most people will never experience and each region also offers you the chance to experience their fantastic and sometimes unusual cuisine along with the incredible French wine that is as varied as the different regions.

Only a boating holiday in France will enable you to fully appreciate the idyllic countryside and architecture from Roman to Renaissance periods along with the beautiful chateaux that are dotted along the banks, with the added plus of the glorious weather to match, it is not like travelling along the Norfolk Broads in the United Kingdom most of the year, when you are guaranteed to get some rain or gloomy days!

There is such a wide choice available for your boating holiday and you can pick the area with the climate for you; the further down South you go, the warmer it gets, but don’t forget that whilst cruising along, you need to be on the right hand side of the river or canal, just as the roads are in France!

One point, a licence is required to be able to travel by boat on the French waterways, unless of course you only have something like a canoe! Basically, any boat that has a motor means that you have to have a licence, although temporary permits called La Carte Plaisance are available and are issued by the boat rental company or charter firm that you book with.

A la Carte Plaisance is valid only for a set period of time for any habitable boat, which is under 15 metres in length, but there is also permit available for your children to drive the boat if they are between the ages of 14 and 16, if you feel they have a good sense of direction! but this is a great way to get all the family involved in the fun, but you must ask for a La Carte Junior in order to be allowed to do this.

With many of the river guides today available in English, you can be sure that you will not miss any of the local attractions or delights on offer. You can find these guides along with extra information from the regional tourist offices, but these are also normally issued to you by the charter boat company before you set off on your holiday.

Choosing the part of France you wish to visit is so important to get the best out of your holiday and in the North West of France there is Brittany, which is an area known for cider and crepes, to the East of France were there are rivers and canals throughout the regions of Alsace and Lorraine and you will find this area great for experiencing a diverse landscape from rolling hills to forests, whilst trying some of the local French beer and crisp white wines that this region produces.