Country Vacations & Resorts

I was curious to find out what’s happening with State Fairs around the country. Unfortunately, some states have been revenue-impaired and in 2011 actually cancelled their State Fair for the year. This is really a shame and for tourism, a real tragedy. What better way to introduce your state and all it has to offer to so many people than through your state’s fair each year.

Some info was either not available, or not available yet, or the dreaded “TBD” – to be determined. I’ll update as/when I find.

Good news for those living or traveling in Florida… the Florida State Fair kicks off the season in Tampa starting February 9 and runs through February 20, 2012!

Alabama: August 24th – September 3rd, 2012

Alaska: August 23rd – September 3, 2012

Arizona: October 12 – November 4, 2012

Arkansas: October 12 – October 21, 2012

California: July 12 – July 29, 2012

Colorado: August 24 – September 3, 2012

Connecticut: None
State Agricultural Fairs Listings

Delaware: July 19 – July 28, 2012

Florida: February 9 – February 20, 2012

Georgia:
North – September 20 – September 30, 2012
Georgia National Fair – October 4 – October 14, 2012

Hawaii: Early August (TBA)

Idaho:
Western: August 16 – August 26, 2012
Eastern: September 1 – September 8, 2012

Illinois: August 9 – August 19, 2012

Indiana: August 3 – August 19, 2012

Iowa: August 9 – August 29, 2012

Kansas: September 7 – September 16, 2012

Kentucky: August 16 – August 26, 2012

Lousiana: October 25 – November 11, 2012

Maine: July 27 – August 5, 2012

Maryland: August 24 – September 3, 2012

Massachusetts: September 14 – September 30, 2012

Michigan: August 13 – August 19, 2012

Minnesota: TBA

Missouri: August 9 – August 19, 2012

Montana: July 17 – August 4, 2012

Nebraska: August 24 – September 3, 2012

Nevada: TBD/TBA

New Hampshire: No “State” Fair listed, but…
Hopkinton State Fair (NH): August 30 – September 3, 2012

New Jersey: August 3 – August 12, 2012

New Mexico: TBA

New York: August 23 – September 3, 2012

North Carolina: October 11 – October 21, 2012

North Dakota: July 20 – July 28, 2012

Ohio: July 25 – August 5, 2012

Oklahoma: September 13 – September 23, 2012

Oregon: August 24 – September 3, 2012

Pennsylvania: TBA
County Fair Listings

Rhode Island: August 15 – August 19, 2012
Washington County

South Carolina: October 10 – October 21, 2012

South Dakota: August 30 – September 3, 2012

Tennessee: TBA

Texas: September 28 – October 21, 2012

Utah: TBA

Vermont: August 31 – September 9, 2012

Virginia: September 27 – October 7, 2012

Washington: August – Dates to be announced

West Virginia: August 10 – August 18, 2012

Wisconsin: August 2 – August 12, 2012

Wyoming: August 11 – August 18, 2012

I’ve linked each State to the best site I could find for State Fair info….

Happy Planning 2012…

It’s about time to make another “trip” through the alphabet with some fantastic and not always well publicized country vacation destinations. You can find the current “A to Z” list right here.

Any readers who’ve had a great destination experience and who are willing to make any input or recommendations are welcomed to submit their ideas.

Travel guest posts are also welcomed – just pick a letter and send me an email…

In the meantime you can research:

+ Nearly 200 vacation rental options.

+ Find out more about the travels of US Presidents.

+ Or select an extraordinary UK vacation cottage.

Time in Office: January 2001 to January 2009
Terms: Two
Birthday: July 6, 1946
Birth Place: New Haven, Connecticut

Notes:
Oldest of 5 children – one sister died of leukemia
Keen rugby player at Yale
Arrested DUI – 1976
Only President with a MBA
Most travelled president (to date) in US history

Grandson of a Senator, son of a Vice President and President – America’s 43rd President, George Walker Bush seemed destined for public and political life. Both the road to the Presidency and his years in office were at times, a bit rocky.

Born in New Haven, Connecticut, George W. Bush spent most of his time until the 7th grade living in Midlands, Texas. The family then moved to Houston where he first attended a prep school – then finished the last two of his high school years at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.

He attended Yale from 1964 to 1968 when he graduated with a degree in History. After graduation, Bush was commissioned into the Texas Air National Guard where his selection for the pilot (flight) program remains controversial. He later drilled with the Alabama Air National Guard, was transferred to inactive duty and the Air force Reserve, and was honorably discharged November 1974 – while having also received a M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1973.

Multiple episodes of alcohol abuse plagued him even after his November 1977 marriage to Laura Welch. The couple settled in Midlands – adding fraternal twins Barbara and Jenna to the family in 1981. Bush has since stated that his decision to give up alcohol in 1986 was due to the stabilizing influence of his wife and family. In 1978, he launched a unsuccessful campaign for the House of Representatives after which he began several small oil exploration companies. These later merged and George served on the board of directors.

By 1988 George moved his family to Washington, DC to work on his father’s election campaign – working as a campaign liaison and media advisor. In 1991, he also worked on his father’s 1992 unsuccessful Presidential re-election campaign. After campaigning for his father, George returned to Texas and bought $800,000 worth of shares in the Texas Rangers baseball franchise. The sale of these shares for $15 million in 1998 gave George a tidy profit.

He declared himself a candidate for Governor of Texas in 1994 which he won – serving as the State’s Governor until December 2000. In June 1999 he announced he would run for United States President – which he won in a still controversial legal decision whose outcome went all the way to the Supreme Court in 2000. He was sworn in as President January, 2001.

Trying Times for a US President

The George W. Bush Presidential era covered not only the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, but meltdown of the financial industry and economic recession.

These events, followed by Hurricane Katrina and problems with FEMA response, questions regarding “WMDs” or “weapons of mass destruction”, approved torture at Guantanamo, questionable decisions regarding Afghanistan and Iraq, and the passage of the controversial “Patriot Act” – meant George W. Bush left the White House after two terms – as one of the most unpopular US Presidents – second only to Richard Nixon.

Presidential Travel

Countries Visited by President George W. Bush

2001
~Mexico ~Canada ~Spain ~Belgium ~Sweden
~Poland ~Slovenia ~United Kingdom ~Italy
~Yugoslavia (Kosovo) ~China

2002
~Japan ~Korea ~China ~Mexico ~Peru
~El Salvador ~Germany ~Russia (2) ~France ~Italy
~Vatican City ~Canada ~Mexico ~Czech Republic
~Lithuania ~Romania

2003
~Portugal ~United Kingdom (2) ~Poland ~Russia
~France ~Egypt ~Jordan ~Qatar ~Senegal
~South Africa ~Botswana ~Uganda ~Nigeria ~Japan
~Philippines ~Thailand ~Singapore ~Indonesia
~Australia ~Iraq

2004
~Mexico ~Vatican City ~Italy ~France ~Ireland
~Chile ~Turkey ~Columbia ~Canada

2005
~Belgium ~Germany ~Slovakia ~Vatican City
~Italy ~Latvia ~Netherlands ~Russia ~Georgia
~Denmark ~United Kingdom ~Argentina ~Brazil
~Panama ~Japan ~Korea ~China ~Mongolia

2006
~Ireland ~India ~Afghanistan ~Pakistan ~Mexico
~Iraq ~Austria ~Hungary ~Germany ~Russia
~Singapore ~Vietnam ~Indonesia ~Estonia ~Latvia
~Jordan

2007
~Brazil ~Uraguary ~Columbia ~Guatemala ~Mexico
~Czech Republic ~Germany ~Poland ~Italy ~Vatican City
~Albania ~Bulgaria ~Canada ~Iraq ~Australia

2008
~Israel ~Palenstinian Authority ~Kuwait ~Bahrain
~United Arab Emirates ~Saudi Arabia (2) ~Egypt (2) ~Benin
~Tanzania ~Rwanda ~Ghana ~Liberia ~Ukraine ~Romania
~Croatia ~Russia ~Israel ~Slovenia ~Germany ~Italy
~Vatican City ~United Kingdom ~France ~Japan ~South Korea
~Thailand ~China ~Peru ~Iraq ~Afghanistan

Regarding Presidential vacations, Bush appears to have taken full advantage of “Presidential” travel…

After leaving office Bush and his family settled for a short time back at their 1500 – 1600 acre ranch in Crawford, Texas but then purchased a home in the exclusive neighborhood of Preston Hollow – about 6 miles outside Dallas. He gives public speeches, attends both Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers sporting events, and threw out the first pitch of the 2010 World Series at the stadium in Arlington, Texas. His memoir, “Decision Points” was published November, 2010.

Human rights group still hound Bush for his acknowledgment that he ordered waterboarding of detainees. In February 2011, Bush cancelled a trip planned to Switzerland for fear of being arrested.

Former: President Bill Clinton

Presidential Travel Index

Time in Office: January 1989 to January 1993
Terms: One
Birthday: June 12, 1924
Birth Place: Milton, Massachusetts

Notes:
~ A school leader at Phillips Academy
~ Parachuted out of his burning plane during World War II
~ Flew 58 combat missions during World War II
~ Graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Yale in 2 and a half years instead of 4
~ A millionaire by the age of 42
~ Two terms as US Vice President (under Reagan)
~ Was acting President for 8 hours during a Reagan surgery
~ One son was US President, another is Governor of Florida
~ Director of the CIA
~ Awarded the Medal of Freedom in 2011

The 41st President of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush was born in 1924 in the town of Milton, Massachusetts. Soon after George’s birth, the family moved to Greenwich, Connecticut where he attended the Greenwich Country Day School and Phillips Academy – Andover, Massachusetts. George was a well-rounded student – playing both basketball and baseball – along with being president of his senior class and a active member of the school’s newspaper.

George was accepted to Yale but when he graduated from Phillips Academy in 1942 he instead entered the Navy and World War II. Commissioned in 1943 as an Ensign and aviator in the US Naval Reserve in Chorpus Christi, Texas, Bush began his Naval career 3 days before his 19th birthday.

Flying missions off the aircraft carrier San Jacinto, Bush had to once abandon his burning aircraft and spend 4 hours on the sea in a lifeboat waiting for rescue. Bush took part in missions in the Bonin Islands and the Phillipines.

Reassigned to the naval base in Norfolk, Virginia and then to a naval air station in Michigan, Ltjg (junior grade) Bush was honorably discharged September 1945.

Earlier in 1945 George Bush had married Barbara Pierce and had finally begun his time at Yale. He was captain of the baseball team and was elected president of his fraternity. He graduated in 1948 and moved his family to West Texas to take a job as a sales clerk at an oil company where his father was on the board of directors.

Bush started his own oil company in 1951. He moved company operations from Midland, Texas to Houston, and by the time Bush began to pursue his political ambitions in 1966, he was the company’s chairman and a millionaire. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1966, was appointed by Nixon as Ambassador to the United Nations in 1971, and by President Ford as Chinese envoy. In 1976 Ford appointed Bush Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Deciding to run for President in the 1980 election, George’s unsuccessful campaign took him some 250,000 miles to over 850 political events. Feeling discouraged, he sold his home in Houston and bought his Grandfather’s estate in Kennebunkport, Maine. He was soon selected for the Vice Presidential spot by Ronald Reagan – the Republican party’s eventual winner. After serving two terms as Vice President, George H. W. Bush was elected President in the 1988 US election – taking office January 1989.

Bush was busy during his Presidency dealing with political upheaval in Panama, the Soviet Union after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the NAFTA agreement, civil war in Somalia, and the Gulf War. He was a frequent traveler. International trips for the President were enhanced by his receipt of the new Boeing 747s – which technological advances enabled him to function as if he were at the White House while traveling. Bush was defeated in the Presidential Election of 1992 by Bill Clinton.

Presidential Travel

1989
~Canada ~Japan ~People’s Republic of China ~Korea
~Italy ~Vatican City ~Belgium(2x) ~Federal Republic of Germany
~United Kindgom ~Poland ~Hungary ~France(2x) ~ The Netherlands
~Costa Rica ~Malta

1990
~Columbia ~Canada ~United Kingdom ~Finland ~Czechoslovakia
~Germany ~France ~Saudi Arabis ~Egypt ~Switzerland ~Mexico
~Brazil ~Uraguay ~Argentina ~Chile ~Venezuela

1991
~Canada(2x) ~France(2x) ~United Kingdom(2x) ~Greece ~Turkey
~USSR ~Spain ~Italy ~Vatican City ~The Netherlands

1992
~Australia ~Singapore ~Korea ~Japan ~Panama ~Brazil
~Poland ~Germany ~Finland ~Saudi Arabia ~Somalia ~Russia
~France

++ 2011 hourly costs to US taxpayers for Presidential travel on Air Force One?

$181,000 per hour.

Bush and his wife live in Houston and at their estate in Maine. George holds his own fishing tournament at Islamorada in the Florida Keys.

In November 1997 the George Bush Presidential Library opened on the Texas A&M campus – College Station, Texas. Bush continues to make public appearances and in 2009 was with his son, then President George W. Bush, at the commissioning of the aircraft supercarrier bearing his name.

Former: President Ronald W. Reagan
Next : Bill Clinton

Here’s another guest post from our Spain insider – Jay…

Who wouldn’t like to live in Spain?

The weather is great, the country is beautiful, the big cities are impressive, there is a lot of culture, and there are many beautiful beaches. In other words, it is the ideal country to follow an education. On top of that, Spanish is beautiful and the third most spoken language in the world. But before thinking about studying in Spain, there are some aspects you need to consider. Below, I will explain the procedures of studying in Spain to help you decide if this actually is the right choice.

Is a study in Spain expensive?
One of the first things you need to know before considering an education anywhere is: Is it affordable?

Many countries in the world charge such a high tuition fee that students are bound to borrow money and get high debts. The United States is one of those countries where education is so expensive that you need to get a scholarship or a loan to get a proper education. Some countries support students through scholarships and Government financing.

Luckily tuition fees are relatively low in Spain compared to other countries. One year of study costs around a 1000 Euro a year. Compared to 15000 a year in the USA and 4000 in the Netherlands, this is quite cheap. Although in the USA it is possible to earn a scholarship and in the Netherlands, the government supports students financially for 4 years.

What requirements need to be met?
For locals, studying at a Spanish university is no problem. They only need to graduate high school. But for foreigners there are some requirements. Foreigners need to pass an entry test for foreigners and a Spanish language test to make sure you have no problem following classes. In some regions in Spain you may also be obligated to take language courses.

What are the formalities?
In general, students from inside the European Union are allowed to study in Spain. There are a few formalities however. Students are exempted from university entry tests provided that they comply with basic entry requirements. After this, the Universidad Nacional a Distancia will check student’s eligibility.

There is also an ERASMUS program in Spain. This gives students from other countries the chance to study in Spain by receiving 1000 Euros for the tuition. Degrees obtained here are also valid in other countries via the European Credit Transfer and accumulation System (ECTS).

Outside the EU
If you want to study in Spain from outside the European Union, first you need to get your diploma recognized by the Spanish ministry of education. If you pass the Spanish University entry test, you are then able to carry out a pre-registration to the University that you want.

Students from outside the EU must apply for a D Visa if you are planning to go to school in Spain for longer than 90 days. An application should be send from outside the European Union to a Spanish embassy or get one at a consultancy abroad. Make sure you have 3 passport sized photos, proof of enrollment and a medical certificate, health insurance, a financial statement and proof of payment of tuition fees ready to show the Embassy. Once you are in Spain, you have 90 days to apply for a resident permit. You can get one at the police station when you show your student visa. Once this is all taken care of, there is no problem studying in Spain.

Is a Study in Spain Recommended?
Even though the circumstances in Spain are ideal for doing an education, this does not mean it is a good idea for everyone. Before considering an education in Spain you have to check how the level of education is in that particular country.

Spain is the one of the few EU countries who did not implement the Bachelor-Master system yet. So this means they work with old degrees. Not only that, the difference between the vision of education between the Southern Europe and Northern Europe is different. In Northern Europe the focus lies on experience and in Southern Europe on theory (instruction).

In general Spanish people speak very little to no English. In my opinion, it is important to learn proper English. Spanish Universities don’t tend to value team work or simultaneous assignments and their curriculum is somewhat below average. In many cases, and depending upon your educational focus, other countries may be a better choice.

If you do come to Spain I recommend a study in Barcelona. That city is the most impressive one of all. It has the beach, culture, and the big city.

Article written by J.Besters, blogger and writer for apartime.com provider of Barcelona properties.

Time in Office: January 1977 to January 1981
Terms: One
Birthday: October 1, 1924
Birth Place: Plains, Georgia

Notes:

~ First President born in a hospital
~ Gift student and star basketball player
~ Served in the US Navy as a Lieutenant – 1946 to 1953
~ Assisted with the shutdown of the Chalk River Nuclear Reactor
~ Created the Departments of Energy and Education
~ Returned the Panama Canal Zone to Panama
~ Founded the Carter Center in 1982
~ Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
~ Key figure in the Habitat for Humanity project

James Earl Carter Jr – forever it seems known as “Jimmy,” was born October 1, 1924 in a hospital near Plains, Georgia. His father was a successful local business leader and his mother, a nurse. He was the eldest of four children.

A gifted student who loved to read, Carter attended Plains High School and then enrolled at Georgia Southwestern College.

After taking some additional math courses at Georgia Tech, Jimmy was accepted at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, 1943. He married Rosalynn Smith in 1946.

Carter applied to the US Navy’s new nuclear submarine program and was based in Schenectady, New York. He was sent to Canada’s Chalk River Laboratory in 1952, the site of a (partial) nuclear reactor meltdown. This experience shaped his views of nuclear power and after the death of his father in 1953, Carter resigned from the Navy and returned to Plains to run the family business.

While successfully managing and expanding the family’s peanut farming business, Carter began to take part in local boards until his election to the State Senate in 1961. By 1966, he declined a return to the Senate in order to seek election as Governor of Georgia – he was not successful. A second run was successful and by January 1971 he was Governor.

Although almost an unknown to the majority of American voters prior to the Presidential campaign of 1976, thanks to the media’s focus on this political “underdog,” along with the support of Christian voters, and his reputation of NOT being a political insider, (remember Watergate!) Jimmy Carter was elected President of the United States.

Travel to the following countries, by year, was taken by Jimmy Carter during his Presidency:

1977
~United Kingdom ~Switzerland ~Poland ~Iran

1978
~Iran ~India ~Saudi Arabia ~Egypt ~France ~Belgium ~Venezuela
~Brazil ~Nigeria ~Liberia ~Panama ~Germany

1979
~France ~Mexico ~Israel ~Egypt (twice) ~Austria ~Japan
~Korea

1980
~Italy ~Yugoslavia ~Spain ~Portugal ~Japan

Presidential Travel

As President, Jimmy had little time for vacations. He liked to head home to Plains, visit St. Simons Island, Georgia, and most “downtime” might find him relaxing while fishing.

President Carter was defeated in his run for re-election in 1980 by Ronald Reagan. During his Presidency, Jimmy Carter traveled some 224,668 miles. President Carter’s last trip aboard Air Force One (SAM 27000) was to Germany to meet and welcome home the 52 American hostages that had been held captive in Iran.

Like most Presidents before him, Carter remained – and this case, remains – very active in politics after the Presidency.

Through his work at The Carter Center with his wife Rosalynn, politics, and other humanitarian causes, former President Carter is the first President we’ve covered during our travels that is still alive and now at the age of 87, is still working.

As you can see from this 2008 photo taken when President Carter was 83, “move or it lose it” seems to be working for this President!

Check out some of the links below to find out what this former President has been up to since 1981.

Links:

Jimmy Carter Library and Museum
President Jimmy Carter – The Miller Center
Habitat for Humanity

Prior: President Gerald Ford
Next: Ronald Reagan

Time in Office: August 1974 to January 1977
Terms: One +
Birthday: July 14, 1913
Birth Place: Omaha, Nebraska
Date of Death: December 28, 2006
Place of Death: At his home – Rancho Mirage, California
Buried: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Notes:

~ Didn’t meet his biological father until he was 17
~ An Eagle Scout
~ An excellent athlete and football player
~ An avid golfer – once shot a hole-in-one
~ Turned down offers to play in the NFL
~ Was a member of the Freemasons
~ Never elected to be either President or Vice President
~ Made the first visit of a sitting US President to Japan
~ Survived two assassination attempts
~ Longest-lived US President – 93 years, 165 days
~ Was the last surviving member of the Warren Commission

Quote: “The length of one’s days matters less than the love of one’s family and friends.”

I felt a bit sorry for Gerald Ford. The man tripped once in 1975 while heading down the stairs of Air Force One and was forever after “bullied” by the Press and the media as a “klutz.” How likely is it that the only US President ever drafted by the NFL while in college was a “klutz”?

Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr., America’s 38th President, was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr in Omaha, Nebraska – 1913. His mother divorced his father, remarried in 1916, and although “Leslie” was never formally adopted by his new stepfather, his name was legally changed in 1935. He was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he was an Eagle Scout and captain of his high school football team.

Gerald attended the University of Michigan, played football – where he was scouted by NFL recruiters – and washed dishes to pay his college expenses. Ford applied to and was eventually accepted at Yale Law School in 1938. He graduated and began practicing law in 1941, but due to World War II in 1942, he enlisted in the Navy. He reported for duty at Annapolis, attended further traning in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and then served with distinction aboard the carrier USS Monterey. He finished out his military career as an instructor and on staff in California and Illinois. He resigned June 1946.

In 1948 Gerald married the former model and dancer, Elizabeth Bloomer Warren and over the next 9 years they had 4 children – 3 sons and one daughter. This coincided with his first election as Representative – a role he held for the next 25 years.

In 1963 he was appointed to the Warren Commission which investigated the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He also served as House Minority Leader from 1965 to 1973.

In October 1973 the then Vice President, Spiro Agnew, was forced to resign on bribery charges he faced as Governor of Maryland, Ford was selected to replace him. While the Ford family was still waiting to be moved into the Vice President’s residence, “Watergate” erupted and Ford was told to prepare himself to take over as President. When Nixon resigned August 1974, Gerald R. Ford, never voted in as Vice President, became the 38th President of the United States.

Countries visited by Gerald Ford in 1974: (He first visited China in 1972.)

~ Mexico ~Japan ~Korea ~USSR ~France ~Belgium ~Spain ~Austria

In 1975:

~Belgium ~Spain ~Austria ~Italy ~Germany ~Poland ~Finland ~Romania ~France ~China ~Indonesia ~Phillipines

He stayed in the United States for all of 1976.

Ford faced many trials as President – from the controversy over the Nixon pardon to a crushing economy. Add to this a swine flu epidemic, the ending of the Vietnam War, and the subsequent management of final evacuations. Ford was a somewhat reluctant candidate in the 1976 Presidential election which he lost to Jimmy Carter.

Ford’s Presidential Travel

After his Presidency, Gerald Ford remained politically active, briefly considered a run for the Presidency in 1980, and was also considered as a Vice Presidential candidate to Ronald Reagan in that same year.

The Ford family was energetic and athletic. Deep-sea fishing in the Bahamas; skiing in Vail, Colorado and in Utah, and for the President – golf and tennis.

Gerald Ford is the one and only President I’ve seen in person. I attended the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am Golf Tournament in Pebble Beach, California in 1977 where President Ford was playing. A ball he hit landed within 5 feet of where I was standing. As he walked up to take his next shot he said, “Excuse me for temporarily blocking your view.” There’s even a YouTube available of this 34-year old golf event believe it or not!

President Gerald R. Ford died December 26, 2006 of arteriosclerosis. He was 93. He was buried at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. His wife Betty died July 8 2011, also aged 93, and is buried alongside her husband.

Links:

Ford Presidential Library and Museum
Gerald R. Ford International Airport
President Ford’s Daily Diaries
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
The Betty Ford Center

Next: America’s 39th President – James Earl Carter
Prior: Richard M. Nixon, 37th President of the United States

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