The Ritzy Ritz-Carlton In Cancun

by, Jan Ross

When I was in Cancun this summer with Classic Vacations, one of the resorts we popped in to visit was the Ritz-Carlton. And, if I hadn't been so extremely well-mannered, my fellow travelers would have had to drag me out of there kicking and screaming. Because I could absolutely move in and live at the Ritz-Carlton in Cancun. It is just that fabulous. And now The Travel Authority and Classic Vacations are offering a wonderful rate of only $439 per person for four nights because the fourth night is completely free. Airline fares to Mexico are the lowest they have been in years, so this would make a wonderful long weekend getaway. Just book now through December 15th, 2009 for travel up to December 22, 2009. This hotel is considered one of the most luxurious places in the world and you will begin to appreciate that fact as soon as you set through the front door.

When you enter the quite luxurious lobby of the Ritz-Carlton with the sparkling crystal chandeliers reflecting on the marble floors, you realize you have entered somewhere very special. Very sumptuous. Very elegant. And you begin to feel like you very much deserve the pampering you will receive here.

The gorgeous lobby of the Ritz-Carlton, Cancun

Yet more gorgeousness.

And when you look up to check out the beautiful chandeliers, you might find a ceiling that is even more beautiful.

Wonderful ceiling mural.

And all of this is before you even see your room. And as you head to your room, you catch a glimpse - just a glimpse of the Caribbean Sea through a window. And you catch your breath at the incredible color of the water.

The color of the water here changes day by and day and hour by hour.

The Ritz-Carlton offers 365 guest rooms, with 50 suites and 46 Ritz-Carlton Club Level rooms. Every room offers a breathtaking view of the Caribbean Sea and all have a private balcony or terrace.

Comfortable living room in one of the suites.

Step out on your balcony for this fabulous view.

In addition to their wonderful rooms and suites, the Ritz-Carlton offers something truly unique for families. The Itzy, Bitzy, Ritz Kids Rooms welcome parents traveling with infants to deluxe accommodations appointed with baby-friendly amenities. The resort offers three Itzy Bitzy rooms with the same services as an ocean view guest room.

Additional features include:
*A baby's safety approved crib and a changing table over the chest of drawers
*A television armoire positioned so as not to disturb baby at naptime
*Miniature hangers in the closet to fit an infant's wardrobe
*A telephone programmed to light up, not ring
*A "shh, baby sleeping" sign is personalized for every guest

What a great way to travel with your baby!

With several lovely restaurants to choose from, including casual poolside food from the Caribe Bar and Grill all the way to elegant dining at Fantino, one of the top-rated restaurants in North American, you will never go hungry here.

The Caribe Bar And Grill

They have also considered children when it comes to dining here and have designed a program especially for them called the Ritz-Kids® Meal Plan.

For the little guests younger than 12, they have created a special offer where children can explore the complete variety of restaurants of the resort. Whether your kids select their favorite snacks by the pool or enjoy fine dining at Fantino or The Club Grill restaurants, all food and beverage services are included for only $49 per child through December 20, 2009. In addition, they offer a daily kids program with all kinds of fun activities.

I feel confident in telling you that the food is quite wonderful here because this is what we were served for lunch. Makes you hungry just to look at the picture, doesn't it?

Lunch at the Ritz-Carlton

Speaking of wonderful food, the Ritz-Carlton has a completely unique culinary experience for those of you who are into combining cooking lessons with your vacation getaway.

"Guests traveling toThe Ritz-Carlton, Cancun can explore a new and entertaining way to approach food and wine at the $500,000 Culinary Center, a striking recreational kitchen facility overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The Culinary Center is a new and entertaining way to approach food and wine in a striking, professionally equipped kitchen. Here, the Ritz-Carlton brings together unparalleled culinary talent, the freshest ingredients and world-renowned equipment from Viking Range. At each session, Rory Dunaway, The Culinary Center chef de cuisine, shares professional techniques and creative recipes through interactive cooking experiences. StirClasses are conducted Monday through Saturday by brilliant culinary experts which are guaranteed to educate, entertain and inspire. At each session, The Culinary Center chef de cuisine shares professional techniques and innovative recipes. BlendClasses offer three to five themed recipes that appeal to guests of all experience levels. The Culinary Center chef and his valets work interactively with a maximum of 14 participants to allow for plenty of individual attention. With a focus on all culinary aspects from techniques to presentation, guests experience the essentials of gastronomy in a casual, social setting. Two-hour classes create an environment of cooking as recreation while teaching useful methods. Nightly wine and Tequila tastings provide insights into beverage culture and how it is linked to culinary traditions. At the center they are able to provide culinary experiences which are unique to the region. Guests are introducedto the genuine Mexican cuisine, to some of the up and coming wines in the country and to the sophistication of tequila. "Guests learn more about Mexico through its legendary culinary traditions” mentioned Hermann Elger, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun."

They were setting up for a cooking class while we were there and everything looked so clean, bright and fresh and the kitchen was so wonderful, I wanted to stay for a class myself.

Who wouldn't want to cook here?

Once you have exhausted all the indoor possibilities at this wonderful place, just step outside. Lounge by the incredible pool.

Or stroll on one of the most beautiful beaches I saw in all of Cancun.

Being the Ritz-Carlton, they are not satisfied with your fabulous beach and have purchased the lot next door so their guests can have a completely private, completely gorgeous, completely wonderful beach experience. They were putting the finishing touches on the palapas when I was there, so it should be finished by the time you get there.

If lounging under one of those palapas on the beach at the Ritz-Carlton in Cancun sounds like the perfect vacation for you, just check with The Travel Authority or call 1-877-AXP-1515 for a location near you. Tell them you want this exclusive offer from Classic Vacations. And let me know how that cooking class goes!

Safe travel!

Travel Tips From A (Not So) Worldly Traveler

by, Jan Ross

My husband Tom and I are finally back from our fabulous tour of the lovely emerald isle with Brendan Vacations and The Travel Authority. It was the perfect trip in every way and I feel completely like a world traveler now that I have been to PARIS.

OK. It was only two hours in the airport, but that counts, right? Even though I have been out of the country before, it was only to Mexico, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and some islands in the Caribbean which just does not seem quite on a par with flying 24 hours to get to Europe. That's right, 24 hours. And, let me tell you, 24 hours on a series of jets can get just a trifle exhausting. Although I have to say, I have learned that people certainly tolerate jet lag in different ways. When we arrived in Ireland, my husband collapsed like someone had bonked him in the head with a shillelagh. I, on the other hand, headed for the local mall. And went shopping. But, I have to admit that we both slept about 14 hours that night. And then jet lag was over.

Even though I'm not quite yet a WORLDLY world traveler, I do have some tips for you that I have learned over the last few days. Feel free to share any travel tips you have in the comments.

1. If you have any say at all in what airline and what plane to choose when you travel, choose Air France. And choose a 777. Our trip home was a breeze compared to the trip there because we were flying an Air France 777. These huge jets have wide, comfortable seats and the coolest thing in the world - TV sets embedded in the seats in front of you. We spent the whole flight watching movies and the time flew by. The flight attendants came by and provided us with a neat little package containing our own set of headphones, ear plugs and an eye mask. Pretty classy. This was in economy class - in First Class, they not only have the TV sets, they have seats that completely recline to lie flat. That would be ideal on a long flight like this one.

2. If you think you will have trouble sleeping on the flight, use that eye mask or bring your own. Tom had to shake me awake at one point for a meal - because, seriously, miss a meal? not gonna happen - and I was astonished at how bright it was when I took off the eye mask.

3. After years of traveling on flights in the U.S., I had become used to either not getting any food on a flight or having to pay for it. I was amazed, therefore, at the amount of food we were offered at no charge on our international flights. Every meal and snack we could possibly desire was provided and and I don't think we spent any money at all on food at the airports this trip.

4. Brace yourself for many, many security checks on an international trip. We went through security so many times, we automatically started removing our shoes and jackets when we saw someone in a uniform. And if you land at an American airport from overseas with a transfer to another American airport, you have to get your luggage and transfer it yourselves. Nobody checks it, but you do have to physically change it from one flight to another. Make sure your luggage tag with your destination airport is still on your bags when you do this. You sure don't want to lose your bags at this point.

5. Make sure you buy a U.S. - to -Europe travel converter, but don't be surprised if you don't need it if you are staying in 5-star hotels. We only needed our converter once at the first small airport we stayed at near the Shannon airport. Every other hotel had both U.S. and European plugs.

6. After doing a lot of research, I finally just bought traveler's checks to convert to Euros. I figured that was the safest, since our traveler's checks would be replaced if they were stolen. You can also use an ATM card to get Euros, but make sure you check with your bank before you leave. My bank had Ireland as a blocked country, meaning I could not use my card there. You can also use your credit cards, but be aware that you will be charged a foreign transaction fee, although it was not much. Someone on our trip said they just used American money the whole time and everyone took it with no problem, but I would not want to count on that. And, personally, I think it's a little presumptuous. You can buy American Express travelers checks or order Euro travelers checks from some of the larger Travel Authority offices and they can even get Euros for you, with a few day's notice.

7. Check with your health insurance provider before you travel abroad because most policies will not cover you if you get sick or are injured overseas. It's easy to buy health insurance for your trip very inexpensively - check with with The Travel Authority. I didn't need the policy I had, but it certainly would have been nice if something had happened. I also fixed up a first-aid kit for the first time on this trip and, again, we didn't need it. But it would have been nice to have if we did!

8. Be open to suggestions from the locals about what to eat. We got advice about Irish chocolate - who knew Ireland was famous for chocolate?? - and had several suggestions about what to order for meals, all of which we took and enjoyed everything immensely. And can I just add that you should eat as many scones with jelly and whipped cream as you can possibly hold because they are GOOD.

9. Enjoy every novelty in your new country because by the end of your visit, you will be jaded. Ireland has several rainbows every day and by the end of the week, we didn't even bother to point them out to each other. Oh? Another gorgeous rainbow arching over the green hills? Ho hum.

10. If you have a chance to take a trip to Ireland with Brendan Vacations and The Travel Authority, take that chance. And make sure you stay in a castle. It was the highlight of our trip.

If this sounds like the perfect vacation for you, check with The Travel Authority online or call 1.888.AXP.7010 for an office near you. And be sure to tell them you saw it on the blog! Let me know what you think of Ireland. And bring me a box of Lily O'Brien's chocolates. We just ate the last of ours.

Adare And Foynes With Brendan Vacations

by, Jan Ross

Your trusty Travel Authority blogger (Jan Ross) is spending the week in Ireland with the quite lovely Brendan Vacations and will be live blogging as much as possible, being entirely dependent on the whims of the Irish Internet and the level of exhaustion all this trekking around is causing. Today, she is writing about the villages of Adare and Foynes which are quaint and quite memorable.

I want to tell you all about the surprisingly incredible day I had, thanks to The Travel Authority and Brendan Vacations - surprising because I had very low expectations about visiting a museum, of all things - but first I want to take a step back and tell you about how we are getting around Ireland. First, we are riding in this very comfortable motor coach. Which is actually a fancy way of saying bus. But motor coach sounds much more impressive, don't you agree?

Brendan Vacations has provided us with possibly the most fabulous local tour guide in the entire world. Kristienne counts us every time we board the bus like her precious baby chicks, calls us "My Darlings" and entertains us daily with information, stories and anecdotes about the area. She can bring tears to my eyes with a story about the treachery of the English at Limerick and make me smile with delight when she regales us with an Irish folktale.

We set out on our motor coach with the lovely Kristienne narrating and ended up in the beautiful and pristine village of Adare. Although, actually, all of Ireland seems to be pristine. I have never seen such well-maintained houses and yards in my life. Everywhere we go, it is like this. We loved Adare. Part of the reason was that we saw houses like this.


And part of the reason is that the weather quite obligingly provided us with an hour of sunlight while we were there. We have become quite used to the continuous misty rain so sunlight was quite a change of pace. It resulted in another rainbow as we left the village. We have also become used to rainbows since there are several every day and today was no exception. However. This rainbow stretched across the sky and into a lake. It was perfectly formed with each of the colors beautifully delineated, even the violet along the edge. As it arched through the sky and into the water (which I have never seen), it created a misty rainbow-colored veil over the bank of the river. Through the rainbow, the land was bright green as usual but misty and surreal like some sort of fairy land. And that, my friends, was IRELAND. That day at least.

After Adare, we headed to the Foynes Flying Boat Museum where I geared myself up to be completely bored. I could not have been more WRONG. First, who knew that Irish Coffee was invented here? Not us. But we were thrilled to try it for the first time as a treat for our tour group. Well. Tom was thrilled. You can't put enough whiskey in coffee for me to be a coffee drinker. But everyone else liked it. And did you notice that "whiskey" had an "e" in it? That means it's Irish whiskey. I am just learning new things EVERY DAY here.

Irish Coffee at the Foynes Flying Boat Museum

Foynes was the center of the aviation world from 1939 -1945 when several countries were trying to perfect commercial air flight by using huge, "flying boats" which could land on the water. We saw exhibits, viewed a movie and got to go inside a mock Yankee Clipper. On which you could stretch out in a bed for the night, then saunter down to the dining room where you ate seven course meals on linen table cloths. JUST like we travel now. I wish.

Bunk beds on the Yankee Clipper

And, when you visit the museum in Foynes? Make sure you walk across the street to the Shannon House and order the Chicken and Mushroom Vol-Au-Vent. You will be so glad you did. It's sort of a chicken pot pie with no top and the ingredients overflowing on the plate. It has some sort of creamy gravy and I could eat another one right now. Please order one. And then email and tell me how much you loved it. So I can live vicariously through your culinary experience.

If you are ready to head to Ireland now, just check with The Travel Authority or call 1-877-AXP-1515 for a location near you. And let me know what you think if Ireland - I would love to hear all about it!

Safe travel! (slán abhaile!)

Cliffs of Moher With Brendan Vacations

by Jan Ross

Your trusty Travel Authority blogger (Jan Ross) is spending the week in Ireland with the quite lovely Brendan Vacations and will be live blogging as much as possible, being entirely dependent on the whims of the Irish Internet and the level of exhaustion all this trekking around is causing. Today, she is writing about the Cliffs of Moher, which are completely and totally awe-inspiring.

We set out in the misty rain this morning in beautiful Clare County, Ireland, which we are rapidly becoming used to here. Apparently, if you wait for sunny weather in Ireland before you go anywhere or do anything, you will have an extremely long wait. Like possibly forever. The Travel Authority can easily arrange for you to visit this lovely area with Brendan Vacations.

The brand-new and very comfortable motor coach supplied by Brendan Vacations was waiting in the driveway of Dromoland Castle for us and we all clambered aboard, cheerily greeting the others in the group with whom we had become acquainted the previous evening at a totally sumptuous dinner. Don't even get me started about the small, roasted potatoes that were the BEST POTATOES I HAVE EVER EATEN or the local Irish beef or the lemon tart or I will have to stop typing and go get a snack. Put succinctly? You will eat very well at Dromoland Castle. Oh. And make sure you try the Pear Crumble. And their French Toast...OK. I'm stopping now.

We hit the windy and very scenic road to the Cliffs of Moher and let me say again the VERY windy roads - make sure you have some Bonine if you have the least tendency towards motion sickness. A couple of people on the bus really needed it. On the straight highway as we drove home, I realized why they took the scenic route because the views were simply incredible. Rolling hills of dark emerald green with outcroppings of rocks and placid cows and sheep quietly grazing rolled by the huge, panoramic windows of the motor coach as we relaxed in the very comfortable, reclining seats and just enjoyed the view.

But those pastoral scenes paled in comparison to the scenes we witnessed as we viewed the dark cliffs of Moher with the jade green waves of the Atlantic crashing against them.

The magnificent Cliffs of Moher

We climbed about half-way up the stairs to the stop before we came to the mutual, panting agreement that the view at the top was probably pretty similar to right where we had climbed. So we just enjoyed the view from there. The cool, misty rain brushed our cheeks as we watched the waves climb and smash against cliffs that had been there for thousands of years.

There is a very nice exhibition area, a snack bar and gift shop in the Visitor Centre Building, which has been constructed right into the mountain, to have the least impact on the area. You can get more information at the Cliffs of Moher and this location is on most of the Brendan Vacation tours, which can be booked through The Travel Authority.

If you are ready to book your trip to Ireland, just check with The Travel Authority or call 1-877-AXP-1515 for a location near you. Be sure to mention you found this information on the blog and let me know what you think of Ireland - I would love to hear all about it!

Safe travel! (slán abhaile)

Dromoland Castle With Brendan Vacations

Your trusty Travel Authority blogger (Jan Ross) is spending the week in Ireland with the quite lovely Brendan Vacations and will be live blogging as much as possible, being entirely dependent on the whims of the Irish Internet and the level of exhaustion all this trekking around is causing. Today, she is writing about Dromoland Castle in County Clare, which is a castle converted to a luxury hotel and is quite, quite wonderful.

Reception area of Dromoland Castle. You are in IRELAND NOW!

I have decided that Ireland really agrees with me. My ancestors are from this area and I think my Irish blood is making me feel right at home here. Either that or it's the fact that this place looks very much like Kentucky. Green, green grass. Horses. Stone fences.

My complexion seems to love these gray, drizzly days and my skin is as smooth and pink as any Irish lass. OK, that might possibly be due to the fact that I just spent two hours in the spa here at Dromoland Castle. I felt it was MY DUTY as a travel blogger to check out the spa for you. You're welcome.

We arrived a couple of days before everyone else so we could recover from the dreaded jet lag and, truly, what better way to spend a morning than at the spa? I knew you would agree with me. The Dromoland Health Spa was conveniently located right down the hallway and down some red-carpeted stairs. As I entered the spa reception area, I was greeted with that lovely and distinctive spa smell, comfortable furniture, warm lighting, and even warmer spa employees.

Reception area for the Dromoland Health Spa.

I had made a reservation (suggested at least 24 hours in advance) for the "Heavenly Face And Body Ritual" which included a full body massage and a skin specific facial. Wait. Here's the description from the brochure.

"From the crown of your head to the soles of your feet this journey should not be missed, a muscle melting full body massage followed by a phyto aromatic skin specific facial."

Who could resist? After putting my clothes in a locked locker and pocketing the key in my Dromoland Spa robe and slipping on the spa slippers, I adjourned to the relaxation room which was dimly lit with flickering candles. One of the helpful employees reclined my chair for me and turned on the chair massager. I relaxed for a few minutes before I was whisked away to a massage room for my completely fabulous treatment. I absolutely recommend this wonderful place. My only suggestion is that you bring a bathing suit because they have a wonderful outdoor hydro spa hot tub for year round use. I would have had to take something OUT of my suitcase in order to put a bathing suit IN, so I didn't have one.

The other activity we engaged in which I completely recommend when you visit this fabulous place was renting one of the golf carts and tooling around the grounds. Dromoland Castle has 410 acres of grounds and this is a great way to see it all. We had already hiked around the day before, so this was a way to go further and see more. The golf carts are only 25 Euros for an hour and are the perfect way to see everything and stay out of the ubiquitous rain which has been falling intermittently since we arrived. I'm going to be honest and tell you that this picture is completely fabricated because my husband Tom actually drove the golf cart. I was way too terrified that I would drive on the wrong side of the road. Apparently, this is pretty common because they had signs everywhere telling people to drive on the left side.

We had a great view of the castle as we set out on our jaunt.

And here's a great shot of Dromoland Castle from the other side of the lake - a long walk without our trusty golf cart! The golf course here is truly gorgeous and world-renowned. The hotel is packed with golfers, most dressed in traditional Irish golfing clothes.

If you are thinking about heading to Ireland, you should check with The Travel Authority or call 1-877-AXP-1515 to find a local office. Tell them you want to book with Brendan Vacations and you want to visit Dromoland Castle. You can choose a package which includes visiting several locations, which we will be doing, or you can choose to stay just at Dromoland - whatever works for you. Stay tuned for more about our trip. Tomorrow we head to the Cliffs of Moher, Rathbaun Farm and a medieval banquet in the evening.

Safe travel! (slán abhaile)

Do's And Do Not's For Ireland

Your trusty Travel Authority blogger (Jan Ross) is spending the week in Ireland with the quite lovely Brendan Vacations and will be live blogging as much as possible, being entirely dependent on the whims of the Irish Internet and the level of exhaustion all this trekking around is causing.

1. DO NOT buy a travel adapter for your trip, plug it into the wall in an Irish hotel, plug in your trusty fan that you love and and adore and fall asleep to the sound it makes EVERY NIGHT and almost immediately have smoke come pouring out of your fan and have it die a sad and untimely death. Instead, buy a TRAVEL CONVERTER. Apparently, there is a major difference.

2. DO ask at the hotel front desk about the possibility of buying a fan locally, get directions on how to take an Irish bus to the local mall (a MALL on my first day - who would have thought) to the hardware store at the mall. Because malls in Ireland? Are NOTHING like malls in the U.S. Just for instance, there is a butcher shop in the mall. The bus was easy, fast, very comfortable, and cheap. I recommend it highly to travel around Ireland.

3. DO NOT expect to get a lot of ice in your drinks in Ireland. Apparently, this is an American custom.

4. DO order a Diet Coke in Ireland because they come in those little glass bottles from, like, 1964. SO CUTE.

5. DO NOT go to bed thinking you don't need a wake-up call because you couldn't POSSIBLY sleep for 13 hours after that long flight.

6. DO not feel bad when you sleep for 13 hours. Because now you have learned that jet lag is a very real and rather unpleasant phenomenon.

7. DO NOT think you are going to hook up your computer to the TV and watch any U.S. shows on there. Because they will only be streamed in the U.S. and they KNOW you are in Ireland. Same goes for Netflix. Nope.

8. DO forget about worrying about what you will watch later that evening and take a walk, even if it's raining. Because. You might see something JUST LIKE THIS. And, yes. We wondered if there were leprechauns hiding gold over there.

9. DO NOT even hesitate if someone asks if you if you want to go to Ireland with The Travel Authority and Brendan Vacations.

10. DO say yes immediately. Because completely aside from the awe-inspiring gorgeousness that is Dromoland Castle?(more to come on that later) Y'all. They have a TOWEL WARMER in the bathroom. Seriously. Could life get any better?

Just HOW DEDICATED I am - blogging at Dromoland Castle.

Keep checking back for updates on my Ireland trip or subscribe by email up there at the top. And remember to book any trips with The Travel Authority. Check their website for more information or call 1-877-AXP-1515 for an office near you.

Safe travel! (slán abhaile!)

Any Cure For Jet Lag?

The Travel Authority Blog, by Jan Ross

Depending on what time you are reading this post, I will either be waiting for an airplane, boarding an airplane, flying on an airplane or leaving an airplane. From about 11:30 A.M. on Thursday, October 29th until 24 hours later when we step out in Shannon, Ireland, our lives will be comprised of situations where we are smushed into one airline seat after another. Unless we can finagle our way into First Class seats. I have my fingers crossed. But I am resigned to the smushed state. And I can endure being smushed for a little while for the opportunity to see views like this.

The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland

And to stay in a place like this.

Dromoland Castle, County Clare, Ireland

My husband and I are headed to Ireland for a week with Brendan Vacations through The Travel Authority and, since we have never been on such a long international vacation, we are both excited and terrified. I have packed extra sweaters after checking the weather in Ireland and purchased international adapters for our electronic gizmos and planned how to purchase Euros when we get there and I think I have thought about every, single detail at least 4,921 times - usually when I am trying to fall asleep at night. But one thing I am concerned with that we have never faced before is jet lag.

For those of you who don't know (and if you tell me you did, I may not believe you), jet lag is medically referred to as "desynchronosis". It's a physiological condition of alterations to your circadian rhythm sleep caused by rapid, long-distance travel. In other words. It messes with your mind. Symptoms include fatigue and general tiredness, inability to sleep at night, loss of concentration, loss of drive, headaches and general malaise. And who wants to experience general malaise (translation: feeling horrible) when you are trying to enjoy The Emerald Isle?

Apparently, it takes at least a day for your body to adjust to the new time zone, so I'm glad I added an extra day to our vacation to give us time to recoup. But I also have read that the symptoms can last up to 2-3 days. So what else can we do to help with this transition?

1. If you are traveling at night (check), try to sleep on the plane. I bought the ubiquitous travel pillow and blankets for us, as well as eye shades. I will let you know if we are able to sleep with the addition of these accouterments.

2. Set your watch for the local time where you will be traveling and begin getting psychologically into that time zone.

3. Serious re hydration is necessary after hours in the dry air on a plane. No coffee, no alcohol, no caffeine - all are diuretics and will make you even more dehydrated. Drink a lot of water on the plane and when you land. I'm thinking an aisle seat is going to be beneficial with all the trips to the bathroom I'll have to make after drinking all the suggested water.

4. A meal high in carbohydrates is suggested before trying to go to sleep, so you can get a good rest and try to keep your body on schedule. The carbs will help you sleep. We are at the mercy of the airlines here since meals are provided on these long flights. One can only hope there will be plenty of bread. Or cake. Or cookies. Those are carbs, right?

5. Once you arrive, try not to take a nap. You will be tired and WANT a nap but if you can wait until normal bedtime, you will sleep better. Get a little exercise, such as a walk, to help you wake up. What about if I take a nap and DREAM about a walk? Does that count?

6. Now is the time for that caffeine you didn't drink on the plane. It will perk you up and keep you awake.

7. Natural light and bright artificial light will also help get your body back into the correct schedule and reset your natural clock.

Those are the tips which are repeated on most of the web sites I checked but I would love any other specific suggestions you have which have worked for you in the past. I'm going to try to do some live blogging from Ireland next week, but it all depends on the state of our Internet connections and how much time I have to write. I will be more likely to post short updates on The Travel Authority's Facebook page, so you can check there as well.

And if you decide that Ireland is the perfect vacation spot for you as well? Just check online with The Travel Authority or call 1.888.501.7010 for more information and to find an office located nearby. And make sure you mention that you found this information on The Travel Authority Blog.

Safe travel! (slán abhaile!)