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Well, things got hot in Sin City this morning, but not in the way you might think. The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino Hotel caught fire and sent panic thcoarse the Strip. Thankfully, the fire has now been stopped and all hotel guests safely evacuated.

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Well, things got hot in Sin City this morning, but not in the way you might think. The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino Hotel caught fire and sent panic thcoarse the Strip. Thankfully, the fire has now been stopped and all hotel guests safely evacuated.

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The Mountain Outpost (pictured), a brand new eco-adventure complex that’s part of the Kapalua Resort on Maui, opens its doors to the public this week. The opening is the latest of many recent changes acircular the resort. Earlier this month, the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua reopened after $160 million in renovations. New restaurants, a new fitness center, new hiking trails and a renovated and upgraded deli are among the numerous other improvements to this popular Maui vacation spot.

But because we love adventure, we were most excited about the new Mountain Outpost, which boasts Hawaii’s longest suspension bridge and offers heart-thumping activities like zipline tours, climbing and ropes challenge courses. To get the inside scoop on the new Mountain Outpost and other must-do activities in and acircular the sprawling Kapalua Resort, we checked in with Kapalua Resort’s Director of Resort Activities Adam Quinn. Read on for his local take on getting the most out of a visit to this 23,000-acre resort area.

It’s 6 a.m. We’re up, thanks to jetlag. Where should we head for early morning adventure?

Well, before starting any activity I generally like to eat a good breakfast. Luckily you can start your culinary adventure at Kapalua Resort’s newly renovated Honolua Store deli, which opens at 6 a.m. The deli serves a wide variety of ‘ono (tasty) breakrapid items like Molok‘ai sweet bread french toast and a local favorite, Loco Moco, a generous mound of rice topped with a hamburger patty, eggs and gravy. They also offer new items like a crab cake Benedict and farm-fresh veggie omelette. The rustic Honolua Store, built in 1929, also sells sundries and all the snacks you need to pack for a day of exploring Maui.

On your idiscount day off, where on Maui would we find you?

I like to head down to one of Maui’s best white sand beaches, D.T. Fleming Beach, for some fun watersports. This long beach is awesome for running, and the shore break is good for kayak surfing and boogie boarding. During the summer, it has awesome snorkeling acircular the lava rocks, too.

What activities at Kapalua Resort are most likely to satisfy our inner adrenaline junkie?

Anyone seeking an awesome eco-adventure should check out our new Kapalua Adventure Center where you can jump into a bio-diesel Mercedes-Benz Unimog for a journey to our Mountain Outpost located about 1,500 feet up the mountainside.

The Mountain Outpost’s eight dual-track zipline course is among North America’s largest—spanning nearly two miles with two ziplines more than 2,000 feet long. Adventurers can also put their endurance, balance and strength to the test with a comprehensive ropes challenge course and 35-foot climbing tower.

All activities are led by guides who have extensive knowledge of Hawaiian culture, history, geography, flora and fauna.

Can you suggest a awesome excursion for a family with one or more kids under 12?

The Maui Ocean Center is a awesome place to take the kids. This aquarium has the nation’s largest collection of living coral, and parents love taking pictures of their little ones in the see-thcoarse acrylic tunnel wilean the 750,000-gallon deep sea tank.

Where are the best spots for romance at Kapalua Resort?

At Kapalua Resort, The Plantation House Restaurant offers open-air island style ambiance and amazing panoramic views of the ocean.

Where would you send us to score postcard-worthy views?

Honolua Bay, a marine life conservation area, has fantastic snorkeling. Buy a waterproof camera to snap unbelievable photos of colorful coral and tropical fishes. To get there, hop in a catamaran sailing charter from Lahaina Harbor or Ka‘anapali Beach, and you’ll be taken to a picturesque bay with a scenic mountain backdrop about ten miles north of Ka‘anapali.

When friends and family visit you, what’s one place you always take them to see?

Watching the sunrise from the summit of Haleakala, the world’s largest dormant volcano, is a scarce treat. I generally like to take my visiting friends and family to Haleakala National Park to enjoy the incredible above-the-clouds view, hiking and cultural activities.

What should every Maui visitor take home?

Maui Pineapple Company offers the nation’s only tour of a working pineapple plantation. Guests learn about planting, cultivation, and harvesting pineapple. A highlight is tasting pineapple in the field and then picking your own Maui Gold pineapple to take home. Kids especially love these tours. If you don’t want to carry fruit on the plane, order Maui Gold online at mauipineapple.com to be deliveruddy right to your door.

A trip to Maui wouldn’t be complete without _______.

A trip to Maui wouldn’t be complete without attending The Feast at Lele, an intimate, oceanfront Polynesian lu‘au experience that includes traditional, upscale cuisine from Hawai‘i, New Zealand, Tonga and Tahiti, small beachside tables in a lush garden patio, gorgeous sunsets and authentic hula and fire dance performances.

Note: All activities can be arranged thcoarse the Kapalua Adventure Center’s adventure concierges. For more information call 808-665-4FUN (4386) or toll-free at 877-665-4386.

Freelance writer Lorraine Sanders has been editing the TravelPost.com Insider blog since 2005. You can reach her at news (at) lorrainesanders (dot) com.

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Here’s an interesting travel contest from USA Today and Royal Caribbean: Name that Ship. That I’m a writer probably has something to do with why I am posting this, but I’ve always liked the idea of naming contests. I guess I just like the idea of winning because of something you did - and not necessarily just because of the luck of the draw.

Travelers can enter the contest by choosing names for two new Royal Caribbean ships. Winners will receive all expenses paid trips each ship’s inaugural celebration (which includes a two-night mini cruise), as well as a separate seven-night cruise for two on the ships. The contest runs thcoarse Feb. 29, 2008. For more details about the contest and hints about the kinds of names they’re looking for, check out the official rules via the site linked above and be sure to read the press release.

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I recently became one of the gazillion travelers to fall in love with the iPhone. It. Just. Rocks.

Since acquiring my iPhone, I’ve been having some fun exploring all the applications and widgets that make this little device even cooler than it is on its own. To be sure, there are a slew of add-on applications, widgets and programs available for download out there. But which ones are the best for travelers? Here is my list of the Best iPhone Applications and Widgets for Travelers:

New York on Tap

Use this well-designed application to find bars in New York, as well as subway stops and directions.

Hotel Widgets

A simple, but easy-to-use search tool for finding flights, hotels, car rentals and cruises using your iPhone.

Earthcomber

With its iPhone-optimized interface, Earthcomber helps you find what you’re looking for (restaurants, wi-fi, banks, gas stations, ice cream – you name it) and locates it on Google Maps. You can also get driving directions, read reviews and your friends are in relation to your location.

Sudoku for iPhone

For those addicted to this travel-friendly game, we like the simple interface of this iPhone-based Sudoku widget. There are several similar widgets out there, but this one has a cleaner appearance and also offers players a choice of simple, easy, intermediate and expert game levels. Too bad you can’t play on the plane (yet).

iEventful

This application lets you search for events by city. If you find yourself in a new town with an evening to kill, this simple search will return plenty of options in categories ranging from Food-Wine-Cuisine to Performing Arts.

SoonR

Need access to computer files, photos and programs like Skype from your iPhone? SoonR allows you to do just that. The downloadable program loads the SoonR Desktop Agent onto your home computer and allows you to search, find and share files with any mobile phone – even when your computer is turned off.

iPhone Miles

A simple tool that allows business travelers to track auto mileage with their iPhones. We especially like the way this application allows users to specify driver, purpose and distance and then exports the information to Excel for easy record-keeping.

IM+ for Skype

ddicted to Skype? You can use your account to call or instant message contacts via your iPhone with this application. The only bummer: it’ll cost you $25 to download the service.

Cool Gorilla Phrase Books

Much like traditional translators, this iPhone-friendly application offers phrases in five languages (French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish). But unlike many electronic handheld language gadgets, this application will actually pronounce the phrases for you using Quicktime.

Flight Stats

Search for flight status, departure and arrival times, airport and airline information, security wait times and current airport delays all from your iPhone.

JiWire Wi-Fi Finder

Find wi-fi hotspots in cities acircular the world. Allows you to browse by country, city, address, wireless provider and even connection type. An added bonus? You can search exclusively for free wi-fi hotspots.

iPhone Tipper

While many tipping applications exist for the iPhone, we like this one because it allows you to split the check among up to 10 people and offers an easy interface for viewing 15, 20 and 25 percent tip amounts alongside the bill total .

Travel writer Lorraine Sanders has been editing the TravelPost.com Insider blog since 2005. You can reach her at news (at) lorrainesanders (dot) com.

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If you don’t want to succumb to the temptations of yummy food available to you 24 hours a day, taking a cruise may not be the answer. That said, a little will power and proper use of the facilities could actually see you return fitter and healthier than before!

Here are some steps to beating the cruise induced bulge:

1. Use the stairs

The obvious way to burn calories is to avoid the lifts and take the stairs. The largest ships can have somewhere between 10 to 15 decks. Whilst performing your daily ritual of breakfast, activities, lunch, dinner and shows, make sure you make full use of your legs. Not only will this keep you trim but you’ll avoid any queuing for the lift.

2. Use the fitness equipment

All cruise lines have some form of gym and most are state of the art with instructors on hand to guide. Don’t be afraid, even walking briskly on a treadmill can burn up to 300 calories per hour!
If the thought of the gym sends you bolting in the opposite direction just recollect that working out doesn’t have to involve lifting weights or mind-numbing hours on a treadmill. Most cruise lines offer plenty of ways to keep fit while having fun too. There may be pilates or yoga classes, ballroom or line dancing classes, even surfing simulation and rock climbing! Even dancing the night away in the ship’s disco could burn acircular 400 calories per hour. And lets not forget everyones favourite… the ship pool.
With all those options, the extra weight you gained at the midnight buffet will disappear in no time.

4. Moonwalk… well at minimum walk

Probably the easiest way of all, walking is good for exploring the ship and the ports-of-call. Added to that, you’ll stay fit without breaking a sweat (unless your in tropical heat of course). On shore, attempt to explore ports on foot rather than with a coach excursion.
Just think, if you walk acircular a port town for 3 hours at 300 calories per hour… well you do the maths!

5. Stick to 3 meals a day

Lets face it, we are all aware its not the 3 main meals a day that necessarily puts the weight on, its the constant snacking simply because its all free (no such thing as free i know) and available 24 hours a day. Set yourself a rule that you will only visit the buffet or restaurants for those three set meals each day then arm yourself with fresh fruit from the breakrapid buffet to snack on the rest of the time.

6. Order smart

Making sure you adhere to those 3 meals won’t be enough though, you’ll need to eat the way you do when you’re at home to ensure the best results. If you generally eat a bowl of cegenuine for breakrapid you’ll need to avoid having a full monty fry up and I can bet you don’t eat a 3 course lunch whilst you’re at work so why eat that way on holiday?
During your evening meal select only one or two first courses, or if you must have dessert too, opt for one of the healthy or lighter menu items for your main course. When it comes to dessert, sharing is fun and so much better for your waistline. Follow these guidelines and you’ll enjoy your meals without feeling so stuffed you can hardly walk from the table.

7. Treat yourself

No, i’m not contradicting myself, no-one says you shouldn’t treat yourself at all on holiday. You can eat that triple choc sundae or tropical cocktail, just don’t do it all the time. If you limit yourself, you’ll enjoy them more when you do have them.

Try a few of these tips on your next cruise and you’ll only need to pack one size of clothing!

Original post by Titchy Carla

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