Clifton's cafeteria and bars are a great destination in LA. Go for casual dining or hang out in the amazing lounge areas. The restored historic building is a delightful surprise in the downtown area.

If you are considering taking the whole family to Maui, you should know about Blue Soul Maui Tours. They can help you plan the perfect vacation for all ages and interests. You cannot have a better experience than when Charlie Fleck plans your family’s ideal trip to Maui. This is Maui simplified by Blue Soul Tours. The best way to see Maui: contact Charlie today for a personalized vacation you will remember forever.

To start planning your perfect Maui trip, contact Blue Soul Maui Tours at http://bluesoulmaui.com/ or Charlie can be reached at phone number 808.269.1038 or by email at charlie.bluesoulmaui@gmail.com.

Highly recommended in Las Vegas.http://www.presidentiallimolv.com/

As another year comes to a close today, I am making my recommendations for the best destinations of the year. Below are five of my favorite destinations that I visited in 2012. 

My Top 5 Destinations for 2012: 

1.   Savannah, Georgia
2.   New York City, New York
3.   Las Vegas, Nevada
4.   Carefree, Arizona
5.   Monument Valley

Please read about each of these destinations here at The Ideal Trip. 

I hope your year has been filled with wonderful travels and that 2013 will bring more happy adventures!!

Brutally honest blogs from a brutally honest reviewer. 

Visiting Sedona:  Sedona is an excellent place to visit for all ages and activity levels.  Sedona provides many activities for hiking, biking, off-roading, atvs, quads, jeeps, horseback riding, plane and helicopter touring, water features, shopping, dining and great sites to see. Sedona is not an old city. It was founded in 1902. There are also great activities in the surrounding area.  Flagstaff,  Jerome, and many historic attractions. If you are a local, or have never been here before, you will find lots to do. I have been here many times, lived here for a bit of time, and I am certain you will enjoy your visit.

Here is a great resource you need to know about! If you are planning a trip to New York City or you live in the NYC area, join the Theater Development Fund (TDF) for discounted tickets to hundreds of Broadway shows, Off-Broadway shows, music performances, and dance productions. Bargains of up to 70% off full-price tickets to hundreds of live productions are available each year. Tickets are available to Off-Off Broadway shows for as little as $9 each. Membership is $30 annually, but only one person of your group must be a member to purchase tickets (up to 9 tickets per performance). I joined TDF and used their simple website to book all my live theater prior to a trip to NYC.  This is one resource both theater-lovers and bargain-travelers will want to use. 

To qualify for TDF membership, you must belong to one of the following groups:
• Full-time Students (high school or above)
• Full-time Teachers (primary or junior high school faculty, high school faculty, university or college faculty, teacher of drama/dance/music)
• Recent Graduates (26 years of age and under)
• Full-time Union Members
• Retirees (no longer working and at least 62 years of age or older)
• Full-time Civil Service Employees
• Full-time Staff Members of Not-for-Profit Organizations
• Full-time Non-Exempt Employees
• Full-time Performing Arts Professionals
• Members of the Armed Forces
• Full-time Clergy

For more information on discounted live performances available throughout the New York area and TDF membership, visit http://www.tdf.org/.

For additional cost-savers, see the article on free tours in New York City at http://www.theidealtrip.com/new-york-city.html.

My travel philosophy is based on traveling like a millionaire on a starving student budget. As a result, I am always looking for the best experiences available at a destination at the best price.  Undoubtedly, the best price of all is: FREE. Knowing this, I often seek out freebie tours available to visitors wherever I travel. Fortunately, there are several exceptional experiences available for free in NYC. There are free tours of Central Park, Grand Central Station, Times Square, the New York Public Library, the High Line, and many neighborhoods in the five boroughs that make up New York City. Traveling in the Big City can be expensive, so save a few dollars wherever you can. Save your money and still experience the best the city has to offer. Get the most “bang for your buck”, wherever you travel. These tours give you the entire bang for absolutely no bucks. Now that’s truly the ideal trip for anyone.

To learn more about these free tours, see the full article at http://www.theidealtrip.com/new-york-city.html.

Do you know secrets to traveling on the cheap? Do you know of more freebies available in NYC? Share your insights by commenting on this post or emailing me at theidealtrip@gmail.com. 

The Statue of Liberty is an iconic symbol of New York City, a true must-see sight, and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. We have set aside a full day during our one-week visit, just for those very reasons, to take the ferry over for a tour including neighboring Ellis Island, a part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. To learn more about both the World Heritage List and the Statue of Liberty, see the UNESCO website.

Ferry tickets to visit the monument can be purchased from Statue Cruises, the official provider of tickets and tours to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We purchased our ferry/admission tickets for the trip in advance online and are looking forward to a great day in New York Harbor. For more information and tickets, visit the Statue Cruises website. 

If you have recently visited the Statue of Liberty or have a story to share about Lady Liberty, please comment below or email me at theidealtrip@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you!