Florida Timeshare

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

For everyone one who appreciates the traditional Yule stories of Father Christmas, you will be as fascinated to learn about tourism to the Arctic Circle and about the new Elf Academy in Rovaniemi, Finland, as I was.

I don’t pretend to know the verifiable details about the life of Santa Claus, St. Nickolas, Father Christmas, or Sinterklaas. I just accept that as long as I stay on the “Nice” list, there will be presents with my name on them under the Christmas tree and no lumps of coal in my stocking.

And while the exact location where Santa got his start, and the precise address where he resides today, are a little vague, the people of Lapland know that nowhere in the world is any closer to his home than the ice and snow of the Arctic Circle.

Officially, Lapland includes the northern parts of eastern Russia, as well as northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway, and there is Christmas-themed tourism in each of these countries. But it is Finland that attracts over a half million tourists each year, (a number that is steadily growing) who come solely for the purpose of getting a little closer to the magic of Christmas.

So what should one expect of a vacation to a place where the average temperature is 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and snow is rarely less than three feet deep? Apparently, the adventure begins with the elves.

Arrive in Kittilä on one of the flights that lands roughly every ten minutes from Britain or Ireland and you can expect to be greeted at the airport by elves dressed appropriately in red and green. Snowmobiles are the preferred form of travel as you make your way about the Christmas shops and the Christmas pageants. But activities include everything from skiing, to learning to drive huskies, reindeer safaris, hunting (hopefully not the reindeer), and cruising on icebreakers. Expect to dine on more figgy pudding and gingerbread than you ever imagined, as well as local Swedish specialties. And everywhere you go, expect to find elves.

The people of Lapland realize that tourism is critical to their economy. Training a new generation of elves in customer service is one of the best investments the region can make in itself. In Rovaniemi alone, over 500 people are employed as professional elves, certified by the Lapland Vocational College which runs the elf academy. Elf tasks include meet and greets, providing transportation, directing lost tourists, wrapping packages, answering Santa’s mail, and generally providing the “can do” answer to any need a tourist might have. Think of them as a concierge in a snowmobile, who happens to be trained in Arctic survival skills and reindeer herding.

A seasonal trip to the land of Christmas sounds like a way to create amazing memories. Taking your children or grandchildren to see the Northern Lights play across the winter sky seems far more memorable than the usual trip to see Santa at the mall. And for the times that Lapland doesn’t quite fit your vacation agenda, think about holiday themed fun right here in the US, when you vacation at a timeshare resort near Santa Claus, Indiana; Christmas, Florida (near Orlando); or North Pole, New York.

The planned construction of a 269-room Ritz–Carlton Tampa Bay and The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton Tampa Bay will give Florida its tenth Ritz-Carlton resort.

Orion Communities Inc. and RL Pearson & Associates, Inc. have committed to build the two new Ritz-Carlton properties, which will be in the Rocky Point area, near the Tampa International Airport. The condo component of the hotel will feature 44 condo units on the hotel’s top seven floors and, in an adjacent 19-story tower, there will be 132 private condos. Condo units will average 2800 square feet and residents will have access to the services of the hotel, but will have a pool, game area and other social areas that are not available for use by hotel guests.

While the Residences at the Ritz-Carlton are private, luxury residential condominiums, the Ritz-Carlton Club is fractional ownership (timeshare condos). Currently there are Ritz-Carlton Clubs in Aspen and Bachelor Gulch, Colorado; Jupiter, Florida; and St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Future Ritz-Carlton Club timeshare condos include Miami, San Francisco, and Rose Island, Bahamas.

Ritz-Carlton timeshare condo resales are available through Sell My Timeshare NOW at both Ritz Carlton Timeshare Bachelor Gulch, Colorado and at the Ritz-Carlton Club St. Thomas Timeshare in the Virgin Islands.

Hotelier César Ritz, established the famous Ritz Hotel in Paris and the Carlton in London. After his death in 1918, his wife continued the business, opening hotels in the Ritz-Carlton name. Irvin Berlin’s song, Puttin’ on the Ritz, was inspired by the elegance of the original Ritz Paris. Many people recorded the song over the years, but no version is better known than this one of Fred Astaire singing and tap dancing his way through, Puttin’ on the Ritz in this YouTube video.

This idea is fascinating, but it is not my usual blog about timeshare condos and vacation ownership. I guess you might say, it is about that last trip you may ever take…

The Neptune Society, is a privately owned cremation services company that has long been about helping people have dignified, affordable alternatives to the traditional funeral service. As a point of reference, The Neptune Society is a reputable company that has been in business since 1973 and is owned by BG Capital Group, a leading merchant banking firm. The company has 38 locations in 10 states and continues to expand. But it is their most recent expansion that really caught my attention.

The Neptune Memorial Reef, the company’s newest and most revolutionary concept, launched last month. Located off the coast of Miami, the memorial reef will be a manmade structure billed by the company as, “a design and engineering wonder”. The artificial reef is to be built 3.25 miles off the shore, in pristine, aqua blue waters, at depths of approximately 45 feet.

Maybe the best way to describe the project is as a combination underwater memorial gardens and ecological catalyst for the growth and convergence of many types of marine life. The Neptune Memorial Reef will consist of some 16 acres of sculptural and architectural elements designed of concrete and bronze, creating an underwater city and a potential final resting place for the remains of 125,000 people.

The project’s developers see Neptune Memorial Reef as a place that will for generations attract divers, ecologists, tourists, and of course, people looking for a unique and affordable final resting place that does not take up more real estate, but instead contributes to the marine life ecosystem. In a company news release, President and CEO Jerry Norman said, “The Neptune Memorial Reef is a first for the industry and a major step toward creating a new way for people to honor and remember their loved ones in a beautiful setting that reaffirms life and promotes marine habitat, coral growth and supports tourism. With the help of time and nature, this underwater memorial city will become a living reef of colorful marine life and coral growth that hold secure the remembrances of the dearly departed for all time.”

Internment in an underwater city is certainly something to think about. And until that time, there are plenty of other reasons to think about a relaxing trip to Miami that is not so permanent and could be extremely restful, even if you just stay on the beach.

Visit Sell My Timeshare NOW to learn more about opportunities for a timeshare vacation in Miami timeshare resales and rentals, including these beautiful resorts all located in Miami or Miami Beach:

• Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort Timeshare Resales
• Marriott’s Villas at Doral Timeshare Resales
• Crystal Beach Suites And Health Club Timeshare Resales

Orange Lake timeshares is generally known as a great place for a relaxing vacation with amenities to please the whole family, but I bet you never knew that they are also a swan’s best friend.

Orange Lake timeshare resort (in Orlando, Florida) employs a duo of resident naturalists, twin sisters, Shirley and Sheila Bolin. Sheila A. Bolin, MS, is the official swan keeper for Orange Lake Resort and Country Club in Orlando, Florida, while her twin, Shirley A. Bolin, AGS, is the head photographer there. Shirley’s photographs and stories have been published in Sports Illustrated, The Miami Herald, USA Today, and other prestigious publications.

The sisters not only help safeguard the wellbeing of the swans, but work to protect the ecosystems at all Orange Lake timeshare resort properties. Together with the Orange Lake timeshare Grounds Superintendent, Shawn Boschert, the dedicated sisters work as members of The Regal Swan ®, a scientific research team that has discovered how to correct a threatening bacteria discoloration in swans.

This past April, US Congressman Tom Feeney presented the Florida Governor’s Points of Light Award to The Regal Swan ® at Orange Lake Resort & Country Club. The researchers had pioneered the use of a specific cattle vaccine used to treat botulism and an equine West Nile Virus vaccine to be used on swans. They were recognized by the Governor for their important contribution to environmental education.

Obviously there is a lot more going at timeshare resorts than most of us ever realized.

To learn more about the opportunities in Orange Lake timeshare resales and rentals, visit Sell My Timeshare NOW.