The Travel Agent - Houston, Texas

When considering your next vacation spot, which destinations come to mind? The all time favorites such as Hollywood, Hawaii, New York?

Well, you won't be surprised to learn that these are the same vacation spots that most people think of when they plan their trips. And have you ever remarked that when you arrive at your vacation destination, it's too crowded to really enjoy yourself because everyone else is on vacation there too? Next time you've got a hankering for travel, trying thinking outside of the box. There are hundreds of places that people never consider when thinking "vacation." If you look just a little harder, you'll find many hidden treasures in America alone. One such place is Houston, Texas. True, not many people who've never traveled there will associate Houston with "great vacation spot," but you will soon learn that it's just as good as (if not better than!) your typical vacation "hot spots."

Houston is one of the most multicultural cities in the United States. So it is no surprise that Houston takes every opportunity to display the very diverse cultures of its inhabitants. The city plays host to many festivals throughout the year. Some festivals represent the unique cultures that you will find in the city, such as the Greek festival, and others celebrate the variety of lifestyles, as with the annual night-time Houston Pride Parade. Houston also has several festivals that are unique to this great city. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the city's largest and longest running festival. This wild event is not to be missed: the festival features bull riding, livestock judging, and trail rides, among many other events. If you like cowboys, you are in for a treat! And every year the best in music make their appearance on stage at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In fact, the Houston Rodeo was the venue of one of the most famous concerts Houston has ever seen: Selena's concert in the Astrodome. Houston also offers several funky festivals such as their Art Car Parade. No matter what time of year you are intending to visit, you should have no trouble coordinating your trip to correspond with one of these great festivals.

Only five minutes out of downtown Houston you will find the bustling center of Houston's gay community: the diverse and thriving city of Montrose. Montrose abounds with trendy clothing shops, enticing restaurants, romantic B&Bs, and an energetic nightlife. And no trip to Houston is complete without an exploration of the city itself! Take care to plan your itinerary in advance of exploring Texas' largest city, as there are simply so many sights to see. From museums and operas to dazzling restaurants--offering both casual and gourmet diningHouston truly is an overlooked jewel in the world of vacation destinations. Houston also boasts many great shopping opportunities--from designer boutiques to flea markets that offer enticements to every shopper. And don't forget to take full advantage of the exciting nightlife that the city has to offer with its many happening bars and clubs.

During your stay in Houston, you'll have no trouble locating hot nightlife: Main Street itself offers enough venues to keep you busy for a month. Or head to the Theater District for a variety of restaurants and attractions.

Houston boasts a hot gay scene including a Texas Gay Rodeo, and Pride parades and festivals throughout the year. The hub of gay life in Houston is the Montrose district, a district bursting with cafes, boutiques, and specialty stores. And, come nightfall, whether it's country line dancing or rave--or anything in between!--that floats your boat, you'll find it all in Montrose.

Houston is a great place to visit all year round. Next time you're planning a vacation, be creative and look for those out of the way vacation spots. Choosing a vacation down the road less traveled ensures that your vacation won't be ruined by other tourists cramping your style. Plus, in the absence of all those other vacationers, you won't have to feel like a tourist. Take the advice of your very own secret destination travel guide and get lost in Houston!

Before you make your reservations for Houston, visit WorldwideGayTravel.com, your headquarters for all travelers, particularly specializing in gay travel.

Travel enthusiasts might think about some of these common gay travel spots:

* Paris
* Ft. Lauderdale
* Puerto Rico
* San Francisco
* Chicago
* Hawaii
* Prague
* London
* New Orleans

Greg Scott writes for WorldwideGayTravel.com, where you can arrange for hotels, flights, rental cars and all of your travel needs for your gay Houston travel and travel for all travelers.

Wine Types Explained

One of the most popular and important beverages in the world is wine. It has an important role in ceremonies, rituals, events and celebrations.

Worldwide culture, society, geographical conditions and other unique factors allowed countries to make their own kinds of wine. As a result, a lot of wine varieties have emerged from all over the world. However, all these wines are classified into a handful of styles.

One of the most common styles of wine is white wine. This is basically fermented grape juice, the main component of wine. The liquid is not white but clear in appearance. The flavors, textures and aromas of white wine will depend upon the appellation, the type of grapes, the vintage and the wine making styles of the winemaker.

Another common wine style is red wine. Just like white whine, red wine is made out of fermented grape juice. However, the presence of grape skin makes the wine red in color. This is done through a process called maceration. In this process, the skin is left in contact with the grape juice during fermentation.

Another example of wine style is blush wine, commonly known as rose wine. Blush wine is produced by removing the skins of the grapes halfway through fermentation. It can also be done by blending red wines and white wines. Finally, blush wines can be produced by concentrating the liquid that is removed during the fermentation process.

Table wine is another wine style. It is a type of wine that is served during meals. Depending on their color, table wines are classified as white, red or rose. The alcohol content in table wines is very low, no higher than 14% in the US. In Europe, table wine is considered as a light wine and considered cheap. In fact, a table wines label does not include information about what grape variety was used or in what region was it produced.

Another wine style is sparkling wine. Sparkling wines, most notably champagnes, have carbon dioxide that is produced naturally from fermentation or force injected. This results in a fizzy, bubbly drink. Sparkling wines are fermented twice, first in an open container to allow carbon dioxide to escape into the air. Then it is fermented a second time in a sealed container so that the gas remains in the wine.

Dessert wines are another wine style. These kinds of wines are sweet and can are usually drunk after meals in place of desserts. These wines contain between 50 to 400 grams of sugar per liter of wine.

Lastly, fortified wines are sweeter and more alcoholic than other wines. Their fermentation process is halted with the addition of a spirit, such as a brandy. Or the additional spirit may be added after fermentation.

Milos Pesic is and internationally recognized expert on wine, wine making and wine tasting. He runs a highly popular and comprehensive Red Wine and White Wine web site. For more articles and resources on wine making and tasting, wine recipes, wine reviews, vintage wine and much more visit his site at:

=>http://wine.need-to-know.net/

Tired of Vet Bills?

Do you make a lot of trips to the vet's office? Do you spend your hard-earned money on vet bills because your dog suffers from chronic ailments? Give your dog or cat the nutrition he needs, and chances are you can spend your money on other things rather than giving it to your veterinarian.

Nutritional deficiencies are often the cause of chronic ailments in pets. Most holistic vets believe that improving a pet's diet will boost health and vitality and often restore chronically ill dogs to health.

Pets need to eat a variety of fresh, whole foods. A balanced, raw, home-made diet provides the nutrients pets need to heal from the inside out.

If you don't have time to feed a home-made diet, buy the best commercial pet food you can find, one made with human-grade ingredients and without chemical preservatives, byproducts, and fillers. (These foods may be difficult to find in grocery stores and pet stores, but are easy to find and purchase on web sites.) Then improve on it. Fresh juice and raw liver are two of the healthiest foods you can add to your pet's diet:

**Fresh Juice (for dogs only):

Use a juicer if you have one. Most dogs love carrot juice, and it contains zinc, vitamin E, beta carotene, copper, and other ingredients that strengthen the immune system. It's best to use organic carrots, and you can add celery, parsley, or apple. Feed directly or mix with your dog's food. Try to feed 1/2 cup juice per 25-30 pounds of weight each day.

**Raw Liver (for both dogs and cats):

Some vets consider liver a miracle food because of its ability to save lives and improve health. Raw beef and chicken liver are rich in amino acids, protein, phosphorous, potassium, copper, and Vitamin A & B-complex.

Feed liver only from organically raised cattle and poultry because the liver stores toxins. You can add raw liver to the fresh juice you make or add it to your dog's food. To help sick pets, feed small amounts of organic calf or chicken liver once or twice per day (one teaspoon per 10 to 20 pounds of body weight).

If your dog has multiple health problems, supplements can also help:

**Digestive Enzymes such as pancreatin and bromelain help to replace enzymes destroyed by heat. Give enzyme supplements between meals.

**Probiotics and Prebiotics contain bacteria that help with digestion and fight infection. They replace bacteria destroyed by an inadequate diet or antibiotics.

**Colostrum and Lactoferrin enhance immune function.

**Vitamins and Minerals are especially helpful when pets have multiple infections. Choose a vitamin/mineral supplement made from whole-food sources. Pets can easily assimilate these.

**Amino Acids are the building blocks of proteins, and proteins are needed to construct every cell in the body.

**Garlic fights infection, helps prevent cancer, expels tapeworms, prevents blood clotting, and makes pets less attractive to parasites such as fleas.

If you provide your pet with the nutrients he needs, you should see a much healthier and happier pet. And maybe that money that used to be spent on vet bills can now go towards a new car, home improvements, a vacation, or even a savings account!

Deena Caruso, author, teacher, & distributor of natural pet products Helps pet owners create healthy, happy pets. To receive FREE "Pet Pointers" Newsletter, go to: http://www.healthyfoodforpets.com deecaruso@cox.net Ph: 760/758-7963, 877/877-0665

How Do You Swim Straight in the Open Water?

Swimming straight is a major challenge to open water swimming (and even swimming in a pool with lane lines!), and the key lies in one of our other fun challenges in swimming: breathing!

Here's a quick guide to swimming straight:

1. Simply doing alternate (or bi-lateral) breathing would go a long way towards making you swim in a straight. If you are comfortable with this, breathe every 3 strokes and you will be much more in line with where you want to go.

2. If you cannot get enough oxygen while breathing bilaterally, this can be a big problem on a distance swim. Practice swimming and breathing 2 strokes on the left, 2 on the right, then go to 3 breaths left, 3 right. Then try 2 on the left, 1 on the right, 3-1, etc. Find what works for in keeping you in line and stick with that plan in your race.

3. Practice sighting less often, as this will disrupt your stroke rhythm and balance. If you tend to sight every 4 strokes, lower this to 6, then 8. See if you can get to 12 strokes head down and one peak up. You can do some of this in a pool but getting in the lake or ocean will be essential before you race!

4. Keep your strokes long and extend that arm out in front on each stroke and drive it forward.

5. Practice the One Arm Drill (in the Complete Guide), and pay attention to your arm pull, making sure you are not crossing in with your hand.

6. Practice open water swimming. Just being used to the environment will get you more comfortable, and you will intuitively pick up on swimming straight out there.

Notice the use of the word practice consistently throughout these tips. Keep that in mind as you learn this new skill!

Kevin operates the website http://www.TriSwimCoach.com , a resource for beginning through intermediate level triathletes looking for help with swimming. The site features a free email newsletter offering tips and articles on triathlon swimming. Kevin has also written an electronic book titled The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming which is sold on his website in downloadable form.