Travel statistics say that baby boomers travel more than any other age group in America—and that an ever increasing number of them are looking for ways to spend their leisure time in substantial, meaningful ways. One especially fast-growing area of interest is the "experience-driven" or "wellness" vacation, a proactive approach based on the idea that true recreation involves positive engagement: acquiring a new skill or volunteering to share your own expertise; exercising your intellect or extending yourself in some creative, physical, or spiritual way. In response to such aspirations, this timely book showcases a broad range of the most life-enriching getaways in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with something for every taste and every interest. Here are programs dedicated to kayaking lessons, mountain biking, yoga instruction, and more. Perhaps you'd prefer to spend an arts and crafts holiday focused on a creative activity like cooking, painting, or woodworking. Imagine studying French in a Maine village, learning about nutrition at a historic North Carolina spa, or helping rebuild the devastated communities of the Gulf Coast. Weave a Navajo rug; make a film in New York; learn to surf in Mexico; or choose any of scores of other possibilities. Elegantly designed and packed with attractive and fun descriptions, detailed travel information, lists of unique activities, and special sidebars, this unusual resource tells you all you need to know to ensure that your next vacation won't just be time off—it will be time well spent.

A Block-by-Block Guide For kids tired of Mickey but still too timid to try Universal's coasters, the ever-growing Legoland Florida offers a multi-day getaway within driving distance of Disney. And this is your instruction manual. Theme park veteran Amy Bashor assembles the many lands and attractions of Legoland Florida into a comprehensive and comprehensible guide for those "day tripping" from Disney or for those who plan to spend their entire vacation at the park. Bashor also shows you how to get your bricks wet at Legoland Water Park, why you should consider a "glamping" trip at nearby Cypress Campground, and what the future holds for Legoland (pirates, matey ). Make your Legoland Florida visit a snap

Summer days are here again! Here are over forty sidesplitting poems about summer vacation, covering everything from the much-anticipated last day of school to family road trips, wacky days at summer camp, learning how to swim, dizzying roller coaster rides, fun-filled days at the beach, and finally, the dreaded first day of the new school year. These hilarious poems written by Bruce Lansky, Kenn Nesbitt, Robert Pottle, Eric Ode, and Neal Levin, and the rest of the all-star gang of Giggle Poets are sure to make you count the days until summer vacation begins!

Based on the bestselling series from The Great Courses, Building Great Sentences celebrates the sheer joy of language—and will forever change the way you read and write. Great writing begins with the sentence. Whether it’s two words (“Jesus wept.”) or William Faulkner’s 1,287-word sentence in Absalom! Absalom!, sentences have the power to captivate, entertain, motivate, educate, and, most importantly, delight. Yet, the sentence-oriented approach to writing is too often overlooked in favor of bland economy. Building Great Sentences teaches you to write better sentences by luxuriating in the pleasures of language. Award-winning Professor Brooks Landon draws on examples from masters of long, elegant sentences—including Don DeLillo, Virginia Woolf, Joan Didion, and Samuel Johnson—to reveal the mechanics of how language works on thoughts and emotions, providing the tools to write powerful, more effective sentences.

A Little Piece Of Ground will help young readers understand more about one of the worst conflicts afflicting our world today. Written by Elizabeth Laird, one of Great Britain’s best-known young adult authors, A Little Piece Of Ground explores the human cost of the occupation of Palestinian lands through the eyes of a young boy. Twelve-year-old Karim Aboudi and his family are trapped in their Ramallah home by a strict curfew. In response to a Palestinian suicide bombing, the Israeli military subjects the West Bank town to a virtual siege. Meanwhile, Karim, trapped at home with his teenage brother and fearful parents, longs to play football with his friends. When the curfew ends, he and his friend discover an unused patch of ground that’s the perfect site for a football pitch. Nearby, an old car hidden intact under bulldozed building makes a brilliant den. But in this city there’s constant danger, even for schoolboys. And when Israeli soldiers find Karim outside during the next curfew, it seems impossible that he will survive. This powerful book fills a substantial gap in existing young adult literature on the Middle East. With 23,000 copies already sold in the United Kingdom and Canada, this book is sure to find a wide audience among young adult readers in the United States.

The Build reveals the "behind the scenes" story of the popular TV reality series American Chopper for the show's millions of fans. Author Paul Teutul, Jr., is arguably the most creative builder of custom "chopper" motorcycles in the world. His talents were revealed to millions of TV viewers worldwide on American Chopper, as well as later on a spinoff series, American Chopper Senior vs Junior. The Build gives the reader at Paul Jr.'s life behind the camera, which included volcanic conflict with his father and business mentor, Paul Sr. Using his own story of improbable success as an illustration, Paul Jr. offers insights on how anyone can find and activate often hidden talents. In a charming, often humorous way, The Build is a rallying cry to unleash God-designed creativity and live life to the fullest.

Building Great Relationships - All About Emotional Intelligence

"I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to." And, as soon as Bill Bryson was old enough, he left. Des Moines couldn't hold him, but it did lure him back. After ten years in England he returned to the land of his youth, and drove almost 14,000 miles in search of a mythical small town called Amalgam, the kind of smiling village where the movies from his youth were set. Instead he drove through a series of horrific burgs, which he renamed Smellville, Fartville, Coleslaw, Coma, and Doldrum. At best his search led him to Anywhere, USA, a lookalike strip of gas stations, motels and hamburger outlets populated by obese and slow-witted hicks with a partiality for synthetic fibres. He discovered a continent that was doubly lost: lost to itself because he found it blighted by greed, pollution, mobile homes and television; lost to him because he had become a foreigner in his own country.

The world is filled with educational possibilities — use it! This valuable resource explores every aspect of field trips, including their foundation in caring and curiosity, how leaders can establish and achieve sound learning goals, and how to avoid the headaches that too often accompany dozens of children and chaperones unleashed in a new environment. Properly organized, a field trip can provide students with opportunities to develop lifelong learning skills, increase personal responsibility, work cooperatively with others, and expand their worldviews. And field trips need not be full-day affairs to be valuable—even a short “trip” can provide a much richer learning experience than can be found though standard in-class instruction and serve as a welcome break from the weekday routine. A Guide to Great Field Trips outlines more than 200 ideas for valuable trips within the school, around the building and playground, and through the local neighborhood. It even offers ideas for virtual field trips on the Web. Readers can find tips on handling dozens of logistical issues related to field trips, including safety, transportation, permissions, fundraisers, grants, chaperones, meals, and more.

Offers advice on out of the ordinary vacation opportunities, from the Texas state fair to "unknown" national parks, with profiles of inspirational travelers and sidebars about off-season travel.