For people living around Portland it might be quite hard to justify going on a ski holiday to France as there are plenty of great resorts in the area, and France is an awful long way away. Yet skiing is all about exploring, and going down the same runs all the time loses its appeal a bit. Checking out a new part of the world is definitely worth it if you are an avid skier, and it’s a great excuse to do some traveling.

The skiing in France differs quite considerably from what you will find in America. There is a bit more control, and resorts like Alpe d’Huez and Chamonix tend to have groomed terrain and less dedicated to off-piste. Off-piste slopes are also not patrolled so if you venture into that area you are truly on your own. This can be a negative for some extreme skiers, yet most will love the abundance of perfectly groomed piste.

The skiing in France is also incredibly varied. Many resorts, like Espace Killy, give you access to multiple mountains. With miles and miles of runs you can ski for days on end and never repeat the same runs; this is great for those who love to combine a little exploration with their skiing.

While the skiing may be different, there is one really big reason to take a ski holiday in France: it takes you to France! This is one of the most amazing countries in the world, and it has incredibly memorable food, scenery and culture. You can get a taste of this country while enjoying a fantastic skiing experience. Additionally, you can always take a day trip to towns close to the Alps like Lyon, or venture even further afield to see the Eifel Tower in Paris, the City of Lights.

At the end of the day, taking a ski holiday to France is a significant trek – yet with great skiing, food and the chance to see more of this amazing country it might well be worth it.

This guest post was provided by Lucas Macri who enjoys finding affordable ways to take extravagant vacations.

It's back! If you are looking for discount tickets to Cedar Point or Coupons for Cedar Point, I have found them.

I am an avid couponer and I make my way to Coupons.com often.  Just today I noticed that you can click and print a $7 off coupon to Cedar Point.

All you will need to do is install a coupon printer on your computer. This will do nothing to harm your computer. Trust me, my husband is an IT guy and he has even allowed me to put it on his so I can print more coupons.  I am not sure how many people can use the coupon.  Just know that if you need more you can print 2 coupons per computer.

Enjoy the ride!!

The Tigard Balloon Fest is already over, but don't worry with these lists you won't miss another Fair or Festival.

If you are looking for something to do this summer during your staycation or your trip to the great Pacific Northwest this list is for you.

Frugal Living Northwest has compiled a list of Portland Metro, SW Washington, Oregon Coast, Willamette Valley and Southern Oregon.

The lists include county and state fairs, beer festivals, Street fairs and so much more. Head over and check it out.

Thrifty NW Mom has all the festivals and fairs listed for the Puget Sound.  Don't miss the Lake Union Boat festival or the Renton River Days. She covers all 14 counties and their activities.

Happy Money Saver has the list of all the fairs and fests in Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon, including the Thunderegg days in Nyssa, OR.

There is way to much to list and they have links to everything everywhere. Your trips just became a little easier.

Turkey is one of those places I would love to visit. While living in Germany someone bought our van from us to take it to Turkey. That's the closest we ever came.

There is so much to see and do in Turkey and there are plenty of cheap holiday to Turkey. There are resorts in Istanbul, Antalya and Bordrum.

The off peak season for Turkey is April, May and October. During those months you will see less tourists, but you will still be able to enjoy good weather. The summer months of great weather last from April to September. There are 3 different coasts to choose from so having a sand and sea holiday is easy to do.

April and May are filled with many celebrations in Turkey. You can enjoy sporting events, craft exhibitions and even Turkish Children's Day, which is held on April 23rd. This is a great event if you have kids along for your holiday. On this day the Turkish children travel to the Grand National Assembly and they replace the Turkish government for one day. That's right, kids run the country for one day!

There is also a cartoonist festival, in which some of the greatest cartoonists compete against each other. If you are interested in different types of Turkish music you might want to attend the Ankara Film and Music Festival.

During the month of October there is a other list of things worth checking out, like the Ataturk Dam Watersports Festival. If you are interested in exploring more of Turkey's culture they you might want to attend the Alanya International Culture and Arts Festival.

With cheap Turkey holidays there is plenty to see and do during these 3 months. What are you waiting for?

photo courtesy of myhsu at flickr

You should never pay full price for an admission ticket. There are coupons and deals everywhere, you just need to know where to look.

Right now in specially marked boxes of Post Raisin Bran you can get a FREE kid's ticket with the purchase of an adult ticket on weekdays.

Or

Save $15 on a full price general admission ticket on weekends. This offer expires October 10, 2011.

Find out another great tip we found last year at Six Flags for getting into the park quickly. Read on to find out other ways to get the most out of your Six Flag park once you are finally in the gate. Then you can decide before you go if you really need to buy a FlashPass.

Enjoy!!

Looking for an international vacation destination? Many will choose well known locations like Paris or Rome. Have you even considered Tenerife, which is located in the Canary Islands? The Canary Islands are located just off the coast off the west coast of Africa. Tenerife is part of the Spanish territory and it is the largest of the all the Canary Islands, and they are just a 4 hour flight from the UK.

The best part is there are cheap holidays in Tenerife.  Prices include accommodations and airfare from London, Manchester and All Scotland Airports.

Tenerife is a great get away location for romantic couples and families. For those that like to visit clubs in the evenings, this place is for you too. It is known for the year round sunshine, great beaches and beautiful green countryside. The country offers tons of activities and amenities.

You will have your choice of hotels to stay in from 3 star to 5 star. All the hotels will have pools and in house restaurants. You can also choose to have a small but comfortable studio or something bigger that even contains a kitchenette. What ever best suits your needs. Come as a couple or bring the whole family. Tenerife will have what you need to accommodate you holiday.

By day you can relax on the beaches and by the pools. At the night the place comes to life with a great selection of bars and clubs.

There will never be a dull moment on this vacation, unless of course, that is just what you are looking for.

We are spending a day in Seattle. The whole trip is based around us taking our daughter and a friend on a college visit. Since we lived in Portland we thought we would ride the train.

Did you know that Amtrak offers discounts for college visits?  Yep, it's true. We got a Buy One get One 50% off. With the cost of gas going up, this will save us money, plus we can all take advantage of the 3+ hour drive from Portland to Seattle. I have never taken the train, so I am excited about this adventure.

I am always on the lookout for blogs that showcase cities that we plan to visit.

Seattle-Fun seems to have tons of information and good ideas.

I used Hotwire to book our hotel. I had found a 4 star for $99 in the general area we wanted. I think I narrowed down which hotel it was. I didn't book it at the time, even though it was a great deal. Instead I put a watch on it to see if it would come down.

A few days later I was looking again. I found a 4 star for $106 and saw that it was a boutique hotel (this information is clearly marked).  I began searching to see which one it was and my husband blurts out, "just book it!" Apparently he really likes boutique hotels. I haven't traveled enough to know.

Without further research I book it and ended up on the Puget Sound in the Edgewater Hotel.  Booking prices start at $248, although with more research and our time of year I did get it down to $175, which is still a huge savings.

Not only that, I booked through Ebates and earned 2% cash back. It's not a lot, but things like that add up over time.

Another Hotwire tip :: book just one night. It will show you what hotel you got and at that point you can choose to book additional nights.

I have been watching Groupon and Living Social hoping to score some cheap eats. I haven't scored any for Seattle, but I have scored 3 recently for Portland.

Any tips for cheap entertainment or good cheap eats in the downtown area?

Read on to find out about our Hotel and where we ate.

We recently went down to San Diego. I was so excited to have my own iPhone as I was without my husband. I had always relied on his, but now I have my own. Which is good since he didn't make the trip to visit colleges with my daughter and myself. So here are my top travel apps.

Favorite App ::

Around me - This app lets you find coffee shops, restaurants, movie theaters, parking and other things. It's a free app, which I love and although it is designed to be used when you are actually stopped it does work while traveling.

Second Favorite App ::

Urbanspoon – this app allows you to look up restaurants and reviews before you actually enter a dinning establishment. I like this because I don't like heavy food when traveling and I like to spend my money on something good. Match this with AroundMe and you are golden. Or if you prefer you could use Yelp, same idea.

You can tell I am a foodie, but wait….

Amusement Parks Apps and Roller Coaster Park Apps ::

Universal Wait Times – let's you know how long waits are at Disneyland and Disney World.

Six Flags has one called Fun Finder for iPhones which can be found at sixflags.com.

Cedar Point also got on board and has one called Cedar Point Ride Watch for the iPhone. We don't have any trips planned, but it's my favorite park, so I downloaded it anyways.

Other Useful Apps ::

GasBuddy

Living Social & Groupon – I always tell people when you plan on taking a vacation always watch Groupon and Living Social (my 2 favorites) for your destination.

With Groupon you can just take your phone with you, no need to print. I don't know if this is the case with Living Social as it's giving me fits right now and my purchases won't even show up on my phone. If you have not used Living Social before you will get $5 just for signing up.

The Weather Channel App - let's you watch the weather where ever you plan to travel. Makes packing much easier.

Sit or Squat - Have little kids or just a little bladder? This free app might just be for you. Let's you know where the closest bathroom is. And the name just makes me laugh.

Still looking for more apps? I liked this list over at Family Vacation Critic.

Ok, what other app am I missing that I need to add?

Enjoy!!!

photo courtesy of Tony Buser @flickr

10. Seattle, Washington – I do love this place and yes, you do need to go in the summer, due to all the rain. Plenty to see.  We did the Underground Tour and loved it. We also hit Pikes place and the Space Needle, of course.

9. Europe – for those world travelers. Italy is a big destination as is Paris, France and Euro Disney. We have not been to Euro Disney, but we did pull up to the gates one time and longingly look in. We just didn't have time to go, yep, that's on the regret list too. At least we have done Paris a few times.

8. Alaska – Not only is this the time to cruise into Alaska, but it's also a time when RVer's make their way up. There are so many outdoor activities to choose from too. Something for everyone at this great out of the way state.

7. Vancouver, BC – We did this trip a few years back and had the time of our lives. Favorite part was biking around Stanley Park and walking around the, not yet complete, Athletes Village, for the Olympics.

6. Cedar Point – Yep, it's not open in the winter, so the summer is the peak season and many flock to this great attraction. I know we have.

5. Los Angeles/San Diego – both of these beautiful cities made the list. Not only are there plenty of beaches to walk, surf and swim, but the food around the areas is great too. Always a big plus for me.

4. Las Vegas – I just don't get this one. It's HOT there during the summer. But with all the great motels, great pools attached to all those hotels and plenty to see and do in and around the city, it also makes the list as a top travel destination.

3. Hawaii – With plenty of sunshine and lots of islands to hop and enjoy it's no surprise. Although I would choose this as a winter destination, not a summer, but it was on the list.

2. Disneyland/Disneyworld – Probably one of the busiest times to go, but many plan that Magical trip during the summer.

1. New York City – I have never been, but I would agree that this is probably a great summer destination.

What have I missed? What is one of your favorite summer destinations?

Looking for a coupon for the Oregon Coast Aquarium? Well, Groupon can hook you up through tomorrow.

This is a great place to visit will on vacation at the Oregon Coast. If you are headed this way or are in the area and have guests coming, you will want to jump on this deal.

To find this deal select Portland, OR as your city and find the deal there.

They are offering 2 Groupon deals or this ::

• $15 for 2 Adult Tickets
• $25 for 2 Adult Tickets and 2 Kid Tickets or Young Adult Tickets

I do live fairly close to this, and have to admit that I have never been. I might just need to grab this Groupon myself and head on down.

Not from Portland and not visiting anytime soon? That's fine, just choose a city that is nearest to you and watch the deals roll in.

Better yet, select your summer vacation destination and watch for spa deals, food deals, entertainment and more.

Enjoy!!