Booking a vacation has never been more convenient. As your one-stop vacation planner, we have everything you need to book an unforgettable getaway. If you aren't sure where to go, check out our most popular destinations:
Nashville
Nashville is the capital of the state as well as the capital of country music. Nicknamed "Music City", Nashville is where many of the most legendary performers got their start.
Things to do
There are many amazing activities to enjoy in Nashville. For country music lovers, there truly is nothing better than watching a 'show at the legendary Grand Ole Opry.
Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg
Home to the Great Smoky Mountains, the Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg area of Tennessee is a must-see. This beautiful region is filled with natural wonders and amazing shows.
Things to do
The Smokies are known for the entertainment offered within its shadow! Be sure to head out to beloved dinner shows in Pigeon Forge such as Dolly Parton's Stampede Dinner Show, Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Show, and the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster (过山车).
Myrtle Beach
If coastal views and oceanic adventures are just what you want, then Myrtle Beach is the place for you! This city is known for its great beaches and adventures that offer up unique opportunities to create the most unforgettable memories.
Things to do
There are many awesome things to do in Myrtle Beach! Set out on the sparkling (波光粼粼的) waters to look for dolphins on the Myrtle Beach Dolphin Sightseeing Cruises (航行) before returning to the city to visit Ripley's Aquarium (水族馆). No matter what sort of adventures you are looking to have, there is something for everyone.
San Antonio
Home to rich Texan and American history, San Antonio is a great place to visit for a combination of history and modern attractions.
Things to do
Whether you want to get in some thrills at Sea World or see the shops, restaurants and entertainment of the Riverwalk on the Go Rio San Antonio Riverwalk Cruise, your trip to San Antonio will be a blast (狂欢).
The early life of the green sea turtle (海龟) is full of danger. Only one in 1,000 baby sea turtles survive to adulthood. From its home in the sand，it breaks its egg with an egg tooth. Its mother is not there to help it. Instead, it is greeted by crabs, coyotes, and dogs waiting to eat it for dinner. To survive, the baby turtle must hide in the sand until night. There, it moves slowly to the sea.
The small turtle must swim hard to reach the ocean waters. In the sea, it tries hard to find food. It must also keep itself from being food for fish.
As dangerous as the sea turtle's life is in the natural world, its most dangerous enemies are humans. The rubbish left by humans in the ocean causes problems for the small green sea turtle. A little turtle might eat a piece of plastic in the sea. It might also eat oil on the ocean's surface. Young turtles also get caught in fishing nets. There are laws against hunting sea turtles. Still, many are hunted, both for their meat and for their shells (壳). All of these dangers must be prevented.
Sea turtles that do survive to grow into adulthood go through many changes For example, adult green sea turtles weigh about 500 pounds. They stop eating jellyfish and other meat and eat only plants. And they may plan a trip to go back home again. A mother sea turtle goes back to the beach where she was born. This is the only place where she will lay eggs. Even if it has been forty years since she was a baby, she always knows her way back home.
Jim Denevan is an amazing artist whose work is admired by all, but owned by none﹣that's because all of Jim's art is created on an unusual canvas (画布)﹣the soft sand. He sometimes spends days working on a piece, only to see it washed away by the sea or a storm and that is just the way he likes it.
Denevan discovered his artistic talents about ten years ago, when he was walking aimlessly on the beach with a stick. He ended up drawing a 12-foot-long fish. Since then, Jim has travelled over 1,800 miles while creating over 600 pieces of sand art.
Over the years, his drawings have become bigger, but the tools he uses haven't changed﹣all he needs is a stick, a garden rake (耙) and most importantly, his lively imagination!
Just like any good artist, Jim is quite particular about the "quality" of his canvas, sometimes walking for miles, in search of perfect sand. His latest piece of work was created in the desert sands of Nevada. It took Jim three trips, eight days and over 100 miles of walking to create this 3-mile work of art. It took the storm just one night to destroy it! However, Jim says he actually enjoys watching the waves or rain wash his paintings away.
Jim's art has become very popular over the years and was even the topic of a documentary named Sandman in 2005. Jim Denevan is not just a sand artist he is also an excellent cook and started an organisation called "Outstanding in the Field", whose motto (座右铭) is to celebrate food at its source. Accordingly, group dining (用餐) events are held outdoors on farms with the diners being treated to a delicious meal. The events, which are held in different farms throughout America, are always sold out the minute the schedule is announced.
For Western designers, China and its rich culture have long been an inspiration for Western creative. "It's no secret that China has always been a source of inspiration for designers," says Amanda Hill, chief creative officer at A+E Networks, a global media company and home to some of the biggest fashion (时尚) shows.
Earlier this year, the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China﹣inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art, with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics (美学) on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries. The exhibition had record attendance, showing that there is huge interest in Chinese influences.
"China is impossible to ignore" says Hill. "Chinese models are the faces of beauty and fashion campaigns that sell dreams to women all over the world, which means Chinese women are not just consumers of fashion—they are central to its movement." Of course, not only are today's top Western designers being influenced by China—some of the best designers of contemporary fashion are themselves Chinese. "Vera Wang, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu are taking on Galliano, Albaz，Marc Jacobs—and beating them hands down in design and sales," adds Hill.
For Hill, it is impossible not to talk about China as the leading player when discussing fashion. "The most famous designers are Chinese, so are the models, and so are the consumers," she says. "China is no longer just another market; in many senses it has become the market. If you talk about fashion today, you are talking about China—its influences, its direction, its breathtaking clothes, and how young designers and models are finally acknowledging that in many ways. "
While you are travelling abroad, cultural mistakes are more serious than language mistakes, which can lead to serious misunderstanding and even ill feeling between individuals.
•Touching Someone
In Mediterranean countries，if you don't touch someone's arm when talking to them or if you don't greet them with kisses or a warm hug, you'll be considered cold．But backslap（拍背） someone who isn't a family member or a good friend in Korea, and you'll make them uncomfortable. In Thailand, the head is considered sacred—never even pat a child on the head．
•Talking over Dinner
In some countries, like China, Japan and some African nations, the food is the thing, so don't start chatting about your day's adventures while everyone else is digging into dinner．
It's not because your group is unfriendly, but because mealtimes are for eating, not talking．
•Removing Your Shoes or Not
Take off your shoes when arriving at the door of a London dinner party and the hostess will find you uncivilized(不文明的), but fail to remove your shoes before entering a home in Asia, Hawaii, or the Pacific Islands and you'll be considered disrespectful. So, if you see a row of shoes at the door, start undoing your laces.
Once you are on the ground of a different country，remain highly sensitive to native behavior. And don't feel offended（被冒犯的）if something seems offensive (无礼的) -like queue jumping. After all, this is a global village, and we are all very different．
A. Look out for the following cultural mistakes and try to avoid them．
B. Asians consider removing shoes impolite at home．
C. Never be completely surprised by anything．
D. The language mistake means that someone is not fully expressing his idea．
E. Personal space varies as you travel the globe．
F. If not, keep the shoes on．
G. You'll likely be met with silence．
An ordinary trip turned dramatic (激动人心的) for 18-year-old Justin Gavin, and extremely fortunate for a young family. Walking down the street, he saw something that made him1. A small SUV drove past him, and it was 2in flames. His heart beat fast, 3 when he saw children inside the car.
Drivers were honking (按喇叭) and getting out of their cars to get the 4 of the woman driver. However, it quickly became5that she could not stop the car.
The officials had already received several calls about a car on fire with a woman and children 6 inside. However, without an officer on site, Gavin immediately went into action.
He ran after the car down the street to help the family 7 from the burning car. "I'm yelling ‘Stop the car! Your car is on fire!" he said. Gavin finally 8 the car when it came to a full stop. Without9, he helped the mother out of the driver's 10 first. And then with the flames 11, he pulled three children out of the back seat. The flames quickly flooded the 12 moments later.
Gavin said, "It's kind of 13 because I didn't know whether I was able to get everyone out 14. Luckily, I did it." Afterwards the mother credited the 15 with saving her family.
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