You've never seen Boston in anything that comes close to Boston Duck Tours. The fun begins as soon as you board your "DUCK", an authentic, renovated World War II amphibious landing vehicle. First, you'll be greeted by one of the legendary tour ConDUCKtors, who'll be narrating your tour. Then you're off for a ride like you've never had before.

You'll cruise by all the places that make Boston the birthplace of freedom

and a city of firsts, from the golden-domed State House to Bunker Hill and

the TD Bank north Garden, Boston Common and Copley Square to the Big Dig, Government Center to fashionable Newbury Street, Quincy Market to the

Prudential Tower, and more. And, as the best of Boston unfolds before your eyes, your ConDUCKtor will be giving you lots of little known facts and interesting insights about the unique and wonderful city.

And just when you think you've seen it all, there's more. It's time to take

cover as your ConDUCKtor splashes your DUCK right into the Charles River for a breathtaking view of the Boston and the Cambridge skylines, the kind of view you just can't get anywhere else. That's right, your ride on wheels turns

into a floating boat right before your eyes. You go from the land to the water in seconds, just drive right in.

Boston Duck Tours operates a fleet of restored World War II era DUKWs. These amphibious vehicles played an important role in both the European and Pacific theaters of the war. Now, Boston's Museum of Science and Boston Duck Tours have teamed up to present the history of these remarkable vehicles. A special exhibit will include a history of the DUKW, photographs, posters, and vintage film.

Contrary to local belief, the unique idea of a Duck Tour did not originate in

Boston. Duck operations have been in existence in the Midwest for decades,

and in fact, continue to be successful tourist attractions.

Opening in Boston required approximately 30 permits from various regulatory agencies. The permits were difficult to obtain due to the infamous bureaucratic red tape, but also because most people had never heard of Ducks and simply thought the idea of a land/water tour in Boston was crazy. At one point, Andy Wilson, Founder, was told that it would be easier to build a skyscraper in the center of the Boston Public Garden!

What began as a four-Duck, 15-employee business on October 4, 1994, has grown to a 23-Duck, 100-employee powerhouse in the Boston tourism market. Since inception, Boston Duck Tours was voted by Boston Magazine as "Best of Boston" in the city tour category, the company also was honored by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce at their Small Business of the Year Luncheon, Andy was named Small Businessperson of the Year for Massachusetts, and Andy also received a Spirit of Enterprise Award from the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The growth of Boston Duck Tours has been extremely important. However, they firmly believe that growth at the expense of quality is unacceptable. They continuously strive to improve upon the quality of the Ducks, the tour and their employees and not grow to the point where it will become intrusive on the local community.

Duck tours offer group rates and individual rates priced per person. Along

with your ticket you or your group can purchase photos on the duck itself as

well as a wide variety of souvenirs and they even have special offers to

other attractions in the area with combo tickets.

Don't let your group miss this educational, fun experience while visiting Boston! Wherever your travels take you, enjoy the ride!

Lisa Vanhorn - Adventure Student Travel - Group Travel Coordinator

Group Cruises and Bus Tours Student Travel

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These days, cruises are getting to be like everything else. From cough drops to crackers, there are almost too many choices, and it's true of cruises as well. You might feel like going on a cruise would be a perfect getaway for you and your spouse but finding the right one can be more difficult than its worth. Luckily, if you cut down your options by deciding where you want to take your cruise, when you want to take it, and on what cruise line, you probably won't have too many options to choose from and you can pick the best cruise for you.

Where to Take Your Cruise - Part of the reason that there can be too many choices is that there are a lot of options about where you can go on your cruise. Each cruise line sends cruises all over the world. Think of this as a good thing, not something that is going to slow down your decision-making process. All you need to do is sit down and take an hour or two and just decide where you want to go.

The best way to make a decision is to think about what you already love to do and then tailor your cruise destination to match those desires or hobbies. If being on the beach on a beautiful sunny day is your idea of heaven, make sure you take a cruise in the Caribbean. If you like being outdoors, you might enjoy one of the northwest coast cruises that sail all the way up to Alaska. If you're a history buff, take a European cruise. The destinations are what differentiate cruises; each ship is really very similar while you're sailing.

When to Take Your Cruise - Deciding when to take your cruise can be almost as harrowing as where to take it. Most cruise lines offer cruises year around. Some times of the year are very popular but you can get great discounts at other times during the year. For instance, winter vacation may sound like a great time to take a cruise. You can get down to the Caribbean sun and take a break from school or work during the holidays. On the other hand, you might be able to save as much as 40% on cruises if you go in the October or November timeframe. This is an unpopular time to take a cruise and often costs less.

What Cruise Line to Take - It can sometimes seem like there are almost as many cruise lines as cruises. Different cruise lines usually attract different types of people. Some attract families, some attract couples, and some attract singles. Make sure you know what types of people usually use any given cruise line. There are a number of websites that offer reviews of different vacation possibilities, and you should be able to find this information on those. Once you've narrowed down the possibilities in these three categories, you should be left with just a few cruises that you will undoubtedly enjoy.

Kimberly Carlson is an avid traveller and preffers to do all her own research and bookings on line. She has learned the ins and out on cruise holiday pricing and options. You can find more of her interesting articles at

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One of the most romantic cities in the world, Venice is primarily dependent on the water that intertwines throughout the town for transportation. You could easily spend days on end just sightseeing courtesy of a gondola. This is the only city in the world built entirely on water. As you look around, you'll quickly notice an abundance of gondolas, but no cars! Filled with nightlife, Venice is famous for its masquerade parties. Take time to attend local festivals including the Venice Film Festival and the ever-popular Carnival Masquerade Ball. While you're there, be sure to visit St. Mark's Square, the hub of the city.

St. Mark's Square

Early in the morning, St. Mark's Square is completely empty with the exception of those who clean this majestic wonder. Even then, in the quiet of the dawn, it is an awe-inspiring place to visit. An open-air square set before ancient domed architecture topped with numerous spires, St. Mark's Square is positioned on the Grand Canal by a gondola pier ("molo"). Its majestic Campanile (watchtower) takes center stage with a height of 314 feet. With the quiet crashing of the waves and the beautiful scenery, you could simply sit and stare for hours.

However, once the crowds rush in, the square is filled with sightseers who wander about, eat and feed the famous pigeons. But don't be content to sit outside in the square. Take the time to explore some of the buildings.

Basilica di San Marco

Best viewed early in the day (before the lines become too exasperating), Basilica di San Marco, also known as St. Mark's Cathedral, is simply stunning. Those visiting via cruise ship are advised to book the earliest tour possible at your excursion desk. Cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, offer a variety of tours departing at different times.

The exterior alone is exceptional, but the interior is not to be missed. With over 39,000 feet of gold mosaics and artworks by Italian masters Titian and Bellini, this church is spectacular.

Gondola Tours

Of course, no trip to Venice is complete without a romantic gondola ride. Check with your tour guide or the excursion desk of your cruise ship for details. Royal Caribbean, among others, offers day and evening gondola rides. These narrow, hand-painted boats maneuver through the canals, giving you a private tour of Venice up close and personal. If you're lucky, you'll also have the pleasure of a serenade!

Carnival Masquerade Ball

After a day of sightseeing, you might choose a change of pace. Get dressed to the nines and participate in one of Venice's most celebrated events: Carnival! Held in mid-February each year, many cruise lines put on their own versions of Carnival. If you're visiting Venice in wintertime, get in on the real thing. Otherwise, flirt with your neighbor onboard ship for an equally good time!

Curious, fun, enchanting and awe-inspiring, Venice is a city most never forget once they've experienced its wonder. When making your plans to visit, splurge! Take in as many of the sights as time allows. You'll cherish these memories forever!

Roy Witman is Vice-President of Cruise Vacation Center at offering the best deals including

European cruises. © 2007, All Rights Reserved

You can spend weeks looking for a great place to take your vacation but some of the best vacation spots may be closer then you think. Depending on what you want to do while on vacation, there is plenty to see and do close to home, no matter where you live. Most people live with a couple of hundred miles to some of the best vacation spots but because they are used to traveling long distance for their time away from home, they are often overlooked.

Those who are accustomed to flying or driving for several hours to head to their favorite places may be surprised to learn that some of the best vacation spots are in their back yard. For example, people living in Florida may forego a trip to Disneyland in order to travel to the northern edge of the country to enjoy the peace and quiet of the Midwest. People living in the Midwest may be more prone to think of Florida as one of the best vacation spots they can find.

Some claim they need to get away from home and enjoy the drive. For many, staying in a motel only an hour or so from home is not their idea of a vacation. However, by getting a room close to some of the best vacation spots can ease the financial burden on the trip and still allow them to feel as though they are away from home.

Excessive Travel Can Take Fun Out Of Vacation

For many, a trip of 12 or more hours is the prelude to their vacation and once they arrive they are generally too tired to enjoy the first day. For the return trip, they often leave a little early with both legs of the trip costing them a day or two of their time away on the road. Finding some of the best vacation spots closer to home can greatly reduce travel time and the stress that often accompanies trying to find the route through unfamiliar territory.

Simple driving through your own region of the country often reveals rewarding information, provided you look with your eyes open. Traveling with the attitude that there is nothing to do close to home often hides some of the best vacation spots you could hope for.

Perusing a map of your home state can also reveal some promising places that some may consider the best vacation spots in the area and following up these finds by gathering additional information can help locate some of the more famous places for vacationing.

Rich Wells runs his own online travel business. His particular specialty is vacation rentals. Check out these great Beach Vacations articles and guides.