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Best Vacation Spots

At this time of year, with the glorious holiday season happening soon, it is time to start planning the perfect getaway; whether you are wanting a ravishing romantic weekend, or a trip away with your mates, or a fun family foray out into the world. Sometimes, there are so many options it is hard to know where to go. Luckily for all, Transfercar has you covered and we have found some amazing spots for you to travel to!

First up on the list of awesomeness is Krabi, Thailand. This is the perfect romantic getaway, it is quiet and draw-droppingly beautiful with paradise at your feet. There is also lots of sunshine (providing you don’t opt to go in Monsoon season). There are endless empty beaches, many with legendary beauty, where you and your Significant Other can stroll and swim in relative seclusion. You are bound to enjoy the phenomenal jungle walks and treks. There are so many activities to do, with scuba diving and rock climbing for the adventurous, and local shrines and idyllic white beaches for those wanting to relax. There are a gazillion pristine islands to either stay on or visit, and the Tiger Cave Temple is a must see by all. For those wanting an amazing place to unwind from the hectic year, or those who are thinking New Years is a good time to propose- then this is the place to be (and yes, you can ‘claim’ full credit for the idea when it goes well).

Next up on the list is the phenomenal Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. The Valley of Fire is the oldest state park in Nevada, located only 50 miles from Las Vegas. The area has seriously cool geological and historical sites for you to look at, all are unique and highly interesting; from petrified trees to 3000 year old petroglyphs. Also, telling anyone you are going to the Valley of Fire makes you sound awesomely daring and adventurous. However, the name actually comes from the color of all the unbelievable rock formations, rather than any daredevil lava spouts. The area is only six miles from the gorgeous Lake Mead where you can swim, fish and go boating. With lots of fantastic hikes and walks, this is a brilliant place to go camping. The fall, and also spring, is the perfect time to go with very pleasant temperatures. If you decide to go in winter, be prepared to wrap up warm. A great place to head with a group of friends, some beer and some smores making ingredients.

Milford Sound and Fiordland National Park in New Zealand is a beautiful place, with great things to do for the whole family. From kayaking out on the sound, to hiking through Fiordland National Park and taking cruises and scenic flights. For all the hikers out there, Fiordland has walks for everyone- from mild and mellow 30 min strolls to the epic Kepler Track, a 60km, four day, mega trek. Because of all the wonderful water, there are an abundance of seals, dolphins and penguins- great for any budding marine biologists! There is also phenomenal diving, as a layer of fresh water on top of the salty, allows divers to see creatures that usually live much deeper in the ocean! There are also amazing glow worm caves that look so magical they will inspire the young ones and delight the old. Make sure you take all your wet weather gear though, as it is one of the rainiest places in New Zealand!

For those of you thinking the holidays are best spent partying, Darwin is a brilliant place to go this holiday season. The Drinking capital of Australia, this is a great place if you are looking for a good time, with multiple great clubs and bars! Make sure you learn the can system before you go, just say ‘red can’ or ‘blue can’ or another color, each colored can gives you an awesome different beer! If you want class and sophistication, then Darwin is the perfect climate for fruit cocktails, with lots of plentiful sunshine. If you don’t know where you want to go, then just take a stroll down Mitchell Street to find your place to party, this street is located in the city center with bars and clubs to suit everyone.

Onwards with the list! What is the polar opposite of the desert in Nevada? ‘Why, it is the gigantic Californian Redwoods’, I hear you cry! Seeing the Redwoods is a humbling experience that will inspire you and reconnect you with nature. The trees will fill you with an inner silence and acceptance – the perfect holiday for a back to nature retreat, maybe even a solo sojourn. You should note, that if you go at this time of year you will have plenty of rain so bring lots of hot chocolate, good books and prepare to just absorb the wonder around you, while you wait for the sun to shine and hikes to begin. Even in snow, this is an epic holiday, and if you do decide to make this an awesome family experience then snowball fights will be awesome with the tree trunks as natural forts. Just watch out that you don’t pelt any bears by mistakes! Possible wildlife to see is elk, mountain lions and if you go between the spring and in the fall there are black bears; and even more exciting is the fact that if you go along the coastline, you may even see grey whales!

The whole world has so many wonderful and unique places to see, these are just our current favorites! So pick a spot and prepare for an awesome vacation this holiday season, whether you decide to become a beach babe or nature buff, your getaway is well deserved! Wherever you go, Transfercar can help you get there, so make sure you check out our awesome cars to help get you from A to B and beyond. Happy travelling everybody!

Stay Golden: San Francisco’s Incredible Golden Gate Bridge

There aren’t many man-made structures in the world that are as iconic as the Golden Gate Bridge. This feat of engineering was constructed over a mere four years from January 5, 1933 to the date of its opening: May 28th, 1937, but the dream of spanning the massive Golden Gate Strait had been long on the minds of men in San Francisco for well over a century they say. Good on ya, boys! However, with big dreams come even bigger consequences: Eleven men died during the construction of this thirty-five million dollar bridge. The cost to construct a new Golden Gate Bridge in this day and age would be approximately $1.2 billion dollars. Well, that’s just kind of insane.

San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge used to be the longest span in the world at 4,200 feet until New York’s Verrazano Narrows Bridge came along in 1964 and stole GGB’s thunder. Not cool, NY! We’re coming for you! The Verrazano is only sixty feet longer, but it too got over-shadowed by another great bridge, the Humber Bridge, in the UK. Reap what you sow my friends. Reap what you sow…

But hey! This isn’t some kind of wacky bridge competition! Everyone knows that size doesn’t really matter, amiright? So, let’s have a look at what makes the Golden Gate Bridge so darn awesome. Sure it’s iconic, but what else do we know about this guy?

The Golden Gate Low-Down

Fun fact: The Golden Gate Bridge is not just a bridge. There’s something for everyone here! For instance, The Bridge Pavilion has a wonder shop with all kinds of bridge-related paraphernalia and historical information of the construction of this beaut. Open from 9-6 everyday, the Pavilion is the first on-site centre that is dedicated to telling the riveting stories of the Gold Gate Bridge. Speaking of riveting, did you know that each tower has 600,000 rivets holding the structure together?! If that’s not riveting, I don’t know what is. But I digress.

Exhibitionists Welcome

Well, more historical exhibitions that is. The rest of you can go to the local nude beaches. With the incredible outdoor exhibits, visitors to the Golden Gate Bridge can learn more about the history, science and the mastery of engineering of the Bridge’s construction through both interactive and stationery exhibits.

Walk Like a San Franciscan

If you’re truly interested in the history of the Golden Gate Bridge, there are free walking Bridge tours offered twice-weekly (Thursdays and Sundays) by San Francisco City Guides, a non-profit organization associated with the San Francisco Public Library. Keep in mind that roller skates, skateboards, electric scooters and wheelbarrows are NOT allowed on the Bridge sidewalks. You just leave that wheelbarrow at home now, Mister.

YUMS

What would a great bridge be without an even better café? Head on into the Bridge Café if you’re looking for a delicious and casual snack that won’t break the bank.

Be an Exploradora

Did you know that both ends of the Bridge touch the Golden Gate National Parks? Picturesque trail and vista points await you and your digital cameras. This is one of the world’s largest national parks located in an urban area. This is not to be missed! And once you’re sick of all the nature head into the San Fran centre for some craft beer and music.

Now it’s time for some super fun Bridge Facts:

The Golden Gate Bridge is NOT made from Gold. Nor is it painted a gold colour. It is the bright hue of “International Orange”. Initially the military wanted it be painted in stripes. That’s right. Stripes. This was due to the fear that Navy ships could get trapped in San Fran if the bridge was bombed or collapsed. The Navy pressed for the bridge to be painted in black and yellow stripes. The Army wants a festive hue of red and white. Thankfully neither of them had a say in the outcome! Orange you happy?
And speaking of orange the colour of the bridge wasn’t meant to be permanent. Irving Morrow, the consulting architect preferred the vivid hue of burnt red and orange to the more conventional paint choices. That’s just so bad-ass. The perks to the orange are that it’s highly visible in the fog and it complements the natural topography of the surrounding hills. Nice work, Morrow.
Chief engineer Joseph Strauss produced the bridge’s original design in 1921. Apparently it was a bit of a mess; a hybrid, quote-unquote upside-down rat trap and Strauss eventually agreed to scrap the design. While it was functional, nothing about “rat-trap” says “stylish” so he swallowed his pride and brought rival engineers onto the project in order to produce a beautiful suspension bridge design.
And last, but certainly not least, the Golden Gate Bridge remains the top suicide location in the world. The first of this kind of thing happened in August 1937 and there have been a total of 1500 people who have leapt from this bridge. Surprisingly, more than thirty people have survived the fall. There are currently eleven crisis telephones on the bridge and plans are in the works to build a net under the span to serve as a deterrent.

And there you have it, heaps of wonderful reasons to visit this iconic bridge, except for that last fun fact thank you very much. If you’re looking for a cheap way to get to San Francisco to check this bridge out with your own eyes, get in touch with us and we can hook you up with a free rental car. That’s a feat in itself, don’t you think? Register today and pick up your free rental tomorrow.