Welcome to the April issue of The Traveler!

April has come and almost gone, and for many it is time to make plans for summer travel. We've got resources and ideas for you next adventure, romantic getaway, or family vacation in our Travel Ideas, Resources, and Bargains department.

We've got four feature articles this month. Our team from downunder, Brian Norris and Nick Sault, continue thier exploration of Australia and New Zealand. Nick submits the next in his series of the best of New Zealand, visiting the "Thermal Wonderland" of Rotorua and Lake Taupo. Brian begins a new series exploring every state in Australia, this month beginning with an "Aussie Overview". We also introduce two new writers for The Traveler this month. Joyce Finn takes us to the land of Aphrodite; on the island of Cyprus. Kyle Flubacker "goes postal" with an irreverant and humorous look at the art and wisdom of penning postcards.

Our travel writing Pick-of-the-Month is always a favorite at The Traveler; the yearly edition of the Best American Travel Writing series. A collection of the best travel writing for 2003.

Enjoy!

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Feature Articles

In Aphrodite’s Lap
Discover Cyprus - the land of Aphrodite

An Aussie Overview - The Lowdown on the Land Downunder
An Australian Travel Primer

Going Postal
Ruminations on the Art of Penning Postcards

New Zealand's Thermal Wonderland
The Culture and Geology of Middle Earth (Central North Island New Zealand)

Travel Writing Pick-Of-The-Month

Good travel writing is a window on the world. The best travel writing enlightens us and helps us to understand other places, people, and cultures. Sometimes it just helps us to understand ourselves and our own culture. The Best American Travel Writing series has been a regular Pick-of-the-Month for The Traveler, and this year is no different. The world is a funny, beautiful, dangerous, and sometimes tragic place. Explore it all in this collection of The Best American Travel Writing for 2003

Travel Ideas, Resources, and Bargains

Spring Brings More Beauty to Yosemite - Springtime in Yosemite National Park is spectacular, with massive granite walls adorned with waterfalls flowing at their peak. Continuing to flow at full levels from now through mid-June, waterfalls are accompanied by a burst of spring blooms, including tall azalea bushes festooned with white flowers and magnificent stands of dogwood trees. Find out more about visiting Yosemite this spring at the Yosemite National Park Services website. (Get a firsthand account of The Traveler's recent trip to Yosemite in "Bear Aware in Yosemite")

Discover the Mysteries of the Rainforest at Lapa Rios Ecolodge in Costa Rica- Discover the mysteries of the rainforest and capture the mood of the tropics at Lapa Rios Ecolodge. Here, scarlet macaws color the sky and howler and white-faced monkeys enliven the surrounding forests. The multi-award winning resort, surrounded by exquisite natural beauty, is renowned globally as a unique ecological haven and a vacation experience here offers visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in nature. For more information on this premier ecotourist destination visit the Lapa Rios Ecolodge website.

Help Support Ecotourism - EcoClub.com offers a host of free services including a comprehensive database of Eco Lodges around the world, ecotorism news, a free newsletter and more. Paid services are also available including special discounts on lodges, access to an ecotourism jobs database, and access to an "ecotourism library". A great way to find your next eco-adventure and learn more about sustainable tourism.

Wyoming: Home to the Grand Tetons - Stunning mountain scenery and varied wildlife make the Grand Tetons in northwestern Wyoming one of the most popular national parks in the US park system. Find out more about this magnificent mountain range at the US Park Service's Grand Teton website.

Europe Your Way - Design your own European vacation this summer, or choose from dozens of package deals. Check out the services available from e-vacations.com for traveling in Europe
 Great European Vacations

Hug a Redwood - The "other" California; from to Josephine in the north to San Francisco in the south, Northern California boasts a world-class city, renowned wine country, rugged, breathtaking shoreline, and is home to the towering forest cathedral of the magnificent Redwood tree. Learn more of this beautiful region that The Traveler is fortunate enough to call home at the website of the Redwood Empire Association.

New Zealand from L.A. with /Free Stopover in Tahiti - From $690US. This is a last-call special deal from our friends at TravelZoo.com. You've got to hurry, the deal is only available through April 30th. You can get more information from Travelzoo; but the best way to book this trip is to contact calling Air Tahiti Nui directly at 877-824-4846 or visit their website to find out about this and other deals to Oceania.

Ride Like the Wind - Or at least learn how to keep from falling off the horse at The Wild Rose Ranch's "First Time Riders Adventure" in southeastern British Columbia. This seven-day adventure, designed specifically for horse lovers wanting to gain confidence and skill on the back of a horse, takes all the guesswork out of learning to ride, leaving only the sheer exhilaration of achieving a goal—and in the wild outdoors, no less. Learn to ride and discover the East Kootenay region, from the open pine forests to abandoned logging towns to the glacial errata's that give pause to the thousands of years of history of the area. Find out more about this and other adventure experiences at the Wild Rose Ranch website.

Travelin' to the Tunes - Whether your idea of a cool music scene is Branson, Missouri or Seattle, Washington, you'll find great geteways to some of the best music centers in the country, each with its own colorful history and culture. Site59.com is the premier site for last minute getaways, explore their offerings of Last-Minute Music Getaways

All Your Travel Needs In One Place - Find a flight, rental car, winter vacation, weekend getaway, or the adventure of a lifetime! You'll find everything you need from airline tickets to vacation packages to travel insurance, foreign currency exchange, and passport processing... It's all at TouristTravel.com!

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