Ten Foot Square North America

What better way is there to make a vacation count than to schedule your pleasure time around an activist event? In addition to taking part in social action that can make a difference, you can also enjoy the sights and flavors of the area, and schedule some well-earned down time.

There are annual protests, such as the one held each year at Fort Benning, in Georgia. This is a protest against what used to be called the School of Americas, but has been renamed. According to some, the renaming is an attempt at rebranding a site responsible for training Latin American military personnel in the finer arts of torture.

This event is held in November, the weather is likely to offer a quite pleasant getaway for those coming from northern regions, where the winter chill is typically just settling in. Fort Benning is located near Columbus, a nice sized city — big enough to offer the visitor plenty to do and small enough to feel safe and comfortable.

Columbus is home to seven museums, including two having to do with military history. The richly ornate Springer Opera House is more than a century old, and offers, in addition to a broad range of fine performances, many vintage artifacts and displays of a bygone era in American history.

Nearby Pine Mountain is the site of the F. D. Roosevelt State Park, with 10, 000 acres available for exploration, camping and a variety of other outdoors activities. The Callaway Gardens offer another outdoor adventure, with 14,000 acres providing great hiking and an assortment of activities and events.

Washington, DC, is another great place to combine social action and vacation. In January of 2007, United for Peace and Justice organized a rally and march on the capital. Numerous social action groups choose the nation’s capital as a site to make themselves heard concerning their cause. Recent years have seen immigrant rights groups, organizations devoted to the well-being of families and children, groups championing equality between the races, organizations seeking to end poverty and hunger, and many more staging demonstrations and rallies at the capital buildings.

Naturally, the DC area has a wealth of fascinating attractions sure to make any vacation a memorable one. In addition to museums, art galleries, performing arts, fine dining, and an active nightlife, there are also unexpected pleasures. The zoo could be classified as one of those, as a zoo of this size in the nation’s capital is a bit unexpected. Open every day, except for Christmas, the Smithsonian National Zoological Park is located at 3001 Connecticut Avenue. There is no admission fee to enter and enjoy the wide variety of animal life.

Blending a bit of social action in support of the causes and ideals that are important to you can be a great way to spend a vacation. This is especially true for families, as the children will learn and experience things that they will remember for a lifetime.

For many pet owners, the family vacation just doesn’t seem complete without the furry family members along for the fun. These dedicated pet parents will be happy to find that traveling with pets in tow is easier these days than ever before. A variety of national hotel and motel chains have pet-friendly accommodations these days, allowing you to bring Fido or Fluffy right along with the rest of the family, sparing the stress of trusting your pets to the care of a sitter, vet, or kennel.

Lodging chains of nearly every category are offering pet-friendly accommodations for travelers and vacationers, from budget motels to upscale hotels offering the finest luxury amenities for their furry guests. However, policies vary on the type and number of pets allowed from one national chain to another, so it’s best to do thorough research before leaving home.

If you’re traveling on a budget, Motel 6 is a safe bet when it comes to pet-friendly lodging. While corporate directives specify one small pet, many of these motels do accept well-mannered larger dogs, as well. The additional fee is typically very low, $10 in many places, $20 in others, with several asking no fee at all, other than being liable for any damage.

Many, but not all, Motel 8s allow a small pet, with a $20 fee and liability for damage. A good number of Econo Lodge Motels also accept pets. Some of these allow two dogs and others have an under 70 pound requirement. There are a few that require a credit card if checking in with pets, thus ensuring that any damages will be paid for.
For a mid-range budget, there are a lot of great options. Many Holiday Inns are pet-friendly, charging typically between $25 and $50 additional for a medium to small sized pet. Some do require a $100 deposit on top of the fee, which will be returned if there is no damage or out of the ordinary cleaning necessary.

Other good mid-range budget options include Days Inn, Best Western, and Sheraton Inn. However, it is important to call ahead to check specifics, as the pet policies of these hotels do differ from city to city.

Many luxury type hotels also accept pets, and some even offer pet amenity packages that rival those for their human guests. The Auberge Resorts, for example, offer such things as an in-room pet bed and a room service menu designed for pets. The Don SeSar Beach Resort and Spa, at St. Pete Beach in Florida, has a special pet package that features pet massage and aromatherapy.

Traveling with pets today has become very popular. This has encouraged the lodging market to respond, offering increased options, ranging from simply allowing pets in rooms right up to luxury suites designed with the traveling pet in mind. With a little time spent in research, you’ll be sure to be able to plan a wonderful travel experience for you and your pet.