Monday 29 June 2009

Akron unveils non-stop Florida flights

Good news for residents of Akron who want to come visit us in our Florida paradise. AirTran Airways announced Friday a nonstop service between the Akron-Canton Airport and two popular Florida vacation destinations, Fort Lauderdale and Ft. Myers.
Flights to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport will be offered four times per week and flights to Southwest Florida International Airport in Ft. Myers five times per week initially and then daily beginning in mid November.
Football Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz and comedian Mark Malkoff were on hand at the Akron-Canton Airport to help make the big announcement.
President and CEO of Akron-Canton Airport is thrilled to announce the return of the service to Florida. "With nonstop flights to four Florida cities on AirTran Airways, getting to 'sunsational' leisure destinations is easier than ever. Travelers will love the simplicity of flying from Canton and will love the affordable fares, too," said Rick McQueen.
Read the full story here

Don't just visit Anna Maria Island, stay here. For the very best in vacation rental properties visit http://www.annamaria.com/ and spend your vacation in a real home from home.

Friday 26 June 2009

Travel to be down on July 4 - AAA

This July 4 might be the best time to travel to Florida, if the predictions of a quiet one are anything to go by.
According to Bloomberg, travel in the U.S. during the July 4 holiday weekend will decline 1.9 per cent from last year as the recession and high gasoline prices keep motorists off the highways, the AAA said.

The number of people traveling at least 50 miles from home will drop to 37.1 million from 37.8 million in 2008, AAA, the nation’s largest motorist group, said in an annual outlook today. The 2008 total showed an 11 per cent decline from 2007.
Gasoline at the pump, averaged nationwide, has risen 65 per cent this year, pulled higher by a rally in crude oil. The fuel fell 0.7 cent to $2.676 a gallon, AAA said today on its Web site. Prices for regular gasoline rose to a record $4.114 a gallon on July 17, 2008.
The airline industry, which will account for 5 percent of holiday travel, is expected to see a 4.9 percent rise in bookings over the weekend, partly because of declining airfares, AAA said in its report.
The motoring organization projects a 2.6 percent decline in auto trips to 32.6 million in 2009 from 33.4 million last year. AAA’s projections are based on research by IHS Global Insight of Lexington, Massachusetts.
Gasoline futures for July delivery slid to the lowest since May 22 today and profit margins tumbled 8 percent after the government reported that stockpiles rose the most in five months last week. Prices fell 5.07 cents, or 2.7 percent, to settle at $1.8425 a gallon on the New York Mercantile Exchange.


There really is only one company to trust with your Anna Maria Island vacation, and only one website you need to visit. Click on www.annamaria.com for the very best in vacation rentals on the island. From two-bed cottages, to huge homes for the whole family, waterside, gulf front, secluded, we have it all.

Monday 22 June 2009

How much longer a free ride?

Are the days of the free Anna Maria Island trolley over? They may be if Manatee County chiefs get their way.
Manatee County Area Transit has announced it may start charging $1 a day for the trolley as most county departments undergo budget cuts to offset falling revenues. In that belt-tightening environment, it is getting harder to justify any more free rides, county officials say.
The county established the free service in March 2002, largely to reduce traffic on Gulf Drive, the island's only north-south road. The trolley quickly became a hit. During the summer low season, about 22,000 passengers climb aboard each month. During the tourist season, the monthly count swells to more than 71,000.
According to the Herald Tribune website, local and state taxpayers cover the trolley's $955,000 annual cost. In 2010, however, the state may cut its $588,000 subsidy to $280,000.
It might just start at a buck, but the real fear among residents and those who use the free service will be that this is only the thin end of the wedge. Today a dollar, what tomorrow?

There really is only one company to trust with your Anna Maria Island vacation, and only one website you need to visit. Click on www.annamaria.com for the very best in vacation rentals on the island. From two-bed cottages, to huge homes for the whole family, waterside, gulf front, secluded, we have it all.

Friday 12 June 2009

Countdown to lift-off!

The countdown has begun for tomorrow's launch of space shuttle Endeavour on a mission to deliver a porch to the International Space Station. It's nice to think that even NASA is interested in home improvement like the rest of us.
The new platform will complete Japan's elaborate three-part Kibo laboratory complex, the station's newest and largest module.
"This has been a long journey for us and our Japanese colleagues," said Scott Higginbotham, who oversees station payloads at NASA's Florida launch site.
For about six years, Japanese space agency technicians have worked side-by-side with NASA personnel in Florida to prepare Kibo. The first two sections of the lab were launched last year and this will complete the structure.
The astronauts plan to conduct five spacewalks to hook up Kibo's new porch, replace batteries on one of the station's solar panel wings and to position spare parts on platforms outside the station. The porch is a platform for experiments that require direct exposure to space - it's not somewhere to enjoy a cool drink in an easy chair and watch the sun go down.
The shuttle and its seven-member crew is scheduled to lift off at 7:17 a.m. EDT/1117 GMT tomorrow for a 16-day mission. Good luck to them...

Tuesday 2 June 2009

No longer the final frontier

There was a time when every little boy wanted to be a spaceman. When space travel was in its infancy the idea of going to the moon fired a whole generation. It was the 60s and everything seemed possible.
Space travel no longer has the same mystique for the young for some reason, which is a shame because going into orbit has never been more achievable.
Where once only a chosen few could dream of space travel, now it is open to almost all thanks to a company offering a training regimen for would-be space tourists that the proprietor describes as "Space Camp on steroids". The center opened for business May 1 at the Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport in Tampa Bay, Fla.
Aurora Aerospace offers enhanced gravity and microgravity aircraft flights and other astronaut training services for paying customers, who would then be prepared for more expensive sub-orbital or even orbital flights.
The complete program includes an aerobatic ride in an L-39 trainer, a two-seat aircraft built in the Czech Republic that is the same type of aircraft used by Russian cosmonauts in their training. The aircraft performs various aerobatic and high G-force maneuvers.
Okay, so it's not quite Neil Armstrong and walking on the moon, but right at the moment, it's the next best thing.

When you're down on solid ground, come and stay at Anna Maria Vacations' wonderful selection of villas, condos and cottages on this delightful island. From two-bed to houses to sleep 12, we have something for everyone. Visit www.annamaria.com for more details