#utahusa

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/book-direct-education-day/

Book Direct Education Day

Travelers take notice -

I have written quite a bit about #Bookdirect because I am passionate about it! I love a good deal and I love sharing with other travelers how to get a good deal! Booking Direct is a good deal all the way around.

What is #BookDirect?

Book Direct is simply cutting out the middlemen fees when booking accommodations for your business trip or vacation. No Vrbo/Homeaway, Airbnb, Booking.com, etc. Just book direct with the owner or manager. Simple.

You, the guest, save money when you Book Direct

The Hospitality Owner saves money

You get better, local (not overseas) customer service

The Owner gets better information

You get personalized ideas and help with your vacation, plus support local businesses.

The Owners get to share their pride in their community with visitors

Help me find a “Book Direct” property.

Look for LOCAL area rental sites. Search for “whatever my destination is”, “vacation rentals” or “Book direct”. Scroll down past the OTA paid ads.

Search on fee-free sites such as VacationSoup.com or Houfy.com

Find a place you like on an OTA, then search the name of the property or owner in search engines and social media. Do an image search. Savvy owners can leave you clues, but direct info is banned from the listing sites. (I had a guest recently follow my breadcrumbs to my website and saved $500 on her family’s stay!)

Search Local area Tourist information sites

Search for Facebook groups dedicated to vacation rentals by owners, fee-free or VRBO/Airbnb alternatives. There are quite a few.

I have a small list of other trusted great owners from around the world. Might spark your next great adventure! https://mystarvr.com/stays-around-the-world/and the #BookDirect Map

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/fascinating-dinosaur-country/

Fascinating Dinosaur Country

Who doesn't love Dinosaurs!? Utah has plenty of Dinosaur history sites to explore but don't miss this great little museum just off Highway 89A on your way to Lake Powell. 57 miles from Kanab and just 13 miles from Lake Powell. The Big Water visitor center is one of four visitor centers in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Each visitor center has a different theme, and Big Water is all about the Big Guys!

Paleontology and Geology explained

You will see:

Vibrant 30' mural depicting Late Cretaceous Period

Real dinosaur fossils on display

Topography relief model of the Monument

Plus get current weather reports, road conditions, and trail updates

You will not need a lot of time here, but worth the stop. The Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is a big place but we found this little gem fascinating. Their book/gift store has a good collection of field guides and souvenirs. Check out the official GSENM website here: https://www.blm.gov/visit/big-water-visitor-center

Utah's Dinosaur History

With fossil records of more dinosaur species than any other state and the most complete record of prehistoric life than any other geographic area on the planet, Utah offers one of the world's largest collections of mounted dinosaur skeletons at over a dozen different museums and actual discovery sites. Dinosaurs should be our state animal.....

Other things to see in the area