Tips For Pet Friendly Travel Accommodations

According to research, over half of Americans consider their pet part of the family. So, it’s no surprise when you want to bring your fun loving fur friend with you while traveling. To make your quest easier on everyone, we recommend following the steps below. It will help guarantee that you will enjoy a leisurely vacation with your loved ones.

Step One: Ask Questions
When calling hotel chains or state cabins, be sure to ask multiple questions regarding their pet policy. Many of these policies will have multiple rules in place. For example, they will allow a small pet or dog. However, the pet cannot exceed a certain weight limit. Some hotel chains will even have a rule such as pets are only allowed in carriers, etc. The hotel manager should be able to answer your questions over the phone, but it is always a good idea to request a hard copy. They can e-mail or fax you the information.

Step Two: Check Room Capabilities
You may want to check what the room amenities are, regardless if you are staying in a pet friendly cabin or hotel. If your pet has special diet needs, you may need a stove or refrigerator. It is also a good idea to find out if there are trails or pet friendly parks nearby. That way you will be able to give your pet much needed exercise.

Step Three: Find Out If It’s Really Pet Friendly
When traveling with pets you will quickly learn that there is a difference between pet friendly lodging and tolerant lodging. A pet friendly cabin or hotel will provide easy clean up surfaces, doggie bags, and some will even offer treats. Most of these locations will also allow your pet to run loose in the room while pet tolerant lodging will only allow them inside a certain square footage.

Step Four: Gear Up For Your Pet Travel Needs
When taking a trip with pet in tow, remember that they will have special travel needs. You may want to pad their kennel with pillows or towels so that they are comfortable. You may also want to take along extra bags for accidents, treats, and small trays to pour water in while stopping for a break.

Pet Friendly Getaways in North Carolina

Summer is right around the corner, and perhaps you’re already planning your vacation. If you’re like most pet parents, it’s probably difficult to imagine going on vacation without your pet. So don’t even consider that thought for a moment. With so many pet friendly accommodations, it’s easy to plan a trip that includes your pet. After all, your pet is part of the family and deserves a vacation, too.

Whether you’re planning a relaxing getaway at the beach or an adventurous trip to the mountains, North Carolina offers a vast array of experiences for you and your furry companion. Not only do many pet friendly accommodations provide all of the amenities that you expect when you’re away from home, but they also offer special amenities for your pet. Although North Carolina has many pet friendly lodging options, the following are just a small sampling of this beautiful state’s pet friendly accommodations.

Barkwells Vacation Retreat – Located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Mills River, Barkwells features seven pet friendly luxury rental cabins on more than eight acres of fenced meadows. You and your dog can play in the meadows or simply relax on the porch, which overlooks a pond. Don’t worry: Your dog is welcome to splash around in the pond, swimming and playing to his heart’s content. Each cabin has a gated porch, dog door and fenced yard, so your dog can play or nap in a safe environment if you’re away for the day.

Brindley Beach Vacations – Conveniently located in Corolla on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Brindley Beach offers more than 130 pet friendly vacation homes that welcome dogs. Play on the beach with your dog and watch as he frolics in the sand and surf, swims in the ocean or chases crabs. After a day at the beach, unwind with a relaxing walk on one of the nearby biking/jogging trails that are ideal for dog walking.

Fire Mountain Inn – This secluded mountaintop retreat, situated a few miles outside of Highlands, features luxury pet friendly cabins with magnificent views. You and your dog can run and play on more than 50 acres of open pastures and meadows. If you’re feeling more adventurous, explore the hiking trails, located on top of Fire Mountain at an elevation of more than 4,000 feet.

Hidden Creek Cabins – These pet friendly cabin rentals, located in the Great Smoky Mountains in Bryson City, offer fantastic experiences for you and your pet. It’s no secret that dogs love taking walks, so put on your walking shoes and explore the hiking and walking trails designated as pet friendly. Or visit Island Park, located in the heart of downtown, and enjoy a picnic. Hidden Creek Cabins also welcomes cats.

William & Garland Motel – This small, family-owned, pet friendly motel on the Salter Path Dunes Natural Area in Salter Path is located in the middle of Bogue Banks on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. Enjoy a leisurely day on the beach, playing with your four-legged friend, or take a walk at one of the motel’s pet-designated areas. The motel also welcomes cats.

Duke Tower Hotel & Condominiums – Located in Durham, this pet friendly hotel is minutes from Duke University. Enjoy the sights in this beautiful area, and after a day of fun-filled activities, take your dog for a walk across the street from the hotel on the American Tobacco Trail. You can also explore the walking trail on Duke University’s East Campus, which allows dogs. Cats are also welcome at the hotel.
Planning a vacation with your pet requires some preparation, so do your homework to make sure that the pet friendly property where you want to stay is a good fit for you and your pet. To learn more about these and other pet friendly hotels & accommodations in North Carolina, visit TripsWithPets.com. Doing a little research will ensure that you and your pet have a fun and safe vacation, and you’ll create memories that you’ll cherish for a lifetime.

Kim Salerno is the President & Founder of TripsWithPets.com. She founded the pet travel site in 2003 and is an expert in the field of pet travel. Her popular web site features pet friendly hotels & accommodations across the U

Travel Safety – The Top 5 Security Products That Any Traveller Needs

Are you a traveller who takes every new mod-con with them when travelling overseas? Or are you so afraid of being pick-pocketed or mugged that you don’t actually enjoy the culture and your surroundings? Read the Top 5 Security Products that any traveller needs when overseas.

1. Padlock or Combination Lock
Padlocks and combination locks are the most versatile security products when travelling overseas. You should be using them from the time you leave your front door to the time when you return again.

You can buy a set of 4 padlocks that all have the same key. This way you don’t need to carry with you a whole set of keys just to get into your luggage! Or try a combination lock. No keys are involved, but you do need to remember the combination. Make sure the lock actually fits through the zippers of your luggage!

Either way, padlocks and combination locks are very handy to:

Lock your luggage while on public transport or left in the hotel’s luggage room.
Lock the locker or storage box in your dorm room.
You can even use them to lock 2 or 3 pieces of luggage together. This makes them harder to pick up and steal.
2. Money Belt
An easy way to hide your money or credit cards when travelling is to use a money belt. They come in a huge range of options from neck pouches, waist bands, actual belts with zipper sections and even leg straps. All these are great ways to protect your belongings.

If you keep these money belts under your clothing, there is virtually no way you can be pick-pocketed. However, if you are constantly taking money out of your money belt in a public place, it will make it very obvious to any thieves who may try to mug you. We recommend that you still use a wallet with a small amount of money in it and save your money belt for your cash, passport and credit cards.

3. Cable Lock
Use a cable lock to lock pieces of luggage together in a luggage room, or connect your luggage around a seat while you are sleeping. They can be opened with a key or by combination. They are a great security product to use if you use a lot of public transport.

We have used them to put through zippers and through other padlocks to hold them together. On overnight trains, we placed a bell on the cable, so no one could touch our backpacks without us hearing them.

4. Mesh Security Products
Mesh security products are becoming very popular with tourists, especially with people who haven’t travelled before. They will give you the peace of mind that your backpack can’t be slashed.

They are basically a handbag, backpack, camera case or many other types of luggage with a metal mesh sewed into the lining of the bag and the strap. This will stop any potential thief from slashing your bag. It will not however, stop you from a snatch-and-run attack.

If you are planning to buy mesh security products, make sure you buy one with the mesh sewed into the lining. Do not buy a mesh that goes over your luggage. They are cumbersome and very fiddly to attach and attach properly.

5. TSA locks
What are TSA locks I hear you ask? TSA stands for the Transportation Security Administration, an agency of the US department of homeland security. A TSA lock is a special type of padlock or combination lock that can be opened by customs officials when entering the USA.

If you do not use a TSA lock, there is the potential that your padlocks / combination locks will be broken by customs officials. There is also the potential that they might cut into your luggage.

Above are the Top 5 security products that all travellers should use. This is not dependent on travel style, budget, age or travel destination. These items will keep your belongings safe!

A team of four dedicated and experienced travellers have come together to form Trusty Travel Tips [http://www.trusty-travel-tips.com]. We provide great travel tips and advice on planning your adventure, what to pack, how to pack and what to expect when travelling on the road.

You may be interested in our tips and advice on travel security accessories that will keep your belongings safe or the best travel accessories to pack

4 Reasons The Study Of Organizational Behavior Is Imperative

The managers or entrepreneurs are the leaders who can shape the success of their organization. For a successful run, a leader needs to ensure that the business carries out its internal and core operations Organizational Behavior plays a vital role in any enterprise’s success. It outlines the system in which the company will run, where it’ll fit in the industry and it also decides the future of the company. It defines the vision, mission, and goals of the company and outlines a way in which the members of the company will interact with each other. Thus, every manager or entrepreneur should learn the core principles of Organizational Behavior for the success of the business. Here are a few more reasons that exemplify the significance of the study of organizational behavior:

1. It helps in understanding the mission of the enterprise
Every organization has its quintessence or its purpose of carrying out the intended operations. Organizational behavior aids the entrepreneurs in defining the task of the organization- what a company will do and how it’ll do it. It defines an infrastructure that will be followed by the company throughout its run. It also emphasizes on establishing a mission statement that the company wants to achieve through its operations. The mission is not only monetary but it speaks of the company’s culture and aims at bringing a change in the lives of the customers, stakeholders and all the people involved with the company. The mission statement tells everyone about the goals of the organization and can be used to gauge the effectiveness of its operations.

2. It aids in establishing clear expectations
The organizational behavior not only helps in establishing a mission, but it also helps the managers or entrepreneurs in setting expectations for the employees, stakeholders as well as the customers. It helps in formulating the chain of command performed by each employee and also decides the kinds of vendors and customers the company should expect.

3. It helps in better decision making
The organizational behavior paves way for uniformity in the company and its core values. The establishment of the uniform mission, actions and messages facilitate the managers to make better decisions that are fruitful for the company. Organizational Behavior entails an identity to the organization so the managers can make their decision aligning with the nature of operations of the organization.

4. It ensures that managers hire the right person
The employees are the main pillars of organizational behavior. The people that bring new ideas and passion to the organization are considered as the perfect employees for the organization. If the organizational behavior is clearly defined, the newly employed candidates can easily understand their duties and it also makes easy for the managers to hire the right people and communicate with them effectively.