Columbus Travel Insurance Center

When you rent a motor home or take off in your own RV, you may already know exactly where you want to go, but sometimes you just want to get away and you are not quite sure where you should go-or you want some ideas for stops along the way. No matter what your motor home travel needs are, you can find plenty of resources to help you discover some great places to camp and visit. You can find information on motor home travel on the internet, from an RV club, in magazines, or from asking other RV owners.

Just as the internet is a great source for all kinds of other information, it is also a great source for information on recreational vehicle travel. There are sites specifically designed for motor home travelers and owners. You can find suggestions for trips to take, listings of campgrounds which include information about hookups, amenities, and also cost. You can also learn what you should pack on your motor home voyage and also any maintenance tips for getting your RV ready for the road. Local, state and national park sites have information about camping in an RV as well.

You may want to consider buying or subscribing to an RV or travel magazine to find suggestions for your next road trip. They may even have tours that you can sign up for or sample itineraries to try.

Exclusive RV clubs often maintain online message boards and e-magazines that you can look at for travel tips. You may even find a rally for RV owners that interests you.

Talking to other recreational vehicle owners that you know is one of the best ways to find out about RV trips that you can take. You can easily discuss what your likes and dislikes are.

RV travel puts the world in your reach.

Julie Jacobs writes articles about RVs, and how to finance them. For more information about traveling in a motor home visit domotorhomes.com.

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General summary of the city
Hasselt is the capital city of the province of Limburg. Though it may not have the charm of other cities in Belgium, it has a hospitable aura to it. The affable town with a population of about 77,000 people is reputed for its nightlife, shops and its pedestrian center. So famous is the friendly nature of its citizens, then quite aptly two years ago, Hasselt acquired the status as ‘most sociable city of Flanders.’

Hasselt came into existence in the 7th century on the Heelbeek, a tributary of the river of Demer. The name Hasselt comes from Hasaluth, which means hazelwood. The city of Hasselt is reputed to be home for interesting buildings like St. Quentin’s Cathedral, the abbey of Hercekenrode in Kuringen and Refugehuis. In fact, the Refugehuis is the oldest building in the city. The city is also famous for numerous museums like the National Genever Museum, the Stellingwerff-Waerdenhof Museum etc.

The Demerstraat and the Koning Albertstraat are two of the famous shop streets in the city. The shops Hoogstraat and Kapelstraat are household names; however the items that they sell are premium priced. With the opening of the modern shopping complex three years ago, Hasselt has become all the more popular. In fact many regard the city as an example city for good manners, good facilities and etiquette.

Places of interest:
The Japanese Garden is one of the most beautiful sights in Hasselt. It is located in the Kaparmolen Park in the north-east part of the city. It is open from April to October at designated timings. The Japanese people from Itami, which is Hasselt’s sister city designed the garden as per the 17th century model. The Japanese Garden is the biggest Japanese garden in Europe and has about 250 Japanese cherry trees. Various events in relation to the Japanese culture takes place in the Japanese garden.

The most important church of Hasselt is the Saint Quintinus Cathedral. It was in this place that the first settlements in the Hasselt area were formed. The church, and especially the tower, reveals the different building stages of the town. The lower part of it shows the remnants of the Romanesque church that stood during the 12th century.

In the Kapelstraat, in proximity to the Market Square is the Church of Our Lady. On the same spot a chapel was built in the 14th century by the members of the Our Lady Virga Jesse fraternity. The statue of the Virga Jesse, a Madonna statue belonging to the 14th century is a popular tourist attraction. Some other interesting sights are the Baroque Altar and the tombs of the abbesses of the Abbey of Herkenrode.

Things to do:
Among all things you can do when you are in Hasselt is visit its museums.

Hasselt has a museum called the National Genever Museum, dedicated to the popular local drink, jenever. In the museum, the visitors can learn about the history and the distillation of their favorite alcoholic drink.

The Fashion Museum gives a nice overview of the evolution of fashion. You can partake in the theme expositions which are feature here regularly.

The Stellingwerff-Waerdenhof Museum is home to rare historical artifacts and documents about the history of the evolution of Hasselt, Limburg and the County of Loon. What you get to see here are ceramic objects, church treasures, paintings and other articles of historic importance.
There are a lot of places and boutiques to shop from in Hasselt. The shopping street is lined with ordinary fashion shops. The street is broad and there is less traffic. After shopping, you can relax your tired feet by sitting on the benches along the pedestrian sidewalks.

The ‘Fruitmarkt’ reveals the first statue of many to follow. The first statue which meets you when you enter the town is the equestrian one made by Marc Cox as a tribute to Arnold IV, who was the Count of Loon. Arnold IV was the person who confirmed the rights of a “city” to Hasselt in a Charter of Liberty.

The Grote Markt (Market Square) is the biggest open space in the city. You can have a gala time here, as this place is a hum-drum of business. A center of all commercial activities, it is also a place to wine and dine to your heart’s content.

Food and Drink:
The famous flavored alcoholic beverage, spiced with juniper berries called ‘Jenever’ is very much loved in Hasselt. In fact there are quite a few factories and industries dedicated to the production and distribution of jenever. The cuisines are a mix of French and Flemish. Like most parts of Belgium, people in Hasselt are fond of mussels complimented with mayonnaise and French fries. By the way, did you know that the famous “French fries” are actually Belgian? History has it that American, English and Canadian troops discovered them when they arrived at the Flanders coast during the First World War. During those times, the Belgian Army spoke French and gave the term “French fries.” Belgian or French, the world loves French fries and Hasselt is no exception.
Other than jenever, the all time favorite Beer and French wines also score high with most people. People favour the dark double lager beer and the white beer. There are some people who go for the lambic beer which is fermented drink with a fruity flavor.

Non-vegetarian food like sea food, chicken, paling in’t groen (eel with vegetables and herbs) are generally eaten voraciously here. The hotels deal in traditional Flemish dish, Mediterranean food and French cuisine. There are some hotels which also serve ethnic and continental food. Biscuits and Waffles served with chocolate and icing sugar are also served to sweeten the tastebuds.

Hotel and Accommodation:

Entertainment:
The Ethias Arena and Grenslandhallen in Hasselt are popular event centers. Both are known to be a foundation to stage an array of events lining from classic to the contemporary. The infrastructure of the auditoriums and the seating capacity has to be seen to be believed. Both the entertainment venues are equipped with high quality acoustic sound. With an ultra chic infrastructure and fibre optic network, you can be assured to get the best in terms of visual appeal and sound.

Concerts, theatrical events, shows, fairs, exhibitions, parties, dances, skits, sporting events are all played in Ethias Arena and Grenslandhallen. Not only are they entertaining to the common public, but they also form a profitable avenue for business people to showcase and exhibit their products and services through seminars, meetings and exhibitions.

Shopping is another form of indulging and pampering oneself. In fact, more than 175,000 tourists come to the city each week to shop and it goes without saying the Hasselt is one of the biggest shopping cities in Belgium.

Kiewit in Hasselt is the venue for the annual Pukkelpop festival, which is Europe’s biggest alternative music festival with more than hundred concerts being played at the end of August. Rimpelrock, a musical festival for the elderly people (over 50 years of age) are also played here.

Biography:
Author: Meredith Booney
Website: http://www.belgiumcities.info Meredith Booney is a freelance travel writer with over 20 years of experience writing for travel journals, newspapers and magazines. Belgium Tourist Information.

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My wife and I travel a lot. Recently, we’ve been to Hawaii, Europe, on Caribbean cruises and to cities on both coasts. We dread the usual airport hassles with increased security concerns. But we’ve figured a way to make most of it bearable. It all stems from the amount of luggage you bring. And that is determined by knowing what to take and how to pack. We went to Europe with a single 22″ carry-on bag each and that included a tour of the Mediterranean over ten days. So how did we manage to cram all those clothes into that tiny space? If I told you I invented an incredible shrinking machine would you believe me? Okay, I’ll come clean.

My wife and I got smart. We didn’t want to have to check bags through the system at the risk of them being lost, broken, or stolen. And we both already own wheeled, carry-on luggage, with multiple compartments that have the expandable feature. So we decided to re-think what we really need for our travel. And that’s the operative word: ‘need.’ Now my wife is a lovely lady with a penchant for shoes and handbags. She also has a sizeable wardrobe. But, when considering the requirements for a week and a half trip, she has become ruthless in her decisions. For instance, does she ‘need’ five pairs of shoes and five matching handbags? How about five or six complete outfits?

So, instead, she starts with the absolute essentials. It begins with toiletries and cosmetics and the very basics of each. Toss in any hair care devices and we have a foundation. Of course, we now have to remember the TSA exceptions like toothpaste and liquids. Then she considers the weather and what is appropriate. I must add that we went in the spring when the European temperature was in the low seventies. Otherwise, we might have brought coats as well, but they would have been worn onto the plane. Continuing, she picked several mix and match tops, pants, and skirts that could be used several times. Finally, she finished with undergarments and any small extras that could be squeezed in. The bag and compartments were full, but not bursting at the seams, either.

It takes courage to weed out the non-essentials and force yourselves to live with the same clothes for that long a time. But, we made the choice and were happy with the result. Just learning which shoes, are both practical and comfortable, makes a huge difference as they take up so much space. We try to keep the clothes equally appropriate to our needs and pack the bare minimum. Our only exception is a small tote that can carry purchased souvenirs and our portable DVD player for viewing our own movies on the plane. It also accommodates our his-and-hers MP3 players and earphones, that can also be used with the DVD.

Having one piece of luggage per person makes getting through security a breeze. We also have the peace of mind that all our possessions are with us at all times. We’ve even thought of washing some things if necessary, because every hotel has facilities available for that very purpose. But the convenience of carefree travel is the reward.

So, the next time you plan your vacation, consider how much better it might be with single carry-ons. Otherwise, you’re back waiting by the luggage carousel hoping to spot that bag of yours. Because, in that case, I can almost hear you saying, “Is that the right one coming up over there? Gosh, I hope it’s not the one that’s already popped open.”

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years.
He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master’s Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, “Pursuit of the
Phoenix.” His latest book is, “Inside the Yellow Pages” which can be seen at his website, http://www.poweradbook.com. Currently, he is the Marketing Director for thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.

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