Oil spill turns Florida's Panhandle into an incredible value

It's sad but true. BP's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is creating excellent travel opportunities to visit Florida's Panhandle. At a time that is typically very busy along the Gulf Coast, hotels are reporting a huge number of cancellations and plenty of vacancy, even though their beaches haven't yet been impacted by the spill. With the perception that the coastal beaches from Louisiana eastward to Mississippi, Alabama and Florida are covered with oil, travelers have apparently gone elsewhere, leaving hotels, restaurants and other businesses that rely on vacationers in dire straits.

While I would never suggest that it's good news that the Gulf of Mexico spill, which is really more like a drenching, is a good thing, sometimes opportunities arise out of bad situations. And while the hotels and other travel dependent businesses along the gulf coast are clearly hurting, I can't think of a better way to support them than byvisiting and spending money in their communities.

Today's news that the oil spill had reached the beaches of Mississippi and Alabama is very disturbing, but there is a lot more to a vacation than the beach. All of the hotels that are being hurt by a lack of visitors have pools, and some of them are quite spectacular at that. Even if the oil spill does come to Florida's Panhandle which is served primarily through Pensacola and the brand new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport which opened for business on May 23, there is plenty to see and do.Both Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines are serving the new airport. Delta, AirTran, American and Continental all serve Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport.

Should the oil come to the northwest Florida beaches, maybe becoming a volunteer and helping to clean up any mess that comes ashore would add something special to your getaway. The key to budget travel is to prepare in front. When it happens to family trips, globetrotting, well-deserved holidays and/or going to see new locations we have never been before, the fact of cost and budgeting is often in the back of our minds. Organizing and spending our travel budget properly is a priority for most families. Minimizing expending and expenses, while still experiencing your vacation to its fullest, is the key to certain accomplishment and fiscal obligation. Your pocketbook and family will thank you! The thought regarding economizing money while journeying is simple: Even if your personal budget is really small, you can still take a break and enjoy life! Simply put, life is just too short to never step out of the door or leaving the homestead! Also thinking about that while traveling, whether on a funds or not, even the smallest of things can all add op to a big vacation or travel charge!. So, if you are considering a visit to Florida anytime soon, check out the deals at the following websites:

www.southwestvacations.com

www.deltavacations.com

www.aavacations.com

www.covacations.com

Do something patriotic this summer. Support the resorts and communities lining the Gulf of Mexico. You'll be glad you did!

• USATODAY.com - Communities

  content.usatoday.com/blog-index.htm

  Faith and Reason, Green House, Kindness, On Deadline, On Politics, The Oval, Cruise Log, Dispatches, Hotel Check-In, Today in the Sky, Drive On, Campus Rivalry, Daily ...

• International News World News - ABC News

  abcnews.go.com/international

  Get the latest international news and events from Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and more. See world news photos and videos at ABCNews

• U.S. News National News - ABC News

  abcnews.go.com/us

  ABC News reports on United States politics, crime, education, legal stories, celebrities, weather, the economy and more

• CNN Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com

  www.cnn.com/videoVideo U.S Live Schedule Politics Justice

  If you get CNN at home, you can watch it online and on the go for no additional charge.

• Topic Galleries -- OrlandoSentinel.com - Orlando news, information ...

  www.orlandosentinel.com/topic

  Topic galleries provide easy access to stories and photos about people, places, organizations, events and subjects of interest to you. They bring together rich ...

• World Environment News - Planet Ark

  www.planetark.org/enviro-news

  Know your World. Choose your Impact. The World Environment News is a daily environmental update bringing you all the latest environmental stories, pictures and

• As My World Turns What's New and Has My Attention

  maboulette.wordpress.com

  What's New and Has My Attention ... Congratulation Rep. Bachmann you have won the Idiot Award for this remark!

• Local News Pensacola News Journal pnj.com

  www.pnj.com/section/NEWS01

  Local and news and articles stories from the staff of the Penscola News Journal and pnj.com World and national news from news agencies.

• NPR News Vermont Public Radio

  digital.vpr.net/npr-news

  Vermont Public Radio is Vermont's NPR Station and source for VPR News, NPR News, VPR Classical, Vermont Edition, Eye On The Night Sky, and Public Post.

• Window Tinting Training Window Tinting Training Instructions

  window-tint-school.com/?wtt

  Window tinting training and window tinting school Get an automotive career window tinting classes