Golbal Travel Insurance Center

Welcome to the Nation’s capitol! Yes, folks talk politics in this town like the rest of us talk about our sport’s teams. But they aren’t really that bad - the D.C. folk really do know how to loosen up those ties. D.C. is a town that loves its Happy Hour - a time when you can catch up with friends or meet new ones.

We saw you smuggle your after-work change of clothes into your cubicle so that you’re ready for the 5 o’clock bell. Go ahead, leave your car in the office garage - you can always cab it home or Metro it back to work the next morning.

Like most cities, Washington, D.C. is a collection of smaller neighborhoods (there are 14 of them), each having its own flavor and charm. Architecture and attitude changes from one block to the other, creating a cultural patchwork that can be fascinating for locals and tourists alike. The city has plenty of energy from all the politics, government, and colleges in town. From the Vietnamese places in Arlington, V.A. to the charming brownstones of Georgetown; from the urban feel of the Connecticut Corridor near Woodley Park and Cleveland Park to the alternative minded Dupont Circle, each area in this city offers up something unique.

One of our favorite things to do in D.C. is to just waste the day or night away on the Mall. But remember, this is not the shopping type. It’s the Quad or grassy park in between all the cool national monuments and museums in the heart of the city. The Smithsonian museums are free and allow you to explore art, history, space, and much more. You also feel the National pride as you stroll thru the Mall. So, even if you hated science class, you’ll still have fun whispering inside the Capitol rotunda. While in the area, you must stop by the Spy Museum - with all its interesting tidbits about the real James Bonds. Just try to remember your alias as you navigate thru the interactive maze of espionage. And, make a reservation since the lines are known to get a bit out of hand.

Worked up an appetite seeing all those landmarks in our nation’s capitol? When you’ve had your fill of historical lessons and facts that you’ve forgotten since the 6th grade, it’s time to get your groove on. Here then are our journeyPod Picks for wining and dining your own party (political or not), while in D.C.:

Restaurants

CityZen (Downtown) - Located at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (1330 Maryland Avenue SW, at 12th St.), CityZen’s chef extraordinaire, Eric Ziebold was voted as one of ‘America’s Best New Chef’s’ - and the restaurant one of the ‘Hottest Restaurants in the World.” This American-French restaurant (with Asian roots) boasts soaring ceilings and an exhibition kitchen - where you can watch your scrumptious dishes like foie gras risotto, chicken and dumplings or proscuitto with melon get prepared. Three and five-course tasting menus are also available and will not disappoint. With an 800-bottle wine cellar, a sophisticated lounge, dining area, and a signature martini or champagne cocktail - CityZen will allow you to indulge in a fine culinary journey.

Mate (Georgetown) - An upscale Latin-sushi lounge, this place is simply hip. Another jewel in the crown of bar guru Mauricio Fraga-Rosenfeld (creator of Chi-Cha Lounge and Gua-Rapo), this fusion retreat takes over prime corner real estate in one of the last remaining retail spaces at the Ritz-Carlton complex. Known for its verba-mate teas, the restaurant also features imported blends from Argentina mixed with rum and fresh fruit, mojitos and even verba-mate-infused soup. Don’t miss out on the maki-like rolls with zesty Latin ingredients, along with the traditional dishes like platonas. While there’s no dance floor here, Mate turns into a sexy night spot when DJ’s spin. Mate can be found at 3101 K St NW (at 31st St. NW).

Zola (Downtown) - An elegant contemporary place serving American fare, Zola is set amongst restored classic architecture (located in the historic Le Droit Building) and offers an interestingly eclectic wine list. With a little pinch of espionage, patrons can peer through a small spy hole into an adjacent booth and glimpse others feasting on smoked beer and cheddar fondue, roasted lamb tabouleh or potato gnocchi (that’s pronounced enyaw-kees). Though desserts range from simple to sweet, make room for the peanut butter trifle and the chocolate bomb. Zola can be found below the radar at the International Spy museum building at 800 F Street NW (at 8th).

IndeBleu (Downtown) - The motto for this place is: “Mingle below, sup above, seduce throughout.” Combining the intrigue of the Near East, the sophistication and class of Europe, and the style and energy of the capitol of the world, IndeBleu temps you with an experience like no other. Offering a contemporary fusion of French/Indian fare in the main dining room, street foods and world rhythms in the sensual lounge, and playful assortments of cocktail options in the bar -what else do you need? The pillows, sunken nooks and floor-to-ceiling couches do indeed help. This place is especially busy Wednesdays thru Saturdays when DJ’s spin international tunes. IndeBleu can be found at 707 G. St., NW (at 7th St.).

Filomena Ristorante (Georgetown) - One of Washington’s most celebrated authentic Italian restaurants, Filomena is a landmark that has endured the test of time for nearly 25 years. Located in the heart of historic Georgetown (1063 Wisconsin Ave NW, at M St.), “pasta mamas” are known for whipping up enticing homemade pastas in the restaurant’s storefront window. Inside, you’ll be blown away by the lavish portions and the bargain basement (no pun intended - the restaurants is located below street level) $10 lunch buffets. Filomena’s menu takes you on a tour of Italy with its culinary delights, like the pasta mama’s tender ravioli stuffed with Italian cheeses and spinach and gnocchi della. As for a sweet ending of your tour, you won’t miss out by choosing any of the awesome cakes baked daily in Filomena’s own bakery.

Mie N Yu (Georgetown) - This place is so exotic, you’ll be fooled into thinking you’re in a completely different country. Formerly the space of Georgetown Station, everything about this place is a feast for the senses. Nearly every inch of the 7,000-square foot restaurant/bar is adorned with red and fuchsia silks, brocade and velvet, antiques, relics and other colorful trinkets reminiscent of a Moroccan bazaar. A Silk Road theme throughout, Mie N Yu gives anyone and everyone license to recline in the Dragon Lounge, sip cocktails in the Red Baroque dining room and order food and specialty drinks in the Turkish Tent or Tibetan harem room (keep on the lookout for the wrought-iron bird cage). An English-inspired bar, complete with DJs spinning eclectic grooves from across the globe, rounds out this unique dining destination. At 3125 M St. NW (at Wisconsin Ave.).

Local 16 (U Street Corridor) - This place may sound like a place for union workers, but the name really just refers to its location. A dinner-only destination for grown-ups, Local 16 is notches above its neighbors and wonderfully below the radar screen of the “bridge and tunnel crowd.” Eating here means eating with the locals. A split between a hip bar/lounge and a cozy dining room, Local 16 serves amazing dishes like the fried oyster po’ boy and coleslaw and the salmon with haricot verts. After 11 p.m., you’ll notice most of the diners piling out and the locals piling in. Checkout two indoor bars, an outdoor terrace bar, DJ’s and a mixed crowd of folk who just want a pint. Local 16 is located at 1602 U St. NW (at New Hampshire Ave. NW).

LIMA (Downtown) - This resto-lounge on K Street offers strong Latin influences on its menu - with a few international-fusion curveballs to keep things interesting. With a dining room above and a lounge in the basement, LIMA is dark, sultry and sexy. Just be careful of indulging to the point of losing your footing on the “invisible staircase”! Representing a winning combination of cuisine, design and ambiance, LIMA will have your palette tantalized with sensual and savory dishes that include ceviche, salad, steaks and seafood. At 1401 K Street NW (at 14th and K Sts.).

Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar (Capitol Hill) - A new wine bar and restaurant in - of all places - Capital Hill. Though it sounds an odd place to open such a trendy, hip restaurant/bar, success speaks for itself. Their menu bears a southern European influence, and it offers the best cheeses and meats of the Italian, French, & Spanish variety - all served in various combinations with olives and other treats on a wood cutting board. Sonoma also has, arguably, the largest collection of wines by the glass or by the flight. Sonoma is located at 223 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (2nd Street S.E.).

Galileo’s (Foggy Bottom) - Renowned for its Italian and innovative cuisine, Galileo himself would have been proud of this place. It has been recognized by food critics as one of the best Italian restaurants in the country and Roberto Donna as one of the nation’s best chefs. The restaurant’s daily-changing menu offers numerous dining options: a casual meal at the bar, an elegant meal in the main dining room; and a culinary cr

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Ever go on a family vacation that no one enjoyed because of the tedious travel time? Your next vacation doesn’t have to be that way. Travel board games can keep the kids busy in the back seat while the the miles quietly disappear.

Board games have always been a wonderful way to get family and friends to spend time together. They encourage communication, imagination, and teach children about winning and losing. In today’s world of video games and online games, board games make for a breath of fresh air.

We all need a vacation once in a while, but the traveling can be quite a horror story, especially for families with young children. In the past, board games have been more trouble than they were worth, due to the lack of space and the ease with which pieces go missing. But with the arrival of travel board games, children can enjoy their favorite games, whether in the car, on a plane or riding the rails.

Classic Games

The Scrabble Travel edition is always popular, with a board recessed to hold the pieces in place. This way you can stop midway and resume your game after a lunch break. It also has a compact board and carrying case, which doesn’t take too much space in your luggage. Scrabble is one of the classic board games, appealing to the intellect of every age. When your children are busy engrossed in making words, the miles will appear to pass in no time.

For the younger age group, there’s travel versions of Hungry Hippos, Connect 4, Guess Who and many others. Each game comes in a compact, convenient case, for easy use and storage.

Manufacturers are recognizing the need for travel board games, especially since they’ve gradually become more popular. With this in mind, they’ve also developed combination games. For instance, you may have Chinese checkers on one side of the board or box, and a Chess game on the flip side. Or Snakes and Ladders on one side, and Trouble on the flip side. These travel editions always come with magnetic counters and roll-o-matic dices. So, even if the ride is a little bumpy, your game can continue smoothly.

Other board games are available in the electronic version, including the popular Battleship and Connect Four. Though they’re often better suited for single players, they’re also often criticized for their small screens which may strain a child’s eyes.

You can also easily find pocket size and miniature games on the market today. Try your local toy store or hobby shop, or check out the travel games that are available online before you take that next vacation.

Many families may not have the luxury of dedicating a weeknight for family game night, but when they’re all ‘confined’ in a car for five hours, travel board games can help create wonderful memories for the future - even if it is just until the next McDonalds.

If you’d like to discover more travel board games, as well as many other board games, visit: Board Games For Everyone.

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How do you get prospects to become clients? What extra can you add to your presentation to make the sale? Why not try an incentive? The three top incentives to get people to do anything is cash, products and travel. Cash incentives cost the most and believe it or not are the least effective. The reason being is that you pay dollar for dollar and what little cash you offer is used to pay bills and is quickly forgotten. Products work quite well, and it is true you can by them at a discount off retail but the problem is, most of your clients already have everything. It is almost impossible to guess what they want. Printed mugs, shirts, pens are very old fashioned. What is left to offer, a CD player?

Vacation and travel incentives are one of the most powerful methods of attracting business, retaining profitable clients, increasing profits, enhancing product awareness, and improving employee productivity. Businesses who have used vacation incentives in their marketing and promotions have seen at least 30% increase in their sales!

Why not recreation travel? First of all it is the cheapest. The most successful travel promotion in the country today (I will be mentioning it later in this article) cost 1.5% of its market value! More important recreation travel appeals to everyone. And travel is a long lasting gift. For example, think of all the preparation that goes into effect for a long vacation. Then think of all the pictures that you take during your vacation and remember for a lifetime. That’s right. Memories of a vacation can last forever! How is that for a great incentive! To show you how powerful recreational travel is just look at the most popular screen savers on everyone’s computer. You won’t find pictures of money. You won’t find pictures of products. What you will find is everyone’s dream vacation resort with palm trees in the background. Get the picture! The first words from most lottery winners are - “The first thing I am going to do is go on a long vacation”. I assume you get the point that recreation travel is one hell of an incentive.

According to the results of an email survey conducted by the Incentive Travel Fact Book, 58% say travel is more effective than cash or merchandise. Survey respondents consider travel to be the most effective reward. “Cash bonuses are necessary but travel is a higher reward”, says Verizon’s Porterfield. Porterfield added, “When people spend their money, its gone. But the recognition that comes from travel incentives lives on”. Additionally, in a recent survey of American workers, 85% said they were motivated by vacation travel incentives.

Incentive magazine in their September2003 issue said travel is remembered two to one over cash or merchandise and a USA Today survey said “93% preferred travel over other incentives”. Incentive Magazine said business respondents to a recent survey said travel incentives meet 99% of their objectives.

Travel incentives make great sales incentives. In a special report in Promo Magazine, it was noted that LifeUSA attracted new agents and sent sales soaring by abandoning its annual cash incentive program for an inclusive campaign that gave out merchandise and travel. By the program’s conclusion enrollments exceeded LifeUSA’s initial goal by 700%!

Travel incentives make great employee incentives. Target Appliances President Daryl Gamerman in Maryland said, “We introduced our first travel incentive for sales employees five years ago and since then we’ve only lost staff due to retirement. I don’t ever have a problem with our sales people not working hard or volunteering for extra work, because they know it will help them qualify for a great trip”.

Travel incentives builds customer loyalty. The Frequent Builders Program at Garco Building systems offered travel awards to individuals. Since launching the program, Garco has experienced a 15% to 25% growth rate, compared to the industry standard of 2% to 3%.

COST OF TRAVEL INCENTIVES

Now lets get to the best part. You can buy recreation travel wholesale, and I mean really wholesale. Look at these figures.

VACATION INCENTIVE COST MARKET VALUE

Two night stay for two
at major resort $16 $400.00

Three day cruise for two
to Mexico or Bahamas $50 $1,500.00

Round-trip airline tickets for two
To major resorts throughout
North America $30 $2,000.00

Seven night eight day vacation
At major resort including round trip
airfare $1,000 $3,500.00

O.K. take your pick. All these vacation incentives are marketed through
my company, We are the premier travel incentive company in North America and provide companies with an inexpensive way of leveraging the most exciting and effective promotional premium available today. Travel! For the past 16 years, we have been helping business owners attract new customers, generate leads, referrals and appointments and helping retain good employees using an extraordinary inexpensive travel promotion. We are a certified full-service travel agency and a member of the leading travel agency associations.

Let me describe our signature travel incentive, called Fly Free America.

Here is what our travel incentive includes:

1. Two Complimentary Roundtrip Airline Tickets to four & five star domestic and international destinations worth over $2,000![ at a recent charity auction, these two tickets sold for $1,000.]

2. Travel on all major airlines to over 47 four & five star hotels, all-inclusive resorts, and condos in Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, Lake Tahoe, etc.

3. Great hotel rates 365 days of the year, Prices start at $130 per night [Stay in Hawaii or the Bahamas for only $179 per night]

4. Tickets good for three years

5. No restrictions, airfare good from Jan 1 through Dec 31.

6. Kids under 12 stay FREE at our resorts.

7. Frequent Flier mileage accepted on all our flights

8. Tickets are good from any airport in the U.S. or Canada.

9. Absolutely no Timeshares are associated with our incentives.

Unlike other travel incentive companies, we are a high-touch company. We are known by the company we keep. Our partial client list includes the FBI, Federal Express, American Express, Auto Nation, MBNA Bank, Time-Life, Citibank, Marriott, and Sprint, to name a few. Fly Free America is trusted by these and hundreds of other companies to facilitate client and employee acquisition/retention programs.

If you think offering a travel incentive program is expensive, think again. Our travel incentive of two complimentary roundtrip tickets on major airlines costs you only $30.00 or less in volume while your customers/employees get a luxurious dream vacation with a savings value in airfare of $2,000. Over 90% of the businesses who use Fly Free America as an incentive in their business reorder the program. OVER 8 MILLION HAVE BEEN SOLD!

Our customers have been using our travel premiums successfully for over 16 years to:

Increase Revenue - New Customer Acquisition
Grow Sales of their Existing Base and increase Customer Retention
Generate More Lead Referrals from Customers

Reward and Motivate Sales Personnel
Improve Morale through Employee Reward & Benefit Programs
Increase Contract/Warranty and/or Service Package Renewals

Success Stories:
Citibank - new credit card activation (25% increase)
MBNA Bank - to activate new credit card accounts (60% increase)
American Express - catalogue promotions (customer retention / rewards)

Sprint - to activate new cell phone accounts (30% new business)
Nextel - to activate new cell phone accounts (35% increase in activation)

Blue Beard’s Castle - lead generation (purchase 1000 units/month for nine-year period - zero consumer complaints)
MCG Marketing - purchase 600 units/month for 6 years. (35% increase in their warranty business)
Fraternal Order of Police - increased the # of donations by an average of over 700%
… and hundreds more.

Because we travel hundreds of FBI agents a year, our travel professionals treat everyone who calls to redeem the vouchers as if they were an FBI agent–with the highest level of courtesy, respect, and impeccable customer service. Hundreds of Thousands of people have gone on vacation through Fly Free America’s travel incentive program and we have not had a documented consumer complaint in our history, since 1989!

So you can better understand how our Fly Free America Incentive program and other incentive programs have been used by other companies, I would be happy to email to you a complete description of our product line. My email is RudyChimo@optinware.com - for your subject please put - Saw your article on (Whatever) or call me at (Phone Number).

If you are interested in publishing this article on your website or ezine please feel free to do so without changing anything about the article including the bottom tag lines.
Please notify us at Chad@travel-free-america.com as to where and how it’s going to be published. Thank you.

http://www.Travel-Free-America.com/whois.html

© 2004 Chad Deckard and Rudy Chimo

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