VACATION

Volunteer vacations are popular with gap-year students, retired seniors, and millions of people in between. Perhaps you’re just starting to travel again, for the first time in a long time, considering the pandemic, and you’re thinking about a volunteer vacation.

Multiple Houston-area hotels were ranked among the best places to stay in Texas. This information comes courtesy of Yelp, the crowd-sourced review website we’ve all turned to for recommendations at one point or another.

As summer approaches, travel is on the brain of so many -- especially after the last year we’ve had, cooped up and fighting COVID-19.

If you’re anything like me, you are ready for a vacation.

There seems to be a buzz in the air -- on social media and in person, more and more people are chatting about the places they’ll go, now that the COVID-19 vaccine is readily available and the world of travel is reopening to the masses.

He’s sober and doesn’t want to be judged by old misdeeds.

EL PASO, Texas – “Toy Story” is the most iconic animated movie in the history of animated movies. Not only was it the first feature film from Pixar Animation, but it was also the first feature film to be completely computer-animated. An Airbnb rental in El Paso is giving visitors the full “Toy Story” experience. "Toy Story" house in El Paso. (Airbnb.com)"Toy Story" house in El Paso.

"The Bachelor" mansion available for rent on Airbnb. (Airbnb.com)"The Bachelor" mansion available for rent on Airbnb. (Airbnb.com)"The Bachelor" mansion available for rent on Airbnb. (Airbnb.com)"The Bachelor" mansion available for rent on Airbnb. (Airbnb.com)"The Bachelor" mansion available for rent on Airbnb.

COVID-19 threw a huge wrench in everyone’s 2020 plans. For many engaged couples that meant being forced to change wedding dates and cancel or postpone honeymoon plans. Now, newly weds are re-booking trips, coined ‘First Moon Trips’ because they are shorter, closer to home and more affordable. Travelzoo senior editor, Gabe Saglie is sharing what to know before you book and the top 5 destinations for couples. 55% of couples say they’re comfortable traveling anywhere regionally (ie.

CANCUN, Mexico – Jessica Galvan said her trip to Cancun with her husband turned out very differently than they planned. The Houstonians said that they were evacuated from their hotel as soon as they check-in. Officials ordered evacuations of Cancun’s hotel zone and other coastal areas and even opened the city’s convention center as a shelter as Hurricane Delta barreled down on the Yucatan Peninsula. Galvan said that waiting has been the most difficult part and at this point, they don’t know when they will be able to make it back to Texas. “We don’t know what the damage to the airport will be, so who knows if we can even take a flight tomorrow back,” said Galvan.

HOUSTON Fire lookout towers are available for rent across the nation for around $40 per night. The fire towers, plus additional reactional cabins and lodgings, book up as soon as the US Forest Service makes them available each winter. This year, like most things with COVID-19, things are different. If you are interested in renting a fire lookout tower, you should check recreation.gov every week for cancellations. According to CNN, Idaho and Montana are the states with the most lookouts.

I cant wait to go back. -- Facebook follower Jc ChesserThere are just SO MANY great places. But, my Husband & I recently spent a week at the South Shore Harbor Resort in League City. As you can see by my picture it overlooks the harbor and has great views! It was a nice resort. --Facebook follower Tori LeeMcDonald Observatory, far out in the base of the Rockies in west Texas. Its a beautiful, fascinating, and rare experience. - Facebook follower Katie DavisHeres what other Houstonians recommend:Fredericksburg, TexasBig Bend National ParkNew Braunfels, TexasGuadalupe River State ParkGalveston IslandWhats your favorite vacation spot?

Our KPRC 2 followers on Facebook and Instagram shared their summer plans with us and how they plan to do it safely. Surprisingly, according to Key, it was a little empty when she visited on Memorial Day weekend. Several Instagram followers pointed out the main image we shared on our account, which was Big Bend National Park. Looks beautiful! said Instagram follower dgvtx82. What are your summer plans?

So do any additional Disney parks have firmly scheduled, announced opening dates? "We're moving slowly, but we're very encouraged by what we see in Shanghai," Chapek said Monday. Taking reservationsBut adding to the intrigue and desire: Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is now taking reservations for travel July 1 and afterward. At the Shanghai reopening, roaming Disney characters gave waves instead of hugs. Disney SpringsFor Americans who simply need a taste of anything Disney, the Florida resort is reopening Disney Springs, a collection of retail shops, entertainment spots and restaurants, on May 20.

ORLANDO – Disney Cruise Line announced Wednesday that all cruises that were set to sail through July 28 have now been canceled. According to a news release, the decision to cancel future trips was made with direction from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention due to the coronavirus outbreak. Guests who were currently booked on one of the affected sailings will be offered the choice of a cruise credit to be used for a future sailing within 15 months of their original sail date, or a full refund. Guests and travel agents will receive an email from Disney Cruise Line outlining details and next steps. Those who booked with Disney Cruise Line and have questions after receiving the email should call contact Disney by calling (866) 325-6685 or (407) 566-7797.

(CNN) – Hawaii's state agency that is dedicated to welcoming visitors to the state is temporarily helping those visitors leave. The Hawaii Tourism Authority has set aside $25,000 for the costs of sending tourists away if they refuse to abide by the state's 14-day quarantine. The Visitor Aloha Society arranges for the travel back home, and pays for the ticket if the visitor can't afford it. David Ige established a mandatory two-week self-quarantine for any out-of-state visitors and inter-island travelers on April 1. On April 6, John Monahan, president of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, sent a letter to various publications asking them not to promote travel to Hawaii.

GALVESTON – One local couple booked what they hope would be a fun cruise. However, they did not expect an adventure to get answers from the Carnival cruise line. On March 30, the couple learned that Carnival was canceling the trip on Facebook than they received an email. To try to get more information on their refunds, they turned to Facebook and were shocked at what they read. "Carnival was responding, telling some people it could be 3-6 months, telling others well it could be 6-9 months," Debbie said.

Spring break is a great time to cut loose and celebrate the end of winter. There’s a reason why destinations such as Mexico and Fort Lauderdale are so popular for spring break. If you’re going to a popular spring break destination, make your travel arrangements now, as accommodations might sell out. If you're looking to do something really different for your spring break, why not escape spring altogether with a trip to the Southern Hemisphere? From lounging on the beach to skiing to volunteering, these seven spring break ideas offer fun for people of all ages.

It happened to Houstonian Kelly Keenan when he booked a 5-star Galveston bayfront beach house through VRBO for his extended family over the holidays. Property management company Vacasa told Keenan the property owner wanted the beach house for his own use. Out of frustration, Keenan did some digging and found the name and contact information for the man who owns the beach house. You have no way to know if the owner of the property you’re booking has canceled on prior customers. Homeowners or property managers who repeatedly cancel reservations may be removed from the site.”Two months after Keenan’s canceled reservation, we found the same property still listed on VRBO.

HOUSTON – Beginning March, Royal Caribbean will offer seven-day long cruises that will sail from Galveston to its private island, CocoCay, in the Bahamas for prices as low as $564. Cruise-goers will embark on an adventure on the “Enchantment of the Sea” ship, which will also make stops in Key West, Florida and Nassau, Bahamas, before reaching “Perfect Day” at CocoCay. Royal Caribbean says CocoCay has beach areas that make the island the ultimate sun-soaking escape and offers lots of activities to make the perfect beach day. The cruise’s lowest rates range from $564 to $920, with trips beginning on March 30 until Sept. 25. Here’s a list of all the dates available on the site:March 30April 6May 29June 5June 12June 19July 10July 17August 7August 14September 18September 25For more details on what the cruise offers, go here.

Only 21% say their summer travel plans include domestic air travel, while only about 1 in 10 Americans (9%) expressed plans to fly internationally during their summer vacation. Ironically, while bar soap, napkins and diamonds each have fallen victim to millennials' shifting preferences, this demographic widely rumored to be less car oriented than their elders is killing for a summer road trip, too. "Road trips are nearly always cheaper than other forms of travel, which helps explain why road trips are by far the most popular types of summer travel." Bowman and his wife, Apryl, had road trips specifically in mind when they purchased an Acura MDX SUV several years ago. How could they save on gas during road trips, lessen their environmental impact and yet still make it down that bumpy road?