Vacation

Who wants to go to Croatia? We're not kidding. Let's go to Dubrovnik! Planning your 2015 vacation. London, Paris, Rome, Florence, Dubrovnik.... Dubrovnik? YES, Dubrovnik While according to Fodor's, Paris is still the world's #1 desired tourist destination, Croatia is ranked #1 among World tourist destinations on the rise - primarily because of Croatia's Adriatic City of Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, known as "The Pearl of the Adriatic" was a very popular tourist destination and a common stop for cruise ships during most of the last half of the 20th century. Then, in 1991, a brutal 10-year Civil War broke out in Yugoslavia. Eventually, the nation was broken into separate countries, including Croatia which encompasses most of the territory along the Adriatic Sea, including the historic city of Dubrovnik. After the war, Dubrovnik was the focus of a major restoration program by UNESCO. The current rise in tourism is dramatic, but not surprising consider Dubrovnik's previous appeal. The city has been able to preserve some of its old Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque churches, and the views from the city's seaside location are spectatcular. After getting sticker shock in most of Europe's big cities, you'll be delighted to roam the charming cobblestone streets of Dubrovnik with a cold gelato that might set you back only about 1 Euro, a fraction of what you'd pay on the other side of the Adriatic in Venice. You'll find the city quite crowded during the summer, as Dubrovnik is once again a stop for many cruise

Before You Leave on VacationAppliance Preparation TipsWe've all heard the saying, "If anything can go wrong - it will." We might amend that to say, "If anything can go wrong - it will go wrong when you are on vacation!" Here are some things you can do before you go on vacation to make sure that your appliances are not going to act up while you're away.RefrigeratorSome refrigerators have a "vacation" mode so if you're heading out on vacation take a second to engage the vacation mode setting. Also, push up the actuator arm on the icemaker to turn it off.Of course, you need to get rid of any food that could spoil while you're gone, but you don't want to leave the refrigerator empty. Fill some containers with water and put them in the refrigerator. A refrigerator runs much more efficiently when there is something in it. That's also true for the freezer.DishwasherThere's really not much you need to do for your dishwasher. If you're going to be gone for more than a couple weeks it's a good idea to pour a cup of vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher to keep the seal moist. Leave the dishwasher door ajar. Range or OvenDon't worry about it.Washer and DryerBe sure to leave both the washer and dryer doors open a crack so that they don't get musty while you're away. Unplug both the washer and dryer, and turn off the gas supply if your dryer is gas. Disconnect the