photo essay

Americans' vacations are seriously shrinking. The average American only takes 3-4 days of vacation, with one in seven Americans taking no vacation at all.

Give yourself plenty of time to check in, check all luggage, make it through security and find your gate. Though new technology has allowed us to print our boarding passes from home, some still prefer the old fashioned waiting game.

One of the worst parts of traveling is getting there. Preparing for possibly delays by bringing a book or an ipod can alleviate unneccessary stress.

Americans need to come to terms with the importance of vacationing. Vacations are a time for recharging our internal batteries. However, sometimes a vacation can be more stressful than the stress one routinely deals with at home.

Not everything goes smoothly. Flights get cancelled due to inclement weather, luggage gets lost, and most likely someone has left the toothpaste on the bathroom counter back home.

It's a sad thing when we start competing to see who works more than the next guy. In essence we're competing to see who has less of a life. It's been shown that Americans work more than anyone else in the world and have been known to put work above family.

Today's new technology allows us to print everything we need from home, making renting a car as easy as handing over a credit card and a slip of paper.

Take the time to appreciate where you are, the new surroundings, and the people you get to share it with.

The main problem is that we are not allowing ourselves proper time to fix the burnout we suffer from. We never peel ourselves away from our cell phones or email long enough to give our minds and bodies a break.

With miles of white sand beaches, Marco Island is the perfect place to spend a day in the sun or looking for shells. This truly is the place to do everything or nothing at all.

Marco Island is located in Southwest Florida on the Paradise Coast. Marco Island has direct access to great fishing grounds and harbors.

Nothing stresses a family on vacation more than going over budget. Make the vacation affordable and enjoyable. There are many different lodging options besides the expensive all-inclusive resort and you usually get a better taste of the city's culture.

With the average temperatures in the 90's during the end of June and high humidity levels daily, it's important to stay hydrated and cool.

Southern climates feature different kinds of vegetation. Though they might not provide much shade from the sun, they are beautiful.

When the weather doesn't cooperate and the clouds roll in, spend some time shopping! Southern Florida knows the success of the outdoor mall in this climate.

The architecture in Southern Florida is colorful and full of detail and life much like the culture.

There is so much to see and enjoy if you can leave the worries of life back home in the pile of things you left out of the suitcase.