Customer Rating:  
Summary: Planning the Vacation of Your Dreams
Comment: Endless Vacation is a magazine I have been reading for many years. I first became acquainted with this magazine several years back when I purchased a timeshare for the first time. I was given instant membership in RCI and with this membership I received my first copy of Endless Vacation. I have been reading it ever since (about six total years) and I have found something enjoyable in most every issue.
This magazine has more monthly departments than most other publications and these departments make up the majority of each issue. I usually turn to "Ready, Set, Go" first, to find out the latest travel news and to see a preview of the latest travel products. I then turn to "Weekender" and "Destinations" to read about specific places to visit before I settle in and slowly flip through the remaining pages of the issue.
RCI is a worldwide operation and because of this, the articles can highlight virtually anyplace on the globe, and that includes popular as well as less popular destinations. What I like about this magazine is that, even though it is a publication for people who are RCI members (which means they generally stay in resorts), it still ventures outside of this comfort zone when it comes to articles. It is common to find articles that have nothing to do with resort vacationing, like safaris, cruises, hiking, etc. This surprised me when I first started to read this magazine. I assumed it would be nothing more than pages of articles about specific resort destinations and advertisements for properties for renting. In reality, these types of articles make up a very low percentage of this magazine. Most of it is dedicated to adventure travel and general articles about things to do and ways to make the most of your vacation.
Another pleasant surprise with this magazine is its ability to find some unusual yet interesting places to visit. This is especially true in the "Weekender" section where one can find a generally unheard of destination that has something unique to offer. The most recent issue, for example, has a few pages on the small town of Helen, Georgia- a city that looks like a small German village. These articles are fun because they focus on places that most people- even the most seasoned world travelers- have likely never heard about.
Because this magazine is intended for members, it is common to find a special insert section with information on newly added resorts to the RCI family and highlights on specific vacation regions. These can be popular and unpopular places and they typically change each month. One month, the spotlight might be on Hawaii, Iowa, Europe, and California. The next month, it might be Florida, South Dakota, Mexico, and other places.
Advertisements are not as common in this magazine as I first expected. They cover only about forty percent of the pages- not a bad number considering this is a travel magazines. Many of the ads highlight special offers intended for RCI members only, so don't be disappointed if you get your hands on an issue, come across a great deal, and discover you cannot take advantage of it unless you join RCI.
Travel will always be one of my favorite activities and Endless Vacation Magazine will always rank high among my list of favorite travel publications. It seeks out the well- known and the obscure in the world of travel, with articles that are written from an informative yet personal angle.
|
