The Darkest Days - Seeking Sun on the Shortest Day of the Year!

Rhodes, Greece looking sunny and even ... tropical.

Today is the Winter Solstice--officially the shortest day of the year.  Today the sun didn't rise until nearly 9 in the morning and set just after 4 in the afternoon.  I don't know about you but the shorter days leave me desperately wanting to see more of the sun.  Although I live (and grew up in) a part of the world that experiences a very harsh winter I really can't say that I enjoy it.  The good news is that tomorrow the days will start to get longer again.

In less than four days I will have some much needed time off and if I have my way I'll be spending at least a little of it in another time zone.  And if I am even luckier it may even be somewhere that has daily highs above 0 C!  As I write this it's minus 19 C--anything warmer will do.

The hard part is that its got to be cheap.  My budget is small so a cheap flight and accommodation is a must.  Fortunately I have no qualms about going at the last minute but at this time of year that doesn't always translate into savings.  I am looking for a deal.

So for the past while I have been  scouring budget sites looking for the perfect winter getaway.  I am easy to please, a cheap flight and a hostel bed would suit me just fine.  Sadly this time of year, travel can be at a premium with people all over heading home and abroad to see family and friends.  So as a result, thus far no dice.  Still I am hoping that if I keep looking maybe I'll find exactly what I am looking for--at the very last minute.  I've been checking out Expedia, Travelocity and LastMinute.com to name a few.  Any suggestions would definitely be welcome--please post them.  My traveling companion and I will be eternally grateful!

And if nothing else Hawaii in January is looking promising--too bad I don't have any time off then!

Until next time, happy traveling!