#gold coast playground

[funthingsfortoddlers]

Tallowwood Park in  Highland Reserve in Upper Coomera has a fully fenced playground surrounded by a large green open parkland with winding walking paths and a large lake with Ducks and Turtles.

Find out all about it: www.funthingsfortoddlers.com/parks/tallowwood-park-upper-coomera/

[intheabsenceofbliss]

[n0vazsq]

Perfect night | AL20 x Reader

pairing . . . arvid lindblad x reader

summary . . . When you go to a beach trip with Arvid and your friends, you realise that you two might have something more

request . . . yes!! based on this request!

word count . . . 1.1k+

warnings . . . none!

faceclaim . . . N/A

alexavia yaps . . . inspo of this oneshot is perfect night by le sserafim!! also i may have lied when i said i'd grind but its my bday so i have an excuse <3

. . . The hum of the engine filled the car as you leaned over the console to adjust the radio. Arvid glanced over at you, his signature smile teasing at his lips.

"Still nothing good on?" he asked, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Patience, Lindblad," you shot back, finally settling on a station that was blasting an upbeat pop song. The perfect energy for a night that was just getting started.

You and your friends were packed into two cars, speeding down the highway toward the coast.

It wasn’t the most organized plan, more of a "figure it out when we get there" kind of deal, but that was half the fun.

The group chat had exploded earlier in the evening, and within an hour, everyone was ready to go.

"I think we lost the others," Arvid said, glancing in the rearview mirror.

"Good," you said with a laugh. "Means we have the aux cord to ourselves."

He grinned and turned up the volume as the next song started. The two of you belted out the lyrics, completely off key but too happy to care.

At a red light, you turned toward each other dramatically, singing the last chorus like you were performing in front of thousands.

When the light turned green, Arvid shifted back into focus, but the laugh he let out was pure, contagious joy.

"Where exactly are we going again?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" you said, leaning your head against the window as the city lights blurred into streaks of gold. "It’s not about the destination. It’s about…"

"…the company?" he finished, glancing at you.

"Exactly."

The air was electric as you pulled into a gas station to grab snacks and wait for the others to catch up.

The parking lot became an impromptu dance floor, your group laughing and moving to the music streaming from the car speakers.

Arvid couldn’t take his eyes off you as you spun in the middle of the group, the fluorescent lights catching in your hair.

"You’re trouble, you know that?" he teased, holding out a hand to pull you toward him.

"Only after midnight," you replied, leaning into the playful smirk on his face.

As the hours stretched into early morning, the world outside felt like a dream. You, Arvid, and your friends had everything you needed; music, laughter, and the kind of freedom that only came when the clock ticked past twelve.

At some point, the group piled back into the cars, deciding to hit the beach just as the first light of dawn began to creep over the horizon.

Arvid kept sneaking glances at you from the driver’s seat, and when you caught him, he shrugged. "What? Midnight rules don’t apply anymore," he said with a wink.

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t fight the smile pulling at your lips. Midnight may have passed, but this feeling; the magic, the laughter, the perfect energy, was something you’d carry long after the sun came up.

After the sun rose over the horizon, painting the sky with soft pinks and oranges, the beach became your new playground. Shoes were quickly discarded, and the group scattered across the sand.

Some ran toward the water, laughing as the waves chased their feet, while others collapsed into a pile of blankets, soaking in the serenity of the morning.

You and Arvid lingered near the car, the two of you finishing off a shared bag of salted chips. His fingers brushed yours every so often, each accidental touch sending a little spark up your arm.

"We should head down to the water," he said, nodding toward the others.

"You first," you teased, popping another piece of chips into your mouth.

He shook his head, then grabbed your hand, tugging you toward the shoreline. "Fine. But you’re coming with me."

The cold water lapped at your feet as you reached the edge, and you gasped, hopping back instinctively. Arvid laughed, his expression softer than usual.

"Too cold for you?" he asked, stepping closer.

"Maybe," you replied, pretending to shiver dramatically.

Arvid raised an eyebrow, his smile turning mischievous. Before you could react, he scooped you up in his arms, holding you like a bride.

"Arvid!" you shrieked, wrapping your arms around his neck.

"Only one way to warm up," he said, walking deeper into the water.

"Don’t you dare!"

But he didn’t listen. With one quick motion, he set you down into the shallow waves, the cold water soaking your legs. You splashed him in retaliation, laughing as he stumbled back, his hair falling into his eyes.

"Truce?" he said, holding up his hands as you aimed another splash his way.

"Only if you stop being such a menace," you shot back, though the grin on your face betrayed your words.

"Deal."

As the morning sun rose higher, you both eventually wandered back to the blankets, sitting on the edge of the group as your friends chattered around you. Arvid leaned back on his hands, the breeze tousling his hair.

"You know," he said, breaking the comfortable silence between you. "This whole night, it’s been perfect. Kind of reminds me why I put up with your crazy plans."

"Excuse me?" you replied with a small smile, nudging his shoulder with your own.

"I mean it," he said, his voice softer now. "You make everything more fun. Even just driving around, doing nothing. It’s better when it’s with you."

Your cheeks warmed, and you ducked your head to hide the shy smile tugging at your lips.

"Careful, Lindblad," you teased. "You’re starting to sound sentimental."

He laughed, leaning closer so his shoulder bumped yours. "Don’t get used to it."

But you could tell by the way he was looking at you; his usual teasing smirk replaced by something gentler, something more sincere, that he meant every word.

As the others began packing up and preparing to head home, Arvid lingered, his hand brushing against yours as you both folded a blanket.

"Hey," he said, his voice quiet so only you could hear.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for tonight," he said, his eyes locking with yours. "For… I don’t know, making life more interesting."

You smiled, your heart racing. "You’re welcome, I guess."

He hesitated for a moment before taking your hand fully, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. "I meant it, you know. About it being better with you.'

The words hung in the air, soft and sweet. You felt the weight of them settle in your chest, warm and thrilling all at once.

"Well," you said, trying to sound casual but failing miserably, "I guess we make a pretty good team."

He laughed, the sound low and genuine. "Yeah. We do."

As the car rides home began, you found yourself leaning against his shoulder, the quiet hum of the radio filling the space between you.

And for the first time, silence felt like magic too.

taglist . . . @barcapix ,, @f1lover55 ,, @ilovebarcaaa ,, @httpsdana ,, @paucubarsisimp ,, @justaf1girl (lmk if you want to join the taglist!)

[edupunkn00b]

Progression, Chapter 2: Gladiator

Photo by edupunkn00b

Prev - Gladiator - Next - Masterpost - [ AO3 ]

Janus helps Remus prepare for a training session. Written for Day 2 of @imnotgrimimjustagrumpyreaper's @dukeceit-week-2024, prompt: Road Trip. This chapter takes place immediately before an upcoming chapter in Meus ex Machina, Chapter 13: Secrets. You do not need to read the other story to understand this chapter.

Butterflies danced around Janus even before he’d stepped inside the twins’, well… Re’s room.

It had been at least a year and a half since Ro slept more than a few nights in the room the youngest Mad Lads had once shared. It had started small, with Ro knocking on Patton or Virge’s door in the middle of the night. Or with Janus finding him curled up on a pile of blankets near the window of an unconverted room at the other end of the old house. After a while, though, their nights together had taken on the celebratory flavor of a sleepover.

With all the planning that entailed.

Their training excursions with Patton or with Lucas had recently begun to function the same way.

Re pulled him into his room, shoulders shimmying to a beat Janus now shared with him. “They’re still here, right? Ro and Lucas haven’t left yet, have they? I’m not ready yet but I won’t take that long. I already shaved and I’m feeling really—”

“Yes, Re, they’ll wait for you.” Janus soothed, brushing back his hair as he let the truth of his words flow through his thoughts. “Everything is alright.”

Re melted into his arms and nodded. “Mmm…” A wave of wordless anxiety crashed into Janus, belying the outward calm of the moment. “Jannie?” he asked in a warbly voice.

He hid his request behind a flurry of sensations in the room, the weight of his new boots, the scritch where he’d missed a spot shaving with the new bladeless device Virge had crafted. Janus held him tighter and smiled with his mouth and his thoughts. “What do you need, Re?”

“Will you call me ‘Muse?’” He pulled back but pushed the shared sensation of their embrace into his mind, giving him the dual sense of seeing his own eyes staring back into Re’s and the twitch in the younger Mad Lad’s jaw. Like he feared his request was… too much. “It feels good,” he said simply. The wave of warmth and ease Re, well, The Muse sent to him revealed the many facets the single word ‘good’ could mean.

Janus smiled again and stroked his hair. “Of course, Muse.”

~

Muse Muse Muse Muse Muse Muse Muse Muse Muse Muse Muse Muse 

The name tromped and skipped and danced through The Muse’s brain, bouncing against his skull until he thought his head might pop. Or just scatter into a million billions bits like a giant dandelion in the wind.

MUSE

It sounded right in Jannie’s voice and the electric buzz of unspoken thoughts sloughed away his worry at asking.

MUSE

The others called him Re. Well, and Papa Bear liked to call him Kiddo, too. The name rolled from their tongues fuzzy and soft and warm, pulling him close and safe even when he was alone in his room and everyone’s words started to meld and blend into a slurry in his mind and—

-“Muse!”-

The Muse’s eyes snapped open. Jannie was cradling his face between his palms, gold and brown eyes staring into his, worry spilling out from his touch, his face, his thoughts. -“Muse, are you alright?”-

The Muse grinned and patted his hands. Jannie had taken off those awful gloves and The Muse traced the even awfuller scars under his fingertips. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, his fingers spoke, pressing his eternal apologies into Janus’ skin.

-“I’m alright, Jannie,”- he nodded, fear choking out his voice. If Jannie thought he wasn’t in control, he might not get to go to train. Lucas had promised a road trip out to the deserted coast. The drowned cities had long since been abandoned and with the lead acid and PCB ashes in the air, even the garbage pickers stayed away. It left him and Ro a perfect playground, new smells and textures and sounds to fill their banks. 

Lucas had even caught capo chatter on his comm feeds, the ones no-one was supposed to know about. There might be some rentacops snooping around the wreckage he and Ro could get some extra practice on.

They weren’t supposed to tell Jannie that part and he cut away the thought like a bit of charred meat. Or rancid cheese.  -“I’m okay, Jannie, I swear. Just… excited!”-

He didn’t need powers to read the doubt behind Jannie’s eyes. “Look, look, look…” He forced his throat and tongue and teeth to behave and push his silent words into spoken ones. He released one of Jannie’s hands and grew a tiny cactus in his palm. “I really am! Full control, Feel… Feel the spines—they look sharp but they’re really soft, aren’t they? Try it!” he urged, petting the tiny potted succulent in his hand.

Lowering the hand that had cupped his cheek, Jannie brushed delicate fingers over the tiny spines along the edge of the plant. They flexed with his touch, like his—

“They feel like your mustache,” Jannie smiled, burning away a bit of the churning worry from his gaze. The Muse wasn’t really sure who thought it first, but the words bloomed under his skin, following the heat and and light in his chest the way the books say flowers would turn to the sun. 

“Do you like it?” The Muse laughed, letting the cactus dissolve and bringing Jannie’s hand up to trace the soft growth on his upper lip. “I can’t wait to show Ro for real!”

Jannie stroked his mustache and laughed, low and rumbly. Bubbles in deep water. “I’m sure he’ll like it, too.”

[destinationfortouriststospen]

5 Best Worldwide Holiday Destinations for Visiting with Babies and Toddlers

Planning a vacation with babies and toddlers can be both exciting and challenging. Finding the perfect holiday destination that caters to the needs of your little ones is essential for a memorable and enjoyable family getaway. In this article, we will explore the five best worldwide holiday destinations that are ideal for visiting with babies and toddlers. From magical theme parks to relaxing beach resorts, these destinations offer a perfect blend of family-friendly attractions and amenities.

Orlando, Florida, USA: The Ultimate Theme Park Experience

Orlando is often referred to as the "Theme Park Capital of the World," and for good reason. With world-renowned attractions like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld Orlando, it is a dream destination for families with young children. These theme parks offer a wide range of age-appropriate rides, shows, and interactive experiences that will leave your little ones in awe. Additionally, Orlando boasts numerous family-friendly resorts and hotels that provide amenities such as play areas, swimming pools, and childcare services.

Costa del Sol, Spain: Sun, Sand, and Family Fun

The Costa del Sol, located along the southern coast of Spain, is a paradise for families seeking sun, sand, and relaxation. With its beautiful beaches and warm weather, it offers the perfect backdrop for a memorable family vacation. The region also features family-friendly attractions such as the Bioparc Fuengirola, Tivoli World amusement park, and the Sea Life Benalmadena aquarium. Moreover, there is a wide selection of resorts and holiday rentals that cater to families, providing amenities like kids' clubs, playgrounds, and babysitting services.

Tokyo, Japan: Where Tradition Meets Family Fun

Tokyo may not be the first destination that comes to mind when travelling with babies and toddlers, but it has emerged as a family-friendly city in recent years. The city offers a unique blend of tradition and modernity, providing an enriching cultural experience for the entire family. Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, and Sanrio Puroland are some of the must-visit attractions that offer magical moments for young children. Additionally, Tokyo is home to beautiful parks like Ueno Park and Yoyogi Park, where kids can enjoy open spaces and playgrounds.

Gold Coast, Australia: Beaches, Theme Parks, and Wildlife Encounters

The Gold Coast in Australia is a dream destination for families with its pristine beaches, thrilling theme parks, and abundant wildlife. Families can enjoy the famous theme parks like Dreamworld, Warner Bros. Movie World, and SeaWorld, where kids can have unforgettable experiences. Moreover, the region offers opportunities to interact with native Australian wildlife at places like Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. With a variety of family-friendly accommodations available, including resorts and apartments, the Gold Coast ensures a comfortable and enjoyable stay for families.

Bali, Indonesia: Tropical Paradise for the Whole Family

Bali is a tropical paradise that appeals to families seeking a serene and exotic destination. The island offers stunning beaches, lush landscapes, and a rich cultural heritage. Families can explore attractions such as the Bali Safari and Marine Park, Waterbom Bali Water Park, and enjoy leisurely walks through the picturesque rice terraces. Bali also boasts numerous family-friendly resorts and villas with amenities like kids' clubs, playgrounds, and babysitting services.

When planning a vacation with babies and toddlers, selecting the right holiday destination is crucial. The five worldwide holiday destinations mentioned above – Orlando, Costa del Sol, Tokyo, the Gold Coast, and Bali – offer the perfect combination of family-friendly attractions and amenities. From the enchantment of theme parks to the tranquillity of beautiful beaches, these destinations ensure a memorable trip for the whole family, including toddlers.

Contact us now at https://vdholiday.com/

[cleverhottubmiracle]

The Palisades Tahoe ski resort has a lot going for it: an idyllic location seven miles from Lake Tahoe’s western shore, a peak elevation of 9,050 feet with 2,850 feet of vertical, and 6,000 skiable acres spread over two bases and served by 43 lifts.The famed California destination, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, has cool, swagger and a wealth of demanding terrain. The resort hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics when it was still called Squaw Valley, and is among the Alpine Ski World Cup’s few regular stops in the United States.Yet at times, it feels as if all people talk about is the weather.Take my first visit to the resort, this past February, which took place in a windy whiteout.On the first day, I rode up the tram from the Palisades base area, then felt my way down the blue runs off the Siberia Express and Gold Coast Express lifts in a sea of white on white. Palisades Tahoe is known for its bowls, chutes and gullies, especially off the KT-22 chair, but I was not ready to venture there essentially blindfolded.While I was trying to find my bearings on Emigrant Face — a bowl-like blue area off one of the highest lifts — a snowboarder zoomed by so fast that he didn’t see a ridge in the fog and took off like an eagle. An eagle that couldn’t fly, because he crashed.Still, against all odds, I was having fun.And so was Joan Collins, 60, from Madison, Wis., whom I met during lunch at the Alpine base area the next day, when it was marginally less foggy but snowing hard. “For me the hardest part was not seeing the horizon, snow blowing in your face so you can’t really see where you’re going,” said Ms. Collins. “But we’ve been hollering all the way down on some of those runs — it’s like a big, powdery playground.”As snow fell relentlessly, parts of the mountain were closed for avalanche mitigation. Several lifts were on hold because of winds that, I later learned, could reach 100 miles per hour on the ridge tops. By noon it was obvious I really should have refreshed my jacket’s waterproofing.My visit coincided with a big dump of snow after an alarmingly dry December and an average January. Not long after, in early March, a major storm dropped eight feet of snow on the resort. Which might sound amazing to powder hounds, except that the roads and lifts were closed.This year, true to form, good conditions allowed the resort to kick off its season five days early in November.First in line for stormsThis yo-yo pattern comes from the resort’s location, 200 miles east of San Francisco. The local mountains, part of the Sierra Nevada range, are first in line when moisture-laden storms travel eastward from the Pacific. And with nothing to slow it down, the unimpeded jet stream can hit Palisades Tahoe with hurricane force. The resort’s relatively low altitude, with a main base at 6,200 feet, helps create conditions that can vary drastically within a single day as well as between the upper and the lower mountains. At least the Palisades base has great easygoing terrain at the top, so beginners and intermediates can enjoy good snow quality instead of being stuck on scraped-out or wet runs at lower elevations.There are other big upsides. When it’s not snowing, “we have really nice weather for a Western ski destination,” said Bryan Allegretto, the Northern Sierra specialist at the forecasting and conditions site OpenSnow. “When the sun’s out, it’s warm relative to a lot of mountain areas, so you get this beautiful, amazing weather for skiing that isn’t super cold.” (The average daytime high in January is 36 degrees.)And in a good year, the season can extend well into the spring. “I ski as long as the resort is open — there’s been several years when I skied on July 4,” Stephanie Yu, 49, who lives in Sacramento, said in a phone interview after my trip.A long history and a new nameNo wonder Palisades Tahoe is among the most popular winter destinations in America, even if, technically speaking, it was born only three years ago.The mountain opened in 1949 as Squaw Valley and acquired its neighbor, Alpine Meadows, seven miles away, in 2011. The new entity went by the cumbersome umbrella Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows until it was rebranded as Palisades Tahoe in 2021, to avoid a term that is offensive to many Native Americans.The next year a gondola connecting the base areas at the two mountains was installed; there is also a free on-demand shuttle between the two.Yet part of the Palisades Tahoe draw is how distinct its two components have remained. Palisades is bigger and sleeker, with more and better dining options, an active après scene, activities like disco tubing (which adds party lights and pumping music to regular tubing), and big-time concerts — this year, Diplo was among the performers.The plentiful lifts include a tram and a hybrid known as the Funitel (a mash-up of the French words “funiculaire” and “téléphérique”), and there is an abundance of signature terrain, which, in addition to the KT-22-served runs, includes open steeps off the Headwall and Siberia lifts (unfortunately, among the first to close because of wind) and a bumps minefield named after the local Olympic freestyle skier Jonny Moseley.The Palisades side is so spread out that you can easily move on to another section of the mountain if one gets closed off or too crowded. After struggling with low visibility on my first day, I eventually found better conditions in the Shirley bowl on the back side. Then, to flee both the crowds and the increasingly strong wind, I headed to the Snow King area, tucked away to the far left of the mountain, as you look uphill. From the Red Dog and Far East Express lifts, I made laps on runs that meandered through trees.More complicated was securing a parking spot for my rental car. Palisades Tahoe is part of the Ikon multiresort pass and in recent years has experienced an increase in crowds and traffic. Palisades visitors who don’t stay on-mountain tend to favor Truckee, a town 11 miles away, but Route 89 from there to Palisades can easily turn into a long ribbon of vehicles. (I stayed seven miles from the resort in the other direction, in tiny Tahoe City, which offers an easier commute.)To deal with the crunch, Palisades Tahoe has started requiring parking reservations on Saturdays, Sundays and select holidays. You can book a spot for $30 or try your luck when free reservations open on the Tuesday before the weekend, with sign-up windows at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. On my first attempt, I hadn’t even completed setting up my account before all the spaces were gone in 12 minutes. A few hours later, it took only six minutes for them to fill up, but I was ready and got a free spotUnassuming AlpineCompared with the Palisades side’s extroverted, big personality, Alpine still feels like an unassuming locals’ hill, with a trail map that looks underfed. Don’t underestimate it: “A lot of the best terrain is hike-to only, well hidden to where your average user won’t find it,” said Mark Fisher, who, with another local, runs a site called Unofficial Alpine that reports on the mountain.For a newcomer, though, the layout felt instinctive and easy, and I was able to have fun with the handful of lifts open on my visit, like the punishingly slow two-seater Yellow Chair — where a wild gust made me slide backward when I disembarked.I also got schooled on an innocent-looking blue run off Roundhouse Express, when my skis hopelessly sank into what looked like mounds of fluffy powder but felt like quicksand. Welcome to the notorious heavy snow known as Sierra cement.Yet something was happening. Trees offered shelter when I needed it, the runs were half empty, there were no lines anywhere, and the snow kept falling. I wasn’t even cold.Fine, count me in: There is something to be said about California skiing.Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024. Source link

[norajworld]

The Palisades Tahoe ski resort has a lot going for it: an idyllic location seven miles from Lake Tahoe’s western shore, a peak elevation of 9,050 feet with 2,850 feet of vertical, and 6,000 skiable acres spread over two bases and served by 43 lifts.The famed California destination, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, has cool, swagger and a wealth of demanding terrain. The resort hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics when it was still called Squaw Valley, and is among the Alpine Ski World Cup’s few regular stops in the United States.Yet at times, it feels as if all people talk about is the weather.Take my first visit to the resort, this past February, which took place in a windy whiteout.On the first day, I rode up the tram from the Palisades base area, then felt my way down the blue runs off the Siberia Express and Gold Coast Express lifts in a sea of white on white. Palisades Tahoe is known for its bowls, chutes and gullies, especially off the KT-22 chair, but I was not ready to venture there essentially blindfolded.While I was trying to find my bearings on Emigrant Face — a bowl-like blue area off one of the highest lifts — a snowboarder zoomed by so fast that he didn’t see a ridge in the fog and took off like an eagle. An eagle that couldn’t fly, because he crashed.Still, against all odds, I was having fun.And so was Joan Collins, 60, from Madison, Wis., whom I met during lunch at the Alpine base area the next day, when it was marginally less foggy but snowing hard. “For me the hardest part was not seeing the horizon, snow blowing in your face so you can’t really see where you’re going,” said Ms. Collins. “But we’ve been hollering all the way down on some of those runs — it’s like a big, powdery playground.”As snow fell relentlessly, parts of the mountain were closed for avalanche mitigation. Several lifts were on hold because of winds that, I later learned, could reach 100 miles per hour on the ridge tops. By noon it was obvious I really should have refreshed my jacket’s waterproofing.My visit coincided with a big dump of snow after an alarmingly dry December and an average January. Not long after, in early March, a major storm dropped eight feet of snow on the resort. Which might sound amazing to powder hounds, except that the roads and lifts were closed.This year, true to form, good conditions allowed the resort to kick off its season five days early in November.First in line for stormsThis yo-yo pattern comes from the resort’s location, 200 miles east of San Francisco. The local mountains, part of the Sierra Nevada range, are first in line when moisture-laden storms travel eastward from the Pacific. And with nothing to slow it down, the unimpeded jet stream can hit Palisades Tahoe with hurricane force. The resort’s relatively low altitude, with a main base at 6,200 feet, helps create conditions that can vary drastically within a single day as well as between the upper and the lower mountains. At least the Palisades base has great easygoing terrain at the top, so beginners and intermediates can enjoy good snow quality instead of being stuck on scraped-out or wet runs at lower elevations.There are other big upsides. When it’s not snowing, “we have really nice weather for a Western ski destination,” said Bryan Allegretto, the Northern Sierra specialist at the forecasting and conditions site OpenSnow. “When the sun’s out, it’s warm relative to a lot of mountain areas, so you get this beautiful, amazing weather for skiing that isn’t super cold.” (The average daytime high in January is 36 degrees.)And in a good year, the season can extend well into the spring. “I ski as long as the resort is open — there’s been several years when I skied on July 4,” Stephanie Yu, 49, who lives in Sacramento, said in a phone interview after my trip.A long history and a new nameNo wonder Palisades Tahoe is among the most popular winter destinations in America, even if, technically speaking, it was born only three years ago.The mountain opened in 1949 as Squaw Valley and acquired its neighbor, Alpine Meadows, seven miles away, in 2011. The new entity went by the cumbersome umbrella Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows until it was rebranded as Palisades Tahoe in 2021, to avoid a term that is offensive to many Native Americans.The next year a gondola connecting the base areas at the two mountains was installed; there is also a free on-demand shuttle between the two.Yet part of the Palisades Tahoe draw is how distinct its two components have remained. Palisades is bigger and sleeker, with more and better dining options, an active après scene, activities like disco tubing (which adds party lights and pumping music to regular tubing), and big-time concerts — this year, Diplo was among the performers.The plentiful lifts include a tram and a hybrid known as the Funitel (a mash-up of the French words “funiculaire” and “téléphérique”), and there is an abundance of signature terrain, which, in addition to the KT-22-served runs, includes open steeps off the Headwall and Siberia lifts (unfortunately, among the first to close because of wind) and a bumps minefield named after the local Olympic freestyle skier Jonny Moseley.The Palisades side is so spread out that you can easily move on to another section of the mountain if one gets closed off or too crowded. After struggling with low visibility on my first day, I eventually found better conditions in the Shirley bowl on the back side. Then, to flee both the crowds and the increasingly strong wind, I headed to the Snow King area, tucked away to the far left of the mountain, as you look uphill. From the Red Dog and Far East Express lifts, I made laps on runs that meandered through trees.More complicated was securing a parking spot for my rental car. Palisades Tahoe is part of the Ikon multiresort pass and in recent years has experienced an increase in crowds and traffic. Palisades visitors who don’t stay on-mountain tend to favor Truckee, a town 11 miles away, but Route 89 from there to Palisades can easily turn into a long ribbon of vehicles. (I stayed seven miles from the resort in the other direction, in tiny Tahoe City, which offers an easier commute.)To deal with the crunch, Palisades Tahoe has started requiring parking reservations on Saturdays, Sundays and select holidays. You can book a spot for $30 or try your luck when free reservations open on the Tuesday before the weekend, with sign-up windows at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. On my first attempt, I hadn’t even completed setting up my account before all the spaces were gone in 12 minutes. A few hours later, it took only six minutes for them to fill up, but I was ready and got a free spotUnassuming AlpineCompared with the Palisades side’s extroverted, big personality, Alpine still feels like an unassuming locals’ hill, with a trail map that looks underfed. Don’t underestimate it: “A lot of the best terrain is hike-to only, well hidden to where your average user won’t find it,” said Mark Fisher, who, with another local, runs a site called Unofficial Alpine that reports on the mountain.For a newcomer, though, the layout felt instinctive and easy, and I was able to have fun with the handful of lifts open on my visit, like the punishingly slow two-seater Yellow Chair — where a wild gust made me slide backward when I disembarked.I also got schooled on an innocent-looking blue run off Roundhouse Express, when my skis hopelessly sank into what looked like mounds of fluffy powder but felt like quicksand. Welcome to the notorious heavy snow known as Sierra cement.Yet something was happening. Trees offered shelter when I needed it, the runs were half empty, there were no lines anywhere, and the snow kept falling. I wasn’t even cold.Fine, count me in: There is something to be said about California skiing.Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024. Source link

[ellajme0]

The Palisades Tahoe ski resort has a lot going for it: an idyllic location seven miles from Lake Tahoe’s western shore, a peak elevation of 9,050 feet with 2,850 feet of vertical, and 6,000 skiable acres spread over two bases and served by 43 lifts.The famed California destination, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, has cool, swagger and a wealth of demanding terrain. The resort hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics when it was still called Squaw Valley, and is among the Alpine Ski World Cup’s few regular stops in the United States.Yet at times, it feels as if all people talk about is the weather.Take my first visit to the resort, this past February, which took place in a windy whiteout.On the first day, I rode up the tram from the Palisades base area, then felt my way down the blue runs off the Siberia Express and Gold Coast Express lifts in a sea of white on white. Palisades Tahoe is known for its bowls, chutes and gullies, especially off the KT-22 chair, but I was not ready to venture there essentially blindfolded.While I was trying to find my bearings on Emigrant Face — a bowl-like blue area off one of the highest lifts — a snowboarder zoomed by so fast that he didn’t see a ridge in the fog and took off like an eagle. An eagle that couldn’t fly, because he crashed.Still, against all odds, I was having fun.And so was Joan Collins, 60, from Madison, Wis., whom I met during lunch at the Alpine base area the next day, when it was marginally less foggy but snowing hard. “For me the hardest part was not seeing the horizon, snow blowing in your face so you can’t really see where you’re going,” said Ms. Collins. “But we’ve been hollering all the way down on some of those runs — it’s like a big, powdery playground.”As snow fell relentlessly, parts of the mountain were closed for avalanche mitigation. Several lifts were on hold because of winds that, I later learned, could reach 100 miles per hour on the ridge tops. By noon it was obvious I really should have refreshed my jacket’s waterproofing.My visit coincided with a big dump of snow after an alarmingly dry December and an average January. Not long after, in early March, a major storm dropped eight feet of snow on the resort. Which might sound amazing to powder hounds, except that the roads and lifts were closed.This year, true to form, good conditions allowed the resort to kick off its season five days early in November.First in line for stormsThis yo-yo pattern comes from the resort’s location, 200 miles east of San Francisco. The local mountains, part of the Sierra Nevada range, are first in line when moisture-laden storms travel eastward from the Pacific. And with nothing to slow it down, the unimpeded jet stream can hit Palisades Tahoe with hurricane force. The resort’s relatively low altitude, with a main base at 6,200 feet, helps create conditions that can vary drastically within a single day as well as between the upper and the lower mountains. At least the Palisades base has great easygoing terrain at the top, so beginners and intermediates can enjoy good snow quality instead of being stuck on scraped-out or wet runs at lower elevations.There are other big upsides. When it’s not snowing, “we have really nice weather for a Western ski destination,” said Bryan Allegretto, the Northern Sierra specialist at the forecasting and conditions site OpenSnow. “When the sun’s out, it’s warm relative to a lot of mountain areas, so you get this beautiful, amazing weather for skiing that isn’t super cold.” (The average daytime high in January is 36 degrees.)And in a good year, the season can extend well into the spring. “I ski as long as the resort is open — there’s been several years when I skied on July 4,” Stephanie Yu, 49, who lives in Sacramento, said in a phone interview after my trip.A long history and a new nameNo wonder Palisades Tahoe is among the most popular winter destinations in America, even if, technically speaking, it was born only three years ago.The mountain opened in 1949 as Squaw Valley and acquired its neighbor, Alpine Meadows, seven miles away, in 2011. The new entity went by the cumbersome umbrella Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows until it was rebranded as Palisades Tahoe in 2021, to avoid a term that is offensive to many Native Americans.The next year a gondola connecting the base areas at the two mountains was installed; there is also a free on-demand shuttle between the two.Yet part of the Palisades Tahoe draw is how distinct its two components have remained. Palisades is bigger and sleeker, with more and better dining options, an active après scene, activities like disco tubing (which adds party lights and pumping music to regular tubing), and big-time concerts — this year, Diplo was among the performers.The plentiful lifts include a tram and a hybrid known as the Funitel (a mash-up of the French words “funiculaire” and “téléphérique”), and there is an abundance of signature terrain, which, in addition to the KT-22-served runs, includes open steeps off the Headwall and Siberia lifts (unfortunately, among the first to close because of wind) and a bumps minefield named after the local Olympic freestyle skier Jonny Moseley.The Palisades side is so spread out that you can easily move on to another section of the mountain if one gets closed off or too crowded. After struggling with low visibility on my first day, I eventually found better conditions in the Shirley bowl on the back side. Then, to flee both the crowds and the increasingly strong wind, I headed to the Snow King area, tucked away to the far left of the mountain, as you look uphill. From the Red Dog and Far East Express lifts, I made laps on runs that meandered through trees.More complicated was securing a parking spot for my rental car. Palisades Tahoe is part of the Ikon multiresort pass and in recent years has experienced an increase in crowds and traffic. Palisades visitors who don’t stay on-mountain tend to favor Truckee, a town 11 miles away, but Route 89 from there to Palisades can easily turn into a long ribbon of vehicles. (I stayed seven miles from the resort in the other direction, in tiny Tahoe City, which offers an easier commute.)To deal with the crunch, Palisades Tahoe has started requiring parking reservations on Saturdays, Sundays and select holidays. You can book a spot for $30 or try your luck when free reservations open on the Tuesday before the weekend, with sign-up windows at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. On my first attempt, I hadn’t even completed setting up my account before all the spaces were gone in 12 minutes. A few hours later, it took only six minutes for them to fill up, but I was ready and got a free spotUnassuming AlpineCompared with the Palisades side’s extroverted, big personality, Alpine still feels like an unassuming locals’ hill, with a trail map that looks underfed. Don’t underestimate it: “A lot of the best terrain is hike-to only, well hidden to where your average user won’t find it,” said Mark Fisher, who, with another local, runs a site called Unofficial Alpine that reports on the mountain.For a newcomer, though, the layout felt instinctive and easy, and I was able to have fun with the handful of lifts open on my visit, like the punishingly slow two-seater Yellow Chair — where a wild gust made me slide backward when I disembarked.I also got schooled on an innocent-looking blue run off Roundhouse Express, when my skis hopelessly sank into what looked like mounds of fluffy powder but felt like quicksand. Welcome to the notorious heavy snow known as Sierra cement.Yet something was happening. Trees offered shelter when I needed it, the runs were half empty, there were no lines anywhere, and the snow kept falling. I wasn’t even cold.Fine, count me in: There is something to be said about California skiing.Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024. Source link

[funthingsfortoddlers]

Have you seen 👀 our list of restaurants with playgrounds yet?

It’s EPIC! There are taverns, pubs, hotels, cafes, bistros and more.

It has all Gold Coast Toddlers covered with restaurants in Logan, Gold Coast North, Gold Coast Central, Gold Coast South, Tweed and Northern NSW.

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[chilimili212]

The Palisades Tahoe ski resort has a lot going for it: an idyllic location seven miles from Lake Tahoe’s western shore, a peak elevation of 9,050 feet with 2,850 feet of vertical, and 6,000 skiable acres spread over two bases and served by 43 lifts.The famed California destination, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, has cool, swagger and a wealth of demanding terrain. The resort hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics when it was still called Squaw Valley, and is among the Alpine Ski World Cup’s few regular stops in the United States.Yet at times, it feels as if all people talk about is the weather.Take my first visit to the resort, this past February, which took place in a windy whiteout.On the first day, I rode up the tram from the Palisades base area, then felt my way down the blue runs off the Siberia Express and Gold Coast Express lifts in a sea of white on white. Palisades Tahoe is known for its bowls, chutes and gullies, especially off the KT-22 chair, but I was not ready to venture there essentially blindfolded.While I was trying to find my bearings on Emigrant Face — a bowl-like blue area off one of the highest lifts — a snowboarder zoomed by so fast that he didn’t see a ridge in the fog and took off like an eagle. An eagle that couldn’t fly, because he crashed.Still, against all odds, I was having fun.And so was Joan Collins, 60, from Madison, Wis., whom I met during lunch at the Alpine base area the next day, when it was marginally less foggy but snowing hard. “For me the hardest part was not seeing the horizon, snow blowing in your face so you can’t really see where you’re going,” said Ms. Collins. “But we’ve been hollering all the way down on some of those runs — it’s like a big, powdery playground.”As snow fell relentlessly, parts of the mountain were closed for avalanche mitigation. Several lifts were on hold because of winds that, I later learned, could reach 100 miles per hour on the ridge tops. By noon it was obvious I really should have refreshed my jacket’s waterproofing.My visit coincided with a big dump of snow after an alarmingly dry December and an average January. Not long after, in early March, a major storm dropped eight feet of snow on the resort. Which might sound amazing to powder hounds, except that the roads and lifts were closed.This year, true to form, good conditions allowed the resort to kick off its season five days early in November.First in line for stormsThis yo-yo pattern comes from the resort’s location, 200 miles east of San Francisco. The local mountains, part of the Sierra Nevada range, are first in line when moisture-laden storms travel eastward from the Pacific. And with nothing to slow it down, the unimpeded jet stream can hit Palisades Tahoe with hurricane force. The resort’s relatively low altitude, with a main base at 6,200 feet, helps create conditions that can vary drastically within a single day as well as between the upper and the lower mountains. At least the Palisades base has great easygoing terrain at the top, so beginners and intermediates can enjoy good snow quality instead of being stuck on scraped-out or wet runs at lower elevations.There are other big upsides. When it’s not snowing, “we have really nice weather for a Western ski destination,” said Bryan Allegretto, the Northern Sierra specialist at the forecasting and conditions site OpenSnow. “When the sun’s out, it’s warm relative to a lot of mountain areas, so you get this beautiful, amazing weather for skiing that isn’t super cold.” (The average daytime high in January is 36 degrees.)And in a good year, the season can extend well into the spring. “I ski as long as the resort is open — there’s been several years when I skied on July 4,” Stephanie Yu, 49, who lives in Sacramento, said in a phone interview after my trip.A long history and a new nameNo wonder Palisades Tahoe is among the most popular winter destinations in America, even if, technically speaking, it was born only three years ago.The mountain opened in 1949 as Squaw Valley and acquired its neighbor, Alpine Meadows, seven miles away, in 2011. The new entity went by the cumbersome umbrella Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows until it was rebranded as Palisades Tahoe in 2021, to avoid a term that is offensive to many Native Americans.The next year a gondola connecting the base areas at the two mountains was installed; there is also a free on-demand shuttle between the two.Yet part of the Palisades Tahoe draw is how distinct its two components have remained. Palisades is bigger and sleeker, with more and better dining options, an active après scene, activities like disco tubing (which adds party lights and pumping music to regular tubing), and big-time concerts — this year, Diplo was among the performers.The plentiful lifts include a tram and a hybrid known as the Funitel (a mash-up of the French words “funiculaire” and “téléphérique”), and there is an abundance of signature terrain, which, in addition to the KT-22-served runs, includes open steeps off the Headwall and Siberia lifts (unfortunately, among the first to close because of wind) and a bumps minefield named after the local Olympic freestyle skier Jonny Moseley.The Palisades side is so spread out that you can easily move on to another section of the mountain if one gets closed off or too crowded. After struggling with low visibility on my first day, I eventually found better conditions in the Shirley bowl on the back side. Then, to flee both the crowds and the increasingly strong wind, I headed to the Snow King area, tucked away to the far left of the mountain, as you look uphill. From the Red Dog and Far East Express lifts, I made laps on runs that meandered through trees.More complicated was securing a parking spot for my rental car. Palisades Tahoe is part of the Ikon multiresort pass and in recent years has experienced an increase in crowds and traffic. Palisades visitors who don’t stay on-mountain tend to favor Truckee, a town 11 miles away, but Route 89 from there to Palisades can easily turn into a long ribbon of vehicles. (I stayed seven miles from the resort in the other direction, in tiny Tahoe City, which offers an easier commute.)To deal with the crunch, Palisades Tahoe has started requiring parking reservations on Saturdays, Sundays and select holidays. You can book a spot for $30 or try your luck when free reservations open on the Tuesday before the weekend, with sign-up windows at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. On my first attempt, I hadn’t even completed setting up my account before all the spaces were gone in 12 minutes. A few hours later, it took only six minutes for them to fill up, but I was ready and got a free spotUnassuming AlpineCompared with the Palisades side’s extroverted, big personality, Alpine still feels like an unassuming locals’ hill, with a trail map that looks underfed. Don’t underestimate it: “A lot of the best terrain is hike-to only, well hidden to where your average user won’t find it,” said Mark Fisher, who, with another local, runs a site called Unofficial Alpine that reports on the mountain.For a newcomer, though, the layout felt instinctive and easy, and I was able to have fun with the handful of lifts open on my visit, like the punishingly slow two-seater Yellow Chair — where a wild gust made me slide backward when I disembarked.I also got schooled on an innocent-looking blue run off Roundhouse Express, when my skis hopelessly sank into what looked like mounds of fluffy powder but felt like quicksand. Welcome to the notorious heavy snow known as Sierra cement.Yet something was happening. Trees offered shelter when I needed it, the runs were half empty, there were no lines anywhere, and the snow kept falling. I wasn’t even cold.Fine, count me in: There is something to be said about California skiing.Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024. Source link

[oliviajoyice21]

The Palisades Tahoe ski resort has a lot going for it: an idyllic location seven miles from Lake Tahoe’s western shore, a peak elevation of 9,050 feet with 2,850 feet of vertical, and 6,000 skiable acres spread over two bases and served by 43 lifts.The famed California destination, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, has cool, swagger and a wealth of demanding terrain. The resort hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics when it was still called Squaw Valley, and is among the Alpine Ski World Cup’s few regular stops in the United States.Yet at times, it feels as if all people talk about is the weather.Take my first visit to the resort, this past February, which took place in a windy whiteout.On the first day, I rode up the tram from the Palisades base area, then felt my way down the blue runs off the Siberia Express and Gold Coast Express lifts in a sea of white on white. Palisades Tahoe is known for its bowls, chutes and gullies, especially off the KT-22 chair, but I was not ready to venture there essentially blindfolded.While I was trying to find my bearings on Emigrant Face — a bowl-like blue area off one of the highest lifts — a snowboarder zoomed by so fast that he didn’t see a ridge in the fog and took off like an eagle. An eagle that couldn’t fly, because he crashed.Still, against all odds, I was having fun.And so was Joan Collins, 60, from Madison, Wis., whom I met during lunch at the Alpine base area the next day, when it was marginally less foggy but snowing hard. “For me the hardest part was not seeing the horizon, snow blowing in your face so you can’t really see where you’re going,” said Ms. Collins. “But we’ve been hollering all the way down on some of those runs — it’s like a big, powdery playground.”As snow fell relentlessly, parts of the mountain were closed for avalanche mitigation. Several lifts were on hold because of winds that, I later learned, could reach 100 miles per hour on the ridge tops. By noon it was obvious I really should have refreshed my jacket’s waterproofing.My visit coincided with a big dump of snow after an alarmingly dry December and an average January. Not long after, in early March, a major storm dropped eight feet of snow on the resort. Which might sound amazing to powder hounds, except that the roads and lifts were closed.This year, true to form, good conditions allowed the resort to kick off its season five days early in November.First in line for stormsThis yo-yo pattern comes from the resort’s location, 200 miles east of San Francisco. The local mountains, part of the Sierra Nevada range, are first in line when moisture-laden storms travel eastward from the Pacific. And with nothing to slow it down, the unimpeded jet stream can hit Palisades Tahoe with hurricane force. The resort’s relatively low altitude, with a main base at 6,200 feet, helps create conditions that can vary drastically within a single day as well as between the upper and the lower mountains. At least the Palisades base has great easygoing terrain at the top, so beginners and intermediates can enjoy good snow quality instead of being stuck on scraped-out or wet runs at lower elevations.There are other big upsides. When it’s not snowing, “we have really nice weather for a Western ski destination,” said Bryan Allegretto, the Northern Sierra specialist at the forecasting and conditions site OpenSnow. “When the sun’s out, it’s warm relative to a lot of mountain areas, so you get this beautiful, amazing weather for skiing that isn’t super cold.” (The average daytime high in January is 36 degrees.)And in a good year, the season can extend well into the spring. “I ski as long as the resort is open — there’s been several years when I skied on July 4,” Stephanie Yu, 49, who lives in Sacramento, said in a phone interview after my trip.A long history and a new nameNo wonder Palisades Tahoe is among the most popular winter destinations in America, even if, technically speaking, it was born only three years ago.The mountain opened in 1949 as Squaw Valley and acquired its neighbor, Alpine Meadows, seven miles away, in 2011. The new entity went by the cumbersome umbrella Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows until it was rebranded as Palisades Tahoe in 2021, to avoid a term that is offensive to many Native Americans.The next year a gondola connecting the base areas at the two mountains was installed; there is also a free on-demand shuttle between the two.Yet part of the Palisades Tahoe draw is how distinct its two components have remained. Palisades is bigger and sleeker, with more and better dining options, an active après scene, activities like disco tubing (which adds party lights and pumping music to regular tubing), and big-time concerts — this year, Diplo was among the performers.The plentiful lifts include a tram and a hybrid known as the Funitel (a mash-up of the French words “funiculaire” and “téléphérique”), and there is an abundance of signature terrain, which, in addition to the KT-22-served runs, includes open steeps off the Headwall and Siberia lifts (unfortunately, among the first to close because of wind) and a bumps minefield named after the local Olympic freestyle skier Jonny Moseley.The Palisades side is so spread out that you can easily move on to another section of the mountain if one gets closed off or too crowded. After struggling with low visibility on my first day, I eventually found better conditions in the Shirley bowl on the back side. Then, to flee both the crowds and the increasingly strong wind, I headed to the Snow King area, tucked away to the far left of the mountain, as you look uphill. From the Red Dog and Far East Express lifts, I made laps on runs that meandered through trees.More complicated was securing a parking spot for my rental car. Palisades Tahoe is part of the Ikon multiresort pass and in recent years has experienced an increase in crowds and traffic. Palisades visitors who don’t stay on-mountain tend to favor Truckee, a town 11 miles away, but Route 89 from there to Palisades can easily turn into a long ribbon of vehicles. (I stayed seven miles from the resort in the other direction, in tiny Tahoe City, which offers an easier commute.)To deal with the crunch, Palisades Tahoe has started requiring parking reservations on Saturdays, Sundays and select holidays. You can book a spot for $30 or try your luck when free reservations open on the Tuesday before the weekend, with sign-up windows at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. On my first attempt, I hadn’t even completed setting up my account before all the spaces were gone in 12 minutes. A few hours later, it took only six minutes for them to fill up, but I was ready and got a free spotUnassuming AlpineCompared with the Palisades side’s extroverted, big personality, Alpine still feels like an unassuming locals’ hill, with a trail map that looks underfed. Don’t underestimate it: “A lot of the best terrain is hike-to only, well hidden to where your average user won’t find it,” said Mark Fisher, who, with another local, runs a site called Unofficial Alpine that reports on the mountain.For a newcomer, though, the layout felt instinctive and easy, and I was able to have fun with the handful of lifts open on my visit, like the punishingly slow two-seater Yellow Chair — where a wild gust made me slide backward when I disembarked.I also got schooled on an innocent-looking blue run off Roundhouse Express, when my skis hopelessly sank into what looked like mounds of fluffy powder but felt like quicksand. Welcome to the notorious heavy snow known as Sierra cement.Yet something was happening. Trees offered shelter when I needed it, the runs were half empty, there were no lines anywhere, and the snow kept falling. I wasn’t even cold.Fine, count me in: There is something to be said about California skiing.Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024. Source link

[artificialgrass-goldcoast]

Commercial Synthetic Turf: A Smart Solution for Businesses

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Call 07 5638 1226 for your free site inspection and quote. Upgrade your commercial spaces today with synthetic turf!

[childcareburleigh]

Choosing the Right Childcare Centre in Parkwood, Gold Coast: A Guide for Parents

Finding the ideal childcare centre is a crucial decision for any parent, especially in a vibrant and family-friendly area like Parkwood, Gold Coast. Known for its community-focused lifestyle, quality education options, and natural beauty, Parkwood offers a range of childcare facilities designed to nurture and develop young minds.

This guide covers everything you need to know about choosing the best childcare centre in Parkwood.

Why Parkwood?

Parkwood is a popular suburb on the Gold Coast, offering a perfect mix of urban convenience and suburban tranquility. Families in Parkwood benefit from:

Proximity to Nature: The area is surrounded by parks, playgrounds, and green spaces, ideal for outdoor activities.

Family-Friendly Community: A close-knit community ensures children feel welcome and safe.

Access to Education: Parkwood has excellent schools and childcare facilities, ensuring seamless transitions in a child’s learning journey.

What to Look for in a Childcare Centre

When choosing a childcare centre, consider these essential factors:

1. Qualified and Caring Staff

Staff play a crucial role in shaping your child’s early learning experience. Look for centres with experienced, qualified educators who foster a nurturing and stimulating environment.

2. Curriculum and Learning Programs

High-quality centres in Parkwood focus on play-based and early learning curriculums, aligning with national frameworks like the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). This ensures that children develop foundational skills while enjoying fun and interactive activities.

3. Facilities and Safety

Safe and engaging environments are vital. Inspect the centre’s classrooms, outdoor play areas, and hygiene practices to ensure they meet high standards.

4. Community Engagement

Childcare centres that involve local events and collaborations foster a sense of belonging for children and parents alike.

5. Flexibility and Hours

Busy families often need flexible options. Look for centres that offer extended hours, casual care, or vacation programs.

Benefits of Enrolling Your Child in Parkwood

Childcare centres in Parkwood offer several unique advantages:

Holistic Development: Emphasis on cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development.

Cultural Diversity: Exposing children to a mix of cultures, fostering inclusivity and understanding.

Proximity to Amenities: Many centres are close to public transport, shopping hubs, and healthcare facilities.

Top Tips for Parents

Visit the Centre: Schedule a tour to observe the environment, meet the educators, and understand the daily routine.

Ask Questions: Inquire about the centre’s policies on discipline, communication, and emergency procedures.

Check Reviews: Research online reviews and seek recommendations from other parents in the Parkwood community.

Trial Periods: Some centres offer trial days or short-term enrolments, allowing you to gauge if the centre is a good fit.

[starseedfxofficial]

Hidden Signals in Global News: Forex Traders' Secret Edge The Underground Moves Behind Global News: What Traders Need to Know Picture this: You're sipping your morning coffee, scrolling through the headlines. Gaza, Ukraine, South China Sea – it's all there. But here's the secret: beneath those headlines are undercurrents that impact the Forex market more than you'd think. Forget about the surface drama—today, we’re diving into the hidden forces driving your trading opportunities. Get ready to peek behind the curtain. Gaza's Ceasefire and Middle East Ripples: Are You Missing the True Signal? Hamas recently stated they haven’t received any new ceasefire offers for Gaza, according to Al-Arabiya. But here’s the million-dollar question: what does this mean for traders? Think of political stability like a pair of shoes—too tight, and the market limps, too loose, and it trips. Right now, the situation in Gaza is like running in the wrong shoe size, and it's making the regional currency market react with cautious unpredictability. The truth is, while most traders shy away from the unpredictability of geopolitical tension, savvy traders know it’s the perfect moment to find market inefficiencies. With ongoing uncertainty, keeping an eye on safe-haven flows—particularly USD and CHF—is crucial. It's the kind of contrarian strategy that makes the difference between hoping for profits and actually seizing them. Miss this, and you’re letting your profits limp away. The Syrian Convoy and Commodities Connection In another twist, the Syrian army moved its largest military convoy yet to Hama. This isn’t just about a regional conflict; it’s a marker for future commodity volatility. Think of it like dominos—if Syria falls into deeper unrest, crude oil and natural gas are bound to follow in price shifts. Advanced tip: Watch for changes in Russia’s positioning in Syria. Any backing of Syrian troop movements means potential oil price fluctuations. That translates to increased volatility for commodity currencies like the Canadian dollar (CAD). Opportunities abound when you know which domino affects the next—don’t be the one caught staring at the wrong tile. Novorossiisk and the Black Sea’s Hidden Oil Tensions Meanwhile, in the Russia-Ukraine theater, Russian defense units have been fending off Ukrainian drones over Novorossiisk—a key Black Sea oil port. Here’s the real takeaway for traders: This port isn’t just a gateway; it's a heartbeat for Russian oil exports. Any interruptions are like a tap on the brakes for Russia’s economy—and when oil stalls, so does the ruble. If you’re trading ruble pairs, you need to know this: less oil flowing from Novorossiisk means less foreign cash flowing in—watch for ruble weakness. A savvy trader should be positioned to leverage these swings. Remember, it’s not about riding the news; it’s about anticipating where the market pulls over to refuel. South China Sea Tensions: The Forex Trade that Swims Beneath the Waves The recent spat in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines is more than just saber-rattling. China’s Coast Guard reportedly fired a water cannon and sideswiped a Philippine vessel—and the effects rippled far beyond those waters. What’s below the surface? The Philippine peso (PHP) and regional currencies are the sleeper trades here. When China flexes its muscle, it’s like a bully on the playground—other kids (or in this case, currencies) scatter. Expect market players to seek stability in other currencies or commodities. The yen (JPY) and Singapore dollar (SGD) often find themselves being the ‘safer bets’ in times of regional disputes. Here’s a hidden gem for you: when the playground gets rowdy, look for movements in precious metals, especially gold. It’s one of those “flight to safety” trades that never quite goes out of style, especially in markets rattled by territorial disputes. The Secret Opportunity in Delayed US-South Korea Military Talks Finally, the US and South Korea postponed their joint military exercises and defense talks this week. To the average eye, it’s just another bureaucratic shuffle, but to traders, it’s an opportunity hiding in plain sight. The lack of exercises keeps North Korea’s threats as mostly words—which oddly, works to create a more predictable environment for the won (KRW). In other words, if you're trading the won, this postponement is a chance to exploit the temporary calm—think of it like the quiet pause before an orchestra strikes up again. Traders who understand how to take advantage of such "calms" often make the most music when the market plays its next note. Why the Savvy Forex Trader Always Peeks Beneath the Headlines If there’s one lesson here, it’s this: never take the news at face value. Every headline is a potential catalyst, but it’s the lesser-known undercurrents that often provide the best signals. Whether it’s anticipating ruble volatility due to drone attacks in the Black Sea or positioning yourself for peso fluctuations amid South China Sea tension, the hidden plays are the ones that matter. The beauty of Forex is that every conflict, every convoy, and every diplomatic incident has the potential to tip the scales in one way or another. Are you ready to stay ahead of the masses? Keep digging—because the gems are never just lying on the surface. Ready to go deeper? Keep your strategies sharper than ever by staying updated with the latest economic indicators and analysis. Head over to StarseedFX Forex News to get the real scoop. —————– Image Credits: Cover image at the top is AI-generated   Read the full article

[funthingsfortoddlers]

Celadon Park has a fun playground with a cute learn to ride bike track and sandworks play structure. It’s in the centre of The Surrounds estate behind Westfield Helensvale.

Discover all the FUN at Celadon Park: www.funthingsfortoddlers.com/parks/celadon-park-helensvale/

[dollarbill0177]

Available now and I have a room for rent close to the strip and it's near the Gold Coast in Palms casino and it is $650 monthly and all utilities are included and it also have a washer and dryer in the building,covered parking, a playground, Wi-Fi,cable, and a balcony as well

Available now and I have a room for rent close to the strip and it's near the Gold Coast in Palms casino and it is $650 monthly and all utilities are included and it also have a washer and dryer in the building,covered parking, a playground, Wi-Fi,cable, and a balcony as well