Looking for something fun to do with friends and family while enjoying some fresh air, nature and time outdoors?

In honor of Veterans Day, November 11th National Parks will not be charging any entrance fees. The free entrance is valid for more than 100 parks that typically charge to enter.

Shops and lodges based in the national parks are offering two-for-one deals and other discounts on this day as well. Details on these discounts can be found here: http://www.parkpartners.org/Special-Offers-for-2010.html .

Want to plan ahead? Free days next year have already been announced including April 16-24, September 24 and November 11.

Locations of National Parks can be found here.

Planning on hitting the road this holiday weekend? You wont be alone, 28 million Americans plan to drive to their summer destinations, a 1.6 million-person increase from last year. With the nationwide average of gas decreasing $.10 per gallon and the average round trip airfare increasing 24% driving may not be a bad idea.

Auto Club AAA estimates families will spend an average of $809 on summer travel in 2010, compared to $876 in 2009. Most families are opting to stay close so they can avoid steep airline prices.

The Commerce Department stated that consumers spending was stagnant in April and it’s at its weakest level in seven months.

Many hotels and popular travel destinations are offering discounts on hotel rooms or special packages at amusement parks. The average hotel room is down slightly to $95 from $107 two years ago.

Until the job market improves people will continue to pinch pennies. What are your travel plans for summer 2010?

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and express gratitude. The LeadPile team would like to express our appreciation for your business! In combination of saying thank you, we thought we would share some helpful ideas on increasing your sales during this holiday season:

- Send Thanksgiving cards to your customers, everyone likes to hear thank you!
- Send out an email blast to your clients offering discounted services. This keeps your name in front of your customers and potentially brings them back for more services.
- Get involved with your community and do local sponsorships, to get your name in front of more people. Now is the time to share and people appreciate companies that help the community.
- Look at utilizing social networking as a source for advertising and building relationships, because families and friends stay well connected over the holidays.
- Emphasize family in your communications with your customers.

These are all ideas that might help you jump start your sales during this holiday season.

LeadPile wishes you a warm and happy holiday.