Archive for January, 2010

Big Game Getaways: Miami’s Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

January 30th
2010
by Matt Wilson
posted in:
U.S. Southeast destinations

Just one more week until the Big Game is upon us. The Colts have saddled up and are heading to Miami, and the Saints are marching into town as well. And of course, thousands of their fans are making plans for a Miami vacation next weekend to root on their teams in the hopes of bringing home the Vince Lombardi trophy.

This weekend, the Pro Bowl is happening in the House that Dan Marino Built, but if you’re there now and NFL All Star games aren’t your thing (if they are, you’re in the great minority) you’ve still got plenty of options. We’ve been spotlighting these Big Game Getaways here recently; places to enjoy before kickoff that are a short drive from your Miami hotel room. Next in the lineup is Vizcaya, the century-old waterfront mansion that serves as Miami’s premiere museum and gardens.
(more…)

No Comments »

The Gullah Celebration at Hilton Head Island

January 29th
2010
by Matt Wilson
posted in:
U.S. Southeast destinations events and festivals food

February is more widely known as Black History Month, but each year during this time on Hilton Head Island, a certain sub-culture of the African-American population holds its own unique month-long event. For 14 years, Hilton Head hotels have been full during this traditionally slow (and colder) time of year—not with beach goers—but those attending the Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration to honor and preserve the traditions and accomplishments of the Gullah people.

It’s one of the Southeast’s more popular events, drawing 20,000 attendees who experience arts and crafts shows, food festivals, live entertainment, and more each weekend during the month of February. Not well known outside of the Coastal Carolina Lowcountry, the Gullah people are descendants of West Africans who were brought to the coastal islands of South Carolina and Georgia as part of slave trading in the early years of our nation. They have a very rich heritage filled with struggles and perseverance that developed their own traditional dialect, diet, spiritual beliefs, and way of life, and the Gullah Celebration is an opportunity for everyone to book some last minute Hilton Head vacation packages and enjoy all the unique contributions they have provided to the region.
(more…)

No Comments »

What’s New in Vegas?

January 28th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Las Vegas U.S. West destinations news

The New York Times recently published an article naming The 31 Places to Go in 2010. While the number seems rather arbitrary, I love these kinds of lists because they get me thinking about taking vacations in places that might not have been on my radar otherwise.  Although there are several places I hadn’t heard of before, like Koh Kood in Thailand, there were a surprising number of old standbys. Checking in at number 17 on the list was perennial party favorite Las Vegas.

Although there are great travel deals on Las Vegas hotels and entertainment right now, the article didn’t tout the bargains as reasons to go. Instead, it cited a number of new hotel projects that continue to raise the bar on Las Vegas luxury and fun.

Here is what’s new in Vegas in 2010:
(more…)

No Comments »

Big Game Getaways: Miami’s South Beach

January 27th
2010
by Matt Wilson
posted in:
U.S. Southeast beaches destinations food

After three weeks, we now know which teams will be packing their bags for a trip to the Super Bowl. The New Orleans Saints sent Brett Favre into retirement (again… and again… and yet again) with a thrilling overtime victory and, most thankfully, the idea of the Jets in the Super Bowl is nothing but a J-E-S-T Jest! Jest! Jest!thanks to Peyton Manning embarrassing the junior varsity team from New York. And for those of you booking flights to see the big game, we also know a spot you’re sure to visit.

Anyone on a Miami vacation is going to have one place in particular on their travel itinerary, whether it’s morning, noon, or deep into the brightly lit dark of night. This once sleepy district of Miami Beach filled with art deco architecture from the 1930’s has seen its share of good times and bad, with a demographic that has ranged from retirees, cocaine cowboys, and fans of Jackie Gleason over the years to the beautiful people, supermodels, and celebrities of today. It’s an international hotspot with so much to do that you could easily spend an entire month on the 23 blocks of the southern portion of this barrier island and never run out of new things to do, 24 hours a day. Such is the SoBe lifestyle of South Beach.
(more…)

No Comments »

Chase the Winter Blues Away at Portland’s ChocolateFest

January 27th
2010
by Robin Bruns Worona
posted in:
U.S. Pacific Northwest activities events and festivals food

Is it just me or does it seem a little gloomy lately? Everywhere. Cold, wet, dreary, that time of year when you start thinking about Mexican beach vacations and quick Miami getaways. Hey, I’m definitely not knocking fun in the sun, but you know what really always makes me feel better? Chocolate. Beats a sunburn in my book, any day. And it just so happens that the World Forestry Center in Portland, Oregon is hosting ChocolateFest this weekend. It’s the perfect excuse to take advantage of the current great deals on Portland hotels and head up to the City of Roses for a long weekend. If nothing else, think of it as a pre-Valentine’s Day tasting event.
(more…)

No Comments »

Racing Down Atlanta’s Snow Mountain

January 27th
2010
by Matt Wilson
posted in:
U.S. Southeast activities destinations outdoor adventure

We got a taste of snow a couple of weeks ago here in Atlanta. But it was nothing quite like this. An accumulation of snow might be commonplace up north, but south of the Mason Dixon Line, this kind of sight is rare. Which is why everyone loves Snow Mountain at Stone Mountain Park. There’s not a snowball’s chance in a very hot place that you won’t have a great time here.

Typically, the large jutting piece of granite is clearly visible as you approach the park. As Georgia’s most visited attraction, it’s a sight many tourists see as they leave their Atlanta hotels and make their way across I-20. But this cool January morning was full of gathering clouds that would bring a downpour on the region later in the evening, and made things so foggy, you couldn’t even see Stone Mountain when entering the park. Despite the cloudy haze, the mood was anything but—we were all excited about the adventure that awaited us.
(more…)

No Comments »

Mexico City Zoos

January 26th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Mexico destinations

The Miami Herald reported last Friday that police in Mexico rescued 150 ferrets  from armed robbers after a high speed chase. The ferrets, legally imported from the US, were on a truck leaving the Mexico City airport when the bandits stopped the truck and unloaded 14 boxes of the furry creatures. Police chased the robbers until the thieves ran their car into a tree and then escaped on foot. Thankfully the ferrets were not harmed and they were later reclaimed by the veterinarian who bought them. Boy, that’s quite the start to their Mexico vacation.

While you probably won’t run into any boxes of ferrets on your next trip to Mexico City, there are plenty of opportunities to see animals while there. Especially if you have kids, you might enjoy getting out of your Mexico City hotels and visiting one of the city’s zoos.

Chapultepec Zoo: Located in the heart of the city, in sprawling Chapultepec Park, the Chapultepec zoo was opened in 1923. It is quite a treasure in the city and known world-wide for its breeding program. It is famous for its popular Panda exhibit. The Chapultepec Zoo was the first zoo outside of China to successfully breed pandas, which brought the zoo considerable cache. The pandas are by far the zoo’s most popular exhibit and were even the subject of a hit song by Mexican singer Yuri.
(more…)

No Comments »

X Games in Aspen

January 25th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
U.S. West destinations events and festivals

Although the Winter Olympics are still a couple of weeks away, people itching to watch hair-raising feats of skiing and snowboarding prowess can get their fill this weekend at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. The X Games are returning to Aspen for the ninth year from Thursday, January 28 through Sunday, January 31. While Aspen hotels are starting to fill up, there’s still room for more adventure-sports loving spectators to book that Colorado ski vacation. The best part is that, unlike the Olympics, all X Games events are free and open to the public.

Touted as the premier winter action sports event in the world, the Winter X Games feature athletes from around the globe competing not only for gold, silver, and bronze medals, but also for cold hard cash. Winter X Games 14, or WX14 as this iteration is known, will be broadcast throughout the weekend on both ESPN and ABC.

Although some can argue that WX14 is no Olympics, an amazing 39 past and current Olympians will be going for the gold in Aspen this weekend. While the Flying Tomato, Olympic gold-medal winner Shaun White, is probably the most famous face to attend WX14, other well-known snowboaders include Gretchen Bleiler and Lindsey Jacobellis, both winners of silver medals in the 2006 Winter Olympics. (more…)

1 Comment »

Charleston Shucks: The Lowcountry Oyster Festival

January 24th
2010
by Matt Wilson
posted in:
U.S. Southeast destinations events and festivals

January’s a time when it’s hard to feel festive, that is unless you happen to be on vacation, sitting on a beach in some tropical paradise. I’m guessing the great majority of us are not there, and that most of our celebratory ambitions ended when the month first began at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. That’s likely because of all the blustery wind chills, rain and sleet, and general lack of sunshine. But throw a little shucking into the occasion, and it’s time to party once again.

For nearly 30 years now, the end of January has been a time to celebrate for both the natives and those enjoying Charleston vacations, thanks to the 65,000 pounds of oysters that are hauled onto the polo fields of Boone Hall Plantation. The site is one of the region’s most popular destinations and one of the only working antebellum plantations still around; a place filled with historical significance, natural beauty, and this week during the Lowcountry Oyster Festival, a whole lot of mollusk morsels, music, and more.
(more…)

No Comments »

A Closer Look At Airport Body Scanners

January 23rd
2010
by Joshua Ritchie
posted in:
news

You have probably heard a lot lately about new security measures being introduced at airports worldwide, so we prepared an infographic to help you understand how the machines work and where you will encounter them. Let us know your thoughts on the topic in the comments below. Have you been scanned? Would you avoid flying to cities that already have them implemented, or do you think it is not a big deal? Click on the infographic below to enlarge.

No Comments »
« Older Entries