Yipeeeeee – Turks & Caicos Is On Sale!

Those of you who know me well, know that although I’ve traveled all across the globe, Turks and Caicos is the only destination I’ve ever seriously considered moving to.  Yes, it’s that wonderful!  Spectacular beaches, aquamarine and electric blue ocean, friendly locals, world renowned bone fishing, an eclectic array of restaurants, and gorgeous upscale resorts await.  The fact that it was protected from major development until a dozen years ago, helps to explain why it remains a pristine paradise that attracts movie stars and beach lovers alike.  But alas, as luxury resorts have gone up, so have the prices.  It’s been rare to see dramatic sales in Turks and Caicos – so when promotions are announced, it’s time to celebrate and book a trip.  Here are details of the best current promotions:

American Airlines has announced a Caribbean airfare sale (including Turks and Caicos) for flights between April 1 – May 22nd, purchase by March 22, 2010.

The West Bay Club – One of Turks and Caicos’ newest and most appealing boutique properties on celebrated Grace Bay, is tempting you to stay longer with free night offers that continue from April 11th through November 22, 2010.  Book three nights in a luxury one bedroom or larger accommodation and receive an additional night free.  Or relax for 5 nights and receive two additional nights free.  This offer is valid for stays from 4/11 – 5/31/10.  Beginning June 2nd, the resort offers a 5th night free plus 10% off their great summer rates for stays of five nights or longer. Read more

The Ultimate Slumber Party – Sleep ON The Great Wall Of China!

A journey to China is filled with dozens of unique travel experiences for first time visitors. The miles of neatly parked black bicycles, the first time you’re offered a “1000″ year old egg to eat, the brightly painted Ming Dynasty temples, the sheer size and breadth of the highways and public squares, and the pace of new construction, all create a juxtaposition that is staggering.  At the top of most traveler’s sightseeing list is a visit to The Great Wall, located about 3 hours outside of Beijing.  What a shame it would be to travel all the way to China, and all the way to The Great Wall only to be herded like lemmings onto a restored section of the wall with hundreds (maybe thousands) of other sightseers.  Forget about jogging on The Great Wall… you’ll be lucky to find a spot to peep over the parapets and glimpse the countryside beyond.  If you’re like me, there will be way too many heads and necks in your view!  And don’t spend too much time walking along the wall, for you’ll surely want to visit the gift shops and purchase your requisite “I Climbed The Great Wall” t-shirt before the bus leaves.  The picture above was shot on May Day with a few of my fellow sightseers!!!  Fortunately there’s another way….

The folks at TheChinaGuide.com (an American managed/Beijing based travel company) offer a unique and intriguing tour to The Great Wall that includes a “Sleep On The Wall” experience.  (Less adventurous travelers can opt to stay in a traditional courtyard hotel at the base of the wall instead.)  The tour visits a section of the wall that is less frequented by tour buses, so you will have plenty of opportunity to roam.  Following dinner in the village and an evening hike along the wall, tour participants who opt to ’sleep on the wall’ climb to a watchtower along with their guide, and bed down in a cozy sleeping bag with sleeping mat.  After a night of imagining you’re a trusty tower scout watching for an invading Mongol army, breakfast arrives (hot coffee, muesli and fruit) and it’s off for a 6 mile walk to discover more mysteries of the wall along with your guides.  Imagine the stories you’ll have to tell when you return home.  “I not only climbed the wall, I lived on it like Chinese soldiers did thousands of years ago”!  Here’s a link that will bring you to a full description of this unique Sleep On The Wall tour.  You might also like to read the trip report and watch a video by a Toronto Star reporter.

Now for the rest of us who are not entertaining a trip to China in the near future…. TheChinaGuide website has an outstanding feature -   360 degree panorama videos of  major sights in and around Beijing including The Great Wall,  Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, The Forbidden City, and Olympic stadiums – you’ll almost feel like you’re there.   Enjoy this virtual tour of Beijing!

ps – the photos in the article were not taken on The China Guide tour – they are my photos from a previous visit to China.

Virgin Atlantic Wants To Know – Are You A Swinger?

No, we’re not talking about stepping out with the Virgin Fly Girls (although I’m sure they’d get plenty of volunteers), we’re talking about exuberant golfers who love competition!  Members of Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club (the free to join frequent flyer program), are invited to join Virgin’s online Golf League where you can find golf buddies across the globe.

Here’s what’s in it for you!

• Find a golf partner wherever you travel around the world
• Monthly contests for photo of the month, video of the month and player of the month
• Connect with other golfers through the Virgin’s Golf Blog
• Read course reviews by other members and contribute your own
• Win a spot in a Ryder Cub style competition – Europe versus the rest of the world.  The golf championship  will take place in September in the UK for the top 12 Swingers!
• The first 100 Swingers to submit a score will receive a special Swingers goody bag.

All great reason to join Virgin Atlantic’s Flyers Club whether you plan a cross-Atlantic journey in the near future or not!

1,2, Free! Stay Two Nights, Get One Free Hotel Deals

Major hotels are jumping on the Buy Two, Get One Free bandwagon. Rather than reducing their rates in general, hotels are offering customers a free night’s stay instead.  Stay for two consecutive nights and get one free equals a 33 1/3% price reduction for your overall stay.  For instance if you stay two nights at $150 per night and then get one night free, you’ve actually spent $100.50 per night – a bargain!  Here’s a list of properties offering the 2+1 specials:

Four Seasons Hotels want you to ’stay longer’.  They’re offering a 3rd night free in many of their locations including Chicago, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Palm Beach, Miami, Atlanta, Austin, Alexandria and Philadelphia to name a few.  There are several international destinations included as well – Whistler, Prague, Dublin and more.  Check the website for hotels that are participating in the “Stay Longer” program, it may just make staying at the top luxury properties within your budget!

Trump International Beach Resort in  Sunny Isles Beach Florida, offers “Free Fridays”.  Book a minimum of a 3 night stay that includes a Friday night, and you’ll receive Friday for free along with a full American breakfast.  Book by March 16th for stays through March 31, 2010

Lake Tahoe – March in the Mountains at Heavenly Now this is a deal!  Stay at the Big Pine Mountain House, Lakeside Inn or Blue Lake Inn and ski at Heavenly Ski Resort for two days and you’ll receive the third night at the hotel and third day of skiing free.  The promotion is valid weekdays or weekends through April 18th and starts at $75 per person per night!

St. Martin Radisson Resort & Marina wants you to recharge this summer – when you stay for 3 nights you’ll only pay for two.  Your stay will include complimentary breakfast for two, (kids stay and eat free), and you’ll get a 10% discount on Le Spa services.

Half Moon Bay California – Located on a beautiful stretch of vibrant coastline a bit south of San Francisco, this community wants you to stay a few days to discover their many attractions.  There’s top tier golfing, biking and hiking; surfing, whale watching and horseback riding on the beach.  Fifteen lovely lodgings are offering the 3rd night free through April 15th.

Loews Hotels are promoting Loews Long Weekends.  Stay Thursday through Saturday night and take 30% off your bill at participating properties.

Choice Hotels International has a great twist on this offer – stay two separate nights by April 30th and you’ll receive enough Choice Privilege points for a free night stay.  Be sure you sign up for the Choice Privilege program prior to your stay.

And don’t miss the spring sale from Expedia.  They have a promotion featuring 3rd, 4th or 5th nights free throughout major vacation destinations around the globe.  Book by 3/18/10 to get the promotional rates.

Phantom Of The Opera Sequel Lights Up The Night In London

Attention theater lovers – The Phantom is back!  Andrew Lloyd Webber’s much anticipated sequel production, Love Never Dies, opened in London this week to glowing reviews. The plot picks up 10 years after the mysterious disappearance of the Phantom in the basement of the Paris Opera House at the end of the play.  We find that the Phantom has followed his love (Christine) to New York where she has been offered an opportunity to perform at the newly opened Coney Island amusement pavilion.  In the excitement of traveling to glamorous New York with her husband Raoul and young son, Christine is unaware of the true identity of her benefactor who has lured her to New York.  “LOVE NEVER DIES is a rollercoaster ride of obsession and intrigue  in which music and memory can play cruel tricks and The Phantom sets out to prove that, indeed, LOVE NEVER DIES “.

Well respected theater ticket/travel company Keith Prowse is the exclusive ticket agent for Love Never Dies performances at the Adelphi Theatre.  They have put together London theater packages that include performance tickets and hotel stay starting at $129.59 per person (remarkable).   Click over to Keith Prowse/Love Never Dies for all the details – you’ll find a calendar displaying dates when tickets are available.

How Many Skiers Does It Take To Rock The Mountain?

If you’re anywhere near the Rockies this spring you may just find out as Colorado ski resorts throw huge spring festivals to celebrate the end of the ski season! Ski die-hards and Boarder fanatics looking for the last powder runs of the winter should head to the Colorado Rocky Mountains where beer bashes and outdoor concerts promise to give you a mile high buzz to go with your ski tan.   Don’t  miss the spring powder runs  (while it will be ice skating on the mountains in the east) the Rockies are still getting fresh snow.  Here’s a list of where the best  spring ski parties are!

Rock The Boat in Steamboat – Saturdays from March 13 – April 11, 2010
Bud Light sponsors the “Rock The Boat” live concert series at the base of the ski area every Saturday afternoon from mid-March until closing day on April 11th.  There will be live entertainment including reggae, bluegrass, New Orleans R&B and toe tapping Irish jigs.  For a particularly hilarious time, don’t miss the 3rd Annual Splashdown Pond Skim competition on 4/11, when contestants go for distance across an ice-cold pond.  Contestants are judged on the distance of their splash landing, crowd response and craziness of their outfit (no kidding on the crazy part!).  Read more

Nationwide Spa Deal Days Starts on March 8th

SpaFinder.com announces $50 spa treatments at premier spas across the country from March 8 – 14, 2010. Just when we need a some revitalization to get us through the rest of winter and tide us over  until spring weather raises our spirits, the good folks at SpaFinder have launched a nationwide Deal Days promotion.  Spas you’ve only dreamed of visiting are offering facials, massages, pedicures and manicures for only $50. Notable luxury spa destinations  include:

- Miraval (Tucson)
- Red Mountain Spa (Ivins, Utah)
- Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa at The Plaza Hotel (New York City)
- Canyon Ranch Spa Club (Las Vegas)
- Mandara Spa (resorts nationwide)
- Safety Harbor Resort & Spa (Safety Harbor, Florida)
- Spa Aquazul at Hilton San Diego BayFront (San Diego)
- Cordillera Lodge (Edwards, CO)

And without a doubt at a number of posh  spas near you.  Visit SpaFinders.com to search for spas near you and to make reservations online right now.  Don’t forget to check out the spa recipe page while you’re at it!

Earn American AAdvantage Miles At The Mall

American Airlines has taken a bold step forward to help AAdvantage members earn miles wherever they shop.  They have just announced a new program that enables you to register your favorite charge card (any credit or debit card) and earn miles whenever you shop online, by catalog or at a retail store from one of their affiliated merchants (and there are hundreds!).  So I’m thinking…. If I purchase our office supplies from Staples at the Aadvantage eshopping page and then charge it to my registered American Express account… I’d earn 3 miles per dollar from American, I’d earn 1 point per dollar from American Express, I’d get a 5% credit back from Staples on my Amex account, AND I’d earn points for having a Staples rewards card.  A quadruple dip – I like it!!

Check out all the details from American Aadvantage eShopping and start racking up extra miles.

Lots of Restaurant Weeks In March!

It’s a great week to go eat out – Restaurant Weeks have blossomed all across the country.  Here’s a quick list of where to find restaurant week promotions:

Denver, Colorado – this week until 3/5
Chicago, Illinois – this week until3/6
Orange County, California – this week until 3/7
Savannah, Georgia – this week until 3/7
Maine – this week until 3/10
New York City – this week until 3/20
Santa Fe & Albuquerque New Mexico – this week until 3/13
Atlanta, Georgia – this week until 3/14

Austin Texas – March 8 – 11
Western New York – March 8 – 14
Boston, Massachusetts – March 14-19
Hudson Valley New York – March 15 – 28
Newport, Rhode Island – March 27 – April 4

Happy Dining!!

Passport Fees Going Up (Again!) – Renew Now

In this era of escalating fees, the State Department has requested an increase in the cost of obtaining a passport. The new proposed rates would be $135 for a first-time passport application, $110 for a renewal and $82 for additional pages (which are currently free).  It’s hard to believe that the cost of a passport could more than DOUBLE since 2002 when the fee was $60!  The fees can’t go into effect until the end of a 30 day “comment” period. If you’d like to register your feelings about the fee increase, please complete the comment form at Regulations.org. In the meantime, check your passport expiration date and blank pages, better to take care of it now!

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