Sea Palace St. Maarten

Can a week’s vacation get any cheaper than this? I’ve just been reading Arthur Frommer’s Blog (great resource of top travel info), and learned about this insanely great sale.  A full week’s vacation in a resort rental apartment (studio, 1 bedroom or 2 bedrooms) for a mere $199 per week. That’s not per person folks, it’s per unit for a full 7 days.  And these are not some flea bag properties, they are from the apartment rental division of Wyndham Hotels – Endless Vacation Rentals.  There are resort properties located all across the USA, Caribbean, Mexico and Europe!  I just can’t stop using !!!! this is such a great deal.

Here’s the main catch…. this is a “blowout” sale on the Wyndham Vacation last minute site.  You only have until 4pm on Friday 5/21/10 to reserve your vacation at this amazing price, and travel must take place within 30 days.    Can’t get away for a full week?  No problem, check out early (the price is still worth it)…. or split the booking with some friends and each stay a few days…that would be a vacation for $100!!!!

Now if you just can’t carve out some vacation time in the next 30 days, this is a site you should definitely bookmark and keep an eye on.  The last minute page always offers properties at amazing rates that are available for travel within 30 days. The standard rate right at the moment would be $349 per week for a studio apartment, up to $399 per week for a 2 bedroom – still a fabulous deal.  I think this is going to be my new go-to site for booking quick getaways.

Here’s my suggested strategy for cashing in on these offers:

Strategy #1
Pick a few locations from the destination list
Look for available frequent flyer seats and grab them
Go back to the Wyndham site and book the apt rental

Strategy #2
Select a destination that is served by a low cost airline (JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, AirTran etc) and look for a great airfare.  Combine that fare with a one week rental from the Wyndham site.

Strategy #3
See a great airline sale…freeze some seats, check the Wyndham last minute site for an apartment rental.

Make your friends incredulous with envy…”You paid WHAT for  your vacation????!!!!!!”  You have to love it when that happens!

The Afterdeck At Louie’s Backyard
Each evening as hundreds of vacationers jam themselves into Mallory Square to watch the famous Key West sunset, a more discerning group gathers at Louie’s Backyard Restaurant at the Afterdeck Bar which sits right on the beach close to the Southernmost Point.  This is a bright and sunny open air spot to begin your evening with a seaside happy hour cocktail, enjoying the last sunny rays of the day.  The sun drops dramatically behind an adjacent pier pavilion.

Kelly’s Caribbean Bar, Grill & Brewery
Just up the street and around the corner at the junction of Whitehead Street and Caroline, you’ll find Kelly’s (owned by Kelly McGillis of Top Gun fame).  Walk into the deceptively small white bay front cottage and enter the historic former Pan Am sales office – turned chic bar.  (If at all possible claim your spot just before happy hour begins at 4:00 pm, as an enthusiastic crowd gathers quickly).  The hot wings fly all around cooled by the famed margaritas or one of their renowned home brews.  Step out back to take in the impressive garden restaurant lit by twinkling white lights.

The Gardens Hotel
Located just a block off Duval Street, (but a world away),  you’ll find the beguiling Gardens Hotel and its sensuous courtyard patio. While this tropical enclave is usually open for hotel guests only, the public is welcomed often for exhibits showcasing local artists.  We spent a very entertaining hour viewing a fashion show, sipping aperitifs, while a jazz band played on the porch – enchanting!!  The next time we return to Key West, we’ll definitely stay at this property – it’s a knock out!

Santiago’s Bodega
By now you’ll be needing some delicious unfussy food to balance your sojourn – enter Santiago’s Bodega Tapas Restaurant – the perfect interlude in a night of cocktail sampling. Located on Petronia Street, 3 blocks off mid-Duval in the Bahama Village neighborhood, this intimate restaurant has seating inside or outside on the porch.  Selections are imaginative, artfully executed and most importantly, yummy.  My favorite selection?  Without a doubt, the warm prosciutto wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese – mmmmmm!

The Keys
Time for some entertainment!  The Keys on Duval Street is a fun stop for everyone who loves a piano man and can’t keep their foot from tapping out a show tune.  Reminiscent of a New York piano bar and attracting a robust range of local talent, The Keys also welcomes visiting artists to it’s nightly open microphone sessions.  I felt like we had had front row seats to a Broadway show by the time we left!

Turtle Kraals Tower Bar
While the location of the Turtle Kraal Restaurant is definitely right on the main tourist route (at the old seaport wharf) many folks pass right by and never look up. Perched atop the restaurant is a great bar with some of the best views in Key West. The bar is only open if the weather is warm and clear, but when the gate to the stairway is open…. it’s a climb that shouldn’t be missed!  This perch will give you the optimal vantage point for watching the crowds pass by, the boats move in and out of the harbor, and for watching the ebb and flow of  the Key West waterfront.  They run a great happy hour starting at 4pm, and it’s an optimal location for watching day turn to evening.

Finnegan’s Wake
Would any  bar crawl be complete without a stop at an Irish Pub? – Of course not!  You’ll find a warm Gaelic welcome on Grinnell Street, a few blocks back from the harbor at Finnegan’s Wake.  This pub has everything you need for a great time, loads of brews to select from, generous portions of good food, and live traditional Irish music performances.

These are our favorite choices for local hang outs in Key West, but we’re sure we may have overlooked one or two of your favored stops -  so we invite you to share, share, share – where have you found magic in Key West?

Here’s how it all works:  Beginning on January 1, 2010, log onto the Disney “Give A Day, Get A Day” website and register everyone who will be volunteering.  During the registration process you will be able to select a volunteer opportunity organized by the HandsOn Network.  The HandsOn Network which has 70,000 affiliated agencies across the country including Habitat for Humanity, local food banks, health care centers and local educational programs.  There should be no shortage of volunteer opportunities near your home.

Once you have completed your volunteer day, you will need the volunteer organization to verify your participation.  Once Disney receives your verification, they will email you instructions to print out your free pass vouchers.  On the day you wish to visit the Disney park, you will present your voucher for a free pass.

At Walt Disney World in Florida the free one day pass will be good for admission to the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, or Hollywood Studios.  Black out days are March 29-April 4th and July 4th.

For Disneyland California, the free day pass is good for the Disneyland Park or Disney’s California Adventure Park.  Black out days in California include 2/13-14, 3/21, 6/21-22, 7/4, 22/21 and 12/11-12.

If you plan to purchase multi-day passes for your family, the volunteer voucher can be exchanged for a “FastPass” for quick access to the park’s most popular (and crowded) attractions.  Or your pass could be donated to a designated non-profit organization for an underpriviledged family to use.

Congratulations to the Disney organization for inspiring volunteerism in both old and young across the United States and Canada.

Casting For Cats – An All Female Fishing Tournament, October 17-18, 2009
About half way down the chain of keys you’ll find the once sleepy fishing community of Islamorada (say I’ll a more adda). This has been the fishing capital of the keys since long before Ernest Hemingway put it on the in-crowd map. In mid-October all ladies are invited to cast their lines in a Women’s Backcountry Fishing Tournament for the benefit of Caring For Cats, a local non-profit pet rescue organization.

Key Largo Pirates Fest – Outrageous Fun Above and Below the Water – October 22-25, 2009
Release your inner-pirate where buccaneers roamed and sea captains plundered and pillaged. The festivities begin with a Captain Morgan look-alike plunder party, followed the next day by Black Caesar’s Pirates Parade and the party continues for days.

The Goombay Festival – An Exuberant Bahamian Street Festival – October 23-24, 2009
Bahamians have been crossing back and forth between the Bahamas and the Keys since the early 1800′s. Today Key West boasts a robust Bahamain community that celebrates their heritage each fall with a family friendly celebration of dancing in the streets, Caribbean cuisine, Bahamian crafts, costumed stilt walkers and a grand parade that kicks off Fantasy Fest.

Fantasy Fest – Words Fail Me And Yours Will Too! – October 23-November 1, 2009
The most outrageous, pushing the limits, gala street festival imaginable. Your eyes will pop and your mouth will gape – everyone has a blast and you will never forget that you’ve been there. (Caution – this event is not intended for family audiences.)

Under Water Pumpkin Carving Contest – October 25, 2009
Super imaginative pumpkin carving contest 30 feet under the ocean in scuba gear sponsored by Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo.

BubbaFest Bike Tour – A Glorious Scenic Ride From Key Largo to Key West – November 7-14, 2009
When freezing temperatures have forced you to put your bike in the basement up north, the weather is perfect for a long leisurely scenic bike ride in the Florida Keys. The BubbaFest welcomes riders of all abilities for a week long journey through all the keys and back again. Riders enjoy resort camping, lots of time for water sports, amazing aqua views and mostly flat terrain.

Surely there is something in the Florida Keys you’ll love this fall! Check out special festival hotel rates (some up to 50% off) at KeysCaribbean.com.

AND HERE’S ONE MORE!

Parrot Heads In Paradise – Jimmy Buffet 18th annual Meeting of the Minds takes place in Key West from November 5-8, 2009.  The annual Parrot Head convention is a menagerie of beach parties, concerts, and charity events.