As I stood staring upward toward the mountainside of powerful tumbling waters (mouth dry, heart thumping, knees quivering), Winston our guide at Dunn’s River Falls sidled up to me and said, “You – you’re coming with me!”

Our enthusiastic group of two dozen Travel Bloggers joined hands and slipped and dipped  our way upward.  We were fortunate to have arrived late in the afternoon and had the climb all to ourselves.  Before long we were squealing and laughing as currents twirled us around and dunked us into free form pools.  Winston, of course, heightened the adventure by pushing willing climbers down natural water-slides into deep aqua pools.  We all learned quickly – never be the first one to try one of Winston’s dares – Ji Yoon, you should have seen your face after the first unexpected dunking!

As we reached the upper levels, I don’t know what ached more.. my legs from climbing, my arms from holding on, or my cheeks from laughing.  One thing I do know.. the thrill of reaching the top with friends all around, and looking down to see where we had climbed from was incomparable.  What a blast!  Thank goodness I didn’t wimp out, and praises to Winston, our guide extraordinaire.

Admission to Dunn’s River Falls is a very affordable $15 for adults and $12 for children under 11.  You absolutely need a pair of aqua socks (a.k.a reef shoes) or at least an old pair of sneakers.  Flip flops are NOT a good choice as the current will whip them right off your feet.  There are vendors within the park who will rent you a pair of snug fitting water shoes if you don’t have your own.  You should positively use the services of a Dunn’s Falls guide.  They know where all the foot holds are, will make sure you are following the least slippery path, take control of your camera so it stays dry, and will snap hysterical photo’s along the way.  Of all the sites we saw in Jamaica, Dunn’s River Falls proved to be the most exhilarating and memorable experience I had – You won’t want to miss it!

Here’s a fabulous new travel contest

Do you know someone who has no job, no direction, no umph, is truly annoying with no redeeming qualities?  (May sound like your recent college grad who’s returned home….) Here’s a chance to nominate them for eviction and send them packing for a full 6 months with the hope they return a better person.  To be chosen your entry will have to be witty and employ a variety of media tools  (video, song, sound effects, prose) – anything you can think of to garner the votes of friends, family and voters to just “Get Rid Of Me“!  The prize will include two tickets, so maybe you can find a friend who is just as annoying as you and tag team the competition.

Each candidate will need lots of votes, so be sure to enlist all your friends, relatives and even strangers in the voting.  One of the top contestants even performs annoying songs in public parks in order to gather voters to get rid of them. So you’ll have to be crafty  and imaginative in your approach.  Get all the details of the fabulous trip and the contest rules at GetRidOfMe.com.  Entries must be submitted by September 30th and the winner will be picked in October.  Be truly obnoxious and good luck!

No longer do you have fly to England to join in the excitement of the most acclaimed tennis tournament in the world.  For 133 years Wimbledon has attracted the elite of the tennis world to compete on it’s grassy courts.  Now, thanks to HSBC, you too can test your volley skills on a replica grass tennis court in the heart of New York City.  Beginning on Monday, June 21, 2010 from 7am until 7pm (and continuing through the week), spectators can reserve court time on the replica grass court, take a clinic with pros from Prince, request a racket restringing, play Wii Grand Slam Tennis thanks to EA Sports, and even pose with a virtual Wimbledon Trophy.  To kick off the celebration, tennis greats Jim Courier and Monica Seles will play with selected fans on June 21st from 12:00 – 1pm.

The venue is in Rockefeller Center between 50th & 51st Street, between 5th & 6th Avenue.  You can reserve singles court time by calling 212-525-2367, or take advantage of walk-in tennis clinics by Prince on June 22-25 from 12:00 – 1:30 pm, and 4:30 – 6:00 pm.  Get a schedule of all the clinics and activity times  by visiting HSBC/tennis.

The Prix Fixe promotion began on May 15th and will continuing through the summer season (with no end date yet announced).  Top-tier restaurants like Blanchards, the CuisinArt Resort and The Old Caribe will off three course menus at $45.  Mid-tier establishments will charge $40 and casual eateries will offer 3 course dinners for just $35.

Most all hotels, inns and villa complexes have special pricing as well.  Many will be offering a ‘Stay 5 Nights, Get 2 Free’ promotion.  These packages are typically available from May through to mid November.  Among the resorts offering 7 nights for the price of 5 are:  Bird of Paradise, Carimar Beach Club, CuisinArt Resort and Spa, Ku Resort, Sirena Resort & Villas, Spyglass Hill Villa, and Sur La Plage Villas.

For those not familiar with Anguilla, it is a warm and welcoming stretch of white sand located just to the east of San Juan and to the north of St. Martin.  Many visitors fly into St. Martin and then ferry over to the island.  This is a very pristine, laid-back beach paradise with 33 beaches, one more inviting than the next.  If you love an island with miles and miles of white sand beach bordered by clear translucent water, this my be the tropical paradise you’ve been looking for.

For complete details about the Prix Fixe promotion visit Anguilla-Vacations.com

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!

Finding the perfect summer camp experience for your ever changing child is an ongoing challenge.

Rock Music Summer Camp – The Collective Sound, California and Oregon
Do you have a future Rocker at home who loves nothing better than to practice air guitar techniques every waking moment?  Send them off to TCS where they’ll be paired with like minded aspiring musicians, form a band, learn to write original music, improve their performing techniques in concert like settings, and a lucky few can even go on tour!
Surfing  Camp – Endless Summer Surf Camp – California & Costa Rica
Nothing is as iconic as spending the summer in a pitched tent by the beach, spending long sunny days riding the crest of a California wave.  The Beach Boys embedded this golden vision of summer in our psyche and the dream endures for every generation of prospective surf-bums.  The Endless Summer Surf Camp is an all-inclusive immersion into the surfing lifestyle, riding the waves, hanging out with friends, beach-side BBQues, not to mention expert instruction and video analysis.  It’s so popular you may never want to grow up – so they also offer adults only camps and Surf and Turf (golf and surfing camps).
Skateboarding/BMX Camp – Camp Woodward, CA, CO, WI, PA & China!
Are your energetic kids always propelling themselves several feet off the ground no matter what devise is under their feet.  Whatever your child’s wheel frenzy of the moment is, the Woodward summer camps will send them on the half-pipe ride of their dreams.  These camps offer every extreme sport instruction you can think of including skateboarding, inline, BMX mountain biking, gymnastics and cheer leading – all staged in the most impressive action sport parks imaginable!
Snowboarding Summer Camp – High Cascade – Mt. Hood, Oregon
For some lucky boarders the snow never stops falling – such is the case in the glacier bowls of Mt. Hood.  And there will be no pointy toed devices here…. its all about boarding, no skis allowed!  All you Shaun White’s in training, pack up your board and head west to Mt. Hood.  Sorry Chris…. wish these camps were around when you were one of the first boarders on the slopes – you would have loved this!
Eco Rainforest Adventure - Lodge at Chaa Creek Summer Camp , Belize
Answer the call of the wild on this one week Eco immersion into a pristine rain forest experience.  Licensed naturalist guides will lead day hikes into ancient Maya sites where campers will learn about biodiversity, natural resource conservation, Maya traditions and healing methods.  Every participant will gain a new lifelong appreciation of their relationship with ‘our fragile earth’, while interacting with the rain forest habitat.
LEGO Building Fantasy Camp – First Ever LEGO Summer Camp – Atlantis Resort, Bahamas
Everyone loves LEGOs and now your kids can have a master building experience while the whole family vacations at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.  Three five day Lego workshop camps will be offered in July where kids work side-by-side with a LEGO Master Builder to construct an impressive ‘mega project’.  The camp experience provides hands-on building challenges that encourage teamwork, creativity and fine motor skills, as well as fun resort activities like a resort-wide scavenger hunt with access to behind-the-scenes areas not usually open to resort guests.

So there’s no excuse for a dull summer – exciting summer camp experiences are just a few clicks away!

2010 Washington DC Winning Team

If you watch CBS’ popular series The Amazing Race and think, “shoot I could do that”… here’s your chance to grab a buddy and give it a one-day try.  The folks at Urban Dare have designed an adventure race series that visits 32 cities nationwide, culminating in a Super Dare competition with a $5,000 prize. Two person teams are given challenges to navigate urban landscapes in a quest to solve clues, beat the clock, and document their successes.  The contest covers approximately 5 miles of city terrain which can be crossed by foot or public transportation.  Participants are given clue sheets that send them on a mission to complete tasks, solve puzzles and arrive at checkpoints where they receive a ‘passport’ stamp before heading off on the next challenge.  Winning teams typically complete the contest in two hours, with many more arriving at the finish line in four hours.

If you think you are cagey enough to out-wit and out-scramble the competing teams to claim your city’s top Urban Dare championship title, come out to register right up until race time.  In Boston, the competition begins at 45 Union Street, with registration beginning at 11am.  All proceeds from the event go to fight breast cancer, and the winning team will progress to the next Super Dare competition in early 2011.  Visit the UrbanDare.com site for a full list of cities that will host competitions through the summer and fall.

Authorized Tiger Tours have failed to protect the population of tigers while attempting to bring tourists ever closer to their natural habitat.  Safari lodges have been built in Eco sensitive areas and some block the tiger’s traditional migratory routes.  Ever growing numbers of tours have resulted in tigers being herded by elephants to parade in front of a traffic jams of jeeps piled high with photo snapping tourists.  Worst of all, poachers have continually raided and killed tigers, which today almost guarantees the eventual extinction of tigers in India.

It is hoped that by taking the drastic measure of banning tiger sightseeing tours, the majestic Indian tiger will be able to repopulate their habitat undisturbed and rebuild their population.  What remains unknown, is whether the poachers will be able proliferate once attention is taken away from the tiger’s territory.  Many worry about what will become of the dozens of tour companies and their employees who live near the tiger reserves.  Will the tigers be left in peace to flourish, or without the spotlight of tourism will poachers thin the population to tragic levels?  This is indeed a very tentative and dangerous time for India’s tiger population.  Here’s hoping India can stabilize the population and prevent the eventuality when the only tigers that can be seen are in a zoo!

I’ve just returned from a girls getaway weekend at The Wentworth, and let me say a one night escape felt like days of pampering.  The delight begins as you turn right off Route 1A (first exit after the Hampton Tolls) onto Wentworth Road and ride past the pastoral golf course stretching along the ocean’s edge, and then catch your first glimpse of the gleaming white, red-roofed resort perched on a hill with commanding views of ocean in every direction.  The impact is instantaneous, beach-side grandeur of yesteryear.   There’s a smile on every face as we park the car – heads swiveling in every direction – taking in the ocean views, manicured gardens  (we’ve hit tulip/lilac season), hidden arbors and gazebos, and oh yes, let’s not forget the marina with happily bobbing yachts.  Sigh….

Entering the grand foyer we’re greeted by the ever smiling and dapper Concierge, George, who later volunteers to give us an historic tour of the property.  We hear tales of treaties signed by Teddy Roosevelt, jazz performances by Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway, and architectural wonders like the magnificent cherub entwined ‘whisper’ rotunda dome that graces the dining room.  We visit the very elegant spa, which is clearly one of the main attractions of the hotel, and then enter the pool pavilion which seems suited for a Grecian goddess – gorgeous.  The social rooms are a perfect balance between elegance and comfort – inviting rather than stiff and stuffy.  The sweeping porches dotted with wicker furniture encourage guests to sit a spell, breath in the briny sea air, and gaze off to the ever changing landscape of sea, marsh and boating channels.

And finally off to our room which is large, luxurious and offers sweeping ocean views.  Since the hotel is built on a coastal island, it enjoys entertaining water views in every direction.  We particularly love the heated marble floors in the bathroom – now that’s indulgence!  The decor is bright and dignified, with every high end amenity on your wish list.  Families love the new 1,000 sq ft, two-level marina suites built right along the water’s edge by the outdoor swimming pool, seaside restaurant and marina.  But you won’t be spending much time in your room, there are so many activities to beckon you -  golfing, boating, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, nearby antiques and outlet shopping, historic Strawberry Bank in the lively city of Portsmouth – to name just a few.  We had dinner and breakfast at the resort and both were outstanding – delicious, with interesting offerings, and prepared to perfection.  Wentworth By The Sea is a Marriott resort, so if you are lucky enough to have Marriott reward points, this is a spectacular choice for redeeming them.  Rates usually begin in the $250 per night range for a standard room and I would say this resort is worth every penny.  They do a robust wedding business all year round, making it important to book your spa services in advance if you’re visiting on a weekend.

So the next time you need a dose of pampered living, fine dining and beautiful sea views, that are close to home, head right up Rt 95 to Wentworth By The Sea.  This resort makes a perfect weekend destination for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Anniversary or Birthday celebrations, which probably accounts for the fact that they are sold out most weekends of the year – plan your visit in advance and enjoy!