LAST MINUTE TRAVEL DEALS: Santa Fe Winter Fiesta

Winter may be Santa Fe’s best kept secret, but it won’t be for long with winter deals like these. 

The first annual Santa Fe Winter Fiesta takes place February 18 - 27, 2011 throughout Santa Fe’s historic streets and in the nearby Rocky Mountains. 

Each day will be a celebration of the season with daily special events focusing on Santa Fe’s bountiful outdoor opportunities, Native American and Spanish cultures, the region’s savory and diverse cuisine, the city’s performing arts, and Santa Fe’s endless fine arts. 

Lots of winter events and Santa Fe Specials are available plus hotel packages with value pricing and additional savings opportunities around town, including: 

• Stay one night get one free offers are available at Luxx Hotel, Lodge at Santa Fe and Hotel Plaza Real
• Spa and resort packages up to 50% off
• 505 Bar Crawl Friday, February 18th - FREE ADMISSION
• Discounted snowshoe and skiing 
• Santa Fe School of Cooking Classes 30% off
• Dining at famous resaturants 20 - 60 % off
• SEE ALL DEALS

A Winter Fiesta Pass lanyard ($20) is the key to savings for many events, venues, classes and programs.

For more Santa Fe information and Winter Fiesta deals visit: www.SantaFeWinterFiesta.com

Source: Santa Fe Conventions and Visitors Bureau 

2 for 1 special from England's largest vineyard

The US dollar is worth what? - $1.43 : £ 1.00

More British deals & discounts…

2 for1 special from England’s largest vineyard

Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey is offering 2 for 1 on adult ticket purchases for its Indoor Wine Experience Tour. This deal is valid until June 2009. Said to be the first wine estate in the world to give visitors a look into all aspects of the wine making process, Denbies has a four-diamond rated guesthouse and a Kitchen Garden Centre. For more on this special offer visit http://www.denbiesvineyard.co.uk/.

Source: VisitBritain.com

FALL FOLIAGE IN MASSACHUSETTS: Best Driving Routes. Fairs and Festivals. State-Wide Lodging Deals

Autumn in Massachusetts is a time like no other—warm sunny afternoons and starlit cool, crisp evenings.  The landscape is dotted with fairs and festivals celebrating the brilliant array of colors that embraces the state.  Each year thousands of tourists travel to Massachusetts from destinations throughout the world to witness the natural phenomenon of Massachusetts’ colorful fall foliage.
 
In order to cater to the needs of the state’s fall visitors, the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) has gathered the most up-to-date information on the best driving routes, most exciting events and best lodging deals throughout the Bay State.  Whether travelers are seeking quaint B&B’s with picturesque views or modern facilities located on a scenic highway, Massachusetts has something to offer everyone!
 

DRIVING ROUTES IN MASSACHUSETTS

 
MOTT has partnered with the Department of Conservation and Recreation to provide reports from state foresters that are posted two times each week on massvacation.com and are also available by calling the Fall Foliage Hot Line: 800-227-MASS.  The web site includes a list of scenic drives as well as a fall foliage timetable map that will help visitors plan their trip.  
 
 

MASSACHUSETTS FALL FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

 
The autumn season is perfect for attending fairs and festivals, browsing through farm stands, hiking, taking peaceful canoe rides and peddling along bicycle trails.  Following is a sampling of upcoming events, but be sure and log onto massvacation.com for hundreds of listings:
 

• Topsfield Fair: Spend the day at one of the oldest fairs in the country featuring agricultural exhibits and fall flower shows; horse, oxen, and tractor pulls; arts and crafts; the world famous Giant Pumpkin contest; entertainment; and midway. Topsfield Fairgrounds.  October 3 - 13, 2008. 978-887-5000. www.topsfieldfair.org
• 5th Annual Cranberry Harvest Festival: A Plymouth county tradition, the festival features demonstrations of cranberry harvesting, cooking with cranberries, children’s entertainment, live music, a craft fair, and rides.
• October 11 & 12. 508-759-1041 x.13. www.cranberries.org/festival/festival.html
• 25th  Annual Applefest: Visit central Massachusetts’ highest peak and enjoy the sounds of live entertainment, 70 craft exhibits, and autumn crafts for kids.  Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, Princeton.  October 18-19, 25-26.  978-464-2300. www.wachusett.com
• Bluegrass and Brews Festival at Nashoba Valley Winery:  Bring your blankets and lawn chairs for a  fun filled fall day of bluegrass music featuring “Southern Rail.”. Great views, great foliage, great food, great brews and great wine. Nashoba Valley Winery, Bolton. October 26.  978-779-5521.  www.nashobawinery.com
• 44th Head of the Charles Regatta: If you haven’t experienced one of the world’s largest rowing events, you don’t know what you’re missing.  Spend the day along the banks of the Charles River as you view championship events and races for youths, veterans and lightweights.  Charles River, Cambridge/Boston.  October 18-19.  617-868-6200.  www.hocr.org
• Davis’ Farmland Mega Maze: New England’s first and only world-class corn maze. Created for adults but enjoyed by all ages, this 3D twister will turn you inside out, stir your senses and blow your mind! Weekends through October.  978-422-8888.  www.davisfarmland.com
• The Big E: There is no better place to enjoy the sights, sounds and aromas of the fall season than at the Eastern States Exposition, New England’s autumn tradition and the largest fairgrounds in the Northeast!  Enjoy The Super Circus, Avenue of States, a Mardi Gras parade, Storrowtown Village, live entertainment and agricultural exhibitions all while sampling food from around the world. September 12-28. 413-737-2443. www.thebige.com

FALL IN LOVE WITH ATLANTIC CANADA PRICES DROP UP TO 50 PERCENT AT PEAK FOLIAGE TIME

Haven’t managed to get away this summer yet?  Did you really buy into that “stay-cation” idea?  Or does the news about the economy, the gas crisis and high prices have you worried?  How about a vacation this fall that offers real value? 

Savvy leaf peepers know that come September and October there are lower prices, fewer crowds and plenty of elbow room in Atlantic Canada.  And unlike New England and other parts of the US, prices go down in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island during the fall – sometimes as much as 50 percent.   

The rolling hills and picturesque valleys of Atlantic Canada come alive in a wash of fiery crimsons and scarlets along with bright yellows and golds.  Food and music take center stage at colorful festivals.  And since Canadians celebrate their Thanksgiving on October 8, Americans can even indulge in an additional holiday feast.

Thanks to the warm waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Northumberland Strait, Prince Edward Island actually has one of the longest fall foliage viewing periods in North America.  The island’s gentle landscape offers up views of apricot-orange sugar maples and the ruby-reds of cherry and sumac.  These jewel tones contrast with the deep greens of spruce and pine. 

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Prince Edward Island’s most famous personage – the spunky red-haired orphan Anne of Green Gables – and events continue on through the end of November, www.anne2008.com.  For seafood lovers PEI also offers two food festivals this fall.  The 13th annual PEI International Shellfish Festival will be held in Charlottetown from September 19 to 21. The “biggest kitchen party in Atlantic Canada” will feature chowder cook-offs, oyster shucking contests and five daily performances by some of Canada’s best known musicians, www.peishellfish.com. And 10 days later, from September 30 to October 5, “Fall Flavours,” a new island-wide food festival with more than 130 culinary events, will take place with native son Michael Smith, one of Canada’s leading chefs, hosting a gala dinner and cooking classes, www.fallflavours.ca.

From September 3 through 15 at the Cavendish Maples Cottages, room rates go down to $98 from the summertime high of $141, a savings of 30 percent.  From September 16 through the 21, the rate goes down to $84, a 40 percent savings.  And from September 22, a room for two costs as little as $70 – a whopping 50 percent off high-season rates.  A “Romance Package,” which includes two nights’ accommodation, breakfast vouchers for the PEI Preserve Co., passes to Green Gables, a bottle of wine, a chocolate surprise and a welcome gift is available from September 2 to mid-October for $243 per couple, 1-888-662-7537, www.cavendishmaples.com.

Visitors to Nova Scotia will see many autumn colors kayaking along Cape Chignecto or hiking, biking, or canoeing through Kejimkujik National Park.  They might even catch sight of moose.  Several food and music festivals take place in the fall, and farmers’ markets have an abundance of fall produce.  From September 4 through October 26, the 2008 Wines of Nova Scotia Fall Festival will offer more than 25 tastings, grape stomps, gourmet dinners, cooking classes and food pairing events, www.winesofnovascotia.ca.  Melodic voices and the sounds of pipes and fiddles will fill the air in Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island at the Celtic Colours International Festival, October 10 to18.  In its twelfth year, this festival will focus on Celtic cultures with home grown Cape Breton musicians as well as artists from Scotland, Ireland, Spain and even Cuba, www.celtic-colours.com.

At the White Point Beach Resort rates also dip in the fall.  Starting September 15, prices for a standard river view room drop to $111 Sunday through Thursday, from the summertime high of $140 – a 20 percent discount.  (The weekend rate is $131.)  After October 19, the rate goes down further to $102 – a 27 percent savings.  (Sunday through Thursday the weekend rate is $111.) The resort’s “Beach Romance” package includes cottage accommodations for three nights, fresh flowers, a fruit basket, sparkling wine, a three-course candlelight dinner, breakfast in bed and a gourmet picnic basket.  Guests may also select a bike trip, round of golf or massage.  The package costs $679 through September 13 and goes down to $621 from September 13 to October 18.  After October 19, the package is only $562, 1-800-565-5068, www.whitepoint.com.

Retracing four centuries of settlement, Newfoundland’s Discovery Trail presents a panorama of stunning seascapes, quiet fishing villages and historic sites.  And the fall colors are spectacular: pin cherry and white birch turn bright yellow, sugar maples become rich orange and blueberry bushes explode into crimson.  Majestic icebergs, pods of whales and puffin colonies lure nature lovers.  A network of foot and cart paths lead to fishing ponds, centuries-old lighthouses and isolated out ports.  Visitors can hike from the abandoned community of British Harbour and the lighthouse of Kings Cove trail to the site of a natural fort used during Queen Ann’s War of 1703-13.  One of the most picturesque spots along the Discovery Trail is the charming national heritage community of Trinity.  Here, narrow lanes lead to restored 19th century merchant houses.   There are some 50 architecturally significant buildings in this small town of 350.  Whale watching is a popular activity from the port and twenty-two species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises swim along the coastline.

This fall, the Artisan Inn and the Campbell House are offering a “stay two nights, get one free” package, which includes accommodations for two, full daily breakfasts and four-course dinners all three days in the Twine Loft Restaurant (featured in the 2008 “Where to Eat in Canada.”)  The package also provides two passes for the Trinity Museum Tour and a year’s subscription to Newfoundland Quarterly.  The rate, at $270 per person, double occupancy, is an 18 percent savings.   After September 15, guests that stay three or more nights, pay a nightly rate of $112, 15 percent off the high-season price.  The Artisan Inn sits on the shore of Fisher Cove in Trinity Harbour and many of its furnishings were created by local artisans.  Rated 4-star Canada Select, the Campbell House is an historic 1840 building with harbor views and sweeping vistas of Trinity, 1-877-464-7700, www.trinityvacations.com.

Fall is also a special time in New Brunswick where wind-swept beaches provide a back-drop for miles upon miles of crimson red peat bogs.  Lighthouses and fishing villages dot the landscape and Acadian joie de vivre colors a multitude of special events.  The 36th annual Oyster Festival, October 2 to 5, will feature tastings, a multi-course oyster supper, and oyster opening and eating contests.  New Brunswick is also home to Canada’s largest jazz festival – the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival in Fredericton.  From September 9 to 14, electric blues, jazz and funk musicians will offer 120 performances, including 40 free shows, in 23 venues in the city’s historic downtown, www.harvestjazzandblues.com. 

The Hotel Paulin in Caraquet is a charming Victorian hotel built in 1891 and still operated by the Paulin family.  From September 16 to October 15, two people can stay for only $107 per night.  After October 16, the price drops to $102.  The 10-room hotel also has a two-night “Fall for Love” package that includes a full breakfast daily, three-course dinner and wine pairing, Acadian gift basket with wine and cheese, a chocolate and port tasting, Oyster Museum visit with tasting or goat cheese farm tour and tasting.  Additionally, guests may choose between one of the following: a chocolate body wrap treatment, a round of golf, four-course tasting menu with wine at dinner, an oyster cooking class or lobster cooking class.  The package is $405, per person, double occupancy from September 1 through October 15, 1-866-727-9981, www.hotelpaulin.com.

Travelers can download guides and find more information about fall packages, accommodations and events by going to the four provincial web sites: www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca, www.newfoundlandandlabrador.com, www.novascotia.com/fall and www.gentleisland.com/fall.  The Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership (ACTP) is a nine member pan-Atlantic partnership comprised of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the four Atlantic Canada Tourism Industry Association and the four Provincial Departments responsible for tourism of New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Source: Meredith Pillon Marketing Communications

Biras Creek Resort Offers Summer Packages and Deals

Biras Creek Resort, the Caribbean’s premier luxury resort, is offering a variety of great summer packages and promotions. Located on a lush 140-acre nature reserve on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, Biras Creek is the ideal location for summer travelers seeking romance, adventure, family vacation or plain old summer fun.
           

Biras Creek is offering two great promotions for guests booking August travel by April 30. The Family Summer Escape special allows travelers who book two ocean or garden suites for at least five nights to receive a 20% discount.  Additionally, vacationers that book a garden or ocean suite for six nights will receive their seventh night free.

Due to popular demand, Biras Creek Resort is reinstating their Summer Escape Package. Relax and pamper yourself for 15 days/14 nights in a Deluxe Suite.  Package includes all meals, and roundtrip boat transfers from Beef Island Airport (EIS) to the resort.  The package also includes two 30-minute massages per week, one Sunset Sail for two per week, one round trip taxi to the Baths and a bottle of Champagne on arrival.

 
Families will love the Family Fun Package, a special package tailored for families with two or more children between the ages of eight and sixteen, which includes a second or adjacent suite at a significant discount.  The package includes two suites and all meals for two adults and two children for seven nights.  In addition, the package includes a bottle of Champagne for the parents, free snorkeling lessons for the entire family, and one half-day snorkeling trip to the Baths for the entire family.   Extra children and extra nights rates available on request.
 
Recently named one of the World’s Best 2008 Hotels by Travel + Leisure, Biras Creek, a member of Relais & Chateaux, is a private hideaway on a 140-acre nature reserve on Virgin Gorda. Accessible by sea or air only, Biras Creek comprises 33 spacious suites.  The resort also includes the Biras Spa, offering indulgences in the latest in health and beauty treatments. Rates range from $675 to $1,950 per night based on season.  All rates are based on double occupancy and include breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner daily and airport transfers with private launch.  For reservations or more information,  call 877.883.0756 or visit biras.com.
 
The Victor International Corporation is an award-winning real estate, resort development and management company which has a tradition for creating ‘unique living environments in ecological harmony with the land’.  Victor International’s accomplishments include the prestigious Bay Harbor Resort & Marina, Hotel and Conference Center, located in Bay Harbor, Michigan and Turtle Lake, located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan as well as Oil Nut Bay, located on Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands.
 
For more information on Biras Creek Resort and Victor International Corporation, visit biras.com; victorintl.com; oilnutbaybvi.com, bayharbor.com; and turtlelake.com.
 

Silverado Resort In Napa Valley Offers “Wine Tasters Dream Package” With Savings Of Up To 45 Percent

The Silverado Resort in Napa Valley, located in the heart of the country’s most famous wine region, is offering a package aimed at those who enjoy the three things for which it is best-known — great accommodations, dining and wine tasting.

The “Wine Taster’s Dream Package”  is available all week and features accommodations in a resort guest room, a picnic lunch for two at V. Sattui Winery and wine tastings at William Hill Estate, Mumm Napa Valley, Artesa Winery and Conn Creek Winery.
 
The rate is $139 per night through February 29, 2008. Upgrades are available to a junior suite with fireplace for $40 or to a one-bedroom suite with fireplace for $70. If purchased separately, the components would add up to $255 for a couple.
 
Reservations can be made by calling  800-532-0500 or online using promo code “WINE3” at http://www.silveradoresort.com/Wine-Taster’s-Dream-Package-5351.html. For more information about the resort, visit www.silveradoresort.com.
 
The Wine Taster’s Dream Package is based on single or double occupancy, does not include taxes or service charges, is subject to availability and is not available for groups of 5 or more or for previously booked reservations. Some other restrictions may apply. Wineries may be closed on holidays.
 
Silverado Resort is operated by Xanterra Parks & Resorts. The resort is located in the heart of Napa Valley 50 miles northeast of San Francisco and 60 miles southwest of Sacramento. This California landmark is situated within easy driving distance of many of Napa Valley’s most popular wineries and other attractions.

       
SOURCE: Xanterra Parks & Resorts