Loft living area in Hotel 32 at Monte Carlo (Courtesy of MGM/Mirage)
With the opening of the monumental City Center mere weeks away, virtually all of the major Las Vegas hotels on the Strip have been sprucing up to try and keep pace. But none has done more perhaps than City Center neighbor the Monte Carlo. For a long time, this European-styled resort was something of an also-ran in Sin City, but in the last year major changes have given it new life: revamping Andre’s Restaurant, Dragon Noodle, and the Pub; adding Brand Steakhouse and Diablo’s Cantina; introducing comedian Frank Caliendo; bringing back lounge lovers Zowie Bowie; and even revising Lance Burton’s image. But the crowning glory of the Monte Carlo (literally) is their new boutique floor, Hotel 32.
While perhaps not on the level of the highest high-roller Vegas accommodations, Hotel 32 nevertheless represents a significant upgrade in service and style, comparable to many of the nicest rooms in town. The personalized experience begins with a personal driver retrieving you from (and, ultimately, returning you to) Vegas’ McCarran Airport. Upon arrival at the Monte Carlo, your suite assistant will escort you up dedicated elevators to the 32nd floor lounge, where a concierge will fulfill any request throughout the day. Everything from Voss water and Champagne to gourmet light breakfast and evening hors d’oeuvres areall complimentary-even snacks throughout the day. Read the rest of this entry »
The Canada Line has opened and slashed mass-transit travel time between Vancouver Airport and downtown Vancouver to 25 minutes. The airport station is in the Link Building between the domestic and international terminals. The train serves nine stops in Vancouver and four in suburban Richmond.
Mexicana has shifted its check-in operations at Los Angeles International Airport to the upper/departure level of the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
Hertz has signed up Andrews Car Rental, an agency in Sri Lanka, as its franchisee in the island’s capital of Colombo. Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve always had relatives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and my family lived there in the early aughts. We are returning for a week around Christmas, and will definitely utilize the following tips to help make our trip go smoothly.
Find Appropriate Accommodations We’re lucky enough to be staying with relatives this trip, but have spent enough time visiting to know some of the better hotel options that suit our needs. Our current favorites in town are the Marriott Harbor Beach and the Riverside Hotel—we used to love staying at Ireland’s Inn Beach Resort, but it closed two years ago for renovations and no new information is currently available. We have also used the Embassy Suites on the 17th Street Causeway; although this hotel is about two miles from the beach, the suite layout is very family friendly.
Pack for the Weather December weather in southern Florida is definitely unpredictable. We’ve enjoyed marvelous beach time and also some chilly days in late December—and even early January (we, of course, console ourselves by remembering the weather back home up north. If you are planning on visiting before about mid-January, be sure to monitor weather conditions before packing for your trip. One year, we had some of our cousin’s visit for New Year and during their stay, the weather turned cool—shorts and tank tops gave way to jackets and sweaters. Good thing we were there to lend some clothes! Read the rest of this entry »
Colonial Williamsburg officially starts the holiday season with Grand Illumination, a wonderful evening of singing, storytelling and fireworks. The event offers a great opportunity for families to get into the holiday spirit by strolling the pedestrian-only areas of Williamsburg’s historic district and enjoying the candlelit windows, wreaths and entertainment. There are multiple stages in the historic area that features storytelling, period music and events for the children.
My family arrives around 3 p.m. so we can take in all the sights before sundown. We pack a thermos full of hot chocolate in addition to making stops for hot cider and the traditional Virginia ham biscuits that should not be missed. The fireworks display truly highlights the evening as it projects from three different locations: the Governors Palace, the Colonial Capital and the Magazine. All of these are within eyesight of each other, so getting a good viewing spot isn’t difficult. Never before have I experienced seeing fireworks in a 360-degree eruption where the lights are kept lower in the sky, creating a more intimate setting that doesn’t scare the kids-truly a grand illumination. Read the rest of this entry »
My wife and I are preparing to pack up our two young kids for a family vacation to Scotland this Christmas, which is where my family lives. Getting on the road is never easy around the holidays, but even less so when you’re facing a long transatlantic flight. Here are some tips for coping with stressful international travel during busy holiday periods.
Get Organized Early!: I swear my wife starts stressing about what to bring before the stores even have their Halloween decorations out. But she’s always the one smiling once the day of travel arrives. If you have presents or gifts to take, think about sending them ahead by mail to save some room in your suitcases. And don’t forget a daypack of kiddie essentials like changes of clothes, wipes, plastic bags, and that favorite stuffed animal.
Be Direct: If you can, book direct flights to your final destination. Cutting down on layovers will lessen the chances of missing connections or sprinting through an unfamiliar airport with cranky kids in tow. It will also mitigate the chances of your luggage getting lost or delayed in transit. If direct flights look too expensive, consider flying through smaller regional airports to avoid some of the more major travel snarls that can occur at big, busier international airports (for example, we like to transit toScotland via Ireland or Iceland instead of facing London Heathrow during the busy holiday seasons).
Keep ‘Em Fed & Watered: A plentiful supply of snackfoods is the lifeblood of any family outing. But when you’re on a longer flight or train journey, for example, remember that Animal Crackers are no substitute for proper meals. Plan accordingly with sandwiches, fruits, and juice boxes, just in case there’s no meal service on board or the in-flight meal tray doesn’t do it for your kids. Read the rest of this entry »
Sugar Skulls for sale at a Marketplace in Oaxaca (Courtesy of the Mexico Tourism Board)
Snack on sugar skeleton, picnic in a cemetery, party in a mummy museum, and build an altar to the dearly departed right in your foyer. While all these ideas might shock you, they’re beloved holiday traditions south of the border. November 1 marks Dia de Los Muertos, the famous Day of the Dead holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and in U.S. cities with a large Hispanic population. Drawing from Roman Catholic Spanish traditions and pre-Colombian rituals, this annual holiday is a time to remember and honor the deceased. It is an exotic and eccentric holiday, but not a scary one, despite all the skeletons on every corner. In the places that really celebrate, street corners and shops display countless homemade altars, while the church steps and sidewalks flow with colorful flower petals and candles.
If there is an epicenter for Dia de Los Muertos celebrations, it might be the tiny island of Janitzio in Lake Patzcuaro, Michoacan, Mexico. Indigenous pre-Colombian people believed Lake Patzcuaro might be the doorway to heaven. People have traditionally made pilgrimage to this island each year to observe Dia de Los Muertos through prayer, offerings and traditional dance. Read the rest of this entry »
Even though I was born in Texas, I grew up in Maine-Midcoast Maine, to be exact-with a camera constantly in my hand, chasing the sun day in and day out. I was lucky to often see the sun sitting high above the water of The Penobscot Bay; there is something truly beautiful about that high northern sun hitting that bay, whether it is light diffused through thick summer fog or late afternoon rays hitting the lobster boats and leaving magnificent reflections in the water. It was these experiences with the Maine light-not to mention some of the most magnificent landscapes in the U.S.-that moved my love of photography from a hobby into a career.
In my images of Maine, I try to capture all of the five senses, whether through the crisp salty air, the sight of an electric blue hue in the sky 30 minutes after sunset, the smell of a beautiful steaming lobster or the feel of wet moss after a summer rainstorm. The feelings that can come from some of these images are as close to serenity as I can shoot.
I have traveled to many distant places and photographed the landscape and people, however Maine always holds a favorite place in my heart. The challenge I continue to run into, however, is that it is all too familiar; I have to find something different out of a view that, fortunately, has become ordinary to me. These images you are viewing here were taken not far from where I grew up, reminding me that you do not have to go far to capture something beautiful. It can be in your own backyard.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Orbitz Twitter Giveaway! As a token of our appreciation, here is a special promo code for 10% off select hotels:
TWITTER
Book by November 3, 2009 for travel by December 23, 2009
Terms and Conditions:
Book a qualifying hotel between October 28, 2009, and November 3, 2009, for 1 or more night for travel between October 28, 2009, and December 23, 2009, via Orbitz and instantly receive 10% off your booking through the use of the promotion code. To display qualifying hotels, click “I have a promotion code.” and enter the promotion code, then look for hotels marked with the icon “COUPON.” Limit one discount per hotel room and one promotion code per booking. Discount may not be used toward the booking of a vacation package. Discounts are not redeemable for cash for any reason. Any attempt at fraud will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted. Orbitz reserves the right to change or limit the promotion in its sole discretion.
Tweets for tickets is back by popular demand, and this time we’re upping the ante. Instead of one round-trip airline voucher, we are giving away 10!
To enter for a chance to win one of 10 round-trip coach-class airfare vouchers valid for travel in the domestic United States in the Orbitz Twitter Giveaway, here’s what you’ve got to do:
Retweet that day’s contest message, which will be posted on the @Orbitz Twitter page.
We’ll announce the winners on the @Orbitz Twitter page. If it’s you, make sure to send a direct message via Twitter within 48 hours. Remember, all entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. CT on October 27, 2009. Limit one entry per person/twitter address.
