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Articles for ‘California Vacation’ Category

Orbitz blogger to appear at West Hollywood Book Fair

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

Gonna be in Los Angeles this weekend?

Orbitz travel blogger Lena Katz

Orbitz travel blogger Lena Katz

Orbitz weekly blogger Lena Katz is  signing copies of “Travel Temptations SIP, SUN, SNOW” at West Hollywood Book Fair this Sunday, October 4th. Find her  in the West Hollywood Writes tent OR at the Barnes & Noble booth from noon to 3:00 p.m.

Or if you want to find out how you can snag a travel writing gig of your very own, stop by Lena’s free writing workshop from 3:30-5:oo p.m. in the Writing Room. Entitled “A Sense of Place,” it covers everything from pitching to interviewing to, you guessed it, blogging.

Get more info at:
http://www.westhollywoodbookfair.org/schedule/writing-workshops-schedule/

If you can’t make it, check out Lena’s books at:

Posted in Beach Vacation, Books, California Vacation, Food & Wine, Freebies & Discounts | No Comments »

Napa Crush: The juice on autumn’s best California vacations

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
Copywrite Napa Valley Wine Train

Fun on the Wine Train. Copyright Napa Valley Wine Train

It’s harvest season in California wine country. Between the crush of people in the tasting rooms and the crush of grapes in the fields, there’s never a moment of downtime for Napa’s winemakers between August and the of October. And this is just how they like it. If you haven’t taken your California vacation to wine country yet, here are some reasons to plan one before the season ends.

  • Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Napa Valley Wine Train has upgraded its program considerably in the last year, with a kitchen that focuses on local seasonal fare, and an updated wine list that features 100 labels. The Wine Train is now offering “vintner’s lunch” experiences in all three of its cars. Each starts with a brief wine seminar and tasting at the Depot, followed by a gourmet luncheon and three-hour train ride through Napa Valley.
  • To try your hand at picking, de-stemming and grape sampling, visit Schweiger Vineyards in St. Helena—this winery is also one of the most family-friendly, inviting visitors to picnic on the lawn after mom and dad finish the tour and tasting part. V. Sattui is also a great, casual all-ages property. When it comes to a traditional grape-stomping contest, stylish Peju winery in St. Helena is hosting an uncharacteristically rowdy and traditional stomp on Oct. 3, as part of their annual Harvest Party. Special tours, a “Marketplace Reception” and live music are also on the program. (more…)

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Posted in California Vacation, Food & Wine, Romance, Travel Tips | No Comments »

Wine festivals make for tasteful California vacation

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

California vacation

Qupe Vineyard

By Lena Katz

September is California Wine Month, and from Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Santa Barbara valleys, vintners are throwing open their doors for sips and stomps and harvest parties galore. Though there’s never a bad time for a California vacation, harvest season might be my favorite — an opinion shared by foodies and wine drinkers from around the globe.

Because of its proximity to LA, Santa Barbara is Southern California’s favorite weekend wine destination, and one of the state’s most dynamic. This season welcomes new tasting rooms from several of the county’s favorite winemaking families: One of the founding fathers of the Santa Barbara wine industry, Bob Lindquist debuts an official Qupe tasting room at 2963 Grand Ave. in Los Olivos. Also in Los Olivos, HOUSE is a “modern vintage tasting lounge” owned by Sarloos & Sons.  And finally, in the town of Santa Barbara, longtime local fave The Wine Cask reopens after a brief closure — still a restaurant with tasting room adjacent, and now affiliated with the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail.

(more…)

Posted in California Vacation, Food & Wine, Holidays & Events, Romance | No Comments »

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to close for Labor Day weekend

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

If you’re planning on being in the San Francisco Bay Area this Labor Day weekend, don’t plan on crossing to or from the East Bay by the Bay Bridge — it’s going to be shut down. The nation’s third busiest bridge is undergoing construction of historic proportions.

Starting at 8 p.m. local time on Thursday Sept. 3, the bridge will be closed to all traffic — eastbound and westbound — so construction crews can remove a 300-foot-long, double-deck section of the bridge. It will be replaced with a new half-mile-long detour that will connect the East Span with the Yerba Buena Tunnel. The old section will then be demolished making way for a new section of the bridge. The bridge is schedule to reopen at 5 a.m. Tuesday Sept. 8.

If you need to get in or out of San Francisco, the best option is to take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) that runs beneath the Bay over to the East Bay. If you’re traveling by car, head north over the Golden Gate Bridge for a scenic drive through Marin County and cross over the Richmond Bridge from San Rafael. An faster route, however, is to drive south on Hwy 101 to the San Mateo Bridge and cross over the Bay to Interstate 880 and head north toward Oakland or Berkeley.

Yes, it’s a slight inconvenience, but Labor Day weekend is historically a slow-traffic time and thus a better time to perform this bridge overhaul. Either way you look at it, there’s always an adventure in San Francisco; this is just another for the history books.

Related Orbitz resources:

Posted in California Vacation, Travel News | No Comments »

New boutique hotels spice up California vacation scene

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Los Angeles hotels

Hotel Erwin

By Lena Katz

When choosing a place to hang my traveler’s hat for the night, I’ve always been a fan of the boutique and the unique. Which is yet another reason I love California: So many California hotels are designed to bring a sense of place: the sunny-chic Los Angeles hotels on the beach, the cool blue Tahoe mountain resort, the little city-slicker hideaway in the heart of San Francisco. Encouragingly, California continues to see its independent hotels and small hotel chains expand, with many new openings and revamps to announce this summer.

Joie de Vivre Hotels has always been a favorite in its home city of San Francisco. But recently, the medium-sized chain known for mid-priced boutique hotels has gone luxe and moved into So Cal in a major way. The Hotel Erwin raises the bar for Venice lodgings, but with a wink to Muscle Beach’s tattooed-and-funky urban edge. The guest rooms feature pop-art furniture and rock star photos.
(more…)

Posted in Beach Vacation, California Vacation, Romance, Travel News | No Comments »

Top 10 Labor Day weekend vacation destinations

Monday, August 24th, 2009

Las Vegas hotelsIf you want to ditch the backyard bbq and have a travel adventure this Labor Day weekend, we have good news. Average hotel rates are lower than last year, so pack your bags and take advantage of the top 10 Labor Day travel deals.

Labor Day in Las Vegas
If you’d rather spend money on the slots than on a place to rest your head, rejoice in knowing that Las Vegas hotels are number one on the 2009 Orbitz Insider Index. The average Las Vegas hotel rate this Labor Day is $108, down $28 from last year.

Labor Day is just another excuse to party in Las Vegas. For the best in the club scene, check out PURE, LAX and Christian Audigier. Labor Day weekend is also jam packed with performances. Check out Zumanity, the “sensual side of Cirque du Soleil,” or Lance Burton, a Las Vegas master of magic.

Labor Day in New York City
With New York hotels an average of $54 cheaper than last year, New York City is a great place to spend Labor Day weekend. The first Labor Day Parade was held in New York City on September 5, 1882, and the parade tradition continues today. This year the parade will held on September 12, 2009, and will feature trade union members, high school bands, politicians, police and fire departments, and more.

Looking for other Labor Day weekend vacation ideas? The Orbitz Insider Index highlights the busiest destinations based on hotel bookings on Orbitz for September 4-7.

Destination Avg. Daily Rate 2009
1. Las Vegas, NV $108
2. New York, NY $191
3. Cancun, Mexico $151
4. Honolulu, HI $111
5. Chicago, IL $127
6. Atlanta, GA $121
7. San Francisco, CA $142
8. Seattle, WA $118
9. San Diego, CA $195
10. Paris, France $164

Related Orbitz resources:

Posted in Beach Vacation, California Vacation, Chicago Vacation, Europe Vacation, Family Travel, Hawaii Vacation, Holidays & Events, Las Vegas Vacation, Mexico Vacation, New York Vacation, Top 10 Lists | No Comments »

New on the L.A. scene: wine bars, jazz brunch, more

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

By Lena Katz

California vacation

Pourtal

It’s summer in my city, Los Angeles — and don’t all us locals know it. From the weather (90 degrees, cloudless, perfect) to the events (day parties, outdoor concerts) to the restaurant scene (BOOMING), it’s high season for California vacations in the City of Angels. And whether you’re visiting L.A. for a week or you’ve lived here forever, your schedule will be as jam-packed as you can handle.
New to the city in summer 2009…

  • A classic restaurant gets a celeb spin: Top Chef Stefan Richter has taken over the former L.A. Farm in Santa Monica, and is reopening it August 6th as Stefan’s at L.A. Farm. Sleek décor and sophisticated Euro snacks characterize the latest incarnation of this former beach barn, which used to be one of the loudest dining rooms in town.
  • Also new to Santa Monica is enomatic wine bar Pourtal. Enomatic is a dispenser system — kind of like the wine aficionado’s version of “beers on tap.” Pourtal’s draw is not just its by-the-glass variety (40 wines on pour), but its themed tasting flights and special events. Some are one-offs; others, like Rare Wine Wednesdays, are part of the regular calendar.

(more…)

Posted in Beach Vacation, California Vacation, Food & Wine, Nightlife | No Comments »

New hotels open in Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Washington

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Business travelBy Joe Brancatelli

ANNALS OF RECESSION I

More Charges for Comfy Coach Across the Pacific: Trans-Pacific premium-class traffic is plummeting, falling even faster than trans-Atlantic travel up front.

According to IATA, the airline trade group, premium-class travel fell by almost 30 percent in March compared to March, 2008. Qantas, the Australian carrier, has been among the hardest hit.

Besides the 30 percent traffic decline, Qantas says that those fliers still buying premium-class flights are paying just half of last year’s going rates. As a result, Qantas has simply stopped selling first-class tickets on at least three routes, including its San Francisco-Sydney service.

That means some lucky fliers will get business-class service, but be upgraded to the seats in the larger, plusher first-class seats. However, coach passengers who want to score a roomier exit-row seat will have to pay for the privilege. Qantas now charges a premium of $60 to $100 for an exit-row seat assignment. That essentially matches the exit-row premium imposed last fall by Singapore Airlines on many of its trans-Pacific flights.

(more…)

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Posted in Business Travel, California Vacation, Flights, Florida Vacation, Hawaii Vacation, International Vacations, Las Vegas Vacation, On the Road, Travel News | No Comments »

Beach vacations: A taste of island life in the U.S.

Friday, June 26th, 2009

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By Samantha Chapnick

So, you’ve done the Miami vacation and the Caribbean all-inclusive. Now that the temps are heating up, ready to explore some shores closer to home on your beach vacation?

Nantucket

Wearing clothing adorned with a repeated animal pattern, preferably a whale in pink, green or blue, is not de rigeur for a Nantucket beach vacation. But if you really want to fit in with the preppy set, run to your closest Vineyard Vines before you buy your ferry ticket. This island, although off the radar of non-Northeasterners, is the summer refuge of Bostonites. Thankfully, a bit lower key than Cape Cod or the Hamptons, it still retains an atmosphere of sophisticated lounging.

For an upscale stay, base out of The Wauwinet with its white picket fences, Adirondack chairs, and lace curtains. For a much more affordable option, try The Beachside, a spiffed up motel with nice landscaping and a short walk directly to the beach. Most of the beaches are more for walking than swimming (unless you can handle cold water). My favorites include Brant Point for its great classic New England lighthouse and easy proximity to town; Surfside Beach — extra wide, making it great for picnics; and Children’s Beach for families with its lifeguards, restrooms and playground.

(more…)

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Posted in Beach Vacation, California Vacation, Family Travel, Food & Wine, Romance | No Comments »

Top 10 Fourth of July vacation destinations

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

travel Parades, cookouts, fireworks — however you like to celebrate, the Fourth of July is the holiday of summer, and with the 4th falling on a Saturday this year, it's a great opportunity for a short summer vacation. Before you book your flights and hotels, check out these top picks based on Orbitz bookings for travel July 3-6:

Top 10 Fourth of July Vacation Destinations for 2009

1. Las Vegas: Las Vegas hotels — with their glitzy shows and gourmet restaurants — are popular year 'round, and it's no surprise that Vegas celebrates the Fourth in a big way. Check out a virtual fireworks show on the Viva Vision canopy at the Fremont Street Experience, or see the real thing — times nine — as nine different Stations Casinos properties display fireworks simultaneously.

2. Chicago: The Fourth of July is a great time to plan a summer vacation in Chicago. Taste of Chicago is in full swing, and you can take full advantage of the lakefront beaches. Chicago's official Fourth of July fireworks take place on July 3 over the lake by Grant Park.

3. New York: Book your New York hotel now and plan to enjoy the Big Apple's Fourth of July fireworks display over the Hudson River. Here are the recommended spots for best views of the fireworks.

(more…)

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Posted in California Vacation, Caribbean Vacation, Chicago Vacation, Europe Vacation, Family Travel, Holidays & Events, International Vacations, Mexico Vacation, New York Vacation, Top 10 Lists, Travel News | No Comments »

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