San Diego promises a fall bounty, from San Diego Restaurant Week to the Little Italy Festa.
By Francesca Pardo
Now that May gray, June gloom and August shade are over, fall is my favorite time of the year in San Diego. The weather is ideal, the water is warm, the evenings are cool and hotel rates go down. Along with these ideal conditions are a few great things to do while visiting this idyllic city. (more…)
Dine with Shamu at San Diego's famed Sea World. Credit: Abi Skipp.
By Steve Jermanok
It’s not every day that you can dine on a buffet of chicken dijon and beef bourguignon while watching a killer whale do tricks right beside you. Yet, “Dine with Shamu” is one of the many latest attractions San Diego vacations has recently unveiled to mesmerize families. Thirty miles north, the often overlooked Wild Animal Park has introduced hot air balloon rides, giving guests a bird’s-eye view of the lions, giraffes, elephants, rhinos, and other animals in safari style. Then there’s the new water park at nearby Legoland.
Sixty top San Diego restaurants and 160 area wineries will join forces in November for the fifth annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival.
The event, which will be held Nov. 12-16 in downtown San Diego and in Embarcadero Bay Park, will feature gourmet food, cooking and wine tasting classes, celebrity chefs and more for one of the largest festivals of its kind in southern California.
The classes will include appearances by Ted Allen of TV’s Top Chef, James Beard Award winner Gavin Kaysen of Café Boulud, Top Chef contestants Brian Malarkey, Bichard Blais and Casey Thomas, and other nationally recognized chefs.
Orbitz customers can receive 30 percent off at participating San Diego hotels along with hotels at other top California vacation destinations.
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By Jim Cohn
Where do travelers go when they want to plan a spring break vacation or just escape the cold? The January 2008 Orbitz Insider Index reveals the top winter beach destinations.
Topping the list as the fastest growing winter beach domestically is Maui, Hawaii. Outside the United States, Cozumel, Mexico, checked in as the No. 1 fastest growing international winter beach destination.
Here are the top fastest growing beach destinations based on percentage growth in hotel bookings on Orbitz from 2005 to 2008, during the period 12/21 to 2/28.
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Before Orbitz, Jim had a previous life as a broadcast sports
journalist. Now, he uses his expertise and travel experience to help
others find the best and most cost-effective ways to travel to top
sporting events. With two young children, Jim now enjoys nothing more
than a beach vacation to unwind. And since relocating from Orlando to
Chicago, he takes advantage of every opportunity to revisit palm trees
and sandy beaches.
We love to travel, and we love to talk about it. The Orbitz Blog is another way we can share our expertise, advice and the occasional random thought.
Check back often for fresh insight from Orbitz staff and contributors about cool places to visit, fun things to do and smart ways to save.