Scouting the best airfares, hotels, cruises and vacation packages

Yalapa, Mexico: Stand-up paddle surf workshop in paradise

November 23, 2009 4:57pm

Stand-up paddle surfing. The first time you saw it at the beach you probably exclaimed, “What is THAT?” Or you rushed right out, rented a board and tried it yourself. Stand-up paddle surfers (or boarders) have been in the Los Angeles Times’ Outposts blog in recent years for coming close to humpback whales in Australia and for stand-up fishing in Baja. Now there’s a chance to build a quick Mexican getaway around the activity. Verana, the award-winning luxe resort in Yelapa (fly into Puerto Vallarta) that you need to get to by boat, has some openings left for their Stand-Up Paddle Surf Workshop Dec. 6-13.

Verana Stand-Up Paddle Surf Workshop: $825 per person based on double occupancy includes three nights’ accommodations at Verana, two days of paddle surfing at the Stand-Up Paddle Surf workshop with breakfast and lunch, optional yoga class, one optional spa treatment per day, full use of spa, steam room, pools and bath, and a three-course evening dinner. Day passes are also available ($160 per person) and include the two-hour class, practice in the ocean and one-hour spa treatment costs.

When I checked with Verana today, the following guest houses were still available. Visitors can book any three nights/two days, if available, from Dec. 6th to Dec. 13th. :

Dec. 6 - 13, 2009: Stone House, Studio, Mayan, Jungle Suite

Dec. 6 - 10, 2009: Palapa

Dec. 7 - 10, 2009: Bungalow, Tea House

December 8 - 13, 2009: Casa Amor

Contact: Verana, (866) 687-9358

— Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger

[Photo: Verana guests paddling in Banderas Bay, Mexico. Credit: Pacific Paddle Surf ]

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Thanksgiving travel: Black Friday hotel deals in Los Angeles & Orange County

November 23, 2009 11:24am

It’s not too late to book Thanksgiving travel for this weekend. Lucky for us Southern Californians, there are some Black Friday deals to be had right in our own backyard. Priceline’s travel “Ekspert,” Brian Ek, named his best shopping cities based on “the best ‘Name Your Own Price’ hotel deals for Thanksgiving weekend.” In order of the biggest savings, the top four cities/regions where you can save money on hotels this weekend are Orange County, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Ek said that Orange County showed a 46% median savings for rooms and Atlanta, Philadelphia and L. A. showed 45% median savings. The important thing to note about his top city picks is that it’s not all about price — these destinations have availability.

“As expected, traditional big shopping cities for the Black Friday weekend, like New York, Chicago and San Francisco, offer significant hotel savings, but room availability is going to be tight. The same holds true for getaway cities like Las Vegas and New Orleans. For these cities, I recommend being as flexible as possible in your star-level selection to maximize your chances of getting a room at a bargain price,” said Ek.

While the list is based on availability and median price ranges for deals via Priceline’s  “Name Your Own Price” feature (check-in dates for Friday and Saturday), I looked at rates for hotels near South Coast Plaza on Priceline’s main hotel page. I found the four-star Westin South Coast Plaza for $99 per night, four-star Hyatt Regency Irvine for $99 per night, and the four-star Fairmont Newport Beach for $129 per night. The three-and-a-half-star Hilton Irvine was priced at $78 per night. Rates are on average for a two-night stay Nov. 27-29, pre-tax.

— Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger

[Image credit: Priceline.com]

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San Diego: Whale-watching charters for the whole gang

November 23, 2009 6:03am

Just in time for the holidays, the migration of the California gray whales will soon be viewable to us Southern Californians. Whale-watching season, which typically begins in mid-December and continues through February (though sometimes the season stretches to March or April), presents the perfect incentive to get out into the water and see these creatures on their way south to Baja.

If you’re not a fan of cramming onto a big boat with binocular-equipped strangers, why not charter your own vessel? Through Fisherman’s Landing in San Diego, it’s not as expensive as you might think.

Deal: For a group of 10, you can charter a boat through Fisherman’s Landing for up to six hours for as low as $50 per person. Boats — which depart from Shelter Island and range from 60 to 100 feet in size — come with an experienced and knowledgeable captain as well as crew members, and food and beverages are available for purchase on board. But beyond that, it’s just you, your group and hopefully some viewable ocean life not too far off. Read the rest of this entry »

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Water parks vie to open first U.S. looping water slide

November 22, 2009 10:19am

The race is on to see which water park debuts America’s first looping water slide — a gravity-defying attraction that has awed Europe and Asia.

Noah’s Ark water park in Wisconsin and Jay Peak ski resort in Vermont both plan to unveil the combination water slide-thrill ride on Memorial Day Weekend 2010.

Canadian-based manufacturer WhiteWater confirmed that the two locations would install the first AquaLoop slides in the United States.

Read the rest of this entry »

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San Luis Obispo: $30 meals at 30 restaurants for Restaurant Month

November 22, 2009 7:04am

Mushroom and sage gnocchi, followed by chipotle shrimp linguini, and, for good measure, a chunk of Meyer lemon buttermilk cheesecake. That’s what $30 (plus tax and tip) would have gotten you at Black Cat Bistro in Cambria in January.

And now San Luis Obispo County’s Restaurant Month — Jan. 2 to 31, 2010 — is getting appetites whetted again.

During this third annual event, 30 restaurants will offer three-course menus for $30. Local wines from the Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo wine countries will also be suggested for your courses, though wine and other beverages come at an additional cost.

Participating restaurants are located all over the county, in Arroyo Grande, Avila Beach, Cambria, Cayucos, Morro Bay, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo and Shell Beach. Read the rest of this entry »

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Explaining time shares’ star system

November 21, 2009 10:15am

Question: My husband and I own four time shares that we use frequently but have never had this problem until recently. We stayed at an RCI property that was billed as a five-star resort. We had to change the bed linens and bath towels ourselves by taking them to the laundry room to exchange, and we had to empty our trash by lugging it to the dumpster on the other side of the property. Our bed was a Murphy bed. There was no restaurant on site; the closest was five miles. No spa. No shampoo, no lotion, no shower cap. Oh, and they left a tip envelope, yet they offered no services. We are not spoiled brats. We like to tent camp and know how to rough it. It’s just that when I think I’m going to a five-star location, I expect amenities. So how do U.S. time shares earn their star ratings?

– Catherine Martin, Newhall

Answer: Think of a time share like your résumé. You put all your good qualities on it, all of your shining moments, but you don’t mention that you sometimes yell at the dog when you’re in a bad mood or you think “The Three Stooges” are the epitome of hilarity. In other words, you don’t tell everything upfront, but you still present yourself as a five-star human being. It’s only when your potential employer meets you that he or she realizes the truth: You may have rated yourself five stars, but that “Stooges” thing should take you down a couple of ratings points.

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Coeur d’Alene to the North Pole: An Idaho resort goes all out for Christmas

November 21, 2009 6:49am

When not in Vegas, 1.5-million lights can only mean someone’s putting on one heck of a holiday party. Northern Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Resort, which claims to hold the world’s tallest living Christmas tree, puts on a family-friendly Holiday Light Show annually on the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene. This year, the event runs Nov. 27 to Jan. 1.

One of the show’s highlights is a “Journey to the North Pole” boat cruise, which includes a visit with Santa at the North Pole Toy Workshop. And that towering tree? At 161 feet, the green giant beats, in height, the 76-foot Norway spruce in New York City’s Rockefeller Center. What’s more, each ornament on the Coeur d’Alene tree will be 10 feet tall.

The following accommodations package offered by the resort makes a Christmas-themed trip easy.

Deal: The “Holiday Light Show B&B” package, which starts at $145 per night (pre-tax), includes your room, two tickets to the “North Pole” and breakfast for two. Read the rest of this entry »

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Yosemite: Curry Village ice rink opens today

November 20, 2009 2:57pm

Whether you’re on the ice to pirouette, or to practice skating in a straight line without causing any harm, you can’t have less than an awe-inspiring time at an outdoor rink in Yosemite. The national park’s ice-skating venue, which sits below Glacier Point’s cliffs, is naturally blessed with good views of popular landmarks like Tenaya Canyon, Half Dome and Cloud’s Rest.

And now you can see it for yourself. Located in the western section of Curry Village, the rink opens today for the 2009-2010 winter season.

Though the attraction got its start in 1928, after a Yosemite club flooded a parking lot, the rink is equipped to meet visitors’ 21st-century needs: Rental skates are available, as is a warming hut, and an ice-resurfacing machine comes through regularly to freshen up the rink. Non-skaters can watch the fun next to a fire pit close by.

Skating sessions are scheduled daily, from 3:30 to 6 p.m., and 7 to 9:30 p.m. Additional sessions are available on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:30 to 11 a.m., and noon to 2:30 p.m. Read the rest of this entry »

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SeaWorld Aquatica’s 2010 expansion to include 4 new water slides

November 20, 2009 11:33am

The recently opened SeaWorld Aquatica water park in Orlando, Fla. will add four first-of-a-kind water slides in 2010, including a pair of inner-tube rides that go uphill with the help of a hydro-magnetic launch.

The twin Tornado Walls are V-shaped slides that start with a magnetic launch that shoots a six-person inflatable raft up the face of a vertical wall. One of the two launch sequences travels through a tunnel. After reaching the top of the water wall, the rafts race down the incline and along an uphill outrun with a small whoop-de-do hill.

Also on tap for Aquatica in 2010:

Read the rest of this entry »

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Thanksgiving travel predicted to be up this year at LAX, down at ONT

November 20, 2009 9:11am

Here we go. Today begins the 10-day stretch known in some circles as the “Thanksgiving holiday travel period,” so brace yourselves for lines, lines, lines.

At Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), passenger volumes between today and Nov. 29 are predicted to be 1.1% higher than they were in 2008. Airport officials expect to see 1.49 million passengers at this major hub.

By contrast, L.A./Ontario International Airport (ONT) is anticipated to see fewer travelers, with a passenger volume that may be 8.8% less than it was in 2008. That translates to 123,500 travelers expected in the coming 10-day period.

Today is expected to be one of the busiest at both airports, as are Wednesday and Sunday, Nov. 29. Many airlines are forecasting that flights will be 80% to 100% booked, according to Los Angeles World Airports in a statement. Read the rest of this entry »

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