Archive for the 'New Mexico' Category
Santa Fe, New Mexico: Third night free at Eldorado Hotel
August 13, 2008 4:09pm
The oldest capital city in the U.S., Santa Fe, New Mexico, is getting close to celebrating the 400-year anniversary of its founding by the Spanish in 1610. Mark your calendars for summer 2010, when that moment in time is sure to be vigorously celebrated in this Southwest city at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
In the meantime, though, Santa Fe in its everyday state should be more than enough to entice you for a long weekend of art browsing, shopping, relaxing and consuming uniquely fiery (and addictive) chili-laden food.
Deal: At the Eldorado Hotel & Spa, book a three-night stay and receive the third night free of charge.
Travel Ticker website from Hotwire focuses on bargains
July 21, 2008 12:01am
The unemployment rate in California is up to a five-year high, and that tells you nothing good about the economy in the Golden State or anywhere else.
So the timing for Travel Ticker (www.travel-ticker.com), a new bargain website from the Hotwire people, probably couldn’t be better. It makes its debut today.
“We love to read about deals so we wanted to have something that was enjoyable to read and peruse and would inspire travel among enthusiasts,” said Barbara Messing, vice president of Travel Ticker.
Unlike some sites that suggest bargains that aren’t bargains for West Coasters, Travel Ticker uses “geo-targeting,” meaning you’ll see bargains appropriate to where you live. Read the rest of this entry »
Top 10 worst U.S. cities for car theft and how to play it safe
May 2, 2008 4:37pm
A few days (and by sheer coincidence, said spokesman Frank Scafidi) before the release of the highly anticipated video game Grand Theft Auto IV, the National Insurance Crime Bureau issued some good news.
Vehicle thefts across the U.S. are dropping. Then there’s the bad news: Many of the Top 10 cities with the worst per-capita vehicle theft rate are popular travel destination cities such as Las Vegas and San Francisco.
We’ve got the list of cities below, along with a few pointers from NICB on how to protect yourself and your belongings.
New Mexico: Hotel Santa Fe Art Auction package
October 12, 2007 11:28am
Soak up the many colors of Santa Fe next month during an art lovers’ weekend special at the Hotel Santa Fe.
The deal: The package is available Nov. 9 and 10, 2007, which coincides with the Nov. 9, Santa Fe Art Auction. The rate is $199 per night and includes accommodations, fresh flowers and a fruit basket on arrival, a $50 credit toward a spa treatment at the Hotel Santa Fe and an auction catalog (a $45 value).
The hotel: The Hotel Santa Fe, on the rim of the historic district, is a Native American-owned lodging. It is a AAA four-diamond property that occupies three landscaped acres and displays Native American sculpture and totems. Most rooms have a patio or balcony, and there is a pool.
Visit U.S. national parks for free on Sept. 29
September 17, 2007 11:58pm
On Saturday, September 29, 2007, U.S. national parks and federal recreational areas are throwing a party for National Public Lands Day (NPLD). On that day, not only can you visit any national park for free and participate in special ranger-led outdoor activities, you can also join thousands of volunteers at work sites across the country, where volunteers will be yanking out invasive plants, improving wildlife habitats, beautifying hiking trails, planting trees and more.
Deal: On NPLD, entrance to federally managed public lands — including National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) sites — is free. Incidentally, anyone who participates in a volunteer program at Grand Canyon National Park on NPLD will receive a free 1-day pass for future use at any NPS site, which is worth up to $25 at places like Yellowstone National Park or $20 at Yosemite National Park and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks right here in California.
What’s your favorite national park? Give it a shout-out by posting in the Comments section below.
OpenTable: Free, easy restaurant reservations
August 28, 2007 10:32pm
Time is something I never have enough of, and anything that makes my travel planning easier is fantastic, as long as it doesn’t cost too much. That’s why I love OpenTable, a free and easy way to make online reservations at 7,000 restaurants in 47 states (yes, even Alaska) and six international destinations (most usefully, Mexico, Canada and the U.K.).
Deal: In the time it takes for a restaurant hostess in Los Angeles or Las Vegas to put you on hold, at OpenTable you can view the restaurant’s menu online, peruse guidebook reviews, send special instructions to the maitre d’, finish booking your table and then e-mail invitations to all your friends.
Once you register for a free online account at OpenTable, you start earning dining rewards points. For each restaurant reservation you show up for, you’ll receive 100 points (up to 1,000 points at specially featured restaurants). When you accumulate 2,000 points, you’ll get a $20 gift certificate valid for any OpenTable restaurant.
Have you used OpenTable? Dish about the good, the bad and the ugly in the Comments section below.
New Mexico: Sunrise Springs eco-resort package
August 25, 2007 9:04am
Watch golden aspens shimmer on the hillsides of Santa Fe, New Mexico, this fall on a package that offers hotel rooms for as low as $100 a night, with the third night free.
The deal: The package, available Sept. 2 through Oct. 31, is for accommodations at Sunrise Springs resort spa. Guests pay for two nights at $100 to $205 per night, and receive a third night free. The special is available Sundays through Wednesdays, and includes continental breakfast, use of resort facilities (such as outdoor hot tubs and sauna), bottled water, local calls, Wi-Fi and parking. Pond-view rooms, $100; garden rooms, $165; and casitas, $205.
The hotel: Sunrise Springs is an eco-resort with 70 acres of spring-fed ponds, gardens and wildlife. Its Blue Heron Restaurant serves local and organic cuisine, and its Spa Samadhi overlooks the ponds. The facility also has a Japanese teahouse and an art center where various classes, including yoga, are taught.
Where is it? Sunrise Springs, 242 Los Pinos Road, Santa Fe, NM 87507; www.sunrisesprings.com.
Details: For reservations, call (800) 955-0028. The package is available only to Los Angeles Times readers and is not listed on the website, so ask for The Times’ special. Subject to availability. Resort fee ($4 a day), taxes and gratuities are not included.
- Rosemary McClure, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
Disappearing fast: Route 66, Chicago–Los Angeles
June 29, 2007 7:25am
The respected nonprofit World Monuments Fund has updated its list of the world’s 100 most endangered cultural heritage sites. The 2008 watch list includes sites as diverse as the Freetown Historic District in Sierra Leone, the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, and even our very own Route 66, which “runs from Chicago to L.A.” (as the old song says). Every year, classic motor courts, diners, gas stations and trading posts are being abandoned along America’s “Mother Road.” Alarmingly, the federally-funded Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program is slated to end in fiscal year 2009. So, this summer is your chance to get your kicks on Route 66 before even more of it disappears like a rolling tumbleweed blown by the wind.
Deal: I’ve spent less on Route 66 than almost any other road trip I’ve taken in the U.S.A., not only because vintage motels along Route 66 cost less than an average Best Western, but also because I didn’t use dozens of gallons of gas while speeding hundreds of miles down the interstate each day to reach my destination – the drive is the destination. So, how much should you budget for your trip?
Hyatt family web reality show: Win 50 free nights
April 24, 2007 11:44am
Calling all adventurous families, especially those with super-fun outgoing kids ages 9-12. Hyatt Resorts wants your 90-second videos as an audition to be one of five families in their Hyatt Resorts Ultimate Adventure Challenge. The videos will be judged and then the five winning families will head off to Lake Tahoe, Kauai and New Mexico for their adventure challenge to be filmed and shown on the website. The audience, which means any of us, can vote for our favorite family.
Deals: The ultimate family wins 50 free nights at any of Hyatt’s 210 hotels and resorts. It’s definitely a different kind of deal, but 50 free nights worldwide are well worth taking a stab at it.
Read the rest of this entry »
EXPIRED Hit the slopes for less this spring with Ski.com
March 6, 2007 11:24am
Everyone knows that skiers never need an excuse to hit the slopes … they just need a roof over their heads. Ski.com has affordable ski-and-stay packages at resorts across the country and worldwide. So, closet ski bums, what are you waiting for?
The Deal: From Whistler to Vail, Lake Tahoe to Chamonix. Grab your friends and set a date before availability runs out. Options range from super-budget to ultra-luxe. Note: Last-minute deals are some of the best finds.
Sample packages are priced per person:
Jackson Hole, WY: $493 until March 21, 2007
4 nights at the Raquet Club, 3 days skiing and rental car
Park City, UT: $649 from March 25-April 15, 2007
5 nights at Bear Hollow Village, 4 days skiing in the tri-area + SUV car rental
Winter Park, CO: $700+ from March 25-April 5, 2007
4 nights lodging at Zephyr Mountain Lodge, 3 days skiing + airport transfer
Beaver Creek, CO: $1746 from March 17-31, 2007
7 nights at Highlands Lodge-Westview, 6 days skiing + airport transfers
