Archive for the 'Rocky Mountain States' Category
Colorado: 25% off Mesa Verde hotel + cliff dwelling tour package
March 12, 2010 5:56am
Surely Ken Burns’ PBS special “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” inspired you to take at least one trip to a national park this year. Of course, there is always a lot of attention paid to the Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Yellowstone, but why not consider something different? Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado is home to more than 4,400 known archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings.
To celebrate the season opening of the Far View Lodge (April 22), there is a spring hotel + tour package that explores the park’s world-renowned cliff dwellings. The rangers on the tour provide interpretation and insight into the archaeology and culture of the ancestral Puebloans.
Deal: The Spring into Mesa Verde package starts at $139 and offers 25% savings on a standard room (normally $116) at the Far View Lodge and two seats on the new ranger-guided Classic Pueblo tour (normally $35 each). The three-hour tour includes Triple Cities, Square Tower overlook, Sun Point, Sun Temple and a walking tour of Cliff Palace dwelling. Some taxes, fees and entry into the park are not included. Use promo code: Spring10.
Historic Wyoming ski resort reopens; hopes for more snow
March 11, 2010 8:57am
More than five years after shutting down, Sleeping Giant, a ski area about 50 miles west of Cody, Wyo., and three miles from Yellowstone National Park, has reopened under new ownership. But the resort in the Absaroka Range is having another problem: skimpy snow.
The ski area, with 180 acres and a 900-foot vertical drop, reopened this season with three lifts, including a triple chair purchased from California’s Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. Sleeping Giant is one of the oldest ski resorts in the U.S., dating to 1938, and one of the few that is run by a nonprofit organization.
Hamilton Bryan, executive director with Yellowstone Recreations Foundation, which manages Sleeping Giant, said he thinks spring storms will add to the meager snow base, which was 16 inches as of this week.
“Historically, we can get a pretty good dump toward the end of the season,” he said.
The resort is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays through Mondays. Adult lift tickets are $29 per day.
— Benoit Lebourgeois, Special to the Los Angeles Times
Photo: Peter Craig jumps over a rail during the Giant Rails & Bails Festival at Wyoming’s Sleeping Giant ski area in February. Credit: Hamilton Bryan / Yellowstone Recreations Foundation
Summer in the Tetons: New daily nonstop United service LAX-JAC, lodge and spa package deal
March 4, 2010 5:57am
When I was fresh out of college, I went on a cross-country cycling trip that included biking straight up and over the Tetons combined with an overnight in Jackson Hole, Wyo. It was during the Fourth of July, and I watched the fireworks display from a local Dairy Queen. I don’t remember where I spent the night, but a KOA campground comes to mind. Now that several years have passed, and my style of travel has changed, the trip length and where I stay have become increasingly important for this working mom.
That’s why this spa deal, which celebrates United Airlines’ new daily nonstop summer service between Los Angeles (LAX) and Jackson Hole (JAC), looks so appealing.
Deal: It’s called the “LAX Direct” spa package. Fly on the new LAX-Jackson nonstop, United No. 6294 (departing 5:55 p.m., arriving 8:47 p.m. MT) and get a $63 Solitude Spa credit at Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa. That equals nearly 50% savings on a 50-minute massage that’s regularly priced at $135. The nonstop service will begin June 9; United’s summer flights between Los Angeles and Jackson Hole previously stopped in Denver.
Read the rest of this entry »
Spring break: Last-minute travel deals for students
March 2, 2010 2:28pm
If you’re in college, you’ve been counting the days until spring break begins. But not all students have the money to book a trip in advance. If you’re looking for some last-minute deals that fit within a budget that’s already strapped by books and dating, here are some low-priced getaways sure to provide an escape worth bragging about.
Top five bargain destinations for spring. “For college kids, I recommend Jamaica for cheap airfare, post-Olympic Vancouver/Whistler for deals, and Panama City Beach since it’s easy to get to and quite affordable,” said Anne Banas, executive editor of Smarter Travel.
Smarter Travel’s list of spring travel bargains includes sunny spots such as Jamaica, Hawaii and Panama City Beach, Fla.; Toronto, a less than weather-friendly city; and the under-the-radar locale of Gatlinburg (hint: it’s in Tennessee).
HAWAII DEAL: Three-night, $349 flight + hotel deal to Hawaii (departing from San Francisco).
Denver’s historic Hotel Teatro celebrates getting on T+L 500 World’s Best list
February 26, 2010 5:58am
On Travel + Leisure magazine’s 500 World’s Best Hotels 2010 list, you’ll see brands such as Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Fairmont. But I love searching the list for hotels I’ve never heard of. I might be living in a Southern California cave, but the Hotel Teatro in downtown Denver was new to me and it looks great! The hotel, which completed a $1.5-million renovation in 2008, is equally pleased to be on the list, and to celebrate it put together a package with world-class perks.
Deal: The “Travel + Leisure 500 Package” includes a night in Room 500 (a junior suite, with a regular published rate of $479 ); a five-course dinner for two at the hotel’s Kevin Taylor Restaurant ($150 value); champagne delivered to the room ($35 value); and an aromatherapy bath ($20 value). The rooms also come with plasma-screen televisions, iPod docking stations and free Wi-Fi. The package costs a celebratory $500 per night for two people.
When: Available until Dec. 30.
4th night free: Ski Utah, relive the 2002 Olympics and save
February 19, 2010 5:58am
If the Winter Olympics in Vancouver have you hankering for the slopes or wishing you knew the finer points of curling, check out this deal, which gives you an extra night’s sleep near ski resorts and the 2002 Winter Olympic Oval (now known as the Utah Olympic Oval). Drop in to skate and yes, even curl, at the Olympic Oval in Kearns, about 20 minutes away from Salt Lake City, or schuss away at the Brighton, Solitude, Alta and Snowbird ski resorts.
Deal: Marriott’s “Ski Utah! Stay Three, the Fourth is Free in Salt Lake City” offer is just what it says: You get the fourth night free when you stay four nights in a row. It’s good for standard rooms, priced between $109 and $219 per night, at two locations: Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown and Residence Inn Salt Lake City Cottonwood.
When: Valid Thursdays through Sundays through March 31, subject to availability.
$60 one-way airfare sale to Denver from Southwest Airlines
February 2, 2010 11:01am
These days, airfare sales are a dime a dozen. Nationwide sales stir up a lot of excitement and sometimes fare wars, but single-city sales are compelling because you don’t have to think about where to go. With that in mind: How about Denver?
Southwest Airlines put flights to Denver on sale Tuesday, but hurry — the sale is good for only 72 hours. Oh, and if you need a reason to go to Denver besides a fare that’s almost 30% off, we’re pointing you to a few travel itineraries there.
Airfare sale: I found mid-April flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and Denver (DEN) for $60 each way, or $141 round trip including taxes. Book by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time Thursday for travel April 6 through May 26 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. This fare is part of a $30/$60/$90 sale from Southwest; fares between Burbank (BUR) and Denver (DEN) were $90 each way, pre-tax.
Valentine’s Day travel deal: Celebrate any day in February at the Ritz-Carlton in Denver (jewelry included)
January 15, 2010 6:00am
Are you starting to think about Valentine’s Day treats yet? This travel deal is on the pricier end but loaded with value. The Ritz-Carlton Denver, which opened in January 2008 in downtown Denver, has a Romance Package with all the trimmings: dinner, massages and even a necklace on your bed at turn-down. See, guys, you don’t even have to go to the jewelry shop for a gift (but you might want to write a mushy card to make it more personal). For the practical member of the couple, valet parking is included too.
Deal: So how much does all this pampering cost? The package is $589 per night, pre-tax. Now for the good news. It’s available the whole month of February (based on availability). And you can get it just for one night — there is no two-night minimum, even on Valentine’s Day weekend. We’ve listed the a la carte pricing to demonstrate the $198 savings.
–Overnight accommodations in a Deluxe Room ($179) - pictured below
–Champagne and strawberries upon arrival ($60)
–Private Couple’s Massage at the Ritz-Carlton Spa ($230) - couples spa room is pictured above
–Pre-fixe dinner for two at ELWAY’S Downtown ($100)
–Luxury brand-name silver necklace at turn-down ($150)
–American breakfast served in-room ($40)
–Overnight valet parking ($28)
Lake Powell: For best houseboat rates ‘ever,’ book soon
January 11, 2010 6:00am
Can you commit? If your “yes” is resounding, pull out your credit card, as it’s time to pick dates and score big savings on a houseboat stay. Lake Powell Resorts & Marinas, along the Utah-Arizona border, is offering a great early-bird deal for its 2010 season.
Deal: Pay in full for your five-day-minimum booking, and you’ll get 50% off of the published rates of select houseboats. The discounts can be applied toward the following houseboat classes: Voyager, Navigator, Adventurer or Discovery XL. But again, this is for the committed, as bookings are non-refundable.
These rates represent, according to a company statement, “the best houseboating rates ever offered at Lake Powell.” In addition, lake levels are currently high, said Cathy McKeever, director of sales and marketing for ARAMARK Parks and Destinations. Read the rest of this entry »
Last-Minute: one-day airfare sale to ski cities on United Airlines
December 18, 2009 10:35am
It’s that time of year again. The last-minute, before-Christmas shopping cram. In between mad dashes to the mall, grocery store and airport to pick up family—try to make time for saving money online. United Airlines is having a one-day “ski cities, epic savings” airfare sale today. The sale focuses on ski cities with one-way fares starting at $47, pretax. Some of the cities on sale include Durango, Aspen, Vail and Hayden/Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Bozeman, Mont.; Albuquerque and more.
For this sale, outbound travel is valid Sunday through Wednesday and inbound travel is valid Tuesday through Friday. Must include three nights, with a Friday night or Saturday night minimum stay.
Sample fares including tax:
Los Angeles - Vail/Eagle (EGE): $462 per person (Jan. 12-20)
Los Angeles - Grand Junction (GJT): $310 per person (Jan. 12-20) (Jan. 31-Feb. 4)
Los Angeles - Steamboat Springs (SBS): $394 per person (Feb. 7-11)
Note: I checked prices against Orbitz’s flexible search calendar and Kayak too. The Orbitz Calendar Matrix helped me confirm cheap dates to travel and that I was saving money with the United sale, and the Kayak comparison showed me that other airlines like Delta and US Airways were offering similar fares.
When: Purchase by midnight tonight (Dec. 18) for travel between Jan. 6 and March 11.
Contact: United Airlines
– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger
[Photo: Crested Butte Mountain Resort: A couple walk through the town of Crested Butte on their way to the slopes. The area has a history aside from skiing, having been the site of gold- and coal-mining ventures. Credit: Tom Stillo]
