Archive for the 'Spring' Category
St. Regis hotel opens in Mexico City
August 18, 2009 2:54pm
Mexico City has a new addition to its skyline, with the opening this month of the St. Regis Mexico City, a striking high-rise on Paseo de la Reforma that offers sweeping city views from floor-to-ceiling windows.
The hotel, which overlooks the iconic Plaza of Diana, is the second St. Regis to open in Mexico in the past year. It is part of a Latin American expansion plan that includes hotels in Buenos Aires and the Riviera Maya in Yucatan, both of which are expected to open within two years.
Last fall, St. Regis Punta Mita Resort opened north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, featuring tile-roofed Mexican-style casitas along the Pacific Coast. Both new St. Regis hotels have opening specials.
In Mexico City, a weekend rate of $235 per night is available; during the week, rates start at $399 per night, including breakfast. St. Regis Punta Mita offers a Taste of Luxury package, with rates starting at $499 per night and a fourth night free. (Rates do not include taxes and fees.) Info: (800) 598-1863.
— Rosemary McClure, Special to the Los Angeles Times
Photo: Exterior of St. Regis Hotel in Mexico City. Credit: Courtesy of St. Regis
Lake Tahoe: Half-off rooms and 24 other discounts at Zephyr Cove Resort
May 8, 2009 7:54am
Now that the snow has melted, Zephyr Cove Resort — one of the nation’s largest snowmobile-tour venues — has a phenomenal accommodations deal for late-spring and early summer visitors. The lakeside resort is in South Lake Tahoe on Highway 50, four miles from the casinos in Stateline, Nevada.
Deal: Take 50% off the regular rate on rooms, suites, cabins and chalets for stays Sundays through Thursdays. In addition to the low rate, under the venue’s “25 Reasons” promotion, you can get 24 other discounts, such as the following: 20% off breakfast, lunch and dinner at the resort; 20% off gift shop purchases; $25 off per hour when renting a power boat or jet ski before 11 a.m.; $5 off beach chair rentals; $50 off of a glider-soaring adventure. Read the rest of this entry »
Disneyland 2fer time for Southern California and Northern Baja California residents
April 17, 2009 5:24pm
Has anyone looked at the weather forecast for this weekend? There’s a great chance that it’s going to be sunny and warm with temperatures getting into the 80s on Saturday and Sunday. If you haven’t been to Disneyland this year, remember that as SoCal and Northern Baja California residents you can get two visits to Disneyland theme parks (one day at Disneyland park and another day at Disney’s California Adventure park) for the price of one.
How it works: Bring proof that you live in either Southern California within ZIP Codes 90000 to 93599 or Northern Baja California residents within ZIP Codes 21000 to 22999 and buy a 2fer Ticket for the price of a Single-Day Theme Park Ticket. Visit once before June 3 and then come back to play in the second theme park within the next 30 days.
Santa Barbara hotels’ de-stressing deals: massages, wine
April 12, 2009 3:17pm
Santa Barbara and surrounds are on sale. At least that’s what it seems with a look at the tourism bureau’s Hot Deals section. The well-organized page includes deals and unique, tempting packages offered by hotels, motels, B&Bs and even a dude ranch.
Following are a few that seemed particularly tempting to me (note that I seem to be drawn right now, for some reason, to the packages that include massages and/or wine):
Circle Bar B Guest Ranch and Stables: For a getaway that’s therapeutic for body and mind, consider this Rx from a dude ranch in Goleta. The “Medicinal Country ‘Cure All’ ” package features the following, for rates starting at $771 total for two nights, and two guests, in a cottage, cabin or room: two 60-minute in-room massages; two 90-minute horseback rides; three meals per night’s stay; and a bottle of Champagne upon arrival. For stays between now and May 31.
Contact: Circle Bar B Guest Ranch and Stables, (805) 968-1113
Celebrate National Park Week, April 18-26
April 10, 2009 3:38pm
If you’re a fan of public lands, then the time to show some extra appreciation for them is coming up.
For annual National Park Week — April 18-26 this year — national and state parks, national monuments and historic sites, and other recreation areas locally and around the country will be celebrating with a variety of activities.
In California, numerous parks are hosting special events, including a Junior Ranger Day, where kids can learn about nature through hands-on activities, nature walks and stories. Among those with Junior Ranger Day on the calendar for April 25 are Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Sequoia and Yosemite national parks, as well as Pinnacles National Monument. Read the rest of this entry »
Dive for Earth Day events in SoCal and globally
April 9, 2009 10:00am
This month, as we head toward Earth Day on Apr. 22, you’ll get a jolly green earful of great festivals and events where you can celebrate our planet upon terra firma. But since over 70% of the Earth’s surface consists of water, it’d make sense to get a little wet for the occasion, don’t you think?
That’s where Dive for Earth Day comes in. Initiated by environmental nonprofit Project AWARE Foundation in 2000, the campaign has prompted thousands of divers in over 115 countries to volunteer and raise awareness about our fragile aquatic environments. Projects on and surrounding Earth Day largely consist of beach and underwater cleanups as well as educational events.
Last year, in Katowice, Poland, 280 volunteers collected 1,500 bags of trash from shores and sea. On the Isle of Wight in the UK, a “fancy dress beach cleanup” attracted the likes of a James Bond look-a-like and others festively collecting tar, cans, bottles and other rubbish. Read the rest of this entry »
Orbitz deals for Southwest travel
April 6, 2009 2:46pm
I love the Southwest in the springtime and am gleaning inspiration for my trip wish list from recent articles on the region’s draws. Dive into the healing vortexes of Sedona, dine five-star style near Phoenix, gaze down grand canyons, see petroglyphs and pagodas in New Mexico. It’s all there, and planning a short visit doesn’t have to cost a lot, especially with the help of this sale:
Deal: Orbitz’s current Deal-O-Rama sale features hotels in the Southwest U.S. Do a search for discounted hotels at your intended destination and then save an additional 10% with the promotion code ‘DEALOHOTEL.’ If you book a flight-and-hotel package (three-night minimum), you can take $75 off with code ‘DEALOVACA.’ Here are a few sample hotel deals: Read the rest of this entry »
The Carlsbad Flower Fields: photos and visitor info
April 5, 2009 9:56am
The historic Carlsbad Flower Fields are in bloom. Catch them while you can. They’re only open for another month or so. Why go to Carlsbad and what’s so great about looking at a bunch of flowers? They have guided tours, a wagon ride, an arts and crafts fair today and again on April 18 and 19, a photography workshop and more—not to mention Legoland, the outlet malls and the beach all within a five minute reach.
When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from March 1 through May 10, 2009
Cost: $10 for adults, $9 for ages 60 and older, $5 for ages 3 to 10,
children 2 and younger free
Contact: The Flower Fields
Here are some reader photos of the Carlsbad Flower Fields to tempt your Southern California wanderlust.
California / The Los Angeles Times Photo Contest, Places
Get starry-eyed at Pinnacles National Monument
April 5, 2009 7:12am
Pinnacles National Monument is an under-the-radar kind of place. If, to you, the great outdoors is better experienced off the main drag, then you might consider venturing off Highway 101 for a visit. It’s outside the Central California town of Soledad, about 260 miles from Los Angeles.
At Pinnacles, you can hike, climb and absorb some natural silence among talus passages, canyons and 23 million-year-old volcanic rock formations. Plus, the park’s free night hikes, guided by naturalists, seem a great reason to stop in. There are a few on the calendar this spring. Read the rest of this entry »
Hawaii roundup: Fly inter-island for $28; Mauna Kea Beach Hotel reopens; in-flight sushi on Hawaiian
April 3, 2009 2:45pm
The Hawaiian islands are begging for a visit. Read the recent post on L.A. Times’ Outposts: “Report: Hawaii’s tourism industry in state of crisis.” If you plan to help the cause with your own dollars — after all, it’s a win-win situation, of benefit to the Hawaii economy, the state’s people and your own well-being — here are a few items to note:
Inter-island flights sale | Hop from one island to another for just $28 one-way, pretax, this month. Mokulele Airlines is having a sale (purchase by April 8 for travel between now and April 30), but I found prices just as low on go! and Hawaiian Airlines.
A fare of $28 one-way amounts to just over $34 after taxes. Read the rest of this entry »
