Archive for the 'Summer' Category
Super last-minute Labor Day travel options in San Diego, Arizona, Las Vegas & Los Angeles
September 3, 2009 9:12am
I got calls from two different sets of friends yesterday who woke up and realized two things: one, that it was Labor Day this weekend (Sept. 4-7) and, two, that they hadn’t made any plans or booked any travel. They were calling me because they wanted to know what their options were this late in the week and whether they could still get a deal. My answer — sure. Believe it or not, there are quite a few last-minute Labor Day deals still available for this weekend in Arizona, San Diego, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Arizona — The Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa (pictured) has an amazing offer of $79 per room Labor Day Weekend. I tested the deal and there were indeed rooms available Sept. 4-7. Even better, you could get a suite with a private patio for only $99 per night and a 600-square-foot guest room that overlooks the Oasis Courtyard Pool for only $109 per night. The cost of flights for two people between Los Angeles (LAX) and Phoenix (PHX) will probably end up costing more than the room. I found fares for $142 each way, pre-tax, on Southwest. How good of a sale is this? I tested dates two weeks later and weekend traditional room rates started at $149. The Oasis Terrace room was $179.
Under the Blue Flag: Clean beaches in 39 countries around the world
September 3, 2009 5:55am
Look for the blue flag before you take the plunge. That’s the sign that the beach or marina you’re visiting meets environmental standards established and monitored annually by the International Blue Flag Program, headquartered in Copenhagen.
The program, which originated in France in 1985, administers spot checks of candidate sites, ascertaining water quality and the absence of hazardous waste. A jury composed of environmentalists from groups such as the United Nations World Tourism Organization and the European Union for Coastal Conservation then makes the final selections.
The U.S. doesn’t participate in the program, but lots of other places do. This year more than 3,300 beaches and marinas in 39 countries have won blue flags, including Gdansk Marina in Poland, Bikini Beach in Cape Town, South Africa, and Sperlonga in Italy. A complete list is available at www.blueflag.org.
—Susan Spano, Los Angeles Times staff writer
Photo: Sperlonga, an Italian Blue Flag beach near Rome. Credit: Susan Spano/Los Angeles Times
Escape the smoke: Weekend getaways you can take today and Saturday
August 28, 2009 11:38am
Firefighters are battling four fires in the Southland today. Danger has not passed yet for the Palos Verdes Peninsula and La Cañada Flintridge fires. More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from Palos Verdes. The Morris fire was 45% contained by Thursday night. The Cottonwood fire in Hemet began Thursday evening and has burned 1,000 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest.
Many are trying to save their homes and stand by to see whether they will be evacuated. But for those in the Greater Los Angeles area who just want to get away from the smoke for the weekend, here are some options:
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.: Flght and hotel packages from Burbank (BUR) to Phoenix (PHX), departing today through Sunday, are available on Lastminute.com starting at $229 per person based on double occupancy. (If you know Scottsdale, you can view your hotel options on a map.) The lowest price luxury option was the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort, less than two miles from Old Town Scottsdale. The cost for two people including flights, hotels, taxes and fees was $457. If you wanted to stay at a Westin, prices started at $301 per person. The five-star Boulders Resort from the Waldorf Astoria Collection started at $343 per person and the five-star Fairmont Scottsdale was $348 per person.
ASPEN, COLO.: Flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and Aspen (ASE) are $248 round trip on United for this weekend. The deal is good for departures after 7 p.m. today or any time Saturday and returning Monday or Tuesday. We saw this deal on Airfare Watchdog, an easy place to find destination fares for “This Weekend.” Note that flight and hotel deals will pop up from Booking Buddy. I found the deal by flying Saturday and returning Tuesday and searching through the Priceline option. The round-trip fare came to $269 after taxes. Next I searched Hotels.com for rooms and found the Gant Destination Hotel & Resort for $161.25 per night, down from $215. The Innsbruck Luxury condos were also on sale for an average of $157.50 per night.
LAS VEGAS: If you want to brave the drive to Las Vegas, usually pretty thick on a Friday night, Expedia led me to several last-minute hotel prices for tonight and Saturday night including TI ($119), South Point ($91), Stratosphere ($73), Golden Nugget ($89), Hard Rock ($219) and Planet Hollywood ($124). Rates mentioned are per night, on average, pretax.
CARLSBAD, CALIF.: Bring the kids to Legoland. Inns of America Suites is a popular family-friendly hotel near the amusement park. I’ve had friends stay here and recommend it to other friends. The rooms are good sized and reviews on TripAdvisor say it’s good value with reasonable rates. I checked prices this weekend just for Saturday night and room rates started at $159. Here are more family-friendly hotels in Carlsbad.
– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger
Photo: Smoke fills the air from a 2-day-old brush fire north of La Cañada Flintridge. The blaze started Wednesday near the Angeles Crest Highway around mile marker 29. Credit: Francine Orr/ Los Angeles Time
9-9-09 not as lucky as 7-7-07 but still connected to travel deals
August 26, 2009 4:36pm
I know — the day could’ve come and gone without a mention. It’s not nearly as interesting as July 7 was two years ago or even as auspicious as Aug. 8 was last year. However, 9-9-09 is still a little bit fun to say a loud and even more fun to write, plus this silly September date gives the hotels and resorts something to fuss about. Here are a two Sept. 9 deals if you are looking for an excuse to call in sick to work. It falls on a Wednesday, two weeks from today.
Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa: Get a guest room for one night, a three-course dinner for two at BIN189 restaurant including wine, two 25-minute treatments at Spa of the Pines or a cruise for two — all for $99.09 each. If you visit on Sept. 9 this year, you’ll get a coupon to return for the same $99.09 price any day through Dec. 30, 2009. How does this rate compare with others? I looked at prices for Sept. 8-10 without the special and found rates of $149 per night, pre-tax. I tested dates Sept. 9-11, and the total came to $241 after taxes and resort fees. Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa is located in the San Bernadino mountains about two hours from LAX. The resort got a top-to-bottom $17-million makeover within the last two years. When: Valid Sunday - Thursday, Sept. 9 - 30, 2009. Contact: Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa, (800) 800-6792
Follow Obama family vacation on Martha’s Vineyard
August 24, 2009 1:34pm
Yes, the Obamas are on holiday in Martha’s Vineyard this week. Top of the Ticket even managed to find out what’s on Barack Obama’s summer reading list.
Doesn’t the trip sound nice? Lounging by the Atlantic, strolling through a small town with one traffic light [Note: An earlier version of this post said there were no lights], playing golf, lingering over a bowl of clam chowder. The president asked that everyone respect his daughters’ privacy during their vacation, but there are ways for us to get a glimpse of their holiday from our seats at home. Here are a few resources, plus a couple more in case you want to follow in the Obamas’ footsteps and do a little relaxing on Martha’s Vineyard of your own some time.
Where are they staying? Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark
When did they get there? They arrived at Blue Heron at 3:20 p.m. Aug. 23, according to the Martha’s Vineyard Times.
Getting your bearings on Martha’s Vineyard: Telegraph writer Lucie Young tells us about the island and sheds light on the history of presidential visits there.
A map from Frommers: Martha’s Vineyard
What they’ll be doing: The Vineyard Gazette has a blog called Summer White House 2009 with photos of their arrival. I particularly liked the letter from editor Julia Wells “From Our Island to Our President” that welcomes the first family and gives us a description of the simple life they might be enjoying at Blue Heron.
Who’s got the scoop? Huffington Post reported in early August that Plum.TV would have photos and video. When I checked the site, the current post was announcing President Obama’s next golf game at Farm Neck Golf Club
Labor Day weekend travel deals — discounts to San Francisco, San Diego, Cancun, Denver, Las Vegas
August 21, 2009 4:31pm
It’s not too late to book a Labor Day escape. After all, the long holiday weekend is meant to give you some rest and relaxation. Ditch the barbecue block party and give yourself a night (or three) away. Airlines are having sales. Hotels are having sales. Here’s a long list of resources as you consider the best way to get out of town. As a reminder, Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 7.
Airfare sales: United has a Labor Day sale for travel departing Sept. 1, 2, 5 and 6. Return travel is valid Sept. 5, 6, 8 and 9. I found the following low fares for the holiday weekend. Los Angeles (LAX) to San Francisco (SFO) $115, round trip including tax. Los Angeles (LAX) to Seattle (SEA) $211, Los Angeles (LAX) to Phoenix (PHX) $115. In some cases when I was testing dates it was easier for me to find these fares using Priceline and Kayak than it was to use United’s website.
Big savings at the big travel sites:
Priceline has up to 50% off Labor Day escapes. If you are gutsy enough to name your own price on flights you can save up to 50% off when departing within seven days. Also, you’ve got three days left to use its End of Summer Vacation sale to save $125 off seven-night flight + hotel packages. Only staying four days? Get $75 off.
Expedia is on the tail end of its biggest hotel sale ever. I checked out its Mexico/Latin America page and found hotels 70% off if you book by Aug. 31 for travel through Sept. 7. Say hello to Cancun with flight + four nights in a three-star all-inclusive hotel starting at $470. Hotel-only prices weren’t bad either. The first property I saw with a four and a half star rating was La Amada Hotel Playa Mujeres Cancun. For travel Sept 5-8 the price was dropped from $300 a night to $120 per night for two people, pre-tax. If 24-hour room service or all-inclusive pricing sounds stress-free to you, consider a Deluxe Room at GR Solaris Cancun & Spa for two people that was marked down from $315 per night to an average of $189 per night Sept. 4-7.
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
Indulge in food, or spa, at the Parker Palm Springs
August 11, 2009 9:19am
Palm Springs in August? Absolutely. The Parker Palm Springs, a well-reputed resort with personality, is offering deals that are simply painful to refuse, and, in this very uncrowded low season for tourism, you’ve got your pick of dates.
Besides, we’re not going to let you melt in the desert: all of the package inclusions, besides being stress-reducing, are set in air-conditioned quarters.
Deal: For a stay on any night but Saturday, you can get an estate room for $199 per night (before taxes and fees) with $200 credit toward spa treatments or $200 credit toward on-site food. But you do have to choose one or the other.
If you go the “spa junkie” route, you can use your credit toward any 60-minute spa services, excluding nail and salon services, at the Palm Springs Yacht Club. The “Glutton’s Delight” deal can be used toward food (but not toward beverages, tax or tip) at the Parker’s restaurants and on room-service orders. Read the rest of this entry »
Perseid meteor shower 2009: Times to watch, places to go and a Twitter party
August 11, 2009 8:18am
The annual Perseid meteor showers, which seem to radiate from the constellation Perseus, have been viewable to some extent since around July 17. But tonight, they are expected to be at their peak, with as many as 80 meteors streaking the sky hourly.
You can look up for them throughout the night tonight, but especially promising times are between 9 and 11 p.m. PDT, and before dawn on Wednesday morning, according to a NASA blog (by the way, this NASA post provides a fun 101 on meteors).
Just before the first rays of Wednesday, you may see “dozens” of the shooting stars. The 9-to-11 p.m. window, though, is when you should watch for what astronomers call “earthgrazers,” which may make up for their lack of frequency with their memorable good looks. Read the rest of this entry »
Santa Cruz: West Cliff Inn with a side of the Boardwalk
August 10, 2009 10:03am
A former banana slug (I graduated from UC Santa Cruz), I have very fond memories of lazy summers in the gorgeous Northern California surf town. Those were the months when I could switch off from academia and breathe in Santa Cruz’s real beauty, its eclectic atmosphere and occasionally plunge down the renowned, historic Giant Dipper.
Santa Cruz, very much skipping to its own colorful rhythm (often set to a drum circle, at least in my student days), is no destination for the stuffy.
If you’d like to sample some summer seaside fun here — amusement rides and all, mixed in with your explorations of coast and culture — check out this family-friendly package by West Cliff Inn, a three-story Victorian B&B perched across from Cowell’s Beach: Read the rest of this entry »
