Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts

Monday, September 29, 2008

Colorado: Keystone in Summit County

Mountains are about the contrasts. In Keystone, you're at some of the steepest peaks on the continent, but between them the land gives way to rich, lush rolling meadows and forests carpet the foothills and mountains below the timberline. The air is crisp and clear and clean, the lakes, rivers and streams pristine. The smell of the pines is constant, and the sky is the deepest blue you can imagine. Everything looks as though you could just reach out and touch it! Few places on earth exemplify these contrasts as well as Keystone.

Two award-winning championship golf courses have been etched onto the topsoil, beautifully engineered to blend with the natural beauty already there. The village is decidedly alpine, and the same ponds that grace it during the summer will freeze solid for a huge ice skating rink in the winter months. Lodges have lots of live music of all kinds, including jazz, folk and rock. Dance clubs get your groove thing going for apres-ski, and rock concerts are common on weekends. There's even a miniature golf course for kids of all ages! Take a tram ride and look out at the mountains. Feeling a bit more adventurous than that? A hot air balloon ride will give you a perspective few have ever seen! Get a feel of the old west with a trail ride on horseback. Want to relax? Check out the day spas and massage therapists. Pretty much anything you want to do or can imagine (and some great things that you may never have heard of before) can be found at Keystone.

Discover Keystone Lodging including condos and private home rentals.

Restaurants play a bigger part than some people realize in a exploring a new place. Some people look to the familiar, while others take the opportunity to splurge or be daring. Whatever your culinary pleasures, you're sure to find a cornucopia, and your hosts will go out of their way to be sure that you have a great meal and truly enjoy yourself. It's part and parcel of a visit to this mountain mother-lode. There are scores of unique restaurants to take in during your stay. Whether it's the casual Italian fare at Paisano's or Wolf Rock Brewery, or you choose to indulge in fine dining at the Zagat-rated AAA 4-diamond restaurant located some 11,444 feet up the mountain, you're sure to leave content and smiling.

One of the things that makes Keystone such an amazing destination is the very diverse nature of the place. From the most adventurous adrenalin junkie to the total bookworm, from athlete to couch potato, everyone who comes to Keystone finds plenty to see and do and experience. Keystone and the rest of Summit County are so incredibly different from the state capital, just 75 miles away, that you'll feel as though you've stepped through some magic portal -- and you really have! Life in the Rockies is unlike anything anywhere else in the world. The great thing is that you can be there just a bit over an hour after arriving in Denver.


Area Travel and Vacation Video - Keystone Lodging

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Colorado Family Summer Vacation in Summit County

Driving in out of Denver to Summit County, Colorado is an amazing experience. From the flats of Denver, you reach foothills, which lead to the pass at the tunnel, and then all of the sudden you've transitioned from Kansas to the Rocky Mountains in all of their power and splendor. There's something timeless about these mountains, and unforgettable.

I lived in Breckenridge and Frisco, between Copper Mountain and Keystone, for a few seasons. That was over 25 years ago, and still remember every detail of the places I explored and discovered as though it were only yesterday. The monumental rock faces, the mountains themselves, immovable, unperturbed, entirely unconcerned as to whether we exist or not... The wildlife, dense everywhere! Mountain lions, bears, deer, elk, porcupines, eagles and hawks... The rivers, creeks, streams and mountain lakes, dynamic, flowing, ever-changing and yet somehow themselves a constant within that motion.

It has been a long time since i lived in the Rockies, but I visit often. Each time, it's like returning to an old friend. We know each other well, but there's much to do and see together, new secrets to discover, old ones to relive. There are always more things I want to do than hours in a day to do them in. Start planning your Summit County Activities here.

I enjoy riding on horseback, going off into the “real” mountains, away from the highways and blacktops, until there's nothing artificial anywhere in sight. (Copper Mountain Stables offers up worthy mounts.) Sometimes I'll take a pole with me and try my hand at fishing in the streams found along the way. Other times, I'll make fishing the reason itself. Then it's fly fishing for me. (Blue River Anglers and Mountain Angler\ are some good folk who know where to take you to, and teach ya a thing or two about it along the way, if you've a mind to learn something new!)

Another good time I've added over the years was with taking a Duckie (an inflatable kayak) down the Colorado River. The equipment and tours provided by Colorado River Guides was top-notch; I can't recommend them highly enough! Find Summit County Whitewater Rafting trips.

The music scene in the mountains is always top notch, too. It seems quality musicians love living in the Rockies, and so you'll find outstanding pickers and players make their homes there and often play out in some of the most unlikely little pubs and hotel lounges.

Another thing I really enjoy is just taking in the scenery. All summer long, the trees are green and the skies are clear. Come fall, the leaves are changing and the tapestry they weave and lay across the steep mountain slopes is exquisite! Greens, yellows, oranges, reds and browns, all afire in the sunlight, set against a backdrop of deep mountain-blue skies – there's nothing else quite like it anywhere on earth!

Last time, I thought I'd try something different, so I got ahold of Continental Divide ATV Tours, took a quad up into the mountains around Vail. I've gotta admit, it was a lot of fun, and really made the getting there go quickly! Turquoise Lake was breathtaking, and I can't imagine a nicer group of people who make sure you're having a good time while staying mindful of safety.

The last night of last year's vacation, I got talked into something touristy. To be honest, I didn't expect much at all when I was informed that we were going to Happy Trails Chuckwagon, but I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. The food was really good, were the show and music! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the place, and am kinda looking forward to going there again.

Driving back east on I-70, you're eased back into the “real” world. There were many times, back when I lived there when I'd need to buy expensive gear. I knew it would be cheaper in Denver, so I'd start out to drive into the City to save some money. When I'd get to the plateau spot on the interstate where you can see you're leaving the mountains and the whole flatlands is spread out before you, I'd almost end up turning the car back around and driving back home. I'd stop at a local shop along the way instead and gladly pay (what really didn't amount to all that much) more to not have to leave.

Even now, Summit County's hard to put in the rear-view mirror. The only way I do it is knowing that I'll be back again soon. I guess Summit County really is just like a good old friend. The visits are never long enough, I find I miss it often, and can't wait to return. Every time I come, I find something new to appreciate and enjoy, even twenty-five years later.

Start planning a vacation to Aspen or Snowmass, Colorado - Aspen Lodging

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Arts and Culture Events of Aspen Colorado

Aspen Colorado Summer Arts and Culture events

The resort town of Aspen, Colorado is best known for its winter activities and for the huge rush of tourists heading for the town during the months when snow falls and the skiing and snowboarding slopes are at their best. However, Aspen Colorado is also a great place to go during the warmer months, and many people who decide that they are going to take a trip to Aspen Colorado just for the summer end up staying there as permanent residents.

Clearly, there must be something more than skiing and snowboarding going on in this town to make it such a magnetic destination. Here are some of the great summer arts and culture events that you can enjoy on a trip to Aspen Colorado when the sun is shining brightly and the entire world is green.

Condo and Private Home rentals - Aspen Lodging

The Aspen Music Festival is one of the best summer events if you are interested in classical music – every year classical artists are invited to the festival, which runs from the end of June to the middle of August. The length of the Aspen Music Festival gives you plenty of time to check out some of the best classical performances that you are likely to hear in your life, and the backdrop of the mountains of Aspen Colorado give you the perfect place to go for nature hiking, animal watching and all kinds of summer sports before settling down to an afternoon of some of the best music ever composed.

Activities in Aspen and Snowmass from Aspen Tours

The Aspen Dance Festival also takes place during the summer and is performed by the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. If you are interested in dance this is a great way to spend time during the summer gaining a greater appreciation of the arts. Aspen Colorado also offers a host of museums such as the Aspen Art Museum which has an excellent selection of contemporary art for you to spend time studying. If you are scientifically minded, you may also enjoy the lectures which you can hear at the Aspen Center for Physics.

View all events in the Roaring Fork Valley - Aspen Calendar of Events

All of these events give you a great way to relax and enjoy your stay in Aspen Colorado with diversions which will stimulate your mind once you get back from a day of outdoors activities that stimulate your body. Aspen, Colorado offers you a great well-rounded vacation experience during the summer with excellent arts and culture events that everyone can enjoy!

Monday, February 18, 2008

Travel-Top Five Las Vegas Hotels

The lover of elegant, opulent resorts might believe that they are a kid in a candy store when they first set eyes on the Strip or Downtown Las Vegas. This is a city where multi-billion dollar resorts are built as wild dreams immortalized in concrete, glass, steel and palpable luxury.

A great Las Vegas hotel is far from being the ultimate in hospitality and amenities. It is a theme embodied in every facet of the property, whether the inspiration is an Arthurian legend, the grandeur of the Pharaohs, the 1,001 Nights, or the majestic wonders of New York, Venice, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Bellagio, Monte Carlo, the Barbary Coast, the Gold Coast or the Saharan desert.

Grab current information on Las Vegas Sightseeing

Twenty of the country's thirty largest hotels are here, including all of the top thirteen. Choosing the best among this rarefied group is a difficult task as it presents a choice between the perfect and the ultimate.

Certainly among the top five would have to be the latest masterpiece from the man who built the Mirage, Treasure Island and Bellagio. Built on the old Desert Inn site, Wynn's is definitely angling to be be the ultimate among ultimates, with its indulgent catering to the wealthy and super-wealthy. The greens fee on the Wynn golf course is $500, so you can just imagine the level of the rest of the amenities.

Explore the Grand Canyon

The Bellagio earns its place among the greats due to its exquisite fountains, unparalleled aesthetic beauty, the memorable Conservatory, the superlative art, the sublime Via Bellaggio shops, its world-class La Cirque and Picasso restaurants and the 65,000-square-foot Spa Bellagio, considerably bigger than some Strip hotels' whole casino floor.

The classical favorite has to be Caesar's Palace, perhaps Vegas' most iconic hotel. With 129,000 square feet of casino and the sumptuous Forum Shops, Caesar's is a must-stop on any Vegas tour.

In a city where bigger is always better, you cannot possibly pass on the MGM Grand, the largest hotel in the country with 5,034 rooms and a 175,000 square foot casino floor, about as large as a small airport. Everything about the MGM is supersized, from its 27,000 square foot Grand Pool Complex, the gigantic Spa at MGM Grand, and your choice of three of the top 10 world great chef's restaurants: Joel Robuchon, Wolfgang Puck or Emeril Legasse.

Find local course and lodging packages if you are planning a Las Vegas Golf Vacation

Rounding off the top five, the Venetian is what you come to Las Vegas for: A convincing illusion which transports you to another continent to ride a gondola under the Rialto bridge, any resort which includes the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum and Streetmosphere has to be in the top five!

Monday, January 28, 2008

Discover Cabo Pulmo-Baja's Best Kept Secret

You will find the hidden Baja vacation destination of Cabo Pulmo just a short drive northeast from Cabo San Lucas. If you're enthralled by kayaking and snorkeling amongst a brilliant array of colorful tropical fish in crystal clear waters, Cabo Pulmo represents a worthy vacation choice or a delightful side trip from Cabo San Lucas. This resort resembles a small village set in a largely unspoiled, pristine landscape overlooking the Sea of Cortez. The resort sits on the edge of a national marine preserve established by Mexico in 1995 where you will find a living coral reef that is one of only three in North American waters.

For more information visit the Cabo Pulmo Vacation site.

Cabo Pulmo's reef system is endowed with tropical marine life that makes it a favorite destination for snorkeling and scuba diving. The reef is readily available from shore and no boat is required. The waters around Cabo Pulmo are clearest between March and October. In addition to the reef, there is the wreck of a tuna boat called El Vencedor that sank in 1981 off the Cabo Pulmo Cape and now forms an excellent artificial reef that also attracts divers. Chances are you will see the Pilot Whales that are common to this area in April and large Jack Crevalles abound in August and September.

To reach Cabo Pulmo from Buena Vista, which is off Mexico's Highway 1, take a paved road marked as La Riberia east from Las Cuevas. This 12 mile long road will pass through La Riberia, a small village of about 2,000 containing a church, a cemetery, tortilleria, a Premex station, trailer homes and simple houses that overlook the beach. From there, take the coastal road south toward Cabo Pulmo. It is paved for part of the way but also contains an unpaved portion about 16 miles long between La Riberia and Cabo Pulmo. This may sound complicated but, in reality, is fairly easy. Remember that large, paved access roads bring in traffic that destroys the ambiance of un-crowded areas like Cabo Pulmo.

Although Cabo Pulmo is a quiet and mostly undiscovered spot now, the Mexican government is now surveying the bay in consideration of giving it national park status. The government has also made the Pulmo reef a nature preserve where no fishing or even anchoring is permitted. If shore development occurs in his area, there is a possibility that pollution could spell the reef's death. So see it now. It's uniquely worthwhile.

Click here for information on Cabo San Lucas Sightseeing

Monday, January 21, 2008

Group Travel-Use a Professional Meeting Planner

Planning and coordinating all the details for a company, association or groups’ next meeting or conference can be a daunting, time-consuming task. However there are organizations out there that have been doing this sort of thing professionally for many years that can make the challenge easier.

Meeting & event planning professionals are highly experienced in planning and facilitating all the details for conventions, trade shows, conferences and even reunions. They are skilled at locating the proper venue, negotiating, networking, multi-tasking, planning and implementing these events for large and small businesses, associations and even individuals who don’t have the time to do it all themselves. They can handle all the details for anything from a luncheon meeting to week-long conferences or exhibitions for thousands of people, even help find professional speakers.

If you’ve ever taken on this type of challenge, you already know that it’s a full-time job for one or more people that involve a myriad of details that ranges from arranging ground transportation to locating and securing a facility to hiring motivational speakers, bands and entertainers and others. And these organizations aren’t locked in an office somewhere. They will travel as required to check out all the details that are vital to a successful event, negotiate contracts with suppliers and solve problems if and when they arise.

Some meeting and event planners are generalists suited to any situation. Others will specialize in the type of service they perform or specific types of clients. Whether you want help doing it all or handling just a portion of your event planning, you’ll have no problem locating a firm that fits the bill.

Most good firms in the event planning business are highly qualified for what they do. Their representatives are generally well educated in areas such as marketing, hotel administration or business. Many have certification from related industry councils or special events societies to attest to their capabilities. They know how to work with clients, suppliers and others with integrity, tact and enthusiasm. Simply stated, they know how to get the job done on time and within the stated budget.

You can review and select a meeting and event firm online via the internet. All it takes is to type in meeting & even planners into your browser search window and scroll down the list of available companies. They can also be found in trade publications such the meeting industry news.

Monday, January 14, 2008

PGA 2008 Golf Tournament Travel Schedule

The PGA Tour just keeps getting richer every year, with official prize money in 2008 reaching $55.2 million and the average tournament prize reaching a record $1.9 million. Not bad at all for chasing a little white ball around a field on a nice day. The PGA announced that there will be two stops outside the USA, one in the Dominican Republic and the other in the birthplace of the grand old sport, Scotland.

The season begins under the swaying palm trees of beautiful Hawaii on January 14 for the MasterCard Championship at Hualalai on the Big Island. The end of this Championship is followed the very next day by the Turtle Bay Championship on January 21 to 27 on Oahu.

Then it's off to Boca Raton, Florida for the Allianz Championship at The Old Course of Broken Sound Club on February 4 to 10 followed the next day by The ACE Group Classic at Quail West Golf Club in Naples, Florida which runs until the 17th. More information can be found in the Florida Golf Vacation Guide.

Back to Hawaii the next day for the Wendy's Champions Skins Game at Royal Kaanapali Golf Course in Lahaina until the 24th, then a bit of a break until March 3rd for the Toshiba Classic at Newport Beach Country Club in Newport Beach, California until the 9th.

March 10th to the 16th its the AT&T Champions Classic at Valencia Country Club in Valencia, California, on March 24th through the 30th its back to the other coast for the Ginn Championship at Hammock Beach Ocean Course at Hammock Beach in Palm Coast, Florida. More Florida golfing discounts information is available from the Palm Coast Golf Guide.

Then it's offshore entirely on March 31 through to April 6th for the Cap Cana at Punta Espada Golf Club, set on the challenging Jack Nicklaus Course in Cap Cana, in the Dominican Republic.

Back to the USA for the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am at TPC Tampa Bay in Lutz, Florida on April 14 through to 20, and then just a bit north to the April 21th to 27th Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa in the antebellum splendour of Savannah, Georgia which is the first of four tourneys with a total purse of $2,600,000, the others being the July 28 to August 3 U.S. Senior Open Championship at The Broadmoor Resort, East Course in Colorado Springs, Colorado back to back with the Jeld-Wen Tradition Crosswater Club at Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon. Oregon Golf information.

Then the October 6th to 12th Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship at Baltimore Country Club/Five Farms, East Course in Timonium, Maryland. The Tour winds up at the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge at Lake Las Vegas Resort, Reflection Bay Golf Club in Henderson, Nevada two days before Christmas.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Asia Travel-Tours and Sightseeing by Motorcoach

Asia has sometimes been described as a whole other world. The sheer diversity of the cultures, countries and heritages in Asia boggles the imagination, and the only true way to be able to absorb all of the diversity which makes Asia Travel such as phenomenal experience is by savoring every mile of your journey in a Motor Coach Tour.

If you think that Asia is just crowded cities and stultifying airports, you will be astounded at the vistas and perspectives that open to you when you see the countries up close and personal on your Motor Coach sightseeing holiday. Like a 1,000 choice menu at a fine Chinese restaurant, the uninitiated will at first be staggered by the choices available to tour and wonder where they could possibly start. No matter where your Motor Coach Tour takes you in Asia, you will be treated to memorable experiences unlike any other.

You may wonder at the impossibly concentrated city while taking a Hong Kong Tours, flourishing in its British capitalism while surviving under an oppressive Communist regime. Take a stroll through the Forbidden City or Tiananmen Square on a Beijing Sightseeing Tour. Savour incredable delicacies and the beauty of the scenery by taking one of the comfortable Shanghai Sightseeing Tours that are available.

You be astonished by the opulent luxuries and sheer frenzy of Tokyo's Ginza District and take a bullet train past Mount Fuji. You may choose to relax in a state of the art five star resort in Seoul, just a few miles from the heavily militarized border with the North.

Other Asia sightseeing tours will allow you to enjoy the multiculutural fare in Manila; be astounded by modernity when you travel to Vietnam; appreciate the strictly ordered, meticulously clean and sparkling Singapore; party in the all night clubs of Kuala Lumpur; wander the wild streets of Jakarta; engage in every measure of earthly delight in Bangkok; gaze at the towering grandeur surrounding Kathmandu; drink fermented mare's milk in a yurt outside Ulaanbaatar.

Delve into the soul-invigorating spirituality of Mother India, the birthplace of our language and many of our cultural underpinnings, a country of over one billion people so diverse and exhilirating that you could spend several lifetimes exploring it all starting with Delhi Sightseeing Tours, to the Portuguese-flavored beach resorts of Goa, to the soothing tropical heat of Madras and the brilliant ultra-modern tech campuses of Hyderabad.

Asia travel and sightseeing demands to be seen in its entirety, and there truly is no better way to fully understand the continent and let it profoundly touch you than in a Motor Coach Tour.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Golf Travel-Orlando Florida

Orlando Florida Golf Vacations

Florida is a great golf vacation destination, and Orlando's right in the heart of it all. The legendary Arnold Palmer thought enough of the place to buy a resort course there and make it all his own. With nearly ideal weather weather conditions all year long and a literal cornucopia of attractions and things to do, an Orlando golf vacation has a lot to offer!

Of course you can travel with the entire family on your golf vacation; Disneyland remains a major attraction in the area, but many others round off the appeal. Medieval Times has a location there, and the Arabian Nights show is said to be superb. There's a western cowboy show, the Stampede, too! You can experience skydiving in a huge fan-powered simulator, airborne just feet off of the ground! Helicopter tours will show you the area from a seldom seen perspective. There are more dining choices than one could possibly indulge in – everything from down home basic fare to haute cuisine. The culinary institute there in Orlando helps ensure that the restaurants have chefs, rather than cooks, to tantalize the tender palate.

If the outdoors and ocean are appealing to you, the Atlantic's just an hour's drive away. If you play quickly, you can play a round on the Atlantic side at Coco Beach, pick up nine holes of golf in Orlando, Florida and finish off the day in Tampa/Saint Petersburg on the Gulf of Mexico! While you're in Cocoa Beach, you may want to drive on up the highway to the NASA space center. Rocket launches take place on the coast in nearby Titusville, so check the schedule to see that awesome event with your own eyes!

What about golf? It wouldn't fit in this article, might not even fit into a book! There are over a hundred courses; Orlando is very green. Water hazards are a mainstay and add to the strategic complexity. Course designs by just about every great designer in the past century are all offered up, giving golfers of every ability the opportunity to enjoy the game in this pleasant oasis. The quality of the courses? Bay Hilll has already been mentioned. Here's another example: Orange County National Golf Center earned Top 10 You Can Play in the U.S. from Golf Magazine, a 4th and 6th from Zagats, and 4.5 out of 5 stars from Golf Digest! Their 45 holes are open to everyone and you're free to pick and chose which ones you want to play! Can it get much better than that? (Could you live through the experience if it did?)

You owe it to yourself to make Orlando your next Golf Vacation destination.

Florida Golfing Coupons