Trip Quips

Rooms with a BOO!

Lisa Rogak for Trip Quips — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:11:40 +0000

Hard to believe, but Halloween is just around the corner.

How about staying in a haunted hotel this year? Here are a few choices:

*Anchorage, Alaska: Ghosts roam the halls at the Historic Anchorage Hotel so frequently that the manager keeps a journal to keep track of them all. Among the resident ghosts is John J. Sturgus, the first chief of police in the city, who was shot outside the hotel in 1921. Guests also often see a young woman wearing a wedding dress who wanders the second floor. Reportedly, she hanged herself when her husband-to-be left her standing at the altar.

*Estes Park, Colorado: Of course, The Stanley Hotel is famous for serving as the inspiration for Stephen King’s novel The Shining, but King stayed in Room 217 – not 237, the room number in the movie – where he wrote most of the novel. One of the more popular ghosts is F.O. Stanley, founder of the Stanley Steamer company, who built the hotel. The fourth floor is even more haunted than the second; find out on the hotel’s ghost tour. If you get the heebie-jeebies, head downstairs and relax in the spa until your nerves unjangle.

*Fall River, Massachusetts: The site of the infamous parenticide supposedly committed by Lizzie “Did She Or Didn’t She” Borden in August of 1892 is now a bed-and-breakfast where guests can see the room where the murders took place. They can also sit at a breakfast table set with the very foods the Bordens ate on that fateful morning: bananas, johnnycakes, and cookies. As expected, the ghosts of Mr. and Mrs. Borden roam the house. Watch for an unexplained mist in the parlor and a body-shaped dent that suddenly appears on an undisturbed bed.

*St. Louis, Missouri: Professional ghost hunters consider the Lemp Mansion – with five guest suites and a small restaurant – one of the most haunted houses in the country. The three-story mansion was home to a local beer baron whose family experienced three suicides and one family member murdering another over a short period of time. New Yorker Michael Dolan has visited the Mansion and heard stories about guests who ran outside in the middle of the night and never came back. “It’s a gorgeous mansion, but I had an uncomfortable feeling the whole time,” he said. Haunted tours are given weekly on Monday nights.

*Granville, Ohio: The Buxton Inn is frequented most often by the ghosts of former owners. Massachusetts industrialist Orin Granger built the inn in 1812, and today he appears as an elderly gentleman dressed in knee breeches. The staff knows he’s to blame whenever a pie disappears from the kitchen. Major Buxton, who ran the inn from 1865 to 1905, likes to show up on cold winter nights. Some guests have seen him sitting in a chair near the dining room fireplace while others have watched as a pair of hands suddenly appeared next to theirs as they warmed up by the fire.

*Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: Whenever the player piano turns on by itself at The Historic Hotel Bethlehem, the staff knows that the ghost of May Yohe, a famous Victorian actress who grew up at the hotel, is paying a visit. Other familiar ghosts include local resident Francis Thomas and guest Mrs. Brong. But there’s one ghost, in Room 932 to be exact, whose identity remains unknown, but nevertheless causes trouble by sending a stack of paper flying into the air or turning the bathroom wallpaper pink. If you want to help the hotel with their investigation, check into 932.

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Food Straight From The Source in New Hampshire

Lisa Rogak for Trip Quips — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:51:34 +0000

These days, many people want to eat and drink food that’s produced close to home. There are plenty of places throughout New Hampshire where you can buy local wine, cheese, meats, and other foods straight from the source and to witness their creation.

Candia: Candia Vineyards winemaker Bob Dabrowski produces award-winning zinfandels and chardonnays and more exotic Frontenac and Diamond vintages.

Canterbury: At Fox Country Smoke House, Matthew and Sarah Fox cure a variety of smoked meats, including ham, smoked trout, and duck.

Dorchester: The folks at D Acres Farm love to spread the word about organic agriculture and sustainable living. Tour the fields or take a composting workshop.

Lee: Flag Hill Winery makes wines in traditional vintages and blueberry, peach and raspberry flavors. Ask for a taste of Sugar Maple Liqueur, vodka infused with New Hampshire maple syrup.

Littleton: At Littleton Grist Mill, watch millstones two feet in diameter grind wheat into flour in a mill that dates back to the 1800s.

North Sandwich: At the Sandwich Creamery, visit the cows then taste the cheddar, brie, and Cow Tracks ice cream: vanilla with peanut butter cups and fudge chunks.

Piermont: At Robie Farm on Route 10, Lee and Betty Sue Robie sell eggs, sausage and beef direct to visitors. Try the heavenly raw milk. Call ahead at 603-272-4872.

South Hampton: Winemaker Dr. Peter Oldak of Jewell Towne Vineyards pampers his grapes. Visit for a tour, wine tasting, or a pruning demonstration.

Thornton: During sugaring season, Benton’s Sugar Shack serves up pancakes topped off with maple syrup still hot from the evaporator.

Walpole: The motto at Boggy Meadow Farm? One visit with the cows will help their cheese – including baby Swiss and Jack – come to life for you.

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Test Drive a New Career on Vacation

Lisa Rogak for Trip Quips — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:33:43 +0000

Who doesn’t dream of chucking it all and starting a brand-new career or business? You don’t have to leave everything behind to see if your dreams match the reality. Instead you can test out a new career on your next vacation. The list of possibilities is endless: Doggie daycare, chocolatier, farmer, hat designer, even a member of a pit crew.

“It’s wise to look before you leap,” says Brian Kurth, author of Test-Drive Your Dream Job and founder of VocationVacations, a service that matches the dreamers with experienced mentors in their field, who then spend an intense two or three days together. Though this may not sound like much time, it’s usually enough for most people to decide if they’re cut out for a particular field.
Others choose to work independently and design their career test drives at a more leisurely pace, conducting research and contacting mentors on their own.

Either way will work. The important thing is to just do it.

Once your plans are set, it’s time to consider your goals. “What do you want to take away from the experience?” he asks. “What kind of advice do you need to help you move forward?”

Not everyone decides to proceed afterwards, and that’s okay. “It’s far better to realize you may not be cut out for your dream job before you invest time or money,” says Kurth.

With this in mind, here are three popular choices for a career test drive:

*Bed & Breakfast Innkeeper: Darlene Proctor, a registered nurse from Baltimore, had long dreamed of owning a bed-and-breakfast inn. In March 2008, via VocationVacations, she arranged to spend a few days with Chloe Tuttle at The Big Mill Bed and Breakfast in Williamston, North Carolina. She hit the ground running, shadowing Chloe for the entire weekend, greeting guests, making breakfast, and cleaning rooms and toilets.

One important lesson Darlene learned: as the owner, the show must go on no matter what. She had an attack of bronchitis just as Chloe had to leave for a few hours, but Darlene had no choice but to take charge, ironing sheets, folding towels, and answering guests’ questions in Chloe’s absence.

After she returned home, Darlene was undeterred. In fact, she felt the entire experience was invaluable and decided to go full speed ahead with plans to purchase a couple of bed-and-breakfast inns.

*Travel Company: Though she had worked in a variety of professions over the years, Wendy Storch of Los Angeles always wondered how to turn her love for food and travel into a new career. Her DIY career test drive took several years of on-and-off planning and traveling.

She visited different parts of Italy for a week each year to take cooking classes, practice her Italian, and sample tours. On one trip, she brought along a friend and she discovered that being a tour guide required finesse and diplomacy since her friend wanted to do different things. “I learned that it’s very important to listen, ask questions, and read between the lines,” she said. “And it’s impossible to please anyone entirely since people have very different expectations.”

After that trip, she started Travelicious to run culinary group tours in France and Italy. “Everything that I’ve ever done has led me here,” she said.

*Professional Golfer: Even though James Suttie of Vancouver, Canada, works with The Green Room, an indoor golf performance center, and has golfed throughout North America and Scotland and Ireland, he’d always dreamed about living the life of a professional golfer. He headed for Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, for ten days of eating, drinking, and breathing at the Church of Golf.

Though he took lessons and played twice a day, Suttie didn’t spend all of his time with a golf club in his hand. The program is designed so aspiring pros can learn about the business behind the sport, and Suttie spent time with the maintenance crew mowing grass, and hung out with the executive team as well as caddies.

In the end, he admits that his pro golfer test drive was half pleasure and half test drive. “It’s hard to imagine what a new vocation will be like based on a short sampling, but it was a great experience,” he said.

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Don’t Just Sit There…Learn Something!

Lisa Rogak for Trip Quips — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:16:04 +0000

If you’re the type who doesn’t like to loll on the beach on vacation, taking a trip where you learn how to do something new might be just the thing.

According to the Travel Industry Association, about thirty million adults have taken a learning vacation in the last three years, whether for a weekend or a week or longer. Though some vacationers choose photography classes or surfing lessons, there are more adventurous choices. How about learning the art of blacksmithing, playing the bagpipes or learning to drive a Porsche on a professional racetrack? They’re all here and more. For more ideas, check out the online Shaw Guides.

1. Race a car. If you’re an early adopter when it comes to new radar detection devices, the Porsche Sport Driving School is for you. You’ll learn high-performance vehicle skills in a one- or two-day workshop taught by former racecar drivers at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. And you’ll be happy to know that you’ll spend most of the time zooming around the state-of-the-art 2-1/2-mile track with both on- and off-road driving opportunities. An eighty-foot change in elevation makes the course particularly challenging, which is perfect for learning the finer points of high-performance driving. Then of course, let’s not forget about the cars: you’ll test your newfound racing skills with the cream of the crop: the Boxster, the Cayman S, and the 911 Carrera.

2. Hit an anvil. The Heritage School at The Conservancy, 35 miles north of Pittsburgh, offers numerous three- to five-day courses teaching techniques that were necessary skills in the 19th century. In Basic Blacksmithing, you’ll learn how to weld and design a tool with an anvil over gas and coal forges. Extend your learning vacation in old-school arts by signing up for additional courses in knifemaking, coopering (barrel-making) and period cradle-making.

3. Paint in Italy. If the idea of spending a week painting in a small mountain town in Italy is your idea of paradise, how about painting by moonlight and candlelight? Painter Patricia Antonucci runs The Abruzzi Mountain Workshop, which offers classes for beginning and advanced artists in the town of Anversa, 75 miles east of Rome. You’ll start the week off with a two-day intensive drawing class before diving into fresco or mural painting, or learning collage.

4. Play the bagpipes, speak Gaelic. If you’ve always had a hankering for the Celtic Arts, head for The Gaelic College. Dabble in the Gaelic language, master a few Irish dance steps, and learn the right way to wear a kilt in a series of five-day workshops in a small log cabin overlooking St. Ann’s Bay in Cape Breton, the earliest Scottish settlement in Canada.

5. Pretend you’re a Scottish land baron. The Gleneagles resort in Perthshire, Scotland, lets aspiring genteel countrymen can partake in falconry, clay shooting, and gun dog school all in the shadow of an early 20th-century hotel, which was billed as the Riviera of the Highlands when it was built in 1924. For the less adventurous, there’s a full-service spa and three legendary golf courses, one of which predates the hotel.

6. Be a winemaker. Kids go to a wide variety of different camps, why not adults? Indeed, why not Wine Camp? Over the course of four days in Long Island’s Wine Country you’ll go through Winemaking 101 as you work alongside winemakers and winery owners to make wine, and discover what it takes to manage a vineyard. You’ll learn about the chemistry of winemaking as you blend your own wines, prune vines in the vineyards and match food with the perfect wine.

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Cook Your Way Around the World

Lisa Rogak for Trip Quips — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:55:21 +0000

If you’re an avid home cook, the idea of jetting off to some farflung place where you can immerse yourself in your favorite ethnic cuisine is probably your idea of paradise. But even non-cooks can have a great time on a cooking school vacation because while a good chunk of time is spent learning how to prepare dishes hands-on, they also include field trips to local markets and restaurants, wine tastings, and lots of shopping.

Plus, it’s just a lot of fun to get together with other food-loving travelers and test out a new cuisine. Here are a few international cooking vacations to get you started.

*Morocco: A jaunt through Morocco with Peggy Markel is much more than just a cooking class; it’s a ten-day crash course in Moroccan cuisine and culture. In addition to classes where you’ll learn how to make perfect couscous, tagine, and kefta, you’ll tour the city and countryside surrounding Marrakech where you’ll learn how to select the best herbs for tea, walk through family walnut groves and gardens and terraces, and view ancient irrigation systems.

*Ireland: Since the Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork sits squarely in the middle of a 100-acre organic farm, the classes run the gamut, from how to cure a pig and churn butter to a course on barbecue called The Thrill of the Grill. Students can stay in one of the school’s self-catering cottages with a small kitchenette, so if you get the urge to practice outside of class, you’ll be all set. Classes range from a few hours to five days; why not pick several for a well-rounded vacation.

*Thailand: The dishes you’ll learn to prepare at the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School sound as good as they taste: Steamed Fish in Banana Leaves, Fried Big Noodles with Sweet Soy Sauce, and Basil Spicy Glass Noodle Salad. How can you resist? The school offers five different courses, including how to make curry pastes to shopping for ingredients at the local market. But the poetry doesn’t stop with the food: students stay at the Jasmine Rice Village, near a Thai village where you’ll inevitably hear and experience even more intriguing notes.

*Italy: In Arcidosso, a small medieval town on the slopes of Monte Amiata – the highest mountain in southern Tuscany – sits a twenty-room medieval house named Casa Innocenti, where local cooking celebrity Carlo Innocenti will teach you everything he knows about La Cucina Povera Toscana, a/k/a Tuscan country cooking. In addition to hands-on classes and demonstrations during a weeklong vacation, you’ll visit local wineries and walk over countless cobblestones as you explore several other small Italian villages.

*Spain: If you think Spanish cuisine is just paella, renowned cookbook author Joanne Weir will open up a whole new world for you at her weeklong cooking classes in Seville. You’ll stay at the 17th-century Hacienda de Oran and attend classes in the professional kitchen at this Spanish country hotel. In addition to learning how to prepare authentic gazpacho and shellfish with chorizo, field trips abound. You’ll visit local artisans who make sherry vinegar and the Serrano ham the region is known for, and even tour a Spanish olive mill. Joanne will also show you the local tapas joints, wine bars, and a local ballroom where you can learn the fine art of Flamenco dancing.

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Post tags: arcidosso, ballymaloe cookery school, casa innocenti, chiang mai thai cookery school, Cook, cooking school, cooking vacation, culinary tours, joanne weir, monte amiata, peggy markel

Anguilla – A Real Review

Jason Sarracini — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:27:46 +0000

Tucked away in the northern Caribbean lies a small wonder, Anguilla. Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory, 16 miles long, and 3 miles at the widest point that has 33 white sand beaches with crystal clear waters. The island is a retreat for couples, families and singles offering a wide range of accommodations that are among the finest in the world. Cuisine is a central feature of the Anguillian experience, there is over 85 restaurants that offer some of the best Caribbean dishes. It is the warmth and friendliness of the Anguilla people that will make your experience truly incomparable!

One of the world’s most tranquil eco-tourism getaways, Anguilla’s coral and limestone flatlands and salt ponds offer the ideal setting for shooting spectacular photographs or simply watching the sun as it melts into the sea. Carefully maintained and preserved by the gracious and proud population, Anguilla is a nature lover’s dream. It’s a sailor’s dream, too. An honoured tradition of locally built and designed boats is shown off at regattas on national holidays, particularly during the annual Carnival celebrations.

Anguilla is a diverse mix of experiences that will make you slow down, relax and unwind! Escape to this place off the beaten path, that will offer you ultimate bliss, no-worry weather, warm smiles, stunning sunrises, shimmering sunsets, blissful beaches, gourmet cuisine and total seclusion!

HOW TO GET THERE

Air Canada Vacations is offering a direct non-stop flight from Toronto to St. Martin/Maarten beginning December 18, 2010 until April 9, 2011. Plus, we offer convenient connectors from 65 Canadian Cities.

Fly into St. Martin/St. Maarten and enjoy a 30-minute ferry ride to Anguilla followed by a 15-minute bus transfer to your hotel.
USD$1 daily government tourism levied tax, paid by guest on departure. Please note a USD$20 per person departure tax is to be paid in cash upon departure from Anguilla. Children under 12 are free.

Enrty Requirements - Passport

Note: The Anguilla Air Services (AAS) offers daily charters for approximately USD$80 one way/per person from St. Martin/Maarten to Anguilla. For full details, go to to www.anguillaairservices.com.

HOTELS & RESORTS

CAP JULUCA (5 star)
www.capjuluca.com

Cap Juluca has 72 Rooms and Suites, 6 Pool Villas. Moorish-style architecture, two miles of pristine white sand beach on Maundays Bay. The hotel has 3 restaurants: Spice (pan-Asian cuisine) in a Moroccan setting; Pimms (Eurobbean fusion) and Blue (casual dinner on the beach). A full menu of spa services allows guests to indulge in the privacy of their room or on the beach. The must-play Temenos Golf Club with its Greg Norman designed course is only 10 minutes away.
Optional Meal Plans:
Meal plan type: Continental Breakfast Plan (daily).
Meal plan type: Full breakfast, lunch & dinner.

Hotel Review: Cap Juluca is a gorgeus property! The name is derived from the rainbow god of Anguilla. The hotel has recently invested over $29 million dollars in new renovations. The front lobby opens up to a spectacular view of the beach area. They have a sunset terrace which overlooks the beach where you can enjoy your morning coffee or evening cocktails. The white sand beach is definitely one of the main selling features of this hotel. Guests can enjoy loungers that have thick pillows and cushions plus, complimentary non-motorized water activites. There is 18 villas that are spread out across Maundays Bay which is approximately 1 mile long. For every 3 villas, they have set up a private beach cabana which is managed by 2 staff members who offer clients free snacks, drinks and spritzers. Please note the hotel is planning to expand their wellness centre into a full spa with an infinity pool in the next 2 years. The villa accommodations are stunning – a perfect choice for couples or honeymooners. The hotel nightly entertainment takes place in the main lobby which features ”The Boss” – a very popular band.

CUISINART RESORT & SPA (5 star)
www.cuisinartresort.com

Cuisinart is located on Rendezvous Bay. The hotel has 93 rooms including oceanfront villas, each with spectacular views of the Caribbean. Choose casual or fine dining at the award-winning property’s two restaurants or learn the secrets of the Executive Chef’s Caribbean Cuisine at the exclusive Chef’s table. Fresh produce is provided by the resorts’ very own hydroponic farm complimented by a wine cellar that holds over 3,600 bottles. The Venus Spa has tripled in size with a 19,000 square-foot addition which includes 16 treatment rooms including hydrotherapy, a Thalasso pool and a fully equipped fitness center that has a yoga and pilates studio.
Optional Meal Plans:
Meal plan type: Continental Breakfast Plan (daily).
Meal plan type: Full Breakfast Plan (daily).
Meal plan type: Half Board Plan includes breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
Important Note: Beverages are not included. A 15% service charge on food is additional and is payable locally.

Hotel Review: Cuisinart opened in December 1999. They have a hydroponic farm where they grow their own herbs and produce. Clients can enjoy free Culinary classes that are offered 2 to 3 times per week in the Culinary theatre. Venus Spa - is a beautiful facility where clients can sit back, relax and enjoy getting pampered. The property consists of 3 storey villas; 3 junior suites on the ground floor, 3 junior suites on the 2nd floor and a combination of 1, 2 bedrooms plus, luxury suites on the 3rd floor. Please note the main building offers elevator access for guests. Cuisinart is a member of “The Leading Small Hotels of the World” it truly offers clients a very unique experience!

KU (3 star)
www.kuanguillanet.com

KU offers “Affordable Chic” South Beach meets St. Barts in an informal setting on an exquisite two mile beach on Shoal Bay East. It has 27 Suites including 1 and 2 bedroom suites featuring A/C and ceiling fans. All have balconies, oceanfront or oceanview with sitting/dining room, full kitchen, separate bedroom and bath. There is a new restaurant called “Kuyah” serves Mediterranean/Caribbean cruise. A Petit Spa, gym and dive shop complete the well rounded facilites.

Optional Meal Plans:

Meal plan type: European Plan (no meals).
Meal plan type: Continental Breakfast Plan (daily).
Meal plan type: Half Board Plan includes breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
Important note: Beverages are not included. A 15% service charge on food is additional and is payable locally.

Hotel Review: This is a solid 3 star property that offers good value for your money. The suites are very spacious and accommodate up to 4 passengers. The Petit Spa offers a variety of treatments by appointment only. They have a very nice gym facility that is fully equipped with cardio machines and weights. There is a mini market store right on the property where you can purchase food, juice and liquor.

PARADISE COVE RESORT (3 star)
www.paradise.ai

Paradise Cove is located at the south western end of Anguilla just a short walk from two beautiful beaches – Cove Bay and Rendezvous Bay West. This hotel is a perfect hideaway for familes, couples or business travelers. It offers a choice of 29 spacious 1 and 2 bedroom, luxurious penthouse and junior studio suites, each with a living and dining area, a fully equipped kitchenette (kitchenette in studio suites), a private balcony or patio, laundry facilities, telephone, internet access, cable TV, in room safety deposit boxes and clock/radios. All the bedrooms have their own bathroom with tub and shower, plus an extra half bath in each of the full suites. The hotel also offers a full range of facilities that includes (1) large swimming pool, 2 outdoor jacuzzis, a fully equipped fitness center and a 1200 square feet meeting/conference room that provides a great setting for a corporate retreat or weddings.

Hotel Review: This is a solid 3 star property that offers great value for money. The hotel lobby offers a first great impression – there is one restaurant that is open for all meals. Paradise Cove is not located on the beach however, the nearest one is only a 5 to 10 minute walk away. Please note the hotel does offer complimentary beach shuttle services for guests. There is 12 studios, 6 one bedroom units, 8 two bedrooms and 3 luxurious penthouse rooms. The studios offer a pool or garden view. Guests can request adjoining rooms prior to arrival. One special service that the hotel offers is that they will do the grocery shopping for their clients. Paradise Cove is part of “The Charming Escape Collection” – a perfect choice for families!

SIRENA RESORT & VILLAS (3 star)
www.sirenaresort.com

Sirena Resort is on Meads Bay, a quick 4 minute walk to a white-sand beach. The property offers a selection of Mediterranean-style accommodations; 20 rooms, 4 Junior Suites and 3 Villas. It features two freshwater swimming pools, a PADI Dive Center and a massage facility. Mahi Mahi restaurant focuses on fresh seafood influenced by Caribbean flavours.

Optional Meal Plans:

Meal plan type: Half Board Plan includes continental breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
Important Note: Beverages are not included. A 15% service charge on food is additional and is payable locally.

Hotel Review: Sirena Resort & Villas opened in 1989. It is a basic hotel that offers clean accommodations. All of the rooms have AC, flat screen TV’s, coffee maker and new renovated bathrooms. Please note this hotel is going to be closing down and reopening in Oct 2010 under a new name “Anacayona Boutique Hotel.” The upgrades are going to include a new open concept lobby, more suites and the lower beach pool area will be re-tiled and will feature a new jacuzzi.

CARIMAR BEACH CLUB (3 star)
www.carimar.com

Carimar Beach Club is located on Meads Bay Beach, within walking distance of some of the island’s best restaurants. It has 24 comfortably furnished villa style units includes a fully equipped kitchen within the comfort of over 1,100 square feet of living and patio space with views of the tropical gardens and the ocean. The hotel will arrange various activities, such as: fishing, windsurfing, diving, and sunset cruises for their guests. This hotel will be closed for annual maintenance from September 1 to October 31 2010.

Hotel Review: Carimar Beach Club is a great hotel that is located on an amazing beach in Meads Bay. The villa units are individually owned therefore, each room is decorated differently. The spacious accommodations have internet access plus, beach towels are stocked daily. The hotel’s club house offers washer/dryer services. Please note there is no restaurant on the property however, there are many dining options in the surrounding area.

BEACHES

“Anguilla is ranked number one world’s best all around beaches”

There is over 33 white sand beaches for strolling, snorkelling, sun bathing, scuba diving!

Meads Bay: Very scenic. Becoming a real estate Mecca.
Road Bay: For sunsets, beach bars, restaurants and night life.
Maundays Bay: Home to Anguilla’s newly renovated flagship resort – Cap Juluca.
Crocus Bay: Home to Anguilla’s new local restaurant that has burst on the scent with great food & entertainment.
Shoal Bay East: Truly spectacular. #1 beach in the Caribbean!
Shoal Bay West: Dazzling beach with great restaurants, resorts, striking villas and more!
Rendezvous Bay: 2km of pearl-white sand.
Meads Bay: Relax and watch a boat race.
Cove Bay: Shallow and clear and great for the kids.

GOLF

Temenos Golf Course is managed by Cap Juluca. It offers a Caribbean golf experience with Anguilla’s natural environment to present a golfer’s paradise. Designed by golf legend Greg Norman, this 7,063 yard, $50 million championship golf course serves as Anguilla’s only golf course. Green fees during peak times for the 2010 season are available for $225 per person. Play after 2pm costs $125 per person. For more information, visit www.capjuluca.com/golf.php.

WATER ACTIVITIES

There’s paddle boating, para-sailing, para/water-skiing, small catamaran/sunfish sailing; tuba deep-sea fishing and scuba diving. A “must do” is glass-bottom boating, see many colourful fish and coral!

WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS

You can choose to be married by Magistrate at the Court House or a Minister of religion at:
* a church * off-shore cay * beach * catamaran/sailboat or *resort/villa

Most hotels offer their own wedding and honeymoon packages!

Requirements:
- you need 2 working days to obtain a licence valued at $241.80US
- both parties must present proof of citizenship of resident country (passport, original birth certificate with photo ID)
- if divorced, an original or certified divorce decree
- an Anguilla stamp duty valued at $37.20US, from the General Post Office in the Valley
- 2 witnesses must be available for wedding ceremony

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Seven Family Summer Vacations That Won’t Break the Bank

Lisa Rogak for Trip Quips — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:48:21 +0000

If you think you have to pass up a summer vacation because your finances are a bit squished, think again. The key to an affordable family getaway is to choose a package deal at a hotel, resort, or farm with a wealth of activities for kids and grownups alike.

Here are seven summer vacation packages your family will long remember.

1. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina A great way to save money on a family vacation is to book a room with a kitchen. The Marina Inn at Grand Dunes is located in a quiet section of this seaside resort town and each large two- and three-bedroom suite has a fully-equipped kitchen.

2. Cancun, Mexico With the dollar still strong against the Mexican peso, heading south of the border is a good choice for a bargain family vacation. The Escape! Family Package at the CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort includes breakfast, a pizza and movie night, and milk-and-cookies turndown service. At the Kids Club, guests between four and twelve can make a mess in arts and crafts, take a few Spanish lessons, and whip up some enchiladas in Mexican cooking classes at the Kids Cocina.

3. Tamarack, Idaho Summertime in the mountains of Central Idaho brings warm days and cool nights, and plenty of outdoor family activities at the Tamarack Resort. Biking, hiking, and golfing just scratch the surface of the activities here: zipline tours, whitewater raft trips, rock climbing, kayaking, fly-fishing, and a bungee trampoline are also available.

4. Traverse City, Michigan Though the suites at Great Wolf Lodge look like the inside of a mountain cabin, the resort’s greatest attraction is a 38,000 square-foot indoor water park. A giant treehouse waterfort towers over suspension bridges and waterslides, an extreme tube ride, a water rollercoaster, and enough smaller pools and hot tubs to guarantee hours of exploration for kids and adults. If you get waterlogged, there’s an arcade, a spa for kids and adults, an interactive fantasy adventure game, and an 18-hole miniature golf course.

5. Maine Get your sea legs ready for a trip on a 19th-century sailing ship with the Maine Windjammer Association. Twelve schooners offer trips to explore coastal villages and uninhabited islands, watch for seals and whales, and build a beachside campfire. You can even pretend you’re a pirate.

6. Aruba Even though this tiny island is less than ten miles long and six miles across, you won’t run out of things to do at the Tamarijn Aruba resort. Snorkel, play tennis and swim, and learn to speak Papiamento, the official language of Aruba. After dinner, the whole family can learn to salsa, watch a Latin dance show or water ballet, and go to movie night on the beach.

7. Disney World We know that Florida in August is not the best place in the world to be. But going to Disney World in summertime has its advantages, and six nights in a standard room at a Disney Value Resort for a family of four is about the cheapest you’ll find all year. Pat Curry of Watkinsville, Georgia, took her kids to Disney World in August once and here’s her advice: “Go to the park early and stay until just before lunch, then go back to your hotel and chill out at the pool for the rest of the day,” she suggests. “You’ll be cooler and the lines will be shorter. And wear sunscreen or you’ll be fried by the end of the first day.”

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America’s National Parks: Advice for Families

Lisa Rogak for Trip Quips — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:20:37 +0000

For many families, a trip to one of America’s National Parks is as important as that first trip to Disney World: It’s a significant rite of passage for parents and children.

While Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon are must-sees, there are a number of lesser known parks across the United States with fewer crowds and more adventurous activities. You can all spend a week on a houseboat in northern Minnesota, or your kids can explore a network of Kentucky caves on a no-parents-allowed journey. But before you plan a park trip, it’s important to make sure everyone will be happy.

“The most important thing parents can do is pick a park with activities appropriate for every family member,” says Kurt Repanshek, author of Frommer’s National Parks with Kids. “Parents need to be sure they don’t settle on a park where the activities like climbing, rafting or even hiking, are more challenging than their kids can handle,” he says. “Most parks offer a wide range of activities, so a family with children of different ages could split up for a day or two with mom and some kids going in one direction and dad and the other kids in another.”

For example, at Yosemite a teenager might like the challenge of a climbing school while a younger child would prefer an easy hike around a lake. At Acadia in Maine, a teen can learn to sea kayak, and a younger child could ride a bike on the carriage paths or paddle a canoe on Long Pond.

In fact, your biggest problem may be finding there’s too much to do, especially with the Junior Ranger programs which are similar to a scouting merit badge program. Upon arrival, each child receives a booklet with a list of activities, ranging from a scavenger hunt to a park ranger-led nature walk. When the child completes the list, the ranger presents him or her with a badge.

Kids can get a headstart before they leave home by signing up for the online WebRangers program where they can play games, decode secret messages and learn about the different badges they can earn.

No matter which park you choose, Repanshek says the best way is to pace the trip for the entire family. “National parks are not designed to be enjoyed on the fly,” he says. “Don’t over-schedule your vacation by trying to squeeze as many sights and activities as possible into it, and don’t be afraid to say, ‘We’ll come back next year.

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Post tags: Acadia, Disney World, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite

5 Great Eco-Resorts

Lisa Rogak for Trip Quips — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:39:53 +0000

Bucuti Beach Resort as seen from the ocean.

In the past couple of years, as environmental awareness has spread like wildfire, the increase has naturally spread to the choices we make about travel.

“People are interested in going to eco-friendly resorts because they’re acting more environmentally responsible at home and want to visit places that care as much as they do,” says Kit Cassingham of EnvironmentallyFriendlyHotels.com. “Hotels and resorts historically have been extremely wasteful but are now starting to act with more environmental sensitivity. As a result, more travelers want to support green hotels and to practice their environmentally friendly activities on the road.”

Though we don’t like to think about it, traveling consumes a lot of energy, not only to get to a destination but also upon arrival. While some vacation spots may tout their green-ness by boasting that they don’t wash sheets or towels everyday unless the guest specifically requests it, if that’s all they do it’s just lip service. It may take a little extra effort to uncover resorts that go well beyond the basics and practice environmental conservation in every corner of their operations, but it’s well worth it. The best eco-resorts pay equal attention to greening the services guests can see as well as those behind the scenes.

Here are five eco-resorts that live up to green principles.

*Aruba: Bucuti Beach Resort: Environmentally-aware couples who want a healthy dose of green with their luxury should head to Bucuti, an upscale resort with a green twist. Here, a dedicated Green Team of employees encourages guests to participate in beach cleanups and recycling contests, and all the water used in showers, sinks and baths is collected in a grey-water recycling system, treated, and then used to irrigate the grounds.

*Belize: Machaca Hill Lodge at the Laughing Falcon Reserve is an 11,000-acre private nature reserve with plenty of opportunities for eco-tourists, with miles of marked nature trails to explore and watch for specific birds and wildlife, and kayaking and canoeing on the Rio Grande. The Lodge’s environmental practices include composting and recycling, and using non-toxic cleaners and non-toxic pest control.

*Weston, Florida: The Hyatt Regency Bonaventure was the first property in its county to win certification from Florida’s Green Lodging Program for its eco-friendly initiatives. Within a month of replacing the incandescent light bulbs in all 501 guestrooms and common areas with compact fluorescent bulbs, the resort’s energy consumption bill was cut by over $30,000.

*Kauai, Hawaii: The Kaua’i Marriott Resort & Beach Club has successfully tackled a massive energy drain common to resorts: it heats its 26,000 square-foot swimming pool solely via renewable energy. First, a power plant that consists of two propane-fueled Caterpillar engines produces 30 percent of the resort’s power. Then, the cast-off heat generated by the engines warms the 850,000-gallon swimming pool year-round.

*Ridgeland, South Carolina: Palm Key is a low-impact marshland resort in South Carolina’s Lowcountry that’s perfect for nature lovers. Guests can wander through 3-1/2 miles of nature trails in the resort’s maritime forest where thousands of birds congregate at a time. The resort refrains from using use chemicals on the lawns or landscape and has designed inverted crown roads throughout the property to protect the run-off into the marshlands.

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Retro Trailers for Rent

Lisa Rogak for Trip Quips — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:20:00 +0000

I’ve always had a soft spot for Airstreams, those 1950s-era silver-bullet-shaped trailers that just seem to glide down the road.

Luckily, there are a growing number of places where you can actually spend the night in one that’s permanently parked. Here are a few:

*Awhile back, Kate Pierson of the B-52s launched Kate’s Lazy Meadow Motel in upstate New York, which has six Airstreams available for overnight stays. They’re all named, too: Tinkerbell, Bubbles, and Hairstream.

*In Joshua Tree, California, you’ll find Hicksville, with six non-Airstreams to choose from. My favorite: the Fifi, which gives you an idea of what living inside Jeannie’s bottle on I Dream of Jeannie must have been like.

*The Star of Texas B&B, in Brownwood, offers Room 55, a 1955-era 40-foot Spartan Park home. The plus: it’s furnished just as if it was brand-new — back in the mid-Fifties.

*Also in Texas, in Marfa, is El Cosmico, home to five trailers — the oldest is from 1950 — and a philosophy known as the Mananifesto. Sounds good to me.

*In Bisbee, Arizona, the Shady Dell has a whopping 11 trailers to choose from, though one is a bus, one is homemade, and one is actually a 1947 Chris Craft yacht.

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