Whirlwind weekend in Vegas

Aimee Palacios — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:04:16 +0000

Travel is great in small or large doses (I prefer larger doses). But when you can’t get away for that long trip, a couple shorts trips can certainly suffice; which led my husband and I to lively Las Vegas. The best part about Sin City? Just two days is plenty! It’s long enough to get away from the daily grind, but short enough that you don’t feel totally exhausted.

We arrived Friday mid-morning and started the day by exploring our hotel resort. This weekend we chose to stay at Bellagio (I found a good deal on our site). We shopped, then dined in the Palazzo’s Dos Caminos–A New York restaurant we love, now also living on the West Coast. We finished dinner in plenty of time for Holly Madison’s super fun show at Planet Hollywood.

The next day began with massages at Bellagio Spa (any spa service gives you all-day access to the lovely spa), lunch next door at the new Cosmopolitan Hotel, shopping at nearby Caesars Palace, back to the spa to take advantage of the relaxing sauna (quite a nice retreat after the barrage of crowds on The Strip), and we finished the night with dinner and a show at our hotel.

All that in two days! What would you do with just 48 hours in Vegas?

Deals you will heart

Aimee Palacios — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:15:59 +0000

The most romantic day of the year is less than a week away! We’re here to help all you last-minute planners with some super sweet deals in notably romantic cities like Hawaii and Paris, and even a few closer to home like San Francisco.

Be a hero this Valentine’s Day with some travel deals your sweetie (and your wallet) will love. See our Valentine travel savings.

Unique Travel Inspiration for 2011

Aimee Palacios — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 01:26:11 +0000

This article about travel trip ideas for 2011 caught my attention because of its uncommon–exceptionally enticing–categories, and it features a few unexpected locales:

Best eco trip: includes diving and animal sanctuaries
Best volunteer vacation: from digging wells to teaching English, there’s a task for everyone
Best gambling getaway hint…it’s not Vegas
And more…Read the full article

New year, new resolution, new travel plan

Aimee Palacios — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:36:35 +0000

Travel often tops new-year resolution lists. Mine usually includes something grandiose that gets sidelined –mostly due to work schedules or lack of planning. So this year my husband and I are trying a new tactic to ensure travel. Rather than say (again) that we’re going to make it Tokyo, we’ve agreed to take smaller trips more often. Our goal is simple: one place, once a month. To keep it attainable, it can be near or far, any amount of time (even a quick weekend). Just so long as we go somewhere.

I’m off to a good start. I just booked tickets for a weekend in LA to visit a friend. I found some fun ideas in our Los Angeles travel guide of things to do but would love to hear from you! So tell me: In a Friday night to Sunday morning trip…what must I do/see/experience? (Thanks in advance!)

What are your travel resolutions?

Orlando is the next Travel Temptation

Aimee Palacios — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:21:33 +0000

Get free hotel nights at popular locations across the country from Last Minute Travel. To qualify, just follow @LMTTweets on Twitter and RT (re-tweet) the contest Tweets as instructed. Then, those who follow and RT will be entered into a random drawing for those free hotel nights. We’ll have a new RT promo every few weeks, so check back for new hotel packages and additional chances to win.

The newest “Travel Temptation” is a 2-night stay at Orlando’s Hilton Disney: A four-star hotel close to Downtown Disney and major attractions including Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios. Enter for your chance to stay two nights—on us!

Learn more about this exciting city in our Orlando destination guide.

See official sweepstakes rules for “Travel Temptations”.

Enter for your chance to win

Aimee Palacios — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:48:13 +0000

Remember to enter for your chance to win two free nights at the 4-star, beachfront Hotel Ocean Miami. Here’s how:

Just follow @LMTTweets on Twitter and RT (re-tweet) the contest Tweets as instructed. Then, those who follow and RT will be entered into a random drawing for those free hotel nights.

We’ll have one more promo before we say goodbye to 2010, so check back for another chance to win.

See official sweepstakes rules for“Travel Temptations .

2010 Christmas Vacation Alternatives

Aimee Palacios — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 22:55:48 +0000

Change up your holiday destination this year. (…Or next year, and consider this just amazing pre-planning!)

The Global Grasshopper has some great suggestions for an alternative to your typical holiday destination. They include Edinburgh where lively Christmas celebrations continue through early January, Australia where December is the first month of summer, and more.

Take a peek at this fun and informative article for your own Christmas alternative trip ideas/inspiration or just a little old-fashioned day dreaming.

Miami is the next Travel Temptation

Aimee Palacios — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 22:52:46 +0000

Get free hotel nights at popular locations across the country from Last Minute Travel. To qualify, just follow @LMTTweets on Twitter and RT (re-tweet) the contest Tweets as instructed. Then, those who follow and RT will be entered into a random drawing for those free hotel nights. We’ll have a new RT promo every few weeks, so check back for new hotel packages and additional chances to win.

The newest “Travel Temptation” is a 2-night stay at South Beach’s Hotel Ocean Miami: A four-star, beach front luxury hotel. Just minutes from the Art Deco district and near the shopping district, this boutique-style hotel is a refreshing change from the typical hotel. See it for yourself and say for two nights—on us!

Learn more about this sizzling city in our Miami destination guide.

See official sweepstakes rules for“Travel Temptations .

Traveling to the airport with food and gifts

Aimee Palacios — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 22:54:46 +0000

Around this time of year my sister, niece, nephew and I bake an impressive medley of cookies to give as gifts. We drive to all our holiday parties so sharing treats is easy. But if you’re one of the many travelers flying during the holidays, packing home-baked/homemade gifts to loved ones is a bit more challenging. Here’s the short and sweet list for traveling to the airport with food and gifts.

Food
Make life easy for you and everyone in line behind you: place any baked goods in your checked bags. Or better yet, ship them ahead.

You’re allowed to pack a variety of edibles including jam, cheese and wine, in your checked bags. Obviously, pack them well with lots of cushion. When I travel with anything liquid I like to wrap them in their own Ziploc bag, then around really bulky sweaters or tucked into shoes for extra protection.

You can, according to the TSA web site, bring wrapped pies and cakes through the security checkpoint. I’m a bit skeptical of this and think maybe that page just hasn’t been updated in awhile? The article does point out that these “carry-ons” are subject to additional screening. To be on the safe side I’d wait until reaching my destination….then whip up that famous pie or fruit cake.

Gifts
Do not wrap any gifts. Security officers may have to unwrap for security purposes. Again, the mantra here is a simple “ship ahead”. Or just wait until you arrive at your destination to wrap your gifts.

Read the full TSA article. Happy (and tasty) travels!

What city do you (or would you) travel to holiday shop?

Aimee Palacios — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:15:38 +0000

Yes, I am already making my lists and have even purchased a few goodies for friends and family. I love this time of year and enjoy finding that perfect present.

I do plenty of online shopping but also peruse boutiques and local shops for unique gifts. One of the cities I enjoy for this is Vancouver, Canada. My husband and I live in Seattle and relish the 3-hour drive up north for Christmas shopping– so much so that it’s become an annual event for us. It’s as much about the weekend escape as it is about selecting gifts: I savor my first peppermint hot chocolate of the season, my husband happily snaps photos of the urban landscape, and Vancouver’s crisp air creates a lovely backdrop for the festive season.

Someday I’m going to hit New York for this annual “task”. Have you ever indulged in destination holiday shopping? Where are your favorite spots? Do tell!