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America's Top 10 Ski Rental Home Destinations From TripAdvisor.com

Rental homes can be a great accommodation choice for groups of travelers looking to spend a week or more in their destination. According to the TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals Calculator, groups of four or more can potentially save thousands of dollars by staying in a vacation rental as opposed to a hotel in these top ski destinations. In addition, rentals offer many of the comforts of home to travelers, including full kitchens, large living rooms, multiple bedrooms and even fireplaces for those chilly winter nights.

 

Top 10 Ski Rental Home Destinations:

 

Located in the Eastern Sierra region of California, Mammoth Lakes has long been one of the West Coast’s premiere destinations for winter sports. Whether travelers enjoy skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, sledding or simply sipping hot cocoa from the lodge, the town’s Mammoth Mountain has them covered. In addition, there is a wealth of vacation rental options for travelers looking for the perfect base camp for their winter trip.
Straddling the California and Nevada state line, Lake Tahoe is a scenic destination year round, but it really shines in the winter with its numerous downhill and cross country ski areas, as well as unique activities like dog sledding and sleigh rides. For travelers looking to warm up after a day on the trails, the area also boasts six casinos where they can try their luck.
While travelers flock to this Victorian-style town each winter for its many nearby ski resorts, Breckenridge also offers visitors a wealth of dining, shopping and spa options. Breckenridge Ski Resort itself provides more than 2,300 acres of terrain, giving skiers and snowboarders plenty of room to explore and enjoy. With many vacation rentals in the area offering ski-in/ski-out access, it’s easy to get out and hit the slopes early.
Surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest in a region just northeast of Los Angeles, Big Bear Lake is a resort community that is perfect for a winter vacation rental stay. Visitors have access to a wealth of winter fun options including skiing, snowboarding, horseback riding, downhill inner tubing and snowshoeing, ensuring that there won’t be a dull moment whether they’re out on the slopes or enjoying time together at their cabin.
Home of the 2002 Winter Olympics, Park City has cemented its place among the top winter vacation spots across the country with its premier ski resorts and its many winter activities, ranging from snow tubing to heli-skiing. Add in plentiful vacation rental options and travelers have a fantastic destination for enjoying the snow without breaking the bank.

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Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".

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'Tis The Season for Holiday Packages From Fairmont

DECK THE HALLS AT FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON  

 

If you’re scouring the globe for the best place to reunite with family or escape the holiday rush, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has a full selection of activities, packages and celebrations to choose from:

 

United States

In Boston, The Fairmont Copley Plaza offers a variety of packages to make the holiday season bright.  For a gift buying getaway, the city’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace is a premier shopping spot featuring over 125 shops and restaurants within three impeccably restored 19th century buildings. The Faneuil Hall Marketplace Holiday Shop & Stay Package is available from November 20 to December 30, 2010, and includes an elegant guestroom and a VIP welcome packet full of special incentives, offers and interactive experiences with the Faneuil Hall Marketplace merchants. Rates start at $219 USD per night.  For those who want to explore the city in a more leisurely way, the hotel also offers its Twelve Days of Christmas Package from December 14 to 30, 2010. The package includes an elegant guestroom, Sleigh Ride a traditional Holiday CD from the Boston POPS, and a late check-out of 4:00 p.m.  Guests can plan a full day of shopping, dining and enjoying the festive holiday season with rates starting from $209USD per night.

 

In California, Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa has a wonderful holiday season in store for guests.  The Inn is once again pleased to offer authentically local Wine Country Winter holiday activities that promise to delight guests of all ages. A complete schedule of holiday events are planned including Victorian carolers, (seasonally-inspired) cooking demonstrations, wine tastings and S’mores by the outdoor fire-pit with special guest appearances.   With the Water and Wine package, revelers can enjoy organically sustainable wine, bath house passes to the resort’s famed geo-thermal bath house, daily docent-guided hikes and a Farm-to-Fork dinner for two at the Michelin-rated Santé dining room. Package is valid for stays until December 30, 2010 with rates starting from $449 USD per night.

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Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".

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Bring The Kids To Egypt With Thomson Family Adventures

It is hard to impress kids these days. In today’s world of high-tech marvels ancient and natural wonders are often overlooked. Thomson Family Adventures is taking family travel through Egypt in a completely new way by bringing to life the history that kids learn in school and discovering the power and mystique of ancient Egypt. See the pyramids in the morning light, explore the great temples of the Nile Valley, snorkel in the Red Sea, and experience the silent majesty of the desert.   

Egypt: Valley of the Nile begins in Cairo with tours of the archeological collections of the Egyptian Museum where the golden treasures of King Tutankhamen are found. This region is home to Egypt’s most impressive archeological sites- the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, and the medieval Khan el Khalili Bazaar. In Luxor, site of ancient Thebes, view the great temples and monuments of the Upper Nile. The tour also gives kids (and adults) a break from the Egyptian antiquities in the town of Sharm el Sheik for a relaxing few days of outdoor activities- swimming or snorkeling in the Red Sea with its’ great coral reef, a hike on Mt. Sinai, a camel ride in the Valley of the Mandar and a dinner with the Bedouin. Depending on the time of the year adventures abound.

Thomson Family Adventures Egypt: Valley of the Nile tour is a 10Day/9Night experience that runs various dates from February through December. Per person land cost is from $4,190 per adult, $4090 per teen/child; internal airfare $400.  

For additional information, contact Thomson Family Adventures at 800-262-6255, or visit www.familyadventures.com.

Learn more about Thomson Family Adventures as general manager, Jim Kackley, and I chat about what’s new in family travel in a recent radio episode of Travel Talk with Ellen Barone.

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Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".

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Jackson Hole Four Seasons Resort Winter Packages

From private wildlife tours and ski free packages to romantic sleigh rides and hand crafted, custom built skis, the Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole offers a mountain of tempting winter adventures this season. 

Winter Adventure Package

Offering an action-packed winter getaway, Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole’s Winter Adventure Package features a four-hour private wildlife tour providing guests the unique experience of observing animals in their natural habitat, a day trip by snowmobile to Granite Hot Springs for a soak in the restorative thermal waters, and a day of skiing on the legendary slopes of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. 

Ski Free Package

Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole’s popular Ski Free Package is offered throughout the season featuring two complimentary three-day ski lift tickets to the renowned Jackson Hole Mountain Resort with a five-night stay, and includes ski and boot rentals through its full-service Ski Concierge.

Ticket to the Tetons Package

Exclusive to Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole, the Ticket to the Tetons package outfits a guest with a pair of Igneous hand crafted, custom built skis designed by avid Jackson Hole skiers.  Guests booking the package will be introduced to Igneous head engineer, Michael Parris, who will work with the guest prior to arrival to create his or her custom skis.  The package also features a four-night stay in one of the resort’s luxury one-bedroom suites and includes a three-day lift ticket for two and a day of skiing with a private guide on the celebrated slopes of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.  The package must be booked 60-days in advance.

Bed and Breakfast Package

Ideal for couples seeking a relaxing winter retreat, the Bed and Breakfast Package at Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole includes breakfast for two in Westbank Grill and access to the resort’s famous alpine inspired Health Club and Spa, as well as its Base Camp concierge team who will create custom itineraries offering everything from romantic sleigh rides for two, to skiing or hiking through a winter wonderland of trails.

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Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".

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American Safari Cruises Introduces Exclusive and Inclusive Hawaiian Island Adventures for 2011

YAY! One of my favorite small ship adventure cruise companies adds action packed exploration in Maui, Moloka’i, Molokini, Lana’i and Hawaii to their itineraries. Read on for details…

American Safari Cruises (www.americansafaricruises.com), best known for offering compelling yachting adventures in Alaska and Mexico’s Baja, introduces “authenticHawaii,” fall 2011.  Choose from the 7-night Hawaiian Seascapes and the 10-night Hawaii’s Traditional Shores, both boasting active adventures and cultural exchanges designed to thoroughly engage guests’ senses and take full advantage of the islands attributes as no other cruise can do.

Hawaii is a natural extension to the 13-year-old company’s existing product line-up given the rich marine mammal environment and opportunities to kayak, hike, snorkel, sail, bike, stand-up paddle board and more.  American Safari Cruises is the first operator to offer unstructured inter-island yacht cruising inHawaii, where the next port may not be a port at all, but a magical passage rich with wildlife, a secluded and inviting beach or a quiet cove that beckons to be explored.  After a day of action, adventurers can ease tired muscles in the sauna or soak in the on-deck hot tub aboard the elegant 36-guest Safari Explorer.

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Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".

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Santa Fe Sage Inn: A perfect cost-conscious choice

Every once in a while a travel hunch pays off. Such was the case during a recent stay at the Santa Fe Sage Inn. I’ve had the Inn on my travel steals and deals radar for awhile. To keep abreast of their latest news on special savings and vacation packages, I subscribed to their newsletter and followed them on facebook and twitter, but up until now, I hadn’t had a reason to book a visit.

I love a good deal as much any traveler on a budget. And finding one in trendy Santa Fe, especially in the heart of the summer high season, can take some sleuthing.

The Sage Inn promised affordable downtown lodging with a slew of tempting freebies - complimentary continental breakfast, free wireless high speed Internet, comfortable renovated rooms, free parking, and free Plaza shuttle. So when my husband’s college-aged granddaughter came to visit and wanted to spend a few days in Santa Fe before heading back to our place in the southern mountains of New Mexico, the Sage Inn sounded like just the ticket.

And it was. It was also clean, convenient, and super friendly. Imagine that.

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Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".