Win The Trip Of A Lifetime And Make A Difference
I have a soft spot in my heart for Peru and its people. My husband and I recently spent nearly five months in the vibrant city of Cuzco (often spelled Cusco) and fell in love with the country and the friends we made during our extended stay there.
So, it is with pleasure that I share this Pass on the Gift® in Peru Sweepstakes sponsored by catalog merchandiser, Garnet Hill, and Heifer International, a nonprofit organization seeking to end hunger by partnering with and empowering small-holder farmers around the world.
Seven-year old Benjamin Sanchez-Quispe and his four-year-old sister Anita Veronica Sanchez Quispe from Peru with one of the lambs their family received from Heifer International. (Photo by Jake Lyell, courtesy of Heifer International)
One grand prize winner will be awarded an all-inclusive trip for two to the ancient Incan Empire capital of Cuzco where they will experience the vibrant local culture and have an opportunity to participate in Heifer’s local alpaca project in the Andean region near Cuzco, an initiative designed to end poverty in the region and foster sustainable development.
The winner will engage with a Heifer family and see first-hand the breadth and depth of Heifer’s impact in combating poverty and will also receive a $1,000 Garnet Hill gift card. The sweepstakes ends March 12, 2013. To learn more or to enter the Pass on the Gift® in Peru Sweepstakes, visit garnethill.com
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".
Tails are wagging for the latest edition of Traveling with Your Pet: The AAA PetBook®, just released. The annually updated guidebook contains all the information needed to plan a pet-friendly vacation, from hotel and park listings to pet preparations and safety tips.
It also features scenic, smile-provoking photos of traveling pets — a reminder to capture the action from this year’s vacation for the next AAA PetBook Photo Contest sponsored by Best Western, now open for entries.
Whether you are looking for affordable, comfortable hotels near your favorite recreation spots, or luxurious accommodations that extend the royal treatment for both you and your canine companion, you’ll find it in Traveling with Your Pet: The AAA PetBook. The book includes more than 13,000 pet-friendly, AAA Approved and Diamond Rated lodgings in the U.S. and Canada. Listings include fees, permitted pet sizes and conditions of stay for properties across every Diamond Rating level.
For outdoor enthusiasts, the book lists more than 400 AAA Approved pet-friendly campgrounds. Readers will also find useful tips for preparing four-legged travelers for the road or air and handy information about pet etiquette, insurance and emergency animal clinics.
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".
The Town of Taos is not only a great destination for art, outdoor recreation and culture, it’s also one of the most pet-friendly towns in the Southwest. The famed artsy enclave boasts at least 20 lodging facilities and a number of restaurants with outdoor patios that are Fido-friendly.
“Travelers come to Taos to relax, but worrying about leaving their four-legged companions behind can be stressful, especially since many of us consider our pets as part of the family,” said San Geronimo Lodge owner, Charles Montgomery, whose Taos bed and breakfast (B&B) permits dogs. “We love dogs, as we have two of our own, and understand the importance of sharing a great experience like Taos with a canine companion.”
Prior to booking a hotel or B&B, travelers should first contact the hotel or B&B to understand what the individual policies are when staying with a pet. Depending on the facility, some hotels may require the owner to be secured in a crate when left alone in the hotel room. Dogs need only have the appropriate vaccinations for rabies, DHLPP/Parvo and Bordetella. For cats, leukemia shots must also be current.
Pet-friendly Taos hotels and B&B’s include, but are not limited to:
Adobe and Pines B&B Inn - dog walking yard available; $25 one time pet fee; crates required for pets in rooms alone; dogs must be leashed in common area. 4107 State Road 68 Taos, NM (575) 751-0947/ 1(800) 723-8267 www.adobepinesinn.com mail@adobepines.com
American Artists Gallery House B&B - limited pet friendly rooms available; $25 for up to 2 nights, $10 per additional night; pets cannot be unattended. 132 Frontier Lane Taos, NM (575) 758-4446/(800) 532-2041 www.taosbedandbreakfast.com taosbandb@gmail.com
Casa Europa B&B Inn and Gallery - maximum of two pets allowed in La Casita only; must be leashed in common area; $20 fee per pet, per night. 840 Upper Ranchitos Taos, NM (888) 758-9798 www.casaeuropanm.com stay@casaeuropanm.com
El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa - permits well-behaved pets under 40 pounds; dogs need to be leashed in common area.
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".
What a GREAT idea for fans of man’s best friend and other orphaned animals…
Green Earth Travel has announced “trips that make a difference” vacations that enable animal lovers to care for orphaned animals, then kick back camping at the Grand Canyon August 9-14, or at a spa in Zion National Park October 5-10.
“We are proud to once again offer these unusual trips for animal lovers around the country,” comments Donna Zeigfinger, Green Earth Travel President. “Guests will enjoy high quality time at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary caring for their residents and learning about Best Friends’ tradition of service. Following a couple of days of dedicated to the animals, they will have an opportunity to enjoy the dramatic beauty of our desert southwest.” In June and August, Grand Canyon trip guests will venture to the North Rim of the canyon itself to camp out after witnessing the spectacular view, hiking and enjoying an evening around a toasty campfire.
The October 5- 10, 2010 trip will offer a well-deserved indulgence after the caretaking at Best Friends, when travelers head to Zion National Park and Flanigan’s Inn. There they will have a chance to hike the dramatic canyon landscape, participate in a yoga refresher, or find a uniquely silent space to meditate at this desert hideaway.
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".
Taos New Mexico: a sovereign nation, an ancient culture, a millennium away from urban life and one of my favorite places on the planet. Continuously inhabited for more than 1,000 years, the Taos Pueblo houses an American history few know. El Monte Sagrado Living Resort & Spa, a well-known leader in alternative energy and luxury eco-friendly hospitality, has now opened the doors to you with the People of the Pueblo educational experience an inspirational and educational Native American adventure.
Included in the experience is:
- Dinner for two at the resort restaurant, AAA Four-Diamond De la Tierra
- Two Tickets to the Millicent Rogers Museum
- 60-minute Aromatherapy massage for two
- 2-hour instructional pottery class at Taos Clay for two
- Breakfast for two daily
- Valet parking for one vehicle
For more information, visit www.elmontesagrado.com, or call 800.724.3392.
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".
PAW; Pet-friendly Accommodations Worldwide provides a new resource for luxury, pet-friendly travel and criss-crosses the country spreading the word!
Janine Franceschi, owner of PAW; Pet-friendly Accommodations Worldwide, and her Irish setter, Beau, have logged over 5000 miles, (and counting) touring the country to promote the booking site of the only collection of luxury, pet-friendly hotels on the Web today, www.luxurypaw.com and they want to make sure YOU hear about PAW.
The dynamic duo travel the American highways and byways in their red “PAW”-print-adorned Honda Element, on loan from the Honda Corporation, on a mission to reshape the notion of pet-friendly travel, one hotel and one pet owner at a time. Their message? It is no longer necessary to sacrifice the level of amenity and comfort you want when you travel simply because you choose to travel with your pet. Finding and booking gorgeous pet-friendly hotels just got a whole lot easier!
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".