Today (at midnight) is the last day to enter our January Getaway Giveaway contest. Be the first among your friends to power your most popular electronic devices with the sun.

Then imagine saving energy, while relaxing by the pool at a Disney Orlando vacation home.

Posted: January 31st, 2008 under Contest, Vacation Homes.
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SAN FRANCISCO

Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, is a popular and important Chinese holiday. Chinese New Year starts on a different day each year, depending on the lunar calendar, and lasts for 14 days. In 2008, Chinese New Year begins on February 7.

According to Mary, our Northern California City Host, with its large Chinese American population, San Francisco is a good choice for travelers who want to join in a public celebration. There are many Chinese New Year events held in San Francisco during the month of February.

• Chinese New Year Flower Fair: The weekend before Chinese New Year, San Francisco’s Chinatown hosts a Chinese New Year Flower Fair. This event provides locals with the opportunity to purchase flowers, fruit, and other items that they will need to prepare their home for the New Year celebration. The Flower Fair, held February 2 and 3, is open to the public. It kicks off the Chinese New Year celebration in The City.
• Chinese New Year Carnival: San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Carnival features street performers, food, and fun. It’s held daily from February 6 to February 24 in Chinatown, at Walter U. Lum Place park, at the corner of Washington and Clay streets.
• San Francisco Symphony Chinese New Year Celebration: On February 10, the San Francisco Symphony will host its annual Chinese New Year Celebration at Davies Symphony Hall. The entire family is welcome to come ring in the year of the Rat with traditional Chinese music, treats, lion dancers, fortune tellers, and more.
• Chinese Culture Center Spring Festival: This family-friendly event will be held on February 23 and 24, at the Chinese Culture Center. The Spring Festival features exhibitions, crafts, food, and more.
• Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year Festival and Parade: The Chinese New Year Parade, one of the most spectacular parades in the world, will be held on February 23. Hundreds of thousands of people will turn out to see floats, costumes, fireworks, and traditional dancing dragons.

HONOLULU

Chinese New Year in Honolulu is one of the best celebrations around. The festivities take over Chinatown:

• The 58th Annual Narcissus Festival, featuring the Narcissus Queen and her Court will be held Feb. 1 from 6-10p.m. in Chinatown.
• The Night in Chinatown Festival & Parade will be held Feb. 2 from 9a.m.-10:30p.m. There will be multiple lion dances, with very talented dancers. Families come to enjoy the food and music, and the little keiki are amused and enthralled with the lions.

Our Hawaii City Host, Jackie’s favorite part of Chinese New Year is the lions: “They are so colorful, the dancers are amazing and each lion has a different expression. During the festivities local merchants join in the celebration by inviting the lion into their store or restaurant.”

Gung hay fat choy! (or “Best wishes and Congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year!”)

Posted: January 28th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Travel.
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You don’t have to be a fan of winter sports to enjoy a Colorado ski vacation. The mountain towns are a haven for boutiques, specialty shops, and galleries where you’ll find real treasures.

Breckenridge has a welcoming Victorian air and a wide variety of shopping options. Canary in a Clothes Mine specializes in trendy women’s wear, while Milagros of Colorado stocks a variety of unique soaps that make wonderful gifts. Art galleries abound, including the Fox Ridge Gallery (fine art glass), Hibberd McGrath Gallery (contemporary fine crafts), and Art on a Whim (whimsical paintings and prints). If you’re a creative type yourself, check out Tea Time Quilting and Stitchery for quality supplies and a cup of tea while you knit a row or two. Finally, if you need sports wear or gear, check out Great Adventure, where they’ve got you covered whether it’s winter or summer.

Telluride - known as the “jewel box” - is not easily accessible by plane or automobile, and its designation as a National Historic District has helped it retain an old mining town feel. The women’s boutique Two Skirts and the jewelry boutique Dolce Jewels are especially appealing. Telluride is also filled with original art galleries, including Eileen Benjamin Photography, Lustre Gallery (fine art and home collectibles), and Telluride Gallery of Fine Art (the region’s oldest gallery). Zia Sun is an ideal option for choosing souvenirs that the recipients will actually appreciate.

Finally, it shouldn’t surprise anyone, whether they’ve been to Colorado or not, that Aspen is the shopping mecca of ski resort towns. Try Gorsuch Ltd (also found in Avon, Keystone, and Vail) for Euro-inspired winter wear, Brigi Pajamas for leisure and lounge wear, Kemo Sabe for elegant yet authentic Western wear, and Ingrid Antoni for one-of-a-kind jewelry designs. Aspen’s art galleries are also worth checking out, even if you’re just window shopping. Pismo Fine Art Glass (also found in Denver, Beaver Creek, and Vail) and its sister gallery, Sardella Fine Art, are two of the most well-known galleries. And regardless of the season or your chosen sport, drop in to Aspen Outfitting Company at the St. Regis to learn more about the guided hunting and fishing expeditions they provide.

Whether you plan to hit the slopes or not, when you plan your Colorado ski vacation and reserve your Colorado vacation rental home, don’t forget to include time to explore the town and do a little shopping. As you can see from this small sampling, it will be well worth it!

If you’d like to know more about Colorado, visit my City Host page or drop me an email.

Posted: January 25th, 2008 under Travel, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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I’m a frequent traveler, so I was excited when I saw yesterday’s headline at the Elliott Blog about “8 things travelers should expect in 2008.” I, like so many other travelers, was looking for a little good news after some of the major travel headaches and rising costs of last year. While it seems in most areas I may be disappointed again, the post offers some good strategies about how to get around each roadblock.

My personal favorite was this:

Hotels that take you for granted
This is probably the last thing you want to hear before checking into a hotel, but I might as well tell you: your resort doesn’t need you. Next year will be another seller’s market for hotel rooms, according to the influential lodging analyst Bjorn Hanson of PricewaterhouseCoopers. He’s looking for a jump of nearly 6 percent in average daily room rates. Let me connect the dots for you. Higher room rates and near record-high occupancies (about 63 percent) means hotels can pretty much charge you whatever they want. They can invent new surcharges and fees and they can get away with them. And they know it. How to get around it: Look for a lodging alternative. I wrote about several of them recently.

He’s exactly right! As frequent travelers or once a year vacationers, we don’t have to stand for outrageous hotel price hikes and surcharges in 2008, we simply have to invest just a little bit of time seeking a lodging alternative.

Professionally managed vacation rental homes, like those listed on PickPackGo, are that perfect lodging alternative. They are maintained by local property management companies with staff on-site to help any time of the day or night if there is an issue. Property managers help to ensure the homes and condos we choose are in good shape and ready for our visits. With a vacation rental, we travelers can enjoy more spacious and affordable accommodations than hotel rooms, particularly when we’re traveling with our families or groups of friends.

That’s a better way to travel in 2008 that I’m definitely behind!

Posted: January 23rd, 2008 under Property Management, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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Congratulations Patriots and Giants fans!

With just two weeks until the big game on February 3, it’s time to book your Super Bowl lodging.

Super Bowl XLII’s location is the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It’s a quick freeway drive to Phoenix, Scottsdale, Cave Creek and other popular desert cities—all ideal locations for a winter getaway that promises to provide a lot more than just game-time excitement.

Say hello to the sun! In addition to the game, the Phoenix area has plenty to do. Hike up Camelback Mountain, play a round of golf, visit the Wildlife World Zoo or browse around Old Town Scottsdale before relaxing in your private Phoenix area vacation rental home.

To fully enjoy the Super Bowl festivities in person, don’t wait. Make your reservations today!

Posted: January 21st, 2008 under Travel, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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On my Colorado City Host page, I’ve specified four resorts that are particularly kid-friendly: Copper Mountain, Snowmass, Steamboat, and Winter Park. Sure, you can just take my word for it - or you can check out for yourself what’s happening at these resorts.

• Copper Mountain - One of the coolest activities that everyone can enjoy is snow tubing - well, everyone who’s at least 36 inches tall. Copper Mountain has a fantastic snow tubing area that stays open even after the rest of the ski trails close. No equipment or skills are required, but reservations are highly recommended.

• Snowmass - On December 15, Snowmass opened its long-awaited Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center - a two-story, 25,000 square-foot facility that is “the first of its kind in the snowsports industry.” It consolidates all family-related activities under one roof, with ski-in and ski-out access.

• Steamboat - Not only does Steamboat have kids-only lifts and terrain, they’ve even got a separate kids-only website - Snow Monsters. They also offer a Kids’ Adventure Club at Night that’s available February 15-23, 2008 and March 7-29, 2008 on Wednesday - Saturday evenings.

• Winter Park -The Winter Park Ski and Ride School offers a Kids Carnival on January 26-27, 2008 and February 29, March 1, 2008. “Activities include cookie and bubble gum races, ring toss, scavenger hunts, crazy helmet decorating, cotton candy, popcorn, and guest appearances by the ski & ride school mascots, Winter Park Willie and Snowball.”

Of course, child care and lessons are standard offerings at nearly all resorts, but I’d definitely recommend the above resorts if you’re looking for activities that will make your trip a genuine family vacation.

Posted: January 18th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Travel.
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Now that you’ve booked your Tahoe vacation rental home, you may be wondering “what is there to do in Tahoe besides ski in the winter time?” The answer is lots. I’m the Lake Tahoe City Host and for all of you in need of some ideas, here’s what else Tahoe offers in the wintertime.

A drive around the Lake

Lake Tahoe is 72 miles around with many quaint towns and vistas worthy of a look. It’s a beautiful drive and when Hwy. 89 at Emerald Bay is open, you can make it all the way around in a day. If the road isn’t open – which is often the case in the winter – you’ll have to allow extra time to make it back “home.” Working from the North Shore to the South Shore (and back) here are some of the highlights:

NORTH SHORE

• Truckee is a quaint western town with great dining and high fashion shopping. If you haven’t been there in the last 5-6 years, it’s definitely worth a visit.
• Squaw Valley’s new village has wonderful dining and shopping, a spa, an ice skating rink and a large swimming pool. The Resort at Squaw Creek is also worth a visit, with a newly remodeled spa, its own ice skating rink, shopping and dining.
• The River Ranch, on Hwy 89 heading from Squaw Valley toward Tahoe City, is a fun place to stop and have a drink or lunch while perched above the Truckee River. If it’s not too snowy, there are some great running and biking trails in this area not to be missed.
• In Tahoe City, take the traditional walk to Fanny Bridge and the Boatworks Mall for fun shopping and dining.
• The village at Northstar-at-Tahoe has been completely redone and will soon be home to the Ritz Carlton. Currently, the village offers ice skating, bungy jumping, and fire pits where you are encouraged to roast marshmallows. Of course, there is also shopping and dining.
• Incline Village is one the most exclusive zip codes in the country, and it’s fun to drive down millionaire row – Lakeshore Blvd. – and imagine yourself living in one of these amazing homes. The Hyatt in Incline offers a gorgeous spa and the Lone Eagle Grille Restaurant is lovely with a big bar, an old Tahoe feel, and exquisite views.
• As you head out of Incline on Hwy 28 toward Carson City/South Shore, you will find the Spooner Summit recreation area on the left. This is a great spot to snow shoe, cross-country ski, and fish.
• Make a right at Hwy. 50 to continue toward Stateline/South Shore. Along the way, you’ll pass some beautiful scenic viewing areas and drive through Cave Rock, which actually was a cave before it was expanded to allow vehicle access.

SOUTH SHORE

• Zephyr Cove is a lovely spot with a fun, old-time diner that offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is a stable there, as well as information about snowmobile rentals. Daily boat trips to Emerald Bay on the MS Dixie paddle wheeler and sunset cruises on the Woodwind catamaran also leave from this marina.
• Stateline, Nevada, is obviously the biggest city at the Lake with four large casinos – Mont Bleu, Horizon, Harrah’s, and Harvey’s. Here’s where to stop to go gaming or to grab a more sophisticated cocktail or meal. There are also some nice spas and shopping in the new Heavenly Village, as well as the tram to the top of Heavenly where there is both tubing and dining.
• Continuing around the Lake, the South Shore is home to approximately 34,000 people and offers many of the activities that you would expect from a city of its size. In the winter, the most popular in-town activities are ice skating and hockey at the new ice rink, snowshoeing at any number of sites, bowling, movies, and taking a cruise to Emerald Bay on the Tahoe Queen paddle wheeler.
• As you head out of town – traveling on Hwy 89 toward Emerald Bay through Camp Richardson – there are some great bike trails, which you can use to snow shoe, and the Beacon restaurant is always a fun place to enjoy the view. There is also a stable in town that rents horses.
• If weather permits you to drive around Emerald Bay, it is simply spectacular and a little bit of a thrill ride. You can enjoy a peek at Cascade Lake and Emerald Bay at the same time. At the overlook, stop and take photos of beautiful Eagle falls and the Bay. If there isn’t too much snow, it’s worth a trek down to the Vikingsholm and the beach.
• The West shore of the lake is pretty quiet and residential. I like The West Shore Café, Sunnyside, and The Firesign Café restaurants, and the drive itself is lovely.

Of course, there is much more to see and do in Tahoe and its neighboring areas. If you’d like to know about someplace in more detail, drop an email.

Posted: January 16th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Travel, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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I don’t think it quite lived up to the expectations as the largest storm in 50 years, but we do have a lot of snow and all of the resorts around the Lake are reporting great conditions. So, now’s the time to pack up the family, and head on up to the Lake.

I’m the Lake Tahoe City Host. For all of you with young children (5 and younger), a ski trip might sound like something you’ll have to wait and do when the kids are “older.” Well, not necessarily. Here are a few suggestions for ways you can entertain the kids and yourself during a Lake Tahoe winter vacation.

If you want to ski and have very young children, licensed child care is probably your best bet, since even the most hardy of children under four get pooped out fast. As my friend, a children’s ski instructor put it, “The clock starts ticking the minute you leave the car and you only get 15 minutes for every year.” Last year, I brought my 3-year-old skiing and he was right, I made it from the car to the lift and she was done. My word of advice, wait until they are four, so at least you get an hour in before they want hot chocolate!

Most of the larger resorts offer fully licensed childcare (reservations required):

• Heavenly offers the youngest full Day Care facility for kids from 6 weeks to 6 years old at its California Lodge.
• Northstar-at-Tahoe offers childcare at its Minors’ Camp facility for kids 2 to 6 years old, and they don’t have to be potty trained.
• Squaw Valley offers Children’s World Day Care for kids 2 to 3 years old.
• At Kirkwood, its Mini Mountain facility is available for kids 2 to 6 years old for full or half days.

If you want your kids to ski, but you also want to get in some “Adult Runs,” all of the mountains offer some type of kids program, which is a great way to get your kids introduced to skiing while you enjoy at least a partial day out on the slopes.

If you’re looking for non-skiing, family-friendly fun there are lots of outdoor and indoor activities you might enjoy doing before relaxing in your Tahoe vacation rental home. These are some of my favorite things to do with my four-year-old and two-year-old twins:

Tubing/Sledding. Heavenly, Kirkwood, Squaw, Sierra-at-Tahoe, and Northstar-at-Tahoe all offer tubing hills which are super fun and allow you and your kids to do something together. Some have height restrictions and age restrictions, so check out their websites for the specifics. While there are local sledding hills just off the side of many roads here, you might want to try out the new Adventure Mountain Tahoe, which offers sledding and other adventures on a groomed course.

The local recreation center. There are many around the Lake and they offer a variety of activities from basketball to swimming to jumpy houses and “tubes.” These places are great for visiting and local families when it’s too cold and snowy to go outside.

Tahoe Tot Spot. My friend, Amy, just opened up a great place for kids (four and under) in South Shore called the Tahoe Tot Spot. It offers open play six days a week and includes arts and crafts, trampolines, a ball pit, and lots of fun play stuff. Get the latest schedule and information on the Tahoe Tot Spot website.

Harrah’s arcade. It may sound cheesy, but the Harrah’s arcade is a great treat for my kids. We go during the day when it isn’t busy and they have a ball. For $20 you can play lots of games from skeet ball to shooting baskets to some toddler-style video games to riding those mini-grocery store rides. They love it! And at the end, they get to turn in their tickets for a prize or a treat. What could be better?

A winter vacation in Tahoe can be wonderful. And with all of the things there are to do here, why wait?

Posted: January 14th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Travel, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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You won’t find snow in San Francisco or the surrounding Bay Area, but if you travel during the winter months just 200 miles northeast to the resort area of Lake Tahoe, you will find plenty! A popular destination in both summer and winter, Lake Tahoe is spectacular during the ski season, especially when you consider its proximity to San Francisco and how easy it is to get there by car or bus.

As Northern California City Host, I try to get to Lake Tahoe with my family at least a couple of times a season. A side trip to beautiful Lake Tahoe is a must-do for any traveler to San Francisco or the Bay Area.

The drive to Lake Tahoe takes the traveler from the Bay Area towards the California state capitol of Sacramento along U.S. Interstate 80. To get to North Lake Tahoe, take I-80 to CA 267. To get to South Lake Tahoe, take I-80 to US 50. Both drives offer spectacular scenery and views as you enter the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

If you drive during the ski season, be aware of road conditions and carry chains. Check the California Department of Transportation website for highway conditions. Also be prepared for a longer drive during busy travel times, typically Fridays for driving into Lake Tahoe and Sunday evenings for driving out of Lake Tahoe, or when road conditions are poor.

You can choose to leave the driving to somebody else and take a bus to the area. Ride Lake Tahoe offers bus rides to and from popular resorts. They pick up skiers and their gear at various Bay Area locations. Once there, staying in a cozy Lake Tahoe vacation rental home is always a great choice for families.

For tips about choosing which side of the Lake to visit and what to do once you get to Lake Tahoe, read vacationing in Lake Tahoe or ask our Lake Tahoe City Host.

Have fun!

Posted: January 11th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Travel, Vacation Rentals.
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Jamie over at Gadling wrote a very interesting post yesterday that got us talking. It’s not just about the news and places. Traveling has always expanded our personal perspectives and at the same time made the world seem like a much smaller place. We’re happy to share our own impressions as people from all over call and email us with questions about renting their ideal vacation home.

A Destin vacation home? Yes, we’ve been to Destin. The whole area, right on the Gulf of Mexico, has beautiful sandy white beaches. It was an ideal, scenic backdrop for a friend’s wedding a couple years back. And, by the way, Fort Walton Beach also has a state-of-the-art hospital with wonderful staff should you need it…which I unexpectedly did.

You say you like to golf, but want to go somewhere other than Florida? Yes, we’ve been on golfing vacations. Have you stayed in a Myrtle Beach vacation home? That area in South Carolina has lots of golf schools for beginners and great courses for low-handicappers. Out West, Palm Springs and Phoenix are ideal places to stay and play a few rounds in the winter time–although you need to bundle up a bit if you’re the first couple tee-times of the day. The early morning chill stays in the air a little longer than you expect, at least it did last winter playing Phoenix’s South Mountain course.

Where were you thinking in Colorado? We have Vail vacation rental homes, Breckenridge vacation condos and villas, Aspen vacation homes, Pagosa Springs vacation rentals, and Telluride vacation rental homes. Colorado is beautiful all the way across the state. We drove much of it last Fall. Aspen was terrific. We walked to lots of places around town. It’s got a wonderful small-town atmosphere with a really good and affordable local chili place right next to a five-star restaurant.

Travel somewhere and you’ll find memories of your stay surface just at the mention of the destination. A great vacation stays with you forever.

Posted: January 10th, 2008 under Travel, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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