SPRING AT SUNDANCE RESORT-UTAH

Rates start at $149 per night (published rates start at $225).
Please add an additional $15 per night for Friday and Saturday stays.
Tell theem Patti at Tango Diva sent you.

Rates valid now through May 31, 2006.

Rates apply to individual or group reservations and are valid only for new reservations.
Rates are based on availability and subject to change.

FOR RESERVATIONS

Individuals call: 800-892-1600
Groups call: 801-223-4073

» Please reference the "Spring at Sundance" rate when booking your reservation.

My best friend , who ( sometimes) doubles as my older sis, had been whining all month,”It’s freezing here.” (She lives in NYC.) My skin’s so cracked from the snow that I look like the Two Thousand Year Old Man… I so need a break!” (You get the drift.)

So being an incredibly generous, MUCH younger sister, when I was invited to come “with a friend for a stay in a luxurious two-bedroom suite to check out Ojia’s new Su Nido Inn,” I decided to surprise her with an invite for a few days to come and de-thaw at the The Best Little Inn in Ojai, California.

After a bit more of the East Coast attitude — “Ojai? Never heard of it. What a schlep! Don’t you want to go to Palm Springs instead?”– we met up last week at the inn. And, what a peachy, boutique-y little slice of heaven it is. Not even a year old, the Su Nido (Spanish for “Your Nest”) is comprised of eight elegant, terrifically tastefull, comfy suites. We stayed in the spacious Condor/Starling upstairs suite, that had a fireplace and its own private terrace. Each one is different, but they all share the same attention to detail: feather beds so soft I felt like I was sinking into a fluffy oversized marshmellow, relaxing decor done up in tasteful sunbaked neutrals (think deep mustard, ochre soft eggplant and a mixture of soothing greens). By the way, Sis was immediately on the phone asking who their decorator was because she simply “had to have the terra cotta looking backboard for her NYC apt.” Our bathrooms were styled out with Molton Brown toiletries for the tiled soaking tub, while the bedrooms and family area each had their own Plasma TVs. I counted three! State-of-the-art kitchenettes held a mini-fridge (perfect to chill a bottle of the local wine), a nifty “pod” coffee maker and a basket of surprise treats. My sis waxed on big time about the cobblestone courtyard that served as the center of the Su Nido Inn. She said it reminded her of all the adorable little town squares in Spain. And I gotta admit, nothing was more relaxing than returning “home” after a fun day exploring, for a glass of Rose´ just in time to be one with the “Pink Moment” (The “Pink Moment” is totally unique to Ojai because of its unusual East-West orientation, an awe-inspiring spectacle that occurs just before sunset each day in the valley. As the low rays of the setting sun reach the tops of the mountains surrounding the valley, they give off a lovely pinky-purple glow which has come to be called the “Pink Moment.” Though it lasts for only about 10 minutes each day, it’s an unforgettable sight.) Michael, Su Nido’s affable and highly informative innkeeper promised us that we “would sleep like babies” and we sure did. When we got up the next morning my sis, who was all smiles now, said, “I don’t know why you waited so long to invite me to Ojai. It’s sooo much more fun than Palm Springs. Su Nido is the PERFECT place to chill-out. Why don’t we bring Mom next time? Hey- How cool would it be to take over the whole place and have a Family reunion? ” YadaYadaYada…. ” Su Nido Inn: Ojai’s all-suites boutique Inn. A: 301 North Montgomery Street Ojai, CA 93023. T: Toll-Free: 1.866.646.7080 or 805.646.7080.

Only for the likes of seeing plays featuring Angela Lansbury, Liev Schreiber, Vanessa Redgrave, and Christine Ebersole made me venture out from my hotel last week to brave the April rains. These were no spring showers, but rather record-breaking torrential downpours that left me stranded for hours at the Newark airport. However, the hysterically funny second act of <http://greygardensthemusical.com/>Grey Gardens, the harrowing, uncompromising final moments of <http://theater2.nytimes.com/2007/02/23/theater/reviews/23jour.html>Journeys End, and even though I did not care for <http://www.broadway.com/gen/Show.aspx?si=534670>The Year of Magical Thinking, Vanessa Redgrave is such an incredibly elegant and eloquent actress that it made ruining my pair of Jimmy Choo’s, almost bearable.

Top Insider’s Tip:
If you haven’t been to B’way lately it may surprise you to find out that theater tickets can easily run well over $100 for good seats. One way to get a round this is to go to the (usually 1/2 price) <http://www.tdf.org/tkts>TKTS Discount Booths in Times Square. You will find that the line usually snakes all the way down the block…but there’s a secret…if you want to see a “Play” and not a “Musical,” simply tell one of the guards and they will point you to another window where there was never a single person in line.

(Editor’s Note: There’s a second TKTS booth on the west side of Manhattan, at the South Street Seaport, corner of Front and John Streets, near the rear of the Resnick/ Prudential Building at 199 Water Street. Most often, the lines here are virtually non-existant compared to the lengthy lines at Times Square.)

VIVA TANGO DIVA! We have reached an important number today – we have over 5,000 registered Divas around the world. Yes, 5,000 members who you can connect and share your travel stories with.

5,000 members who travel like you
5,000 members who want to know about you
5,000 members who want to share their travel advice with you
5,000 members who, like you, love the world and love meeting new friends
5,000 members who can all be found here, in MY TANGO section

Take some time today to connect with at least 5 members, and watch as your 5 new friends introduce you to 5 more. Before you know it, you’ll have a world-wide network of friends, and the whole world to discover and share through Tango Diva.

At Tango Diva, we are starting a revolution of sorts. We don’t want to be a part of the machine that turns out useless content and impersonal connections. We want information from people like you. People who enjoy traveling, have a sense of style, and are not afraid to jump head first into life!

We want to change the way the travel industry talks to us, we want to improve worldwide communication with other like-minded individuals, and we want to hear you!

So, VIVA TANGO DIVA, and let us know what YOU are thinking.

This fantastic illustration was created my Holly Houk, you will read more about her in the coming weeks, but for now, visit her website HERE.

Divas! Last Sunday I met a lovely young beekeeper. Did you know that bee hives are totally female owned and run? And that male bees don’t have stingers?

I visited my sister Corey’s farm/commune (Sol, her sustainable urban development project in Oakland) for her birthday and this is what I learned from her resident bee keeper:

A beehive consists of a queen and her worker bees, all of whom are women. Male bees are pretty much just used for genetic diversity and that’s it. The women run the colony, make the honey, pollinate most of the flowers, keep the comb clean, and there are even undertaker she-bees to get rid of the dead.

So the next time you get stung by a bee, shout, "You go, girl!"

Below are photos of me, er, stroking male bees that the beekeeper has brought out to show me. She was all, "They don’t have stingers!" And I was all, "I’ve heard that one before." I actually have quite a bee phobia so for me to pet them was a milestone in my life!

THEN I watched this amazing travel show about turtles on public tv (PBS) called, "Voyage of the Lonely Turtle." Did you know that female loggerhead turtles wait until they’re in their thirties before they think of breeding? (Could I be a female loggerhead?) Suddenly, the instinct seizes them and they head out to sea alone to return to the place they were born.

This female, Adelita, traveled across the entire Pacific Ocean by herself! At 9000 miles, it’s the longest migration of any creature, big or small, air or sea, and at one mile per hour, it took her a year.

Talk about slow and steady wins the race! Of course we solo-traveling Divas, through life or through the world, know that ‘lonely’ is a misnomer. Just because we embark alone doesn’t mean that we’re alone for long.

And before Adelita settled down, she had her last hurrah on the open sea, testing herself and her abilities over a tremendous adventure through dangerous waters (who among us hasn’t, ladies?).

When I was a little Stephanita in school, we all had to choose our favorite animals. I considered the sleek cat and the beautiful peacock. But I chose the turtle. Why, I couldn’t say. But watching this show was like watching my animal spirit in action.

Especially if you saw Oprah the other day. She quoted a statistic I’d read about in The New York Times, that for the first time ever in America, there are more single women than married. We are 51% strong! For African American women, the statistic is more like 70%. Shocking!

So if ever there was a time for us to flit like a loggerhead and sting like a she-bee, now would be it, Divas.

At last, the travel industry is figuring it out – we women have a voice and we like it to be heard. Thank you very much. We don’t think like men, we don’t  dress like men, and we certainly don’t travel like men. So, today’s “Brava” goes to American Airlines for launching a section dedicated to Women Travel.

In the New York Times article written by Joe Sharkey, he interviews a few women who have plenty to say on this matter.  One of the women he interviewed was Kathleen Ameche, who wrote the book: The Woman Road Warrior: A Woman’s Guide to Business Travel. She speaks about the power of women and our ability to share information with others very quickly, “We do take notes and we talk, and we do make most of the buying decisions in business and personal travel.” Yeah, we make 92% of all travel buying decisions in the USA!

So, why is it taking the travel industry so long to get it? I really don’t know the answer, but I am glad that they are starting to figure out how powerful women are. Other companies that are doing a great job taking care of women are the Wyndham Hotels and Pink Ladies in London.  Pink Ladies is a charming transportation service providing ladies-only car service. One of their cornerstone policies is the “Through the door policy.” Their drivers will wait to ensure that women travelers are safely inside their destination before leaving. Now that is what I call service!

GREAT package price for 3 nites at the Crowne Plaza - right on the Riverwalk! One of the most beautiful stretches of shopping and dining in the U.S. Check out the Alamo! Head to Six Flags for the day - and to Sea World the next!

3 nights: $629 for 2 adults !!!! (tax and service charges included)

 Includes 3 nites (King or double/double beautiful guestroom), 2 adult tickets to Six Flags, 2 adult tickets to Sea World, 2 breakfast buffets daily and self parking! Over $200 dollars in savings! Normally $838 minimum.

Call Tango Diva’s Travel Hotline 1-866-345-1210
Please refer to ITA#1173752 initially (that’s code for tango diva)
Ask for RATE CODE IKOTHGUL.

Or go to http://www.gulliversusa.com/1173752

Add on a rental car with your airfare as you will want wheels to get around! 

PLUS - I just spotted a EFare deal on United out of SF for $279  

Here is stephanies insights:

The Alamo
The Riverwalk- tons of bars and restaurants along the San Antonio River
FOOD! Tex Med and BBQ:

-La Margarita is the best restaurant in town! It’s downtown and is the best, most delicious Mexican food ever! You MUST order the fajitas.

-Mi Tierra is very near La Margarita and is open 24 hours…it NEVER closes! So if you get to the city late or have a hankering for awesome Tex-Mex at an ungodly hour, definitely come here.

-Chris Madrid’s for the awesomest burgers and nachos. This hole in the wall has been serving fine Texas fare for decades and is a local favorite.

Fiesta is April 20-27, 2007, and I highly recommend attending! Think of it as Mexican Mardi Gras. It’s a city-wide festival with tons of culture, music, food and more. Viva Fiesta!

Texans are super friendly and any Diva will have a super time here. Don’t be afraid to chat with and ask questions of the locals–we love it when folks visit and hate to see y’all go…

The last time I happen to stumble onto a major ruin during an important day was a few years ago. I was atop of Machu Picchu for the Winter Solstice (June 2003). Machu Picchu was build for two special days of the year – the Winter Solstice and the Summer Solstice. On those days, you can watch the sun peak over the Andes and set Machu Picchu on fire with light reflecting off water falls and damp rocks. It really is an extraordinary site! That trip my life changed. After the Incan light show, I took time to meditate about my life and I was drawn to creating a life of purpose – the only problem was, I did not have a plan. Funny how fate works….

 We were coming home on an American Airline’s 757 when we lost an engine over the Andes. The captain said, “Well folks, it looks like we lost an engine” as the smoke billowed from the air vents and the alarms blared. It was that Winter Solstice when I decided that life was way too short and I need do stop fooling around and I started Tango Diva. I wanted to inspire and empower women and travel was how I was going to do it!

This year, I had the pleasure of being at Chichen Itza for the Spring Equinox. Just like Machu Picchu, Chichen Itza was build for two special days of the year – the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes. On those days, the Feathered Serpent visits and illuminates the main pyramid on the site.

 We got there early and walked the grounds with our amazing tour guide and lecturer named Paco. He took us through the maze of Mayan ruins, explain the significance of each. For lunch we drove to a cenote, where we swam in a mystical underwater cave and splashed around like kids in a fairytale – it was truly spectacular.
  
We headed back to Chechen Itza to watch the mysterious “lighting of the Feathered Serpent.” At first, we worried because there was one huge cloud cloaking the sun and casting dim shadows on the ruins.   For this “lighting” to work, the sun needs to be bright. So, all 10,000 of us just waited and prayed. Paco assured me that with all the pilgrims coming from the four corners of the earth, Mother Nature would not disappoint and she would put on a magnificent show.  I must admit, I was a bit skeptical for a while…. Then all of a sudden, the cloud broke and the Feathered Serpent lit up like a Christmas tree and the crowds went crazy with gratitude and amazement.

 The Spring Equinox is all about hope and renewal. So, I spent some time meditating about what that meant to me. And what filled my mind was, “Life is not an emergency, take the weekends to enjoy the beauty around me, slow down, and relax.” As a Type-A person, that was hard at first - hey, it is still hard! But slowly I am dragging myself away from the computer on sunny Saturday and Sunday mornings and I try to walk away from my computer by 9 pm (that is good! I usually work until past 11 pm!).

So, how do I feel about these new changes in my life? I feel a bit more peaceful and less overwhelmed. Yeah, life keeps going at its frenetic pace and deadlines loom like bad smells. But now I make sure to take a little time everyday thank the Feathered Serpent for the subtle reminder that life is a fantastic show that should be savored moment by moment and not a hungry deadline waiting to be fed.

What lessons have your learned during this time of renewal, Easter, Lent, Passover and the Equinox?

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