If you are planning on traveling to London with departures from October 25- December 18, 2007 and December 24- March 25, 2008, I HIGHLY suggest you book it now on British Airways!! Divas, you must book these flight by AUGUST 17th, 2007!
ALSO with purchase of RT airfare to London, you will recieve a FREE 2 day "London Pass" Ticket with access to more than 50 attractions, such as:
As the heat of summer winds down, we embark into the beautiful season of fall, where the leaves are different colors and the sun sets much earlier. Why not spend some time in nature witnessing this remarkable change yourself?! Leave the city and your job and head over to Alaska, where you’ll spend the day hiking or white water rafting, the evenings watching the sun go down, and the night sipping on a cup of tea, wrapped up in a furry blanket at one of the Denali Park Resort’s.
If you’re heading down to Walt Disney World this fall, why don’t you continue your fairytale after you leave the park?! Have you ever dreamed of living on a perfect street, one that we only see in movies such as "Pleasantville" and "The Stepford Wives"? If so, continue your cookie-cutter fantasy and stay on Seven Dwarfs Lane, in a picture perfect town home!
7 Dwarfs Villas is having a Fall Clearance Sale, offering either:
a 3 bedroom Town-home for $119/night or $595 for the entire week (5 nights)
OR
a 4 bedroom Town-home for $139/night or $695 for the entire week (5 nights)
The Resort is located in Orlando, only 5 miles away from Walt Disney World Parks!
Resort Amenities:
heated swimming pool, spa, and sundecks
spacious clubhouse and rec center
reading/computer/buisness library
basketball court
tennis court
volleyball court
gated entry
family picnic area
children’s playground
Town-home Amenities:
3 & 4 bedroom town-homes with 2 or 3 baths
homes sleep 8 to 10 people
living room, dining room, private master suite
fully equipped kitchen
telephone, cable t.v.
washer & dryer
all linen & towels
The dates of the clearance are August 25- December 20, 2007. You must book your stay by September 30, 2007.
For more information, please click here or call 1-800-527-2262.
The World Travel Awards (WTA) will announce the winners of the newly launched ‘Green’ Awards program during the Europe Awards Ceremony in Newcastle Gateshead in October.
‘Green’ tourism is quickly becoming mainstream and more and more hospitality businesses are realising the benefits of showcasing their environmentally-friendly credentials. Therefore, the World Travel Awards are introducing ‘green’ categories to their prestigious award scheme. These will reward those companies who excel in ecologically-friendly practices.
WTA, the premier global accolades for the travel and tourism sector, will announce the ‘green’ winners with those in the European categories for 2007 at the invitation-only gala ceremony at The Sage Gateshead in the North East of England on October 9th. Silverjet, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Thompson and The Banyan Tree are amongst companies up for nomination. Nominated companies are accredited to certification programs, or comply with a range of prerequisites, such as minimising the environmental impact of tourism and increasing environmental knowledge among staff.
"Climate change, combined with a booming demand for travel worldwide, is presenting the travel industry with new environmental challenges," says Manon Han, Vice President of the World Travel Awards.
"As a responsible authority for the travel industry, the World Travel Awards are keen to encourage creativity and leadership that will lead to a sustainable future. The ‘green’ categories are a new and exciting way for us to do this. The introduction of these new categories will ultimately help green-conscious travellers make a more informed decision on eco-friendly products and services," added Han.
Networking events have been planned around the gala ceremony, including the World Travel CEO Forum on October 8th, which will also tackle the debate on climate and sustainable tourism. The World Travel Golf Tournament will also take place before the ceremony.
World Travel Awards are especially coveted as, uniquely, the votes are cast globally by fellow professionals. With trophies awarded in over 1,000 different categories, the World Travel Awards are undoubtedly the world’s most comprehensive awards celebration. Attended by top executives of winning companies, the events are highly regarded and well-established as a forum that brings together all areas of travel and tourism in recognition of their achievements.
I recently returned from a visit to my hometown, Seattle, Washington. I am often there on business and always like to try the hottest new restaurants. When I received an invitation to a wine dinner at the Icon Grill (which I had never heard of before), I was amazed to find out that they were celebrating their 9th anniversary, under the same bold leadership of Executive Chef, Nick Musser. My first thought was, “How good could this place be if I have never heard of it?” But then I read on to find out that Chef Musser had just released the 2nd edition of his popular cookbook, “Aroused Americana” a compilation of Musser’s signature recipes, elevating comfort food to a whole new level.
OK… My Bad for overlooking this potential gold mine. Who wouldn’t be tempted by “Aroused Americana“, featuring dishes like Molasses Glazed Meatloaf served with sweet corn mashed potatoes and black-strap gravy, or the Ultimate Mac n’ Cheese which uses no less than four different cheeses?
When I found out that the dinner’s featured winery was MacMurray Ranch, I immediately made reservations. Talk about Icons — what could be more perfect than quaffing wines from the ranch of the iconic father of TV’s hit comedy, “My Three Sons!”
The restaurant’s unique ambiance provides the perfect pre-arousal backdrop. An eclectic blend of PINK can be found in the wild mixture of contemporary art, mirrors, posters, accented by over 600 free-form blown glass pieces by local artist Martin Blank, shimmering under nine-feet multi-tiered chandeliers. Wow… kind of like Willy Wonka doing a makeover of Hugh Hefner’s digs… but in a good way!
We all settled down to the business at hand when course after course arrived beautifully paired with MacMurray’s top vintages. It was interesting to hear Chef Nick enthusiastically explain the how’s and why’s behind his creative pairing choices.
Dinner opened with Braised Pork Bellies with Apricot Ginger Compote, served with a delicious MacMurray Ranch Pinot Gris Sonoma, 2005. It was followed by a zingy Peppercress, Pancetta and Bing Cherry Salad complemented by the ranch’s Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2005. Carnivores were happy with a double meat offering: Colorado Lamb Sirloin with coconut curry chick pea cakes topped with a peppery sambal, and a tender Veal Osso Bucco with mushroom risotto. After nibbling bites of the fragrant peachy Almond Cream Cake, while sipping the Bridlewood Estate Winery Late Harvest Viognier Central Coast 2005, our arousal was complete.
We thoroughly enjoyed hearing the tales told by our tablemate, Kate MacMurray, actor Fred MacMurray’s spirited redheaded daughter. It all began many years ago, when actor Fred MacMurray purchased a cattle ranch near Sonoma’s Russian River, as the family’s getaway from the bright lights of Hollywood. After her father died, the MacMurrays received many offers for their property but chose to sell the ranch to E & J Gallo. Kate still lives on the property in a cabin her father built, and is part of the winemaking team, proudly working to promote the Gallo-produced MacMurray Ranch wines.
“Our family wanted to keep the property in agriculture, so the idea of preserving the ranch as open space was an immediate conversation between us and the Gallos. We knew this family takes a long-term view of the care and management of their land. They wanted the trees, the streams, and the vineyards to be a part of the land for many generations to come. They are a thoughtful and careful family who appreciate the beauty of this landscape and are devoted to the history of this ranch.”
For upcoming wine dinners, visit: www.icongrill.net The Icon Grill A: 1933 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA T: 206-441-6330
If your looking for a place to travel from now until the end of October, why not head down to the Dominican Republic? The Barcelo Bavaro Palace is a beautiful beach front hotel located in Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic. The dates valid for travel are from September 1st, 2007 until October 31st, 2007.
The package includes:
RT midweek airfare to Punta Cana International Airport
RT transfers between the airport and hotel
5 nights accommodation
all meals, snacks, beverages
all activities and non-motorized watersports
hotel tax and service charges
Prices from the following locations are as following:
It might be time to learn something new Divas! If you haven’t learned how to scuba dive yet, I strongly reccommend you try it out cause it’s super fun! And where is there a better place to learn, then in Belize?! "The Inn" @ Robert’s Grove is offering an all inclusive package that teaches first time divers the ropes and will even certify you at the end!
This offer includes:
7 days/6 nights Beachview Standard Room
RT local airfare from Belize International Airport to Placencia Airstrip
local ground transfer from the airport to the resort
daily breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner
alcoholic beverages
1 day classroom, 1 day pool, 2 days open water training with the Dive Center
complimentary graduation dive after certification
The price of the package is $5200 for 2 divers.
Travel dates are from now, August 14th, to December 15th, 2007.
I recently returned from a visit to my hometown, Seattle, Washington. I am often there on business and always like to try the hottest new restaurants. When I received an invitation to a wine dinner at the 
When I found out that the dinner’s featured winery was 
