Christmas in July

It’s hot, it’s muggy, it’s almost August!  Let’s start thinking about crisp blue winter skies and the beauty of untouched fresh snow and a winter vacation! 

Top 10 Ski Resorts
Vail
Snowmass
Breckenridge
Beaver Creek
Park City
Deer Valley Resort
Steamboat Springs
Jackson Hole
Telluride
Aspen

VAIL
What can we say about Vail that hasn’t already been said?  Vail is the largest U.S. ski resort, the widest (miles!), the most bowls (over 3,000 acres), runs (193), the biggest total acreage (5,300), lots of lifts (31) and a brand new gondola with heated seats and Wi-Fi. This year it’s celebrating its 50th anniversary with a series of events, a 50th anniversary film premiere, parties and concerts all complete with a 50th anniversary theme to celebrate the resort’s distinct past, present and future.

Anyway, Vail has come a long way in 50 years or so and is celebrating its anniversary this season with a big party and other events including a film festival. But you won’t be lacking things to do in Vail no matter when you come. This is the resort that has what other resorts aspire to be in terms of offerings. Let’s tick them off: superb skiing, restaurant options from fine dining to diner and pizza, shopping from designer to t-shirts, art galleries, a scenic Austrian architecture-inspired town, and a bunch of new lodging offerings that top the rankings in every category. Here’s more: spas, cross-country skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing, nightlife and more. Now you see why the non-skiers are eager to go to Vail for their winter vacations. Everything is well-organized, friendly and and well run so it’s no wonder Vail is the best seller this season!

Vail is bigger than it appears and you will have trouble in a week-long Vail ski vacation getting to see more than a few choice parts. So unless you’re planning on spending a season in Vail, don’t plan to ski everything! Of course, you’ve heard about the back bowls – they are indeed awesome. If the snow is accommodating, you’ll probably spend your entire ski vacation there. Vail is perfect for intermediate and advanced skiers and riders but if you’re on the beginner side, there is also plenty of terrain for you, too.

Your Vail Ski vacation experience
Vail is about a 2-hour drive from Denver, just over the Continental divide (actually you go under it via the Eisenhower tunnel). If you’re staying in Vail, you probably don’t need a car. Your Travel Planners’s vacation specialist can help you decide what is best for you. Vail is also 45 minutes from Eagle Airport, which has some non-stop flights from bigger gateways like Atlanta. In many cases, this may be the way to go. Yes, Vail is popular, but we can get you a deal that will make you happy (think discounted lift tickets, discounted Vail lodging and more).   

Holiday special includes- roundtrip air from Bham to Denver, 7 day midsize car, 7 nights at a 1 bedroom condo on the shuttle route, 5 out of 7 day lift tickets.  $3059 per person based on 2 sharing the condo.


SNOWMASS
Breathtaking, exhilarating and huge are just a few ways to describe the crown jewel of Colorado—Snowmass. Already famous for endless terrain (over 3,000 acres) and tons of snow (300 inches), Snowmass is now undergoing a renaissance like no other with two new gondolas, a new high-speed six pack and numerous on-mountain improvements. Snowmass also plays host to an expert terrain park and the heart pumping steeps in KT Gully, Hanging Valley and the Cirque. Add in fine dining and tons of slope-side shops and hotels and you’ve got a destination worth writing home about...if only to explain that you’re not coming home any time soon. There are also a full selection of accommodations available in Aspen located 9 miles from Snowmass.

Snowmass is the fantasy mountain where intermediates suddenly ski like French Olympian Jean-Claude Killy and beginners fall in love with the sport. Meanwhile, experts feel they’ve hit the Mother Lode.

Snowmass welcomes snowboarders and boasts a fantastic terrain garden and snowboard pipeline designed by world champion Jimmy Scott. There are 80 kilometers of wide-open, groomed cross-country trails for the Nordic ski buff connecting Snowmass, Aspen and other parts of the spectacular Roaring Fork Valley. Although only a few miles from Aspen, Snowmass has its own distinct village offering fine restaurants, charming boutiques and exceptional accommodations. More than 90 percent of the resort’s hotels and condominiums are located slope-side, another reason why Snowmass has become one of the most popular resorts in the Rockies for family vacations. Let us show you how to create an unforgettable ski vacation today to a remarkable ski resort.

Travel Planners, Inc. can provide  accommodations, air travel, ground transportation, lift tickets, ski or snowboard rentals, activities to events around town and more. We know how to customize a Snowmass ski vacation package just for you that will truly be an unforgettable ski vacation experience. Ski Snowmass this winter!

Holiday special includes- roundtrip air form Bham to Eagle, 7 day midsize car, 7 nights in a 1 bedroom condo 250 yards from the slopes, and 5 out of 7 day lift tickets.  $3300 per person based on 2 sharing a condo.


BRECKENRIDGE
Four huge peaks with over 2200 acres of skiing and riding, five terrain parks, four half-pipes, two high-speed six passenger Super Chairs, the highest chairlift in North America, a state-of-the-art children’s ski and snowboard school, unparalleled grooming, exciting events and a historic mining town with endless shopping, dining and nightlife. Breckenridge. . . The Perfect Mountain Town.

One of the most popular ski vacation destinations, Breckenridge offers great versatility and variety on the slopes and off. Breckenridge is an especially exciting choice for active families. Almost 2,000 acres of deep-powder skiing on four mountains for every type of skier, including expert runs from the 12,677-foot summit (now served by a high speed lift), all served by 16 interconnected ski lifts and four high-speed quads to assure un-crowded slopes and short lift lines. For snowboarders and skiers of all ages and skill levels, Breckenridge boasts a dynamic snowboard park, arguably the best in the Rockies. Breckenridge Lodging options vary from Ski in ski out hotels and condos to private homes. Ski Breckenridge and discover an authentic Mining town with a real Victorian feel.

In addition, the expanded Kids' Castle offers a great beginners' program and a convenient drop-off for parents on the way to the slopes, while kids of all ages can't wait to get to the waterslide and climbing wall at the indoor recreation center. Your family will be delighted at the splendid choices waiting to be made each day. Nightlife is just as exciting with a great variety of brewpubs, taverns, casual nightspots, fine restaurants, shops, and even an authentic historic Victorian district to explore. Breckenridge is a great family resort which offers one of the best ski vacation experiences available in the Rockies.
Holiday special includes-roundtrip air from Bham to Denver, 7 day midsize car, 7 nights at  a hotel that is walking distance from the slopes, and 5 out of 7 day lift tickets.  $2599 per person based on 2 sharing a room.

Additional dates and choices are available upon request.  All rates are subject to availability and change until purchased.  Holiday travel availability is limited, call today to reserve your winter ski adventure.

Our very own Sandals Destination Wedding Specialist!

Our honeymoon specialist at Travel Planners, Candy Burnaine, was just recently in Jamaica completing her certificate for Sandals Destination Wedding Specialist. The following article is her story of her journey there as well as describing how wonderful a destination wedding at Sandals Resorts can be!

I was just in Jamaica in April, completing my certification as a Sandals Destination Wedding Specialist. While I have done many weddings at their resorts over the past 15 years, I still learned a lot during my visit.  Sandals’ is always raising the bar and they have done it again with new, fully customizable weddings. Now it is “your wedding…. your way” and the possibilities are endless!

You are no longer restricted to certain packages and colors, there are more accessories to add than ever before and the color combinations are fabulous! Because I know the wedding coordinators in the main office AND the coordinators at each resort, personally, it’s a snap for me to help you plan the wedding of your dreams. Want to charter a catamaran for a sunset sail as your reception? Have a beach bonfire as a rehearsal dinner? Want to marry at sunset at the water’s edge?  It’s all possible… whatever you imagine for your wedding, can become a reality.

 Destination weddings may seem like an overwhelming amount of work to a bride and groom, but not when you work with me. I’ll  help you with all the little details along the way, but I start by helping you solve the first and biggest dilemma-deciding where to go!  All of Sandals and Beaches Resorts are great but they each have unique features and different atmospheres.  I can help you determine which resort is the right one for your special day, based on your needs. Its personal service; we can sit down face to face and plan your big day…. try getting that from an online site!  Maybe you have family and friends scattered all over who want to come too-not a problem I can coordinate travel for everyone.

Destination Weddings are one of the easiest, most cost effective ways to marry. Whether you want an intimate ceremony for just you two or a Caribbean celebration to include your family and friends, with a destination wedding you have less hassle, less expense and less stress.  And let’s be honest think about the photo possibilities!  Paperwork is completed before you ever leave the U.S. and all the wedding details are planned way in advance. By the time you arrive in your destination, you basically show up with what you want to get married in and choose the site on the resort property for the ceremony. It’s that easy!

Sandals has a great way to help you decide if a Destination Wedding or Honeymoon is for you, it’s called Weddingmoons First Look. It’s a chance this fall to spend 3 days at Sandals Grande Riviera in Jamaica and preview what your wedding and/or honeymoon could be like. And if you decide to choose a wedding or honeymoon at one of their resorts after your visit, you get a $500 credit towards your trip.

Dates and space are limited so if interested in this chance to preview all Sandals has to offer, let me know before space is sold out.

So what are you waiting for?

Look over some of these photos and see what your wedding can be. Call me for an appointment!

After a tasting you will choose your wedding cake flavor.

You will see some of the table setting options, colors, and extra items you may want to add such as lanterns, candles, torches, seashells, etc. 

What it, when you see the colors in person and you wish you has chosen the tangerine instead of the seafoam for your napkins? No problem, this is easily changed if you have a customized wedding. 

       Next, you will choose the site for your ceremony. Want to say your vows with the waves lapping at your bare feet? Sandals offers beach front weddings and garden settings for the more traditional ceremony. 

                                               

Want to have a large wedding? Rent the entire offshore island at Sandals Royal Caribbean resort. Choose a romantic canopy and customize with your colors or curtains of seashells. 

Then for your reception, you can have a simple cake  and toast at the ceremony site, a cocktail party, or a seated dinner. If you want to do it even bigger, you can charter a boat for your entire wedding party!

                                                 

Sandals will make your perfect day PERFECT!

Wine Travel

I am not sure about you, but I love trying different wines from around the world. It is always nice to travel to wineries and try local wines and join wine clubs. 

Hotels are starting to see this trend in travelers. Napa Valley watch out, more and more locations and hotels are jumping on the band wagon of offering wine clubs and staring wineries. 

Nancy Trejos of USA Today writes about her findings of hotels jumping into the wine business:

        
 Hotels have long been willing to hawk pillows, linens and bathrobes. Now, they're peddling fine     wines.

A number of major hotel chains are getting into the wine business, teaming up with wineries to start wine clubs, create their own private labels or hold special wine events.

• JW Marriott Hotels and Resorts has just introduced the JWM Wine Club in partnership with Treasury Wine Estates in Napa Valley. Members can choose two of four wines each quarter to be shipped to them. The shipments come with tasting notes from a JW Marriott wine ambassador and complementary recipes from a hotel executive chef. Each shipment costs $150.

• Sheraton Hotels and Resorts has started a wine club in partnership with Chateau Ste. Michelle. Starwood Preferred Guests can redeem points for membership in the club. For instance, 12,000 Starpoints will score them a six-month membership and two quarterly shipments of two bottles. On July 24, Sheraton will also kick off five wine-tasting events across the country with Chateau Ste. Michelle and Wine Spectator, starting in Chicago.

• Sofitel is rolling out a three-part wine program this year showcasing French wines. Wine experts will design customized wine lists at 23 participating hotels. A series of a dozen wine-pairing dinners will take place at select properties. All 120 Sofitels around the world will celebrate French Wine Week Sept. 23-30.

• Hyatt Hotels & Resorts teamed up with Napa's Folio Fine Wine Partners to create its own private label, Canvas, which is served at its restaurants and available for sale at www.hyattathome.com and at the winery.

• At many hotels, the wine flows for free. Kimpton Hotels have been offering free wine hours for years through the Wines that Care program. Now, Affinia Hotels have started offering a free wine hour five nights a week at four of its five New York City properties. If you stay at one New York City hotel, you can attend wine hour at any of the four properties.

"This is one example of hotel brands extending their 'footprint' and therefore their engagement with their guests by making themselves about more than simply lodging," says Chekitan Dev, an associate professor at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and author of Hospitality Branding. "By keeping themselves 'top of mind' in this way, they hope to be the brand of choice for the guest's next lodging stay."

Mitzi Gaskins, vice president and global brand manager for JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, is hoping the new wine club accomplishes just that. The company's research has shown that guests value experiences when they're away, particularly if they involve food and wine.

"We want our guests to really take something away with them," she says. "I think it creates that emotional connection with our guests."

But there's one more reason some hotels are doing it: They think they can make more money.

Sheraton's internal research showed that 66% of guests would be more inclined to buy wine while traveling if there were a premium wine program offered. They would also be more likely to pay $12 to $16 for a premium glass of wine rather than $6 to $8 for a house wine.

Last year, Sheraton piloted a Social Hour with wine at a limited number of hotels. Recently, the company announced it would roll out the program to more than 430 hotels worldwide. That's after 95% of guests said they are "very likely" or "likely" to return to another Social Hour and would recommend the program to others, says Hoyt Harper, Sheraton's global brand leader.

Harper says guests are lingering at the bar longer after the Social Hour and purchasing more food and drinks. The Sheraton Kansas City, for instance, has reported a 43% increase in wine sales since starting the Social Hour.

"Wine is a universal beverage that is often associated with social interaction, which we encourage among our guests," Harper says.

Best Things To Do In Italy!

While I have only been to Italy once in my life, I grew to adore it! I dream of going back one day soon. Many of the agents at Travel Planners have spent months of their lives in Italy. They complied a list of things to do while you are there. Take a look!

11 Best Italy Experiences

1.Rent a Villa in Tuscany
2.Learn to Pole a Gondola in Venice
3.Stay in a Cave in Matera
4.Immerse Yourself in Art in Florence
5.Trek Cinque Terre
6.Learn to Make Pizza in Sorrento
7.Ride a Bike in Lucca
8.Live Like George Clooney on Lake Como
9.Drive a Ferrari Along the Amalfi Coast
10.Indulge Your Inner Chocoholic in Perugia
11.Train Like a Gladiator in Rome



Want to experience one of these? We can help make it happen.

Packing Tips and Tricks for Women

Fireworks Across the US

Independence Day is around the corner, and with that in mind, here's a handy list of the big fireworks displays on the Fourth in cities across the U.S. this year:

New York City: More than 40,000 fireworks will illuminate the skies over the Hudson River, in a televised show put on by Macy's starting around 8 p.m. and featuring Usher, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Mariah Carey and more.

Boston: The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, which is celebrating its 40th year, is an annual free concert at the DCR Hatch Shell in Beacon Hill. The concert starring Susan Tedeschi, Ellis Hall, Howie Day and Ayla Brown will begin at 7:30 p.m. and the fireworks go off at 9:30.

Washington, D.C.: Visible from locations across D.C. and parts of northern Virginia, the fireworks will be launched from the Reflecting Pool area of the National Mall at 9:17 p.m.

Philadelphia: The Grand Finale Fireworks at the Philadelphia Museum of Art caps off a day of patriotic parties and concerts citywide. Acts include The Roots, John Mayer, Neo, Jill Scott, J. Cole, Grace Potter, Ben Taylor and Demi Lovato.

Chicago: Based at tourist hot spot Navy Pier, there are several times to see a show. Catch the sights over Lake Michigan July 3 and July 4 at 9:30 p.m. as well as July 6 at 10:15 p.m. Downtown gets pretty packed: it's popular to head a bit farther south or up to the suburb of Evanston to get a lakefront experience.

Dallas area -- Addison, Texas: The perfectly named Kaboom Town show is big by even Texas standards. The suburb outside of Dallas hosts the show that kicks off around 9:30 p.m. and is said by locals not to be missed.

Nashville: At The Lawn at Riverfront Park, the show of more than 25,000 fireworks is set to the live music of the Nashville Symphony at 9:50 p.m.
Lake Tahoe: The Lights on the Lake Fireworks display is touted as the show you can see all across town, but residents will tell you that it's best to find a friend with a boat and take in the show on the water with a festive cocktail in hand. The show will begin at 9:30 p.m.

San Francisco: The show over the Bay takes place in front of Pier 39 at 9:30 p.m. Event organizers say other good places to catch the show are from Coit Tower, the Cannery and Ghirardelli Square.

Seattle: The annual Lake Union 4th of July fireworks, which has been held over more than 60 years, will start at 10:15 p.m. at Gas Works Park in the Wallingford neighborhood. For boaters, the south end of Lake Union will be open for the public to anchor in.