Letters to Juliet, a movie set in Verona, Italy, opens in theaters tomorrow and it’s a perfect movie to see with girlfriends. The scenery is gorgeous, the characters have movie star looks and the story line, although predictable, has a happy ending. What more could you ask for? Stop in at your favorite Italian hang-out before or after the movie for some red wine and pasta to continue the theme.

Once you’ve seen the movie, you’ll probably want to visit Verona in person. From now until May 24 you can enter to win a trip for two to Verona, Italy with the Send a Letter to Juliet sweepstakes. You can submit your entry at the movie theater or by mailing a postcard. For details see how to enter. Ciao!

Movie trailer

Don’t have any plans yet for 4th of July? How about spending it in Hawaii with a friend at a Little Big Town concert? From now until June 18, 2008, Little Big Town and Harley-Davidson are sponsoring an Aloha LBT! Contest.

I live in the southwest where temperatures are already hovering around 100 degrees, so I’d love to spend 4th of July in Hawaii’s perfect climate.  And good news - even if you don’t own a leather jacket or ride a motorcycle, you’re eligible to enter!

Grand Prize Details

- One (1) Grand Prize winner and guest will receive roundtrip airfare from anywhere in the United States to Honolulu International Airport (HNL)

- Hotel accommodations for the nights of July 3, 4 & 5

- Two (2) concert tickets to Little Big Town’s performance on July 4th

- Two (2) Harley-Davidson® Leather Jackets

This contest runs from May 27 - June 18, 2008. The winner will be notified by email on June 19 and has 24 hours to respond.

Aloha LBT! Contest link  

Let us know if you win!

Red Robin has come up with a creative way to celebrate Mother’s Day.  From now until the end of Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13, 2007, they’re sponsoring a spa getaway essay contest. The Grand Prize for the winning mom is a spa getaway for herself and three friends to Whistler, British Columbia.  Whistler, a top resort destination, has great hotels, a beautiful ski village for shopping and eating out, and lots of outdoor activities.

To enter your mom to win, tell Red Robin why (in 100 words or less) you think your mom should win the spa getaway. 

The Grand Prize for the Red Robin Spa-tacular is:

• Five night stay for four at the Delta Whistler Village Suites in Whistler, BC Canada
• Round-trip coach airfare for four between the major metropolitan airport nearest Winner’s home and the Vancouver, BC airport in Canada
• Round-trip private car ground transfers between the airport and hotel
• Spa package for the Grand Prize Winner:  Vanilla Bean Sugar Scrub, Carrot Vitamin Wrap, Massage and Facial
• Sightseeing or event(s) for four based on season of travel and $1,000.

Besides the Grand Prize, a Runner-up will be chosen from each of the 50 states and will receive:

• $200 VISA® Gift Card
• $50 Red Robin® Restaurant Gift Card

For more details and the official rules, check out the Red Robin web site.

Here’s to all the wonderful mom’s out there – have a Happy Mother’s Day!

It’s been a couple of years since I visited the UK, a fabulous trip to London in the early part of the summer.   I fell in love with the city, spending much of my time walking around the streets on foot, led by experienced City Guides, who did a wonderful job of instilling the sense of history and culture that engulfed us.  Whether it was strolling in Queen Mary’s Rose gardens, drinking a pint at Black Friars, or catching a play in Leicester Square, London was truly an experience I’ll never forget.

If you haven’t been, now’s your chance to make some of your own London memories by entering VisitBritian’s “Win a Trip to Britain” contest.  From now until June 30, 2007, you can enter to win a luxurious trip for two to Britain, including  round trip airfare, eight nights accommodation, spa experiences, and first class rail passes. 

Offered on VisitBritain’s site, the prize includes:

• One trip for two people to London, round-trip business class airfare from Silverjet Airways, between New York and London.
• Two nights accommodation for two people in London at The MayFair including breakfast
• VIP two nights stay in Oxford. Stay will include one night at the Old Parsonage Hotel and one night at the sister The Old Bank Hotel.
• A two night stay at the Park Inn in the centre of York, including breakfast
• A two night spa break at any Q Hotel, for 2 people
• Spa treatments for two people at Le Spa in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
• Two first-class, 4-day flexi rail passes
• Two 7-day Great British Heritage passes
• One Molton Brown extravagant gift set

See the VisitBritain website for more details.

Congratulations to our lucky winner of the first Girlaway Giveaway! Our winner is Kim Allen, who lives on the gulf coast of Florida.  With so many great places to choose from, Kim is still deciding which Fairmont  she’ll visit.  It’s the first time she will have stayed at a Fairmont, so whichever one she selects, she’ll be in for treat. 

Getting feedback on your favorite articles has been great.  The top choices were:

• Best time to purchase tickets
• Chocolate martinis
• You go, girls!
• Ice cream flavor update

Thanks to everyone for participating and for your suggestions on what you’d like to see in future articles.  I’ll definitely keep those suggestions in mind and feel free to send tips and suggestions anytime to tips@girlaway.com.  

This is the last week to enter the Girlaway Giveway and the chance for one of you lucky girls to win a complimentary stay at a luxurious Fairmont hotel or resort!   

For a description of the prize and to find out how to enter, see the Girlaway Giveaway post.  

Thanks to the generosity of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, one of our readers will win a Girls Getaway at one of the luxurious Fairmont Hotels & Resorts listed below.

All you have to do to enter is comment on this post with a link to your favorite Girlaway article (excluding this one of course).  If some of you have a hard time deciding which is your favorite post, you can provide a creative suggestion for a future article.  Either method counts as one entry.  

Many of the Fairmont hotels are historic treasures located in prime city locations – the Fairmont Boston, Fairmont San Francisco, Fairmont Chicago and the Olympic Hotel in Seattle are just a few.  The Fairmont at Banff Springs is a Scottish baronial-style castle and has a spectacular setting in the Rocky Mountains.  The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has an excellent spa and is a perfect destination if you’re looking for warmth during the cooler months. 

The Girlaway Giveaway prize includes: (more…)

Here are some highlights from July:

• The Getty Museum (Los Angeles)
• Summer Travel Specials
• Local Getaway - have fun in your own home town
• Summer Entertainment Sampler
• Shakespeare Festival (Ashland, Oregon)
• Win a trip to France!
• Top Ten Bakeries
• Organizing a Girls Trip? Check out TripHub.
• San Juan Islands, Washington
• When the Girl is away…
• San Juan Island Lavender Festival
• Who’s the queen of chick flicks?