Planning a trip in the next few weeks?  You may or may not enjoy going where the crowds are.  Before you decide, check out this year’s top ten Spring Break destinations:

1. Destin, Florida
2. Disney World
3. Myrtle Beach
4. South Padre Island
5. Cancun
6. Key West
7. Gulf Shores, Alabama
8. Lake Tahoe
9. Outer Banks of North Carolina
10. Honolulu

via weather.com

I spent a perfect weekend in Seattle recently and wanted to share some of the high points in case you plan to visit in the future.  Visiting Seattle in February is, as most locals will tell you, very risky since there’s a good possibility it will be cold and rainy.  We were in town to see our cousin sing the lead in the opera, La Boheme, so we crossed our fingers and hoped the weather would cooperate.  

We stayed at the Hotel Andra, a very chic hotel ideally located within walking distance of Belltown, retail districts and the famous Pike Place Market.   We all loved the stylish and progressive feel of the hotel which carried through to the rooms. 

As it turned out, we were in luck with the weather – it was in the 60’s with plenty of sunshine.

My sisters, niece and I strolled over to Pike Place Market our first afternoon there and took in the huge array of vendors, including artists, craftsmen, fish mongers, farmers, and flower growers.  (more…)

Within a matter of hours of arriving at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, we’d viewed the opening of an origami exhibit along with a local news crew, sipped complimentary St. Michelle wine at the Chicago Art Institute while listening to live blues, and attended an outdoor performance of Bolero.  All these events were free and just a short walk from our hotel. 

My sister and I met in downtown Chicago last weekend to enjoy some music, shopping and relaxation.  It was the first visit for both of us, so I came prepared with my Chicago Pocket Pilot.  This handy water-proof guide has maps, top attractions, fun facts and transit routes and easily fits in a jeans pocket.  It ended up being a great resource.

Downtown Chicago is easy to navigate with its collection of trains, trolleys and buses, so we didn’t need a rental car.  Instead we bought a multi-day CTA pass at the airport and enjoyed being car-free for a few days.  Even with the transportation system, we did quite a bit of walking and were glad we’d brought good walking shoes.   (more…)

This past weekend my three sisters and I met in Santa Barbara for our annual girls trip. I’d heard so many good things about this place and was glad to finally visit it in person. Santa Barbara is an idyllic coastal village, about an hour and a half north of Los Angeles.  It’s a postcard-perfect town, surrounded by mist covered mountains and beaches.  Most buildings have stucco and red tiled roofs with profuse landscaping, including bougainvillea.  It’s the kind of place best discovered on foot.

To encourage visitors to leave their cars at home, Santa Barbara has come up with a clever way to preserve its clean air with its “Car Free” promotion.  During 2007, several hotels, restaurants and transportation services are offering discounts to visitors looking into car free options.  The town has plenty of public and private transportation services and encourages alternatives to driving a car. One of the bargains is a 25 cent electric bus that runs in the shopping district along State Street.

The shopping district has a wonderful selection of stores, movie theaters and restaurants.  We spent many hours shopping, eating and going to the movies on State Street.  We also toured the Mission Santa Barbara, saw the panoramic views from the Courthouse tower and visited neighboring Montecito – all recommended activities. 

For lodging, the four of us stayed in a suite at the Franciscan Inn – a cute place with an ideal location - a block from the beach and two blocks from State Street.  The Inn serves a light breakfast each morning and fresh baked cookies every afternoon.  It also has a large video library with free check-out privileges. Just by mentioning the Car Free promotion we got 20% off our room rate.  Be sure to book early – rooms are reserved well in advance.

There are also lots of outdoor activities to enjoy in Santa Barbara. Walking along the beach we saw surfers heading out to the waves, people playing beach volleyball and kayakers paddling near Stearns Wharf. 

If you want to see the perfect neighborhood market go to Lazy Acres – kind of like a scaled down version of Whole Foods Market and a great place to pick up a bouquet of flowers for the room or a cake to celebrate an event (we celebrated two birthdays).

Stay tuned for Part II…

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.

A trip to Florida conjures up images of crowded beaches and jam-packed highways. If you want to see what Florida was like when your grandmother was young, visit Amelia Island. The main road through this seaside paradise seems built more for horse and carriage than automobiles. 

Located 30 minutes from Jacksonville, Amelia Island offers plenty of outdoor activities with its miles of beaches, winding trails for bike riding, natural marshlands with boardwalks, golf, tennis and shopping. 

During our visit, we took a Segway tour given by Amelia’s Wheels. It took a few minutes for us to learn to navigate since we’d never used a Segway before, but with the help of our guide, we ended up like regular pros exploring the scenic island with all its moss-covered oak trees and exclusive homes. 

Walking along Centre Street in Fernandina Beach’s small downtown is also a fun activity. Centre Street is part of a 50 block historic district with Victorian style architecture.

There’s a whole range of lodging options on the island.  If you don’t mind splurging, stay at the Elizabeth Pointe Lodge, a beautiful Nantucket style B&B located right on the beach.  But, if you’re looking for a resort, stay at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island or the Amelia Inn & Beach Club.  To see the whole range of lodging choices including condos within the plantation, check out the island’s detailed list.

See also: Amelia Island  |  Amelia’s Wheels  |  Island Events

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?

Here’s a quick recap of what appeared in June:

• Where the Girls Are
• Chocolate Martinis
• Westin Kierland Resort & Spa (Scottsdale)
• Girl (Trip) Interrupted
• Mackinac Island, Michigan
• Spa Recap
• Vinotherapy
• Deals: Travel & Leisure’s Spa Week
• Stowe, Vermont
• Sharing photos? Try Flickr.
• Flip-Flop Style
• Nantucket
• Booking a Flight?
• Green Valley Resort & Spa (St. George, Utah)
• Beach Reads
• Carmel, California
• Things to do around Carmel
• Women may Benefit from Moderate Drinking
• Want to be on the Today Show?