After having lived in Texas for nearly 15 years I’m almost ashamed to say that I’ve never vacationed on the Texas coast.  This year we corrected that oversight and spent Christmas week down at South Padre Island.  Call it beginners luck but we found a nicely furnished condo on the beach overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

Best known for its wild Spring Break parties, we weren’t quite sure what to expect for crowds during this time of year.  We were happy and somewhat relieved to find that this time of year attracts mostly families and those euphemistically known as “Winter Texans”.

My husband spent a few hours scouring the vacation rental sites before sending me a few candidates for consideration.  He found a couple possibilities, but he can’t help it if he’s design impaired.  I pulled up Trip Advisor and after about 10 minutes found what I was looking for. 

With Trip Advisor, I was able to search for “South Padre Island”, and see a list of lodging choices sorted by popularity.  The detailed user comments not only helped us make the best choice but also provided useful insider tips.  We stayed at the Suntide III condominiums (ranked #1 by popularity) and our experience was consistent with the Trip Advisor comments.  Our condo was nicely furnished, extremely clean and the property had good shared amenities (pool, tennis courts, beach access, etc.). 

When relying on Trip Advisor comments, I keep in mind that owners give themselves good comments so I focus on those with at least half a dozen comments about a place to get several perspectives. 

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…)

Besides Orcas Island (see previous post) another popular destination within the San Juans is San Juan Island itself.  Step off the ferry at Friday Harbor and enjoy this picturesque walk-able seaside town with several interesting shops and good cafes.  

This weekend - July 15 and 16 - is San Juan Island’s Lavender Festival and Summer Arts Fair.  Friday Harbor will host most activities which will include local artists, live music performances and everything lavender. (more…)

If you’re looking for a destination where nature is the main attraction, there are few places more beautiful than the San Juan Islands, located north of Seattle.  The San Juan Islands are made up of several small islands including Orcas, Lopez, Shaw and San Juan Island.  The best time to visit is from June through mid-September when the weather is warmest.  Most people reach the islands by boat or by taking the Washington State Ferry from Anacortes.

I love taking the ferry.  It stops at each of the islands, so you get to watch all the travelers coming and going and see the beautiful waterfront homes. For my money, it’s one of the best cruise deals around.  Once you board, head up to the passenger deck and grab a hot drink or Ivar’s famous clam chowder. Relax in one of the booths in the observation areas that overlook the open water.  Hold on to your hair and anything else that isn’t attached to your body and brave the front deck to catch a glimpse of porpoises (or maybe an Orca if you’re lucky) swimming in front of the bow of the ship. (more…)

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?

From now until September 10, 2006, the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa is offering a package to lure even those of us who shy away from Arizona summers.  The Westin Kierland Resort offers golf with air-conditioned carts, tennis, spa services, a fitness studio, a waterpark with a 900 foot flowing river ride, and complimentary shuttle service to shopping in Kierland Commons.

Their Summer’s Hottest Package includes:

• 20% off a spa treatment
• $500 dining & shopping incentive book
• $10 gift certificate at Lather
• Rates start at $169 per night
• Offer is valid now – 9/10/2006
• When booking reservation, use rate code SUMMER

For reservations contact the Westin Kierland Resort.

I’ve been on dozens of girl trips and as is the law of probability, there’s going to be one or two that don’t go according to plan.  One of our most memorable trips to go awry was our spa getaway to Sedona, the spiritual capital of Arizona.  We had reservations to stay at the Enchantment Resort, a gorgeous resort surrounded by the red rock formations of Boynton Canyon, with spa treatments lined up for Saturday morning at the resort’s world-ranked Mii Amo Spa. 

We drove up to Sedona from Phoenix on Friday afternoon and didn’t pay much attention to the rain until it became a downpour.  After trying our hardest to enjoy some wet weather shopping in town, we decided to head out to the resort.  Shopping isn’t very fun when you’re soaked.  (more…)

Mackinac Island will take you back in time.  That’s exactly what happened to Christopher Reeve in the film Somewhere in Time, which was filmed here at the Grand Hotel.  From its horse drawn buggies, to its Victorian lined streets, the island retains the ambiance of a 19th-century village. Like his character, Richard Collier, you might find yourself sprawling across the bed of your room and saying “It really is June 27, 1912”.

There aren’t a lot of activities on the island.  This is the kind of place where you’ll want to go to soak up the scenery, read a book, spend time catching up with your girlfriends and just relax. (more…)