Crystal Cruises announces its 2012 World Cruise, a 94-day epic journey exploring the diverse cultures of the Pacific Rim.  On a rare course round-trip from Los Angeles departing January 18, 2012, Crystal's 17th annual World Cruise will visit 35 ports in five segments, with multiple overnight stays on Crystal Serenity's route through Hawaii, the South Pacific, eastern and western Australia, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Russia, Alaska, British Columbia and San Francisco

For the first time, the ultra-luxury line is including a three-day inclusive overland adventure in Beijing; a maiden call in Newcastle, Australia; and a return to South Korea for the first time since 1994.

Three days in Beijing:  

The three-day inclusive Crystal Overland Adventure to Beijing visits the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven.

Overnight stays:

Two-night stays in Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong and Beijing, and overnight stays in Honolulu, Sydney, Perth, Singapore, Bangkok, Shanghai, Osaka and Yokohama.

A pre-cruise exclusive Bon Voyage Gala with luxury accommodations in Los Angeles launches the voyage for all full World Cruise guests.

"Travel connoisseurs consider a Crystal World Cruise to be the ultimate luxury vacation, comprised of exotic destinations, one-of-a-kind adventures and special events coupled with Crystal's renowned six-star service, enriching days at sea and attention to detail," says Bill Smith, senior vice president, sales and marketing.  "The shorter overall length of the 2012 voyage makes this grand voyage even more attractive to those trying their first World Cruise experience with Crystal."

A detailed day-by-day is accessible at www.crystalcruises.com.  Crystal is accepting deposits for priority waitlist.  Fares and more details on the wealth of World Cruise amenities and enhancements are expected in the fall 2010.

July 29, 2010 / category: Cruises / link / comments (0)
Michelin will expand its exclusive restaurant and hotel guide series in North America to include Chicago. The MICHELIN guide Chicago 2011, the first-ever MICHELIN guide for a Midwestern city, will be published in November 2010.  The announcement was made today by Jean-Luc Naret, worldwide director of the MICHELIN guide.
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The MICHELIN guide, whose rating system is internationally recognized as the height of culinary success, is already published in 25 editions covering 23 countries, and additionally includes North America guides to New York City, which was introduced in November 2005, and San Francisco, launched the year after. The MICHELIN guide also recently launched titles in Asia, including two guides in Japan (Tokyo and Kyoto & Osaka) and Hong Kong & Macao.

The guide will provide a selection and rating, in all categories of comfort and prices, in a reader-friendly layout made especially for the American market and which reflects the region's distinctive culinary and hotel landscape.

"The diversity, breadth and depth of Chicago's restaurant and hotel scene, coupled with its rich gastronomic history, clearly mark the city and surrounding areas as the logical choice for the next North American title in the MICHELIN guide series," commented Naret. "As with our recently updated guides to New York City and San Francisco, we are making every effort to produce a comprehensive selection that does full justice to the region's exciting restaurant and hotel culture and also meets our readers' expectations."

During the announcement, Naret described Chicago as unique among American cities, citing its reputation as a world-class tourism destination and stressing the importance of its treasured culinary traditions.

Michelin is using the occasion of the new MICHELIN guide Chicago 2011 to highlight the company's entire line of travel and lifestyle products. This business category encompasses Michelin's full collection of travel guides, maps, online travel resources, automotive accessories and footwear designed to strengthen consumer engagement with the Michelin brand on a more frequent basis. These products create nearly half a billion touch points annually and enrich the equity of the brand. According to Parmeet Grover, worldwide head of strategic marketing for Michelin's travel and lifestyle divisions, these products deliver the same Michelin promise of quality and consistency that consumers expect from one of the world's most trusted brands. Michelin is the only tire manufacturer with this unique lifestyle offering.

The MICHELIN guide, and its expansion into Chicago, provides a key example of Michelin Travel & Lifestyle' s goal to enhance the enjoyment of travel in support of the company's better mobility mission.

"We are eagerly anticipating the MICHELIN guide's entry into this wonderful city known for its cuisine, culture, beauty and innovative spirit," said Naret.  

As part of their meticulous and highly confidential evaluation process, Michelin inspectors - both European and American - are currently conducting anonymous inspections to Chicago restaurants and hotels. They've been in Chicago for two years. As with all MICHELIN guide inspections, the process involves test meals or overnight stays at each establishment, in order to assess the level and the consistency of the establishment. And as for all the other guides and all the other countries, the inspectors pay all their bills in restaurants and hotels.

"The Michelin inspectors are the eyes and ears of the customers, and thus the anonymity of our inspectors is key to ensure they are treated the same as any guest would be treated," commented Naret.

Restaurants and hotels selected for inclusion in the Guide will be listed by neighborhood and also cross-referenced by category.

The MICHELIN guide offers a broad selection of hotels and restaurants in each price and comfort category, taking into account the local environment. This rating is unique and consistent across all countries covered by the MICHELIN guide. It is expressed in two ways:

  • A comfort rating: levels of comfort are rated using one to five forks and spoons for restaurants and one to five pavilions for hotels. Those symbols only judge the comfort of the establishment. They are: the furnishings of the establishment, the service, the cleanliness and upkeep of the surroundings. Red forks and spoons or red pavilions are for especially pleasant establishments.
  • Special distinctions for certain establishments: these include stars for the very best restaurants. The stars judge only "what's on the plate," meaning the quality of products, the mastering of flavors, the mastering of cooking, the "personality" of the cuisine, the value for money and the consistency of what it offers to its customers both throughout the menu and the year.

While every restaurant in the guide is a recommendation from Michelin, certain restaurants deserve to be brought to the reader's attention for the fine quality of their cooking. These establishments are identified by Michelin stars, which are awarded for the standard of meals served.

A general listing in the guide indicates "a quality restaurant that stands out from others" in the same category of comfort, definitely worth trying.

The star ratings are as follows:

  • One star indicates "a very good restaurant in its category," a place offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard.
  • Two stars denote "excellent cooking, worth a detour," skillfully and carefully crafted dishes of outstanding quality.
  • Three stars reward "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey." One always eats extremely well here, often superbly. Distinctive dishes are precisely executed, using superlative ingredients.

A restaurant that receives one or more stars is not only one of the best in its country but also one of the best in the world.

The decision to award a star is a collective one, based on the consensus of all inspectors who have visited a particular establishment. A written description of each establishment and a variety of other symbols will give readers further insight into an establishment's ambiance, type of cuisine and specialties, and wine list, customized to American tastes and needs.

Michelin's founders, Andre and Edouard Michelin, first impacted the transportation world, and consequently the travel world, when their innovative ideas led to the first pneumatic automobile tires. Since this breakthrough in travel technology, the Michelin Group has been dedicated to providing unbiased, accurate, clear and easy-to-understand information for the traveling customer.  The MICHELIN guide, first published in 1900, was created to provide motorists with practical information about where they could service and repair their cars and find quality accommodations or a good meal. The guide was provided free of charge until 1920, and the "star system" for outstanding restaurants was introduced in 1926, with the two- and three-star categories introduced in the early 1930s, clearly positioning Michelin as the most respected arbiter of fine dining. With its unparalleled commitment to quality, Michelin publishes close to 10 million maps, atlases, travel guides and hotel and restaurant guides in more than 90 countries worldwide every year.  

For more than a century, the MICHELIN guide collection has made traveling easier by providing a selection of the best restaurants, hotels and guesthouses throughout the world. Today, the 25 guides in the collection cover 23 countries on three continents and include more than 45,000 addresses around the world.

The MICHELIN guide Chicago 2011 will complement the existing catalog of Michelin maps and guides to the North American market, including the recently updated guides to New York City and San Francisco. It's the 26th guide of the collection. The guide will be available in November 2010 at bookstores, boutiques and other participating retailers, including online retailers.


July 16, 2010 / category: Chicago / link / comments (0)
Fleetwood RV, Inc., a leading producer of Class A and Class C recreational vehicles, today launched the 2011 Storm - a "crossover" motor home that features the sleeping capacity and value of a Class C motor home along with the roominess and storage capacity of a Class A motor home.
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"The 2011 Storm is a special motor home because it includes the best aspects of both a Class A and a Class C motor home," said John Draheim, CEO of Fleetwood RV, Inc. "Storm is loaded with standard features and provides a great value at price that appeals to a wide range of RVers."

The 2011 Storm is available in three floor plans: a 28-foot single-slide, rear bedroom floor plan with walk-around queen bed and oversized wrap-around booth dinette (28MS); a 31-foot dual-slide, side-aisle floor plan with opposing dinette/sofa in the living room (30SA); and a 31-foot dual-slide floor plan with standard traditional bunk beds or the optional "Bunk Bed-n-Breakfast" space-saving two-person dinette with convertible bunk beds (32BH).

The innovative "Hide-a-Loft" feature, a queen-sized, electronic drop-down bed with air mattress located above the driver/passenger captain's chairs, is also an available option on all floor plans.

Standard features on the 2011 Storm include one-piece windshield, 82" interior height; Soft Touch Flexsteel® driver/passenger captain's chairs; Soft Touch Flair® sofa; convertible Dream Dinette with two cup holders; 26" LCD wide-screen TV with DVD player; pleated night shades; full extension drawer guides and transit-ship locks; high-gloss fiberglass sidewalls; full basement exterior with enclosed, heated holding tanks and luggage compartments; pass-through storage; Onan® 4.0kw MicroQuiet generator;15,000 BTU ducted air conditioner; patio awning; rear vision camera with monitor; power heated remote mirrors; power entry step; stainless steel wheel simulators; black tank sani-flush; exterior shower; Fantastic power roof vent; dual deep cycle auxiliary batteries; one-inch (inside diameter) water tank drain; and whole coach water filtration.

Base MSRP on the 2011 Storm starts at $82,000. For more information about Fleetwood RV and its full-line of Class A and Class C recreational vehicles, call 1-800-322-8216 or visit www.fleetwoodrv.com.


July 15, 2010 / category: Touring / link / comments (0)
The Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown hotel, situated at 999 Ninth Street at K Street, NW, is celebrating its 21st birthday with a brand new lobby, a multi-million dollar renovation investment by its owners, Sunstone Hotels.  The lobby's design and overarching theme of global connectivity was conceived by Dallas design firm, Looney & Associates.
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"The re-concepting of the lobby engages our guests and is as vibrant as the neighborhood we are located in," says Brad Edwards, general manager, Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown hotel.  "From the moment they walk in, guests will see that we have evolved beyond being termed a convention hotel. Our new lobby will provide our guests memorable experiences and opportunities for new discovery upon each visit."

Replacing the former more traditional style is a modern design, mindful of the hotel's unique locale and capturing the essence of our nation's capital.  The once vast atrium lobby has been redesigned through the creation of several spaces allowing guests to conduct meetings or socially connect in public; whether over a bottle of wine or delectable nosh.  Ideal for intimate gatherings, the unique areas can be reserved for with minimum food & beverage guarantees.  

The art throughout the lobby was commissioned to be a modern interpretation of the changing landscape of Washington, DC.  As soon as guests enter the space through the hotel's new vestibule, they will notice the LED juxtaposed series of historic and modern DC images.   Other pieces include modern odes to presidents such as Lincoln and Washington, enlarged money printed on wood blocks, and pop-art takes on the Smithsonian institute.    

The central focal seating area in the lobby, called Mingle, allows the hurried traveler to enjoy a moment of rest and relaxation.  The open and inviting area is encompassed by a cherry- blossom inspired steel and hand-blown glass sculpture, entitled "Contemplative Space" by renowned sculptor Brad Oldham. The residential feel of the lobby library, known as Explore, with its stunning 24-arm Murano glass chandelier, will quickly become a favorite spot for guests to unwind. Guests can have a cocktail on the library's white leather curved sofa or curl up with their own iPad, Kindle or even choose one of the many books that adorn the shelves.

The energetic lobby bar, Mixx, offers an eclectic beverage menu.  Guests can sip on classic cocktails such as The Sazerac with rye, Absinthe, sugar and Peychaud's bitters and a Moscow Mule with Absolut vodka, ginger beer and lime.  Or guests can discover inspired adaptations of originals such as the antioxidant rich Brazilian Cure, a twist on the Caipirinha with VeeV Acai liquor, sugar and fresh lime; and an update on the Champagne cocktail called the Kiss of Pearsuasion with Absolut Pear and Elderflower liqueur.  Regional microbrew beers such as Hook & Ladder, from Silver Spring, Md., and Starr Hill amber ale, from Charlottesville, Va., complete Mixx's selection of American and international draft and bottled beers. The wine menu features a good selection of California, European, and other world selections, both big-label and boutique, moderately priced.  Over 30 wines are offered by the glass and select wines can be served in 3, 6, or 9-ounce pours.

The Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown hotel is situated at 999 9th Street at K Street, NW across from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and is close to a myriad of dining, nightlife, and shopping experiences in Washington DC's Chinatown & Penn Quarter districts.  With 64,000 square feet of flexible function space and 30 breakout rooms, the hotel is considered to be a premier meeting & convention destination.  The hotel is home to Vida Fitness featuring 6,000 square feet of state-of-the art cardio, strength and resistance equipment and the 4,000 square foot Aura spa offering a variety of therapeutic customized treatments.  Within walking distance to the Penn Quarter neighborhood and Verizon Center, the hotel is near the Gallery Place Metro Station on the red, green and yellow lines.  For more information or reservations contact your travel professional, call the hotel directly at (202) 898-9000 or visit www.dcrenaissance.com  


July 9, 2010 / category: Tourist Spots / link / comments (0)
Queen Elizabeth II is set to visit New York on July 6th and it is giving us all a little Royal fever. If her visit to the States doesn't quite satisfy your Royal cravings, fans of Her Majesty can now live like the Queen for a day on their next visit to Britain.

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VisitBritain, the national tourist board, has composed a list of the Queen's favorite places to visit, eat and shop to help us all experience the Royal treatment. This summer is an especially good time to visit: it's 30% cheaper than summer 2008.  So, it's easy to zip across the pond and live like a Queen for a few days.

Dine like a queen

The Goring Hotel, London

In London, stop by The Goring for a dinner fit for the Queen. A favorite of the Queen Mother, who was partial to the Eggs Drumkilbo, The Goring has many Royal connections. The Archive Room played a part in Prince Charles' 60th Birthday celebrations and of course the hotel is situated around the corner from Buckingham Palace. Enjoy dinner as the Royals have, and there's always the chance the Queen may be sitting across the room. www.thegoring.com

Fortnum & Mason, Piccadilly Circus, London

For a more casual dining experience, stop by Fortnum & Mason, official grocery suppliers to Her Majesty and enjoy a picnic in Green Park - one of London's Royal Gardens. Some Cadbury chocolate, another favorite of the Queen, would be the perfect finish to your Royal picnic. www.fortnumandmason.com

Dress like a queen

Best British brands, Britain-wide

To live like Her Majesty, your wardrobe would of course have to be fit for a Queen. Some of the queen's favorite - and widely available - British brands include Burberry, Pringle of Scotland, Hunter Boots and Austin Reed - all of which hold Royal Warrants as official suppliers to the Queen.

Rigby and Peller, London

For any woman, what you wear underneath is just as important as what you wear on top. At Rigby and Peller - one of Britain's most exclusive lingerie shops - you can be sure to receive service fit for a Queen. What else would you expect from a company who has held a Royal Warrant as official Corsetieres to H.M. Queen Elizabeth since 1960?

Live like a queen

Castle Hotels, Britain-wide

What could make you feel more regal than staying in a castle? Visitors to Britain will be spoilt for choice and can stay overnight in a variety of castles across the country. Check out www.visitbritain.com for more information.

Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh Scotland

This magnificent ship helped make H.M. The Queen the most traveled monarch the world has ever known. Decommissioned in 1997 and now permanently moored in Edinburgh, Scotland, each room onboard Britannia is furnished to her own personal taste, filled with photographs of her children, treasured family heirlooms and gifts from across the globe. The Queen named Britannia as the one place where she could truly relax.  Britannia was also host to four royal honeymoons, including Prince Charles and Princess Diana as well as Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk

Windsor Castle, Windsor, England

Just a short jaunt by train from London, Windsor Castle is one of the Queen's official residences and where she spends most weekends. Open year-round, your chances for spotting the Queen go up around Easter time, when she takes up residence for a month. www.royalcollection.org.uk

Buckingham Palace, London, England

From the end of July until the beginning of October each year, you can cross the gates of Buckingham Palace and see one of Britain's most famous landmarks for yourself. This year, you won't want to miss the special exhibition, The Queen's Year, which recreates a year in the life of Her Majesty and also includes a collection of ceremonial dress with day and evening wear to reflect the range of events in the royal calendar.  Visits to the Royal Staterooms, garden and the Queen's Gallery are also possible at this time of year. http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/microsites/thequeensyear/

About VisitBritain

  • Americans made three million visits to the UK in 2008 and spent US $3.3 billion (GBP 2.2 billion pounds Sterling) - placing them in the UK's top three most important markets for visitors. Britain remains Americans' favorite long-haul destination.
  • VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, is responsible for inspiring the world to explore Britain and for developing the UK's visitor economy. With representatives in 35 countries around the world, we are the international tourism promotional arm for Britain and the nations and regions of Britain.
  • Every year 17 million visits are made by international consumers to the 57 websites that make up VisitBritain's global family of websites, www.visitbritain.com, which together provide information in 21 different languages.
  • Visitors traveling to Britain can purchase money and time saving local transport, sightseeing, attraction, theatre and tour tickets from www.visitbritainshop.us

SOURCE VisitBritain


June 30, 2010 / category: England / link / comments (0)
The NYC Japan Street Fair is back this summer with a new name: JapanTown! Uniting a diverse array of local Japanese businesses and household brands, JapanTown is a series of three festivals held in the East Village, Midtown, and the Upper East Side, focusing on Japanese "cool" culture, Japanese healthy food, and Japanese soul food, respectively. Introducing distinct Japanese products and attractions, JapanTown welcomes everyone to experience the rich culture of Japan and learn more about the New York Japanese business community.

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Starting off JapanTown on July 17th, 2010 is the Cool Japan festival in the East Village, NYC's unofficial Japan Town. Highlighting the popular elements that make Japanese culture "cool," this festival offers Japanese robots to antiques to favorite snacks such as yakimochi and okonomiyaki. Visitors are also invited to participate in a Japanese street fashion contest; winners receive a prize from a JapanTown sponsor.

The Healthy Food & Green festival on August 22nd in Midtown enlightens visitors about select wholesome Japanese foods. Look for macrobiotic specialties from Souen Noodle restaurant, pesticide-free Japanese produce from Suzuki Farm, miso beef from Marukome, and soy products from Kikkoman.

The Soul Food festival on September 26th in the Upper East Side is all about Japanese soul food--the authentic dishes unique to specific regions of Japan. Visitors can sample such eats as Kyushu grilled tonton pork, Japanese curry, fried soba and gyoza, and konjac. The agricultural government of Kyushu, Japan's southernmost island, is to showcase its regional products as well.

JapanTown began in 2009 and was enormously successful, with an estimated 80,000 visitors browsing the wares of 30 vendors, which sold a massive quantity of items and distributed up to 10,000 product samples within six hours and 450 food samples within four hours. It is estimated that 200,000 visitors are to visit the three JapanTown festivals this year.

JapanTown is still accepting vendor and sponsor applications. For more information, please visit www.nyjapantown.org.

JapanTown Festivals:




Cool Japan Festival

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Fourth Avenue between 8th and 10th Streets




Healthy Food & Green Festival

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

Madison Avenue between 43rd and 45th Streets




Soul Food Festival

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Lexington Avenue between 93rd and 96th Streets





June 22, 2010 / category: Festivals / link / comments (0)
STAR TREK LIVE, a new interactive stage show based on the popular science-fiction franchise, debuted to hundreds of guests at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on June 11, 2010, kicking off a summer of fun.  The show takes audiences on an exhilarating 30-minute journey offering an unforgettable live theatrical experience for fans of all ages. The show combines fun special effects, audience interaction and an exploration of real space-age technology.

Produced by Mad Science® Productions, under a license from CBS Consumer Products, STAR TREK LIVE introduces a world of discovery by combining science with entertainment to teach and encourage scientific literacy. In the show, the audience portrays new Starfleet cadets assembled for the first day at the Starfleet Academy led by its best and brightest. The new cadets will have to learn quickly the intricacies of living and working in space, modern space travel and the latest in communication and technology.  

"We are thrilled to present the worldwide debut of STAR TREK LIVE at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex - only a few miles away from where history was made and mankind's greatest adventure began," said Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Chief Operating Officer Bill Moore. "NASA and Star Trek have a long, parallel history together, and we hope to inspire visiting families with the fun and educational story of space exploration through this engaging stage show. A sense of science has been given to science-fiction through Star Trek, and NASA transforms this incredible journey into reality."

STAR TREK LIVE is presented a minimum of three times daily at the 300-seat Astronaut Encounter Theater. For more information about the live action show, call Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex at 877-313-2610 or visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com.

Audience members of all ages join Starfleet Academy only to be unexpectedly whisked into an adventure steeped in the grand tradition of Star Trek. STAR TREK LIVE combines fun special effects, audience interaction, cool science and on-screen appearances from Captain Kirk and Spock themselves to create an exhilarating and unforgettable theatrical experience.

Eager to learn from Starfleet's best and brightest, cadets assemble, anxious to prepare for their first day at the Academy. As they are introduced to the Academy, the Earth itself comes under attack from a renegade Romulan, leaving the fate of the future itself in the hands of cadets. Cadets must quickly learn the intricacies of living and working in space, modern space travel and the latest in communication and technology as they draw on the achievements of science in the 21st century. It will require cadets' knowledge, ingenuity, logic and an exploration of science to discover what is happening and how to set things right before it's too late!

NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is located just east of Orlando and is the gateway to a working space center and one of Florida's most popular destinations. It's a 70-acre arena of inspirational, educational and entertaining experiences.  Admission includes the new STAR TREK LIVE, Shuttle Launch Experience, Kennedy Space Center Tour, 3D IMAX® space films, Astronaut Encounter, all exhibits and shows, and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame®, featuring historic spacecraft, simulator rides and the world's largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opens at 9 a.m. Closing times vary by season.  The Visitor Complex is open daily except December 25 and certain launch days.  Admission is $38 + tax for adults and $28 + tax for children ages 3-11. For more information, call 877-313-2610 or visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com.

June 11, 2010 / category: Tourist Spots / link / comments (0)
Everyone has a travel dream, whether it be cruising down the Nile River in Egypt or visiting Emperor penguins in Antarctica. iExplore is bringing a wide array of dream destinations to life with the re-launch of their website through stunning photography, compelling content and an extensive portfolio of privately guided and small group trips.

Visitors to the new iExplore site will see a clean, fresh design with expanded navigation, new trip search functionality and updated travel guides.  A brand new section will be introduced: iExplore Experiences. The Experiences section provides in-depth content about a particular destination or activity and includes custom articles from leading travel writers, interviews with expedition leaders, top 10 lists and photo galleries. At launch, the Experiences section will feature the following:

  • Antarctica
  • Peru
  • Egypt
  • Safaris
  • Culinary
  • Cruising
  • Summer Family Vacations
  • America's Best Kept Vacation Secrets

"iExplore's new website is the next step in our evolution as the #1 ranked adventure travel website. We are expanding our product portfolio to include more small group trips--based on feedback from our customers--as well as adding a significant amount of new and unique travel content to our already extensive library," said Dallyce Macas, President and CEO of TUI North American Distribution--iExplore's parent company.

The new website furthers iExplore's position as the essential travel destination website for travelers, or armchair travelers, at every point in their journey.  iExplore's advertising partners will also benefit from increased sponsorship opportunities, custom integration solutions and new media placements.

Founded in 1999, Chicago-based iExplore is the No. 1 ranked website for adventure and experiential travel, with more than 1 million visitors per month.  It is Google's "authority site" in the adventure travel category, and powers adventure tours behind many trusted brands like Expedia, Travelocity, Travel Channel, Fodors, Frommers and Lonely Planet, to name a few.

iExplore is an independently-operated division of TUI TRAVEL PLC, a multi billion plus-dollar international leisure travel business based in the United Kingdom. TUI (TT.L) is a FTSE 100 Company, traded on the London Stock Exchange. TUI's strong financial position and global reach assure safety and security with every holiday planned through its companies.

WEB: www.iexplore.com

SOURCE iExplore

June 4, 2010 / category: Travel / link / comments (0)
Who needs sand or even sun for a day at the beach? This Memorial Day weekend, pack the family in the car and head to LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Schaumburg for a three-day indoor LEGO® Beach Party - complete with the opportunity to build sandcastles out of sand-colored LEGO bricks imported just for the occasion.
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From Saturday, May 29 through Monday, May 31, Schaumburg's biggest box of LEGO bricks, LEGOLAND Discovery Center will be transformed into a summer getaway from top to bottom. A LEGO beach will be set up for young LEGO architects to let their sandcastle imaginations run wild. The Center's popular MINILAND Chicago skyline will feature a beach scene starring Lake Michigan as the latest local landmark to be recreated LEGO-style. Beach bumming  staffers will be dressed in summer garb. Kids' finished sandcastle creations will even be photographed as mementoes of their fun in the LEGOLAND sun.  And you can also get a souvenir photo of your visit to LEGO Beach. Kids ages 12 and under will receive one free admission when accompanied by one paying adult* if they bring in a photograph of a past family vacation to add to the Center's collection.

Partygoers will also have access to all of the attractions in this two-story LEGOLAND Discovery Center. There's an eye-popping 4D Cinema where LEGO stories come to life, a Jungle Expedition populated with LEGO animals (and a few surprises), and a Dragon ride through a medieval castle filled with animated LEGO models. There's also a high-flying Technicycle ride driven by kids' own pedal power, a LEGO Factory tour where visitors 'make' their very own brick, ample opportunities for hands-on LEGO building including lessons from the Center's Master Model Builders, and much more - all providing hours of interactive family fun.

All attractions are included in the entry fee ($15 for children, $19 for adults at the door, with discounts for advance purchases, group visits and annual passes). Memorial Day weekend hours are 10 am-7 pm (last admission at 5 pm). For advance ticket purchases, regular hours or more information, visit www.LEGOLANDDiscoveryCenter.com or call 847-592-9708.


May 26, 2010 / category: Things To Do / link / comments (0)
The USA Pavilion at Expo Shanghai 2010 welcomed its 500,000th visitor today, only 15 days after it opened on May 1.

In a recent poll, the USA Pavilion was named one of the most anticipated Pavilions at Expo 2010. The USA Pavilion is expected to accommodate an estimated 35,000 visitors per day, or approximately six million guests over the six-month duration of Expo.

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"I am amazed by what we were able to achieve in such a short time," said U.S. Commissioner General Jose H. Villarreal. "We are proud to have hosted 500,000 visitors from across China and around the world during the past couple of weeks. We appreciate the positive feedback from our visitors. We will continue to welcome all of our guests with warm American hospitality."

In addition to a series of multi-dimensional, content-rich, hi-tech presentations, the USA Pavilion also features a wide range of performances including jazz, pop, hip-hop, ska and classical music. The most up-to-date events calendar is easily accessible on the News & Events section of the USA Pavilion's official Website: http://www.usapavilion2010.com.

At more than 60,000 square feet (6,000 square meters), the USA Pavilion is one of the largest national pavilions at the Expo. With the theme of "Rising to the Challenge," the United States presence will showcase American culture, values, innovation and business in one of China's most dynamic cities, while celebrating the friendship and cooperation between the United States, China and the rest of the world.

May 14, 2010 / category: Asia / link / comments (0)
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