“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” Paul Theroux
More Vineyards
Weekend in the Vineyards
Before You Leave Home Tips
If you know you will be visiting museums, zoos, aquariums or similar attractions while on vacation…join your local one before you go. Many times memberships transfer across the country. Sometimes you can get a reduced rate, other times you pay nothing.
Ask what the benefits are and tell your local one where you are going. They may even have hints for you.
Heading to a city with an upscale restaurant you are just dying to try? Then again, you know you really don’t want to pay those kind of prices? Make a reservation for lunch. Many times lunch prices are half what you would pay for dinner.
Check out the visitors bureaus when you arrive in a new city. Ask for discounts, coupons or suggestions. Some cities have websites where you can print your own coupons before you leave home.
Grand Canyon Boat Trips
Heading to the Grand Canyon this summer? Want to experience it from a different perspective?
How about a Colorado river rafting trip? Book in advance as the National Park Service only gives permits to 16 outfitters.
Some may have spots available to last minute travelers so it’s a good idea to check with several companies. When you book, your outfitter will give you a list of requirements as well as what other arrangements you need to make.
You have several options when it comes to boat types… inflatable rubber rafts, motor boats, oar boats, paddle boats and hybrid trips with different boats. Depending upon your group size and type, pick the one that works best for you. Research before you pick your boat.
Also, think about how much time you want to spend on the river. You can do one to three day trips in the lower canyon or up to 18 days. This may include a hike down to the river. But do remember you will need to come back up!
The upper canyon is narrower with trips ranging from three to over six days.
If you’re up for it…put yourself at the mercy of the Colorado River and enjoy the Grand Canyon from a mile beneath the rim.
And…yes I know the photo at the top is not of the Grand Canyon. Anyone know where it is?
Summer
aaahhh…summer
Old Travel Guidebooks
If you travel and collect guidebooks…great. What happens when they get old, outdated or you are just not going to use them again? Dust collectors? Book shelf fillers? Food for your storage closet?
Recently I came across some suggestions and have added some of my own. Take a look…
You could always sell them online. www.guidegecko.com allows you to list guidebooks for free and then takes a 15% commission when they sell. There are other sites as well. And just maybe someone is looking for a guidebook on Los Angeles or cheap sleeps in Italy.
Some bookstores buy gently used books. Check out your local store to see if they have such a program.
You could trade them. Look at Swaptree to see how they work.
Give them to a friend…provided the friend wants them.
Leave them. You are finished in Finland and know you won’t be coming back in the near future…leave it with the B&B owner. Just don’t leave it in your room. You may get it mailed back to you!
Give them to a library. Any gently used books are welcome and you can ask for a receipt for tax purposes.
Villas with a Twist
According to concierge.com you can rent some pretty amazing places…check them out.
Twin Palms Sinatra Estate, Palm Springs, California
The dish: Built for Ol’ Blue Eyes and his first wife, Nancy, the 4,500-square-foot Twin Palms Sinatra Estate has 3 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, mid-century furnishings, and Sinatra’s original sound system. A large patio surrounds the cabana and the grand piano-shaped pool.
The details: $1,950 a night, or $650 per room
L’Isle House, Oxfordshire, England
The dish: Play a round while playing lord or lady of the manor at L’Isle House, an 8-bedroom English country house dating to the seventeenth century. The 140-acre estate comprises manufactured gardens, a pool, a tennis court, three fishing lakes, and a private 9-hole golf course. For a full 18 holes, start the course in one direction, then do it again in reverse.
The details: From $25,570 per week, or $456 per room per night
Villa Lyrica, Santorini, Greece
The dish: The 5-bedroom Villa Lyrica, with its traditional Cycladic exterior and modern interior, features a state-of-the-art recording studio (past guests have included celebrity music producers Kevin Shirley and Peer Astrom). The spare, earth-toned décor won’t distract you from your work; for inspiration, head to the terraces, which provide panoramic sea views.
The details: From $11,050 per week or $315 per room per night
Villa Andrea, Glen Ellen, California
The dish: The 5-bedroom, 7-bathroom Mediterranean-inspired Villa Andrea sits on 30 acres of a cabernet sauvignon vineyard in the heart of California’s wine country. The large swimming pool has stunning views of Sonoma Valley, and guests can throw dinner parties in the property’s 7,000-square-foot cave, where the wine is distilled and aged, then show a flick in the villa’s screening room.
The details: From $19,000 per week, or $542 per room per night
Golden Dolphin Villa, Cabrera, Dominican Republic
The dish: The Golden Dolphin Villa, on a 100-acre hilltop estate, overlooks tropical forests and the ocean, and features its own private baseball diamond. With 9 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms, the mansion is big enough to accommodate a full field of players.
The details: From $2,100 per night, or $233 per room
