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DESTINATION U.S.

VEGAS DOES IT AGAIN

vegas  gaming  fun  casinosWe’ve claimed before that Las Vegas changes formats faster and more often than any other destination. Now Tropicana Las Vegas makes the latest change with its newly designed hotel rooms and luxury suites in Paradise Tower…completely redone in South Beach chic. What do the Nevada desert and Florida’s shoreline have in common? Not much, but Vegas already takes you   to Paris, Venice, and New York, so why not South Beach? This is Phase 1 of a $165 million upgrade, designed to put that sultry South Beach vibe at the heart of the new Tropicana. The Miami-inspired décor brings a sense of the tropics indoors. Heavy drapes were replaced with white shutters, and dark furniture has disappeared in favor of a comfortable, casual look in soft colors.

 

By 2011, rooms and suites in both towers will be completely upgraded, along with the casino and public areas. Additions will include several restaurants, bars and lounges, a full-service spa, retail stores, a new poker room, entertainment options, a conference center, and a nightclub.  www.troplv.com


DESTINATION JAPAN:

WHAT’S NEW IN TOKYO

In this commemorating year of the Visit Japan campaign, Tokyo opens more doors for visitors, especially at the Capitol Hotel Tokyu. This flagship property of a large Japanese hotel chain reopens in the heart of Tokyo’s government district on October 22, 2010. Its 251 guest rooms include 13 suites in the uniquely designed 29-story Tokyu Capitol Tower. A calm Hie Shrine garden greets guests at the entrance of this centrally located luxury spot. Capitol Hotel Tokyu has a history of hosting the Beatles and many other major celebrities. www.capitolhoteltokyu.com/en/

Have you often wondered what it’s like floating through the sky in one of those huge blimps? On April 1, Zeppelin NT (New Technology) introduced cruises over Tokyo in the largest blimp in the world at 246 feet long and 57.4 in height. Eighty years ago, the famous German blimp Graf Zeppelin appeared over Tokyo on its maiden trip around the world. Now its iconic shape once again throws shadows over the city as passengers get a panoramic view of Tokyo’s surroundings. Flights leave from Harumi Pier on Tokyo Bay and cruise at 1,804 feet for 40 minutes…90 minutes when adding Yokohama. What a great experience!  www.nac-airship.com/english/cruise.html

Everyone welcomes news about airportJapan  Asia  airport shuttle improvements, and here’s Japan’s latest as Narita Airport gets closer to Tokyo than ever before. On July 17, the Keisei Sky Liner train opens a new route that connects the airport to Nippori Station in central Tokyo. The trip takes 36 minutes, cutting the former time by 15 minutes. Travel is on sleek streamlined trains zipping along at the maximum 99 mph.  More good news arrives in October, when domestic Haneda Airport, just 30 minutes from central Tokyo, opens up to international flights. Major US and Japanese carriers are now vying for the eight new daily slots. This development makes domestic flights much more accessible without travel between airports, not to mention faster access to central Tokyo.  www.japantravelinfo.com
 

DESTINATION CANADA:    

canada quebec cycling hike walking tours


  HIKE, BIKE, WALK

IN QUEBEC


Modern transportation lets you commune with nature between two of French Canada’s most vibrant cities. Board your bicycle on the Via Rail from Montreal Central Station to Riviere-a-Pierre. You’ll detrain just a few meters from the Jacques-Cartier/Portneuf Cycle Trail created from a former railway line. Pedal the trail through neighboring towns where unique attractions and warm welcomes await. After 68 kilometers, you’ll cross the Corridor des Cheninots to the Domaine de Maizerets in Quebec City. Head towards the Old Port of Quebec to Gare du Palais, where you board the train back to Montreal. This total workout covers 94 kilometers, but if your energy doesn’t flag along the route, take time to visit Quartier Petit Champlain and the Louise Basin area. Check out the many events held each summer in the heart of Quebec city. www.velopistejcp.com 

Quebec
Province’s Portneuf area abounds in beautiful trails for recreation or adventure. Noted as an environmentally conscious tourist destination, the beauty of its nature charms hikers, bikers and walkers alike. The attraction this year is the gorge in Riviere Sainte-Anne, where hikers enjoy many impressive…and sometimes rocky…trails along the river on the site of the eco-chalet.

Six new cycling routes now take you along secondary roads of Portneuf’s Saint-Casimir, where the natural beauty will enchant. Vallee Bras-du-Nord has 80 kilometers of hiking trails where nature lovers get up close and personal, and 50 kilometers of mountain biking trails for adventurers. It’s also possible now to practice canyoning on this spectacular site!

Quebec visitors can download three new podcast routes, available in English, from the Tourisme website listed below. Take a bicycle, a bus, hike or drive your car, and immerse yourself in the historic boroughs of Beauport, Charlesbourg and Sainte-Foy-Sillery. You’ll find more than a half dozen interesting attractions in each district.  www.quebecregion.com




    











  DESTINATION CARIBBEAN:
caribbean

Go Bananas in
ST. LUCIA



The island's summer family vacation package offers a whale of a time this summer through Sept. 30, 2010. It includes free stays and meals for children under 17 years of age, complimentary excursions, room upgrades and many more choices. Check the website to “Go Bananas this summer in St. Lucia.” www.StLuciaNow.com

 

Here are just a few of the pleasure spots on this beautiful island.


Sandals Halcyon Beach just completed a 60-room refurbishment, plus new touches at the ever popular Piano Bar and Bayside Restaurant overlooking the sea. Elegant Cap Maison is celebrating its first anniversary with you in mind by offering a 5th night free package. The friendly Coco Palm resort recently opened Little Chef Restaurant and Bar, adding a second choice for diners. And that new ultra resort The Landings unveils The Palms, a fine-dining restaurant, along with a laid-back newly transformed The Beach Club restaurant and bar.

Airlines...American, Delta, Jet Blue and
US Airways...also anticipate a rise in interest here and are adding new and additional flights from New York, Atlanta, Charlotte and Miami.

To keep visitors feeling and looking good, East Winds Inn opened a 3,000-square-foot yoga and fitness platform on its waterfront/garden estate.  Ti Kaye, that boutique spot that is literally a cliff-hanger, added a newly renovated gym to its Kai Koko Spa, where treatment rooms are perched on the edge of that cliff overlooking the bay. At The Body
Holiday, LeSPORT, a seven-day program at the expansive spa/fitness facility includes acupuncture, meditation and yoga... all geared toward keeping you in shape.  (I found the Swedish Needle Shower an invigorating surprise...like going through the car wash without the car...but fun!)

Say "I do" at the new mountaintop lighthouse wedding gazebo at Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, or the latest Paradise Pavillion at oh so  picturesque Ladera Resort with a view of the majestic Pitons. This is the very intimate inn where guest rooms have only three walls.

We can't forget shopping. Meander through Baywalk Mall in trendy
Rodney Bay, officially opened in April. Its 60 shops include a beauty salon, boutiques, restaurants, jewelry and souvenir stores. When adventure beckons, go snorkeling, kite surfing and zip-lining at several venues around the island. And look for St. Lucia's own parrot on a trek into deep jungle.
 


DESTINATION ASIA:


china asia culture history



THINK
ASIA 
WITH RITZ TOURS

On its 30th anniversary, Ritz Tours pulls out all the stops with a 16-day Tibet Highland & Yangtze River tour from $2,876 p/person that includes airfare! But you have to hurry. Book your tour asap for July or August, 2010 departure. Dates eligible at this price are July 3 and 17, Aug. 7 and 28.

Rates include roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles or San Francisco, intra-Asia airfares; luxury accommodations in 5-star hotels (Grand Millennium in Beijing, Sofitel Xian, Jardin Secret Hotel in Lhasa and the like); exploring the Yangtze River with Victoria Cruises; sightseeing in air-conditioned motorcoaches; meals and entertainment per itinerary; taxes, fuel surcharge and the services of knowledgeable tour guides. Ritz also provides complimentary Travel Protection insurance, and airfare from other major gateways for an additional $100-$350 per person.  

This tour combines a healthy dose of adventure with breathtaking scenery and ancient wonders. You will be in awe of the beauty of Tibet, “Rooftop of the World.;” devour Peking Duck in Beijing; marvel at the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian; and be mesmerized at Shanghai’s Chinese Acrobatic Show.  www.ritztours.com



DESTINATION CANADA:


The new Guided Gastronomic Tour by Tours Voir Québec gives food afficionados the opportunity to explore what's been cooking in Québec City through the years. Visitors not only learn about the evolution of
Québec City's culinary history, they sample it! Cheese, crepes, maple products, beer and wine are all intertwined in the history of the magnificent Old City with its French, British and Native Peoples influences. Tours run 2-1/2 hours Tues.-Sat. at 2:30pm for English, through Oct. 15. Cost: approx. $35 for adults.  www.toursvoirquebec.com/en/home


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