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Food and Wine Escapes

Posted on March 9, 2012 by The Vacation Gals

Who doesn’t love to enjoy good food while on vacation? Add some wine tasting to your gourmet meals, and you’ve got the makings for a marvelous food and wine escape!

Here are a few food and wine vacation getaway packages for you to consider for your next gourmet getaway:

Wine Tasting 5-Course Dinner Package: Eddington House Inn in Bennington, Vermont

This food and wine package sounds cozy and romantic, as well as delicious! It includes the following:

Two night’s lodging in a spacious suite with private bath
Special five-course dinner for two at the award-winning Pangaea Restaurant, a short walk from the Inn. Five courses will be served to share with your loved one and paired with world-class wines chosen specifically for each course.
Full breakfast for two daily
Afternoon refreshments daily
Endless desserts
Locally made creamy chocolate truffles

Southern Smile, Savannah Style Package at Planters Inn on Reynolds Square in Savannah, Georgia

Enjoy some good old-fashioned Southern hospitality — and down-home cooking at Paula Deen’s restaurant — with this clever vacation package that includes:

Two nights in deluxe accommodations
One copy of The Deen Family Cookbook
A $25 gift certificate to Paula Deen’s restaurant The Lady & Sons
Paula Deen focused trolley tour for two
Continental breakfast each morning
Evening wine and cheese reception
Nightly turndown service

Food and Wine Experience Package at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa

Your taste buds will be tantalized with this yummy gourmet getaway vacation package that includes:

Two-night room accommodations
Welcome amenity of a VIP artisan cheese platter
Food & wine pairing in a wine cave on first evening
Chef’s seven course tasting dinner in Santé including wine pairings on the second evening
Evening turn down service with wine country chocolates
Tasting passes for two to a local winery

The Vacation Gals love to eat and drink on vacation, and have enjoyed culinary escapes in Oregon Wine Country, Napa Valley and Hawaii.

Spa and Wellness Getaways

Posted on March 5, 2012 by The Vacation Gals

Getting away with gal pals is one of the best ways any woman can recharge and regroup and return to “real life” feeling relaxed and refreshed. Add in some spa treatments and perhaps some fitness classes, yoga or outdoor hikes, and you’ve got the makings for a brilliant girlfriend getaway!

Consider these spa vacation packages with wellness components for your next trip with just the girls:

Girlfriend Getaway Package at Oxford Hotel in Denver, Colorado

This hip hotel in Denver’s LoDo district has a bunch of great inclusions for the ladies:

Overnight accommodation in a Queen/Queen or Parlour Suite
Chocolate Truffles and Bubbly
Choice of a 50-minute Papaya Pineapple Facial or 50-minute Swedish Massage
A Signature Martini in the iconic Cruise Room Bar to start your evening
24-hour Town Car Service within a two-mile radius downtown

Balance Package at Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California

With this convenient package you’ll receive a full breakfast buffet for two, access to the resort’s health club, $100 to spend at the Kin Spa (or on-site restaurants) and a late 2 p.m. checkout — so you can stay up late gabbing with friends and sleep in the next day!

Girlfriend Getaway Package at Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana

Book two nights at the famous Hotel Monteleone in the Big Easy and add on this themed package that includes a cocktail in the lovely Carousel Bar, a cocktail-themed walking tour of New Orleans and a 60-minute massage.

Girlfriend Getaway Package at Cranwell Resort in Lenox, Massachusetts

This package would also make a great mother-daughter getaway! It includes the following:

One night Classic Resort accommodations
$125 spa credit
10% discount on spa treatments
$70 dining credit at any Cranwell restaurant
Unlimited fitness classes
Full use of the Spa at Cranwell with heated indoor pool, whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms and fitness center
Welcome chocolates
Discount coupons for the nearby Lee Premium Outlets

The Vacation Gals adore girls’ getaways, and have enjoyed them with one another in Park City, Utah as well as Maui and Puerto Rico.

Outdoor Adventure Packages

Posted on February 29, 2012 by The Vacation Gals

Skiing, snowmobiling, surfing, fishing or biking… experience your favorite sport (or try a new one) with these exciting outdoor adventure packages! Getting active outdoors on a getaway not only helps you burn off those extra calories you tend to ingest while on vacation, it can be a great way to inspire bonding experiences with friends and family.

Consider these outdoor adventure packages in the western United States:

Ski & Snowboard Package: Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish, Montana

Enjoy lodging in a standard room, plus an adult lift ticket for skiing at Whitefish Mountain Resort and transfers from the local airport (or Amtrak station or downtown Whitefish) with this package that’s ideal for avid ski and snowboard enthusiasts! Take a break from the slopes and enjoy the gorgeous mountain scenery on a snowmobile ride or snowshoe tour, or any other winter outdoor activities available near this Montana resort area.

King Salmon Fishing Adventure Package: Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge near Anchorage, Alaska

Anglers will appreciate how many services and amenities are included in this Alaska fishing package:

Fly-outs in float equipped aircraft to fish nearby streams
One guide per two clients
US Coast Guard and Alaska Dept. Fish & Game licensed guides
All necessary fishing gear, rods, and reels
Fully stocked fly tying bench
Delicious meals, beverages, beer, and wine
Professional vacuum sealing and preparation of salmon for shipment home.
National Park Service use fees
Use of hot tub that overlooks the river and Katmai National Park
Linens, comforter, private bath with hot & cold running water
Daily maid service for your cabin

Also included in this fishing package is airfare from Anchorage to the more remote Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge on Naknek River.

Take a Hike (or Bike!): Day’s Hotel in San Diego, California

With this two-night package, you’ll be inspired to hit the trails with a lightweight backpack filled with peanuts, granola bar, water, energy drink, sunscreen and a local map to the best hiking and biking trails around urban San Diego. Indeed, you don’t have to set out to the backcountry for adventure — enjoy city outdoor activities on vacation, too!

The Vacation Gals love to get active on vacation — from alpine skiing to ziplining.

Romantic Getaway Packages

Posted on February 8, 2012 by The Vacation Gals

While February is the month of romance — with Valentine’s Day smack in the middle of the month — here at Getaway Packages, we believe that romance should be a year-round state of mind. After all, a romantic getaway with your special someone doesn’t need to only take place on a certain day, weekend or week in February!

Here are some vacation packages that will help ignite romance in your life — whether you book them now or file away the ideas for trips this spring or summer.

City Chic: Boston Harbor Hotel
Explore all that the historic city of Boston has to offer from your home base at the Boston Harbor Hotel. The romance package includes luxurious accommodations on the waterfront (on the 8th through 16th floor, for lovely water or city views), plus champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries and a full American breakfast for two.

Coastal Getaway: Catalina Island
This marvelous little island off the coast of Southern California is the perfect spot to escape the hustle and bustle of city life with your sweetie. Retreat to the New Pavilion Hotel for this romance package that includes accommodations, in-room continental breakfast delivery, chocolate and champagne delivered to the room, a $75 dinner credit at the Avalon Grille, two tickets to the iconic Casino Theatre and 50% a zipline eco tour.

Quiet B&B: The Barn Inn
Retreat to Ohio’s Amish Country with this “Spoiled Rotten” package from The Barn Inn Bed & Breakfast. Book any two-night stay and add on these extras: a 1 lb. box of assorted Coblentz fine chocolates, sparking juice and cheese basket waiting in your room; a 30-minute foot massage by a licensed reflexologist; hors d’oeuvres delivered to your room whichever evening you prefer. Each of the rooms in the big red barn are uniquely decorated, and a farm-fresh breakfast is included in the nightly rate.

Desert Delight: L’Auberge de Sedona
This luxurious property in the desert community of Sedona, Arizona, offers the Amour Package, with chilled champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries waiting in your room on arrival, plus a $170 dinner credit and $36 breakfast credit at L’Auberge Restaurant at Oak Creek.

Enjoy your vacation package, whenever you travel — a next-weekend getaway, or a longer escape later this year!

The Vacation Gals are big fans of romantic escapes, whether it’s to a quiet nearby hotel or an exciting getaway across the country.

Holiday Travel Packages

Posted on November 18, 2011 by The Vacation Gals

Ah, the joys of the winter holiday season! From Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, we gather with friends and family to give thanks, spread warm cheer and perhaps exchange a gift or two (or three or thirty). We’re not only traveling to visit far-flung relatives we see once or twice a year… we’re planning nearby weekend getaways to, shall we say, escape some of the holiday madness that comes with getting greeting cards in the mailbox, juggling cocktail parties and attending kids’ holiday recitals.

Whether you’re planning a last minute getaway or looking for a hotel deal near Grandma’s house, consider these holiday travel packages:

Planters Inn on Reynolds Square, Savannah, GA: Historic Holiday Package

Deluxe accommodations for one night
Complimentary Parking
A group carriage tour for two through historic Savannah
Freshly baked holiday cookies with gourmet tea, coffee and hot chocolate and cider
A Planters Inn Logo Blanket and Two Logo Cocoa Mugs
Turndown service with a Planters Inn Tree Ornament
Expanded continental breakfast

Available November 29 to December 25.

Surfside Beach Resort, Myrtle Beach, SC: Surfside Winter Escape Package

Oceanfront room for one night
Private balcony overlooking the Atlantic Ocean
$25 gift certificate to River City Cafe, Bubba’s Fish Shack, Divine Fish House or Ultimate California Pizza Kitchen
Free wireless internet
Free parking

Use coupon code Winter11; package starts at $59/night.

Renaissance Denver, Denver, CO: Holiday Shopping Package

Deluxe accommodations
Complimentary parking
$50 gift card

Four Points by Sheraton, Peoria, IL: Family Time at Four Points

Rates from $139 per night (Thursday-Sunday stays)
Purchase an adult meal for yourself and kids 12 and younger eat free off the children’s menu

Book online or call 866-716-8133 and mention rate plan FPFAMPKG.

The Rustic Inn at Jackson Hole, Jackson, WY: Wyoming Dog Sledding Journey

Deluxe accommodations for two nights
Full day dog sled trip for two
Full hot breakfast each morning
Transportation to and from airport

Reservations for dog sledding journey should be confirmed at time of booking.

Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel, Atlanta, GA: Girls Getaway Weekend

Deluxe accommodations
Full American breakfast for two
Bottle of champagne compliments of Shula’s 347 Grill
Complimentary parking
Shuttle service to Lenox Square Mall or Phipps Plaza

Rates from $99-$139. Expires December 30, 2011.

L’Auberge Del Mar, San Diego, CA: Toast! New Year’s Package

Begin your evening with dinner for two at KITCHEN 1540, then get your groove on at a New Year’s Eve Bash with DJ Gabe Vega and dance the night away. After the celebration, cozy up in auxurious guest room. Rates start at $689 per room, based on double occupancy. Additional nights at $359. Includes resort fee, taxes and complimentary valet parking. Subject to availability.

L’Auberge Del Mar, San Diego, CA: Jingle Shells

Enjoy a jolly Christmas Dinner for two at signature restaurant KITCHEN 1540. Then retreat to your oh, so cozy guest room to wait for Santa with a little yuletide treat: Sweet Dreams Cookies and Milk. Starting at $419, additional nights starting at $269.

For still more deals, check out all of the hotel listings on Getaway Packages.

The Vacation Gals love a good travel deal. These professional travel writers cover everything from budget travel to luxury travel, as well as family vacations, romantic escapes and girlfriend getaways.

October Vacation in Yosemite

Posted on September 13, 2011 by The Vacation Gals

With the kids back in school — not to mention the advent of gloriously cooler temperatures — October is a perfect time to plan a trip to California’s Yosemite National Park. Driving through the park on its paved roads is an admirable way to take in the abundance of deep valleys, cascading waterfalls and scenic vistas in the 1,200-acre park. But to truly experience the beauty of Yosemite, you’ll want to get out there and explore it.

Rock climbers may flock to the area to ascend Half Dome and the park’s other steep walls, but you don’t need any special gear to walk the miles and miles of hiking trails throughout Yosemite. Easy nature loops are available from convenient parking lots, or consider more moderate trails that wind through wilderness areas and sequoia groves. Some of the most satisfying hikes end at towering falls in the Yosemite Valley – don’t forget your camera!

Fishing, horseback riding, birdwatching and biking are other outdoor adventures to enjoy in Yosemite. Backpacking is ideal for folks who really want to get off the beaten path. Closer-to-civilization campgrounds fill up quickly at Yosemite — through September, it’s essential to have a booking at the reservation-only sites; some campgrounds are designated “first come, first serve,” but those are typically filled by noon.

As an alternative to camping, consider a nearby hotel. The Best Western Sonora Oaks is located at the “front door” of Yosemite National Park, at the crossroads of Highways 49, 108 and 120. Its Yosemite Admission Package includes the entrance fee to Yosemite National Park for up to four people. Now, there is a two-night minimum for booking this deal, but accommodations in a double queen-bedded room do include complimentary wireless internet in your room, special upgraded hot breakfast (also free), lobby coffee service and in-room coffeemaker, plus ample free parking. On site you’ll find an outdoor pool and hot tub (perfect for soothing sore muscles after a Yosemite hike!) and an on-site restaurant.

For more hotel package deals in California and throughout the entire United States, visit GetawayPackages.com.

The Vacation Gals love to visit U.S. National Parks – from California to Maine! They cover all sorts of outdoor adventures, as well as resorts, city stays, travel gear and travel tips, at TheVacationGals.com.

Autumn Travel Deals

Posted on August 22, 2011 by The Vacation Gals

As the final days of summer loom, we start looking ahead to booking fall travel. After all, that’s when you’ll find a bunch of deals, especially once school starts across the United States and summer crowds disperse. When you travel during the shoulder season at popular vacation locales like the beach, the mountains and amusement parks, discounts abound — but you still get to enjoy lovely temperate weather in many spots across the country.

Pretty aspens abound in Colorado in the autumn months.

Take, for example, the ski resorts of Colorado. Before the chair lifts open for the ski season, hotel rates are low. Yet the dry, sunny climate is glorious, and if you time your visit right (third week of September or so) you can enjoy leaf-peeping. The aspens turn a beautiful shade of gold. Hiking, biking, spas, fine dining… with so much to do, inside and out, the mountain towns like Aspen, Telluride, Vail or Breckenridge make great destinations for a girlfriends getaway or couples’ escape.

And who says you have to take the kids on a theme park vacation? While they’re in school (and in the good hands of a neighbor or Grandma), consider escaping to Florida or California and ride all of those roller coasters and thrill rides in Orlando or Anaheim without so many other families in line with you. Truly, just after Labor Day is a great time of year to visit any U.S. amusement park — such as Northern California’s Great America, Ohio’s Cedar Point or San Antonio’s Six Flags Fiesta Texas.

If it’s beach time you’re craving, check out the packages at coastal destinations like Myrtle Beach or Charleston, South Carolina. Or for even cooler climes, consider the pretty Pacific Northwest — perhaps Cannon Beach, Oregon or even the Seattle area. It might be a little chilly there for surfing or boogie boarding, but for long strolls on the beach with your significant other, we think a Pacific Northwest couples’ getaway sounds delightful!

For outdoorsy types, we recommend U.S. national parks in September and October. Again, spots like Yellowstone in Wyoming, Arches in Utah and Acadia in Maine see many fewer crowds after Labor Day, and hotels at the gateway cities and towns just outside park entrances will lower their prices, for sure.

And don’t forget to think ahead to Thanksgiving travel. Sure, flying (or driving) anywhere around Turkey Day can be fraught with frustration (crowded airports! busy toll roads!), but if you book your travel now, you’ll likely enjoy some better airfares and hotel prices than if you wait until Halloween.

San Diego Girls’ Getaway

Posted on August 22, 2011 by The Vacation Gals

San Diego, California, for a girlfriend getaway? Sign us up! We adore the thought of spending few days in one of the most beautiful cities in the United States with exquisite sunny weather, gorgeous beaches, oodles of shopping, historical sites and attractions. In fact, San Diego’s Old Town (“The Birthplace of California”) is one of our favorite places to sightsee, and its Best Western Plus Hacienda Hotel has a fun package for a bunch of gal pals to enjoy.

With this Girls Getaway Package you can enjoy:

Deluxe accommodations
Welcome margarita
Full American Breakfast each morning
Late check-out

The Best Western Plus Hacienda Hotel also offers romance, “bed and breakfast” and a clever “park and cruise” packages, where guests get accommodations before or after any cruise departing from the nearby San Diego Cruise Terminal, as well as round-trip transportation to the departure port and $6/day parking for their cars. Such a deal!

This pretty property has an Old Spanish Mission style that fits right in with historic Old Town; grounds feature lush landscaping, colorful mosaic tile and pretty courtyards. Perched on a hill, the hotel offers view of the coast and the city skyline. It makes a fabulous home base for exploring the entire San Diego area, including Balboa Park, Cabrillo National Monument, the Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego Zoo, Sea World and the Wild Animal Park.

The Vacation Gals are fans of San Diego, whether its for a girls getaway, romantic escape or family trip. They cover all sorts of travel — plus travel tips and travel gear — at TheVacationGals.com.