Stranded in Washington, DC? Get to The Jefferson

by Annie Scott on

The Jefferson Hotel Washington, DC is offering some special deals for snowed-in travelers, so send this to your needy friends.

The Winter Storm Special is taking place tonight and tomorrow night (February 9 & 10), and it features Deluxe rooms which usually go for $380 for just $195. This is a great opportunity to make lemonade out of your lemons and stay in a luxury Relais & Châteaux member hotel on the cheap.

While the snow has shut down the operations of the hotel’s main restaurant, Plume, the bar, Quill, is open. They serve comfort food like macaroni and cheese, tasty salads and burgers, and fancy cocktails with herb-infused liquors in an elaborate setting wallpapered with 18th century maps. Nice!

To book this emergency special, call The Jefferson directly at (202) 448-2300.

Second chance for swinger cruise

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It’s not the waves that are rocking the boat. This year, YOLO Cruises is bringing back its swingers trip. Since you only live once (YOLO), the reasoning goes, you should get out on the water and work up a sweat.

YOLO’s last Swingers Cruise trip was a bit controversial, but that hasn’t stopped the company from giving it another run. It’s chartered a Carnival vessel for a three-night voyage to the Bahamas, which is set to depart Miami on October 29, 2010. Once you cross into international waters, there are no rules, aside from common sense (so bring a little protection). At $399 a person, this is a great way to enjoy what YOLO’s offering: “playful, sexually themed parties, cruise activities and shore excursions.”

What’s on the itinerary? Well, there’s the “Carnal Cravings Halloween Ball, which is followed by a “naked and recuperating day” at sea. But, some of the fun is a little less structured … after all, this is a trip for swingers.

The last YOLO swingers trip, according to company president Marlene Brustle, offered “an open, erotic atmosphere,” which seems to be the goal this time around, too.

Free King Tut passes in San Francisco

by Amy Chen on

On Feb. 21 and 22, the de Young Museum is giving away free passes to the King Tut exhibit in San Francisco.

Tickets to “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” are normally pretty pricey. For a family of two adults and two kids between the ages of 6 and 17, you’re looking at shelling out $98 on admission passes alone if you visit on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday (kids under 5 are free).

Details: Tickets will only be handed out on site on either of those days. Sponsored by Target, the giveaway is limited to four tickets per adult. Tickets will be time-stamped in batches of 30-minute windows, though you can linger as long as you’d like once you’re in. The box office opens at 8:30 a.m. each day with the first entry at 9 a.m. and the last entry at 4 p.m.

While you’re waiting for your timed entry, there will be plenty of free entertainment: fortune tellers, belly dancers, tarot card readers, and even a DJ spinning contemporary Egyptian music. Kids can also learn how to “engrave” hieroglyphics into copper foil. If the complimentary tickets run out, the rest of the permanent collections at the de Young will be free that weekend.

Tip: Strollers, diaper bags, and backpacks must be checked before entering the special exhibition galleries.

The exhibit, which opened in June 2009 at the de Young, closes on March 28.

If you haven’t seen the exhibit, here are some highlights, courtesy of FAMSF.

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Lunar New Year souvenirs

by Amy Chen on

Lunar New Year falls on Valentine’s Day this year.

While hunting for souvenirs in Seattle’s Chinatown last month, I spotted these cute tote bags that feature the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac ($20).

I caught up with the designer Joyce Wan at New York City’s International Gift Fair last week to learn more about Wanart, her five-year-old collection of greeting cards, infant apparel, and canvas totes that are still screen-printed by hand.

It turns out that Wanart’s Zodiac Zoo line is not just a lucky Chinatown find, but is actually carried in several museum shops nationwide, including the Field Museum in Chicago and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

“It’s exciting to have my products in the museum that I visited as a kid,” said Wan, who was born and raised in Boston. With a studio and workshop now in Union City, N.J., Wan recently expanded her collection to include a kids’ book based on some of her travels around the world (Chronicle Books, $13).

For the Year of the Tiger, Wan has also created infant bodysuits cleverly packaged in a clear Chinese take-out container (from $24). Can you say adorable?

If a museum near you doesn’t carry Zodiac Zoo products, you can order everything at Wanart.com.

New Jersey hotel caters to children with autism

by Melanie Nayer on

One New Jersey hotel is hoping to help families traveling with children with autism. The Clinton Inn Hotel in Tenafly has opened its Alpine Suite, specifically designed for kids with autism.

Tony Morreale, the hotel’s manager, and parent of an autistic child, came up with the idea after having trouble finding hotel rooms that were safe for children with varying degrees of autism. The Alpine Suite in the Clinton Inn Hotel is complete with furniture with rounded corners, décor that cannot be moved and an alarm on the door to alert grownups if a child tries to leave. Other added touches include plastic glasses instead of glassware, a flat-panel television set affixed to the wall, and safety latches on all the cabinets and drawers throughout the suite.

According to reports from a New Jersey government task force, 1 in 94 children in New Jersey has a form of autism; 1 in approximately 110 children across the nation falls somewhere on the autism spectrum. The Clinton Inn is hoping to help travelers with autistic family members sleep a little easier on vacation knowing their kids are safe in the hotel room.

The Clinton Inn Hotel is located minutes from New York City, so families looking for a New York escape can easily make the trek into Manhattan.