Photo of the Day – Sierra Nevada

by Elizabeth Seward on

If the Sierra Nevada mountains warm your heart, welcome to the club. This voluminous range houses Mt. Whitney (14,505 ft.), the highest point in the contiguous United States. The Sierra also features Yosemite Valley, Lake Tahoe, three parks, 20 wilderness areas, and two national monuments. Covering land in both California and Nevada, the Sierras are a much-loved destination for those traveling in the West–especially those who are into winter sports.

Heavy snowfall in the area this winter has translated to happy skiers and snowboarders. And while those on the slopes have been having a blast, the recent snowfall has simultaneously replenished nearby reservoirs. Wondering what ‘heavy snowfall‘ means? Nearly 20 feet of snow in the combined months of November and December.

This shot was snapped by a creative photographer out of California, Hilary Hulteen. If you’d like to submit your best photos for our Photo of the Day, just upload them to the Gadling Flickr Pool.

[photo by Hilary Hulteen]

Daily Pampering: $15,000 Penthouse Suite at the Fairmont San Francisco

by Melanie Nayer on

In 1926, the penthouse at the Fairmont San Francisco leased for $1,000 a month. Today, the 6,000 square foot of luxury space goes for $15,000 a night.

The Fairmont San Francisco began revitalizing the iconic penthouse (currently valued at $20 million) in August 2009 and a year later, the grand dame of San Francisco suites reopened to guests.

Spanning the entire eighth floor of the historic Main Building of The Fairmont San Francisco, the penthouse offers three large bedrooms, a living room with grand piano, a formal dining room seating 60 people, a kitchen, a two-story circular library crowned by a rotunda where a celestial map is rendered in gold leaf against a sapphire sky, a billiard room covered in Persian tile from floor to vaulted ceiling, and an expansive terrace with views of San Francisco. A secret passageway concealed behind bookshelves on the library’s second floor lends a sense of intrigue to the fabled suite (and used to lead to the rooftop of the hotel for the ultimate in star and skyline gazing).

The penthouse has welcomed everyone from royalty to rock stars, including President John F. Kennedy, Prince Charles of Wales, Mikhail Gorbachev, King Hussein of Jordan, Mick Jagger, Elton John, and Tony Bennett. And why not? For the $15,000 fee a night, guests get a private butler, private chef, private masseuse, private personal trainer, private house keeping and access to an extensive wine cellar featuring some of the world’s best vintages.

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Leggo my Love Boat

by Chris Owen on

What took more than 250,000 LEGO bricks, six months to build, measures 10.5 feet long and five feet high? That would be a full scale model of the original Pacific Princess Love Boat built by professional LEGO builder Ryan McNaught.

The son of a Melbourne, Australia travel agent, the 36-year-old McNaught was inspired by the many cruises he has enjoyed over the years.

“I wanted to do something with character so I chose the original Love Boat, Pacific Princess, and studied photos and deck plans to capture her features and her beauty,” McNaught said.

One of only 12 certified LEGO builders in the world, McNaught’s model shows the exterior of the famous Princess Cruises TV ship on one side. The other side is a cutaway showing everything from chefs in the kitchen to passengers working out in the health club. Captain Stubing, Gopher and cruise director Julie, along with some of the show’s most famous guests such as David Hasselhoff are on board too.

Looks like the Love Boat will be making another run too. After showing the creation in Australia, McNaught now plans to move it to Chicago for Brickworld, one of the largest LEGO conventions in the world.

Flickr photos by TheBrickMan

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Ritz-Carlton Dallas plans month-long football promotions for Super Bowl

by Melanie Nayer on

Whether or not your favorite NFL team will play the Super Bowl is irrelevant. What matters is where you’ll watch the game. The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, is making things easy for you by offering month-long football promotions in partnership with Fearing’s Restaurant.

With Super Bowl XLV scheduled to take place February 6, 2011 at Cowboys Stadium near Dallas, the luxury hotel and its neighboring restaurant have customized the following gridiron treats for hotel guests and local residents:

Fearing’s Tailgate Cooking Class (January 22, 2011). Need some tailgating snack ideas? Head to Celebrity Chef Dean Fearing counter and get some tips from the acclaimed chef on menu items and beer pairings for the big game. On the menu: Chili Frito Pie, Jalapeo-Braised Carnitas Sliders, and Tacos with Barbecued Thousand Island Cole Slaw, Pickled Red Onions and Dutch Oven Beans. A dessert of Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bites will complement the menu.

If the game is getting to be too much for you, head to the the Ritz-Carlton Spa for the Quarterback Sports Wrap, First Down Facial and Tight End Body Treatment. The Ritz-Carlton Spa has also introduced a new Rookie Package, providing a 20 percent savings on Monday-through-Thursday spa treatments for first-time guests of the spa between now and February 28. If the spa and tailgating menu options aren’t enough, the hotel will pay tribute to the pigskin with Spa Tailgate, offered all Sundays in January coinciding with major televised sports events.
And this is all before and after the big game. On Super Bowl weekend, the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas and Fearing’s will also offer the following:

  • A roster of hotel Football Concierges will provide guests with information on the upcoming game, team stats, road traffic updates, driving routes to the stadium and more.
  • Hotel guests staying during game weekend will receive a complimentary in-room gift of a luxurious cobalt blue throw blanket commemorating the special date.
  • A special menu of added In-Room Dining selections will include a post-revelry, wee-hours selection called “Aftermath”, consisting of a bacon & egg pizza with ranch dressing, an array of sliders and cold beer. Additionally, In Room Dining will offer an ultra-gourmet hot dog menu for the weekend.
  • Fearing’s Restaurant will offer several specialty food items and specialty cocktails in honor of the two team cities represented in the game. Fearing’s will offer extended dining and bar hours during Super Bowl weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), including dinner beginning at 5 p.m. and continuing to 11 p.m.

For those not staying at the Ritz-Carlton, fear not: you can still enjoy the Super Bowl and all the excitement in the hotel’s lobby bar starting at 6 p.m. on game day!

Disney’s Dream comes true

by Chris Owen on

Amid smoke, fireworks and every magical trick in the book, Grammy award-winner Jennifer Hudson was on hand this morning at Port Canaveral in Florida to send off Disney Cruise Lines latest creation, the new Disney Dream.

It’s been 10 years since the Mouse launched a new ship and Mickey and the gang were in top form today as the latest seafaring creation from the legacy of Walt Disney was sworn into service. With singing, dancing, fireworks and a 16-foot champagne bottle “cracked” against the hull of the new Disney Magic via helicopter, a new era began in magical family cruising from Florida.

“For over a decade, Disney Cruise Line has been making vacation dreams come true for millions of families and we continue that tradition today with the launch of the Disney Dream,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger. “The mix of imagination and innovation found on the Disney Dream is unparalleled and elevates the family cruise experience to new heights.”

The Disney Dream will sail three, four and five-night itineraries to the Bahamas and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.

On board the new ship, up to 4000 guests will enjoy features ranging from the “splashtacular” AquaDuck, the very first water coaster at sea to virtual portholes in interior cabins showing what is going on outside the ship with some characters stopping by from time to time.

See complete on-the-scene coverage from AOLTravel’s Fran Golden too.

Photo by CruiseGuy.com