Live out your Twilight fantasies at Olympic National Park

by Kraig Becker on

The next installment of the Twilight saga is now just a few days away, and fans are already preparing to catch the latest exploits of those kooky vampires and werewolves on the big screen. To celebrate, the release of Eclipse, the Kalaloch Lodge in Olympic National Park is offering special deals for visitors who want to follow in Edward and Bella’s footsteps, while having a few adventures of their own.

The Twilight Eclipse Package includes one night stay at the lodge with guests staying in a double occupancy log cabin. Visitors will also receive two Twilight water bottles, a Twilight trivia game, and a specially themed Twilight dessert. The package also includes a special map of the Forks area as well, with some of the most important locations from the books highlighted, allowing fans to quickly find and visit the places they’ve only read about in the novels. Some of those places include La Push, home of the Quileute Tribe as well as Bella’s best friend Jacob, the Forks High School and Community Hospital, not to mention the lush forests and Pacific beaches that play a role in the story as well.

This package deal starts at $202 is good through October 30th. When booking online, use promo code: KLTWEC10 and start planning your vampire, or werewolf, hunting expedition soon.

[Photo credit: Summit Entertainment]

Philadelphia’s Loews Hotel offers VIP tickets for Cleopatra exhibit

by Amy Chen on

If you’re set on seeing the Cleopatra exhibit in Philadelphia at the Franklin Institute, save some time and money by booking a hotel package that throws in a pair of VIP museum passes.

Regular admission to “Cleopatra: the Search for the Last Queen of Egypt” can cost up to $29.50 per ticket, but the two VIP passes (which are undated and untimed) are actually worth more than the combined $59 face value. Since these front-of-the-line tickets are currently only offered through hotel partners, being able to skip the line is literally priceless.

Details: This Loews Hotel package, which starts at $189 per night, includes one night in a deluxe room at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, two VIP passes to the Cleopatra exhibit at the Franklin Institute, and access to the Fels Planetarium (worth an extra $15.50 per person). The VIP Cleopatra package is valid until Jan. 2, 2011, when the special exhibit closes.

[Image Credit: Lisa Godfrey/The Franklin Institute]

It’s the last dam summer at Olympic National Park

by Kraig Becker on

There are big changes in store for Olympic National Park, which is located in the Olympic Peninnorthwest corner of Washington state on the Olympic Peninsula. The park is an interesting combination of Pacific Coast beaches, lush rain forests, and snow capped mountains, with some of the best scenery in the Pacific Northwest. But part of the landscape there is changing dramatically, and by next year it will be altered forever.

In 2011, as part of a plan to remove the Elhwa River Dam, Lake Mills and Lake Aldwell will both be drained, allowing the river to flow freely once again. This is a wonderful ecological move, as it will open up more than 70 miles worth of waterways to let the native salmon swim free, but it will also have an impact on the paddlers who have enjoy kayaking and canoeing through the Elhwa Valley. By next summer, that will no longer be an option.

To celebrate this historic event, the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort and Lake Crescent Lodge are offering the Last Dam Summer Package, which ranges in price from $206-$229, and includes lodging, a box lunch for each person for each day of your stay, water bottles, a waterfall trail map, and informational material about the impact of the dam removal. To book the package, simply use the promo code: OLYLDS10 when booking your stay.

As if getting the opportunity to paddle two lakes that won’t exist next year wasn’t enough of an incentive to visit Olympic, there is also a new trail to explore as well. The recently established Olympic Waterfalls Trail is sure to be a hit with visitors who want to explore all the stunning waterfalls that the park is famous for. The new trail offers a variety of ways to access these natural wonders, including paved, wheelchair accessible trails, scenic forest roads, and traditional hiking trails. Several of the falls can only be reached by kayak or boat as well, which adds even more of an adventurous element to the trip.

To take advantage of the new trail, four of the park’s lodges, which include Lake Quinault Lodge and Kalaloch Lodge, in addition to the two mentioned above, are offering the Olympic Waterfall Trail Package. This option includes all of the same amenities, at the same rates, as the Last Dam Summer Package, but allows visitors to coordinate a multi-night stay across multiple lodges that fall along their route. To take advantage of this deal, use promo code: OLYWFT10.

Both of these deals are good through October 30th. For more information check out OlympicNationalParks.com.

[Photo credit: National Park Service]

How to buy cheap Broadway tickets this fall

by Amy Chen on

Catching a Broadway show may be a quintessential New York experience, but a pair of orchestra tickets can easily cost as much as your hotel room.

If your travel plans are flexible, consider waiting until fall to take advantage of Broadway.com‘s latest promotion, which reduces ticket prices for groups as small as eight people. (Group discounts are typically for 15 or more people). Round up some friends and family, and these discounts could knock 20 percent to 50 percent off the regular price of orchestra and front mezzanine seats.

Here’s a sampling of what you can save with Broadway.com/groups discounts this fall.

La Cage Aux Folles (the 2010 Tony Award Winner for Best Musical Revival, Best Actor, and Best Director)
Price: Orchestra seats normally cost $132.50. With the small-group discount, you could save 40 percent and watch it for a more affordable $79.50. This price is valid for shows from Sept. 7-Oct. 7.

The Addams Family (starring Broadway legends Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane)
Price: $69 mezzanine seats A-K for Tuesday-Thursday performances; $49 student mezzanine seats F-N for Tuesday-Thursday performances. Book by Aug. 27 (or 4 weeks in advance) for performances Sept. 1-Nov. 11

Mary Poppins and The Lion King
Price: Get 20 percent off regularly priced tickets for groups of 8 to 14 people. Earn a free ticket for groups of 15 and more.

But with half-price tickets available at the TKTS booth in Times Square, does booking in advance really save you money?

I checked in with Carl Prince, executive vice president of Broadway.com/Groups, who was candid about how his company’s fall promotion measures up to the competition.

Can you explain how these prices might compare to TKTS deals?
TKTS is a good way to go if you are not with a group, you don’t care what show you see, and you don’t mind giving up an afternoon to wait in line. If you wanted to see a show with a September Special, say Mary Poppins, you should definitely go ahead and buy it in advance because it might sell out prior to the performance and therefore not even be an option at the TKTS booth. Prices could be lower at TKTS, but it’s a complete gamble.

Is your seat availability better than TKTS?
Another gamble. At the TKTS booth, they sell whatever inventory is left. Because of that, simple logic tells me the seats will not be as good at the last minute as when they are bought in advance with a September Special.

Has Broadway.com/Groups offered these specials before?
Not really. As of now, this is a once-a-year opportunity. September Specials are a way to sell tickets in advance for a time period that has tended to be slower in years past.

Details: Visit Broadway.com/groups/septemberspecials to view the discounted group rates.
Tip: Before you book, it’s worth comparing prices with other discount sites, such as Theatermania.com.

[Photo Credit: Amy Chen]

Daily Pampering: Give Dad a round of Caddyshack golf

by Annie Scott on

Father’s Day is June 20th, and if you’re still looking for that perfect gift for your dad, check out this luxe and father-friendly package from the Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale.

The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale just opened in 2008 and is the city’s only AAA Five-Diamond hotel. Not only that, but it’s conveniently located near the members-only Grande Oaks Golf Club, where Caddyshack was filmed. Now through December 24, you can book the Grande Oaks Caddy Package, which includes:

  • A luxury guestroom or oceanfront suite at the Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale
  • VIP access to and one round of golf (for two) at Grande Oaks Golf Club, including greens and cart fees
  • Full American breakfast for two at Via Luna
  • An autographed photo of Cindy Morgan (Lacey Underall) from Caddyshack
  • A DVD of Caddyshack (of course)
  • A Grande Oaks baseball cap with the Caddyshack Gopher logo
  • Gopher head cover

Basically, if your dad’s a Caddyshack fan, your place as “favorite child” is also guaranteed with this gift. Grande Oaks golf course is a par 71 and measures 6,680 yards from the tips.

Rates start at $614 per night. Contact the Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale for more information or to book.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.