3 Earth Day travel discounts

With all the pressure to be green these days, travelers can benefit from Earth Day-themed discounts. Here’s a trio of deals that will help you save a little dough — and perhaps help save the planet as well.

Ride the Rails with Kimpton Hotels
Save 15 percent off the best available rate at more than 30 participating Kimpton properties if you show your Amtrak ticket stub at check-in.
Details: To qualify for the Ride the Rails discount, enter the promo code RAILS when booking. You then must ride Amtrak to your destination and show your ticket as proof that you ditched your car for the trip. Participating hotels are in New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Dallas, Alexandria, Arlington, and Cambridge. Starting prices vary by property.

Car-free discounts in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Save 20 percent off an adult Amtrak ticket to or from Santa Barbara County on Amtrak Pacific Surfliner or San Joaquin trains. With both the beach and a burgeoning wine country nearby, Santa Barbara is often overlooked as a travel destination. For example, the Pacific Surfliner train can take you from Los Angeles (Union Station) to Santa Barbara in about 2.5 hours; a regularly-priced coach ticket starts at $24 each way. And for anyone who has seen the movie Sideways, yes, you can sample all the pinot noir you can handle — you may end up being grateful that you didn’t drive.
Details: After registering at www.santabarbaracarfree.org, you will receive a link to the Amtrak site, where you can then redeem the 20 percent discount. A three-day advance purchase is required; this deal isn’t valid for tickets purchased by phone or at any Amtrak stations. The discount is good for travel to and from the nine participating Amtrak stations in Santa Barbara County: Santa Barbara proper, Goleta, Carpinteria, Solvang (the charming Danish village), Buellton, Lompoc (not far from wineries on the edge of Santa Ynez Valley), Surf, Guadalupe, and Santa Maria.
Other Perks: If you show your Amtrak ticket stub with the current date stamp, many businesses in Santa Barbara will give you additional discounts. Examples include 20 percent off the regular rates at many hotels and inns, as well as 10 percent off several walking, kayaking, whale-watching, and wine tours. Downtown itself is very walkable, so you won’t need to rent a car.
When: Travel by Dec. 16, 2010. Some blackout dates apply.

D.I.Y. housekeeping in New York City

At the Marmara Manhattan hotel on the Upper East Side, the Green Rate discount knocks $20 off your nightly bill if you request housekeeping every three days instead of every night. A minimum stay of three nights is required to qualify for this discount.
Details: You must book directly through the hotel reservations desk. Studio suites typically start at $169 per night, or $507 for three nights. With the discount, starting rates drop to $149 per night, or a total of $447 for the required three-night stay. Every suite at the Marmara Manhattan hotel comes with a fully-equipped kitchen, which can help you save even more if you prepare simple meals.
When: Valid until the end of the year.
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Horny Toad’s “Post Cards from the Edge” contest

I just returned from my first visit to Santa Barbara and I must say I was completely taken by the classy coastal town. From the college town of Isla Vista to the upscale pedestrian shopping along Main Street, there’s something quintessentially Californian about this city, and Horny Toad (the travel outfitter whose corporate office is based there) wants to send you there.

The company’s latest “Post Cards from the Edge” contest simply asks you to submit a photo on its site (or snail mail a postcard) with a caption about that roadside attraction, strangely worded sign, or something that just made you do a double take — something weird but hilarious.

Solicit ratings from friends and you could be one of three winners:

  • First Prize: A trip to Santa Barbara – airfare and hotel for two – and a $250 Toad gift certificate.
  • Second Prize: A great travel bag and $250 Toad gift certificate.
  • Third Prize: A new point and shoot camera and a $100 Toad gift certificate.

Enter as many times as you like. Voting starts as soon as you enter the contest and ends on July 31st. One rating per entry per person. The photo with the highest rating as determined by legitimate ratings wins. Winners will be notified by email and posted on the site.

Even if you don’t enter the contest, you should stop by and take a look at the wacky photos that are already posted, which are sure to inspire at least one or two giggles.

New restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Santa Barbara

‘Tis always the season for exclusivity at a Four Seasons. This season, Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara (excessive names much? It’s like having three daddies) has opened a brand new restaurant, Tydes Restaurant and Bar.

Tydes Restaurant and Bar was designed by Peter Marino at the legendary Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club. The “Coral Casino” has been through a $65 million restoration and is now an exclusive members-only club to which guests of the Four Seasons have access, and Tydes Restaurant and Bar has opened inside of that. Basically, if you want to go there, you probably can’t.

That picture? Is a sketch. You can’t even see it.

More about what you’re missing:

“Critically acclaimed chef Pilar Sanchez, most recently known for her eponymous Napa restaurant, has crafted a tour de force menu that is authentically Mediterranean – creatively combining French, Italian, Spanish and Moroccan influences to create a harmony with the “Riviera” feel of Tydes’ natural surroundings. Constantly in flux with the seasons, it stars fresh seafood such as loup de mer, turbot and daurade flown in from the Mediterranean daily, along with the best ingredients from that part of the world. Also featured are the local region’s freshest produce and meats sourced from local purveyors, including one-of-a-kind artisan foods like bread and cheeses that have been custom created to Sanchez’s own specifications.”

Not exclusive enough? There’s a private dining room within Tydes Restaurant and Bar which seats just eight guests and has views of the ocean and the mountains. The room also opens out onto a sundeck.

If you find yourself on that sundeck, you’ve probably broken out of the matrix. Watch for agents.

Santa Barbara pueblo hopping with J. Peterman

When things calm down in California, let’s hope you’ll still be able to consider this unique walking tour in Santa Barbara. The Conference and Visitors Bureau has created a Red Tile Walking Tour of the city’s original pueblo district, and are promoting it with a brand new video podcast. Before embarking on a trip to the American Riviera, travelers can first watch Beyond the Rooftops to get a preview of the historic adobes and distinct architectural style that characterizes Santa Barbara.

The 16-minute video gives an overview of the actual self-guided 12-block tour and is narrated by none other than John O’Hurley, best known for his role as J. Peterman on Seinfeld. The historic Santa Barbara County Courthouse serves as starting point for the tour, which includes 17 stops and 22 homes dating from the late 1700s through the 1800s. Other historic landmarks along the way include the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and the Lobero Theater.

Sustainable Farming Wine Tours (In California, of course!)

Here’s a nice little responsible twist to the wine tasting industry.

Oenophiles interested in protecting the environment while polluting their own can now tour wineries that practice sustainable agriculture.

Sustainable Vine Wine Tours, based in Santa Barbara, California whisks guests throughout the Santa Ynez Valley visiting responsible wineries and socially conscious viticulturalists. There’s plenty of product sampling, of course, and opportunity to try out some very fine wines that aren’t produced at the expense of the planet.

This, of course, now makes getting drunk a socially responsible activity. Cheers!