Sarah Hull
Sarah Hull lives and writes in Brooklyn, New York. Her first big travel writing break happened after college, when she was accepted as a writer for the Rough Guide to New England. She has since worked on a number of titles for Rough Guides, and contributes regularly to Travelsquire.com. In her spare time, she dreams of traveling to Negril, Jamaica. Her best travel tip? Scan and email yourself a copy of your passport before you head out.
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Aruba Says “No” to Hurricanes and Offers Special Programs During Atlantic Hurricane Season
Need weather reassurance? Aruba has it! While the Caribbean is bracing for the Atlantic hurricane season, which usually occurs from the summer through the end of November, Aruba guarantees a no-hurricane season year after year.
The Holiday Inn Aruba has recently announced that it has reinstated its “Risk-Free SunSpree” hurricane guarantee for the 2010 season. In the pre-vacation stage, guests holding confirmed reservations with nonrefundable deposits who are unable to travel due to hurricane can rebook their reservations without penalty. During the trip, guests who are already on property will be able to receive a certificate valid for a free future stay. For reservations, visit www.caribbeanhi.com/aruba, or call 1-800-HOLIDAY.
The Westin Resort Aruba is offering a “Hurricane Free” escape, starting at $199 per room, per night. Guests are given a $74 credit per room (74 being the minimum wind speed of a Category 1 hurricane) if it rains for more than three hours on any day of the trip. The package breakfast for two at Bon Bini and two welcome drinks per day at the Lobby Bar of Tambu pool bar. The “Hurricane Free” package is valid for stays of four nights or more, now through Nov. 30, 2010. When booking, ask for rate plan WIND74. For more information visit www.westinaruba.com
Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chef 2010 Offers Tempting, Food Lover’s Travel Package
Chilhowie, VIRGINIA – Entering the kitchen of an acclaimed chef is the stuff that culinary dreams are made of. To celebrate executive chef John B. Shields’ 2010 Best New Chef award from Food & Wine magazine, Shields’ Town House restaurant is inviting guests to take front row seats in its venerable kitchen. In addition, the restaurant is partnering with its guest house property, Riverstead, to make a package deal that combines farmhouse comfort, cutting-edge cuisine, and classic Southern hospitality.
The fine print:
· 15-course tasting menu for two at Town House
· Exclusive access inside the Town House kitchen where guests
will work with chefs as they prepare the evening’s dinner
· Area farmers’ guide
· Accommodations for one night at Riverstead
· Transportation to/from Town House and Riverstead
· Use of Riverstead’s luxury farm kitchen complete with snacks and breakfast
items prepared by the Town House chefs
Package starts at $550 per night based on double occupancy for Tuesday-Saturday night stays through July 31, 2010.
For more information and to book your dinner or stay, please call 276-646-8787 or go to www.townhouseva.com
Four Whole Foods Market Florida Stores Host Culinary Tour May 4-7, 2010
During May 4-7, 2010, four Whole Foods Market stores in Florida – Coral Gables, Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens and Wellington – are hosting a culinary tour with Top Chef Season 6 contestant, Florida resident, and Haiti native Ron Duprat in an effort to raise funds for Food For The Poor, a Miami based organization, providing relief efforts in Haiti.
Each event is held from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., and costs $25 per person. Attendees will be treated to a cooking demonstration in which Duprat will recreate the Chilean sea bass he made in one of his Quick Fire Challenges on the popular reality show, as well as a tasting of the dish with a wine pairing. He will also provide various cooking tips, talk about growing up in Haiti and offer insider information about Top Chef. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Food for the Poor.
For more information, kindly visit www.foodforthepoor.org
I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I've fantasized about throwing in the towel and moving to a tropical island. You know, one of those picture-perfect beaches spread across the travel magazines, comprised of two parts sugary sand, one part bright blue sea, and 100% get-your-groove-back.
Portland is perhaps best known for its excessively rainy weather, its acclaimed urban planning, and coffee. If you couple these distinctions with the city’s lesser known characteristics—a gorgeous natural setting, a thriving arts and food scene, and a notably progressive political climate (former president George H. W. Bush once referred to it as “Little Beirut”)—then you’re mixing up one interesting cocktail.
Portland is nothing if not eclectic, and its happy blend of mismatched communities, among them artists, bicyclists, and drag kings, is a testament to its livability. The best time to visit is between May and October, when the sun is out and Portland flavor is at its peak.
I work in the City Hall neighborhood of lower Manhattan, a culinary wasteland that's filled with a lot of pretty civic buildings but nowhere good to eat. It never fails to surprise me that just a few blocks away is TriBeCa, a much quieter. More residential neighborhood that invites meandering and lots of food sampling. That's what's funny about New York, you can walk five blocks and be in an entirely new world.
TriBeCa is populated by affluent, casually label-wearing New Yorkers, seen lingering in upscale eateries or curating expensive bouquets of flowers at the flower shop. Like the West Village, TriBeCa is a neighborhood where New Yorkers aspire to rest their heads; if someone made a movie about what it looked like to reside in New York, it would probably be set in TriBeCa.
On April 21, the 2010 TriBeCa Film Festival begins, continuing through May 2. Like the city it inhabits, the festival brings together all sorts of factions – filmgoers rub elbows with celebrities, a street fair is set amidst classy cafes (tempting balloon-carrying children of all stripes), and film buffs hobnob with tourists. And of course there are the films: big name premieres, documentaries, shorts, even sports films. Tickets range from $8 (for a matinee) to $450 (for twenty general screenings).
The TriBeCa Film Festival is like a movie set in itself, an ode to the neighborhood that provides its moniker. If you're in the area, try and pop by – who knows, you might even see De Niro, or even better, a really good film.
Orenjestad, ARUBA – In addition to the sounds of breaking waves and ocean breezes, the lilting tune of a piano will romance the shores of the island of Aruba during the Fourth Annual International Aruba Piano Festival, taking place from April 17-24, 2010. The festival, established in 2006, is one of the most important annual chamber music events in the Caribbean region, and includes classical recitals from internationally acclaimed musicians, as well as master classes for amateur talent and a piano competition that will give talented young pianists from Aruba the chance to be discovered and acknowledged.
Festival events take place in some of Aruba's most beautiful cultural locations, including Aruba's Cas di Cultura, the National Library and Da Vinci Academy. General admission prices are AFL 25 (approx. $13 US) for evening recitals, AFL 15 (approx. $8 US) for matinee performances, and AFL 5 (approx. $3 US) to attend the competition, and tickets can be purchased at the Plaza Book Shop or the Cas di Cultura. Master classes are complimentary.
For further information on the festival, head to www.arubapianofestival.com.
Soufriere, ST. LUCIA – Coupling two of mankind’s greatest loves – eating and beach bumming – the Jade Mountain resort in St. Lucia is offering five days of cooking and consuming amidst a heavenly landscape. Held from April 9th through the 13th, the program’s offerings range from tropical breakfast in bed to lunch on a private beach to live cooking demonstrations. It’s also kicked off and concluded with a cocktail party in paradise.
For reservations, call 800-223-1108, or click on www.jademountainstlucia.com
San Francisco, CALIFORNIA – Two of the world’s coolest cities are now linked by a fabulous ride.
Beginning June 2, 2010 Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. will offer non-stop service from San Francisco to Zurich via a fleet of Airbus 340s.
The new long-haul service between San Francisco and Zurich will run six times a week, offering Bay Area passengers the opportunity to enjoy Swiss hospitality and feel right at home when flying to Switzerland and beyond to any of its 76 worldwide destinations.
For more information about Swiss, click onto www.swiss.com, call 1-877-FLY SWISS or contact your local travel agent.
Hotels and villas on this Caribbean island offer jammin’ deals for the annual music festival
Scarborough, TOBAGO – From April 22-25, 2010, music lovers will come together on the shores of Tobago for the island’s second annual Tobago Jazz Experience. With headline performances from Grammy award-winning Queen of Funk Soul, Chaka Khan and First Lady of Neo Soul, Erykah Badu, patrons will have the chance to enjoy smooth tunes throughout this four-day festival. Local musicians are also scheduled to perform and show off their skills on a range of instruments that include the steelpan, drums, saxophone and the guitar. To help travelers get into the groove, four hotels on the island (Bacolet Beach Club, Coco Reef Resort & Spa, Half Moon Blue Hotel, Stonehaven Villas) are offering specials for the event.
For more information on Tobago and the upcoming festival, visit visittobago.gov.tt