Tag Archives: winery

Looking Forward – 2016 Year in Travel

European vacations continue to hold great value. The US Dollar remains at historic low levels vs. the Euro. This is good news for travelers to Europe as you definitely get more bang for your buck.  Our best advice for Europe is to plan ahead – this is not a destination that typically rewards the last-minute traveler.   The best way to start planning your European vacation is to schedule a consultation with Sue.

Uniworld River Baroness Honfleur France 3-26-2009 4-32-41 AMRiver Cruising continues to grow and for very good reasons. Our clients absolutely love to take River Cruises. All it takes is to try it once and you will rave about it forever. Be aware however that not all river cruise companies are equal. You can research endlessly on your own, or you can call us to discuss. Our goal is to find out about what you want to do, how adventurous you are, what you like and what you don’t like. What are your travel dreams?  Our recommendations are simply based on you and your needs, that’s it.

iberostar-rose-hall-beach-poolAll Inclusive vacations will remain hot, hot, hot. The industry continues to upgrade old properties and build new ones. There are All-Inclusives for all tastes and budgets. Well we know you want a warm weather, beach destination, but are you looking for a romantic escape or a family/multi-generational getaway? Do you want basic dining choices or a more gourmet experience?   How does a canopy covered bed and open air shower sound? Or a private plunge pool within mere steps of your suite? The choices go on and on.  We can help narrow it down to something you will love.

According to the experts, air ticket prices are down but add-on fees are up.  The simple fact, is you need air tickets to get to many vacation destinations. They are the transportation, not the vacation.

Cheap will remain, well….cheap. While the dictionary defines cheap as inexpensive, it also defines it as something of poor quality or shoddy. Continue to be cautious about anything advertised as cheap, supercheap, ultracheap, etc. A fantastically cheap vacation is not a good value if it is actually craptastic (this is our official industry word for cheap vacations!). Everyone wants good value and that’s where we help – get the best value for your money that actually gets the vacation experience you are looking for. Will it be cheap? We certainly hope not.

The best things in travel continue to come to those who plan ahead. For example, how about planning 2017? You may not be ready yet, but we are. We have 2 special group options worth considering.

Join us in January 2017 for our GetAway on the Getaway.   We will do all the following:  go down the highest water slides at sea, attend award-winning Broadway shows, experience Iron Chef dining, walk the plank and be endlessly entertained and pampered.   Book now and choose between Free unlimited drinks, Free Specialty Dining, Free Shore Excursions or Free WiFi.

In September 2017 we will be hosting a very special Wines of Western Europe group on the Azamara Journey.  Beginning in England, we will sail to France, Spain and Portugal.  Azamara specializes in unique itineraries that include overnight stays in many ports.  Our group will be in Bordeaux, one of the world’s foremost wine regions for 3 days.  But that is not the only World Heritage region we will visit – see our web page for all the details.

Some things are always a work in progress

For example, it seems that every single Google app we use always seems to be in beta version.  Not a bad thing as one can assume it will (hopefully) keep getting better and better.

Such is the case with our GetAway Travel Pinterest pages.  Always room for improvement, but it is actually starting to look better.   We have a wealth of great photos from our trips that we love to share to help inspire our clients.  Eventually we will get more photos posted, but there is only so much time in the day – and – planning great vacations for you will always come first.  For now, please enjoy and let us know what you would like to see more of.

On our “Places We Love” board, we’re messing around with the new Pinterest feature that shows on a map where all the pins are located.

We do have other passions besides travel!

Here is a very small fraction (so far) of wineries we have visited

and of course our Wheaten friends

 

Wining a bit in Temecula valley

A bit north of San Diego and a bit South of LA, the Temecula Valley is an American Viticultural Area in southern Riverside County, California.  After attending a 4 day travel conference in Newport Beach last week, we had one day free before heading home.  Free day = wine tasting day, what else would you expect?

We rented a car and drove about one and a half hours to Temecula.  Historic old town Temecula is a charming collection of circa 1890’s buildings with antique stores, hotels, boutiques, specialty foods and gift stores  While we were sorely tempted to stroll around, we just did not have enough time to check it out and still get in a few winery visits.  Definitely next time though.

Temecula Valley Wine

With more than 35 wineries in Temecula valley, there is not enough time to fit them all in, but with a bit of pre-planning we came up with a small handful that we thought we should try.  We adjusted our plans as we went along, because once you find a winery you really like, it’s also good to ask them for recommendations on where else to go.

Temecula would be an awesome destination for a small group of wine lovers.  It can easily be combined with other activities in San Diego or LA.   We can help!

Here are a few of our favorites we found that day:

Palumbo Family Vineyards.  Our favorite wine (that day) “Catfish Vineyard” Cabernet Franc

Doffo Vineyards. Our favorite wine – Doffo Zinfandel Reserve

Wiens Family Cellars.  Our favorite  – Barbera