ASHLAND, OREGON — When I think of a great American town, and everything that comes with it, I always think of Ashland, Oregon.  This is the place to go for a family vacation, to get away from it all, and to get your fair share of Shakespeare.

My family and I recently went on vacation in Ashland, Oregon, and had the most wonderful time.  The town could be anywhere in the USA, but it happens to be in Southern Oregon just off the 5 freeway.  There is just something about Oregon for me, maybe it’s because my dad used to sell lumber, maybe it’s because we went to Oregon every summer when I was a kid, or maybe it is just because it is a great place to stay and play.

As a kid, I remember golfing, fishing, canoeing, horse-back riding, and playing ping pong, and that was all on the first day.  There are activities galore in Ashland, and when we arrived for our family vacation, the first thing I wanted to do was chop some wood.

However, we were staying at the really nice “Cowslips Belle Bed & Breakfast” and there was no need for me to make some kindling out of some blocks of wood.  The Cowslips Belle is one of Ashland’s original bed and breakfasts, and has even expanded their business into vacation rentals.

The accommodations are quite luxurious and fancy, and they did not miss one beat taking care of us.  After we checked ourselves in, there was wine in our room waiting for us, as well as a personal note welcoming us to this fine establishment.  With such hospitality, and a general feeling of home, I proceeded to challenge both mom and dad to gin rummy.  After I dominated the older folks in such a cerebral game, I posed the question if slapjack or go fish might be better suited for them.

The gardens at the Cowslips Belle are beautiful, and they even have a koi pond.  The atmosphere lends itself to relaxing, and perhaps reading some Shakespeare.  That is one of the big draws for Ashland; they have an ongoing Shakespeare Festival that rivals even plays put on in Stratford upon Avon.

The B & B is a bungalow and carriage house build in 1913.  It has all the modern-day comforts of today’s technology lightly sprinkled with old-fashioned hospitality.  The property is just three short blocks from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, historic Ashland Plaza, the natural beauty of Lithia Park, and all the restaurants and shops in downtown Ashland.  It is easily walkable to all the main attractions, and you will find the Cowslips Belle just right to your liking.

There is something about Ashland; it feels kind of similar to what a real life Mayberry might be.  Everyone is happy and says hello and good bye, please and thank you.  Almost like they were raised properly, like in old time America, where children were seen and not heard.

We walked around town, looking for something to buy and to get our appetites up.  After strolling through a really cool magic shop, and a yarn store to die for, we decided to have lunch at Pangea.  Now I thought this was what they called the Earth and all the continents a really long time ago, but it is also a restaurant called yum.  I had the “Wrap Of Khan,” a lightly spiced chicken wrap with artichoke hearts, grilled zucchini and creamy roasted red pepper cheese with lettuce.  I could have one of those every day, it was amazing.  Joanne had the “Hummus Wrapture,” which was Mediterranean hummus with carrots, sprouts, fresh tomatoes and cucumber.  I can’t remember what Mom & Dad got, but one of them had the “Soup Of The Day” and I wanted to dip my wrap in it.  (Which would have been a bit much, considering it was not my soup, but the place is that good).  Whatever you are eating, you will want to try, test, and eat everything else being enjoyed as well.

After lunch we were off to go wine tasting.  This is another great thing about Ashland, there are wineries all around the area, and this makes for a great afternoon.  After about the fifth winery, and the world’s greatest wrap, I was ready for a long nap.  All of us needed to go back to the Cowslips Belle to recharge before painting the town red.

There are many great restaurants in town, something over 80 within walking distance, and they all have something special to offer the foodie.  We chose to walk around the park before dinner, and that in itself is a fun activity.  There is a stream that runs right through the park and the town, and you could wade in there and splash around.  Believe me when I tell you, the water is cold and not for the faint of heart.

We had a light dinner as tomorrow was going to be a big day, not only were we going birding with Harry Fuller, we were also off to the Green Springs Inn, just outside of town.  The following morning we met with world renowned bird expert, Mr. Harry Fuller, and his knowledge of birds was thoroughly informative.  He knew their scientific name, their mating habits; if they flock or are solitary birds, you name it… he knew it.  I had never looked at birds in this light before, and from that day forward, I always take some time every day to do some birding.   Thank you for caring so much about birds Harry Fuller.

After our mind expanding look at our feathered friends, we were off to stay at the Green Springs Inn.  Now they do say they are located in town, but maybe they are just talking about their post office box.  It was quite a haul up a really scary mountain, but once we got there, it was perfect.  The Green Springs Inn is run by a family that has built each cabin they rent out by hand.  They have their own lumber mill and saw, and it is quite the operation.  We met with the father, son, and the rest of the cast and crew.  It was really neat, and very far away from what some people would call civilization.

Once we got to the cabin, I schooled everyone in cards again, then had a soak in the hot tub.  My parents enjoyed the master suite, while Joanne and I camped up in the loft.  It sure brought back memories, and was just plain old fun.  I definitely recommend checking out the Green Springs Inn, for solitude and peace of mind.

I really can’t say enough nice things about Ashland, Oregon.  It is just over the California border, and not that far a drive from Mt. Shasta.  When visiting, be sure to bring some hiking boots, golf clubs, fishing rods, and anything else pertaining to outdoor recreation.  I had a blast visiting this beautiful little town, and plan on returning very soon.  I give Ashland a high five and two thumbs up, get there as soon as you can.  (For more information, please visit www.pangeaashland.com, www.cowslip.com, and www.greenspringsinn.com)

George Thomas

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The Red Vic is a gathering place for travelers and San Franciscans alike who are excited to live, talk, learn, and teach ways to create a Peaceful World. The Peace Arts Gallery features the peace arts poetry and painting of Sami Sunchild. The B&B is TV free, has private and shared bathrooms, is just two blocks from Golden Gate Park and are very serious about modeling with you a human environment that inspires emulation around the world.  (www.redvic.com)

George Thomas

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Their beautiful guestrooms are inspired by the magnificent sunsets you’ll appreciate from the spacious courtyard with brilliant hues of coral and sea foam.  Life’s comforts of our signature Sleep Therapy beds, iHome, flat screen TV, DVD player, microwave, small refrigerator and coffee brewer are conveniently included as is the warmth and genuine hospitality of a truly attentive staff.

Add the location-experiencing this iconic resort allows you to stroll to everything that is Carlsbad. Great shops, endless dining choices and mere paces to the awe-inspiring Pacific.

The Activity Center has all you need for a fun-filled stay at Carlsbad Inn. Located down the stairs next to the pool in the Fitness Center, our Activities Staff will guide you through the most memorable get-a-way yet! Not only are you invited to take in the many great activities scheduled daily but you are able to make your own fun by use of the beach equipment, board games & puzzles.

• As a condo or hotel guest boogie boards, sand toys, pool toys, beach chairs & umbrellas, bikes (must be 16 years old with ID and accompanied by an adult) and joggers are available for you to check out.
• The Fitness/Activity Center is open Monday -Friday 8:00 am-8:00 pm, Saturday & Sunday 8:00 am -6:00 pm.
• Swimming Pool is open everyday 8:00 am- 10:00 pm and Spa hours are 8:00 am-11:00pm.

Please observe Resort quiet time 8:00 pm-8:00 am.

George Thomas

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Blakes is a seductive design journey through India, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and on to the Pyramids, back through Italy ending up in the heart of London.  An elegant, eclectic, ethnic picture reflected in the abundance and luxury of accessories, furniture and artefacts found all over the world by Anouska Hempel herself over the many years of her far flung travels. It evokes past and current intrigues and dark mysteries.

The ‘Opium Den’ that is The Chinese Room, sits next to the critically acclaimed restaurant adorned in luxurious soft furnishings and a myriad of slipper orchids where candles and books are in profusion, stacked high on the squat tables waiting for guests to leaf through their exotic pages. Chinese ancestors smile knowingly down from the walls, black lacquer trays and colourful canapés gives the perfect background for the gentle and elegant service that glides unobtrusively from room to room giving the most discreet attention one could ever wish for. Yet at the same time the place is busy, bustling, bohemian and beautiful. The room itself is the epitome of decadence and comfort dedicated to the likes of Chanel and Dietrich, and is the place to be before or after enjoying the delights of an evening in London. Marlene herself is rumoured to appear under certain lights and influences leaning seductively on the piano.

The bar is also hugely popular with London’s fashionable ‘it’ crowd who regularly pop in for a sharpener!  The restaurant walls are exotically layered with fans, made from the feathers of rare birds from exotic climes such as Brazil and the Ecuadorian rainforests. Tables are adorned with the finest appointments however nothing can overshadow the cuisine which like the décor draws its inspiration from all corners of the globe. As you gallop up the stairs three at a time you may find yourself in the La Carmona suite, with Japanese Shuijo Horses corralled over your head and at the foot of your bed. Ginger Louis Vuitton trunks sit around retired for the moment from globetrotting.

Blakes rooms are dramatic interpretations of deep, rich tones and subtle contrasts and the compositions are startling, luxurious and operatic. What might have easily slipped into being ‘over the top’ is somehow neither too saccharine nor too precious. Rather, these interiors are fascinating exercises in design imagination, choreographed by the masterly eye of Anouska Hempel herself.

With a top class concierge and room service running day and night, your every last wish is their command. With nonsense and happiness around the clock Blakes is a romantic whirlwind from the minute you step through the door. So full of fantasy and so full of fun you are guaranteed to have a great time!

Around each corner there is a surprise and the chance to discover more of the mystery and magic that has been created here. If the term ‘Design Hotel’ means attention to detail and the entire aesthetic experience then Blakes London veritably deserves that title.  Hempel’s motto: Design, Refine, Repeat, on an individual level.

Blakes Hotel London endeavours to work in close association with Anouska Hempel Design in delivering a world class experience both in Architecture and Design creativity.

George Thomas

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Stay In London & Relax

The Radisson Blu Edwardian, London Hollywood Costume package includes; overnight accommodations and breakfast for two, plus a pair of open tickets to the Hollywood Costume exhibition from £130 ² per room per night, excluding VAT (approximately $206 USD plus tax.)  The package is available at the Radisson Blu Edwardian, Vanderbilt, Mercer Street and Hampshire hotels. Exhibition tickets are valid for any day or time[1], and include fast-track entry.

The Hollywood Costume exhibition showcases an array of the most iconic movie costumes from across a century of film-making, with many of the costumes having never left the private and archival collections in California.  It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the clothes worn by unforgettable and beloved characters such as Dorothy, Indiana Jones, Scarlett O’Hara, Jack Sparrow, Holly Golightly and Darth Vader. With such a coveted collection on display, this unbelievable experience is not to be missed.   To book or for further information, please visit www.radissonblu-edwardian.com/hollywoodcostume

Facebook: /RBEhotels

Twitter: @RBEhotels #HollywoodCostume

George Thomas

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Beekeepers At The Lancaster London Hotel

80 kilograms of the pure liquid gold has been harvested from just three of the ten rooftop beehives this month, with one hive producing a record-breaking 40kg of honey by itself.  With half a million bees toiling away, Lancaster London has ensured that the endangered honey bees of England have a genuine chance at survival.

To further safeguard the honey bee species, Lancaster London is organising and hosting the London Honey Show on Monday, 8 October 2012, from 6pm.  It is the second outing of the show following the success of last year’s event.  Awards in categories such as ‘Best Home Honey’ and ‘Best Honey Packaging’ will be given to worthy competitors, with the prize for ‘London Beekeeper of the Year 2012’ being the most coveted. Entries can be made via www.londonbees.com/london-honey-show.

In addition, there will be stalls, exhibits and activities, all with a honey theme.  Guest speakers and a fundraising tombola will be featured, as well as displays of bee hives.  Entry will cost £1 to maximise the money raised for the event’s chosen charity, Bees Action Network.

In 2009, Lancaster London became the first central London hotel to install beehives on its roof. There are now ten hives in total all surrounded by bee friendly plants in the rooftop garden to help nurture the bee collective.  The hotel’s “Bee Team” cares for the bees and carries out the harvesting of the honey.

The honey is used in Lancaster London’s award-winning restaurant Island Grill, providing guests with an eco-friendly accompaniment to breakfast.  Pots of honey are also offered to honeymooning couples and VIP guests.

The introduction of the beehives is part of the hotel’s ongoing eco-friendly initiatives.  Its motto “Walk Softly on the Planet” has led to a recent £11.5 million “green” refurbishment of the hotel’s kitchens and vast banqueting spaces, as well as involvement with eco-friendly charities such as Let’s Go Let’s Grow.

Lancaster London’s commitment to protecting the environment is reflected in its many recent awards for eco-friendly practices.  It was named AA Eco Hotel of the Year 2012 and The Considerate Hotel of the Year 2012, as well as being awarded a Gold Star in the Green Tourism for Business Scheme 2012.  Island Grill was recently awarded the highest rating of Three Stars by the Sustainable Restaurant Association.  (Lancaster London, Lancaster Terrace, London W2 2TY — Reservations on 020 7262 6737 or visit www.lancasterlondon.com)

George Thomas

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In 1899, the mansion blocks were finally converted into a hotel, the new owners embarked on a major refurbishment, involving the redesign of the interiors. This work was undertaken by the famous Victorian theatre designer J.P. Briggs, who created a dramatic collection of reception rooms with rich plasterwork. This vintage marketing brochure from around 1910 illustrates this spectacular craftsmanship first-hand, much of which is still in evidence today. Like the present St. Ermin’s, the previous owners understood that modern technology enhanced the guest experience, they mention the installation of telephones in all bedrooms, rather than an antiquated bell system.

In 1940 Winston Churchill, held a historic meeting at St. Ermin’s Hotel. He asked a group of remarkable people to join him in ‘Setting Europe Ablaze’ – this elite set, were to become the founding members of the SOE (Special Operations Executive). The unit carried out covert operations during WW2, from their headquarters – an entire floor of St. Ermin’s Hotel, whilst MI6 were stationed two floors above. In the 1950′s the spy Guy Burgess (part of the infamous Cambridge five) handed over secret papers to his Russian counterpart in the Caxton Bar.  St. Ermin’s continues to play an important part in London’s history, as it is rumoured that a tunnel runs from underneath the grand staircase in the Lobby all the way to the houses of Westminster.

The hotel is also home to 200,000 Buckfast bees, a good tempered honey bee, who reside in three custom-built hives on St. Ermin’s’ rooftop. These lucky bees have fantastic access to London’s parks, all within their three mile flight radius, to collect a wide variety of pollen and nectar, which in turn gives their honey a truly delicious taste.

London is a perfect environment for bees, as aside from all the green spaces on the hotel’s doorstep, cities actually trap heat, which mean they can start foraging earlier in the year than rural bees and continue later into Autumn. It has also been proved that keeping bees can help staff morale, so St. Ermin’s’ staff will be even more friendly and welcoming, than they were before.

These bees are the embodiment of local and seasonal produce that help the environment and people on so many levels.

A Great Hotel In The Heart Of London

George Thomas

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Another Beautiful Fall Day In Big Bear

Big Bear Offers 50% Discount on Accommodations This Autumn Season

BIG BEAR LAKE, CA — Big Bear Lake Resort Association is offering 50 percent off lodging accommodations for the 2012 autumn season. The exclusive 48-hour sale differs from Groupon and Living Social because it offers a wide range of lodging inventory to choose from including private home vacation rentals, resort lodges and rustic cabins. Big Bear’s 48-hour Fall Lodging Special Offer begins Wednesday, September 19 at 9 a.m. and ends Friday, September 21 at 9 a.m. During this window guests can book a two-night stay from September 21st – October 31st, 2012.

Many Big Bear locals consider fall the prettiest and most invigorating season in the mountain resort. Key highlights in Big Bear include a spectacular display of autumn hues that bring the magic of the season to life. Also every weekend is the Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest, which is considered Southern California’s most authentic and celebrated event in October

The Fall Lodging Special Offer is a one-time 48-hour sale that is available online at www.bigbear.com Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at 9 a.m. to Friday, September 21, 2012 at 9 a.m. or by phone at 800-424-4232 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Sept. 19 & 20). There is limited availability, blackout dates and other restrictions may apply, and it cannot be used with any other specials or promotions.

George Thomas

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A Beautiful Hotel In New Orleans

New Orleans streetcar lines, Bourbon Street and the Mississippi riverfront. Our central French Quarter hotel is within easy reach to major New Orleans attractions, Central Business District, Mercedes Benz Superdome and Morial Convention Center.

Guests are welcomed to the Dauphine Orleans Hotel with a complimentary welcome beverage at our bar, May Baily’s Place, once a bordello in the former Storyville district of New Orleans. Our palm-filled French Quarter courtyard beckons you to relax in the shade or bask in the sun poolside at our saltwater pool. Our smoke-free hotel offers secure valet parking in one of the few private on-site parking garages in the French Quarter. Guests enjoy complimentary deluxe continental breakfast, Wi-Fi access, in-room bottled water and local calls during their stay.

Our exquisite 111 room French Quarter hotel is thoughtfully appointed to reflect the architectural elements of New Orleans’ most historic neighborhood. Guest rooms are located in three main areas of the hotel: our Main House, Carriage House and Hermann House Courtyard. The fourteen rooms of the Hermann House Courtyard occupy the home of an early 19th century merchant, Samuel Hermann, who directed that the structure be built of nothing but the best country bricks and cypress.

The nine Carriage House Courtyard rooms are located in the eighteenth century Carriage House that was once part of a French Quarter townhouse. Each room is unique and richly appointed with period antiques. All rooms overlook or surround the lush landscape of the Carriage House Courtyard. Our hotel and guest rooms offer a smoke-free environment.

George Thomas

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Another tough day by the pool in Kona, Hawaii

Containing more than 360,000 gallons of water and with a combined surface area of 14,100 square feet, the upper, lower and children’s pools mean guests of any age find their special place to relax, nap, splash, squeal and enjoy the warm tropical sun and balmy breezes of Hawaii. Two whirlpool spas are tucked along landscaping and lava rock outcroppings. One spa is 128 square feet in size, the other a generous 135 square feet. A river system connects the upper and lower pools, leads to a waterfall and transitions a 200-foot-long lava tube waterslide. With an elevation change of 24 feet from starting deck to the water and a figure-eight pattern leading to the pool, the thrilling waterslide is the center of pool fun and activity. A 900-square-foot sandy-bottomed children’s pool area includes a large, shallow water sandy beach area for play.

The multi-level pool system begins outside the perimeter of the resort, nestled among black lava rock landscaping. It then meanders in to the center, open-air interior atrium. The calming sound of waterfalls and glistening water can be seen and heard from many of the resort’s walkways, restaurants, lounges and guestroom entryways. The interior atrium pool area is dotted with towering coconut trees and tropical landscaping.

“We have brought the beach to the property, we have brought the outside in, and we really brought the feel of Hawaii to this pool,” said Wendell Lee of the pool’s design firm Groark Design. “Rarely are pools part of the interior design but doing so at Sheraton Keauhou has really provided a tropical setting at the resort and created an unparalleled design that attracts attention and is enjoyable for every guest.”

Guests can enjoy numerous island activities and excursions arranged by resort concierge. In addition to the cultural activities available to guests, the hotel’s location at the water’s edge offers the ideal spot for viewing one of nature’s own unique exhibitions – most evenings, manta rays glide along the shoreline to feed in front of the hotel, delighting onlookers with their graceful maneuvers.

George Thomas

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