Chats
Learn to cook Thai at Tower Club in Bangkok
The Bangkok luxury hotel, the five-star Tower Club at lebua on the Praya River, is now offering guests an authentic Thai cooking-class package that includesa stay in a luxury Tower Club suite and learning how to cook a five-course Thai meal at the hotel's Cafe Mozu. The package, with rates starting at $769, includes two nights lodging, a five-percent discount card for Bangkok's Emporium and Paragon shopping centers, and a three-hour cooking class at the poolside Mozu. The cooking class is available for up to four guests when a two-bedroom suite is booked, and up to six when a three-bedroom suite is booked. The package is available through Nov. 30.
I stayed at the hotel last spring, and advise anyone going there to not miss the Sky Bar on the 63rd floor, reportedly the highest outdoor bar in the world. It's located just below Sirocco, a super-luxurious restaurant and the world's highest al fresco eatery. Both have jaw-dropping views of the city, especially at night. Try the signature "Hangovertini;" much of the movie "The Hangover Part II" was shot at the hotel, including at the Sky Bar.
Cafe Mozu is glorious as well, by the pool and serving one of the most comprehensively ethnic breakfast buffets I've ever seen. Sure, they cater to American tastes (think fried bacon, omelets, home fries and other tedious, caloric items) but on a small scale. Much more prevalent is food you may not recognize, but simply have to try, the things the Thai people eat for breakfast - which is what they eat for dinner or lunch, and can include many rice dishes, soups, chicken or fish. There is also a wide range of other international foods to satisfy the hotel's worldwide clientele, and it's all worth trying yourself.
For information on the culinary program, visit www.lebua.com, email towerclubresvn@lebua.com or call +66 2624 9999
Mangia bene at Federal Hill Stroll
Eat well, or more appropriately, "mangia bene" at the 13th Annual Federal Hill Stroll in historical Federal Hill, Providence, June 5, when 30 galleries, shops and of course, restaurants open their doors to welcome the expected 1,000-plus patrons who usually come to walk around.
Stroll tickets are $30 plus tax, and included admission button, two free drinks, and a map of the venue. It starts at 4:30 p.m. and includes music. Participants also vote for their favorite venues and help crown the yearly "King of the Hill" and "Most Creative Venue." A winning voter in each category gets a dinner for two on Federal Hill. Tickets are limited and have to be bought in advance at www.federalhillstroll.com or by calling 401-456-0298.
Federal Hill is Providence's quintessentially Italian section, though over the years the culinary and cultural slant has been happily diversified to include restaurants of all flavor. The Hill, as it's known locally, has long been compared to Boston's North End, only smaller. But just as tasty.
Photo of Nancy's Fancies, which will be on the Stroll, by David Lyon for The Boston Globe
Foundation helps Sandals guests become reading volunteers
Ever go by a school in the Caribbean, see some cute kids and wonder if there was any way to maybe help them out in some way? Now you can.
The Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts, is asking guests to lend a hand when they're on vacation through a "voluntourism" literacy program aimed at improving listening, reading and comprehension skills of local Caribbean children.
Available to all guests at Sandals Resorts, Beaches Resorts or Grand Pineapple Beach Resorts, the "Reading Road Trip" program is a two-hour adventure that takes guests into the community to one of the foundation's participating adopted schools in Saint Lucia, Antigua, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos or Jamaica, to engage small groups of kids in active reading strategies.
The cost is $20 per guest, which covers round-trip transportation and all supplies. Children ages eight to 12 can participate at no costs and all minors must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers are encouraged to bring along a favorite new or used book (in good shape) to donate to the library of the school they visit.
For information on the Sandals Foundation and its programs, visit www.sandalsfoundation.org
Projects Abroad helps US teens volunteer overseas
Projects Abroad, a New York-based nonprofit that recruits thousands of young volunteers worldwide to volunteer in neighboring countries, says increasing numbers of high schoolers are choosing to volunteer abroad this summer. Officials at the agency said they expect almost 1,000 students to take part this summer in the group's "High School Specials," which are structured programs for high school students.
"Service work is becoming a standard part of high school curriculum and many students are interested in performing this service work overseas," said Thomas Pastorius Jr., vice president of Projects Abroad, which was founded 20 years ago. "Last summer we had more than 650 high school students in our two-week programs and this year, we are expected almost 1,000."
He said young people are drawn to programs that help care for other children, and engage in projects that repair houses, paint schools, promote human rights and protect ecosystems. More than 40 programs are scheduled this coming summer, including in Ghana, Jamaica, Costa Rica, South Africa and China. It's not inexpensive; to take part, fees start around $2,000 per person, not including airfare. It does include accommodations, food, airport transfers, full travel and medical insurance and other things such as visa support, if applicable.
For more information on Projects Abroad's high-school programs, visit www.projects-abroad.org/projects/2-week-high-school-specials/
Legends heat up Caribbean jazz scene
There are some pretty big names heating up the Caribbean music scene this month and in late summer, heavy hitters in the world of music in general, jazz in particular.
Saint Lucia Jazz, now in its 21st year, runs through May 13, with main-stage performances on May 13 by powerhouses Diana Ross and Toni Braxton, with nearly 150 million records sold between them, and performances by more than 50 artists in all, playing in locations that include Pigeon Island National Landmark, Rudy John Beach Park in Laborie, Pointe Seraphine in the heart of Castries, and Fond D'Or in Dennery.
Other big names playing include Hugh Masekela, Ziggy Marley, Joshua Redman and Melanie Fiona, along with Saint Lucia's own Luther Francois, Ronald "Boo" Hinkson, Richard Payne, Derek Yarde Project and others.
The festival is presented by the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, and is said to be one of the top five jazz festivals in the world. For information, including ticket prices, visit www.stluciajazz.org and for info on the island and places to stay, check out www.saintlucianow.com
Another event, the third annual Curacao North Sea Jazz Festival, runs Aug. 31-Sept. 1, headlined by the legendary band, Santana. Other world-class performers scheduled to appear include Mana, Ruben Blades, Sergio George's All Star Salsa Friends and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band led by Paquito D'Rivera.
The festival runs at the World Trade Center Curacao in Piscadera Bay. In the week before the festival, concerts with local musicians are held on various locations throughout the island, including the popular party spot, Mambo Beach. Last year's festival drew names performers like Sting, Dionne Warwick, Earth, Wind & Fire and Juan Luis Guerra.
Day tickets start at $195. For more information, check out www.curacaonorthseajazz.com and for information on the island, including places to stay, visit www.curacao.com
Boston Harbor Islands ferry service resumes
Boats depart from Boston's Long Wharft North, next to the Long Wharf Marriott, adjacent to Christopher Columbus Park. Nearest T station is the Aquarium stop. For more information, visit www.bostonharborislands.org
Photo of picnickers on Georges Island by Jessey Dearing for The Boston Globe
NH inns team up for hiking package
The package runs four times: June 10-14, July 8-12, Aug. 19-23 and Sept. 16-20. To reserve, call the Candlelite Inn at 603-938-5571 or email candleite@mcttelecom.com
Culinary scene heats up in Atlantic City
The 9th Annual Chefs at the Shore runs June 21,a benefit at the Atlantic City Aquarium with live cooking demonstrations of signature dishes from area restaurants. All ticket proceeds benefit the aquarium and the Professional Chefs Association. For info, visit www.acaquarium.com
Four days of great grub and vino is the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival July 26-29, the showcase event of the year for the city's culinary scene that highlights the city's culinary offerings. Check it out at www.acfoodandwine.com
There's also regular stuff going on in the culinary world in Atlantic city, including pizza-making classes every Saturday morning at Tony Boloney's, where the owner takes guests through a brief history of the area and then teaches how to make a pizza from scratch. Cost is $60 per person, and for more info, visit www.tonyboloneys.com. The Viking Cook School at Harrah's Resort offers culinary classes, such as those in bayou-country cuisine. Check it out at www.vikingcookingschool.com
In the past year, Atlantic City has seen more than 15 restaurants open, from traditional seafood and Mexican fare, to steak and Asian fusion. For information on all that, and the whole Atlantic City scene, check out www.atlanticcitynj.com
Sailing on the American Queen
The Great American Steamboat Company's revitalized American Queen chugged to her home port of Memphis April 26, to the revitalized Beale Street Landing, after her first voyage up the mighty Mississippi since 2008. The US flagged steamboat's appearance marks the return of overnight cruises on one of America's great rivers. Originally built in 1995 by the Delta Queen Steamboat Co., the American Queen is the largest and, company officials said, the most opulent steamboat ever built, which accommodates 436 guests and features palatial public spaces, elegant staterooms and Southern cuisine of Chef Regina Charboneau.
The company hired more than 300 employees from the Memphis area, including crew, to outfit the ship and estimates its appearance and rolling up and down the river to have an economic impact of $89 million for the region. On the first journey to its home port, celebrations including having Priscilla Presley, wife of arguably the most famous resident of Memphis, the late Elvis Presley, serving as the godmother of the American Queen in a christening ceremony.
After the festivities, the ship was heading out on her inaugural voyage up the Mississippi River to the Ohio River, with stops in Kentucky and Indiana before arriving in the disembarkation city of Cincinnati. She was to take part in the Kentucky Derby Festival's Great Steamboat Race with the Belle of Louisville and Belle of Cincinnati on May 2.
A variety of voyage lengths from three to 10 nights are available on the American Queen, with fares starting at $995 per guest, from departure cities of Memphis, New Orleans, St. Louis, St. Paul, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. A pre- or post-cruise luxury hotel stay, bottled water and soft drinks, wine and beer at dinner and free shore adventures are included in each port of call. For info, check out www.greatamericansteamboatcompany.com or call 888-749- 5280.
Ask a Local app now on iTunes
Want to know where the state's hot spots are to visit? Check out a new feature of the tourism department and get a virtual answer - from a squirrel.
The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) has launched its MassFinds blog at www.massvacation.com, featuring favorites and hidden gems of the state - as narrated by the state's tourism department's mascot, MOTT the squirrel. The new feature is hot on the heels of the department's announcing that its "Ask a Local" iPhone app is now available on iTunes, a free, on-the-move guide providing info on local tips and deals from hotels, restaurants and other things in the state.
All of it, says Betsy Wall, executive director for the office of tourism, "allows visitors to have Massachusetts right at their fingertips and the MassFinds blog complements our social presence." With the help of a friendly squirrel. No word yet on if Boris or Natasha will be involved.
Rhode Island tour includes nod to Family Guy
Quahog, R.I., does not exist in real life. It thrives on TV, however, as the fictitious hometown of the dysfunctionally funny family Griffin in the hit animated Fox series, "Family Guy," created by R.I. native Seth McFarlane in 1998.
The fake Quahog -- and real Rhode Island -- gets its tourism due May 5, when the ninth annual Tour Rhode Island rolls out on more than a dozen buses jammed with people eager to learn more about the nation's smallest state, a very popular annual event that sells out quickly, state tourism officials said.
There are 15 tours in all this year, including the return of, by popular demand, "The Family Guy Tour," which includes more than a dozen sites in Pawtucket, Providence, Johnston, and Cranston that are known, or are suspected to have inspired the Emmy-winning series. There will also be a "Family Guy'' celebration lunch at Walt's Roast Beef on Airport Road in Warwick, where a "Family Guy'' version of Trivial Pursuit will be played.
The Tour Rhode Island lineup, other than the Family Guy trek, will take people all over the literal Rhode Island map, with things like "Rhode Island Myths & Mysteries: Shades of Revolutionaries and Romantics," "Hidden Gems of the Blackstone Valley" and "Geocaching Adventure: A Treasure Hunt for Grownups."
New this year is "Independence Trail and Taste of Rhode Island," a three-mile walk that takes in more than four centuries of state history. The one-year-old Providence Independence Trail celebrates its first birthday with its founder, Robert Burke, who is the tour's host and guide, showing tour takers key spots in state history, including where the first shot was fired against English rule in Rhode Island and the spot where President Lincoln spoke.
There are also tours this year for the more physically active, including kayaking the Blackstone River, hiking land-trust trails and bicycling the East Bay Bike Path.
Ticket prices vary, from $24 to $55 for the day-long tour, and most include boxed lunch - but sorry, no quahogs.
For information, visit www.tourrhodeisland.org, or call 401-724-2200.
New Haven hosting restaurant week
Florida festival explores the complexities of rum
Got rum? Robert A. Burr does – lots and lots of lots.
Burr, along with his wife and son, created and run the Rum Renaissance Festival, now in its fourth year and being held at the Deauville Beach Resort in Miami Beach, April 16-22.
When it first began, it drew about 150 people sampling 45 rums, Burr said. Last year’s festival had 3,200 people tasting more than 120 rums from far and near.
“This event attracts aficionados and mixologists from all over the world,” said Burr, a seventh-generation Miamian and creator of the Gifted Rums Guide. “The rum explosion is now, the rum business grew through the recession, and there’s real growth in luxury rums, which are cheaper than luxury scotches for example.”
FULL ENTRYRail Europe offers 'Bachelor'-themed packages
In tune with the season finale of "The Bachelor," Rail Europe is offering two themed packages: The Bachelor Romance Package and the Peaks of the World Package, which allows travelers to ride the rails and experience the romance of Switzerland like the guy on TV did. In the finale, bachelor Ben Flajnik went by train from Interlaken to Zermatt and stayed at the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel and Spa.
With the romance package, travelers ride the same rails and stay at the same place. It includes a four-night stay at the Victoria-Jungfrau or the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof, plus a first- or second-class rail component. Travel is valid through July 12 and is only bookable online at www.raileurope.com/promotions/the-bachelor.html. Prices start at $2,793 for first-class rail component and $2,696 for second-class rail component.
Romantically inclined travelers can also take advantage of Rail Europe’s Peaks of the World Package, which includes a four-night stay at a three- or four-star hotel, a free upgrade at the hotel, plus a first-class rail component. Those traveling from April 14 through June 15 get a free hotel upgrade from three to four star. Prices start at $1,017 for 1st class rail component and $920 for 2nd class rail component. Check it out at www.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/peaks-of-the-world/index.html
Cracking up the Queen
“The Queen had written us a letter expressing concern about the length of the lily stems,” smiled Wadson, 61, a tall, craggy sort with calloused hands and rugged spirit honed by almost 40 years of tilling the land in the hot Bermuda sun. “Well, that year, I met her once at a formal get-together here.”
Wadson is known around Bermuda not just for the Bermuda hogs he raises, or the dozens of types of fruits, vegetables and flowers he grows, or his busy farmer’s market stand or the farm being named “Best Greengrocer” by Bermudian Magazine or the publication’s “Award of Excellence, Best of Bermuda Gold” for food and beverages in 2008. He’s also known for his playful sense of humor, straightforward and blunt
“So I told her, ‘Your Majesty, we have a microscopic complaint department but just wanted you to know that your complaint stood out because it’s the only one we’ve gotten that was handwritten!’” Wadson roared one day at the farm, telling the story and pointing out lilies being grown for the queen this Easter.
The queen took it in stride, Wadson said, even smiling at the comment. And later that night, Wadson said, he went and quaffed a few brews with her husband, Prince Philip, whom Wadson dubbed, “a good fellow, a down-to-earth sort.”
Wadson started his farm in 1976, dabbling in farming prior to that, going to school abroad, then graduating from Ontario Agricultural College in Canada. The farm was doing well – until Hurricane Fabian destroyed the whole thing in 2003. He built it up again, but transitioned from conventional to organic farming in the process.
The farm does a lot of school tours, and will soon get a commercial kitchen and open a little café at the farmer’s market, which sells all manner of what Wadson grows or harvests, including duck eggs, lamb meat, and a wide range of organic vegetables. The farm is the island’s only CSA (community supported agriculture) site, Wadson said.
Taking a tour of the farm one day, Wadson showed us parched fields with chickens running about them, which come season’s end, they’ll plow under, enriching the soil, turning the brown earth to green grass the following year because, Wadson winked about what chickens leave behind, “we’re just using what nature drops us.”
He also rents some land near a former U.S. Navy base, using it to graze a few dozen sheep, land likely to be developed into a massive resort at some point but for now suiting his sheep’s grazing needs just fine.
The farm is open for regular tours, which if you’re lucky, you’ll get Wadson to conduct. Feel free to ask about the Queen’s lilies. If he wasn’t shy with her, he won’t be shy telling you about it. For information on the farm, visit www.wadsonsfarm.com
Bahama Beach Club has spring/summer savings
Yes, it's hot in the Bahamas in the summer -- but it's also cheaper.
The Bahama Beach Club, a resort overlooking Treasure Cay Beach on Great Abaco Island, a beach Caribbean Travel & Life dubbed the best in the Caribbean, is offering a trio of limited-time offers to save money.
The first is an instant savings air credit, which gets you $400 in instant savings on stays of six or more nights, per villa, or a $250 instant savings on stays of four or five nights, when booking by May 14, and staying between April 15 and Oct. 31. The offer must be booked for a minimum double occupancy and in conjunction with an air-inclusive package when flying from any city in the United States or Canada.
The resort also offers two free plane tickets from Nassau to Abaco when booking a four-night or more stay, with air travel from Nassau. Three nights gets one free ticket. Offer must be booked by June 30 and is valid on double-occupancy stays through Oct. 31.
Lastly, the resort is giving private pilots a $300 fuel credit when they fly to the island. You must book a minimum four-night stay at the club, and it must be booked in conjunction with an all-inclusive package at the resort by June 26, and is valid through June 30.
Rates at the resort, for a two-bedroom, two-bath villa start at $300, and include Internet and free phone calls to the United States and Canada. For more info, visit www.bahamabeachclub.com, or call 800-284-0382.
Food tours wend through Blackstone Valley
St. Lucia resort chops prices
All-inclusive Morgan Bay Beach Resort on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, now part of Elite Island Resorts, is offering pretty deep discounts on stays booked by April 8, good for travel from now through Dec. 20. The offer is $119 per person per night, with a free automatic category room upgrade ($50 value) from standard to deluxe category, and 50 percent off your next vacation. The resort's regular rates are about $340 a night, per person, based on double occupancy. Other room upgrades are available starting at $25 per person. Additional guests can be booked for $75 per adult per night, and $50 per child, ages 2-16.
Morgan Bay Beach Resort sits on 25 acres in a private cove on the northern coast of St. Lucia. For more information, visit http://www.eliteislandresorts.com/st-lucia/morganbay/index.html or call 800-858-4618.
Multi-generational and group travel an emerging trend
Traveling in groups isn't limited to families, either. Luxury travel operator Abercrombie & Kent also reported that 11 percent of its reservations in 2011 were for groups of five more, compared to eight percent the year before.
As might be expected, resorts are focusing on the large-group angle, creating programs and specialties for families and those traveling with a crowd. The all-inclusive Curtain Bluff Resort in Antigua is running a multi-gen package valid from May 15-July 28, based on two interconnecting junior suites for seven nights, and includes private sunset sail on a 49-foot sail boat; private family cocktail party at The Bluff House; and photographer for family portrait, to include CD of the shots, for a cost of $8,950. Additional junior suites are available at $4,325 for the week. Check it out at www.curtainbluff.com
Villas are ideal for family travelers and on the 1,400-acre private island of Mustique in the Grenadines, there are 74 rentable villas, from two to nine bedrooms, fetching anywhere from $6,000 to $150,000 a week. Mustique's only resort, the Cotton House, has 17 suites and babysitting services. Anyone staying on the island has access to nine beaches and a downtown market, and kid activities including pony camp, tennis camp, sailing classes and movie nights. Check it all out at www.mustique-island.com and www.cottonhouse.net
In Turks and Caicos, the upscale The Somerset on Grace Bay has 53 villas and estates and new this year is the "Caicos Kids Club," a free program for kids ages five to 12 and run by certified teachers from a local school, a day program that offers a variety of changing, kid-friendly activities. They also have a group kids' dinner on select evenings to give their parents some alone time. Rates at the resort, with accommodations ranging from 1,400 to 5,000 square feet, start at $900 a night. For more info, visit www.thesomerset.com
Not exactly horsing around
It's been a decade since former Globe film critic Michael Blowen and his wife, former Globe columnist Diane White, moved to Kentucky and founded Old Friends Equine. The nonprofit organization provides retirement homes for thoroughbred horses that might otherwise be sent to the slaughterhouse after their racing and breeding careers have ended.
I caught up with Blowen recently at a travel show in Louisville and he had nothing but praise for the beautiful Kentucky bluegrass landscape and for the “athletes” that live on his farm in Georgetown, about 13 miles north of Lexington.
About 20,000 people visit the farm each year and their donations help to keep the nonprofit venture running. “It's a great tourism destination,” he says. “You can see the horses, feed them, pet them, and get your picture taken.” One of the horses even has a movie connection: Popcorn Deelites was one of the six horses who played Seabiscuit in the acclaimed movie of the same name.
“We want to put a facility in every state,” says Blowen. He has taken the first step by establishing Old Friends in New York at Cabin Creek Farm in Greenfield Center. Twelve retirees now live there. For information on visiting Old Friends in Kentucky and New York, see www.oldfriendsequine.org.
Photo by Patricia Harris for the Boston Globe
Ascend adds first Central American hotel
To mark the occasion, the hotel is offering a rate of $79 a night, through April 30. The historical landmark hotel is in the heart of downtown San Jose, Costa Rica's capital city, near the city's top museums, theaters and historic sites. The property, which was built in 1930 and was named a Costa Rican Historical and Architectural Landmark in 2004, has an open-air patio restaurant that faces activity and musicians on the Cultural Plaza.
Membership in the Ascend Collection grew 35 percent in 2011, company officials said. For information on the Gran Hotel, visit http://www.grandhotelcostarica.com/, and for the Ascend Collection, http://www.ascendcollection.com/.
N.Y. chefs head to Maine's White Barn Inn
Sofitel opens luxury hotel in Bangkok
The new hotel overlooks the city's Lumpini Park and has 238 rooms with themed decor centered around five elements: Water, earth, wood, metal and fire. The water-themed rooms, for example, feature bathtubs offering front-on scenic views of the city. The hotel also has a chocolate boutique, infinity swimming pool overlooking the city, and So Spa, which resembles a mythological forest. The hotel is also said to be the first one in Asia to offer a fully connected lifestyle, with all rooms and suites equipped with fully integrated Apple Mac mini Solution technology and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. Other in-room benefits are free private bar, his-and-hers amenities and Illy espresso machine in So Comfy or higher room categories.
Rates at the hotel start at $165 a night. For information visit http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-6835-sofitel-so-bangkok/index.shtml
Norfolk, Va., ramps up events for 2012
Kicking off the festival season is ShamRock 'n' Roll on March 17, celebrating St. Patrick's Day with Irish music, an Irish fair and, of course, green beer. Hot on the heels of that comes the Art of Chocolate, Virginia Chocolate Festival, from March 22-25, which includes local, regional and national chocolates and a chocolate bake off.
From April 15-June 6, the Virginia Arts Festival, one of the mid-Atlantic's premier cultural events, holds a variety of programs, including music, dance, theater and family entertainment. The International Azalea Festival: A salute to NATO -- runs April 27. The festival started in 1953 and honors the Norfolk-based North Atlantic Treaty Organization by selecting one nation each year to honor through the festival's themed activities.
Rounding out the month is the Virginia International Tattoo April 27-29, an exhibition of marching bands, massed pipes and drum teams, gymnasts, Scottish dangers and more, the largest tattoo in the United States (a tattoo is a ceremonial performance of military music by massed bands).
The city celebrates Cinco de Mayo on May 4, and later, wine and beer, with the 6th Annual Spring Town Point Virginia Wine Festival on May 12 and the 11th Annual Virginia Beer Festival on May 19.
Big Bands on the Bay starts May 27 and runs every Sunday until Labor Day, and OpSail 2012 Virginia floats into the Port of Virginia June 1-12, commemorating the bicentennial of the War of 1812 as it showcases a fleet of tall navy and military war ships representing the world.
Another nautical event is the 36th Annual Harborfest June 8-10, the Hampton Roads area's largest summer event with nearly 700 international tall ships, sail boats, battleships and cruise ships.
Summer heats up July 20-12 with the 30th Annual Norfolk Jazz Festival, the region's longest-running jazz event and the 12th annual AT&T Latino Music Festival Aug. 25 at the largest outdoor dance floor in Hampton Roads.
On Sept. 16, the 7th Annual Mid-Autumn Chinese Moon Festival will be held. On Oct. 6, the city hosts the 24th annual AT&T Virginia Children's Festival, and from Oct. 20-21, the 25th Annual Town Point Virginia Wine Festival
If you get the idea that Norfolk is festival city, you'd be right, and it's only about a 10-hour drive from Boston, if you're so inclined to motor down. For a complete list of festivals, visit www.visitnorfolktoday.com or call 800-368-3097.
Crystal Cruise, lodging group hold contests for trips, rooms
Seafarers and landlubbers alike have a pair of contests they can enter to win a cruise or a year's worth of lodging. Crystal Cruise has launched its "Crystal Love Stories" Facebook contest, offering Crystal Society members the shot at a free cruise for two valued up to $15,000.
Until April 16, Crystal's past and present guests can submit an essay of 100-500 words about their experience with Crystal Cruises. Go to the Facebook page, "like" it, fill out the form and then submit your essay. Facebook users will read and vote on the best story, with the top two vote getters getting a shot in the final five. A panel of Crystal judges will select the remaining three finalists and the grand prize winner. All five finalists get $500 in shipboard credits.
For additional contest details, visit Crystal Cruises’ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/crystalcruises?sk=app_308815379161864&app_data={"wfrefid":"8e8ef5133fa0"}
Land travelers can win a full year of free night stays at any of the nearly 350 inns and B&Bs in a contest run by the Select Registry Distinguished Inns of North America. To enter, you must register with the Select Registry Golden Quill Loyalty program at www.SelectRegistry.com/GoldenQuill. After that, each qualified Golden Quill nights throughout 2012 counts as an additional entry. Select Registry’s Vacation Of A Lifetime Contest is open to travelers in the United States and Canada. The promotion ends midnight on the last day of 2012.
One grand prize winner gets a free night's lodging at each of the inns throughout North America for a year. Three first-place winners get a $500 gift certificate good at all properties, and five second-place winners get a $250 gift certificate. For information, visit http://www.selectregistry.com/Vacation-of-a-Lifetime.asp
- Anne Fitzgerald, Globe Travel Editor
- Paul Makishima, Globe Assistant Sunday Editor
- Eric Wilbur, Boston.com staff
- Kari Bodnarchuk writes about outdoor adventures, offbeat places, and New England.
- Patricia Borns, a frequent contributor to Globe Travel, writes and photographs travel, maritime, and historical narratives as well as blogs and books.
- Patricia Harris, a regular contributor to Globe Travel, is author or co-author of more than 20 books on travel, food, and popular culture.
- Paul E. Kandarian, a frequent contributor to Globe Travel, writes and photographs New England and Caribbean stories.
- Chris Klein is a regular contributor to Globe Travel. His latest book is ‘‘The Die-Hard Sports Fan’s Guide to Boston.’’
- David Lyon, a regular contributor to Globe Travel, is author or co-author of more than 20 books on travel, food, and popular culture.
- Hilary Nangle is a regular contributor to Globe Travel. Her latest guidebook is Moon Maine (Avalon Travel, 2008)
- Joe Ray, a frequent contributor to Globe Travel, writes and photographs food and travel stories from Europe.
- Kimberly Sherman writes about unique happenings throughout New England.
