By Patricia Harris and David Lyon, Globe Correspondents

Readers of our In Transit column in the Globe Travel section know that we're partial to the Downeaster train. Now Amtrak would like to win over the skeptical. For National Train Day on May 11, Amtrak is celebrating at the Brunswick, Maine, station from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with train tours and cafe samples during the 1-4 p.m. time slot. They also promise activities for kids, educational exhibits, and ticket giveaways.

Even better, for three weekends in a row, Amtrak is offering $5 tickets on the northern half of the Downeaster line. They're good from Haverhill to Brunswick, Maine (or points in between) on May 4-5 and May 11-12, and between Exeter, N.H. and Brunswick, Maine April 27-28. That's definitely something to toot about.

By Necee Regis, Globe Correspondent

Here’s a good reason to hope the weather remains cool: The Harbor Hotel is offering a Pay the Temperature promotion. Daily room rates will be based on the Provincetown temperature at 2 p.m., as reported by the National Weather Service on the day of check-in. With an average temperature in April of 55 degrees, this deal could save you a bundle off the Harbor’s posted spring rates (from $99). This promotion cannot be booked online, is based on availability, and stay must be completed by May 20. Guests will be charged a $50 non-refundable deposit.  855-447-8696, www.harborhotelptown.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

If you don’t get invited to the annual White House Easter Egg roll, take heart, it’s a select group. But the Mayflower Renaissance Washington, D.C. Hotel in the nation’s capital is hosting an Easter event that honors its 88th birthday by hiding a total of 88 decorative Easter eggs in randomly selected guest rooms, up to 12 eggs a day. Guests can check out their rooms and if they find an egg, turn it in for either an adult or kid-friendly Easter basket. Prizes include Marriott Reward Points, a free cocktail at the new Edgar Bar & Kitchen, a milk-and-cookie turndown, bag of candies, chocolates and other gifts. During the course of the Easter Egg Hunt Week, five golden eggs will be hidden and if found, qualify the holder for a free future two-night weekend stay.

Rates start at $159 a night from March 24-31. And it’s close to the White House, so if you do land tickets to the April 1 Easter Egg roll on the president’s lawn, you won’t have far to go. For reservations, visit www.mayflowerrenaissance.com  

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, many spring school vacations have been shortened as schools try to make up for missed days. Kimpton’s The Muse hotel in New York City is offering a package, “Mini-scape to The Muse,” for those looking for a quick getaway in the Big Apple. Through the end of April, the package, with rates starting at $379, includes an overnight stay, free breakfast with specialty children’s menu (think chocolate pancakes, for one thing), and a $20 Metro subway card. The hotel also offers children’s welcome gifts on check in, such as Matchbox cars, coloring books, popcorn packages and more. In addition, Ginger, a Pomeranian pooch, and the hotel’s “Director of Pet Relations,” welcomes other dogs to stay at the hotel with their families.

The hotel’s NIOS restaurant is also celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year, it being steps away from the city’s famous St. Patrick’s Day Parade scheduled for March 17. The restaurant, starting March 15, will have drink specials and an Irish-themed menu, through the weekend. For information on the hotel’s package deal, visit www.themusehotel.com and use rate code MSCAPE.  For more information on the restaurant, visit www.niosrestaurant.com.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Romantic options abound this time of year, with Valentine's Day specials in warm and not-so-warm climates.

At a new destination, Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina in the British Virgin Islands, the BVI's newest resort in 15 years, they offer a "Be My Valentine Private Island Escape," available from Feb. 8-14, which includes luxury accommodations for three nights, a bottle of champagne, selection of chocolates, a 60-minute couples massage, and private continental breakfast for two in the Ixora Spa, and a romantic dinner at the fine dining restaurant, Caravela, with stunning ocean and sunset views. Guests get unlimited ferry access to Trellis Bay on Tortola, personal concierge service and free use of kayaks, fitness center and hiking trails. Rates start at $2,160 for three nights. Check it out at www.scrubisland.com or call 888-678-8912.

In Bonaire, Harbour Village Beach Club has a romance package, starting at $1,435 per person, which gets you seven nights, a torch-lit dinner on the beach, aromatherapy couples massage, reserved double hammock on the beach, a resort scuba experience for non-certified divers or a day of diving for those who are, full daily breakfast, use of the resort's fitness center, tennis courts and kayaks, and free airport transfers. Visit www.harbourvillage.com/offers.html for more information.

Bermuda is holding a 50-percent off "Pink Sale," a limited-time promotion that cuts half off the rates of five hotels, with a three-night minimum stay. Booking must be made by Feb. 3 and is valid for travel through May 7. Participating hotels are the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, Fairmont Southampton Hotel, Grotto Bay Beach Hotel, Newstead Belmont Hills, Royal Palms and Cambridge Beaches. For reservations or information, visit www.gotobermuda.com

Hotels in Santa Fe, New Mexico, are offering romantic getaways that can be used on and around Feb. 14, including a "Fifty Shades of Santa Fe" at the Inn and Spa at Loretto, which starts at $150 a night, and includes a room, checklist of 50 romantic things to do and see in the city, a copy of "Santa Fe Icons, 50 Symbols of the city Different," and a $50 spa credit. Use promo code FIFTY when booking at www.innatloretto.com or calling 866-582-1646. La Posada in Santa Fe is offering a package, starting at $239 a night that includes a room, champagne, chocolate and strawberries upon arrival, daily breakfast in bed and two, 50-minute Swedish massages. Visit www.laposadadesantafe.com or call 855-278-5276 for information. The city's landmark hotel, La Fonda on the Plaza, has a special starting at $159 a night, with room, local chocolates and choice of champagne, wine or cider upon arrival, breakfast in bed and early check-in and late check out. See all that at www.lafondasantafe.com or call 505-982-5511. For all Santa Fe info, visit www.santafe.org

Down in Norfolk, Virginia, the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel has a Valentine's special, starting at $135 a night that gets you a bottle of bubbly and chocolates delivered to your room, full American breakfast in bed for two daily, free valet parking and 4 p.m. checkout. For info, visit www.sheratonnorfolkwaterside.com or call 866-716-8115.

Big Apple romance can be had at Kimpton's The Muse hotel in New York City, which is near the city's fabled theater district and Times Square with rates starting at $249, and spa-suite rates at $399. Rates include the room and breakfast in bed for couples (singles can nosh at the hotel's Nios restaurant, with choice of bottomless mimosas or bloody Mary's). Visit www.themusehotel.com or call 877-692-6873, using rate code PVAL.

Closer to Hub home, Chef Nuno Alves of Tavolo on Dorchester's Dot Ave. (Dorchester Avenue, for out of towners) is offering a Valentine's Day menu from Feb. 14-17, and also programs for couples, including a couples cooking class Feb. 16, and weekly Italian cooking classes. Tavolo also has romantic live acoustic guitar events, with Ryan Beke on Feb. 16, with no cover, and most Tuesday nights year round. Check out the popular eatery at www.tavoloristorante.com, or call Alves to suggest your own custom itinerary, at 617-822-1918.

Down in historic Bristol, R.I., Bristol House Bed and Breakfast has a "Romance for Two" package, valid throughout February, which includes a two-night stay, choice of two spa treatments at the Alayne White Spa, bottle of champagne and chocolate truffles at check-in, breakfast each morning and a $20 shopping certificate to Revival Boutique. Total cost is $549. Check www.bristolhousebnb.com or call 401-396-9066 for details. Also, the Bristol Harbor Inn has a Valentine's package from Feb. 8-17, which for $235 gets you a night at the inn (fireplace rooms available), $100 dinner allowance at DeWolf Tavern, bottle of Crane Lake Brut and Lindor Chocolate Truffles, and breakfast for two. Visit www.bristolharborinn.com or call 401-254-1444 for info.

Also in Rhode Island, the towering, seaside Ocean House in Watch Hill has a "Romance by the Sea" package for Feb. 8-10, with rates starting at $1,150 with two-night minimum stay. This giant, yellow AAA Five Diamond resort is perched on a bluff overlooking the ocean, and the package includes room, welcome bottle of champagne, a Valentine's dinner with the Salt Marsh Opera on Feb. 9, breakfast for two on Feb. 9 and jazz brunch for two on Feb. 10. Visit www.oceanhouseri.com or call 401-584-7000 for information.

Up in New Hampshire, where it's chilly this time of year, you can warm each other up with a variety of hotel packages, including at the Inn at East Hill in Troy, where for a $282 overnight package you get a room, three-course dinner for two, and breakfast and lunch the next day. Check out www.east-hill-farm.com or call 603-242-6495 for information. At Coppertoppe Inn & Retreat Center in Hebron, packages start at $389 for a room and $499 for a suite, where a two-night stay gets you flowers, chocolates, candles, date movies and breakfast in room or at the inn's dining area. There is no set menu; instead, chefs cook what guests like. Visit www.coppertoppe.com or call 603-744-3636 for information.

For romantic outdoor fun in the Granite State, Bretton Woods and Appalachian Mountain Club's Highland Center are hosting a chocolate tour through the White Mountain National Forest. Guests decide which inns and lodges to stop for chocolate, which can include the Omni Mount Washington Hotel, Omni Bretton Arms Inn, The Lodge, the Appalachian Mountain Club's Highland Center, the Yurt and the Bretton Woods Nordic Center. Visit www.brettonwoods.com or call 603-278-1000 for information. a $10 fee does apply and all participants must have a nordic center trail pass.

For something completely different, take a trip with Muddy Paw Dog Sled in Jefferson, which is hosting a Valentine's adventure for guests and a team of rescue sled dogs, three hours covering up to 22 miles of back-woods trails. It's being run Feb. 11-14, and costs $350 per sled. Mention "Puppy Love" deal on booking and get a 10-percent discount. For information, check out www.dogslednh.com or call 603-545-4533.

By Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent

Book a room at The Fairmont Hamilton Princess or The Fairmont Southampton on the Bermuda Pink Sale, and score 50% off regular rates. Bookings must be made through Feb. 3, 2012 for stays through May 7, 2013. Discounted rate at the Princess, located in downtown Hamilton, is $149; discounted rate at the Southampton, with beachfront and a golf course, is $135. It's Bermuda's low season so expect discounts in area restaurants, good deals on golf rounds, and no crowds.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

A family getaway package is being offered at the Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda, a quick flight away from Boston, which includes an adult room accommodation and a second connecting room for the kids free of charge. Children 12 and under can eat free from the children's menu and those up to 18 pay 50 percent off the adult prices of the a la carte menu. The package is for families with children 18 years old and younger, and includes free access to the hotel's Explorer camp and a family welcome amenity. The package is available through March 31, with rates starting at $269 per night, excluding taxes, tips and resort levy. For information and reservations, visit www.fairmont.com/southampton-bermuda, or call 800-441-1414.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

AAA Travel has announced new discounts and deals for consumers booking their Walt Disney vacations through their local AAA branches in January. Benefits to AAA members include exclusive the Disney Story Tell Experience; Diamond Savings Card, which gets holders up to 20 percent savings on dining, shopping and events; Diamond parking, which gets you closer proximity to the park; and preferred fireworks viewing locations. Booking in January gets members things like a Disney Gift Card offer; a $50 onboard credit for Disney Cruise Line trips when booking for a May 2-Sept. 26 departure; and $100 off the land-package price of an Adventure by Disney vacation. Check it out at your local AAA travel office, visit www.southernnewengland.aaa.com/sne/travel/disney.php or call 800-222-7448.

By Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

Book a room at The Colonnade Hotel in Boston and you will pay a first-night rate that is equivalent to the temperature at 5 p.m. on check-in day, as part of the hotel’s Frosty Fridays deal. That means, if the temperature, as measured by the National Weather Service, registers 20 degrees Fahrenheit, you only pay $20 for your Friday night stay. If it dips below zero, you get a free night. You then pay a special rate of $309 for your Saturday night stay. The two-night package, good through March 30, includes a deluxe room, a choice of two tickets to the Old Town Trolley Tour or admission and rentals at the Boston Common Frog Pond Skating Rink, hot chocolate for two at the hotel’s Brasserie Jo, and overnight parking; based on double occupancy. 800-962-3030, www.colonnadehotel.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

There are a myriad of travel deals this holiday season, from inexpensive to extravagant.

Lake Placid Lodge in New York, an arts-and-crafts-style Relais & Chateaux property and only hotel on the lake is offering Cyber Monday deals, which include $25 for a $50 credit on food and beverages; one night free when booking three, plus a $75 resort credit; 50 percent off best available rate for Owl's Head or any two-bedroom cabin; and a "Check in Sunday and Monday is On Us" deal, from Dec. 1-March 30, except for blackout dates. Reservations for these deals, and others the hotel is offering, are bookable online at www.lakeplacidlodge.com from Nov. 26-30. Regular rates start at $400 a night.

Kimpton's 70 Park Avenue in New York City is offering a "Black Friday Blowout" package, which offers door-to-door service to the city's busiest stores, discounted shipping for purchased gifts and specialty cocktails. The deal also includes two nights at the hotel. Rates for the package, valid through Dec. 2, start at $800 a night. For info and reservations, call 877-707-2752 or visit http://www.kimptonhotels.com/boutique-hotel/70-park-avenue-hotel-new-york/

Down the coast a bit, in Norfolk, Virginia, the Norfolk Plaza Hotel, through Jan. 21, offers a package starting at $99 a night, which includes breakfast for two, free parking and ice-skating tickets for two at MacArthur on Ice. Fun winter stuff in the city includes Santa and The Palace, a 30-foot ice dome with falling snow and prehistoric herd from the "Ice Age" film, through Dec. 24. Check out the hotel deal at www.thenorfolkplaza.com or by calling 757-802-9283. For info on all Norfolk activities, see www.visitnorfolktoday.com

For much warmer weather, the Sands at Grace Bay in Turks & Caicos in the Caribbean has a resort and scuba dive deal now through Dec. 22, offering a fourth-night free program valid on all rooms. Rates are from $169 a night, down from high-season rates of $344. Travelers can also buy a discounted scuba trip priced at $133 a day. Guests also get free use of watersports equipment, bikes, three pools and a weekly happy hour. The resort was recently named one of the "Top 30 Hotels in the Caribbean" by Conde Nast Traveler's readers. For info and booking, visit www.thesandstc.com

Miraval Resorts & Spa in Tucson is offering an all-inclusive three-night stay for two that includes an extra $500 in resort credits. Book from Nov. 26 through Dec. 2, for a stay up to June 15, 2013, and get 20-percent off a double room. Included are all meals, snacks, smoothies and non-alcoholic beverages, unlimited participation in regularly scheduled daily self-discovery activities, access to resort fitness center and Life in Balance Spa, shuttle service from and to the airport, and a welcome gift. Check it out at www.miravalresorts.com or by calling 800.232.3969.

For a holiday getaway with a decided winter feel, The Resort at Paws Up in Montana has "The Last Best Christmas Package at Paws Up" for families, available Dec. 22-29 which includes five nights for a family of four in a luxury home at the resort, located on 37,000 acres of Montana wilderness; all meals, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages; a personal Santa to hand deliver gifts to the kids; special Christmas Eve and Christmas night dinners; a decorated tree in your home (you decorate it or they'll do it for you); horse-drawn sleigh rides; a ginger bread house building contest; and other activities. Rates start at $10,697, including all taxes and tips, airport transfers and on-site transportation. Check it out at www.PawsUp.com or call 800-473-0601.

Put a little speed in your holiday with a two-day only, Orlando-based Exotic Driving Experience at the legendary Daytona International Speedway, featuring supercars by Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and Audi, on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The infield course showcases fast straight-aways and sharp turns, which necessitates the precise handling of these cars, which run up to $295,000. The event includes six-lap driving experiences, starting at $169, and two-lap "thrill rides," where you ride shotgun with a pro driver, starting at $99. Reservations are required for all driving experiences, but not thrill rides, those you can buy in advance or at the track. For info, visit www.exoticdriving.com or call 855-822-1049.

The California properties of Montage Hotels & Resorts are offering a Cyber Monday deal starting at midnight when Montage Laguna Beach and Montage Beverly Hills shave 40 percent off reservations for Dec. 1-20, and will kick in a free bottle of champagne besides. For info, check out www.montagehotels.com/cybermonday

Vail Resorts is offering a bunch of deals, available through Nov. 25 at Beaver Creek, Vail Cascade Resort and Spa, Antlers at Vail, The Sebastian Vail and Lion Square Lodge, with savings and discounts. For all of it, visit www.snow.com/fourdaysale

Colorado-based Destination Hotels & Resorts has a Cyber Monday deal offering up to 50 percent off at many of its U.S. holdings, bookable only for 24 hours on Monday. More than 15 properties are taking part, from Wild Dunes Resort near Charleston, S.C., to Miramonte Resort & Spa in Palm Springs Valley, Calif. to Lansdowne Resort on the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. For the deals, visit www.destinationhotels.com/CyberMonday

Faraway and exotic holiday travel could include Thailand. Peresa Resort in Phuket has a few packages for the Christmas season: A five-day, four-night package for $3,636 per person; a seven-day, six-night deal for $5,442 per person; and a 12-day, 11-night package for $9,485 per person. The higher the price, the more you get, but all include airport transfer, massage, breakfast, Thai cooking class and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners. The resort is perched on the cliffs of Kamala, comprised of hideaway-style luxury pool villas and suites with views of the Andaman Sea. For info, visit  www.paresaresorts.com

The deal isn’t valid for holiday travel, but still if you’ve got somewhere to be in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, or the initial weeks of the New Year, JetBlue is running a two-day sale this week, with savings of up to 25 percent off all roundtrip flights.

If you want to travel between Nov. 27 and Dec. 20, you’ll get 25 percent off all flights if you book by Nov. 20. If you want to travel between Jan. 7 and Feb. 14, you’ll save 20 percent off.

Roundtrip purchase is required, and there is only one code per reservation. See details, restrictions, and other fun stuff here.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Marriott and Renaissance Caribbean and Mexico Resorts is giving travelers a little cash incentive to run away this winter with its "You Deserve Some Credit" program. Visit any one of nine resorts in seven locations and get up to $200 in resort credit to wine and dine as you see fit. Travelers must book through Nov. 30 for stays at one of the resorts between Jan. 1 and April 30 to get the deal, which can be applied to any room category.

With this offer, travelers to any of the three Mexican resorts in the Collection will receive a $50 resort credit daily for a three-night stay ($150 credit maximum). The Caribbean resorts are offering guests who book a $50 resort credit daily for a four-night stay, and the Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino is offering $40 daily resort credit for a five-night stay ($200 credit maximum). Use promotional code LLF when booking.

The resorts are: Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino; Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino; JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa; CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort; Curacao Marriott Beach Resort & Emerald Casino; Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort; CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa; St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino; and Frenchman's Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort. For info, visit www.paradisebymarriott.com/

By Patricia Harris and David Lyon
Globe Correspondents

If the journey along the Wine & Cheese trail in central Massachusetts described in the October 21 Travel section has inspired you to check out the state's wineries and cheesemakers, you might want to purchase a $2 Massachusetts Wine Passport at one of the participating wineries. The 19 wineries in the Passport cover the state from the tip of Cape Cod to the southern Berkshires and produce a range of grape and fruit wines. Once you have had your passport ''stamped'' at 15 wineries you will be eligible to enter a January drawing for the grand prize of 15 cases of wine.

For more information, see masswinery.com and massvacation.com/pdf/winecheese.pdf.

Jenn Samek-Lutkus of Hardwick Vineyard and Winery holds a Massachusetts Wine Passport. (Photo by David Lyon for the Boston Globe)

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Montpelier Plantation & Beach, a 19-room Relais & Chateaux boutique hotel on Nevis in the Caribbean, reopened Oct. 6 after a summer of renovations that included all-new culinary offerings. The resort renovated Indigo, the poolside bar and restaurant, which included expanding the dining and drinking area, which hotel officials said bring a contemporary element to the hotel's aesthetic landscape. The new bar area showcases Montpelier's rum collection including a selection of home-made spirits infused with local ingredients, such as coconut, passion fruit, pineapple and other fruits.

To mark the occasion, the resort is giving guests a $500 resort credit package. Book by Jan. 1 to get the credit, good for dining and resort amenities. The offer is valid for a minimum stay of five nights and blackout dates apply. For info, visit www.montpeliernevis.com or call 869-469-3462 for details or to book.

The resort is made up of 19 contemporary plantation-style guestrooms, plus two guesthouses, and features a hand-laid, 60-foot mosaic-tiled pool, tennis court and a private, two-acre beach. It was build around one of the island's original 17th-century sugar plantations, and is an AAA Four Diamond award recipient.
 

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

enVision Hotel Boston opened up this summer, the newest addition to the Ascend Hotel Collection membership program from Choice Hotels International. Through Thanksgiving, rates at the new boutique hotel start at $229 per night. The property borders scenic Olmsted Park on South Huntington Avenue a few miles from Fenway Park and downtown Boston. It is the first Boston lodging to join the network of more than 70 upscale, independent hotels, each with a different personality reflecting its location. For more information, visit www.ascendcollection.com/hotel-boston-massachusetts-MA199

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel is running some fall specials this year, themed packages to escape the holiday crush and rush. From Nov. 1-Dec. 30, guests get in-room aromatherapy or relaxing face mask, and movie night, two so-called "In-Law Equalizer" cocktails blending spiced cider, bourbon and apple jack in the Capiz Lounge, and insider secrets from the Renaissance Navigator on best ways to check out the city's hot spots, under the radar and hopefully away from the maddening crowds. It's all part of the "Turkey Time Out" package. You can book at www.renaissanceboston.com by entering promotion code YX1.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent
National Hotel and Suites in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, which just became part of the Ascend Hotel Collection, is offering rates through December 2013 from $129 to $270. The hotel is now part of a network, though it remains independently owned and run, while gaining a presence on www.choicehotels.com, and also benefitting from giving customers a loyalty program, Choice Privileges, with more than 15 million world-wide members.

The 328-room hotel is located in the heart of Ottawa, Canada's capital city, and is within walking distance of Parliament Hill; Rideau Canal, the country's largest skateway at five miles long; the National Art Gallery; and a variety of stores, restaurants and night life. It's also about 10 miles from Ottawa International Airport, and 15 minutes from the Gatineau Mountains. For information, visit www.ascendcollection.com/hotel-ottawa-canada-CNA16

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

If you believe in ghosts, and even if you don't, this is the time of year where things going bump in the night seem to get bumpier. The Kennebunk Inn in Maine celebrates its haunted heritage this Halloween season with a special harvest dinner and overnight stay for those willing and eager to experience the paranormal activity at one of the state's most historic inns.

On Oct. 27 and 31, guests can attend "A Spirited Evening Harvest Dinner" with internationally known psychic Vicki Monroe, starting at 6:30 p.m. with a three-course dinner with appetizer for $68 per person, which gets you a choice of three entrees and dessert. The fun stuff, all eating aside, starts during the "Dueling Spirit" dessert created by Chef Shanna O'Hara, featuring an aptly named devil-dog ice cream sandwich and angel food cake with strawberry balsamic compote. Monroe will be your spiritual messenger for the evening, revealing, hopefully, the inn's source of ghostly activities over the years as she shares insights into the spook world she purports to know so well.

The 200-year-old Kennebunk Inn has two former employees - Cyrus, an inn clerk who died in the mid-20th century and lets his spirit self be known via falling wine glasses and other objects that mysterious take flight, and Silas Perkins, a night watchman and published poet. There is a third spirit in the mix, Sara Emily, identified by Monroe, who inhabits the main stairwell and waves to guests as they enter the building. Most do not see her, but she is said to be playful and enjoys knocking on guest room doors. The inn's room 17 is said to have the most paranormal activity.

Some dinner guests whose spirits connect with Monroe will get a personal reading during the program, and all can stay for a "Meet and Greet" with her in the lounge after dinner. For those guests wanting to take part in the inn's restaurant, Academe's award-winning cocktails to enhance their paranormal sightings, the inn offers a 25-percent discount off room rates in the Adams, Jefferson and Madison suites. Prices overall start at $79 per night (not including dinner). Reservations must be booked by phone only, inn officials said, by calling 207-985-3351.

Book soon, inn officials said; last year's event sold out quickly, prompting them to add the second date this year. For information, visit www.thekennebunkinn.com

 

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

It was such a hit the first time around, they decided to do it again: The 2nd annual Stowe Restaurant Week is on tap Oct. 21-27, celebrating the local Vermont culture. Restaurants will offer a prix-fixe, multi-course menu with prices of $15, $25 or $35 per person (in some cases per couple). Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch menus are available as well as wine, beer and other cocktail options. Some restaurants are offering a new menu each day, and others will have the same fare throughout. Participating restaurants include Cactus Cafe, Charlie B's Pub and Restaurant, Harrison's Restaurant and Bar, Pie in the Sky, The Whip Bar and Grill and Winfield's Bistro.

Overnight accommodations are available from $85 a night during the week. Call Stowe's central reservation line at 800-467-8693 for lodging info. For the skinny and all that good food for restaurant week, visit www.gostowe.com/restaurantweek

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Bermuda's a short jump from Boston, couple hours tops, and is a big draw for those wanting to extend or get a jump on summer; the island's prime season runs roughly April through November, give or take. The Bermuda Department of Tourism is offering a chance for an extra night free for those who book through Oct. 30 at participating hotels in its "Endless Summer" deal, valid for travel through Oct. 31. Book then, and get a third, fourth or fifth night free. Rates start at $189 a night. Hotels in the promotion include the Fairmont Hamilton Princess,Elbow Beach Bermuda, Cambridge Beaches, Royal Palms, Grotto Bay, Rosedon, The Reefs and others.

Bermuda is a pricey island but visitors can find a bunch of free stuff to do through October, such as the "Taste of Bermuda" culinary sampling, Harbor Nights street festival and a St. George walking tour. Check it all out at www.gotobermuda.com/endless-summer

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

I've probably driven up and down Memorial Drive in Newport a million times, and have long heard of the upscale Chanler at Cliff Walk, but never put two and two together and realized the Chanler was so close to Cliff Walk. OK, so it's smack dab on Cliff Walk, but my reason for not knowing that is a big one: It is completely hidden behind a giant hedge, affording it remarkable privacy and quiet despite being steps away from one of Newport's busiest streets. Set back on a cobblestoned drive, it is a magnificent building, loaded with charm, elegance and a pretty neat history: Built in 1865 as a summer home for New York Congressman John Winthrop Chanler and his wife, Margaret Astor Ward, it was the first mansion built on Cliff Walk and hosted the likes of President Theodore Roosevelt and poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It was later a museum and then a girls' school before becoming a hotel in the 1940s.

We had the occasion to stay there one night and got the Empire Room; each of the 14 mansion rooms in the main building are decorated and named for an historical period based on the furniture design and architecture of that time, themed from Gothic to English Tudor to Greek Revival. One of the many beauties of this place is no two rooms are alike. And throughout, some of the furnishings from the Chanler Museum are sprinkled throughout. There are also three separate garden villas and three ocean villas.

Our Empire Room in the mansion was gorgeous, on a corner facing Easton's Beach and Cliff Walk. The room had a sizable living room with a two-person Jacuzzi on the far wall, which doesn't exactly befit the historical period on which the room is based, but was a very relaxing respite after a long stroll on Cliff Walk. Here, for an extra cost, a butler will come in while you're at dinner, run the bath and leave rose petals strewn about, and lighted candles surrounding the tub set in a mirrored alcove. A more romantic setting we could not imagine.

The fireplace mantel is of antique slate, taken from a mansion in Michigan and painted to look like granite. Empire decor, inn officials said, often used a faux treatment of materials to look like granite or marble. Several antique tiles with figures on them in ochre and lime green are embedded into the mantel, making it more unique and interesting. The room itself is unique; being on the corner, the ceiling height varies from corner to center, from around six feet to more than eight, with a stained-glass skylight in the ceiling. The room's feel is decidedly Victorian but with modern touches such as a triple-head shower in the gold-hued granite bathroom, and iHome docking station.

The main culinary draw is the Spiced Pear, a restaurant with incredible ocean views, some of the best in Newport, and cuisine to match. Give the Spiced Pear martini a shot, with Absolut pear vodka, Amaretto DiSaronno, pear nectar, cinnamon and lemon juice. We also had local chilled oysters, wild burgundy escargot, Narragansett Bay striped bass and the menu's highest priced item, the exquisite butter-poached Maine lobster for $42, worth every melt-in-mouth cent. Before and/or after a meal like that, a long jaunt down nearby Cliff Walk is almost a necessity. Or you could wait until the next day, because breakfast here is insane, too; check out the salmon and goat cheese omelet.

We retired to the bar of hand-rubbed mahogany for a nightcap before heading back to the room where that rose-petal strewn tub awaited, and got more proof of how renowned the Chanler is: The following weekend, it would be closed to the public, privately booked for the wedding of the creator of the Facebook logo. And yes, Mark Zuckerberg was scheduled to attend.

Newport used to go to sleep in the off season, but no more. At the Chanler, a fall two-night special ($425 per night) includes full breakfast, a bottle of Spiced Pear sparkling wine, two tickets to a Newport mansion of your choice, and one, three-course meal for two in the Spiced Pear. Wait until winter and you can get the two-night "A Chanler Christmas," ($375 per weekday night, $430 per weekend night), available Nov. 28-Dec. 29 which gets you the same as the fall special, minus the bottle of wine; instead you get a minted Chanler Christmas ornament. All prices include room taxes, food taxes and dinner gratuity. And if you want to check out other parts of the city, you can get a free ride any place in Newport, up until 11 p.m., first come, first served. Check it out at www.thechanler.com

All that behind a hedge? I have to start paying attention where I'm going.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The historic Weekapaug Inn in the Westerly village of Weekapaug is re-opening in October, after being closed since 2007 to undergo a $20 million renovation and expansion. The inn, set alongside Quonochontaug Pond and beyond that, the Atlantic, is launching an introductory "Prelude" package with 30-percent savings this fall and winter. The package at the four-seasons inn, which now has amenities such as heated bathroom floors, runs from Oct. 7 through April 15, and includes 30 percent off the best available rate; a one-category upgrade based on availability at arrival; a $50 resort credit for us at Weekapaug Inn or any restaurant outlet or spa service at Ocean House at Watch Hill, the sister property of the inn; and daily breakfast.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Travelers to the Bahamas can snag some savings this fall and winter at Nassau Paradise Island, which is offering an "Instant Savings" promotion. Book up until Oct. 15 and get $300 instant savings when booking an air-inclusive, six-night stay, or $200 on a four- or five-night stay at any of Nassau Paradise Island's participating hotels. Travel must be completed by Feb. 28. For info on the deals and hotels offering them, and to book, visit www.nassauparadiseisland.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Styleweek Northeast, formerly known as Styleweek Providence, is underway through Aug. 31, an event now in its fifth year and expanded this year to include the northeast to showcase more designers. The event, supported by the Council of Fashion Design of America, highlights designers that include Rhode Island School of Design grads. The event takes place at the Providence Biltmore in the Alex and Ani Runway Room and L'Apogee on the 17th and 18th floors.

Tickets start at $30, and for $75 on Friday, you can sidle up to fashion industry insiders, at the industry-only Swarovski VIP suite. That ticket includes access to all shows that night.

The Biltmore is offering deals for those attending the show, with superior rooms fetching $89 a night, and junior suites $119. For all information, visit www.styleweeknortheast.com

The event was created to provide emerging designers a platform to showcase their debut collections to the reason, said Rosanna Ortiz Sinel, president and founder of Styleweek, adding that it "evolved from a local to regional event and is one of the few regional fashion expositions supported by the council of Fashion Design in America. Styleweek not only brings together the fashion business and the community but is a true celebration of style and culture."

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Single-parent families are getting a break this fall at Beaches Resorts. For bookings from Sept. 4 to Oct. 31, Beaches will waive the single supplement fee of up to $220 per night, for a minimum three-night stay. The deal is for Beaches Resorts in Turks and Caicos and Jamaica. When booking, travelers can use reference code SPF124 to qualify for the promotion. For reservations, visit www.beaches.com, or call 888-232-2437.