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

New England, despite the cold and snow, isn’t a bad place to warm up for Valentine’s Day, and here are a couple of deals out there.

Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard has a pair of offers for the romantic day. On Feb. 14, guests can get a free overnight stay when they reserve a spot for the resort’s Water Street’s Valentine’s Day Prix Fixe dinner, designed by Executive Chef Shaun Brian Sells. For $75 per person, you get entrees like the cast-iron seared sous vide filet, sautéed bay scallops and farrotto with roasted root vegetables and confit tomatoes, not to mention desserts like dark chocolate molten cake and profiteroles. The resort is also offering a weekend away, with rates starting at $299, which includes a Saturday night stay at the resort’s main building on Feb. 16, chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne upon arrival. Water Street’s Sunday brunch for two is included. More nights can be booked at $129. Check it out at www.harbor-view.com

Down in Newport, The Chanler at Cliff Walk, the only hotel smack dab on the city by the sea’s fabled cliff walk, has a two-night stay deal, with rates from $345 for weekday nights and $395 on weekends. The stay includes a full breakfast each morning, one dinner at the Spiced Pear restaurant on property (with killer ocean views), a bath butler service on the night of your choice (we did this one night last year and the romance level really ramps up when you come back to your room and find a hot bath drawn with rose petals strewn on the water and candles burning all around the tub for two), a bottle of Spiced Pear sparkling wine and two tickets to visit the Newport mansion of your choice. For more info, visit www.thechanler.com

Also in Newport, the historic Vanderbilt Grace, is running a Gracious Valentine package through Feb. 17, with rates from $575 for a deluxe room and $735 for a junior suite, where couples can take a special chocolate lover's master class, learning how to make hand-crafted goodies, lead by the hotel chef. Other parts of the package include a two-night stay, free glass of champagne upon arrival and free continental champagne breakfast, 15-percent off a couples massage and a three-course set menu for two at the hotel's Muse restaurant. Check it out at www.vanderbiltgrace.com 

Providence is getting in on the act, too, a city named one of the top five most-surprising romantic destinations by Yahoo. Hotel Providence in the heart of the city has three packages: The Sweetheart’s Package for $229 a night, getting you a superior room, breakfast for two and valet parking; the Be Mine package for $279 a night that includes a deluxe room, champagne, breakfast for two, rose-petal turndown and valet parking; and the Hopeless Romantic package for  $499, which nets you a king suite, breakfast for two, dinner for two (not including liquor however), rose-petal turndown, signature bath items and valet parking. All are available Feb. 14-16, check out www.hotelprovidence.com for information.

Other Providence trips could include the Christopher Dodge House Bed & Breakfast’s Romantic Getaway Package for $379, which includes two nights in best available room, flowers, gourmet chocolates and a $100 gift certificate to Mill’s Tavern, Hemenway’s or Cassarino’s. Check www.providence-hotel.com for info.  You might not think an airport hotel as romantic, but the Raddison Hotel Providence Airport hotel has a package Feb. 14 starting at $199 a night, that includes a whirlpool bath suite, champagne and chocolates in the room, a $50 gift card to Libations Restaurant, room service breakfast and late checkout. Visit www.radisson.com/warwick-hotel-ri-02886/riproair for information. And the Omni Providence has a Romance Remembered package for $182 a night, that gets you a room, sparkling wine, concierge pre-call to assist with special romantic touches, turndown that includes robes, music and lighting, breakfast in bed for two and late checkout. That can be had from Feb. 1-Dec. 30, and for all the details, visit  www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/Providence.aspx.

Get the kids involved at  the John Brown House Museum on Feb. 16 is hosting an afternoon tea from 2-3 p.m., which invites kids and accompanying adult to join a tea party, tour of the 18th-century mansion and making a Victorian Valentine’s to bring home. That costs $15 per child and accompanying adult, and for info, visit www.rihs.org

Up in Maine, the White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, is running a deal all month with its Ultimate February is for Lovers package, with rates starting at $1,590 per night for two people (additional nights at $380), that gets you a night at the inn, chocolate dessert class with the hotel's pastry chef, a couples Swedish massage, private champagne tasting in the hotel's wine cellar followed by a candlelit dinner for two, and horse-drawn sleigh ride through Kennebunkport. For info, visit www.whitebarninn.com

 

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and dozens of the Cape's establishments and attractions are offering a variety of events this holiday season. The chamber also offers a "Christmas on Cape Cod Passport," which encourages local shopping and gives the chance to win cash prizes, up to $9,000 in all. A new feature in this year's Cape holiday party is the Polar Express train ride aboard the Cape Cod Central Railroad, chugging through the Cape's countryside, with hot cocoa and treats, a cast of characters from "The Polar Express" book and movie, and visits from Santa. Check it out at www.capecodpolarexpressride.com

Inns and resorts throughout the Cape are also offering value-added stay packages, including dinner gift certificates, passes to holiday events and seasonal amenities. The passport the chamber offers alows visitors to get theirs stamped at each business they visit, giving them entry into a contest to win gift cards of $500, $250 or $100. With the accumulation of five stamps, the holder is eligible for a grand prize, Christmas in July, a two-night stay at the Cape Codder Resort and Spa in Hyannis.

For information on all of what the Cape is offering this season, visit www.ChristmasonCapeCod.com or call 888-332-2732.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

On Dec. 16, the Charles Hotel opens its skating rink, an annual community event open to the public, offering free skating and skate rentals, a visit from Globe Santa, performances by the Harvard Figure Skating Club and The Christmas Revels, and free hot chocolate. Little kids can take a shot at cookie decorating from noon to 3 p.m. This year's event supports Globe Santa, the Boston Globe's annual appeal for needy children in Greater Boston. For information on the hotel, visit www.charleshotel.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

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

More of us are traveling this holiday season, and spending more along the way, according to the latest American Express Spending and Saving Tracker survey. Some 84 million Americans plan to travel this year, up seven percent from last year, spending some $65 billion, an average of $773 per person - up from $659 last year.

Breaking it all down, the survey reveals that 68 percent of those traveling plan to visit family and friends, up from 65 percent last year. And this shouldn't be surprising: 75 percent of travelers report they experience frustration trying to get away during the holidays. And part of that frustration is a 19-percent increase in airfare prices, 13-percent jump in delays and 10-percent hike in baggage fees.

More fun facts: 42-percent of travelers will fly to their destinations, up six percent from last year; 27 percent plan longer vacations, up four percent from last year; and 16 percent traveling to more expensive place, up four percent from last year.

But many are still money conscious: 38 percent still consider budget before destination when making travel plans, down a bit from 40 percent last year.

 

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

Affinia Manhattan in New York City is offering a "Miracle on 31st Street" holiday package, Nov. 1 through Feb. 26, with rates starting at $209 per night. The hotel is located at 7th Avenue and 31st Street, and the package includes a VIP ice-skating package for two at Bryant Park; 10-percent off your tab at Celsius Restaurant at Bryant Park; a free bottle of wine; 20 percent off holiday dinner at Niles NYC Restaurant and Bar at the hotel; a Macy's 10-percent off savings pass; two winter "rescue kits" with lip balm, ear warmers, hand sanitizer and hand warmers; and an in-room DVD of the classic film, "Miracle on 34th Street."

Affinia Manhattan recently underwent a $25 million redesign with Rockwell Group, transforming the historic, pre-war property into what hotel officials called an urban retreat. Check it all out at www.affinia.com/miracle, or call 866-246-2203 and mention promotion code 31st.

By Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent

Thanks to shows such as Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance, swing dancing is surging in popularity. Sugar Ridge, on the Caribbean island of Antigua, is offering a chance to demonstrate your best jitterbug, foxtrot, swing, and shag moves and also learn new ones.

By Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent

Ever dreamed of escaping to a private island, one easily accessible yet far removed from the demands of everyday life? An island where you can simply relax and savor the scenery or perhaps hike or paddle, swim or play a round of golf and have the trails, water, pool, or course practically to yourself? I found one in the Scottish Highlands, just two hours northwest of Glasgow or 20 minutes from Oban.

The Isle of Eriska is a 300-acre private island at the mouth of Loch Creran in Benderloch, West Argyll. It's tethered to the mainland by a tidal causeway and a bridge that rumbles your arrival when crossed. The access road ebbs and flows through a woodland colored by giant rhododendrons, before arriving at the Big House, a magical 19th-century Scottish Baronial mansion that's now a five-star, Relais & Chateaux-member, family-run hotel.

While some exclusive hotels are undeniably stuffy, the Isle of Eriska is warm and welcoming, with a genteel ease that matches the soft patina of age. It's the kind of retreat where well known British actresses can escape, and other guests will pretend not to recognize them; the kind of place where a slew of Wellington boots is available at the door for guests to borrow while walking the island's trails. While staying here admittedly is a splurge (from $536 per room in summer, including breakfast and afternoon tea; check for specials), it's possible to experience the island without booking a room. Many of the hotel's amenities are open to the public, allowing anyone a peek at this magical property, with its expansive views over Loch Linnhe and the Morvern Mountains.

The Big House is everything you'd expect, grand in stature, expansive, and country-house elegant. Wood-burning fireplaces warm the public rooms: cozy nooks and grand salons, a piano room, paneled hall, book-packed library lounge, and glass-in conservatory, and a fine dining restaurant. A former stable has been converted to a spa, with an indoor swimming pool, and a restaurant serving lunch. Another outbuilding houses an indoor putting green, full-size tennis court, three badminton courts, and facilities for other sports. Outside are gardens and woodlands, with nature trails dipsy-doodling around and across the island. Sightings of deer, seals, and even otter aren't uncommon. And everywhere are jaw-dropping views of mountains and sea.

Non-guests may have lunch in the casual Veranda Restaurant, with its dream views; enjoy a spa treatment; or play a round on the recently refurbished nine-hole golf course, on which nearly every hole has a water view. Of note: A special golf academy, Sept. 7-9, will include indoor and outdoor group lessons with a PGA professional, lunches, and mini competitions.

Also open to the public for dinner is the hotel's main dining room, named Hotel Restaurant of the Year in the 2011 Scottish Restaurant Awards. Chef Simon McKenzie's menu emphasizes locally sourced foods and changes daily. A four-course gourmet meal with tea or coffee is $73, and that includes the farmhouse cheese trolley, with about 40 cheeses sourced from Britain and beyond. Afterward dinner, retire to the lounge for the nightly entertainment: A family of badgers arrives at the conservatory door for their 10 p.m. milk and bread.

While you can easily drive to the Isle of Eriska, I recommend the West Highland Line train to Oban, a spectacularly scenic route that edges the River Clyde and Loch Lomand, passes through glens and villages and by castle ruins. It eases you into the Scottish Highlands and sets the stage for arrival at the Isle of Eriska. Passage is included on BritRail passes, but due to the train's popularity, it's wise to reserve a seat.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

From one man -- Leon Leonwood Bean -- came an eventual $1.4-billion empire. And now a party to celebrate it all.

In honor of its centennial, L.L. Bean is hosting a 100th Anniversary Hometown Celebration on Main Street in Freeport, Maine, from July 4-7, a four-day event that includes free daily concerts in L.L. Bean's Discovery Park, the 35th Annual L.L. Bean 10K Road Race, family friendly outdoor activities and more. The event ends with a fireworks display.

Fun stuff along the way: Freeport Fourth of July parade, featuring the L.L. Bean Bootmobile; free Outdoor Discovery School demos, including kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding; appearances by Red Sox legendary shortstop Rico Petrocelli, Wally the Green Monster and the Sox World Series trophies; a Muddy Bean Boots ice cream sampling, a flavor created by Gifford's for the anniversary; outdoor games with Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Seth Westcott; music from Chris Isaak and Jo Dee Messina; farmer's market; free concerts by regional artists; and all-day street festivals with local crafts, food and live entertainment.

Bean started his company in 1912, a one-man operation catering to those lovers of the great outdoors, starting with the waterproof "Bean Boot," which remains an iconic symbol of the company. L.L. Bean still makes the boot -- and a lot of other things, outdoorsy and fashionable.

For a complete schedule and more information, visit www.llbean.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

If you get a room at Hotel Viking in Newport on the Fourth of July, you'll be entitled to some pretty neat seats for fireworks that night. The hotel's rooftop lounge, the Top of Newport, is reserved for guests that night, at $100 per ticket, to check out the show in the sky. Hotel rates start at $269. The ticket price for the lounge includes a raw bar, grilled hot dogs, burgers and chicken, a dessert station and two drink tickets. Local band Second Nature performs from 6-9 p.m. For information and reservations, visit www.hotelviking.com, or call 401-847-3300.

The rest of the summer, the lounge is open to all, and features musical entertainment, barbecue food, chilled plates and signature cocktails like the Viking Green Tea. To check it out on Twitter, use @HotelViking, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hotelviking

By Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent

The last new New England book I recommended dealt with 50 icons. This time I'd like to call attention to a book devoted to only one. In Search of Motif No. 1: The History of a Fish Shack (L.M. Vincent, The History Press, Charleston, S.C., $21.99) is one man's account of the history and meaning of the frequently painted (and photographed) red shack on Bradley Wharf in the middle of Rockport harbor. Like all good tales it begins with a question and tracks through some pretty interesting turf to get to an answer. When Vincent first saw Motif No. 1 on the advice of a cousin, he found it attractive enough but couldn't see how it had become the subject of paintings by so many artists. As he unravels that tale, he takes the reader through a delicious amount of local art history populated by some pretty colorful characters. The author himself joins the cast as he tries to decipher the ''secret'' formula for the shack's shade of red. More than 200 footnotes notwithstanding, Vincent takes a light tone throughout--and even a mocking one on the subject of his own obsession. It all makes for a quirky, personable read.

By Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent

Writer and photographer Jonathan Scheff grew up in Brookline but has since traveled in more than 20 countries and lives in New York City. So he brings a worldly eye to his former home turf in Boston Icons: 50 Symbols of Beantown (Globe Pequot Press, 2011, $16.95). Predictably enough, he covers a lot of familiar territory. (After all, how many icons can one city have?) But Scheff's photos often surprise with a different angle or view that might make even long-time Bostonians take a fresh look at such landmarks as Faneuil Hall, the USS Constitution, or the Bunker Hill Monument. He also frees Boston from the grip of history by conferring icon status on the Samuel Adams Brewery and the Zakim Bridge, which became a highlight of the Boston cityscape even before the first car drove under the soaring cables. No book of icons would be complete without a mention of America's game. But Scheff chooses to focus not on Fenway Park or the Red Sox. Instead he gives a call out to the diehards of Red Sox Nation. Scheff is mum on the issue, but I bet he still roots for the home team.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Want to stick close to Boston over the Christmas holiday? The Fairmont Copley Plaza has a few seasonal deals it is offering to keep folks, and their spending dollars, in the Hub.

The Fairmont's "Twelve Days of Christmas Package," which runs Dec. 14-30, includes a night's stay at the hotel, a "Sleigh Ride: A Traditional Holiday" CD from the Boston Pops, and late check-out of 4 p.m., with rates starting at $239 a night.

New Year's Eve revelers can do the Fairmont First Night package, which includes two nights, Dec, 30 and 31, and two First Night Boston buttons that provide access to all activities in the city, with rates starting at $279.

You can ramp it up with the Fairmont's New Year's Eve gala package, with rates starting at $779 that includes a room for the night and a five-course dinner for two in the hotel's famous Oak Room, with live entertainment and dancing later in the Oak Bar.To book or for more information, visit www.fairmont.com/copleyplaza or call 617-267-5300.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Want a burger with your new year’s eve celebration? Check out Postcard Inn Beach Resort and Marina at Holiday Isle, on Islamorada in the Florida Keys, where major renovations were scheduled to be done by the first week of December and the world’s first Shula Burger, founded by famed football coach Don Shula, is located and scheduled to be open by Dec. 8. The resort is running a New Year’s Eve special, with rates starting at $439 per couple, plus taxes and resort fees. The rate includes the room, dinner for two in the Horizon Room, open bar from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., DJ music, dancing and fireworks from the ocean. If you get too crazy, they’re offering late checkout Jan. 1, until 2 p.m. For another $20 per person, you can join the party at the resort’s tiki bar from 8 pm.. to 2 a.m., which includes midnight champagne toast, noisemakers and hats, midnight appetizer buffet, dancing and fireworks on the beach. For information, and to book, visit http://holidayisle.com/ or call 800-327-7070.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Providence’s Benefit Street, a stretch of gorgeous Colonial-era homes on the city’s East Side, is known as the "mile of history" for its 18th- and 19th-century architecture and facts such as the area was where Edgar Allen Poe wooed poetess Sarah Helen Whitman. On Dec. 3, "A Benefit Street Holiday" will be held, sponsored by the Providence Preservation Society, a day-long festival that includes storyteller Len Cabral reading to kids, a holiday pet parade, and gingerbread-house decorating. Self-guided house tours and educational programs will also be held. Tour tickets are $30 each the day of the event ($25 ahead of time), and for more information, visit www.ppsri.org or call 401-831-7440.

By David Lyon, Globe Correspondent

New England is such a gorgeous place that the publication of yet another photo book is not exactly earth-shattering news. But this one is different. The Lobstering Life (David Middleton and Brenda Berry, The Countryman Press, Woodstock, Vt., $19.95) is not just a pretty picture book of idealized landscapes. It documents the gritty work and, yes, the everyday drama of fishing for lobster. I feel qualified to make that judgment since I used to haul traps on Maine's Penobscot Bay.

Neither Barry nor Middleton was a fisherman when they took on this project to chronicle lobster fishing in the Gulf of Maine, but they were quick learners. The photos are extremely handsome because many of the scenes were shot in that wonderful spring and fall light when the sky is a limitless blue and the sun shines at a low, golden angle. If there's a fault to the book, it's the lack of photos showing fishing in the rain or before dawn in the fog.

But the book does reveal aspects of lobster fishing that I haven't seen since I left the boat to go to college decades ago. For example, most people never see a female lobster covered with eggs because no lobsterman would ever bring one ashore. (They go back in the water to replenish the stock.) But the image is enough to make even a fisherman acknowledge the crustacean is something more wondrous than a bug that can take your fingers off. Likewise, I haven't seen anyone stand up to pole a rowboat since my own fishing days--until I came across just such a photo and it made me smile. This book catches those details that fishermen take for granted and almost no one else ever gets to see.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Provincetown may be the literal end of the Massachusetts earth, and a pretty cold place in winter, but the locals there are warming up to the holiday season with several events. There are lodging discounts and such to be had as well, check out www.provincetowntourismoffice.org for more information.


First up is the annual lighting of Pilgrim Monument Nov. 23 from 5-7 p.m., a yearly tradition that kicks off P-Town's holiday season. Check it out at www.pilgrim-monument.org/lighting.html On Nov. 26 at 5:30 p.m., local artist Julian Popko and his family light up a two-story high tree made of more than 100 lobster pots in Lopes Square, a tradition now in its eighth year.

A Casino Night fundraiser for the Provincetown Business Guild is scheduled for Nov. 25 from 8 p.m. to midnight, see www.ptown.org/home.asp for more info. A Holly Folly Weekend, said to be the world's only gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender holiday festival and now in its 15th year, will run Dec. 2-4 along Commercial Street, with sing-alongs, performances and parties. Check out www.ptown.org/hollyfolly.asp for information.

A yearly tradition in P-town, the Land's End Holiday Gala and Tree Trimming, happens Dec. 2 from 6-9 p.m., marking the opening of the Holly Folly Weekend. Included are music, cocktails, snacks and a silent auction benefiting Baobab Home in Tanzania, an organization that provides services and support to those affected by HIV and poverty. It is hosted at Land's End Inn, and for information visit www.landsendinn.com

"'Tis the Season for Giving Drag Show" at the Crown and Anchor, an annual event that unites Provincetown's best drag queens to perform and raise money for the Aids Support Group of Cape Cod, runs Dec. 2, from 9 p.m. to midnight, with tickets at $10 each; check out www.onlyatthecrown.com/events. The Boston Gay Men's Chorus performs at town hall Dec. 3 at 8:30 p.m., with tickets running $27 each.

Provincetown Theater celebrates the town's theatrical history with weekly performances of "The Snowman in the Dunes," a classic children's musical. Check www.provincetowntheater.org for times and cost. The performances run Dec. 3-17, on the weekends. The Provincetown Art Association and Museum's holiday concert, featuring Bart Weisman and the Klezmer Swing Group, is Dec. 17 at 2 p.m., free with museum admission. Visit www.paam.org for info.

New Year's Eve weekend is huge in P-town, with comedy performances, drag shows, concerts and more, with clubs, bars, restaurants and inns holding a variety of events. Check out www.ptown.org for specific listings and times. And the unofficial wrap-up of the holiday season is "Re-Rooter's Day," on Jan. 7, which is said to personify P-town's quirky character. The event started in 1983 with local artist Jay Critchley, and since then, revelers gather yearly at the East End flats at sunset, chant nonsensical poems and burn a Christmas tree in the harbor to, it is said, shed the excesses of the holiday season and start the new year.

So it sounds like another reason to party, P-town style. Nothing wrong with that.

By Patricia Harris and David Lyon, Globe Correspondents

Shh-h-h-h-h! Don't tell the kids, but after the guests repair to their rooms following Thanksgiving dinner at the Mountain View Grand in Whitefield, N.H., all the resort's elves get to work. They transform the immense hilltop inn from an autumn getaway into a Christmas season destination by decking the halls and hanging wreaths everywhere.

There's a big Christmas tree in the main lobby and some years Santa's helpers manage to erect a smaller one near the fireplace in the cozy Dodge Lounge. Wooden “soldiers” like figures from The Nutcracker stand sentinel at the ends of the corridors. In fact, the 6-foot-tall soldiers are all over the hotel at the holidays, rather like the army of Christmas. Mind you, the effect of all the decorations is like a Victorian Christmas--gleeful without being gaudy. Most guests know in advance about the overnight transformation, but it still comes as a treat to the kids. So mum's the word. Instead of standing in a mall parking lot, Black Friday at the Mountain View Grand is like a preview of Christmas morning. Mountain View Grand, Mountain View Rd., Whitefield, N.H.; (866) 484-3843; www.mountainviewgrand.com.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Thanksgiving time of year can be pretty dismal in New England, that shoulder season of gray days waiting for snow you know is coming sooner or later. For something decidedly different, Cotton Tree, a boutique hotel on Grand Cayman in the Caribbean, is offering a Thanksgiving special, which includes a free dinner prepared by your own personal chef, with a four-night reservation. The package dates are Nov. 23-26.

Included in the $890 per night special rate are accommodations in a Cayman-inspired beach cottage, with full kitchen, free Wi-Fi and roomy living spaces; the option of booking a spa treatment in an open-air pavilion surrounded by sea grape trees; pre-stocked selection of coffees, water, tea, milk, juice and assorted cereals; use of the swimming pool, fitness center, yoga, bicycles, media library, water sports, hiking, and culinary and art classes; and one-way airport transfer. Concierge, in-cottage catering, sommelier and wedding and business services are also available, at extra cost, to further customize a holiday.

 

Cotton Tree is on the northernmost point of Grand Cayman, 10 minutes from the island’s fabled Seven Mile Beach. To make a reservation or for more information, visit http://www.caymancottontree.com/ and mention promotion code CT375 when booking the Thanksgiving special.

(Photo courtesy of Cotton Tree)

By Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent

Next month the Boston Pops will launch their Holiday Tour, which will include stops in Worcester; Lowell; Providence; Storrs, Connecticut; and Manchester, New Hampshire. But before the seasonal festivities get underway, Keith Lockhart and the orchestra will delve into a quirkier thematic program this Saturday, October 15, when they join the University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra at Rupp Arena in Lexington for “Post Time with the Pops.” Fittingly enough, this celebration of the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Keeneland thoroughbred auction house and racetrack will feature music with an equestrian bent, including such classics as the ''Light Cavalry'' and ''William Tell'' overtures, along with the ''Seabiscuit Suite'' by Randy Newman and the Carmen Dragon arrangement of Stephen Foster's ''Camptown Races.'' And speaking of races, the Keeneland fall race season continues through October 29.

By Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

Adventrer and bestselling author Robert Edsel, who wrote ‘‘The Monuments Men’’ (Center Street, 2009), leads a 10-day trip this fall for the National World War II Museum retracing searches by ‘‘scholar soldiers’’ who saved artworks and cultural treasures from destruction by the Nazis in the war’s final months. The In the Footsteps of the Monuments Men Tour departs Paris Sept. 16 and includes visits to the Louvre, Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest Retreat in Berchtesgaden, Germany, and the salt mines of Altaussee, Australia, where thousands of artworks were recovered. Rate: $14,999 per person, based on double occupancy, includes travel from Paris to the tour’s final destination in Munich, accommodations, and meals.

877-813-3329, www.nationalww2museum.org/travel

Photo: National World War II Museum