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| WEST COAST USA , HAWAII, MEXICO CENTRAL AMERICA, THE PACIFIC CALIFORNIA — Dolphin Bay Luxury Stay in Pismo Beach - Centrally located halfway between Catching Some Zzzzzzz At Zane Grey's Pueblo Hotel - Little did Zane Grey know, as he penned over 80 western novels in his home on Santa Catalina Island, off the coast of California, that the house he designed in 1929 would someday be a charming bed-and-breakfast inn. Old Calfornia - Nuevo Estancia - I feel like I have come home to my own private retreat where wealthy ranchers knew what hospitality meant. The old world elegance is visible: wrought iron railings, arched doorways, picturesque clay tile roofs, and cozy fireplaces — exactly how I imagine life in Old California, a time when breathing fresh open air, and feeling connected to natural surroundings is what is expected. Love Is In The Air at Rancho Valencia Resort - This magnificent resort is imbued with LOVE from the second you step onto the property. Set amidst 40 acres of hills and orange trees north of San Diego, it’s minutes away from the scenic beaches of La Jolla and the thrilling excitement of the Del Mar Race Track. Celebrate At the Beach - Marriott Laguna Cliffs Resort - Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, in Dana Point, California, is a place to celebrate life! I know because I took my daughter there on her annual birthday outing. We spent three glorious days and nights at the most picturesque spot on the Southern California coastline. Let's Swing At The Casino On Avalon Bay - In the 1930s and '40s, this is where you came to dance the night away with your beau, or perhaps meet that new handsome man or pretty girl. Since its Grand Opening Memorial Day weekend in 1929, Santa Catalina Island’s Casino has been and continues to be a main attraction. Old Fashioned Adventure on Catalina Island - Peering down from the gangway of the Catalina Express, I see fat orange Garibaldis, the California State fish, nibbling among the rocks. It’s early-afternoon on a sunny day and we’ve arrived at Avalon, the little town on Santa Catalina Island off the coast of California. From The Hills to the Beach bungaLOEWS - From the hills — Beverly Hills, that is, to the beach — Santa Monica Beach, that is, Loews has you covered in the Southern California climes. Ocean Beach Discovery - Diamond Head Inn - Stumbling upon the Diamond Head Inn in 2003 was like unexpectedly finding a precious jewel; a diamond in the rough. My husband and I chose this particular hotel for its affordable price and perfect location, accessible to everything that San Diego has to offer, and only a few feet from the wide, velvet sands of Ocean Beach. The Del Mar Cookie Resort - As I write this, I lie on my oversized bed, in my oversized suite in the DoubleTree Hotel in Del Mar, California. On my right sits a 27 inch Zenith television complete with an interactive music jukebox, a pleasing digital movie selection, and a variety of video games patiently waiting for me to challenge them. Feng Shui The Ambrose Hotel Way — Upscale tranquility and refreshing affordability characterizes the Ambrose - newly opened, uniquely-crafted boutique hotel in Santa Monica. Inspired by the legendary turn-of-the-century Arts & Crafts Movement and influenced by Asian style, this new 77-room hotel offers a peaceful entry foyer/living room with Asian carpets on hardwood floors, comfortable rocking chairs and a cozy library with views onto a tranquil garden. San Diego's New Wow! - W Hotel — There wasn't a moment that I wasn't surprised, captivated, and thoroughly enthralled with the way the "W" captured the casua  l comfort and beach culture that makes San Diego one of the most quintessential Southern California cities. This place is like none other in all of its amenities.Hilton Comfort on a Long Beach — The Hilton Long Beach is conveniently located for business and leisure travel, for cruise vacationers, and for those looking for a spot in the sun. Bay Watch at the Hilton!  Surf & Sand & Spa & Splashes — The Surf and Sand in Laguna Beach, California has achieved legendary appeal for those fortunate enough to have stayed there during its 55 years of operation. Located at 1555 South Coast Highway, it was built in 1948 as a beach side motor lodge with 26 rooms. Artists discovered Laguna Beach and over the years made it a premier vacation destination.California Dreaming At The Hotel Santa Barbara — Clark Gable and Carol Lombard were frequent guests, and eyewitnesses claim Leo Carrillo rode his horse around the lobby on several occasions. A Bunk On A Junk — Don't own a yacht, yet? No worry. The latest craze is a boat and breadfast, and we check into the marina for a night's nap in yachty luxury, wake up with fresh coffee, and we don't even have to make the beds. HAWAII — Grounds For The Royal Treatment - Mauna Lani Resort and Spa - Visiting the Big Island of Hawaii is a once-in-lifetime experience for many people. Whether you are visiting for your only time or you are a Big Island regular, treat yourself to the Mauna Lani Resort, one of the grand dames of the hotel strip along the Kohala Coast, north of the Kona airport. The Heart of Mana — The Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort and Spa on Waikiki Beach — Hanging purple orchids and the perfumes of plumeria, moonflower and jade vine surround you. Parrots, red and blue macaws, exotic ducks, flamingos, swans (both black and white), crested cranes, and tropical penguins add their calls of greeting. There is only one place this magical and you are here: the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa on Waikiki Beach, the ageless heart of Hawaii. You Should Be In Waikiki — The stunning azure blues and emerald greens of Oahu welcome visitors to the island and proclaim the natural beauty of this lush, luxuriant land. First-time visitors can expect to be impressed by the rolling mountain ranges that meet the crashing sea in a display of long-present tenacity, as well as the island locals who greet each visitor with a special brand of island hospitality called the "Aloha Way." Waikiki's Family Hotels - Ohana — The Ohana Waikiki West is a 663-room high-rise hotel located just behind the International MarketPlace on Kuhio Avenue, designed so that it ensures that patrons will be well taken care of. Big Island, Big Beach, Big Kahakai — Long ago Polynesians traveled the ocean searching for land. Suddenly, in the distant horizon the sky glowed red. Heading towards the light, these seafarers discovered the volcanic firework display of Hawaii's Big Island. Generations have passed but sparkling blue waters continue to lap over primal lava rocks, bubble across white, black and green sand beaches and splash up sheer cliffs for modern day seafaring visitors to enjoy. OREGON — Best Western's Best of the West — Seaside's BW Ocean View Resort is like no other BW resort you have ever stay in. Plush rooms overlook a pristine beach. Fronting the beach with 104 deluxe guestrooms (most with ocean views), the Best Western Oceanview Resort has a variety of amenities that make it attractive to families as well as convention-goers. The Little Littoral SeaSide Inn — On Seaside's famous Promenade, facing the Pacific Ocean, rests the SeaSide Inn Bed & Breakfast, a wonderfully romantic hideaway set amidst the rugged grandeur of the Oregon Coast. From the ocean, it's just a few steps across the beach, then the wide cement walkway that is the Prom, to the front yard and patio of the SeaSide Inn. Through a screened, glass door you enter into a whimsical world of beach fantasy and storybook charm. CENTRAL AMERICA — Rustic Elegance on Tortuguero's Lost Coast — A cool, tropical breeze gently rocks me in my hammock as I overlook the Tortuguero Canal, listening to the hush of the stormy Caribbean in the distance. It's overcast and mildly humid in this part of Costa Rica, almost chilly; linen pants and a shirt keep me just warm enough when the breeze stirs the air. Chirps and squeaks and whistles fill the air of the lush green jungle all around me. A bottle of Imperial sweats on the table next to me, a napkin wrapped around its neck. Tired from the day's journey, I lean my head back and close my eyes. I'm asleep in an instant. Red Frog Beach Log, Panama — ed Frog Beach Rainforest Resort and Marina is named after Red Frog Beach, on the Caribbean side, and opposite of the resort. The Red Poison Dart Frog is a denizen on the island of Bastimentos and the namesake of the pristine stretch of beach. Although I didn’t see one of these special creatures, I am certain that I must have heard them chirping in the jungle. MEXICO — Cozumel's Garden Resort - Villablanca - We are heading down to Fun Added at Hotel Cozumel Resort - After many years of vacationing with my own motley crew, I have found THE resort at THE location. In fact, I’ve frequented this spot so many times that I’m registered somewhere between an elated local and a clued-in visitor. So you and yours grab an aquas frescas and come with me to the place that will satisfy both the desires of those wanting an endless schedule of activities, and those dreaming of a private retreat on the edge of paradise. Beach Buffed at Coral Princess Resort, Cozumel - Dolphins. They’re everywhere. Flying over the Coral Princess Resort lobby in a graceful arch. Skimming the bottom of the pool. Mosaiced into a small table in Chyrlobyrlos, the lobby bar. Guarding the web site. Why dolphins? Why not! You are, after all, in a world where dolphins visit. There is even a national park on Cozumel — Chankanaab — a few miles down the road where you can actually swim with them. Ritzy Yucatan Beach Hangout - If you combine courtesy, efficiency, elegance, and impeccable service and professionalism you would come to the inescapable conclusion that these are the hallmarks of the Ritz Carlton Cancun, located in the heart of Mexico's Yucatan playground. The Playas of Acapulco — Get the heat on the west coast of Mexico. Stay in a luxury beach resort or a modest in-town bungalow. There are many styles of accommodations around the enormous bay of Acapulco. Then sip a margarita cliffside for sunset cliff diving! Mundo Maya Classics - The architecture of the Yucatan — While the Maya civilization no longer exists today in its original culture, many of its traditions and lifestyles are still being practised today by the descendants of a people who have gone to great pains to ensure that their history and environment are safeguarded against the onslaught of modernization and expansion. Face Down In Cabo - Hotel Cabo San Lucas — Cabo San Lucas, tip of the Baja Peninsula, where West Coast trendies seek sand and seclusion. Home of Marlin Alley, where legendary Americans such as Bing Crosby and Duke Wayne first discovered unbelievable angling. (The marlins are said to outnumber the people. PACIFIC ISLANDS — Kosrae - 2500 Miles From Everywhere - “Kosrae is the crossroads of the Pacific,” explained Katrina Adams, as she drove us from the little airport to the secluded resort. “It’s the first landfall for hundreds of miles. The Kosraeans have always been great navigators.” I guess they had to be. When I first saw the small island through the window of the 737, I wondered how anyone found it even today. |
 Click for Springbreak! Beachbooker — CARIBBEAN BAHAMAS — AFRICA — SOUTH AFRICA — |
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