Cheap Travel Guide

Below are the top 10 luxury hotels in the US according to TripAdvisor.

TOP10BESTLUXURY ??� U.S.
1.Signature at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
2.Sofitel New York, New York City, New York
3.Omni San Francisco Hotel, San Francisco, California
4.Affinia Dumont, New York City, New York
5.The Orchard Hotel, San Francisco, California Read more

There are thousands of Vermont websites but I have selected my personal list of the best ones where you can do some research if you plan to travel Vermont either in person or just from your desk at home.

The top two are vermont.com and vtliving.com . Those two should keep you busy for quite a long time if you wish.

For touring Vermont, the top two are vermontvacation.com , the state Dept of Tourism official site, and Vermont Attractions Association which lists about 70 attractions that you can search by type or location ?� or just select the All category for the full list.
Read more

View looking east from the top of Mount Mansfield, Stowe Vermont

There are many hundreds of miles of scenic drives in Vermont but two of my favorites are Route 108 through Smuggler’s Notch, and the Mount Mansfield Toll Road, both in Stowe.

The section of Route 108 that runs from the village of Stowe to the village of Jeffersonville includes a memorable drive through smuggler’s Notch. This Notch Road is narrow (no edge marking and no center line), tight, and twisty. You will be driving up a steep grade with deep forests on each side. There are several hairpin turns where you will be going five or ten miles per hour. Unfortunately, the driver won’t get to see as much as the passengers because you have to keep your eyes closely on the road. The passengers will have a great time viewing the scenery which becomes more enhanced at the slow driving speed. One of the features of the drive are massive boulders right alongside the road, some of them the size of a small cottage.
Read more

Here is the best written summary I’ve seen about this amazing Vermont winter. It got off to a slow start but then came on with a roar, building up with increasing strength culminating in a Valentine’s Day blizzard that dropped 30 inches of powder snow at our inn, and then was followed by another foot and a half on St Patrick’s Day weekend. And those were on top of several dozen snowfalls of two to eight inches each at our mid- Green Mountain location. The upper elevations at the ski areas experienced even more snowfall than we did.

I have quoted the article below in its entirety. It’s from a Stowe Mountain Resort weekly newsletter called The Inside Line . I subscribe to several Vermont ski area emails and newsletters but Stowe’s is the best. Each issue has a few articles and an events calendar. It’s worth subscribing to even if you don’t plan on skiing Stowe because it is so interesting and well done.
Read more

I wrote an entry June 1 about two of the best scenic drives in Vermont and I’d like to add another two, both of which are the only two toll roads in the state.

The first one, Equinox Mountain Skyline Drive is in Arlington VT, in the southwestern part of the state. Skyline Drive starts from Historic Route 7 in the village of Sunderland. The elevation here at the bottom is 600 feet and by the time you are at the top, you will have risen another 3,200 feet in the five mile drive. There are beautiful panoramas along the way and the summit is amazing. The Battenkill river and the woods below look like miniatures.
Read more

Promotions from American Express Vacations. Save up tp $800 per booking in tropical Barbados! Spend a week in Barbados and receive $200 Air Credit per person, 7th night free, complimentary breakfast daily and an on-island savings booklet for reductions on activities, attractions, restaurants and more!
More from American Express

travel-news.typepad.com

Where else can both parents and their kids may be able to enjoy themselves at the same time but at a cruise. Parents can be rest assured that their children are being well taking care of at flexible hours. Here are the top cruises for kids, from toddlers to teens from Budget Travel Online.

travel-news.typepad.com