Travel news from the sources

Ohio lodges offer discounts for kids' good grades

News from Ohio State Park Lodges: Families can save up to $50 per day on state park vacation

Ohio State Park Lodges’ discounts for kids' good grades is now in its third year. The program, called Stays 4 A’s, has proven to be an effective tool for parents to inspire and motivate their schoolchildren. The popular program allows students with A’s on their report cards to transform those A’s into lodge room discounts.

Each A is worth a discount of $10 off the published rate per room per night up to five A’s or $50. Families need only show their star students’ report cards at check-in to earn the discount. One report card per room may be applied for the discount, and families must present the original report card upon check-in.

Contemporary art, tech meet on Celebrity cruises

News from Celebrity Cruises: First cruise line to present art tours on iPads
   
Passengers on Celebrity Cruises will take the industry’s first self-guided art tours on an iPad®.

Earlier this year, the cruise introduced the first Celebrity iLounge, equipped with MacBook® workstations, a retail space featuring Apple products, and an enrichment center where staff present courses and offer guests tips on using Macs and iPods®.

Celebrity also is the first cruise line to present a menu and wine list on an iPad at its Qsine specialty restaurant aboard Celebrity Eclipse.

Reserving Canyon Ranch spa on Oceania ships

News from Oceania Cruises

Passengers on ships operated by Oceania Cruises may reserve treatments at their onboard Canyon Ranch SpaClubs® up to 90 days before departure. Canyon Ranch operates spas on the cruise line’s fleet of premium ships.

“Canyon Ranch SpaClubs have proven so popular with our guests that it makes sense to book early,”  said Oceania president Bob Binder.

Each Canyon Ranch SpaClub features massage, body and skin-care treatment rooms, gym and weight room, men’s and women’s locker rooms, thalassotherapy pool, two whirlpools and Thermal Suite. The SpaClub’s treatments include massages and therapeutic bodywork, mud, aromatherapy, ayuvedic and seaweed treatments, facials and masks, conditioning body scrubs and therapeutic body cocoons.

Bird watching and golf on Scotland's west coast

News from Connoisseurs Scotland

Inver Lodge, overlooking the quiet village of Lochinver, and Blanefield House, an exclusive-use property a stone’s throw away from the island of Ailsa Craig, have joined Connoisseurs Scotland’s impressive collection of properties – and Inver Lodge is celebrating with a special offer for the coming season.

Both provide luxury accommodations on the breathtaking west coast. Each offers a unique experience defined by stunning vistas, award-winning cuisine and outdoor activities ranging from championship golf to bird watching.

Cruising Norway in the exciting Arctic Circle

Dog sled rides, icy swims, snow hotel and Aurora Borealis highlight voyage called Hunting the Light

News from Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten offers unique opportunities to explore remote regions and learn about different cultures, including the west coast of Norway in the winter.

From November 15 through March 15, Hurtigruten takes passengers on Hunting the Light voyages – an exploration that offers dog sledding, the nightly viewing possibility of the spectacular Aurora Borealis (or Northern Lights), overnights at the Kirkenes Snow Hotel, swims in the Barents Sea, incredible vistas, wonderful meals, and presentations on the history and cultures of Norway.

Upper Delaware River is National Park getaway

News from the National Parks

BEACH LAKE, Pa.

Paddling on a scenic waterway affords a perfect blend of vacation thrills and relaxation.

CLICK on National Park Getaways if you’re curious about how and where to embark on the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River. The website chronicles a float trip down a wild yet welcoming body of water in the wooded mountains and hills of New York and Pennsylvania.

National Park getaway to Perry’s Victory site

News from the National Parks

PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio

Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial offers travelers an opportunity to leave life’s stresses behind and learn about America’s forgotten war—the War of 1812 – in a picturesque island setting.

At Perry’s Victory in Northern Ohio, one can experience not only relaxation but also inspiration.

CLICK on National Park Getaways to read about the park, which is located on South Bass Island, a grassy oasis in the middle of Lake Erie.

National Park getaway to Longfellow Historic Site

News from the National Parks

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.

The National Park Service recommends a visit to a stately yellow house with a past as impressive as its façade.

Two tiers of windows accentuate the breadth of the home, while white pilasters with scrolled capitals add verticality and ornamentation to the building. A pediment enclosing a semicircular window crowns the front of the house, and two yellow chimneys stand sentinel atop the gently sloping gray roof.

CLICK on National Park Getaways for Longfellow National Historic Site to learn the names of historic figures — statesmen, soldiers, poets, and more — who visited, or resided in, the butter-colored mansion.

Their stories intersect at this handsome building — the centerpiece of a national park that also boasts a colonial revival garden with manicured hedges and bright blooms. The park hosts events as well; check out the Getaway for an idea of these offerings.

 

Watery adventures return to West Virginia

News from River Expeditions

The spring season is open at West Virginia’s most adventurous resort.

Located 4 miles south of the world famous New River Gorge Bridge, River Expeditions offers white water rafting in both rivers each season. Adventures can be selected based on the traveler's experience level, desired adventure and the time of year.

Some 15,000 cubic feet of water flows per second through the New and Gauley Rivers.
River Expeditions guides take visitors past stunning natural scenery on more than 8,000 miles of river. Camping, two-day and overnight rafting trips feature a deluxe barbecue dinner.

Hotel rooftop bees support Charlotte pollination

The Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte, N.C, has built a home for bees on its green, vegetated roof.

The roof, where 18,000 sedum plants enhance insulation for the hotel and a chef’s garden provides organic herbs, now is home to two new beehives that will generate honey for hotel culinary use.

The two fully-contained hives will be home to up to 60,000 honeybees by the time they are fully developed this summer.