Vol. 18 ~ No.3
The weather and our own state of mind are clear: forget the calendar, summer's here.
Here are a few suggestions on how to while away those lazy days.
Lido Restaurant Brings Wine Country Cuisine to California's Central Coast
Lido Restaurant and Bar has more than a few things to recommend it. Daytime diners are treated to a sweeping view of the blue Pacific just below the bluff on which the restaurant sits. Evening diners -- and imbibers -- have the option of simply trundling upstairs to a one- or two-bedroom residence in the Dolphin Bay Hotel, where Lido makes its home. Above all, Lido has Executive Chef Evan Treadwell, who says he is determined to make San Luis Obispo County the new destination for serious foodies. He's off to a great start. Check out the menus on the hotel's website at www.thedolphinbay.com or just call for reservations at (800) 516-0112. (*)
The High Sierra Will Provide Inspiration at Yosemite Writers Conference
The annual Yosemite Writers Conference will once again convene at Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite. Keynote speaker for the 2006 conference is best-selling author T. Jefferson Parker. He'll be joined by other writers, editors, literary agents and other experts who will share tips and suggestions on writing better and getting that writing published. A wide range of topics, from editor queries to web marketing, poetry to crime fiction, will be covered during the three-day conference in late August. For more information and registration, go to www.yosemitewriters.com. For Tenaya Lodge reservations and information, see www.tenayalodge.com or call toll-free, 877-322-5492. (*)
Houseboats Very Accommodating for Family Reunions
With families scattered across the country, reunions are becoming a regular vacation alternative. Bringing everyone together does involve transportation and accommodation costs; not everyone can fit in grandma's spare room. Houseboating offers an excellent alternative to hotels and motels. Raft several of them together and put all the kids on their own boat, still just a few steps away from the adults. Seven Crown Resorts, the West’s leading houseboat source, offers discounts on rentals of more than one boat. Their vessels, each sleeping up to 10 or 12, are available at Lake Shasta, the California Delta, Lake Mead and Lake Mohave For toll-free reservations, call (800) 752-9669; more information at www.SevenCrown.com. (*)
AH&LA and Fido Friendly Magazine Have Suggestions for Vacationing With Your Pooch
Seven Crown Resorts welcomes dogs aboard their vessels as do more and more hotels. Check the hotel directory of the American Hotel & Lodging Association to find pet-friendly accommodations among its 10,000 members. And pick up a copy of Fido Friendly, the only magazine designed just for folks who travel with their dogs. There are lots of how-to hints and reviews of hotels and destinations where canine companions are welcome. The magazine's website also offers travel tips and other useful information. Go to www.fidofriendly.com
Meerkat Manor: Watch the New Animal Planet Soap Opera or Visit the Real Thing
If you've seen "The Lion King" you have seen the Disney version of a meerkat, a small critter native to the Kalahari. Even cuter are real meerkats, who now will be starring in their own series, Meerkat Manor. It is coming to Animal Planet this summer. Check www.animalplanet.com for show times. If you fall in love with them (and you will), you can see some meerkats up close in California at the only non-zoo facility in the world licensed to care for them. This is the Fellow Earthlings Institute in Morongo Valley, near Palm Springs. You can "adopt" one for a mere $100, which entitles you to make one annual visit for four persons (age eight years and up). It's a unique family travel experience, since the facility is not open to the general public. You are invited into the enclosures under the watchful eye of founder/director Pam Bennett-Wallberg, who will give you protective gloves with which you can hold some worm snacks for the meerkats, who will eat right out of your hand. All the proceeds from the adoptions and other fundraising goes into the care of the meerkats at this unique facility. For more info about meerkats and the Institute, go to www.meerkats.com
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