Temecula Creek Inn salutes Southern California wine with dinners

Savor the
best of
Italy with Temecula Creek Inn’s
“Best
of Italy” artisan wine dinner featuring the wines of Robert Renzoni
Vineyards on Friday, June 25.  Then in
August, discover the essence of Southern California’s premier boutique
winery,
with a “All Things Local” farm-to-table concept at Palumbo Family
Vineyards on Aug. 20.

“A Tale of Two Valleys” a Rhone vs
Temecula wine
dinner featuring Leonesse Cellars will be held on Oct.15.  All
three dinners are part of Temecula
Creek Inn’s “Salute to Southern California Wine,” a series of artisan
wine
events continuing throughout the year.


This month, the resort will team up with Italian winemaker
Robert Renzoni
who will guide guests through the regional wines of Italy and serve the
winery’s
premium varietals with a delectable four-course meal with a creative
spin on
classic Italian favorites.

Menu highlights include Antipasti of The region, Cured Italian
Imported
Meats, Picked Eggplant, Pressed Olives, Fire-Roasted Red Bell Peppers,
Aged
Balsamic and Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil; a second course of
Shrimp Fra
Diavolo, Farro from Rustichella d’Abruzzo; 
a main course of Tenderloin of Beef Braciole Stuffed with
Prosucitto,
Fontina Cheese, Fresh Herbs with Oven Roasted Tomato, Rapini and
Radicchio in a
Genovese Sauce; and for dessert a delicious Lemoncella Panna Cotta with
Berry
Jus, and Oven Dried Cracked Spiced Zest.

In
August, wine and food enthusiasts will be taken on a savory sojourn with
a
six-course dinner expertly matched to wines from Palumbo Family
Vineyards.  Many of the courses Giuliano will
prepare will reflect the usage of
local produce
and
products from the region in keeping with the family owned/operated
theme.

The
October wine lovers evening will pair Southern California wine
against
those of the Rhone Valley in France. 
Winemaker Tim Kramer and owner Mike Rennie of Leonesse Cellars
will
present a blind tasting of the wines, each paired with complementary
dishes from
Chef Giuliano.

Priced at $85 per person for June, $95 per person for August
and $85 per
person for the October dinner, the dinners exclude tax
and
gratuity, but each includes a complimentary wine and cheese reception,
where
guests can preview wines which will be served during the evening.

Each will feature artisan-inspired
appetizers by Giuliano, wine tasting, and a four-course decadent
four-course
dinner at 7:30 p.m. on June 25 in the Plaza), 8 p.m. on Aug. 20 at the
Stone
House and 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 15 in Temet Grill.  Reservations
are
required.

Those who want to make it an overnight event can reserve, a “A
Salute To
Wine” Country” package, available for one night only at the resort on
Friday,
June 25,
Aug. 20 and
Oct. 15.

Priced from $319 per
couple and based on double occupancy, the package includes one night of
deluxe
guestroom accommodations, wine dinner for two, and two sets of
touring/tasting
tickets. The package is not applicable to groups.

To
make a reservation, call 951-587-1465.  To
book the special wine dinner package,
call 877-517-1823, e-mail
temeculacreekinn@jcresorts.com, or
visit the website at
www.temeculacreekinn.com.

Secluded amidst the natural beauty of Southern
California’s wine
country, the 130-room Temecula Creek Inn is located 50 miles north of
San Diego
and 90 miles south of Los Angeles.  Visitors can get there by Highway 15.

Aston offering Keiki Adventure Club in Oahu

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Aston Hotels & Resorts is giving kids a
summer vacation to remember, with day-long Oahu adventures running from
June through August.

The Aston Keiki Adventure Club takes kids
ages 5-12 years old to see the best of Oahu’s sights and attractions.
Visit dolphins and sea lions at Sea Life Park, wind through the
Pineapple Garden Maze and ride the train at Dole Plantation, or see
native species at the Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium. The program
also includes Hawaiian arts and crafts projects, hula lessons and beach
activities.

The Aston Keiki Adventure Club is offered Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays from
June 14-25; seven days a week from June
27-July 31; and Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from August 2-13.

The
program is open to all Aston guests on the island of Oahu. Activities
start in the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel Lokahi Room, located on the upper
lobby level, and run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Aston Keiki Adventure Club
is $50 a day plus tax, which includes all activities and lunch.
Reservations are required by 4 p.m. the day prior to the adventure, as
space for the program is limited.

Cancellations must be made at
least 24 hours prior to the start of the activities. Activities vary by
day and are subject to change.

For reservations and more
information on the Aston Keiki Adventure Club, call (808) 922-2511.

Catalina Island reinvents itself

Santa Catalina Island is
being
reinvented this summer with the opening of the new Pavilion Hotel, the transformed Descanso Beach Club and Avalon
Grille, a new waterfront restaurant.

The Pavilion
Hotel
,
formerly the Pavilion Lodge, re-opened on May 14.
Luxury and
comfort fill this 71-room,
2-story
hotel. The upscale design uses the garden
courtyard area
to a private lanai for most of the
ground
level rooms.

These new rooms feature large doors leading into the
lanai,
making it the only hotel in Avalon where guests can relax in the comfort
of
their own private courtyard. The hotel offers two luxury
suites
with ocean views.

Descanso
Beach
Club
is completely
transformed
with new high-end amenities such as private cabana and chaise lounge
rentals.
The open-air restaurant will offer daytime and evening dining with fire
rings
on the beach and two outdoor bars.

The
Descanso Beach Club will also
serve as the new activity headquarters, where guests can rent kayaks,
stand-up paddle
boards, snorkeling and scuba gear, as well as book massages and golf tee
times,
plus all Discovery Tours. The Beach Club will be the staging area for
the new
Zip Line Eco Tour and Sea Trek Undersea Adventure.

Catalina Island
visitors also will have a new dining option. Guests will immerse
themselves in
the island experience while dining at this waterfront location, in the
center
of town across from the Green Pleasure Pier with views of Avalon Bay.

The Avalon
Grille

is a new American pub-style restaurant with central bar, high, open
architecture and indoor/outdoor patio seating. This new
restaurant
features classic American comfort food with a twist, paired with a world
class
selection of wines, micro-brew beers and cocktails in a casual and fun atmosphere.

For more
information, visit www.DiscoverCatalina.com.

Beat the heat in downtown LA

Downtown L.A.
has it all. 

 

Foodies experience the best restaurants in
the
region – like Bottega Louie and Drago Centro and Chaya Downtown.  Sports
fanatics head to the Staples Center, Dodger Stadium or the Coliseum to
cheer on
the great athletes of our time. 

 

Music lovers revel in performances by the LA Opera or LA
Philharmonic
at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion or Walt Disney Concert Hall, visit the
Grammy
Museum or watch a concert at the Nokia Theater, while art appreciators
take in
the masterpieces at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). 

 

Young hipsters enjoy indie concerts at First Fridays at the
Museum of
Natural History or grab a drink at the multitude of new bars and
lounges, while
families explore the California Science Center or a attend a theater
performance.  

 

This summer, some of the top Downtown L.A. hotels and the Downtown Center Business Improvement
District

(DCBID) are offering vacationers the chance to enjoy
what
Downtown L.A. has to offer – at prices that won’t take the sizzle
out of your summer. 

 

Summer
in the City: Discover Downtown L.A.”
includes hotel
packages
that make it easy for visitors to get a good taste of Downtown by
offering overnight
stays with terrific deals on sports and museum tickets, restaurants and
nightlife.

 

Highlights include the Wilshire Grand’s “Beat the
Heat” package, back by popular demand, which allows guests to pay the
dollar equivalent to the high Downtown temperature that day.  Other
participating hotels include The Standard, The Millennium Biltmore, the
new JW
Marriott and other top hotels with impressive deals. 

 

For complete details and how
to take
advantage of these sizzling summer packages, please visit DowntownLA.com

 

For a calendar of summer events in Downtown – from museum
exhibits like “Mummies of the World” at the California Science
Center or “Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective” at the MOCA, to the LA
Opera’s “The Ring,” and the LA Film Festival–please
visit  www.DowntownLA.com/summer.

San Diego County Fair opens Friday

This isn’t your typical county fair! The view from the San Diego
County Fair Ferris Wheel alone – overlooking the blue Pacific – sets it apart from most fairs.

The fair opens this Friday and runs through July 5. It offers all of the outlandish fried foods
on-a-stick you know and love, plus lovely gardens, livestock barns,
endless exhibits, and a top-notch midway complete with carnival rides.

In addition, the San Diego County Fair boasts 8 stages, programmed with
some of the best entertainment in Southern California.

The 2010 Grandstand Lineup includes a wide variety of
performers – from Julio Iglesias to Lonestar, Joan Jett to Switchfoot.
Visit the website at www.sdfair.com/entertainment for a complete
listing.

Renaissance Hotel completed in Palm Springs

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The Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel has completed a multi-million redesign of the former Wyndham Hotel. A metamorphosis has transformed everything from
the lobby, restaurants, meeting rooms, accommodations and pool areas
into an upscale hotel aligned with the Renaissance brand of classical
design.

“Our
loyal Renaissance guests, as well as other visitors, now have the
opportunity to experience a superb property at a great value, in the
heart of Palm Springs,” said General Manager Jim Davis.

Renaissance
Palm Springs is located at the foot of the San Jacinto
Mountains three  blocks from downtown Palm Springs. Highlights of
the new hotel include vast open spaces with water
features, stylish lighting, and a blend of nature with modernism to
create an indoor oasis. Dcor boasts warm colors, with spacious rooms
offering scenic views of the mountains.

Amenities
include flat screen televisions, iPod docking stations, wireless
internet, business services, public area computers with internet access,
evening entertainment, and a state-of-the art fitness center. Also in
the lobby area is free internet access and a Nintendo Wii game
entertainment and TV area.

Guests will find this elegant and
modern hotel conveniently located a mile and a half from
the Palm Springs International Airport. The Renaissance Palm Springs has
five floors and 410 guest rooms with 155 one- or two-bedroom suites.

The desert oasis pool area features a 24,000 square foot
courtyard with a 5,000-square-foot pool – the largest in Palm Springs –
one whirlpool, a children’s sand and pool area, and private cabanas
with lounge chairs, ceiling fans, and compact refrigerators. There is
also an outdoor fireplace, a popular meeting spot for
socializing and having cocktails.

Within walking distance, downtown Palm Canyon
Drive offers a variety of restaurants, shops, art galleries,
nightlife and theater. Nearby attractions include the Palm Springs
Aerial Tramway, Palm Springs Follies, Palm Springs Walk of Stars, Palm
Springs Celebrity Tours, horseback riding, golf, spas, casinos, bowling,
hiking and tennis.

For more information or reservations, visit
www.renaissancepalmspringshotel.com or call (760) 322-6000 or toll free
(800) 228-9290.

South Shore Summer Series set to begin at Lake Tahoe

The “South
Shore Summer Series” http://www.TahoeSouth.com
launches the season on June 10-13, with a weekend of live music, culinary delights,
sternwheeler race, concerts and competitions stretching across the
shore
from Camp Richardson Resort on the west to Zephyr Cove on the east.
 

Guy Fieri, Food Network superstar and
host of
NBC’s “Minute To Win It”, brings his “Rock
‘n’ Roll Culinary Tour” to Harrah’s Lake
Tahoe’s South Shore Room on July 11. Fieri describes his show as
“cooking, music and all the things I can’t say or do on
TV.”  

Blue yster Cult will perform in Harrah’s
South Shore Room, June 12. Blue yster Cult occupies a unique place
in rock
history as one of very few hard rock/heavy metal bands to earn both
genuine
mainstream acclaim as well as commercial success.

The 50th anniversary of the opening of the
original
Playboy Club is June 10. To celebrate, Playboy has invited 50 venues
in 50
cities to party with them simultaneously on the exact date the first
Playboy Club opened in Chicago in 1960 – and VEX Nightclub at
Harrah’s
Lake Tahoe is among the chosen elite. The search for the 50/50

Playboy Bunny title will conclude Thursday, June 10, at VEX.
Tickets are
$10 in advance or $20 for men and $10 for women at the door.

World Welterweight Champion
Manny
Pacquiao will perform with his band and “friends” at
Harrah’s Special Events Center, Saturday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. 
Tickets are $49.50 to $199.50, available at Harrah’s or online at www.SouthShoreRoom.com

The first stop of the X-Dance Action Sports
Film
Festival
is June 10-12 and features the top international films
on
wakeboarding, surfing, mountain biking, skateboarding, snowboarding
and
skiing at Tahoe’s MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa. 968 Park Hotel
will host the VIP Opening Night Party, to meet and greet the
athletes,
filmmakers and the ‘Godfather’ of action sports, Warren Miller. 

Mark Twain’s Wild West Weekend at Zephyr
Cove
Resort springs into action with, frog jumping, poetry reading,
interactive
stories from Mark Twain, and a mini-triathlon for kids June 12-13.
Inspired
by Twain’s life and work, festivities include a Pie Eating
Competition where contestants have 20 minutes to finish as many
cherry pies
as possible; a Chili Cook-off showcasing the best of Tahoe’s amateur
chefs; and Mark Twain’s Wild West Bold-Faced Liars Contest.

 

The event’s highlight is
a Mark Twain Lecture Dinner that Saturday and includes a
four-course
meal with guest speakers Robert Stewart, author of “Aurora,
Nevada’s Ghost City of Dawn,” and Robert Hirst, general editor
and official curator of the Mark Twain Project and Papers. Stewart
will
address Twain’s route through Lake Tahoe and the designation of
Clemens Cove. Hirst will discuss the release of Mark Twain’s
autobiography that has been withheld for the past 100 years. Tickets
are
$100. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the preservation of
Mark Twain’s
history.

 

The Great Lake Tahoe Sternwheeler Race,
churns
the waters June 13 as the annual battle between Nevada’s M.S. Dixie
II and California’s Tahoe Queen continues. The M.S.Dixie II leads
the
series 8-5, so who will it be this summer? www.zephyrcove.com

The fifth annual South Shore Lake
Tahoe Geocaching High Tech Treasure Hunt
is June 12-13, with
nearly 50 prizes
stashed throughout the area waiting to be stalked by an anticipated
350-500
ambitious GPS-wielding trackers. Prizes will reflect the unique
nature
of the area including certificates to popular Tahoe restaurants,
overnight
accommodations, ski resort lift tickets and various local
activities.
Geocaching is an affordable family-friendly activity – it’s
just $20 to rent the GPS for the weekend. For footage from previous
year: YouTube.com.

The Valhalla

Renaissance Faire, June 5-6 and 12-13, at Camp Richardson Resort
brings
to life the authentic pleasures and pageantry of an Elizabethan
country
fair. Costumed players perform at Camp Richardson’s Resort in the
shady lanes and byways, and hawk their wares from market stalls
filled with
fine handmade crafts. Jousters vie for the pleasure of the Royal
Court
twice daily in the tournament. It’s Renaissance Europe with
jousting,
singing, dancing, storytelling, comedy acts, feasts, merchants and
re-creations of sword fighting and battles.

The inaugural Great Lake Tahoe Chili
Cook-off
is
sanctioned by the International Chili Society, along with live music
and
Craft Faire complement the weekend festivities held at MontBleu
Resort
Casino & Spa. Winners of this event are eligible to compete in
next
fall’s ICS World Championship Cook-off.

Take a step back through time and relive the
adventures
and rigors of the early pioneers as they forged their way west with
the Annual
Hwy 50 Wagon Train
. The historical re-enactment of the “Great
Western Migration” is June 5-13, ending in Placerville.

In celebration of its 150th
Anniversary, the
National Pony Express Association will conduct a re-ride of the Pony
Express
Trail, June 6-13. The 1,966 mile route follows the Pony Express
National
Historic Trail through California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska,
Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri. 

The Tahoe Derby Dames, Lake
Tahoe’s only flat track roller derby league, play a demo bout at
Bijou Park
for the Roller

Derby, Saturday, June 12.

The 46th annual DeCelle Memorial
Lake
Tahoe Relay
race, Saturday, June 12, consists of 72 mile, 7
person
running relay around Lake Tahoe. Each member runs 8-12 miles. This
is a
non-profit event and proceeds benefit the local High School Running
Programs.

This is the first of several summer activities
around
South Shore. Upcoming events include:

  • Lights on the Lake – Fourth of July Fireworks
  • 21st Annual American Century Celebrity Golf
    Championship, July 8-13
  • Hot August Nights, July 30- August 1
  • 21st  Annual Lake Tahoe Air Fest,
    Saturday, Aug. 28
  • Labor Day Fireworks, Sunday Sept. 5

For updates on events, promotions,
conditions
and all that’s happening in South Lake Tahoe, The Lake Tahoe
Visitors
Authority is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SouthShoreTahoe
and on Facebook.
For information about Lake Tahoe South Shore, call
1-800-AT-TAHOE
(1-800-288-2463) or visit www.TahoeSouth.com.

History comes alive at San Juan Bautista State Historic Park

A special living history event will be held Saturday,
June 19,
and Sunday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at San Juan Bautista
State
Historic
Park. 

Bring the family and enjoy a look at yesterday as costumed docents bring
the
past into the present.  Meet the people of early California including miners, mountain
men,
Civil War soldiers, and Victorian ladies. 

Watch some craft and cooking
demonstrations or ride in a horse drawn wagon. Visitors may also drink an old-fashioned
soda and
play cards in the saloon. 

 Cost is $3 for adults, free for 16 and under. Wagon rides and sodas are extra.  This event is sponsored
by the
Plaza History Association and San
Juan
Bautista
State
Historic
Park.

 The park is located off
Highway 156 in the
town of San Juan Bautista.
The state park is on Second Street between Washington and Mariposa
Streets.
Free parking is available on the city streets.

B&B’s offer third night half off in Taos

The Taos Association of Bed and Breakfast
Inns offers a seasonal
package in conjunction with the Town’s Return to Sacred Places Summer.

Through June
30, participating members of the organization will offer a third night
for half price to encourage visitors to experience the reality of Taos:
world class art galleries, museums and shopping, and the Taos Pueblo:
America’s only inhabited World Heritage Site.

Taos also has award
winning chefs and restaurants, all surrounded by national forests on
three sides. Then there’s the spectacular Rio Grande Gorge to the west,
where white water rafting season will be in full swing until the end of
June.

A full breakfast is provided each morning as part of the price of a guest’s room.
Also included as part of the package being offered are other amenities
such as free parking, free wi-fi access and all the special touches
found only at B&Bs and small Inns.

The offer of a third night for half
price is the first time that an entire Taos lodging organization has
offered a single package for visitors to the town. All twenty member
B&Bs and Inns may be contacted directly or through the association Web site:
www.taos-bandb-inns.com.

Fisherman’s Wharf Hyatt offers family package

The newly renovated
Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf has introduced the Classic Family Vacation,
which is valid through Sept. 12. The package includes
full
breakfast for guests,
 
50 percent off a
second room with free full breakfast for kids and a
locally
inspired
in-room kid’s snack amenity

 

The package can be
reserved at www.fishermanswharf.hyatt.com by entering “FAMVAC” into the
offer
code section on the left hand side of the landing page. Or reservations can be made by calling (415) 563-1234 or
toll free (800)
233-1234.

 

Ten Great Reasons For Families To Visit San
Francisco

Here’s the hotel’s list
of top ten things to see and do:

  1. Check out the
    (relatively) new San Francisco Railway Museum,
    which
    features a isplay
    of artifacts depicting the city’s historic transportation.        
  2. Climb the
    notorious Filbert Steps.  This
    unique “stairway to Heaven” leads
    up to Coit Tower, with gardens and sculptures guiding the way up to a
    phenomenal, panoramic view of the bay at the top.
  3. Take ’em out to the
    ballgame at San Francisco Giant’s
    AT&T Ballpark
    .  From the
    hotel, the entire family can board the historic F Line
    street cars
    to get to the
    park.
  4. Wend your way
    through Pier 39’s new mirror
    maze
    .
  5. Tour through the Boudin Bakery
    historic museum
    before buying a loaf of San Franciscans’ favorite sourdough
    bread.
  6. Board one of Red and White
    Fleet’s
    vessels for a
    California Sunset Cruise or one of the city’s “original bay
    tours
    .”
  7. To keep the “Only in San
    Francisco” theme
    going, head to Ghirardelli Square’s
    Chocolate
    Manufactory & Soda Fountain
    for
    a
    mouthwatering hot fudge sundae or cup of Ghirardelli’s famous hot
    chocolate.
  8. Take a 30-minute
    flightseeing tour of the bay with
    San Francisco Seaplane Tours.
  9. For
    the active at heart,
    rent bikes or roller blades and head out to the 240
    miles of
    scenic
    Bay Trail.
  10. Hang out
    at the Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf’s outdoor swimming pool, one
    of the
    only hotel pools in the city.