Miramonte Resort offers Destination Dish in Palm Springs

Destination
Hotels & Resorts has launched The Destination Dish, a new culinary program
which showcases the culinary talent of their chefs across the country.

Throughout 2012, 26 chefs from Destination’s distinctive restaurants
will create one signature dish per month, all sharing one common
ingredient, while highlighting the flavors and style of their
individual cuisine.

 The program kicks off in January with kumquats, an edible fruit that
closely resembles an orange and which symbolizes good luck in China and
other Asian countries. The kumquat is widely available through the
United States.


Robert
Nyerick, Executive Chef at The Grove Artisan Kitchen at Miramonte
Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, will prepare Roasted Duck Breast,
Poached White Asparagus and
Kumquat salad.  Known for its “farm to table” fresh seasonal California
cuisine, The Grove Artisan Kitchen’s menu features organic produce,
“home grown” fresh herbs, farm raised meats and poultry, fresh Pacific
seafood, house-made pastas, prime dry-aged meats
and innovative vegetarian fare.

 

“I
was first exposed to kumquats several years back while visiting Hong
Kong during Chinese New Year,” says Nyerick. “The way they were given
out and how they were
cared for in their use made a lasting impression on me. To this day,
whenever is see the Kumquat trees on property beginning to ripen it
takes me back to my time in China and reminds me of the holiday season
to come.”

 

Other
ingredients that will be featured throughout the year include
asparagus, strawberries and corn.  For more information on The
Destination Dish, including recipes
and cooking tips, visit
www.destinationhotels.com/dish.
Check back monthly for the new ingredient and featured chef recipes of the month.

Yoga retreat offered at Four Seasons Resort Maui

Four
Seasons Resort Maui is offering  “The Body, Mind, Spirit Equation: a Yoga Retreat”
Feb. 27-March 3, which will be led by Kathryn
Budig, a Los Angeles-based instructor. She will teach
Vinyasa Flow–a combination of syncing movement and breath.

Emphasis is
on cultivating physical, mental and spiritual health.  Budig offers
a playful mixture of challenging classes.  

“This is
the perfect setting in which to practice yoga–ideal weather, a calming
ocean, organic food, impeccable service and all the luxurious amenities
of Four Seasons Resort Maui,” says Budig.
 

For more information about Kathryn Budig and the Yoga Retreat, go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qPFgz7JfZk&feature=youtu.be.

Ohana Waikiki connection returns in 2012

OHANA
Hotels & Resorts’
popular OHANA Waikiki Connection returns in
2012.
Guests get c
omplimentary access to the
Waikiki Trolley’s Pink Line, which takes travelers down Kalakaua and
Kuhio Avenues, with stops at the entertainment district of Waikiki Beach Walk,
and to Ala Moana Center.

Guests simply show their room card key at any of the
conveniently located trolley stops for a lift for up to two passengers. With
ample pick-up points and scheduled stops every 10 minutes, getting out and
about in Waikiki is a breeze.

 

OHANA guests also can stay in touch
with free Internet and phone
services. Log on to the complimentary Wi-Fi access available in most common
areas of all OHANA hotels or enjoy additional wired access in hotel rooms.

The
OHANA Waikiki Connection also provides the first 15 minutes free for
long-distance calls to the United States
and Canada to check in with
family and friends back home or local calls to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai,
Lanai or the Hawaii Island.

 


XOS Battle of Sexes Winterfest coming to Big Bear

57747-xos-winterfest2012-slider4.jpg

The XOS Battle of the Sexes Winterfest
will be held
Feb. 3, 4 in Big Bear
Village at the Big
Bear Visitor
Center parking lot. 
It will offer a snowboard rail
jam, fashion shows, and DJ battles.

“We want to give women a comfortable forum where they can
showcase their talents without any pressures. Winterfest
is designed to give them a chance to playfully participate against the guys in
a fun atmosphere,” said event producer Marisa Lupo. “The other key piece of Winterfest
is to communicate the message about breast cancer, the importance of self
examination and early detection, and to provide knowledge to fight the deadly
disease.”

The
event kicks off Feb. 3 with a night-time DJ concert, featuring
top-name DJs, and fashion show inside a large structured tent. The next day, the Big
Bear Visitor
Center will be transformed into a winter-themed festival with a kid’s snow play area, snowshoe
demos, live entertainment, carnival-type games, food vendors and art displays.

The main attraction is the XOS Rail Jam featuring top female snowboarders on
professionally-built rails and jibs.
Once the sun goes down, the music starts up again in the tented arena for a
second DJ concert and fashion show Saturday night.

Both tented DJ concerts are from 5
p.m. to midnight for ages 18 and over. Admission is $25 each night. (A
portion of ticket sales goes to Boarding for Breast Cancer, a non-profit,
youth-focused education, awareness and fundraising foundation for breast
cancer.)

Saturday’s daytime festivities are from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission
is free.

For more event information visit www.xosproductions.com. To
purchase discounted concert tickets and lodging packages log onto www.bigbear.com or call 800-424-4232.

Maui Accommodations offers winter deals

There are deals to be had this winter in sunny Maui! The Maui Accommodations Guide (www.MauiAccommodations.com),
a free directory to accommodations on Maui and Molokai, has just
released its quarterly “Special Values E-Alert” listing 40 of the latest
bargains offered by Maui hotels, condos, homes, villas, and b&bs.
 
The quarterly e-newsletter is provided free as a service to
bargain-hunting travelers. Visitors can review the list of offers and
link directly to each property for more information or to book
reservations. The Maui Accommodations Guide does not act as a booking
service.

The newly
released E-Alert features a variety of special offers for winter,
spring and beyond ranging from rates starting at $99 per night for a
beach cottage, third, fourth, or fifth nights free at hotels and condos,
and room discounts up to 25% off. Some are exclusive or last-minute
offers that are listed only in the Maui Accommodations Guide.

The list of special offers in the E-Alert can be viewed at www.MauiAccommodations.com via the
“VIEW SPECIAL OFFERS” button. The E-Alert is updated and
reissued quarterly with the latest bargains, and travelers can subscribe
online to receive the E-Alert each quarter free of charge.

Icons of San Francisco coming to Hyatt Regency

Hyatt
Regency San Francisco will feature a multi-partner display of San
Francisco Icons in its popular and on-going
“Hyatt Culture Club.” Boasting the largest atrium lobby, of over 42,000 square feet, the Hyatt Regency’s
interior will showcase the thematic San Francisco Icons exhibit from
Jan. 19 through March 31.

Over-the-Top displays highlight such entities as San Francisco’s iconic Cable Cars, the
unique-to-San Francisco Steve Silver’s Beach Blanket Babylon and wildly popular Ghirardelli Chocolates.

 

The
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s Cable Car exhibit will
celebrate the invention and technology of the iconic cable car and
features a life-size photo backdrop.


Beach Blanket Babylon will display its Silver Skyline Hat, which measures 13 feet wide, seven feet deep and a whopping 24 feet high.  At
350 pounds, the brim alone required over 60 yards of taffeta and over
200 ostrich feathers.


Ghirardelli Chocolates will kick off their 160 year anniversary with visuals showing the history of the company, vintage
advertising and product, and information on the chocolate making
process.

 

Waikiki Beach celebrates Chinese New Year

Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, Waikiki Beach Walk and Island
Jewelry invite the general public to ring in the Chinese New Year in Waikiki with traditional lion dance performances at
several locations and a Chinese pole jumping performance by the Chinese Lion
Dance Association at Waikiki Beach Walk.

The Chinese lion dance is a cultural tradition dating back several
thousand years. It is believed that the lion dance serves as a symbol of protection,
good luck, prosperity, health, longevity and blessings.

In Hawaii, the traditional Chinese lion dance
has become a staple in many island celebrations and special occasions,
including weddings, first birthday celebrations, graduations, and so on. This year, a lion dance
performance will take place at Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, Outrigger Reef
on the Beach, and Waikiki Beach Walk.

The Chinese Pole Jumping performance team from the Chinese Lion Dance
Association has become Hawaii’s ambassador to Hong Kong in the sport of
pole jumping or “jong” lion dance. 

They have represented
Hawaii in various international pole jumping lion dance tournaments in Hong
Kong and Taiwan. 

WHEN: January 27,
2012 Scheduled times vary by venue

4:00-5:30 PM – Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach – Traditional Lion
Dance Performance

4:00-5:30 PM – Outrigger Reef on the Beach – Traditional Lion
Dance Performance

6:00-8:30 PM – Waikiki Beach Walk
– Traditional Lion Dance Performance and Chinese Pole Jumping

Cruising with the Stars on Carnival Cruise Line from Los Angeles

Dancing With The Stars Celebrity Dance Pro and Season 13 Champion Karina Smirnoff has a new gig – Cruising With The Stars , a new dance-focused fan cruise that launches June 3-10, 2012 from Los Angeles for a 7-day excursion to the Mexican Riviera, aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s ship The Splendor.  Ports of call are Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.
 
It’s
truly a red carpet affair for this inaugural cruise from Cruising With
The Stars which headlines Karina, who, to the thrill of her fans, will
be offering all levels of dance and fitness classes on board the ship
and inviting both dancers and fans to join her for a full week of
celebration following the upcoming DWTS Season 14 – including nightly
CWTS cocktail and dance parties, personal Q&A and celeb photo
sessions, excursions on shore, all culminating with a spectacular
professional dance show.
 
On Cruising With The Stars, Karina joins six of America’s
champion professional dance instructors and performers — Sharon Savoy
and Mike Tuttle, Jamie Bayard and Bonnie Marie, and Enio Cordoba and
Terryl Jones.
 
Cruise event website is www.cruisingwiththestars.net and on Facebook, a fan page at Cruising With The Stars ™.
 
“Cruising With The Stars will set a new standard in dance cruise excursions.  Add
the rare opportunity to join one of America’s hottest dance celebrities
– DWTS’s Karina Smirnoff — for a full week of unmatched dance
instruction and exhilarating performances, and it’s a formula for
success,” stated Event Organizer and Hosts Sharon Savoy and Mike Tuttle.     
 
Karina is especially looking forward to the time off to meet fans personally and work with dancers.  In
addition to the unprecedented nearly 60 hours of dance instruction
offered on board ship, there will be a limited opportunity to take
private lessons with Karina, as well as the other master level
instructors.
 
Cruising
With The Stars is open to the general public, but cruisers should make
reservations right away since the block of cabins are expected to book
quickly.  Both dancer and
non-dancer rates are available. To participate in the CWTS program and
activities, all cabin reservations must be made through official travel
agent Travel Themes And Dreams of Hallandale, Florida, at toll-free
1-800-706-0049, at 1-786-393-5854 for those outside of the USA, or online at
www.cruisingwiththestars.net. 

San Diego gearing up for restaurant week

Experience cuisine that delights your palate and defines the art of
dining in San Diego. Choose from over 180 of the city’s best restaurants
and enjoy a fixed price, three-course dinner for $20, $30 or $40 per
person, depending on the restaurant.

Start the fun early with San
Diego Restaurant Week’s lunch program, which gives daytime diners the
opportunity to feast on special two-course, prix-fixe lunch menus for
just $10, $15 or $20 per person at participating restaurants.

Now
in its seventh year as San Diego County’s largest and most successful
dining event, San Diego Restaurant Week runs from January 15-20, 2012,
and is designed to spotlight San Diego as a premiere dining destination.

Whether
you crave seafood, organic, fusion, American or ethnic, there is
something for everyone during San Diego Restaurant Week. If you enjoy
relaxing at the Gaslamp’s newest tapas bar one night, dining al fresco
by the bay the next, and ending the week with an indulgent dessert at
one of this city’s most remarkable five-star restaurants – now here is
your chance to do so at a discounted price! Choose from restaurants
located throughout San Diego in some of the most vibrant and distinct
neighborhoods, from La Jolla, Carlsbad and Coronado to Old Town, Little Italy and the Gaslamp Quarter.

There
are no tickets or passes required for Restaurant Week. You may simply
dine out at as many participating restaurants as you like, exploring new
dining opportunities or enjoying old favorites. Advance reservations
are strongly recommended (but not required) and can be made by
contacting the restaurants directly.

For a complete list of participating restaurants (searchable by location, cuisine and price), visit the San Diego Restaurant Week website.