Whistler hosts theater and arts festival on Aug. 11

Now in its second season, Summer at The Point
is a culmination of arts and cultural events held on the shores of Alta
Lake at The Point.  One of Whistler’s most historic sites, the location
of The Point Artist-run Centre Society is home to what was once known
as Cypress Lodge and later the Whistler Hostel. 

New for 2012, the first annual Flag Stop Theatre & Arts Festival
will take place on August 11.  A floating stage on Alta Lake will
feature theatre, music and improv performances that have been developed
throughout the summer, as well as the debut performance of Agnes, a play
by local writer Stephen Vogler.

Summer at The Point is a project conducted by The Point Artist-Run
Centre Society in conjunction with the Resort Municipality of Whistler.

Outrigger Hotels to acquire second resort in Phuket, Thailand

Hawaii-based Outrigger Hotels and Resorts
announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the
254-room Laguna Beach Resort located in the renowned Laguna Phuket
integrated resort on Bang Tao Bay on the northwest coast of Phuket,
Thailand. The transaction is scheduled to close in the first quarter of
2013.

“The
Outrigger name is already synonymous with tropical, beachfront, leisure
resort destinations; this acquisition of Laguna Beach Resort further
solidifies our brand positioning as we continue to build our presence in
the Asia-Pacific resort market,” said David Carey, president and chief
executive officer at Outrigger Enterprises Group.
“With three years of resort management experience in the Laguna Phuket
destination, we are confident that this new asset is a perfect fit for
our first major investment in the Asia-Pacific region.”

The resort is just 20-minutes from the airport and Patong Beach, and
25-minutes from Phuket town. The property is currently undergoing a
major renovation of all of its rooms and public areas and is expected to
reopen early in the second quarter of 2013. 

The Laguna Beach Resort will be the second property for Outrigger in Laguna Phuket, joining the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort and Villas, which it has managed since August 2009. Since
starting its Asian expansion a few years ago, Outrigger has grown its
presence to include properties currently open or under development in Bali and Phuket, the two most popular resort destinations in Asia, as well as in Phi Phi island, Thailand; Sanya, Hainan Island, China; and Quy Nhon, Vietnam

Spindrift Inn offers summer rates

Dreaming
of a quick summer escape that won’t break the bank? Summer rates at the Spindrift Inn in Monterey start at $199. In addition to a complimentary silver tray breakfast, afternoon wine and cheese
reception, and Wi-Fi
connectivity, they’ll include two wine tasting passes to Cannery
Row’s a Taste Monterey.

Summer savings are available through the end of August. Availability is limited, and restrictions apply.
Book now or call 800-841-1879.

The Spindrift Inn is a member of the Inns of Monterey,
the official hotels of the 2012 Monterey Jazz Festival.

dineLA Restaurant Week kicks off

With more
than 30 Downtown LA restaurants kicking off dineLA Restaurant Week (July
16-27), Downtown Los Angeles has emerged as a foodie’s heaven. Some of the
hottest restaurateurs have opened restaurants in this vibrant city center,
including world-renowned celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck (WP 24), award-winning
Chef John Rivera Sedlar (Rivera) and Susan Feniger and Mary Sue
Milliken (Border Grill; Food Network and Bravo TV personalities).

Dining in
Downtown also gives visitors an opportunity to turn a meal into an experience.
In addition to enjoying the specially priced DineLA meals, visitors can experience
more of Downtown by taking advantage of great summer packages and deals at
DowntownLA.com. The Downtown Center Business Improvement District and
participating hotels and restaurants have come together to create these
sizzling packages for the “Endless Summer” campaign.

For a complete
list of “Endless Summer” deals, please visit
Downtownla.com/Summer. For more information about dineLA
Restaurant Week, visit
DineLA.com.

Wine stroll through The Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego

So Diego Tours’
newest offering is The Gaslamp Quarter Wine Stroll,
a three-hour food and beverage tasting tour of the historic Gaslamp
Quarter in downtown, including three of the following four venues: Bon
Vin, Bacchus, Vin De Syrah and The Grape.

The tour offers three
different wine tastings at each venue paired with a snack to complement
the wine.

Guests also receive an insider history of both San Diego’s
bawdy past and California’s extensive wine history, as well as discounts
on the retail prices of any of the wines tasted on the tour. For more
information, visit www.sodiegotours.com.

Napa Valley Wine Library toasts 50th anniversary

The Napa Valley Wine Library Association will toast their 50 years of history this
summer with a wine tasting celebration, “A Toast to History: Vintner’s
Choice”.
 
This is the Association’s 50th Annual Tasting and will feature
100 of the Napa Valley’s finest wineries.

The event takes place on August 19 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the beautiful Oak Grove at the Silverado Resort & Spa in Napa, where the association has hosted
its Annual Tasting for more than twenty-five years.

The 50th Annual Wine Tasting is free to all members of the Napa Valley
Wine Library Association. Only members may attend. Memberships are
available online at napawinelibrary.com/membership.

Annual memberships are $75 prior to the event and $80 on the day of the tasting. The
seminar, “A Toast to the Future: the Next Generations” has extremely
limited availability and tickets are $95 per person.

Registration is available at napawinelibrary.com/events/2012. For more information on
how to join the organization or register for the seminar call
707.478.9829 or email editor@napawinelibrary.com.