L.A. Times - Daily Travel Deal Blog

Yalapa, Mexico: Stand-up paddle surf workshop in paradise

Jen Leo — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:57:25 +0000

Stand-up paddle surfing. The first time you saw it at the beach you probably exclaimed, “What is THAT?” Or you rushed right out, rented a board and tried it yourself. Stand-up paddle surfers (or boarders) have been in the Los Angeles Times’ Outposts blog in recent years for coming close to humpback whales in Australia [...]

Thanksgiving travel: Black Friday hotel deals in Los Angeles & Orange County

Jen Leo — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:24:15 +0000

It’s not too late to book Thanksgiving travel for this weekend. Lucky for us Southern Californians, there are some Black Friday deals to be had right in our own backyard. Priceline’s travel “Ekspert,” Brian Ek, named his best shopping cities based on “the best ‘Name Your Own Price’ hotel deals for Thanksgiving weekend.” In order [...]

San Diego: Whale-watching charters for the whole gang

Susan Derby — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:03:59 +0000

Just in time for the holidays, the migration of the California gray whales will soon be viewable to us Southern Californians. Whale-watching season, which typically begins in mid-December and continues through February (though sometimes the season stretches to March or April), presents the perfect incentive to get out into the water and see these [...]

Water parks vie to open first U.S. looping water slide

Brady MacDonald — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:19:46 +0000

The race is on to see which water park debuts America’s first looping water slide — a gravity-defying attraction that has awed Europe and Asia. Noah’s Ark water park in Wisconsin and Jay Peak ski resort in Vermont both plan to unveil the combination water slide-thrill ride on Memorial Day Weekend 2010. Canadian-based manufacturer WhiteWater confirmed that [...]

San Luis Obispo: $30 meals at 30 restaurants for Restaurant Month

Susan Derby — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:04:22 +0000

Mushroom and sage gnocchi, followed by chipotle shrimp linguini, and, for good measure, a chunk of Meyer lemon buttermilk cheesecake. That’s what $30 (plus tax and tip) would have gotten you at Black Cat Bistro in Cambria in January. And now San Luis Obispo County’s Restaurant Month — Jan. 2 to 31, 2010 — is getting [...]

Explaining time shares’ star system

Catharine Hamm — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:15:31 +0000

Question: My husband and I own four time shares that we use frequently but have never had this problem until recently. We stayed at an RCI property that was billed as a five-star resort. We had to change the bed linens and bath towels ourselves by taking them to the laundry room to exchange, and [...]

Coeur d’Alene to the North Pole: An Idaho resort goes all out for Christmas

Susan Derby — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:49:20 +0000

When not in Vegas, 1.5-million lights can only mean someone’s putting on one heck of a holiday party. Northern Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Resort, which claims to hold the world’s tallest living Christmas tree, puts on a family-friendly Holiday Light Show annually on the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene. This year, the event runs Nov. 27 [...]

Yosemite: Curry Village ice rink opens today

Susan Derby — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:57:50 +0000

Whether you’re on the ice to pirouette, or to practice skating in a straight line without causing any harm, you can’t have less than an awe-inspiring time at an outdoor rink in Yosemite. The national park’s ice-skating venue, which sits below Glacier Point’s cliffs, is naturally blessed with good views of popular landmarks like Tenaya [...]

SeaWorld Aquatica’s 2010 expansion to include 4 new water slides

Brady MacDonald — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:33:29 +0000

The recently opened SeaWorld Aquatica water park in Orlando, Fla. will add four first-of-a-kind water slides in 2010, including a pair of inner-tube rides that go uphill with the help of a hydro-magnetic launch. The twin Tornado Walls are V-shaped slides that start with a magnetic launch that shoots a six-person inflatable raft up the face [...]

Thanksgiving travel predicted to be up this year at LAX, down at ONT

Susan Derby — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:11:10 +0000

Here we go. Today begins the 10-day stretch known in some circles as the “Thanksgiving holiday travel period,” so brace yourselves for lines, lines, lines. At Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), passenger volumes between today and Nov. 29 are predicted to be 1.1% higher than they were in 2008. Airport officials expect to see 1.49 million [...]