Sherman's Travel

The town that Johnny Cash helped immortalize is one of the more beautiful places to visit as spring finds its way in, and if you’re heading to The Biggest Little City in the World, allow us to offer some recommendations. In an effort to get you outside the boardroom and into the Truckee Meadows, we’re offering up two restaurants, two attractions, and one bar that you can hit with just a few extra hours between meetings. Read more

Looking for a weekend break with lots to do and within driving distance from the Northeast? Take a look at a recent AAA Four Diamond award winner, Mount Airy Casino Resort in Pennsylvania. Located about an hour west of New York City by car, this recently renovated resort has a lot to offer, including a full casino with 72 table games, an 18-hole golf course, five restaurants (two of which are fine dining), and a full service spa.

A perfect spot for couples, adults groups, or those just looking to get away, Mount Airy Casino is set in the secluded Pocono Mountains that make it easy for guests to escape from their busy schedules. Guests can try their luck at the full service casino, which includes video poker, blackjack, and roulette games. For the poker lovers, there’s a completely separate Poker Room, overlooking the lake and the entire casino floor below.

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When we posted news last month of the delectable upcoming Sun WineFest event – featuring culinary bigwigs like Bobby Flay, Todd English, Ben Ford, and more – at the upscale Connecticut casino-resort Mohegan Sun, we were pleased to hear back from more than two dozen enthusiastic, epicurean-minded Smart Luxury readers in response to our question-driven giveaway. The contest, with a prize that includes tickets to a duo of culinary and wine-tasting events during the late-January foodie festival, along with overnight accommodations at the resort, is valued at $560, and was just awarded to reader Kevin OMaley, of Quincy, Massachusetts, who gave us his two savory cents – and the following winning response that left ShermansTravel editors drooling – in response to the question below: Read more

Swanky Connecticut casino-resort Mohegan Sun (celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2011) is set to kick 2012 off with a culinary-themed bang, thanks to its superlative Sun WineFest event that will have wine and food enthusiasts salivating well into the new year. Scheduled for late January, the celebrity chef-helmed weekend will benefit from the direction of such A-list culinary stars as Bobby Flay, Todd English, and Ben Ford (to name but a few), and highlight a delectable roster of events including bourbon and champagne tastings, celebrity chef demonstrations, and much more. What’s more, ShermansTravel.com readers can enter here for a chance to win a one-night stay and a pair of tickets to two of the major Sun WineFest events (a package valued at $560), just by sharing some of their foodie travel tips below! Read more

Escape to Las Vegas this holiday season while saving at an upscale hotel on the Strip. For only $38 per night, stay at the Luxor Hotel and Casino, which comprises two 22-story towers and an eye-catching 30-story pyramid between them. You’ll also receive two complimentary buffet breakfasts each morning. With current hotel pricing and and the cost of the buffet combined, this deal saves 70%.

Stay in a Pyramid Deluxe Queen Room at this price, a spacious room with free high-speed Internet in the action-packed pyramid. For just $20 more, upgrade to a sky-high Tower Deluxe Queen Room with stunning views of Sin City below.

Enjoy many of Vegas’ holiday attractions during your December stay, including the Bellagio Dancing Fountains set to Christmas music, the Winter Lights Festival, and the Magical Forest, which boasts hundreds of illuminated evergreen trees. As always, you can enjoy the world-famous casinos, shopping, and nightlife that set this city apart from the rest.

THE VALUE: Save 70% on your hotel stay and buffet breakfast at an upscale hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

THE CATCH: These rates are not available on weekends.

THE DETAILS: Visit www.luxor.com to book your room.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find now rates of flights to Las Vegas.

For trip-planning tips and information, see our Las Vegas Travel Guide.

The five-star, bronze-tinted tower of Encore Las Vegas and its neighboring big sister, The Wynn (just a corridor away), mark the de facto northern end of the Central Strip. The Encore’s swank rooms afford fabulous views through wall-to-wall windows and remote-controlled lighting and drapery. The resort’s casino gets great light, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto pools and greenery (a rarity in gaming destinations). There’s also a 60,000-square-foot beach club, a gorgeous spa, several trendy nighttime spots like Tryst and Blush, and topnotch restaurants like La Cave and Wazuzu. From now through March 23, you can knock an additional 25 percent off regular room rates when you book two nights or more at Encore Las Vegas. Rates start from $134/night. Reservations must be made 60 days in advance. Click www.vegas.com/resosrts/encore to book.

The Atlantis Resort, located in Paradise Island, Bahamas is offering rates from $99 per night when staying from August 21 to October 31. The Atlantis Resort is like no other resort with restaurants by celebrity chefs, the world’s largest open-air marine habitat, and the Caribbean’s largest waterpark and casino. Guests will experience relaxation while staying at the Beach Tower that includes  full balconies in each room with water or terrace views and rooms are just steps away from the Lazy River Ride.

THE VALUE: The Atlantis Resort is the most popular destination in the Caribbean and with rates starting from $199 per night, this deal saves over 50% each night.

THE CATCH: Travel is only available Sunday-Wednesday night stays from August 21- October 31 and must be booked by July 24.

THE DETAILS: To book your stay, visit www.atlantis.com or call 1-800-Atlantis

WE’VE GOT MORE: Start planning your vacation with our Bahamas Travel Guide and then use our Travel Search comparison took to find the best rates on flight to Bahamas.

Like many American tourists, I’ve traveled extensively in Germany over the years to popular places such as Munich, Heidelberg, and Berlin. I’ve also spent time in Cologne, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Dresden, and Bonn. Yet I had never traveled through the Black Forest region – until now.

The Black Forest is absolutely stunning. The mountain road must rank as one of Europe’s most scenic car drives. I can’t believe I hadn’t come to the region before!

The easiest way to reach the Black Forest is to fly into Frankfurt, spend a day or so in Heidelberg (in the Baden-Wurtemburg region in southwest Germany), then continue on to Baden-Baden. After spending a few days there, the ideal next stop might be Baiersbronn and a stay at the Bareiss Hotel, as I myself did.

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We’ve had Atlantic City on our radar all summer since naming it one of our Top 10 Boardwalks. So of course we’re excited to hear that HBO’s new series “Boardwalk Empire” – a fictionalized look at Atlantic City gangster life in the 1920s starring Steve Buscemi (premiering September 19) – is taking over AC September 16-19. The main festivities will be at Caesars Atlantic City with a red carpet screening of the first episode on September 16.

Those who can’t score an invite to the exclusive, star-studded event can still enjoy a taste of the gangster lifestyle all weekend long with special $19.20 prix fixe menus and “Boardwalk Empire”-inspired cocktails at over two dozen Atlantic City restaurants. Bonus: On September 18, the Atlantic City Free Public Library will host a talk by Nelson Johnson, whose book Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City formed the basis of the HBO series (see the library website for a full list of “Boardwalk Empire”-themed events).

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Hankering for a little Sin City getaway? One lucky ShermansTravel.com reader will score two nights at the Paris Las Vegas. This contest is for Facebook members and it’s simple: Just click on the Connect with Facebook link from ShermansTravel.com, sign in, and voilà, you’re automatically in the running to win. While on the site, try clicking on the new buttons (I’m Going, I Want to Go, or I’ve Been) accompanying our destination guides and hotel reviews. Then watch travel details pop up on your Facebook page. Now you can solicit vacation advice from friends (or make them jealous) in real time. The small print: Enter the contest by August 31; travel must be completed by December 31. The winner will be announced in September.

Or if you’d ralther hit the tables pronto, head to Vegas this summer with this exclusive offer for ShermansTravel.com readers. Read more