Sherman's Travel

Yosemite National Park might be lacking in snow so far this year, but the lack of picturesque snowy landscapes means that areas of the park that are ordinarily closed for the winter still remain open. Visitors to the park can expect the rare opportunities that the usual winter temperatures but unusual dry weather provide: As of now, your winter getaway to Yosemite can still include a drive along Tioga Road (which usually closes in November) with a stop at Tuolumne Meadows and Tenaya Lake, a visit to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia, and a view of the iconic Glacier Point.

The park also boasts its usual winter activities, which include ice skating at Tenaya Lodge and Curry Village, skiing at Badger Pass Ski Area, and even hiking and backpacking. Note: The National Parks Service keeps up to date information on what activities are available and what the current conditions are, and you should make sure to check before your visit if the roads are likely to remain open.

Be sure to check out our California travel guide, and then use our Travel Search price comparison tool to plan your trip.

Whether you’re packing up the family for a few more days of quality time before everyone’s hectic school year schedules start up again or planning a rendezvous for two, these hotels are offering an old-school way to kick it on a red-checkered blanket, no ants allowed, for the last few days of summer.

Head west to the family-owned El Capitan Canyon located on the Pacific coast of Southern California for the Family Picnic Package, which includes a two-night stay in the accommodation of your choice. This upscale outdoor destination is nestled against the Los Padres National Forest and only a five-minute walk away from the El Capitan State Beach. The package includes a complimentary Canyon Logo picnic bag packed with a s’mores kit for four and a bundle of firewood, as well as a picnic blanket, trail mix snack, and a lunch coupon for four to be redeemed at either the Canyon Deli Garden Patio or the Back Market Lawn. Lunch can be packed up to go and enjoyed with gorgeous ocean and mountain views from one of Canyon’s several hiking trails. Rates start at $384 for two nights in the Safari Tent, $516 for a Cedar Cabin, and $494 for the Adventure Yurt; www.elcapitancanyon.com.

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Looking for a getaway with the family? Try an Affinia Hotel in New York City, Chicago or Washington, D.C. where you can book the My Family Getaway Package starting at just $189 per night! This package includes a backpack filled with a Frommer’s guide book for kids (Chicago, NYC & DC versions), a deck of 52 city adventure cards, a kid’s digital camera and a scrapbook with city stickers to remember the memories. At the hotel you have access to a “Fun-For-Family” chest including board games, family DVD’s, arts and crafts kits and books to use during your stay. There are 7 hotels (5 in New York, 1 in Chicago, and 1 in Washington, D.C.) which offer this getaway package. The lead price of $189 is only available in Washington, D.C. and all the other locations are available starting at $10 more.

THE VALUE: Other hotels during the summer in Washington, D.C. can start at $210/night and don’t include the activity backpack (which is a $50 value). With this package, you can save your family around 25% on the cost of activities and accommodations.

THE DETAILS: Click here to view all the locations and prices on the Affinia Hotels webpage!

WE’VE GOT MORE: Need a flight to New York, Chicago, or Washington, D.C.? Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the best rates!

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Finally, winter is on its way out the door. Time to dig out the swimwear and to start thinking about your summer vacation plans. Even if you spent all your money on heating bills this winter, Southwest has you covered, with their Spring Into Summer Package deal sale. Book a flight and hotel for travel between June 21and September 22, and save $100. Fly from Boise to Reno, and get your flight plus four nights in the Circus Circus hotel for just $64 per person, per night.

Sample packages (per person, per night):

• Boise-Reno: $64
• Baltimore-Orlando: $95
• Portland-Las Vegas: $97
• Chicago-Reno: $100
• Boston-Phoenix: $103
• NYC-Miami: $106
• Philadelphia-Fort Myers: $112
• Norfolk-Atlantic City: $113
• Tulsa-Dallas: $114
• Austin-Fort Lauderdale: $117
• Los Angeles-Orlando: $119
• NYC-New Orleans: $126
• NYC-Anaheim: $127
• DC-Anaheim: $135

THE VALUE: Save $100 on package deals. Plus, these packages include round-trip flights, hotel accommodations (including taxes), 24-hour traveler assistance, and (extremely rare these days) two checked bags for free.

THE CATCH: Fees are not included, so expect to pay up to an extra $30 each way. Prices over weekends and holidays will be higher than the lowest weekday fares. Hotel packages require a 3-night minimum stay. Book by April 7 to get the $100 off. Can’t get away this summer? Save $50 on spring packages for travel between March 20 through June 20.

THE DETAILS: To book your package, visit Southwest Airlines.

WE’VE GOT MORE: No matter which package you choose, we’ve got you covered with our destination guides.

Use our Travel Search price comparison tool for more great deals on airfare, cruises, hotels, and packages worldwide.

Once the joyful holiday season comes to a close and the eggnog is finally polished off, the harsh reality of winter will loom, but having planned a beach escape in advance will bring much relief. TravelByJen.com is offering the Cabo Winter Steal in January that features a seven-night stay at the all-inclusive Presidente Los Cabos Resort in San Jose del Cabo with round-trip airfare, starting at just $669! In addition to the all-inclusive amenities, the 390-room Presidente Los Cabos Resort, which is nestled between the Sierra de San Lazaro Mountains and the Sea of Cortez, offers six restaurants and seven bars, the Chiqui Kids Club, golf, tennis, bicycling, horseback riding, and more!

THE VALUE: The all-inclusive amenities include all meals, drinks, gratuities, and non-motorized waters sports!

THE CATCH: The starting price of $669 is based on round-trip airfare from Los Angeles. Other departure cities are available at an additional price starting from $29 more.

THE DETAILS: Visit www.TravelByJen.com to book your January vacation.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Read our Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide to get all the need-to-know information before you go!

Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find more great deals on flights, hotels, packages, cruises, and cars

Summer’s not over until the South Seas Island Resort says it’s over. The resort, located on Florida’s secluded Captiva Island (which is famous for shell-strewn beaches), has extended its Summer Escape package, allowing vacationers to stay in a sunny state-of-mind through October 31, 2010. Included in the package is a fourth night free when booking three consecutive nights (rates start at $149/night), a voucher for a free fourth night on a future stay, and 20 percent discounts on food and beverages, golf, water sports, sailing lessons, and the tiva kids’ camp!

THE VALUE: The 20 percent discounts alone can add up to over $250 of savings!

THE CATCH: The free nights do not include taxes, gratuities, or service charges and the voucher is only valid through December 20, 2010.

THE DETAILS: To book your stay visit www.southseas.com.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to help find low rates on flights to Florida.

Use our Sanibel & Captiva Islands Travel Guide to help plan your vacation.

When summer “unofficially” ends and the kids go back to school, Massachusetts’ historic coastal resorts beckon as an ideal couple’s getaway – especially midweek when incentive rates make even the priciest properties quite affordable. Here are four seafront luxury resorts where romance blossoms as the leaves begin to fall.

The White Elephant This landmark 1920s resort, located on the harbor in Nantucket (shown above; courtesy of Nantucket Island Resorts), is ideal for couples who want a low-key ambience with easy walking or biking into the island’s postcard-perfect town, where boutiques and eateries offer up wool sweaters and creamy clam chowder to ward off the evening chill. Sunlit rooms have cheery ivory décor with elegant sea-inspired touches while the Brant Point Grill serves steak and seafood with a harbor view. Weekday rates start at $265/night in late September and $195/night in mid and late October. Read more

The ShermansTravel Deals team hand-picks the special breed of deals that promises free perks ? no strings attached. Fly from New York City to London on British Airways for as little as $249 each way from October 21 through December 19. Plus, when purchasing any round-trip ticket from the U.S. or Canada to London, you’ll also receive a two-night hotel stay ? saving you hundreds on the city’s notoriously expensive hotel scene. Choose from a selection of hotels ranging from traditional to boutique, with central locations near London’s famous museums and attractions. 

Summer’s not over, so celebrate and bring your friends along to the beach! The Omphoy Ocean Resort in Palm Beach, Fla., is now offering the Friends Stay Free package in which travelers booking a minimum four-night stay (with rates beginning at $299/night) will receive an additional room absolutely free for each of those nights!  For a luxury oceanside vacation with family and friends, book your stay between now and September 30, 2010.

The ultra-romantic Montpelier Plantation on the Caribbean island of Nevis dreamed up quite the fantasy getaway for two. At $193 per person, per night plus all of the add-ons, this deal represents more than a 40% discount off regular rates. Aside from daily breakfast and afternoon tea, the offer includes 7 nights accomodations as well a ton of incredible freebies like a couples’ ginger-lemongrass hot stone massages, grilled lobster lunch for two poolside, two dinners and a private island tour.

Summer’s coming to a close, so why not send it off with a proper Labor Day weekend getaway on Mexico’s Caribbean coast? Travelers can relax in luxury over the holiday weekend at the Catalonia Royal Tulum where room rates start at $162/night in conjunction with the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival on September 4, 2010. The all-inclusive Riviera Maya resort is adults only (really, no screaming kids at the pool or beach), and features a full-service spa; four bars, and seven restaurants offering a variety of international cuisine; and activities including snorkeling, swimming with dolphins, canoeing and kayaking, and much more. The Riviera Maya Jazz Festival will be held in nearby Playa del Carmen, featuring world-renowned musicians Eddie Palmiera, Araya-Orta Latin Jazz Quartet, and India.

THE VALUE: The Riviera Maya Jazz Festival is free, and accommodations at the resort include à la carte breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus unlimited drinks, daily activities, hotel taxes, and gratuities.

THE CATCH: Airfare is not included.

THE DETAILS: Visit www.hoteles-catalonia.com and enter your Labor Day weekend dates to find rates starting at $162/night.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find low rates on flights to the Riviera Maya.

Check out our Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen Travel Guides for all the need to know information on the region.

The ShermansTravel Deals team hand-picks the special breed of deals that promises free perks ? no strings attached. Looking for that enchanting getaway? Try your luck in Marrakech, Morocco, where guests staying one night at the plush Hivernage Hotel & Spa (with rates starting at $296) will receive a second night free! This extravagant hotel nestled in the heart of the city, with the Atlas Mountains as a backdrop, also offers children under 12 a free stay with paying adults. This deal is valid through September 9, 2010 and can be booked at www.ddhrm.com. 

Summer’s not over, so celebrate and bring your friends along to the beach! The Omphoy Ocean Resort in Palm Beach, Florida is now offering the Friends Stay Free package in which travelers booking a minimum four-night stay (with rates beginning at $299/night) will receive an additional room absolutely free for each of those nights!  For a luxury oceanside vacation with family and friends, book your stay between now and September 30, 2010, at www.omphoy.com.

Travelers making a final push for a summer vacation will find plenty of incentive at the Beaches of South Walton, where vacationers booking a minimum three-night stay will receive a free $250 gift card valid for future travel with Southwest Airlines or shopping at the Silver Sands Factory Stores in Destin, Florida. Choose an official lodging partner at one of the 15 immaculate beach communities along a 26-mile stretch of the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast. Travel is valid through September 30, 2010, and accommodations can be booked at www.beachesofsouthwalton.com.

Know before you go with our Marrakech and Palm Beach Travel Guides.

Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find airfare to these great destinations.

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