Sherman's Travel

The Monday after Thanksgiving – also known at Cyber Monday – is the biggest online shopping day of the year. This year, hotels and resorts are joining in on the shopping spree with one-day only online discounts. On November 28, 2011 only, book the New Orleans Marriott on Canal Street and pay only $79 per night – an incredible savings of 33% on the hotel’s seasonal rates.

This one-day sale is available for travel on select dates from December 8, 2011 through September 20, 2012.

The New Orleans Marriott sits at the center of the action, located in the middle of the historic French Quarter and overlooking lively Bourbon Street. Explore NoLa’s jazz culture, Cajun cuisine, and exciting mix of French sophistication and African-American energy. Take a riverboat down the Mississippi, or visit some of the sights only blocks from your hotel, including the Aquarium of the Americas and the boutiques and restaurants of Riverwalk Marketplace.

THE VALUE: Save up to 33% on stays through September of next year.

THE CATCH: Mark your calendars! This one-day sale is only live on November 28, 2011.

THE DETAILS: To book this deal, visit www.neworleansmarriott.com on November 28 only. No promotional code is required.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find low rates on flights to New Orleans. Then, check out our New Orleans Travel Guide to help plan your trip.

Last weekend, I was in Montreal for the Festival International de Jazz – an annual event now in its 31st year that draws around 2.5 million concert-goers for 650 shows (many of which are free) over 12 days. This year’s festivities included stellar performances by such big-name acts as Lionel Ritchie and the Brian Setzer Orchestra, with many more still to come before the festival’s end on July 6.

For those who won’t make it to the Jazz Festival this year, don’t fret – since last summer, Montreal has kept the party vibe going year-round at the festival’s permanent home, the Maison du Festival. You can catch concerts and other performances at the Maison’s l’Astral, an intimate venue in the heart of the city’s revitalized Quartier des Spectacles. Upcoming shows include performers from Montreal’s Just for Laughs festival and local soul singer Nadja.

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Explore the Colorado Rockies sans snow this summer with free guided nature hikes up and around Vail Mountain, fly fishing, kayaking, and more. Best of all, primo resorts like The Arrabelle at Vail Square and The Lodge at Vail have slashed their prices for summer guests, from $199/night and $149/night, respectively (that’s over 50 percent less than standard winter rates!). Aside from taking advantage of all the free summer activities on the mountain, Vail also plays host to a few cultural festivals like the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival and the Vail International Dance Festival. Be sure to check out Hot Summer Nights Tuesday Free Concert Series and Thursday jazz concerts outside the Arrabelle at Vail Square and Sunday jazz concerts at the Vail Farmer’s Market. Discounted prices and free perks are available through Labor Day. Visit rockresorts.com to book.

For more trip-planning info, see our Vail and Beaver Creek Travel Guide.

The 30th annual Montréal Jazz Festival will feature more than 650 performances by the world’s top jazz, blues, and world music artists from June 30 through July 12. Known as one of the world’s largest jazz festivals, the event will stage headline concerts by musicians like Stevie Wonder, John Pizzarelli, and other legendary performers and has drawn more than two million visitors in past years. For an affordable Montreal stay during the popular festival, consider a stay at the Sofitel Montréal, located within easy walking distance to the festival’s main venues. Jazz aficionados should consider booking the hotel’s low-priced Jazz Survival package which includes a 2-night stay in a deluxe guestroom, daily breakfast, one picnic basket lunch for two, plus two passes to the Montréal Fine Arts Museum. The package is available for the duration of the festival and is priced at $480.

Perhaps no other artist has cast such a long shadow across this last century than Paul Cezanne. His far-reaching influence can be traced across five successive generations to artists as diverse and prominent as Jasper Johns, Charles Demuth, Max Beckman and Ellsworth Kelly. Cezanne was for Henri Matisse a “benevolent god of painting” and for Pablo Picasso, “my one and only master.”

Appearing exclusively at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, “Cezanne and Beyond” explores the artist’s extraordinary legacy, bringing together more than 150 works by Cezanne and 18 other master artists whose work he profoundly inspired. On view through May 17, the exhibition draws important connections between the iconic artist’s achievements and those of other celebrated artists right up through the present day. Read more