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Best Picture Nominees Inspire Holiday Choices

The eight films nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Academy Award’s provide inspiration for your 2012 holidays.

A quick introduction to locations featured in this year's crop of Best Picture picks:

The Artist: The story of a Hollywood silent film star struggling with the arrival of "talkies" shot exteriors of Los Angeles' lavish Orpheum Theater.  You can still see the real thing at the Silent Movie Theatre on North Fairfax Avenue.

The Descendants: The Descendants shows Hawaii in a beautiful yet realistic light - from angst over land development to Honolulu traffic jams and leaf-filled swimming pools. On-screen Kauai locations include the rakish Tahiti Nui bar in Hanalei, the St. Regis in Princeville (where the cast and crew stayed during filming), Kipu Ranch, and Hanalei Bay.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: In the film, a 9-year-old boy tries to cope with the grief of losing his father during the 9/11 attack on Manhattan's World Trade Center. In real life more than 1 million visitors have toured the National September 11 Memorial, which opened at Ground Zero last September.

The Help: Set in 1960s Mississippi, the film version of Kathryn Stockett's bestselling novel was shot in the Delta towns of Greenwood and Clarksdale and Stockett's hometown, Jackson - where you can plot a driving tour of downtown and the city's historic Belhaven neighborhood.

Hugo: Though Martin Scorcese's 3-D animated family film was set in Paris' Gare Montparnasse train station, the director filmed most of it on a sound stage in England. That said a visit to Le Train Bleu restaurant in the city's Gare de Lyon station gives a taste of Hugo's yesteryear magic.

Midnight in Paris: Woody Allen spent three months in Paris for his homage to the city's literary and artistic scene during the 1920s. Follow in his footsteps by downloading a free Midnight in Paris Film Trail to key locations, from Montmartre to Versailles.

Moneyball: Based on the true story of the Oakland Athletics' manager Billy Beane and his then-unorthodox approach to fielding a winning baseball team, the film was shot on location in the Oakland Coliseum - a multi-purpose stadium that's home to the A's and the football Raiders.

Tree of Life: Director Terence Malick's sweeping vision of 1950s life in a small town was filmed at several Texas locations including charming Smithville, whose other claim to celluloid fame was as Sandra Bullock's hometown in the 1998 romantic comedy Hope Floats.

War Horse: Steven Spielberg's take on the tale of an English farm boy who joins the army to search for his horse Joey after he is sold into the cavalry and shipped to France during World War I was filmed on location in Dartmooth and Devon, where visitors can join the Dartmoor Rangers for guided, War Horse-related walks on the moor.

 

Travel Sale at Tour America

Tour America is having a Pre-Holiday World Sale today only.

Pop into their office on 62/63 Middle Abbey Street to hear about their incredible travel offers.

If you can’t make it into the city just give them a call and talk to one of their expert consultants about the savings you can make if you book your holiday today.

Don’t delay, the Tour America sale ends at 6pm!

Trip Advisor's Top 25 Hotels in the United States

Check out Trip Advisor's Top 25 Hotels in the USA right here.



Chinese New Year in San Francisco

If you're in San Francisco on holiday over the next few weeks you're in for a treat as the celebrations get under way for Chinese New Year.

The Year of the Dragon is approaching, ruled by the fabulous beast that is the most powerful sign in the Chinese zodiac, and the San Francisco Bay area, with its rich tradition of Chinese culture has a host of events planned.

Whether you're up for running a 10K through Chinatown (prize for "Best Dressed Dragon") or inclined to slip into something a little more elegant for an Asian-themed concert at the San Francisco Symphony, here are five ways to welcome the dragon.

Watch the parade go by 

Stepping off at Second and Market streets at on February 11^th the Chinese New Year Parade features floats, dance teams, bands and other performances. The event is free, but bleacher-seat tickets can be purchased for $30 each. The event traces its roots to the 19th century, when Chinese immigrants showcased their culture using the all-American tradition of a parade. Details including maps and where to order tickets can be found at chineseparade.com.

Celebrate in concert 

The San Francisco Symphony Chinese New Year Community concert and Celebration 2012 features a mix of music and instruments from East and West. The concert is on February 11th and early arrivers will be greeted with a family-friendly festival reception at 3 p.m. with arts and crafts, food, Asian instruments, lion dancers, Chinese calligraphers and more. Carolyn Kuan will conduct and the program includes the Yellow River piano concerto. Tickets are $15 to $68 and can be purchased at sfsymphony.org.

Start the year off on the right foot 

The Chinatown YMCA holds its 34th annual Chinese New Year Run on February 19th. The route starts at Sacramento Street and Grant Avenue and winds through Chinatown. One route is a 10K and the other is a 5K. About 2,000 people are expected to take part in the event, which benefits the Chinatown YMCA Community Center. Register at ymcasf.org/Chinatown/.

Find the zodiac at the zoo

The San Francisco Zoo is commemorating the Lunar New Year from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on January 29th with Chinese acrobatic performances, traditional lion and folk dancing, Chinese yo-yo tricks and more. Visitors can take a self-guided zodiac tour leading them to animals found on the Chinese calendar. Visit sfzoo.org for more information.

 

 

The Gayest Cities in America

The Advocate, a prominent publication for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities, has come out with its third annual list of the "Gayest Cities in America."

An intro to the article says The Advocate is ignoring well-known gay havens such as San Francisco, Provincetown and West Hollywood and focusing on "the per capita queerness of some less expected locales."

The winners are listed here:

1. Salt Lake City

2. Orlando

3. Cambridge, Massachusetts.

4. Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

5. Seattle

6. Ann Arbor, Michigan.

7. St. Paul and Minneapolis

8. Knoxville, Tennessee.

9. Atlanta

10. Grand Rapids, Michigan.

11. Little Rock, Arkansas.

12. Portland, Oregon.

13. Austin, Texas

14. Long Beach, California.

15. Denver

The rankings were based on clear criteria, but they fuel speculation that the article may have been written tongue-in-cheek. Ratings incorporated such statitistics as how many GLBT bookstores are in a city, how many nude yoga classes are offered and even how many "Mr. Leather Competition" semifinalists hail from the area. There are some more serious criteria, such as number of gay/lesbian/bi/transgender elected officials and the existence of laws prohibiting discrimination.

Here's an excerpt from The Advocate Salt Lake City write-up: "While those unfamiliar with the Beehive State are likely to conjure images of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, far-less-oppressive-than-it-used-to-be Salt Lake City has earned its queer cred. There are more than a half-dozen hot spots for men and women ... yes, you can get a drink in this town."

City Councilman Stan Penfold, who is gay, told the Tribune topping the Advocate list is a plus: "Nationally, people just can't imagine that we're an LGBT-friendly community, and I think this really breaks that stereotype of what people think Salt Lake is like."

For a complete explanation on why each city was selected, see The Advocate website.

What do you think is the most gay friendly city in America? 

Orlando's newest attraction

The latest attraction in Orlando is the USA's largest hot-air balloon: a 24-passenger behemoth that stands about 11 stories high, stretches 90 feet wide when fully inflated and holds 24 passengers in a 1,600-pound basket.

The massive balloon, which started flying in mid-December, was custom-ordered from Spain and is the first of its kind in the USA.

The basket sports higher-than-average walls made of aircraft-grade stainless steel wrapped in wicker, and partitions that divide the standing space into what Orlando Balloon Rides' CEO Jason Schulke calls "the Bentley of hot-air balloons."

Rides cost $175 per person for a four-hour experience that includes a champagne breakfast, inflation and packing time, and about an hour of flight time, depending on weather conditions.

So would this attract you to Orlando for a US holiday?

Time Lapse Video of American Road Trip

 

A photographer from New York State has recorded his travels around the United States to create an extraordinary time-lapse video.

Brian Defrees, 25, who describes himself as a 'media-specialist', decided he wanted to keep a record of his 12,225 mile trip around the country.

Mounting a camera on his car, he set it to take a picture every five seconds. The result was a mesmerising time-lapse video that has turned into a viral hit with nearly half a million views on YouTube.

The five minute film consists of over 200,000 individual photographs and charts his entire journey which started with a drive from New York to Washington D.C covering his entire holiday in the USA.

From Washington he continued south to Florida. He then travelled west across the Deep South, through Texas and past the Grand Canyon towards Los Angeles.

In the second half of his epic road trip Mr DeFrees drove north to Seattle before turning east to return to New York.

In total, he crossed at least 32 states in 55 days. Watch this and you will be booking your next US holiday very soon.

Palm Beach Florida, a dream holiday like no other!

Hi Guys,

If you are wondering why I am sitting all depressed at my desk - its because I am missing Palm Beach!!!! 

Just returned from such a wonderful fam trip so I thought I'd share some of the highlights with you all.

Flew on Virgin from LHR to Miami - although we did not get upgraded we got extra leg room seats (£30 for people to upgrade at airport - well worth it!) - flight was seamless - great service and food!!! I watched The Help and cried quite a bit!

Arrived in Miami and we had a transfer to Palm Beach which is North of Miami - approx 1 hr 30 mins.

So I didnt know much about Palm Beach prior to the trip - well actually I knew nothing about it at all - it is in our Florida brochure page - 57!!!!

Palm Beach makes Beverly Hills look like the Ghetto!! It is absolutely fabulous! Very wealthy area - there is more Billionaires in Palm Beach than any other area in the USA! The beaches are gorgeous - golden sandy beaches, lovely restaurants and bars and great shopping.  I think this would be the perfect place for our clients who want a twin centre holiday or perhaps as an alternative to Fort Lauderdale pre or post cruise.  This is a big Golf Destination too.

For all the single ladies - If you are looking for a Sugar Grandad - it is also the place to go !!! All the men seems to be about 90 and married to 20 year olds! Palm Beach is definitely for older people - if you are looking for a crazy night out - its not the place for you.  But if you are looking for an amazing hotel to relax and sun bath or enjoy a spa - it is the place to go!  All of the hotels feature world renowned spas with really good deals.  The area is so pretty - there are no chain restaurants in Palm Beach as they feel it would cheapen the area so all the shops and restaurants are really unique with a boutique feel.  Rod Stewart, Donald Trump to name a few are resident here!

We also visited West Palm Beach - which is just a short drive away (about 10 mins!) West Palm Beach was much younger and trendier - I would love to holiday there! Hotels are alot more affordable too - Hyatt Place was really nice :), Shops were really good and great atmosphere about the place - reminded me a lot of Pasadena in LA.

Delray Beach was probably my favourite place that we went too - its a small Seaside town - about 20 mins from Palm Beach - just one main street dotted with Shops, restaurants and bars - they had Florida's Largest Christmas Tree.  The Intra Coastal waterways flows through it - so we sailed up it on a private yacht (locally you only pay $20!) and have lunch onboard and see all the amazing homes.  Great night life here too!!!!

Our last stop was Boca Raton - we stayed in the Boca Raton Beach Resort - all I can say is WOWSER!!!!!! The hotel is just amazing - super trendy - Shopping is great here too! - check out the website - http://www.bocaresort.com/

As I mentioned I knew nothing about Palm Beach - but I will definitely be recommended to all our clients. 


Thanks Jennifer

 

Kathleen's inspirational trip to South Carolina November 2011

This Novemeber, I was chosen to visit South Carolina in the South of the USA. Although I had known it was famous for it’s incredible beaches, history & Southern Charm - to experience these all first hand was just amazing. 

We started our trip flying to Savannah Georgia where we picked up our rental car from Alamo. We had a large jeep which was a great size vehicle for the large US roads. We then travelled into the South Carolina State and within an hour we reached the first of our stops, Hilton Head Island. The drive from the airport was very easy and watching the sunset over the swaps was just amazing. I was snapping away on my camera like crazy! (luckily I wasn’t the driver!!) 

We stayed in the Marriott Hotel which was situated on the beach. The staff were incredible and were always on call if you needed a helping hand. Our room was huge and we had a sea view and a large balcony. The next morning we awoke to the most breath taking sunrise. It was just incredible. 

Hilton Head Island is a very relaxed, low key area. Perfect for those who want a more low key holiday. They are very nature conscious and the island doesn’t have any street lights. It’s a beautiful place, with incredible food. I had some of the best shrimp I have ever tasted. While your here, make sure to sample some of the local Southern Cuisine. I recommend Hush Puppies which were very very tasty! 

We then hit the high road and headed for Charleston. Charleston, without a doubt is the prettiest city I have ever been in. I fell in love with it’s cobbled streets, old colonial mansions and it’s strong Southern Charm. We spent our time, on a must do horse & carriage tour which takes you around the city and explains the history of Charleston & it’s gorgeous colonial homes. We also visited the Middleton Place Plantation & the Boone Hall Plantation. To see these big plantation houses and gorgeous landscaped grounds was just amazing. We even seen a wild alligator in Middleton Place! Charleston is full of life, the food the people & the pubs were all great fun. It’s a water front city so there is lots to do out on the water too. A walk around the waterfront is very enjoyable with it’s shaded parks, colonial houses and gorgeous weather. In Charleston we stayed in the Marriott Hotel. 

After our two days in Charleston, we headed further north up to Myrtle Beach. En route we stopped at Brookegreen Gardens & Huntington Beach which were incredible. The gardens are home to incredible sculptures, flowers & even a zoo. A few minutes away, Huntington Beach lies where you cross a swamp to enter. You can alligator watch or chill out on the perfect white sandy beach that just seems to go on forever. There are lots of picnic areas here to & we even saw a family setting up for a big BBQ! 

On arrival to Myrtle Beach, we stayed in the Hilton Kingston Plantation. The hotel was very nice and situated right on the 60 mile Myrtle Beach! 

Myrtle Beach is a very family orientated resort, full of lots of things for kids and families to do! From nascar racing to water parks and live nightly shows, the city is designed for it’s guests to have fun! We took a trip on the Myrtle Beach Skywheel which was great fun. It was the nicest day & we had views for miles around. We also attended the Legends Show on our first night and we had so much fun! It’s a great show if you enjoy music and a giggle as the Legends are very funny & love to interact with the audience. 

Although Charleston is a walking city, you would definitely need a car when staying in Hilton Head Island or Myrtle Beach. We stayed a total of six nights, two nights in each destination. The weather for the whole week was amazing with temperatures up to as high as about 23-25 degrees.

Overall my favorite things about the trip were the people, who were just amazing, the incredible food with it’s southern twist and the amazing breath taking sunsets. 

I would highly recommend a fly drive trip of South Carolina to anyone who wants a holiday that’s a little different, someone who enjoys scenery, history & nature and who like me, cannot take a camera out of there hand! 

It really is an incredible place. 

“Beautiful Places, Smiling Faces”  :) 

Written by Kathleen O’Rourke 

Edgy NYC club's hidden in hotel basement

Shhhh, don't tell anyone - the most exclusive nightclub and bar in New York is in the basement of a new hotel, just off its loading dock and garbage area.

If you look for the Electric Room from outside the Dream Downtown hotel near the trendy Meatpacking District, the only way you'll find to it is if you see a series of small, blue-neon lightning streak signs and gritty walls covered with funky art.

And if you arrive before the clock strikes midnight, you won't find anything because the Electric Room only opens at 1 a.m.

The small, ultra-exclusive Electric Room only fits about 110 people. You can sit at the bar or on Chesterfield couches or - if you're truly a VIP - sit behind at the hidden table behind the DJ booth. Expect to pay almost $22 for a cocktail, a price that includes a 20% gratuity added to your tab.

The club's operator does make an effort to dress up the garbage with dramatic, 20-foot-tall black velvet curtains but the drapery also can't disguise the stench that will likely be worse on hot summer days. Still, it's all part of the club's mystique, right?

Despite its high-voltage name, the Electric Room doesn't look like an over-the-top designed nightclub. Besides a bar and an elevated DJ booth, the room is decorated in a simple yet edgy, British punk kind of way.

Reclaimed wood covers the club's walls and floors. You'll see an array of inviting Chesterfield couches - some in caramel leather, including one with a giant Union Jack flag painted on it, and one done in a peacock-blue velvet. In terms of art, you'll see painted mirrors, including one featuring a Sid Vicious portrait.

While the Electric Room may be an extreme example of a super-exclusive room, expect to see more high-end hotels open venues that cater to an elite few in the future.