Zodiac Gift Giving for Her

Skimming through the saucy travelgirl magazine this month, I found many articles dedicated to the holidays, including the horoscope forecast. It's a clever read (pick up a magazine at your nearest newsstand). But here's the super skinney summary for those in a hurry.

What to buy a travel girl who's on the go a lot, by zodiac sign:

1. Capricorn: Get this sporto running shoes to help her get on track at the end of the year.
2. Aquarius: Help her make room for romance with a bicycle built for two.
3. Pisces: Pamper this little fishy with a spa treatment.
4. Aries: Get this ram an escape she likely needs and help her de-stress at a weekend getaway of your choosing.
5. Taurus: Break rules this sign may have built for herself and buy funky folk art, body paint, or a temporary tattoo.
6. Gemini: Help this gem feel like a kid again with an updated game of Monopoly.
7. Cancer: Buy a puppy for the Cancer in your life and offer to dog-sit when she dodges town to travel.
8. Leo: Anything goes, so find something that'll make this sign's eyes sparkle. travelgirl recommends a subscription to their magazine and I couldn't agree more. (It's a great publication.)
9. Virgo: Traveling chess set is perfect for the orderly Virgo.
10. Libra: Diamonds top the list for this high standards sign.
11. Scorpio: Let the sappy sentimentalist out with a touching gift.
12. Sagittarius: Make decisions for this indecisive sign by giving the gift of a make-over and new make-up for a new year.

Source: travelgirl Holiday Nov/Dec 2006 edition

Themed Girls Getaways

Now here's a novel idea for that next trip with gal pals: themed girls getaways. The upshot is to get creative when getting together with friends and make the trip memorable and a hoot to boot! Read the full list via the link, but here are the highlights. Love them all.

1. TV show themes: Think Charley's Angels (mystery dinners, etc.) or "split into tribes and pull a Survivor." Perhaps Saturday Night Live skits and performances instead of charades?
2. History: Think about decades (20s flapper, 60s hippie, 70s disco, 80s valley girl) or go way, way back in time to the Renaissance or ancient Egypt with room for creative costumes.
3. It's a small world: Budgets can be tight, so rather than blowing your whole savings on one trip, rent a vacation home and pick a country or region and cook meals from Italy, France, Mexico, Thailand. You can also choose the appropriate music and activities to match the culture.
4. Out of this world: Space is vast, and so are the possibilities with this theme from Star Trek to superheros!
5. Classics: Put a new twist on classic themes such as carnivals (games?), westerns/cowgirls (pie-throwing contest?), or pirates (treasure hunt?).

Any other great ideas out there?

TripHub is a great resource for planning themed girls getaways.

Source: GirlTrip

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10 Best Holiday Shopping Spree Trips

For the ultimate girls getaway with a mission, I say take your gal pals to a town full of entertainment and plenty of good shopping to give a little something unique for Christmas this year. Find the perfect gift for your sister, mom, friend, cousin, boyfriend, husband, and so forth. Getting away before the holidays (when sales are on, travel deals abound, winter temperatures are at bay) can be worth the trip.

1. New York City

• For him: The basic I Love New York t-shirt or luxury items such as shoes that turn into roller skates or a watch that doubles as a remote control (for the James Bond in your man).
• For her: A handbag from a discount shop or designer shirt from quaint boutiques. Heck, if you can swing it, drop the credit card at a 5th Avenue store.

2. Los Angeles

• For him: Universal Studios paraphernalia for the kid in him or hat that makes him feel like the fly boy he wants to be. If he likes fine arts, grab him something from a museum or gallery. Or get your picture taken by his favorite Hollywood star handprint and frame it.
• For her: Anything from a store on the fancy, famous Rodeo Drive such as designer jeans or sunglasses the size of her head would be good. You'll feel like a star shopping and she'll feel like a million bucks receiving.

3. San Francisco

• For him: Go glam with original art from Sausalito, or buy Ghirardelli chocolates. If your man is an earthy dude, find a trippy tie dye Grateful Dead t-shirt, a drum, or incense. Wine from Napa Valley (to grab on a leisurely day trip) is always a good gift as well.
• For her: Again, go glam with original art from Sausalito, or buy Ghirardelli chocolates. If your female friend is earthy, find Haight-Ashbury District candles, incense, a woven purse, patchouli oil, the works. There are also outlet stores downtown for more "typical" shops. Wine works wonders for women as well.

4. London

• For him: Find the rare book or gift he loves at flea markets in areas such as Notting Hill. Bring back some of the best tea from Fortnum & Mason (arguably the world's most expensive and best grocery store for specialty foods).
• For her: What's not for her in London? Flea markets with jewelry, books, household items, scarves, etc. And shopping boutiques and high fashion stores. Then there's always Fortnum & Mason for cookies, pates, teas (expensive but worth it!).

5. Chicago

• For him: Cubs, White Sox or Bears paraphernalia (jersey, balls, bat, mug, etc.) if he's a sporto; if he prefers fine arts, the Chicago Art Museum is world-renowned and the gift shop has a bevy of nice gifts (I can attest).
• For her: Home to the Magnificent Mile, Chicago, does indeed have magnificent shopping such as numerous department stores (Lord and Taylor, for instance) and shops for everything from leather gloves to perfume to cashmere wraps.

6. Washington, DC

• For him: Smithsonian books or paraphernalia from the museums, books for the history buff, or a framed photo from your trip to the U.S. capital. Sunset from the Lincoln Memorial looking toward the U.S. Capitol includes the reflecting pool and Washington Monument - a classic shot with your signature all over it.
• For her: Antiques and collectibles at the weekend Eastern Market on Capitol Hill, non-fiction books for the history buffs, arts and crafts at either the flea market or any of the numerous art galleries or museums.

7. Whistler, BC

• For him: Any ski gear possible (guys dig this), including poly shirts for insulation. Find stores with sales if need be as there are plenty of shops at this big ski resort with Blackcomb village and Whistler village.
• For her: Ski-themed t-shirts, ski gear or just about anything goes. Whistler has a slew of different shops such as soap shops, coffee houses, and more.

8. Las Vegas

• For him: Win big and bring him back some dough.
• For her: Outlet malls galore are here to offer discounts on major clothing, shoe, home and gear labels. Two major outlets: Premium Outlets and Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas.

9. San Diego

• For him: Get him a couple 22-ounce bottles of micro-beer from local Coronado Brewing Company, and top the gift off with a logo'd pint and sweatshirt.
• For her: A cuddly stuffed animal from the San Diego Zoo or arts and crafts from boutiques around town. If a Tijuana day trip is on your agenda, there are plenty of arts and crafts to buy in Mexico from wool blankets to woven baskets to sculptures.

10. Denver

• For him: A classic belt buckle (if he's into that sort of thing) or leather belt for the hidden cowboy within.
• For her: A nice leather belt is a wonderful gift for women also, but Denver also boasts several boutiques in addition to major shopping stores. And there's always the Southwest art scene if you want to splurge and purchase some hand-crafted jewelry or art.

To plan a girls getaway shopping spree for before the holidays, you can use TripHub's free trip planning tools and coordinate easily.

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Wine-Tasting Vacations

TripAdvisor issued a list of its favorite "vineyard vacations" - which are, of course, ideal for groups such as extended families (sans kids), girls getaways, bachelor parties, birthday parties, wedding events, or just getaways with friends.

This top 10 list includes all the usual suspects, and a few notable newbies. So raise a glass of chardonney or merlot and bring back new bottles of wine to dazzle your friends (or yourself) when you return from vacation. 

1. Napa Valley, Calif.
2. Tuscany, Italy
3. Bordeaux, France
4. Santiago, Chile
5. Sonoma, Calif.
6. Burgundy, France
7. La Rioja, Spain
8. Hunter Valley, Australia
9. Champagne-Ardenne, France
10. Constantia, South Africa

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Spa Trends to Watch

A while back, I posted about vinotherapy (new wine spas) and chocolate treatments. Travel + Leisure now has a list of three new spa trends, all geared around getting back to the basics by being healthy through well-being:

1. Holistic living: Residential villa communities where people can access spa facilities year-round.
2. Hawaiian wellness summits: Well-being and healthy lifestyle sessions such as organic cooking demos or "intimate seaside sessions" with local wellness experts.
3. Bamboo treatments: Crushed fiber from bamboo shoots is being used at eco-friendly spas for treatments.

Take your pick. The evolving spa industry has its choices from detox programs, to quick day spa treatments, aromatherapy, nutrition-based spas, hot stone massages (my personal favorite), indulgent treatments such as wine or chocolate soaks, and new eco-holistic wellness treatments. Spas really are branching out to all kinds of travelers. There's likely a spa service that even the most old-fashioned "I'm not letting anyone touch me who I don't know" grandparent of yours would appreciate.

I say take your pick and stay with a safe treatment within your comfort zone, or branch out and try something new. I'm adding to the above list mobile spas, a growing trend for those who can't seem to make it to the spa, but still crave the pampering. Here's a spa in L.A. that is mobile and green.

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Best North American Spas 2006

Travel + Leisure released results from its annual readers poll for their World's Best Awards 2006. Since I'm enamored with spas, massages, and the relaxation they offer, I tuned in to the best spas list. There are several awards, all rated by T + L readers, including best destination spas, best Europe spas, and so forth. While those are great for honeymoons and special travel occasions, here are the U.S. and Canada spas that might be a shorter plane ride or drive away and, therefore, a little easier on the budget:

1	Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, Florida	93.36
2	Mandarin Oriental, Miami	90.46
3	Park Hyatt, Toronto	89.80
4	Four Seasons Resort, Jackson Hole, Wyoming	89.58
5	Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, Beaver Creek, Colorado	89.58
6	Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, Little Torch Key, Florida	88.99
7	Pinehurst Resort, North Carolina	88.94
8	Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico	88.79
9	Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Florida	88.72
10	St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach, Dana Point, California	88.71
11	Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina	88.69
12	Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa, Asheville, North Carolina	88.53
13	Enchantment Resort, Mii Amo, Sedona, Arizona	88.36
14	Four Seasons Hotel, Las Vegas	88.26
15	Auberge du Soleil, Spa du Soleil, Rutherford, California	88.10
16	The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia	88.04
17	St. Regis Resort, Aspen, Colorado	87.76
18	American Club, Kohler, Wisconsin	87.50
18	Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia	87.50
18	Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, Houston, Texas	87.50
18	Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, Ojai, California	87.50
22	The Peninsula, Chicago	87.28
23	Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, Florida	87.25
24	Four Seasons Resort Aviara, North San Diego	87.16
25	Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino, Vancouver Island	87.04

Spas are an ideal activity for girls getaways, even an option for a guys getaways, or a way to sneak away from a family reunions for solo time. TripHub is a great place to start planning that spa getaway.

Source: Travel + Leisure

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Wedding Shows

For the second time in my life, I'm going to attend a bridal show with a good friend who just got engaged. The bride-to-be is giddy with ideas, excited for the big day, and relieved her boyfriend finally popped the question.

Friends and family kick in immediately following engagement announcements to help with wedding planning. Best man and maid of honor, along with wedding parties, are carefully selected by the couple. But brides start their research, often gathering ideas for how to celebrate and tie the knot by asking for advice and going to wedding shows.

Enter friends and family. At wedding shows, there are vendors with cake samples and wedding dresses, plus make-up artists, decoration professionals, and wedding coordinators. There will likely be wedding packages offered for destination weddings and honeymoon ideas. With a dizzying array of options, it's nice to bring friends and family along to these events so the bride can get feedback from those she trusts. If people are scattered around the country or world, weddings shows can be great reasons for a girls getaway weekend.

If you are the bride or are a friend or family member of the bride, here are links to bridal/wedding shows across the country:

• Association for Wedding Professionals International
  Listing of all major U.S. wedding and bridal shows
• Bridal Trade Shows
  Northeast U.S. shows
• Great Bridal Expo
  U.S. bridal fashion shows and other wedding planning exhibits across the U.S.
• Seattle Wedding Show
  Dubbed as largest wedding show on the west coast

Best Spas

Spas offer a respite from daily stress, a transformative means to health, and boost the spirit. Massages melt muscles with seductive aromatherapy, perfect pressure points, and release knots, putting your body and mind at ease. Nothing beats a good masseur or masseuse. For a girls getaway, guys getaway (er, mancation?), or any other trip, here's a list of some of the best spas in the world.

• Best destination spas ranked by Travel + Leisure's readers in 2004
  Destination spas offer a complete immersion in pampering, with setting, food, ambience, and treatments all aimed at making you feel as relaxed as imaginable (or unimaginable).
• Best resort spas ranked by Travel + Leisure's readers in 2004
  Resort spas are normally connected to luxury hotels or resorts, often in locations with great natural beauty, offering a wide range of spa treatments.
• Best spas for hikers by About.com
  For active vacationers who like adventure mixed with pampering.
• Best spas for detox by About.com
  For travelers in need of a spiritually cleansing or healthy vacation.
• Best spas on a lake by About.com
  For spa lovers who find as much peace on a lake as during a massage.

But are any of these really the best? Such a subjective word: best. What makes a spa ideal for you? I've heard amazing things about Mii Amo in Sedona, Ariz., but from my personal experience (so far!), the best spa I've gone to was in Calistoga, Calif. Here's why it was amazing:

When I walked in, the clock was at least 10 minutes slow and the front desk clerk smiled, "Welcome. No worries about the time, we're on spa time." My shoulders dropped with relief. No stress here. After calmly slipping into a robe in the dressing room, I drank cucumber-flavored water before the masseuse brought me to my sea salt soaking tub. After the soak, I had the massage of a lifetime. The masseuse was a magician with strong, experienced hands who worked every knot out of my back and shoulders, then had me doing a breathing exercise while she released tension from my neck and left my body and mind dizzy with delight. Being on vacation in Napa Valley also helped with the carefree mood. Still, I highly recommend Indian Springs Spa. As part of your appointment, you even get free use of their outdoor swimming pool. Another cool perk.

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Golf Tee Times

Going on a girls getaway soon? Planning a trip with the guys? Perhaps ducking out of a family reunion for a half day to play golf? Well, you're in luck. Orbitz has a tee time service (powered by TeeBone) to several major North American golf courses, so you can book your tee times in advance of your vacation, resting assured your game is set.

Courses are limited to Arizona, Las Vegas, Hawaii, California, Carolinas, Florida, and Mexico but those are golf hot spots anyway. The descriptions, photos, par stats, player ratings all come in handy. But the fact that you can actually book a tee time is highly convenient. Now all you need to do is practice your putt.

To plan a group golf trip with friends or family, start using the invitation, discussion, and other free trip planning tools on TripHub.

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Food Tours

I recently wrote about culinary tours and just read a CNN article about the trend in culinary tours and cooking classes, shedding light on why we travel for food. Here are some excerpts about the growing popular movement to experience culinary delights up close and personal while on vacation.

"I think that the foodie market is related more or less to the baby boomer demographic," said Dr. Rich Harrill, director of the International Tourism Research Institute at the University of South Carolina. "You have people who are retiring, people with lots of discretionary time and income, some level of sophistication. They're educated, they're interested in wine, they're interested in food."

The article goes on to suggest that while countries like Italy, France, and Spain are "hot spots for culinary tourism," you don't have to travel too far off the beaten path or make a major time commitment to participate.

One culinary class pupil reminisces fondly, "When you travel through the world exploring food, you get this interesting window about the culture and the environment because food is the bridge between the land and the culture."

To plan a culinary trip with friends or family, you can start discussions, share culinary tour ideas, and more using TripHub's free travel planning tools.

Courses are limited to Arizona, Las Vegas, Hawaii, California, Carolinas, Florida, and Mexico but those are golf hot spots anyway. The descriptions, photos, par stats, player ratings all come in handy. But the fact that you can actually book a tee time is highly convenient. Now all you need to do is practice your putt.

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