PE.com - Tourism Blog

When I say fun, you say ... Rancho Cucamonga? Ok, it's a fun name to say, but the city is hoping its reputation among tourists will also be one of fun.

Hence the "Fun Book" a new 24-page activity guide to restaurants, shopping and attractions. It also includes a handy list of where to access wireless Internet hot spots. (Did you know EZ Lube on Masi Drive has free wireless Internet if you buy something? Nor did I.) That list could get outdated quickly, though.

The truly fun part of the fun book is the interactive cartoon map of Rancho Cucamonga (scroll down three pages)

Click on the skier and you're taken to a Web site for Big Bear resorts, click on the Epicenter stadium and you're taken to the home page for the RC Quakes, click on the hiker ... and you're taken to a site where you can rent meeting space in Central Park?

OK, so it seems most of the icons are intuitive and it's the most I've explored Rancho Cucamonga.

-- KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
kpierceall@PE.com

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 5:35 AM, April 23
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The Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority and Hyatt Grand Champions in Indian Wells are hosting Nordic travel writers this week to show them the wonders of the Coachella Valley.

So while briefly researching their countries of origin, I found the best travel promotion ever for Sweden. The Web site is standard, but click on "Stockholm the Musical" and dancing Swedes will implore you in a personalized song to visit Stockholm. Alas, they couldn't sing to "Kim" or "Kimberly" but if you're an "Amanda", "Lucy", "Deborah", or "Fiona" enjoy the seranade.

And I already knew enough about Norway because I've ridden the strange trip known as Maelstrom in Epcot, complete with its talking trolls and grande oil rig finale. Here's a video of the entire ride that I didn't shoot. It starts to get good around the 2:12 mark

-- KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
kpierceall@PE.com

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 11:37 AM, April 19
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It's hard to not get a kick out of the local history especially when it involves a speakeasy and reputed mobsters building hotels that doubled as gambling houses.

After being built for such a seedy purpose, The Colonial Hotel eventually attracted Hollywood types and fans of "the twist" (those crazy kids and their hip-gyrating dances). A man named Robert Howard then bought it and renamed it Howard Manor (the hotel business is certainly not for those with a faint ego).

But then it fell into disrepair. The hotel has been renamed the Colony Palms Hotel and is scheduled to re-open before the end of the month. For more info check out the Business section for my story.

And for more photos, because who can't pass up an opportunity to scroll through pictures, here's a great site that's catalogued old postcards that feature images of the early Palm Springs variety. Lots of pools. Lots of modest bikinis.

-- KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
kpierceall@PE.com

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 5:26 AM, April 17
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One thing I kept asking myself, and the people I interviewed, for the front page story about Riverside's talk of expanding their convention center is "why bother?" So you don't attract the National Hydrogen Association or the multitude of other trade groups and organizations. Are you really missing out?

Research from an association of convention centers and visitor bureaus (Destination Marketing Association International) says the typical convention-goer spends $262 a day if their meetings lasts about 4 days, including hotel rooms. Cities typically make money off the transient occupancy tax that's tacked onto your hotel bill as you check out.

But the convention center itself doesn't usually cause cash to rain from the sky. It's the people who just got out of a long dreary speaker's panel looking to shop, eat or sleep in a nearby hotel room.

Ted Weggeland, director of Entrepreneurial Hospitality Corp. the company that manages the Riverside Convention Center, said that even with what the city annually pays the group -- $125,000 -- the company barely breaks even making $70,000 in profit annually on average.

-- KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
kpierceall@PE.com

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 4:10 AM, April 16
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I haven't seen any references to The Onion or National Enquirer so please let this be true. Apparently, executives with Irish low-cost airline RyanAir want to launch a second airline that would fly between the U.S. and the United Kingdom for about $14 (or 7 pounds) now that the skies have officially been opened for business.

You may get what you pay for but consider me on board as long as it doesn't look like this.

-- KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
kpierceall@PE.com

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 2:47 PM, April 13
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Women don't have enough things that pander to just us (WE cable channel, Oprah, an entire genre of literature, any movie with Colin Firth) so luckily American Airlines has given us one more reason to wear pink and sip wine while laughing like school girls.

Yes, I'm being sarcastic. I would have been less so had American Airlines not used a photo of three women wearing pink and clinking their wine glasses. And why is the businesswoman gray and alone? No girlfriends to travel on business trips with?

Anyhoo, American Airlines has rolled out a Web site tailor made for women that purports to provide information just for us.

"This web page is about you -- our valued customer," it says.

Now if it did have information tailor made for me, a woman, I wouldn't lambast it.

But on their Web site I'm learning that I can't bring certain things on the flight per TSA (where would I be without this American Airlines site?! They've saved me from mistakingly bringing liquids in containers larger than 3 ounces with me), that I shouldn't get distracted lest I be attacked, and "refuse photos politely " at leisure aiports.

I would like to think that men should refuse photos politely as well.

-- KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
kpierceall@PE.com

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 5:21 AM, April 13
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The annual White Party in Palm Springs that ended today gave attendees -- which city and organizer estimates amount to 20,000 gay men who spend $4 million -- another reason to spend this year. For the first time, party organizer Jeffrey Sanker Entertainment Inc. offered vacation packages that cost up to $9,500! (and someone bought it too).

For that amount, the partygoer got:
- Three nights in the two-story suite at the Wyndham Hotel
- Private concierge
- Passes for all the events
- 10 bottles of vodka, tequila or whiskey (if you want champagne though, pony up another $200)
But likely the most unique feature?
- Personal security escort to and from the party's events

But what else could you possibly get for $9,500?

It could buy the bare minimum Disney Fairy Tale Wedding with $1,500 to spare, apparently.

Or rent Frank Sinatra's former Twin Palms Estate in Palm Springs for $7,800 for three nights.

With nearly $10,000 to burn, you could go on a 23-day trip to Antartica (and Buenos Aires, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia) for $7,420. Add airfare from Ontario International Airport to Buenos Aires (with three stops) for $1,043 and you're still under at $8,463 total.

But it is tough to top having a personal bodyguard.

-- KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
kpierceall@PE.com

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 5:48 AM, April 09
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In an effort to steer locals closer to home and away from those other Southern California airports, Palm Springs International Airport is offering folks free parking for a week but only if you're returning from Hawaii or any international destination in May or June.

In a press release, airport Director of Aviation Richard Walsh said another reason to offer the parking is to remind folks, "we are an international airport."

Granted non-stop international flights consist of Canada and more Canada, but flights out of Palm Springs sometimes connect to larger hubs which in turn send you farther outside the country. He also gives a little wink-wink, nudge-nudge to locals who want to see more flights offered out of Palm Springs.

"The more that local residents use our existing air service, particularly in the summer, the better our chances are of recieving even more flights in the future," he said in the press release.

For more info and handy list of possible questions travelers might have, check out the airport's home page. A link to the offer is near the top.

-- KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
kpierceall@PE.com

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 1:32 PM, April 06
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The P-E's own Chris Richard had a story about San Bernardino auditioning kiddies to be the new voice of tourism at the city's California travel center in the form of an animatronic bear.

An interesting point is made toward the bottom about the city's failed attempt to have the travel center closer to the freeway. Instead, motoring tourists will have to exit then follow the arrows on surface streets to get there.

How far will a tourist drive to hear a robotic bear with a child's voice rattle off things to do in San Bernardino and the Inland Empire? I guess we'll find out soon.

-- KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
kpierceall@PE.com

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 5:33 AM, April 05
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I don't think anyone's a big fan of paying for something based on fear - pick any holiday that involves buying loved ones things just because if you didn't, you'd have to reckon with that someone. Social extortion.

Travel insurance? Just like Valentines Day in my book, so I appreciated yet another story that concludes that travel insurance is bunk.

I don't mind if credit card companies want to include it with their cards - $3,000 for each bag potentially lost? Can't say no to that.

But when budgeting for the next trip, consider your odds of winning your travel insurance reward and then walk away, confident that your flight will be fine, your life insurance is up-to-date and your stove is turned off.

-- KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
kpierceall@PE.com

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 5:21 AM, April 04
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Add to the dreams of flying cars and self-drying jackets (ala Back to the Future) the new hotel rooms advertised by Marriott.

You've likely seen them, but if not here are the spots that feature men in a sleek all-white room with USB cords with minds of their own. They plug themselves into a floating clear Rubik's Cube and presto, the floor to ceiling windows turn into computer screens (ala Minority Report) and the one lonely plasma television multiplies to fill an entire wall.

Where do I book??

Alas, it's all an effort to illustrate that you can now plug in your laptop, camera and MP3 player into a port in the room (sadly, not a floating Rubik's cube) and use the flat screen to watch whatever is on your laptop or camera, or listen to your music.

For the multi-taskers among us, the system allows guests to split the television screens if they want to work and catch the last season of Sopranos at the same time.

Not too shabby, but not as spiffy as the room in the advertisement.

-- KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
kpierceall@PE.com

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 5:49 AM, April 03
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So everybody's writing about the airline industry's sad showing in the most recent Air Quality Rating Survey from two academics at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Wichita State University

Our baggage is still getting mishandled, flights are delayed and fares are bloated. Rather what's interesting is that less than one person out of 100,000 passengars bothered to register a complaint with the Department of Transportation. The rest of the 99,999.2 of you? You've given up. Seems rather easy to complain on the DoT's Web site here, so hop to it. You know you want to.

But back to the survey: Hawaiin Airlines beat out JetBlue for the top spot this year as the lesser evil. Where does your favorite airline fit in? OK, OK, where does your most tolerated airline fit in? Here's the full report.

-- KIMBERLY PIERCEALL
kpierceall@PE.com

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 5:08 AM, April 03
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