PE.com - Tourism Blog

Big Bear Lake has about 50 free hotel rooms available for victims of the Grass Valley and Slide Fires who need a place to stay for up to seven days.

Some lodges may allow folks to stay until Nov. 18.

If you or someone you know might be interested, call 1-800-4-BIG-BEAR (1-800-424-4232). To qualify, you'll need to fax, e-mail or drop off proof of residency such as a utility bill and a photo ID.

Info can be dropped off at the Big Bear Visitor Center at 630 Bartlett Road open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

When you check in, you'll need to provide a credit card and your re-entry pass issued by the San Bernardino Sheriff Department.

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 10:50 AM, October 30
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The Mexico Tourism Board, "is continuously working and striving to place Mexico as a premier tourism destination among international tourists alike," according to a recent e-mail sent to members of the media.

And do so with a sense of humor apparently?

The tourism board is sponsoring an event dubbed "FUBAR Odyssey 2007." Thanks to one of my editors for reminding me that FUBAR, in polite terms, can mean Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition (for the unpolite terms, just Google it).

That could be one way to attract repeat visitors to a destination -- if they don't remember visiting at all, they're bound to come back again for a whole new experience.

In this case though it apparently stands for Fleet Underway to BAja Rally - a 16-day boat trip from San Diego to various stops along the coast of Mexico starting Nov. 7.

"Parties will be planned at most stops," according to the event's Web site.

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 9:48 AM, October 30
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(Copyright Cameron Bowman)

JetBlue had the Simpsons, Virgin America gets Victoria's Secret lingerie models.

Because I recently flew the new airline modeled after Virgin Atlantic, which flies between the U.S. and Europe, I'm now considered an eleVAte founding member (card carrying! ... well, not really. If there were a card though, I'd probably carry it). Apparently one of the perks is finding out when the next in-flight pajama party is taking place.

Those of you looking to fly one way from New York to LAX with a couple of Victoria's Secret models, your flight we'll depart on Nov. 28 at 7:15 p.m. First class is sold out and so far the offer is only available to folks who have flown Virgin America before (more about my experience in a later post) but fares for the one-way ticket are $244 so far, up from the usual $139.

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 5:20 PM, October 29
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Folks who were evacuated for the fires and still looking for a place to stay can try Palm Springs. The Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism sent out a list of available hotels:

El Mirasol Villas, 525 Warm Sands Drive, No pets allowed, 760-327-5913
or 800-327-2985, www.elmirasol.com, $40 discount.

Calla Lilly Inn, 350 S. Belardo Road, No pets allowed, 760-323-3654,
www.callalilypalmsprings.com, 15 percent discount, in-season rates vary
from $169 to $199/ night, take the 15 percent off of these rates.

Desert Moon Resort, 2150 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Pets allowed, 760-325-
8038, www.desertmoonresort.com, $64.50 on weekdays; $79.50 on
weekends. Availability is first-come first-served basis. $20/night pet fee.

Camp Palm Springs, 1466 N. Palm Canyon Drive, 760-322-2267 or 800-
793-0063, www.camp-palm-springs.com, $59/night. Call for details on
pets.

Pepper Tree, 622 N. Palm Canyon, no pets allowed, 760-318-9850, 20
percent discount, www.peppertreepalmsprings.com

Tuscany Manor, 350 W. Chino Canyon, 760-416-8916,
www.tuscanymanorresort.com, call for discount rates

A Place in the Sun, 754 E. San Lorenzo, Accepts pets, 760-325-0254 or
800-779-2254, www.aplaceinthesunhotel.com, 50 percent discount

P.S. Courtyard Marriott, 1300 Tahquitz Canyon Way, 760-322-6100,
www.courtyard.com/pspch, $99/night through Wednesday

Shiloh Inn Suites, 1875 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Accepts Pets, 760-320-
7676 or 800-222-2244, www.shiloinns.com, $95/night

Vagabond Inn, 1699 S. Palm Canyon Drive, 760-325-7211 or 877-522-
1555, www.vagabondinn.com, 10 percent discount

333 B&B, 333 E. Ramon Road, no pets allowed, 760-320-7744,
www.333bnb.com, $55/night, (Only two rooms available until October
30th.)

Palm Mountain Resort, 155 S. Belardo Road, no pets allowed, 760-325-
1301 or 800-622-9451, www.palmmountainresort.com, $69/night

The Desert Bear, 530 E. Mel Ave., no pets allowed, 760-325-6767 or 877-
464-7695, www.thedesertbear.com, 25 percent discount

Vacation Palm Springs/ Rentals, 400 S. Hermosa, no pets allowed, 760-
778-7832 or 800-590-3110, www.vacationpalmsprings.com, 10-15 percent
discount

Casa Cody B&B, 175 S. Cahuilla, 760-320-9346, www.casacody.com,
Call for details about pets. Rooms from $79; studios $89 to $99; 1-
bedroom, $119 to $169

Viceroy Palm Springs, 415 S. Belardo, 760-320-4117,
www.viceroypalmsprings.com, 25 percent off published rates and 15
percent off food and beverage. Call for details regarding pets.

Hilton Palm Springs Resort, 400 East Tahquitz Canyon ,
www.hiltonpalmsprings.com, 760-320-6868, $115 per night, pet friendly
and will waive $25 per night pet fees.

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 6:13 PM, October 24
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Wildfires and unheard of winds never make traveling any easier.

If you were planning on flying on ExpressJet out of LA/Ontario International Airport today, expect two hour delays on some flights due to the fires and winds. Kristy Nicholas, a spokeswoman with the company, said the average delay for passengers has been about 45 minutes.

You can call 1-888-958-XJET for updates.

Earlier this morning, United Airlines had cancelled flights to and from ONT before noon.

US Airways is allowing folks traveling into and out of San Diego's airport on its airline to change their plans before Tuesday at midnight without incurring the usual service fees. More info can be found here

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 4:20 PM, October 22
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So Inland resident Joe Iorio had written me a few times before.

First, to say he was happy ExpressJet had landed at LA/Ontario International Airport so he could be ferried non-stop to Austin; second, to say he had booked a flight but the airline bumped his departure time by an hour after he reserved the flight; third, to say that after he finished one leg of his trip and needed to come home a day early the customer service desk said it would be a $50 fee to change the flight.

Joe said "OK" to the charge, but then the airline representative said he would also have to pay the difference in price for a one way flight - $101.

Total cost for Joe to get from Ontario to Austin and back? $348.30

He wrote this to the company's customer relations department:

"It was OK for you to inconvience me by changing my departure from Ontario but when I made a request to make a change, that changed things and not only did I suffer the $50 charge (which by the way I understand) but to tack another $101 is plain and simple unfair."

Have you had a similar experience?

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 6:01 PM, October 05
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Photo taken inside the Hyatt Grand Champions suites in Indian Wells, NOT the Temecula Holiday Inn Express (Press-Enterprise)

So the Holiday Inn Express in Temecula has an interesting new plan. Ken Westmyer, general manager of the hotel, said he plans to offer unlimited movies, Internet and video games for a flat $7 a day.

The hotel will be going under the renovation knife soon using about $500,000 to retro-fit each room with flat-panel television sets, among other changes.

Not sure when the new movie/Internet/video game plan will be rolled out, but I'll post more when I get details. Westmyer said it's not something being considered across the Holiday Inn brand, he's just trying it in Temecula.

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 5:32 AM, October 04
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(Thanks to this site for the image)

The dreams don't stop for Disneyland visitors in the upcoming year and even a long gone Walt Disney will get his wish.

Disney Parks has extended its year of a million dreams for its milestone anniversary in 2007 for another year in which random visitors can have their wishes (picked from a catalog) granted.

One new wish available in 2008 will be the chance for a visitor and five friends to stay in a newly designed guest suite inside Disneyland's New Orleans Square. The design is based on plans Walt had drawn up but never executed. The nightly Disneyland stays will start Jan. 31, 2008 and continue most nights for the rest of the year.

Here's to hoping a few "Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me" waft in, along with the distinct smell of water and aging animatronic pirates.

Posted by Kimberly Pierceall at 10:54 AM, October 01
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