Jetsettersblog

Taos Ski Valley, the highest municipality in the nation, is promoting summer travel when temperatures rarely rise above 75 degrees.

Lodging ranges from hotel accommodations to private condos, priced from $75 per night. The summer season officially begins June 30 with chairlift rides.

The lift will run from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children and can be purchased at Taos Ski and Boot Co. Activities include horseback riding, llama trekking, mountain biking, hiking, free disc golf, volleyball, rock climbing and fly-fishing tours.

For more information, visit www.taosskivalley.com

PIERRE, S.D. — The game fish spearing and archery season will open on June 15 in select waters in the Black Hills, the Missouri River system and eastern South Dakota lakes and streams.

Beginning in 2011, anglers with a valid fishing license targeting game fish with a legal spear gun, handheld spear, or legal bow and arrow are required to also be in possession of a $5.00 game fish spearing and archery fishing permit. The permit is NOT required for anglers targeting non-game or rough fish such as carp and buffalo with the previously mentioned fishing methods.

A listing of game and non-game fish can be found on page 24 of the Game, Fish and Parks Department’s 2011 Fishing Handbook. Anglers with an archery paddlefish tag are not required to obtain a game fish spearing and archery fishing permit to participate in the archery paddlefish season.

“The game fish spearing and archery fishing permit will allow our department to better enforce rules regulating these activities as well as collect better information on this segment of anglers.” said Geno Adams, Fisheries Program Administrator. Permits are available for purchase through the Game, Fish and Parks online licensing system or wherever fishing licenses are sold.

Game fish may be taken from sunrise to sunset throughout the season, which runs from June 15th through the last day of February. Non-game or rough fish may legally be taken year-round, any time of day or night on all inland waters in South Dakota.

Please refer to the 2011 Fishing Handbook for specific waters open to spearing of game fish and border water regulations.

The handbook can be accessed online at
http://gfp.sd.gov/fishing-boating/docs/fishing-handbook.pdf

and is available at most locations where fishing licenses are sold.

Central Holidays is offering a Da Vinci Tour group travel package in October, which follows the footsteps of Leonardo Da Vinci’s life and greatest accomplishments throughout Italy and France.

It begins in Leonardo’s hometown of Vinci, Tuscany, and concludes in Paris, France, featuring scenic stops and experiences along the way, presenting a view of Leonardo’s life, accomplishments and inspirations.

The 12-day/10-night land-only package is a unique and affordable group travel opportunity ideal for seniors, students and scholars as well as travelers interested in the arts.

Clients will spend a full day in Florence, with a guided walking tour of Florence’s Uffizi Art Gallery which highlights Leonardo’s “Annunciation.”

The group will then depart to Milan, with a stop in Modena to visit a Balsamic vinegar cellar for a tasting.

In Milan, the group will receive a guided tour of the magnificent Gothic Cathedral Il Duomo, and Leonardo’s masterful “The Last Supper” painting. The group will then fly to Paris where they will board a deluxe motorcoach and drive the scenic route to the Loire Valley.

Once in Amboise, the group will tour the Castle of Chenonceau, the Castle of Amboise (including the site where Leonardo is buried) and the Chateau du Clos Lucé, Leonardo’s home for the last years of his life. A visit will also be made to Leonardo’s Garden, an open-air museum and park that was inspired by the paintings and drawings by da Vinci.

The tour will conclude in Paris, with a guided tour of the Louvre Museum — featuring Leonardo’s famous “Mona Lisa” painting — as well as a sightseeing tour of Paris.

The tour is priced from $2,499 per person double occupancy. Rates vary based on group size and hotel accommodations selected. The following tour features are included in the per person rate: private deluxe motorcoach transfers; buffet breakfast daily; 10 nights’ first-class hotel accommodations, including hotel taxes and service charges; six dinners; entrance fees to museums and castles; lunch at a Tuscan winery; lunch at a Balsamic vinegar factory; evening Seine River cruise; guided tour of castles of Chenonceau, Amboise and Chateau du Clos Lucé; and guided tours of Vinci, Florence, Milan and Paris. The Da Vinci Tour is being offered for group travel beginning this fall. Single rates as well as special airfare inclusions are available for an additional charge.

Central Holidays offers a variety of themed travel packages and itineraries that have been created to meet specific group interests, including religion, cultural and educational journeys; archaeology and ancient civilizations; art and architecture; river cruising; meetings and conventions; food and wine; as well as alpine adventure featuring world-class ski and snowboard programs. Founded in 1972, Central Holidays offers travel programs to destinations throughout Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Cyprus, Greece and Turkey, plus dozens of Mediterranean and European River Cruise itineraries and worldwide ski programs.

For more information, call 800-935-5000 or 800-539-7098 or visit www.centralholidays.com

The newly renovated and redecorated Golden Tulip Brussels Airport recently opened its doors to guests. Formerly the Sofitel Brussels Airport, the four-star property has 120 rooms and five suites.

It also offers a new contemporary restaurant Chez Daniel, Harry’s Bar, a pool, whirlpool, sauna, workout room, and banquet facilities that can accommodate up to 450 for a seated dinner. Complimentary shuttle service to Brussels Airport and surrounding office complexes is also available.

The new owners of Golden Tulip Brussels Airport, Harry Heinrichs and Kees van Maaswaal, are both well known and respected in the hotel industry. Heinrichs has a proven track record of hotel developments and operations within the Dutch based van der Valk family Hotel Group and van Maaswaal was the former head of the Accor group in the Netherlands.

For more information, visit www.goldentulipbrusselsairport.be

Now in its sixth year, Düsseldorf’s Open Source Festival is one of Europe’s most important new club and dance music industry events and showcases (July 23). It turns the city into a stage for music and performance for thousands of club kids, DJs, live acts, bands and fans.

Two locations provide the settings for this day-to-night festival — a horse track during the day, located in a forest in Düsseldorf’s Grafenberg district and considered one of Germany’s most beautiful, will feature three stages from afternoon to night, and then the city of Düsseldorf and its vivid club and music venues take over for the night program from 10 p.m. into the wee hours. Free shuttle service is provided to connect the city-wide event schedule.

The concept is hugely successful, and about 4,000 attended last year after the festival was moved to a race track to accommodate the growing numbers of both fans and professionals from all over the world. The horse track proved an attractive setting for the day portion of the festival.

The track is converted to three open air stages (“Main stage,” “Carhartt Stage” for headliners, and the “Young Talent Stage” for new and emerging artists). The 2011 headliners include U.S. artist Cody Chestnutt, Editors, Mount Kimbie, Jamie XX, and Actress, Architecture in Helsinki, dOP, BEAT!BEAT!BEAT!, and other names of the international club scene. The “Young Talents” finalists will be announced shortly.

After the day program concludes at 10 p.m., the festival continues in the historic Old Town, also known as the “longest bar in the world,” and Düsseldorf’s hip district Flingern. This year’s venues include the clubs Zakk, Salon des Amateurs, Foyer and RotKompot. Düsseldorf’s tourism office offers a hotel package for festival visitors, called “Düsseldorf à la Card.” The packages include one hotel night (double occupancy), breakfast, Düsseldorf’s Welcome Card (free public transportation for 24 hours), and city information.

Packages can be booked online at www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/en/duesseldorf-a-la-card.

For more information, visit www.open-source-festival.de or www.visitduesseldorf.de

Two of Connoisseurs Scotland’s five-star properties, The Gleneagles Hotel and The Turnberry Resort, are granting food lovers a behind-the-scenes VIP pass to a private dining experience featuring exclusive menus designed with a handpicked selection of local and imported ingredients.

Whether helping to prepare risotto with truffle oil in the kitchen of Deseo at Gleneagles, or delving into the cooking methods and locally sourced ingredients that comprise the fare created by Turnberry’s award-winning Head Chef Justin Galea, guests receive a rare view into the inner workings of culinary creation. Prices for groups of eight at Gleneagles are £560 ($917), while at Turnberry up to 10 guests can enjoy a front row seat for £120 ($196) per person.

The Gleneagles Hotel’s Chef’s Table Experience at Deseo is an interactive dining experience featuring hands-on cooking instruction from a Gleneagles chef, private waiter and an exclusive menu with specialty items such as hand-dived sea scallops in shell and 28-day aged beef fillet. The four other restaurants on the property include the two-Michelin-starred Andrew Fairlie, which serves Scottish cuisine with a French twist, and The Strathearn, whose Scottish cuisine has earned two AA red rosettes. From now until Sept. 30, guests can stay seven nights for the price of five with the “Save on Seven Offer,” which includes breakfast and use of The Club leisure facilities for rates from £1,575 ($2,579) per room.

For more information, email resorts.sales@gleneagles.com.

Turnberry’s Head Chef Justin Galea, the “Chef Medaille d’Or 2011” at the Scottish Hotel of the Year Awards, guides up to 10 guests at the Chef’s Table through his cooking methods as they privately dine in view of the kitchen area. A team of chefs creates a seven-course tasting menu that is as visually impressive as it is delicious — such as “The Girvan Sailor,” featuring langoustines coated in crisp crumb butter, made with scampi fries. Other dining options at the resort include 1906, serving a modern take on Escoffier-inspired cuisine, and The Grand Tea Lounge, recent recipient of Top City + Country Hotel’s “Award of Excellence 2010.” The “Luxury Holiday at Turnberry” offer, valid until Sept. 30, includes seven nights accommodation for the price of six, Scottish breakfast and VAT from £1,329 ($2,176) per person, double.

For more information, email turnberry.reservations@luxurycollection.com  or visit www.luxuryscotland.co.uk

A medieval castle linked to the legends of King Arthur has announced dates for a series of events taking place from July until November.

Events include an antiques fair starring BBC expert Adam Partridge, theater by the Anvil Productions Company, musical variety and a series of themed fun-filled medieval banquets. The performances and events will be held in the open-air Keep of Ruthin Castle during the summer months. The programs start in July with Anvil productions’ Art Deco-style enactment of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Visitors can also enjoy a pre-show lunch, picnic hampers and light refreshments throughout the performance. A food and drink summer fete also takes place in July.

A Baby Bump & Family Show is scheduled for August, followed by a musical variety performance in September, while November brings an Antiques Fair with BBC expert Partridge. Additionally, themed medieval banquets take place at Ruthin Castle throughout the year, featuring a medieval feast, merriment and culture-filled performances by fully costumed Ladies of the Court, Court Steward and Jester.

Ruthin Castle, located in North Wales, near Chester, U.K., is a historic Royal Welsh fortress now operating as a hotel. Ruthin Castle boasts a fascinating legacy dating back prior to 1277 and the legend of King Arthur. Notable owners include King Edward I, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. The grounds of Ruthin Castle make a superb setting in which to enjoy performances and events. It’s also possible to combine any of these events with a stay at the castle. For more information, call 011-44 (0)1824 702664 or visit www.ruthincastle.co.uk

Zürich’s seventh “Art in the Park” outdoor exhibition will take place from June 12 through Aug. 10 in the private park of the city’s Baur au Lac. The show is created and curated by Gigi Kracht, the wife of Andrea Kracht, the hotel’s sixth-generation owner.

This year’s show will once again highlight the best in modern art, from the creations of Joan Miro to more contemporary installations by such artists as Arne Quinze and Will Cotton. The selection of grand, brightly colored sculptures, distorted shapes and exaggerated forms make for a thought-provoking juxtaposition with the Baur au Lac’s traditional, manicured lakefront park. The collection — the majority of which has been created especially for the show — will include works by Miró, Cotton, Allen Jones, Jani Leinonen, Quinze, Timothy Williams and Marco Perego.

For reservations or more information, email reservation@brp.ch  or visit www.bauraulac.ch , www.brp.ch  or www.art-in-the-park.net

The Safari Collection is delighted to announce the addition of Leleshwa Camp to their portfolio of Kenyan properties, which also includes Giraffe Manor, Sasaab, Sala’s Camp & Solio Lodge.

Leleshwa Camp is an intimate and environmentally responsible tented camp situated on the North-Eastern edge of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and is the only camp within the 20,000 acre Siana Community Conservation Area. The camp features seven spacious tents, with large private verandahs; spectacular views over the hills and plains and en-suite bathrooms with flushing toilets and hot showers with water collected from the streambed and returned to the wild through a wetlands system.

The Siana Community Conservation Area offers numerous activities for Leleshwa’s guests – day & night game drives; guided bush walks; hot air balloon rides; sundowners, picnic lunches & bush meals and the chance to visit Traditional Maasai villages and local schools. Leleshwa is dedicated to reconnecting guests with local people and projects and supports the local Maasai community by providing employment opportunities and improving infrastructural development.

Leleshwa also offers 1 day or 5 day photography workshops led by accomplished wildlife photographer Mike North. Guests will learn to set up, take and make better photographs – spending mornings out in the Mara capturing special moments on camera and afternoons editing the shots in the camp’s Digital Imaging Centre – to ensure that they leave Leleshwa with wonderful lasting memories of a truly authentic and enriching African safari experience.
www.thesafaricollection.com

The Lodge at Doonbeg in Ireland’s County Clare, a 400-acre retreat set on Doughmore Bay, is promoting seasonal festivals. The Doonbeg Seafood Festival (July 15 and 17) features cooking demonstrations, education and family activities. The Feakle Traditional Music Festival (Aug. 3 to features traditional Irish music with artists and aficionados from around the world. The 24th annual festival in the village of Feakle offers demonstrations, participations, workshops, lectures and recitals of music, song, dance, poetry and folklore.

The Kilmurry Harvest Festival (Aug. 21 to 27) features everything from a vintage tractor show to horse jumping and carriage driving, as well as the “Infamous Black Pudding Night” to a children’s disco and road bowling.

The Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival (Sept. 1 to Oct. 2) is Europe’s largest singles’ event, a month-long celebration of Irish matchmaking. Don’t be surprised to see the country’s oldest matchmaker, Willie Daly, hanging at the bar.

Burren Peaks Walking Festival (Sept. 23 to 25) provides an experience of the Burren, a fertile limestone plateau stretching south from Galway Bay, with guided hill and lowland walks of varying distances and grades. The Willie Keane Memorial (Oct. 28 to 31) celebrates the life of the legendary dancer with a four-day weekend filled with traditional music, song and dance in the village of Doonbeg.

The Lodge at Doonbeg is the only five-star luxury coastal resort in western Ireland. The 400-acre property features 189 guest rooms and suites as well as a Greg Norman-designed championship links course and distinct dining by Tom Colicchio, consulting chef of the lodge. The White Horses Spa incorporates the essence of Ireland into all treatments, with skincare products by Kerstin Florian. Also available are whole ownership cottages and suites and a private residence club managed by Timbers Resorts. The Lodge at Doonbeg is owned by Kiawah Partners, the master planner behind Kiawah Island, South Carolina and Christophe Harbour, St. Kitts. The Lodge at Doonbeg is a member of Small Luxury Hotels.

The Lodge at Doonbeg also offers a variety of offerings for active and family travelers. Both adult and children’s bicycles and helmets are available for complimentary guest use. The pond located next to Doughmore House is stocked with trout and fishing rods are available. Horse and carriage rides can transport guests from the courtyard to the local areas and the chef can customize a picnic basket to complete the afternoon. Rates at the Lodge at Doonbeg start at $227 per night. For more information, call 866-DOONBEG (366-6234) or visit www.DoonbegLodge.com