Jetsettersblog

2011 California Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
The 2011 California Hall of Fame inductees, as selected by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. and First Lady Anne Brown, were announced, continuing the rich tradition of honoring legendary people who embody California’s innovative spirit. The inductees of the sixth annual event all have made distinct marks on history.

The 2011 California Hall of Fame inductees are: Moon explorer and astronaut Buzz Aldrin; surf rock legends The Beach Boys; Nobel Prize-winning scientist Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn; community activist Father Gregory Boyle; entrepreneurs and philanthropists Doris and Donald Fisher; basketball superstar Magic Johnson; disability rights advocate Ed Roberts; guitar visionary Carlos Santana; celebrated contemporary novelist Amy Tan; and social justice champion California Supreme Court Justice Roger Traynor. The induction ceremony will take place on December 8 at Sacramento’s Memorial Auditorium. www.californiamuseum.org

Northern California Destinations Launch Travel App
The Sacramento area is prominently featured in the first regional California travel app—the “NorCalGuide.” The free “Northern California Travel Guide” app provides comprehensive coverage of Sacramento and the surrounding region. It offers quick access to listings of attractions, accommodations, restaurants, events and points of interest, plus maps, photos and deals. The app is GPS-enabled and searchable by category or name. It’s available on Apple’s App Store now, with an Android version coming out this fall.

Sacramento International Airport (SMF) Opened $1 Billion Expansion on October 6, 2011
The new Central Terminal B is designed to meet future air travel demand by replacing the outdated 216,000 square foot/13 gate Terminal B, with the new 669,000 square foot/19 gate Central Terminal B. The four-level project includes integrated customs facilities, a two-level roadway to separate arriving and departing traffic and energy efficient and environmentally conscious design that is anticipated to receive LEED certification. The project also includes an $8 million public art program. www.bigbuild.org  or www.smf.aero

Sacramento to Launch Regional Wine Guide Website
The Sacramento region is home to more than 200 wineries and tasting rooms and is quickly gaining a reputation as a popular US wine-tasting destination. To help leverage that momentum, the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) has revised the comprehensive, visitor-friendly, regional wine-focused guide that will encourage and enable greater exploration of all the region has to offer. Sacramento’s wine guide provides maps and information highlighting the following counties: Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Northern Sierra, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Yolo. The complementing website will launch in winter 2011. www.sacramentowineguide.com

Crocker Art Museum Celebrated $100 Million Expansion in October 2010
The Crocker Art Museum opened its 125,000-square-foot expansion that tripled the size of the existing facility and added much-needed gallery space and visitor amenities.

The new building also creates one of the largest event spaces in Sacramento with indoor/outdoor seating for 1,200. State-of-the-art education and program facilities include a 260-seat auditorium and meeting center, studio art spaces and a children’s interactive gallery. The museum also offers a café for the first time and an enhanced gift shop. www.crockerartmuseum.org

Clayton Bailey Exhibit at the Crocker Art Museum
A ceramist, sculptor, and self-proclaimed “mad scientist,” Bailey aims to surprise and delight with his art. This exhibition presents the full range of his inspired eccentricity in clay and metal, including his early ceramic critters, signature “exploding pots,” life-sized robot sculptures, and ray guns realized from discarded aluminium. Also included are Bailey’s pseudo-scientific discoveries, including proof of “Big Foot” and ceramic fossils from the “Bone Age,” made under the name of his scientific alter-ego, Dr. George Gladstone. Visitors to the exhibition will also experience the artist’s fully realized environments, including his backyard “Kaolithic” discoveries and mockumentary “Museum of Wonders” from his home in the Bay Area. In all, 180 works and complementary ephemera span 50 years of Bailey’s prodigious production of genuine marvels.
October 22, 2011- January 15, 2012. www.crockerartmuseum.org

Red Hot and Blown: Contemporary Glass from the Crocker’s Collection
In 2012, more than 150 museums throughout the United States will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of America’s studio-glass movement, which began in 1962 in Toledo, Ohio. Since that time, glass has emerged as a rich and diverse form of creative expression with vessels, sculptures, and everything in between being blown, cast, assembled, and even painted. The Crocker’s exhibition includes all of these techniques, ranging from Marvin Lipofsky’s blown sculptures and vases from the 1960s to Dale Chihuly’s elaborate “Macchia Seaform Group” from the 1980s, to more recently acquired sculptural works by Therman Statom and Nancy Mee. March 17-November 25, 2011 www.crockerartmuseum.org

WUNDERCARS!
The California Automobile Museum’s WUNDERCARS opened on October 1, 2011, highlighting the long and dynamic history of the German automobile. The exhibit follows Germany’s rich automotive history from its 19th century beginnings to its current enviable state at the forefront of performance, technology, and design. In addition to a long-term exhibit tracing the impact of the American market on the German automotive industry – and the impact of the German automobile on America – a rotating gallery will spotlight the histories of Germany’s premier automakers. The rotating gallery will go in-depth into the most influential automakers.
Porsche: October 1 – November 27, 2011
BMW: November 28- January 21, 2012
Mercedes-Benz: January 21-March 18, 2012
Volkswagen: March 19 – May 12, 2012.
www.calautomuseum.org

More Sacramento Gold Card Partners Means More Savings for Hotel Guests
Travelers to Sacramento now have even more ways to “discover gold” during their visit to California’s capital city. The Sacramento Gold Card, an exclusive benefit to guests staying at participating Sacramento-area hotels, provides discounts to more than 25 attractions, restaurants, retailers, theaters, and sports venues throughout the region. Visitors can now choose from more than 30 hotels that offer the card. To receive a Sacramento Gold Card, guests simply need to request one when checking in at a participating hotel. For a complete list of benefits visit www.discovergold.org

Please visit www.sacramento365.com  for a complete list of events in the Sacramento region.

Tired of giving the same old gifts: toys they’ll play with only once, dress socks, fruitcake? Then give the gift of an unforgettable experience that will be remembered for a lifetime. Give the gift of travel with CityPASS.

This holiday season, give your loved ones, family and friends something they’ll never forget — memories: stunning views from the top of the Empire State Building and the Space Needle; tours of Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre, home of the Oscars, and Space Center Houston, home to NASA’s Apollo-era Mission Control; or an exciting tour of Southern California’s most thrilling theme parks, including Disneyland, Disney California Adventure Park, Universal Studios Hollywood and SeaWorld San Diego.

Each CityPASS ticket booklet contains prepaid admission to a destination’s top attractions, based on visitor attendance. So, visitors who use CityPASS have entrée to a city’s can’t-miss, must-see sights. And, in many cases, those same visitors take the VIP route, using their CityPASS to skip the main-entrance ticket line. CityPASS is available for Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Hollywood, Houston, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Southern California and Toronto.

CityPASS also benefits the gift giver, trimming up to half off what it would cost to purchase individual tickets to the included attractions separately. New York CityPASS, for example, costs $79 and includes admission tickets whose combined retail value is nearly double that price.

CityPASS is also a great solution for locals who may be hosting friends or family members over the holidays — not to mention looking for ways to entertain the kids over the winter break. Even if you can’t take time off work to play tour guide, you can be certain your guests won’t miss any of the top sights. With a CityPASS in hand, they’ll see the best your city has to offer.

For more information on the CityPASS experience, visit CityPASS.com  

All CityPASS products are available at CityPASS.com or can be purchased at any of the participating attractions. Passes are valid for nine consecutive days (14 days for Southern California), beginning with the first day of use. Note: Each attraction admission ticket included in a CityPASS booklet may be used for one admission to the respective attraction.

Travel Impressions will offer a free interactive virtual expo titled “Leave Your Group To Our Group” on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 5 to 9 p.m. ET, which will provide travel agents with the latest information from the Travel Impressions group department and the opportunity to interact with partner suppliers who will be presenting their offers and promotions designed for destination weddings and other leisure group vacation packages.

Expo attendees will be able to view presentations at their offices or homes on PCs or on some mobile devices and tablets including the iPad. Presentations include Group Destination Training; The Travel Impressions Group Department going from net to gross pricing; and Travel Impressions Group Department update with Steve Gorga, president and CEO, and John Hanratty, senior vice president and chief marketing officer.

The virtual expo will feature a booth for its group department so agents can learn how to get into the growing market for destination weddings, family travel and other shared-interest group vacations. Travel Impressions’ virtual show will also feature destination booths for the U.S., Canada, Hawaii, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, South Africa, South Pacific, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

Travel agents who participate in the trade show can earn an extra $25 per group booking, in the form of an American Express Gift Cheque, when booking a minimum of 10 rooms for a minimum of three nights including air, land and the Cancel for Any Reason Waiver. Reservations must be made Dec. 7 to 31 for travel Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2012. The redemption form can be found in the virtual briefcase available upon log-in to the trade show as well as in the Travel Impressions booth and Media Center on the website.

Exhibitors include SuperClubs/Breezes Resorts and Spas; Sandals Resorts & Beaches Luxury Included Resorts; RIU Hotels & Resorts; AMResorts; Atlantis, Paradise Island; Barcelo Hotels & Resorts; Catalonia Hotels; Couples Resorts Jamaica; Excellence Hotels & Resorts; Golden Parnassus Adult All-Inclusive Resort & Spa, Cancun; Great Parnassus All-Inclusive Resort & Spa, Cancun; Iberostar Hotels & Reosrts; Karisma Hotels & Resorts; Occidental Hotels & Resorts’ Palace Hotels & Resorts; Sol Melia Hotels & Resorts; the island of Barbados; the island of Saint Lucia; the U.S. Virgin Islands; and Hertz Rent-a-Car.

Attendees can download documents offered at each supplier booth — such as brochures, selling tips, hotel information and vacation package details — to an online briefcase which they can save to their personal computers. This information is also available for downloading from the Media Center found at the top of the show’s homepage.

Show participants are also eligible to enter to win a two-night stay at Relais Santa Croce in Florence Italy or a four-night stay at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa in Hawaii. For more information or to register, visit www.travimp.com/groupexpo 

Travel Impressions, founded in 1974, is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Express and one of the largest leisure tour operators in America. The company offers FIT vacations to more than 200 destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, Dubai, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, the islands of Tahiti, Canada, Hawaii and the continental U.S., featuring more than 2,700 resorts, hotels and luxury villas. For more information, call 800-284-0044 or visit www.TravelImpressions.com

Shakti’s Sikkim Village Experience in Sikkim, India, is now open, offering treks, authentic cultural encounters and natural beauty. Located in the heart of India’s Eastern Himalayan range, bordering Nepal to the west, the Tibetan Plateau to the north and east, and Bhutan to the southeast, the Buddhist kingdom of Sikkim is one of the smallest and least populous states in India. Despite its size, Sikkim is a cultural hot spot, with a dozen official languages and two predominant religions, Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Sikkim is also ecologically and geographically diverse, making it the perfect destination for nature lovers.

Shakti’s Sikkim Village Walk offers travelers the chance to journey through the pristine wilderness of the Northern Himalayas without forsaking Western creature comforts. The Buddhist Kingdom of Sikkim has a climate range from subtropical to high alpine and a variety of terrain, including mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers, and streams. Due to Sikkim’s altitudinal variation, the state has more than 4,000 plant species, such as 450 exotic orchids as well as rhododendron forests, and fauna including indigenous birds, endangered species like red pandas, snow leopards, blue yaks, and over 650 species of butterflies.

On private, guided, customizable itineraries, guests travel from village to village during the day and spend nights in authentic village houses that have been gently retouched. Clients can traverse the terraced foothills of the Himalayas, the youngest and highest mountains on earth, while catching glimpses of Mt. Kangchenjunga (the world’s third-highest mountain at a staggering 28,000-foot elevation) and rare endangered species on the way to Rinchenpong Monastery. Clients will also experience the region’s unique religious history while the distant sound of Buddhist chants echo throughout this distant, enchanted land.

Available Oct. 1 to April 30, 2012, is a five-day, four-night package priced at $1,974 per person double occupancy, including private accommodation in village houses including all meals and beverages, activities, an accompanying English-speaking guide, private chef, support guide and porters, car at disposal and taxes and return transfers between Darjeeling, Gangtok, Kalimpong and Bagdogra and from village houses. Flights are not included. For extensions to Bhutan or throughout India, Shakti’s sister company, Banyan Tours & Travels, offers customized itineraries and ground arrangements. For more information, call 866-401-3705

Under the motto “Rock the Slope (and the City),” avid skiers, shoppers, design fans, gourmets and spa enthusiasts are being invited by Design Hotels to find delight in first-rate hospitality and cutting-edge design at seven Swiss hotels. From shopping tours in Geneva, alpine enchantment in Verbier or glamour in St. Moritz, the offerings of this alpine nation are as diverse as Design Hotels’ portfolio.

Guests will receive special rates and insiders’ tips, as well as complimentary neighborhood benefits in order to experience the different destinations like a local. These include an off-piste ski tour in Zermatt with the hotel’s owner, a curling course in Laax, a guided mountain hike in Adelboden, and a wintery boat ride on Lake Lucerne. And for those who can’t get enough of Switzerland’s diverse opportunities, there are helicopter rides above the peaks, snow kiting lessons on frozen lakes, dinners in igloos, Swiss Army Knife-making workshops and museum visits to take in the works of modern masters.

The participating hotels include Cervo Mountain Boutique Resort, Zermatt; Hotel Nevaï, Verbier; La Réserve Génève Hotel & Spa, Geneva; Nira Alpina, Silvaplana near St. Moritz; rocksresort, Laax; The Cambrian, Adelboden; and the Hotel, Lucerne. The Rock the Slope (and the City) offer is available from Nov. 30 and includes special rates (minimum 10 percent discount), insider tips for each destination, and a neighborhood benefit. For more information, call 800-337-4685, email res@designhotels.com  or visit www.designhotels.com/specials/rock_the_slope

Located on Lake Geneva, La Réserve Genève Hotel & Spa is offering guests a holiday getaway. Complete with a private ice-rink and traditional Christmas Market-style winter chalets, La Réserve Genève will be transformed into a true Winter Wonderland starting Dec. 13 to Feb. 26.

Set within La Réserve Genève’s large onsite gardens, the Winter Wonderland will offer spectacular views of Lake Geneva. La Réserve guests can book a private skating lesson or glide solo across the ice before enjoying the festive winter chalets. A wait staff will be serving crêpes, waffles, oysters, mulled wine, Sancerre, Champagne and caviar. A two-night weekend stay at La Réserve Genève starts from $1,076 (based on two sharing a double room) and includes full use of all hotel facilities including the spa, fitness center, swimming pool, indoor tennis courts, and the Winter Wonderland. For more information, call 011 41 22 959 59 59 or visit www.lareserve.ch

Paris’ Pavillon de la Reine and new literary-themed sister hotel Le Pavillon des Lettres are offering Parisian Christmas package includes a chauffeur-driven journey past department stores awash with lights and elaborate window decorations, by the lavishly decorated tree on Notre Dame Cathedral’s main plaza, and down the majestic Champs-Elysées lined with light-drenched trees stretching all the way from Place de l’Etoile and the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde.

The Parisian Christmas package includes accommodations for two in a Deluxe Room at Pavillon de la Reine or Le Pavillon des Lettres and either a chauffeured evening tour through Paris or a visit to local chocolatier. Package rates at Pavillon de la Reine and Le Pavillon des Lettres start at 450 euros ($609) and 350 euros ($473), per night, respectively. A two-night minimum stay is required. Package is valid for travel Dec. 11 through Dec. 27. For more information, call 011 33 (0) 1 40 29 19 19 or visit www.pavillon-de-la-reine.com  or www.pavillondeslettres.com

The Festive Season Package from the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok is valid through January. Starting at $235 per night, the package includes luxury accommodations, daily buffet breakfast in Aqua or Madison for two, Executive Club access for two guests when staying three or more nights, and a New Year’s Eve toast in the lobby for guests staying the night of the Dec. 31, featuring a live band, a glass of champagne and your choice of canapé. For more information, call 011 66 02-126-8866 or visit www.fourseasons.com/bangkok

The Celebrate the New Year package from the SALA Samui Resort & Spa is valid through Dec. 24. Located on Choeng Mon beach, on the northeast corner of Koh Samui, SALA Samui’s package includes a 15 percent discount from the best available rate, two tickets to SALA Samui New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner (four tickets when booking a two-bedroom suite), daily a la carte breakfast in the SALA Restaurant, and return airport transfer in Samui. The package is based on double occupancy with a three-night minimum required. For more information, call 011 66-77-245-888 or visit www.salaresorts.com/samui

The Allison Inn and Spa in Newberg, Ore., is offering a stay-spa package available Feb. 1 through March 31. The “Grape Escape” pairs wine tastings with daily spa treatments and garden-to-table cuisine.

A two- or three-night stay between Wednesday and Friday includes the inn’s Thursday night Celebrity Wine Tender event, a tasting and conversation with a vintner. February and March lineups will feature Willamette Valley women winemakers, including Anna Matzinger of Archery Summit, Lynn Penner Ash of Penner Ash Wine Cellars, Maggie Harrison of Antica Terra, Melissa Burr of Stoller, and others.

Each guest will receive two 60-minute services from the spa’s Pinot Therapy menu, such as the Divine Wine Facial or the Grape Seed Cure.

“Grape Escape” package pricing begins at $1,200 for two nights, double occupancy, with a choice of king or double beds.

The package includes daily breakfast, two 60-minute spa treatments including gratuity, bottle of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, use of fitness studio/swimming pool, Thursday Winetender Evening Event, flight of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir with paired food tastes by Executive Chef Sunny Jin, and spa gifts.

For more information, call 877-294-2525 or visit www.theallison.com