What’s a travel editor to do when 186 publicists descend on Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel for the Public Relations Society of America Travel and Tourism Conference and they all want to stop by your office to make a pitch? (OK, not all of them called me, but several did.)
I can run but not hide. So, I decided to visit as many as I could at a two-hour Media Marketplace, where tables were set up with press materials. Members of the media could chat one-on-one with the PR people – who represent 500 destinations, hotels and attractions worldwide.
It wasn’t nearly enough time, but I asked them to tell me about one new thing happening in their world of travel.
I hope these tidbits give you ideas as you think about vacations:
ALASKA
Alaska Railroad – Two new custom-designed double-deck railcars, built by Colorado Railcar in Fort Lupton, will be added to Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star Train, which travels daily from mid-May through mid-
September between Anchorage and Fairbanks, with stops at Wasilla, Talkeetna and Denali National Park and Preserve. Guests may upgrade to the train’s new Gold Star Service, giving them a reserved seat in the glass-domed cars, a private outdoor viewing area and complimentary appetizers and priority meal service. www.alaskarailroad.comor 800-544-0552.
ARIZONA
Scottsdale – Spa Avania opens in June at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch. The spa’s name is derived from the Greek word meaning tranquil.
CALIFORNIA
Laguna Beach – No need to worry what kind of spa treatment to get at the Montage Resort & Spa. Just say “Surrender” and treatments will be selected for you after consulting with your therapist. “Surrender” can be booked as a single two-hour treatment or as a four-day retreat.
The luxury South Coast Highway hotel also has its own cheese sommelier, Starr Cornwall, who selects cheeses for diners at the resort’s Loft restaurant.
Los Angeles – Area hotels have special discount packages in connection with the “Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of Pharaohs” exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art June 16-Nov. 15. It features more than 130 treasures from King Tut’s tomb, other Valley of the Kings tombs and additional ancient sites. www.seemyla.com, www.kingtut.org.
Monterey – The acclaimed Monterey Bay Aquarium opens “Ocean’s Edge” galleries Memorial Day weekend, including a rocky shore gallery with walk-through wave crash tunnel, an expanded coastal wetlands exhibit and more hands-on exhibits.
And, starting June 7, United Express will operate daily nonstop Denver-Monterey flights.
COLORADO
Colorado Springs – Architect Adam D. Tihany will debut his first Colorado restaurant, Summit, in November as part of The Broadmoor resort’s new 60,000-square-foot Broadmoor Hall. The new meetings and events hall will be an addition to the International Center. Tihany has designed such restaurants as Osteria Del Circo, New York City and Las Vegas; Le Cirque 2000 and Jean Georges, New York City; and Aureole and Spago, Las Vegas.
Also at The Broadmoor, new outdoor dining will be available starting in May at the Golf Club Restaurant. Window walls will open onto a new covered patio.
Salida – Strike up the band in downtown Salida, where the Riverside Park bandshell has undergone a $100,000 renovation: new roof, expanded stage and tiered hillside seating.
The bandshell will be used for musical performances, moonlight movies, theatrical troupes and summer festivals. First chance to check it out is the Bluegrass on the Arkansas over Memorial Day weekend. Call 877-772-5432.
Vail – Children (and adults) can play with giant tinker toys at the Kidstruction Zone in Vail. It’s tied to Vail’s billion-dollar “New Dawn” redevelopment program, giving guests a way to help understand the project. The construction-themed outdoor children’s museum also features interactive mechanical exhibits, Lego building zones and fun educational displays. Throughout the summer, themed workshops will encourage kids to use their hands and learn about various aspects of construction.
CRUISES
Disney Cruise Line – The flagship 2,600-passenger Disney Magic will reposition from Florida to California this summer, sailing seven-night cruises from the Port of Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera, stopping in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. The ship will be in California between May 28 and Aug. 19 in celebration of Disneyland’s 50th anniversary.
Next year, the Disney Magic will alternate a new Western Caribbean itinerary that includes two stops at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, along with Cozumel and a new port, Costa Maya.
EUROPE
Radisson SAS – Radisson SAS Hotel Berlin features an 82-foot-high “Aquadom” lobby aquarium, with more than 2,500 exotic fish and 250,000 gallons of water. Guests can travel through the aquarium in a glass-enclosed elevator to a sightseeing point and restaurant under the glass roof. More than 100 guest rooms face the atrium, with views of the “Aquadom.”
FLORIDA
Fort Myers – An expanded Southwest Florida International Airport opens with the new Midfield Terminal Complex in June. The $438 million, 28-gate passenger complex along three concourses replaces the 17-gate terminal. The terminal is one of the first in the United States built with new security equipment and procedures incorporated into the design. Frontier Airlines flies nonstop between Denver and Fort Myers. Go to www.flylcpa.com.
Lake Buena Vista – Soarin,’ a 5-minute simulated hang-gliding journey over the California landscape, opens at Walt Disney World’s Epcot, direct from California’s Disneyland. The virtual aerial tour presents an eagle’s-eye view of a dozen landmark California locales projected onto an 80-foot-high half-dome-shaped screen. The experience is one step beyond Imax, with projection from above on a screen turned upside down. You really feel like you’re there.
MONTANA
Missoula – The Elk Country Visitor Center will open in November, offering visitors an opportunity to learn about elk, elk country and the role hunters play in conservation.
The center is expected to draw visitors from the more than 1.2 million tourists traveling between Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park each year.
NEVADA
Las Vegas – Centrifuge, MGM Grand’s new circular bar, is the focal point of a new entertainment neighborhood, which includes a new poker room, a new race and sports book and the Studio 54 nightclub. The bar features musical entertainment and specialty cocktails from each of the casino-resort’s signature restaurants, infused with fruit and displayed in crystal bottles.
NEW MEXICO
Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa – “Dive-In Movies” will be featured on Saturday nights at the pool, where there also will be waterslide contests, and kids can have their hair braided and get temporary tattoos. The pool courtyard will feature American Indian artists selling and demonstrating their art every day but Mondays and Wednesdays. The resort, between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, is on land owned by the Santa Ana Pueblo. 505-867-1234.
Santa Fe – Carnaval! Santa Fe continues through Aug. 28 at the Museum of International Folk Art. The 10,000-square-foot exhibit brings to life Carnival celebrations from eight cities in Latin America, Europe and North America. www.carnavalsantafe.com.
TEXAS
Houston – Houston has a newly revitalized downtown. Downtown hotel rooms have doubled in the last five years; METRORail, the city’s light-rail system, connects downtown with the 16-institution Museum District; Reliant Park, home of the Houston Texans; and more than 90 new restaurants and bars along Main Street. On the weekends, four blocks on Main Street close down to vehicular traffic to become a pedestrian-friendly area called The Main Event.
VIRGINIA
Virginia Beach – Salute armed forces personnel and their families at the “Patriotic Festival: A Celebration of Our Military” May 27-29. Entertainers include Rascal Flatts, Big & Rich, Los Lonely Boys and Pattie Labelle. Tickets through Tickemaster.com; hotel packages at www.vbfun.com.
WYOMING
Grand Teton National Park – Jackson Lake Lodge will celebrate its 50th anniversary May 27-29. The public is welcome at a dedication ceremony at 2 p.m. May 28 marking the lodge’s status as a National Historic Landmark. Past employees are invited to celebrate the anniversary with a Western barbecue on May 29.
Travel editor Mim Swartz can be reached at 303-820-1599 or travel@denverpost.com.
