World Golf Village Offers Hero’s Welcome

Active or retired military or law enforcement take note:

The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village in Northeast Florida is offering a very nice “American Hero Rate” of just $89 per room, per night, to active and retired members of the U.S. military, U.S. police officers, and U.S. firefighters. The special rate also includes complimentary breakfast-for-two in the resort’s 500 South restaurant. The offer is available through December 31, 2010, based on space availability. You simply need to ask for the special rate, and then show your appropriate supporting ID upon check-in.

 

For golfers, the resort is also offering a special “American Hero Stay & Play Package,” which is also available to active or retired members of the U.S. military, U.S. police officers, and U.S. firefighters. The package for one golfer/one non-golfer in the room (or for one person in the room), includes: one round of golf on the popular Slammer & Squire championship course or the renowned King & Bear championship course; deluxe accommodations for one night in a newly remodeled guest room; breakfast daily for one; and range balls. The rate is from $169 per room, per night through February 11, 2010, or from $179 per room, per night February 12-May 31, 2010, based on space availability. 

 

The “American Hero Stay & Play Package” for two golfers in the room includes:  one round of golf on the Slammer & Squire or King & Bear, per golfer; deluxe accommodations for one night in a newly remodeled guest room; breakfast daily for two; and range balls. The package is from $259 per room, per night through February 11, 2010, and from $279 per room per night from February 12-May 31, 2010, based on space availability.

 

“Our nation’s military personnel, police officers and firefighters make so many sacrifices, for which we’re very grateful, and we’re offering this special rate and package so that they can enjoy a relaxing getaway at a beautifully remodeled resort,” said Mark Schwantner, general manager of The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village.

 

For reservations to The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village, or for additional information, call 888-740-7020 or 904-940-8000, or visit www.WorldGolfRenaissance.com

BCB

Skate With Your Sweetheart in Santa Monica

ICE in Santa Monica offers a cool, sweet Valentine’s Day:

Due to popular demand, ICE at Santa Monica, Downtown Santa Monica’s premiere outdoor skating rink will extend its operations until February 15, 2010. This recently announced extension makes ICE at Santa Monica the perfect place to spend Valentine’s Day with that special someone.

ICE at Santa Monica boasts 8,000 square-feet of real ice and a 400-square-foot rink for children ages six and under, making it the ideal place to make Valentine’s Day memories.

Skating works up an appetite, and the perfect compliment to an evening skate under the stars is dinner at one of Downtown Santa Monica’s fabulous eateries. Whether it be a casual bite or an intimate dinner for two, Santa Monica has options galore.

Anisette Brasserie, a romantic French bistro uses only the freshest of ingredients from the local Famer’s Market. Award-winning chef director Alain Giraud has created a lavishly hearty menu, and the extensive wine list makes toasting with a special someone especially enjoyable.

Long-time favorite Benihana features teppanyaki tables, where the food is cooked to perfection by a chef who is as much entertainer as culinary master. If Italian is on the slate, try Locanda Del Lago, which offers authentic Northern Italian cuisine. Located directly along the bustling Third Street Promenade, this charming restaurant recently received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and delivers perfectly crafted pastas.

For a casual rendezvous, Café Crepe or Rosti Tuscan Kitchen is a great spot for a sumptuous Valentine’s Day meal. Café Crepe specializes in both savory and sweet crepes. It’s within walking distance from the rink and is a great stop for dinner before or dessert after a twirl on the ice. A beloved community locale, Rosti features an expansive menu of salads, pizzas and pastas. If the entire family is in tow on the 14^th, Rosti is offering a Kids Eat Free coupon that is available at the ice rink.

Beginning February 1^st, five lucky winners will celebrate the most romantic day of the year in Santa Monica as Bayside District Corporation and 94.7 The WAVE give away two tickets to ICE at Santa Monica coupled with dinner for two each day of the week as part of The WAVE’s Online Contests. Visit www.947wave.com to register to win.

Located on the south west corner of 5^th Street and Arizona Avenue, (two blocks from Third Street Promenade) the rink is open from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:00 a.m.to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays through February 15, 2010. The rink will also remain open until midnight on Valentine’s Day. $10 admission includes skate rental.

For group bookings at ICE, please call the rink manager at 310-496-9880. For more information about the ICE at Santa Monica Valentine’s Day Online Contest, visit www.947wave.com or www.downtownsm.com.

BCB

Denver Hosts Après Ski

The Mile High City hosts the biggest ski party ever:

Visitors to Denver this month will think they’re right in the mountains – instead of a short drive away – when the Mile High City stages the “World’s Largest Après Ski + Ride Party” from January 28-30, 2010.

 

More than 60 bars, clubs and restaurants are hosting events to transform downtown Denver into a large ski village with all the excitement of an evening fresh off the slopes. Huge outdoor TVs at Denver’s Skyline Park will offer a live feed of ESPN’s Winter X-Games, directly from Aspen, Colo., while locals are encouraged to dress the part through “Wear Your Ski Gear to Work Day” on January 29.

 

The event is designed to welcome the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Snow Show, the world’s largest snow sports trade show, which after a 37-year run in Las Vegas is coming to Denver for the first of an 11 year commitment on January 28-31, 2010.

  

Visitors will be able to hang out with Aspen/Snowmass at Earl’s Restaurant and Paramount Cafe, cross the street and visit Steamboat at the Hard Rock Café, listen to live music with Telluride at Appaloosa Grill, hop on the 16^th Street Mall shuttle bus to party with Winter Park at the Wynkoop Brewing Company, or walk down the street to join Vail and Beaver Creek on the rooftop café of LoDo’s Bar and Grille. In addition to the bars and clubs offering specials from Jan. 28-30, many of Denver’s top downtown restaurants are participating, offering special menus themed to match the winter ski season.

 

Additionally, Ruby Hill Rail Yard, the nations’ first and only free urban ski and snowboard terrain park, is located just outside of Denver’s downtown core. Created by Winter Park Resort and Denver Parks and Recreation, the rail yard brings mountain sports to inner city youth and offers more than an acre of terrain, six rails of varying degrees of difficulty and free equipment usage by Christy Sports.

 

For more information and a complete events listing, go to www.DenverApres.com.

Finish Line Collects Footwear For Haiti

A Nashville athletic footwear store involved in a good cause:

Finish Line will help collect footwear to support Soles4Souls’ commitment to donate more than 1 million pairs of shoes to affected areas. Beginning January 22, customers at Finish Line will have the opportunity to drop off a gently worn pair of shoes. All donations will directly support relief efforts. The retailer will also offer a $5 discount on a new pair of footwear with the donation of a gently worn pair, subject to certain terms and conditions.
Soles4Souls has partnered with other relief organizations to transport and distribute the aid. Thirty containers of supplies, including footwear, clothing, food, water, and medical supplies are already en route to Haiti.
“As we struggle to comprehend the magnitude of this disaster, we cannot forget how important basic necessities – such as shoes – will be in the ongoing rescue and rebuilding efforts,” said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. “We deeply appreciate the longstanding support of our friends at Finish Line and their customers in helping us provide shoes to survivors and volunteers as they work in horrific conditions.” 

About Soles4Souls®
Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people like you. We distribute these shoes, free of charge, to people in need around the world. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away over 7 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes (currently distributing one pair every 9 seconds). The shoes have been distributed in 125 countries, including Haiti, Kenya, Nepal and the United States. Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages.

BCB

The company operates 679 Finish Line stores in 47 states and offers online shopping at www.finishline.com.

Nothing Spells Girlfriend Getaway Like Nemacolin

Former site of the PGA’s 84 Lumber golf tournament boasts two courses, skeet, Hummer course, horseback trails and fine dining. Need some girl time?

Women searching for inspiration as well as new information about personal wellness choices will want to participate in Woodlands Renewal – A Wellness Journey at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort the weekend of April 23-25, 2010. Designed to celebrate the launch of the spring season, the retreat has been fashioned for women and friends to renew, restore, and rejuvenate with an inspiring series of sessions on fitness, stress reduction, and nutrition, combined with pampering spa treatments, light cuisine, wine pairings, Yoga and fitness classes, and/or nature hikes. 

 

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, along with Magee-Womens Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), will bring physicians, health professionals and fitness experts together to offer practical tools for living a balanced life. Diverse educational programs on women’s health — including osteoporosis, cardiovascular awareness, mental sharpness, weight training, joint and bone health, and stress – will be interspersed with spa treatments, meals and fitness classes.

 

Woodlands Renewal package rates start at $749 per person based on double occupancy in The Lodge ($844 per person in The Chateau) or $1,069/$1254 (Lodge/Chateau) per room (single occupancy).   This price includes two night’s deluxe accommodations, educational sessions, fitness classes, specially prepared meals (reception, two breakfasts, lunch and dinner), a $75 spa credit and a wellness goodie bag. Additional spa services are available by appointment. For reservations or additional information, call 866/344-6957 or log on to www.nemacolin.com

Beautiful establishment with an attentive staff, and convenient to both Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob.

BCB

A Sporting Old Day in London Town

London is for sports travelers, and a new pass makes it affordable and convenient:

Sports-mad fans are urged to book a vacation with a difference and go on pilgrimage to four top sporting destinations with a little help from the London Sightseeing Pass.

In short, the London Sightseeing Pass gives travellers free and easy access to more than 55 of London’s top attractions including the Chelsea Football Club Stadium Tour, the Lord’s Cricket Ground Tour, the Twickenham World Rugby Museum and Stadium Tour and the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and Tour.

To make the most of the sporting summer, pilgrims should coincide their trips with the Wimbledon Tennis Championships (21 June – 4 July 2010) or the cricket season which starts in late May and continues throughout the summer.

While neither cricket nor rugby is a major American sport, the spiritual homes of these two quintessentially English sports, the Lord’s Cricket Ground and Twickenham World Rugby Museum, provide an excellent overview of the rules and insight into the history of the sports in the UK.

At Chelsea Football Club, you will be able to tread on the hallowed turf and mingle with other die hard fans, finding out more about the club’s history, top players and even its glamorous celebrity supporters.

Similarly, if you use the London Sightseeing Pass to get in free to the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum and Tour, you will get a behind-the-scenes insight into life at the major championships and if you are lucky, you may even see a few players or stars of the future warming up.

If, after your whirlwind tour of the top sporting venues in and around London, you are ready for a change of focus, the passes will also get you into attractions such as HMS Belfast; Kew Gardens; The London Bridge Experience and the Royal Albert Hall. Saving you money and time by skipping the long lines, you will definitely be glad you packed the London Sightseeing Pass in your suitcase!

Available for as long or as short as you want – from just one day to six – the pass costs approximately $65 per adult and $44 per child. The pass also offers additional discounts at a range of restaurants, shops and tours and comes with a free guidebook with a wealth of information and tips.

To find out more about the attractions included or to buy a pass, visit www.londonpass.com or www.parispass.com

BCB

Sea Island to Host New McGladrey PGA Event

Davis Love III brings fall event to Georgia resort:

The PGA Tour and RSM McGladrey, one of the nation’s leading accounting, tax and business consulting firms, announced today a three-year title sponsorship agreement that will bring a new PGA TOUR event to renowned Sea Island Resort on the southern coast of Georgia beginning in 2010.

 

The McGladrey Classic will be held October 7-10 as part of the PGA TOUR Fall Series and will be played on the Seaside Course, which has been featured in Golf Digest’s list of Top 100 Courses in the United States. Longtime PGA TOUR member and Sea Island resident Davis Love III, whose foundation will be the tournament host organization, will serve as Tournament Chairman, and his brother Mark Love will be Executive Director of The McGladrey Classic. TOUR member Zach Johnson, also a Sea Island resident and a “Team McGladrey” member, will serve on the tournament board.

 

The purse will be $4 million and the tournament’s charitable beneficiaries will include Special Olympics, the official charity of RSM McGladrey’s golf platform, as well as local charities in the Sea Island-Brunswick area. In addition to becoming a focal point of its charitable support of Special Olympics, the sponsorship expands RSM McGladrey’s existing presence in professional golf, which includes sponsorship of Team McGladrey comprising sixtime PGA TOUR winner and Masters Champion Zach Johnson, three-time PGA TOUR winner Chris DiMarco and LPGA TOUR professional Natalie Gulbis.

The Seaside Course, which opened in 1929, was originally designed by noted architects Harry S. Colt and Charles Alison, and in 1999 was renovated by Tom Fazio. It measures 7,055 yards and plays to par 70. The resort also features the Plantation Course, designed by Walter Travis and renovated by Rees Jones in 1998.

 

The McGladrey Classic will feature a 132-player field. Love and Johnson, both major championship winners and past winners of Fall Series events, already have committed to play. The Fall Series features late-season drama as players vie to finish in the top 125 on the PGA TOUR Official Money List to earn their cards for 2011. A Fall Series victory earns a trip to Maui for the season-opening SBS Championship, plus invitations to the following year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, THE PLAYERS Championship, Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley, AT&T National and PGA Championship.

 

 BCB

Amanresorts Expands To Hangzhou

Need to get away, in a most relaxing manner? Spa chain announces new Chinese location:

Amanresorts has announced the opening of Amanfayun in Hangzhou, one of China’s most beautiful cities admired for its graceful pagodas, gardens and tea plantations.  The resort is the 24^th property worldwide for Amanresorts and the second in China, joining sister hotel Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing.

A rural retreat 20 minutes from the heart of Hangzhou, Amanfayun lies in a hidden valley amid fields, temples, bamboo groves and dense forests. The hotel is housed in what was a complete village and incorporates 47 stone courtyard houses once home to tea farmers. 

Amanfayun features 16 rooms, 21 suites and five villas. No two rooms are identical and while the integrity of the original homes has been preserved, all accommodations have radiant under-floor heating, air conditioning and iPod and Wi-Fi connections.  Most open onto private or semi-private courtyards with informal outdoor dining and lounge areas. 

Running through the heart of the property is the Fayun Pathway. This is the village’s main thoroughfare, a stone pedestrian path that leads to rooms, suites, villas and the resort’s eateries, shops and public spaces. As at Amandari in Bali, the Fayun Pathway is a public thoroughfare and will serve as the atmospheric setting for vibrant festivals and fairs. 
 

The Amanfayun Restaurant, tucked behind a grove of evergreens above the Fayun Pathway, is the main bar and dining facility with Western ‘comfort food.’  Also on the Fayun Pathway is the Village Eatery for local Hangzhou specialties and there is a Tea House where a traditional tea service features Amanfayun’s Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea grown in the surrounding fields. Located in the center of the village is Fayun Place incorporating two courtyard houses that serve as the resort’s “front desk,” lounge, tea room, Cigar Room and library. 
 

An extensive Aman Spa consists of five buildings with tranquil courtyards housing a library, lounge and consultation area, Reflexology Room for traditional foot massages and three treatment rooms. A two-level Movement Studio, juice bar and Tai Chi, yoga and meditation rooms as well as a fully equipped gym, Aman Pilates Studio and hair and beauty salon round out the facility.

Amanresorts was founded by Adrian Zecha who envisioned a collection of intimate retreats in beautiful surroundings with the unassuming, warm hospitality of a gracious private residence. The first resort, Amanpuri (place of peace) in Phuket, Thailand, opened in 1988. Amanresorts has grown to encompass 24 resorts in Bhutan, Cambodia, China, France, French Polynesia, Indonesia, India, Laos, Montenegro, Morocco, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Turks & Caicos Islands and the USA.  

 For more information, visit: http://www.amanresorts.com/amanfayun/details.aspx

Record Snows Delight Lake Tahoe Skiers

It seems as if it’s freezing everywhere, from Miami to London. The upside? The ideal skiing conditions all over America, including popular Lake Tahoe-

Thanks to the snowiest December in the last decade, the seven Ski Lake Tahoe resorts are currently reporting some of the deepest base depths in the country along with top-to-bottom skiing and snowboarding at all seven resorts surrounding the lake region. For the second consecutive year, skiers and snowboarders were treated to a number of powder days over the holidays with impressive coverage and mid-winter conditions enabling resorts to open 100% of their terrain. This consistent snowfall pattern has been attributed to an El Niño weather scenario that has already resulted in the region receiving more than a quarter of its average annual snowfall total with more storms on the horizon.

 

Following a busy holiday period, the resorts will carry this momentum into 2010 by showcasing new terrain park features, on-mountain guiding services, backcountry programs, one-of-a-kind camps and clinics and upcoming special events. Not only can destination travelers headed to Lake Tahoe during the month of January enjoy incredible snow conditions, guests can realize their New Year’s resolution to take their ability to the next level through industry-leading instructional programs or by participating in the camaraderie involved in a multi-day clinic. With more resorts in close proximity than any other winter destination offering more diverse terrain and ski and snowboard options across the board, the options at Lake Tahoe are virtually limitless.

For further information and to directly book travel, lodging and transportation for Ski Lake Tahoe resorts and its travel partners, visit www.skilaketahoe.com

Win a Toyota Prius, And Help Some Legendary Baltimore Colts

Traveling to Baltimore? Before the Ravens, Baltimore (and beyond) adored its Colts. Here’s an opportunity to help save the environment, and some vintage Colts- win a Toyota Prius in the bargain:

WIN A TOYOTA PRIUS

and
HELP SUPPORT THE BALTIMORE COLTS PLAYERS IN  NEED

• “Fourth and Goal”, a 501C3 organization, is now selling raffle tickets to win a 2010 Hybrid Synergy Drive Toyota Prius.
  
• The price of each ticket is $10.00.
• All proceeds to benefit the ex-Baltimore Colts and other NFL players in need with a portion of the proceeds to benefit Sports Legends Museum, also 501C3 organization.
• The drawing will held at Piv’s Pub located in Cockeysville, MD on Super Bowl Sunday immediately following the game.
• Ticket holders do not need to be present to win.
  
• To purchase tickets, please visit either of the websites below or visit the Sports Legends Gift shop or ticket booth.

www.helpoldnflplayers.com
www.fourthandgoalunites.com

About the “Fourth and Goal” Foundation

In 2004, former Baltimore Colts appealed to the National Football League Players’ Association that John Mackey had served so well, in an effort to obtain assistance for their dementia-afflicted teammate. Despite the union’s assurances that they would help Mackey, the Colts’ repeated appeals to the NFLPA went unheeded and Mackey went unaided. For more than seven hours in 2005, nearly 30 ex-Colts signed autographs for 1,200 people and raised $25,000 to help support Mackey.

With that single fundraising event in 2005, with a blog and a Google Group that informed retired players of the issues, efforts to address those issues, and most importantly, the teammates who needed assistance, and with a media outreach that educated reporters, editors, producers, and sportscasters on the same, the Baltimore Colts’ effort to help a teammate grew into a national organization, Fourth and Goal.

The name “Fourth and Goal” was chosen because for many of the retired players who suffer physical challenges due to football injuries, it is indeed fourth-and-goal. For the past six years, Fourth and Goal has continued to advocate for retired players and to provide financial support for retired players in need. In addition to former Colts, Fourth and Goal has assisted veterans of nearly every NFL team.

Some of the same NFL stars you cheered on the field are now battling ramifications of football injuries suffered decades ago, including high health insurance premiums, pre-existing condition exclusions, costly prescription drugs, and debilitating injuries that prevent self-sufficiency. Help us help them. Buy a raffle ticket and take a chance on winning a 2010 Toyota Prius – generously donated by Mid-Atlantic Toyota dealers – and help retired NFL players. Tickets are just $10 each and only 3,000 will be sold. The drawing will be held on Super Bowl Sunday, February 7, 2010, at Piv’s Pub, Cockeysville, MD.

For more information or to purchase raffle tickets, please visit either of the websites below. Like our efforts on the football field, our efforts to help our retired teammates are a team effort. Thanks for being part of our team.

  

www.helpoldnflplayers.com
www.fourthandgoalunites.com

 The Baltimore Colts always cared about us…
so now let’s help them.