I Heart Travel

For those of you who watched my Travel Love Guru segments on television this week, here are links and information for the getaways and gizmos mentioned.

Valentine's Day/February Romantic Getaways in the Mid-Atlantic Region

Maryland:
Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay

The Four Seasons Baltimore

Virginia:
Colonial Williamsburg Romance Getaways and Historic Homes

The Goodstone Inn

Gizmos and Gadgets

Instead of paying inflated prices for a bottle of wine during your Valentine's Day getaway, BYOB and inflate a Vinnibag. Its compressed air chambers will keep packed bottles intact and packed clothing dry. $28

If you are rolling in a carry-on, you can't get more stylish than this bag from the performance-driven Tumi Ducati Evoluzione collection. $545 at www.tumi.com or Tumi stores.

Looking for a little his and hers action this Valentine's Day? What about matching high-end Royce Leather travel accessory bags? Made with fine grain Nappa leather, both versions have a waterproof lining and separate zipped compartments for liquids. His comes in black and tan ($115) and Hers comes in pearl pink, blue, green, and black ($95). Look for them on Amazon or at Brookstone stores.

A less expensive his and hers option is this red High Sierra Pack-N-Go Duffel . The duffel doubles as a backpack, and its carrying case transforms into a toiletry pouch. It's available at luggage stores and many major retailers, including Macy’s. $25-30

These little lunch carriers by KoKo will drive any girl cuckoo or to coo-coo. Adorable exteriors are teamed with insulated linings to keep hot things warm and cold things cool. And what else is cool--each bag comes with its own matching cutlery set. $20 For store information, go to www.cosmoda.com. In Washington, DC, Koko products can be found at Frager’s Hardware (Capitol Hill), Home Rule Inc (14th Street, NW), and Johnson’s Florist and Garden Center (Upper NW).

Finally, for something cozy and soft, the SeV Chloe Hoodie, lined in hot pink, will warm any woman's heart. Features include plush fleece cuffs with thumbholes and a dozen no-bulge pockets (with one especially designed for lipstick and another for an iPad). It's available at www.scottevest.com for $90.

Stocking Stuffers to Knock Your Socks Off...and Suitcases to Boot

If you still haven’t bought that perfect gift for your favorite traveler (or me--address provided upon request!), here are a few last-minute ideas. If you watched my segment on WUSA-TV in Washington today, here is the promised where-to-purchase information. If you are shopping online, however, you will have to make due with a product picture for Christmas Day itself. Or procrastinators can put a positive spin on the delivery delay and say they are extending the holiday.

On the Saturday before Christmas, you don’t want to find yourself at Best Buy, Target or Wal-Mart…you really don’t. Instead, hit a luggage store. No lines here, which, you must admit, is an anomaly when suitcases are in the picture. So many of us travel with boring black or blue bags, which can be easily mixed up at the baggage carousel. So, why not buy a present that pops? Heys Britto Collection is based on the designs of pop artist Romero Britto. Thanks to its polycarbonate material, the carry-on size weighs a mere 6.7 pounds. Yet, it’s as hard as nails in terms of protection. The Britto 22-inch bag retails for $300.
If you prefer something a little lighter, a little cheaper and a little less flashy, Heys 20-inch xCases cost $150. They weigh in at just 5.1 pounds. www.heysusa.com

If you prefer something super-duper lightweight, you can go with canvas. The Briggs & Riley BRX collection provides a lightweight solution with extreme performance capabilities. The Exchange Duffle is like two bags in one…it goes from duffle to backpack in one easy zip. Since the duffle compresses, it’s perfect for squeezing into small spaces, like overhead bins. It costs about $160 and is available at fine luggage shops. For a store locator-www.briggs-riley.com/

If you are looking for last-minute stocking stuffers for the traveler, iPad and tablet accessories will knock their socks off. Aside from being available on-line, you can find them at electronics and computer stores.

Love, love, LOVE the Menotek Waterproof Bluetooth Flexible Keyboard. Anyone who has been frustrated trying to write an article (ahem) on their iPad or a text on their iPhone will find this type of gift striking. It’s waterproof, it’s washable, and it’s wonderful. The retail is $79.00, but I found it on Amazon for $29.99.

If your travel/computer geeks are also yoga freaks, they will be head over heels…or heels over head…for this adjustable Gorilla Mobile Yogi for iPad by Joby. The Yogi stabilizes the iPad on any surface and offers adjustable viewing angles, including Downward Dog (left), Half Lotus (below) and Spinal Twist. You can also hang it from a bar, in case your exercise of choice is pole dancing. It retails for $39.95, although I found it cheaper on Amazon.


Joby also makes the Gorilla Mobile Ori for iPad for your favorite Zen master. Inspired by the art of origami, it’s a iPad case that bends and folds in multiple ways. Best yet--it has a swiveling hinge. It costs $59.95 at http://www.joby.com/

Speaking of iPad cases, this year's style is both fashionable and functional. In this case, if you want your iPad to look super skinny, just like a catwalk strutter, there’s the STM iPad Skinny case. Like its supermodel cousin, the case is sleek with a hard shell. It has an auto on and off front cover that wakes up the device, and control buttons are easy to access.
The foldable front cover can be styled for typing or viewing angles. It retails for $50, but you can find the case on Amazon for $30 or so. http://www.stmbags.com/

Endless Summer

According to the calendar, summer lasts through September 23rd. If you choose to wait until after Labor Day to experience a summer vacation, you're in luck. In general, September travel means lower rates, smaller crowds, and, if you are beach-bound, less traffic on the way.

For those who watched my segment on NewsChannel 8's Let's Talk Live...and even for those who didn't...here are a few more details for Washingtonians looking for the perfect late summer regional getaway.

Let’s start in Ocean City, Maryland. While the water and temperatures are still lovely after Labor Day, hotel prices tend to go down about 20 percent. September is prime golfing season there (with 15 courses in the area), so greens fees don‘t necessarily drop. But if you package golf with an overnight stay, you might be able to tee up a deal. Without traffic, it only takes about three hours to get to Ocean City.

While people often go to the beaches of eastern Maryland, they seldom head west. But Maryland’s western panhandle, located in the Alleghenies and just two-and-a-half hours from DC, is a feast for outdoor adventurers. Stay at the reasonably-priced Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort, located in Rocky Gap State Park near Cumberland. Go golfing on the resort’s Jack Nicklaus signature course or take a bike ride along the C & O Canal or the Great Allegheny Passage. You can also wander across the Pennsylvania border to Ohiopyle State Park, where you can go whitewater rafting into October.

Meanwhile, near the southern end of the Allegheny Range is The Homestead. September is a fine time to visit one of the country’s grande dame resorts, which is a five-hour drive from DC. Rates drop about 15 percent from the summer months, and cooler temperatures make for more comfortable hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, or golfing. If that’s not enough activity for you, you can fly-fish (endorsed by Orvis), hitch a horse, play paintball, or attempt archery.

If you want something a bit closer to home, how about taking your Romeo on a trip to Casanova? Casanova, Virginia, that is, home of Poplar Springs Inn & Spa. Less than a hour from Washington, the small inn offers rustic charm, gourmet food (served up by noted chef Howard Foer), and a topnotch spa offering soothing treatments and ointments for all of your ailments. Nearby, there are places to ride horses, stomp on wine grapes, or hit the greens.

Laura on TV: Refreshing Regional Getaways

My most recent Washington, DC TV segment on refreshing, regional getaways.



Links to the places suggested are listed in yesterday's post.

And just for vanity's sake, here's a Valentine's Day segment in which my hair is unaffected by summertime humidity.

Laura on TV

Hilton, Groupon and Microsoft recently hired me to present some of their new products as part of a summer travel satellite media tour. The video seen below is a one-take, unscripted taped round-up of the segment. Actual live interviews with television stations will be posted when available.

Sweetheart Deals

Please enjoy my most recent television appearance on TBD in Washington, DC. I get to the heart of the matter, offering tips for romantic getaways.

Suites for Sweethearts; Rooms for Romeos

For those who watched the travel segment today on TBD TV, more information on various Valentine’s Day deals within 200 miles (or so) of Washington, DC can be found by clicking the links below:

Kimpton Hotels (for Valentine’s Day deal, enter ROBES in the rate box)
Washington Court Hotel, Washington, DC
Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Maryland
Keswick Hall, Charlottesville, Virginia
The Boar's Head, Charlottesville, Virginia
The Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia
Omni Bedford Springs Resort, Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania