New Years Eve Getaways - Daytime TV Show

Where are some unforgettable places to celebrate New Years Eve? Here are some suggestions from The Getaway Girl® during her recent Daytime TV Show segment. To view, click on image above.

“12 Days ‘til Christmas” Getaway Giveaway Helped Women “Getaway” From Holiday Stress With $11,000 in Vacations

When the holiday season approaches, women’s stress levels start to rise. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the holiday craze, but the Girls Getaway Guide has a way to give back to women everywhere and help remind them how important it is to spend quality time with their gal pals.

The Getaway Girl® Casey Wohl just ended her Fifth Annual “12 Days ‘til Christmas” Getaway Giveaway promotion. Nearly 1,000 women from across the U.S. visited the Girls Getaway Guide website and entered to win $11,000 in fabulous travel vacations. The prizes were given away Dec. 1-19. On each of the 12 business days leading up to Christmas, a terrific girlfriend getaway vacation prize was awarded to a lucky winner. Many thanks to the following businesses that partnered with the Girls Getaway Guide to make this giveaway a huge success!

• Arizona Tourism Center
• Gaylord Palms Resort
• Orlando Premium Outlets
• Homewood Suites
• Inn On Bourbon
• Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel
• Tradewinds Island Resort
• Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort
• Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts & Spa
• Ocean Club Resorts
• Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Palace Resorts

And congratulations to the lucky ladies who won prizes this year. Stay tuned for next year's giveaway!

'12 Days til Christmas' GRAND PRIZE Winner Announced!

Congratulations to Jennifer L. of Dunedin, FL who won the GRAND PRIZE - a Girls Getaway to Cancun - in the Girls Getaway Guide's Fifth Annual '12 Days til Christmas' Getaway Giveaway!

Valued at $3,258, Jennifer and a friend will enjoy flights to Cancun, Mexico plus three-night stay for two at the all-inclusive Beach Palace Resort Cancun with Selvatica Tour and Underwater Museum Tour. Donated by: Cancun CVB and Palace Resorts

Hotelier Magazine's 'Passion Points' Article Features The Getaway Girl®

Check out this article from the most recent issue of Hotelier magazine, which features an article on Hotel Trends titled "Passion Points." It features The Getaway Girl® (wedged between the MGM Grand and Donny Osmond) who is quoted and featured in this magazine as the leading authority on the Girlfriend Getaway travel market (click links or photo to read article).

As Canada’s leading hotel publication, Hotelier magazine continues to define the standard for excellence in trade magazine publishing. Celebrating its milestone 20th anniversary in 2009, the award-winning national magazine serves as the authoritative voice of Canada’s dynamic and competitive $18 billion hotel industry.

12 Days til Christmas Update

As Christmas draws closer, the first 12 winner of the Fifth Annual Girls Getaway Guide's "12 Days til Christmas" Girlfriend Getaway Giveaway have been announced. The winner of the GRAND PRIZE Girls Getaway to Cancun will be announced on Monday, Dec. 19!

Dec. 1 - Girls Getaway to Arizona
Two-night stay for two adults in your choice of either Sedona or Scottsdale (winner’s choice). Donated by: Arizona Tourism Center
Value: $300
Winner: Saniel U., Scottsdale, GA

Dec. 2 - Girls Getaway to Arizona
Two-night stay for two adults in your choice of either Sedona or Scottsdale (winner’s choice) Donated by: Arizona Tourism Center
Value: $300
Winner: Anissa M., Riverview, FL

Dec. 5 - Girls Getaway to Arizona
Two-night stay for two adults in your choice of either Sedona or Scottsdale (winner’s choice) Donated by: Arizona Tourism Center
Value: $300
Winner: Cat L., Wilmington, NC

Dec. 6 - Girls Getaway to Orlando with ICE! VIP Package
One-night stay (including resort fee, taxes and self-parking for one car) during the Christmas at Gaylord Palms celebration, and four (4) combo tickets to ICE! Shrek the Halls attraction and SNOW! Donated by: Gaylord Palms Resort
Value: $425
Winner: Audra., Barboursville, VA

Dec. 7 - Girls Getaway to Orlando & Shopping Spree
Two-night stay at Homewood Suites by Hilton, plus a $125 gift card for Orlando Premium Outlets, VIP coupon book, VIP Platinum Passport & Chic Shopping Bag
Donated by: Orlando Premium Outlets & Homewood Suites
Value: $465
Winner: Laurie V., Sebring, FL

Dec. 8 - Girls Getaway to Orlando & Shopping Spree
Two-night stay at Homewood Suites by Hilton, plus a $125 gift card for Orlando Premium Outlets, VIP coupon book, VIP Platinum Passport & Chic Shopping Bag
Donated by: Orlando Premium Outlets & Homewood Suites
Value: $465
Winner: Kimberly D., Greenwich, CT

Dec. 9 - Girls Getaway to New Orleans
Two-night stay at The Inn on Bourbon in New Orleans in a Deluxe Suite
Donated by: The Inn On Bourbon
Value: $500
Winner: Cessie C., Coral Gables, FL

Dec. 12 - Girls Getaway to Santa Monica
One-night stay in a Deluxe Room includes dinner for two at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. Donated by: Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel
Value: $550
Winner: Debbie P., Sebring, FL

Dec. 13 - Girls Getaway to St Pete Beach
The Tradewinds Island Resorts’ “Barefoot Beach Babes” package, which includes a two-night stay for two, one breakfast for two plus two Beach Babe tote bags and a bottle of wine.
Donated by: Tradewinds Island Resort
Value: $830
Winner: Alex M., Lutz, FL

Dec. 14 - Girls Getaway to Florida’s Emerald Coast
Two-night stay in a Grand Complex 2-bedroom condo at Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort. Donated by: Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort
Value: $980
Winner: Renee T., Springfield, MA

Dec. 15 - Girls Getaway to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Three-night stay in a Junior Suite for two and one (1) 50-minute Swedish massage at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort & Spa. Donated by: Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts & Spas
Value: $1,220
Winner: LeeAnne S., Ada, OH

Dec. 16 - Girls Getaway to the Turks & Caicos
Three-night stay in a one-bedroom deluxe suite for 2-4 guests at Ocean Club West. Donated by: Ocean Club Resorts
Value: $1,397
Winner: Virginia C., Sarasota, FL

Dec. 19 - GRAND PRIZE: Girls Getaway to Cancun, Mexico (With Airfare & Tours)
Flights for two to Cancun, Mexico plus three-night stay for two at the all-inclusive Beach Palace Resort Cancun with Selvatica Tour and Underwater Museum Tour.
Donated by: Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau & Palace Resorts (www.CancunTravel.com)
Value: $3,258
Winner: TBA

Stressed About The Holidays? Here Are Some De-Stressing Holiday Tips

The holidays are a particularly stressful time for people, especially women. Women are charged with shopping, Christmas parties, keeping up with the kids, juggling holiday schedules, dealing with traffic and crowds, cooking, entertaining, hosting relatives/visitors, and a myriad of other details to assure the “forced family fun” that the holidays bring comes off without a hitch.
With all of these responsibilities, it is important for women to remember to take care of themselves in order to avoid fatigue and burn out and, most importantly, so they too enjoy the holidays. With that in mind, the Girls Getaway Guide has compiled the following list of ways in which women can take care of themselves during this stressful time of year.

Pamper Yourself - While your focus is often on others, be sure to take time out for yourself. Get a massage, a manicure, get your hair done, etc. Spa time, even if brief, is a great was to re-charge your holiday batteries and ensure some “me time.”

Escape Reality – Find a nice, quiet place to escape reality. Curl up with a book or magazine, take a bubble bath or just drink some herbal tea. This will help you divert your mind from the holiday madness and focus on something else for a while.

Schedule a Girlfriends Date – One of the best ways to release stress is to talk about it, and no one can relate better to holiday stress than your girlfriends. Schedule a “date” with them. Perhaps you meet for lunch or dinner, but make sure you set time aside to commiserate with those who understand you the best. Laughter will do wonders!

Exercise – It is important to remain physically active. Exercise will release endorphins into your body and help prevent emotional overload. Working out can include aerobic activity and your usual exercise routine, but it can also include relaxing workouts such as yoga and Pilates. Whatever you do, stay active and avoid falling into the sedentary lifestyle that the holidays often seem to catapult us into.

Be Organized and Delegate – Women often feel as though they have to do everything for everyone, especially around the holidays. You don’t. In fact, it is helpful to delegate tasks to others. It makes them feel helpful and a part of the holiday festivities. In order to delegate, one must be organized to evaluate what must be done. Coordinate a schedule, have a calendar and delegate tasks. This will reduce your stress and get others involved.

New Years Eve Getaways

New Years Eve is always a great time to reflect on the past year and look ahead to the brand new year ahead. And there’s no better way to ring in the New Year and a New You with an incredible (and even life-changing) vacation. Daytime’s Getaway Girl Casey Wohl is here to share some amazing New Years Eve trips with us.

India
On Dec. 29-Jan. 11, The Gandhian Legacy and Grassroots Development will be an epic New Years Eve adventure. Leading this unique tour to India are Dr.Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and his son Tushar Gandhi. Join Global Exchange on this once-in-a-life-time opportunity to hear Dr. Gandhi's first-hand personal stories about his grandfather and to retrace the footsteps of the great teacher of Satyagraha- non-violent direct action. Dr. Gandhi is a retired journalist, having written for the Times of India for 30 years. He is a tireless activist for peace, conflict resolution.

Tanzania
Looking to start your New Year with a major accomplishment? During the December 25th departure of the Kilimanjaro and The Serengeti 
Roof of Africa trip in Tanzania, travelers will begin their final ascent to the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro on December 31st. They will arrive at Uhuru Peak (Kilimanjaro Summit) on New Years Day. This will be the first year ever 
that this trip has aligned so perfectly.

St. Petersburg, Russia
Spend New Year's at the Czar's Ball in St. Petersburg, Russia. Russian Winter Wonder Land: New Year's in St. Petersburg - Nobody loves New Year's Eve like the Russians do - it's the most festive holiday of the year, with parties, presents, and champagne toasts. Ring in the New Year at a late-night dinner in a Russian home, feasting, raising toasts and singing songs. Or opt to don gown and tux and join the crème de la crème at the glittering Czar's Ball at Catherine's Palace.

Denver
With 300 days of sunshine, a walkable downtown, thriving arts and culture, an award-winning culinary scene, and the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop, Denver offers an affordable mix of urban sophistication and outdoor adventure.
If you are convinced 2012 will mark the end of the world, plan to visit Denver's Hotel Teatro (AAA Four Diamond award, one of the "Top 50 Large City Hotels in the U.S" in 2009 and 2011 and "Top 500 Hotels in the World" in 2010 and 2011 by Travel + Leisure, top ten hotels in the world on Expedia's 2011 Insiders' SelectT list, etc.).
The hotel is offering three special New Years Eve packages that focus on recovery, romance and dining that range from $339 to $400. And if you are convinced the world is going to end in 2012 and want to go out in style, they offer a “Live While You Are Alive” package that includes champagne, caviar, limos, helicopter ride, private butler, in-room massages and a $25,000 shopping spree. This package starts at $35,000.

Best Places to See Christmas Lights

You are never too old to enjoy Christmas lights, and there are plenty of places in the nation to gaze in awe at the dazzling displays. Many thanks to Y! Travel for these top destinations for holiday lights.

Baltimore, MD
When it comes to Christmastime magic, it seems that “34th Streets” across the country are a bona fide breeding ground for just that. Just look to Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood each holiday season, where for more than 60 years, a charming block of row houses on 34th street has been transformed into what’s been dubbed “Christmas Street” and the “Miracle on 34th Street.” Residents come together in a labor of love to bedeck their properties with a holiday hodgepodge of larger-than-life snow globes, flashing angels, musical trains, and blinking lights galore – a handful of the homes will even allow visitors inside to peek into their indoor Christmas wonderlands, as well (November 26–January 1; free; www.christmasstreet.com).

Try and coordinate your visit with the colorful “Parade of Lighted Boats,” an event where more than 50 vessels festooned with holiday lights illustrate Baltimore’s nautical and Christmas spirit on December 3 (free; www.fpyc.net). Plus, new for 2011, the harbor-front Power Plant building will shine with holiday lights, lasers, and 3D effects during early evening hourly show times (now–December 31; free; www.itsawaterfrontlife.org).

Newport Beach, CA
For more than a century, Newport Beach’s “Christmas Boat Parade” has delighted spectators with a “Christmas-sea” feeling all its own. A fine flotilla of some 200 vibrantly decorated vessels, from multimillion-dollar yachts right down to simple canoes, glides through Newport Harbor as holiday music and costumed carolers fill the air with melodious merrymaking. The brilliant boat parade (it’s the oldest one in the country) attracts close to a million viewers; it’s held nightly from December 14 through December 18 and lasts about 2.5 hours – show up on the closing night for a fireworks finale. Viewing areas for the beaming 14-mile boat route are on the public beaches and establishments bordering the Balboa Peninsula, the Fun Zone amusement area (where you can hear live commentary from Captain Mike Whitehead, the official voice of the parade), and Balboa Island.

What’s more, many harbor-front homeowners and businesses participate in the annual “Ring of Lights” contest, showcasing their own elaborate holiday displays, while providing a striking backdrop to the boat parade (free; www.christmasboatparade.com). Well worth a detour, the historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside (set less than 50 miles away) is the setting for an extravagant showing of more than 3.6 million holiday lights in its “Festival of Lights” event; expect 400-plus animated figures, live reindeer, and even snow machine-produced flurries – come on opening night for a fireworks display, to boot (November 25-January 8; free; www.festivaloflightsca.com).

Branson, MO
Nestled in southwestern Missouri’s scenic Ozark Mountains, the city of Branson transforms into a veritable winter wonderland each holiday season, bursting at the seams with lavish light displays and dozens of Christmas spirit-infused shows and events. For the most gleeful glitz, head to the 1880s-style theme park Silver Dollar City, site of “An Old Time Christmas,” with an elaborate light-and-music show showcasing no fewer than 4 million radiant lights and 1,000 decorated Christmas trees. Highlights include the musically inclined 5-story Special Effects Christmas Tree, which, along with the surrounding square, beams with over a million lights that “dance” to select Christmas tunes; there’s also a holiday light parade with light-embellished musical floats that runs twice each evening (now–December 30, closed Christmas Eve and Christmas; park admission of $55 adults and $45 ages 4 to 11 applies; www.silverdollarcity.com).

Shift gear for some yuletide cheer at the “Branson Area Festival of Lights Drive-Through,” a mile-long drive set aglow with some 175 luminous displays (now–January 2; $12 per vehicle; www.explorebranson.com), or opt for the “Trail of Lights,” winding through a 160-acre historic homestead, complete with themed sections, holiday music, and more than 4 million colorful Christmas lights – don’t miss the “Santa’s-eye view” from the atop the 230-foot-high tower (now–January 2; $10 adults, $5 ages 4 to 16; www.trailoflights.com).

San Antonio, TX
San Antonio’s River Walk is always a hotbed of activity, but the holidays take it to new heights, particularly so in 2011, with the infusion of 20 times more Christmas lights (thanks to the city’s move to more energy-efficient LED lighting). You’ll find the bulk of the 1.8 million holiday lights garnishing nearly 200 trees (done up with 10,000 bulbs apiece) and on 20 holiday-hued bridges, all brightened up even further by carolers bellowing their tunes nightly from passing river barges (singers perform November 26– December 18). The festivities kick off on November 25 (and run through January 1), when the switch is flipped and the “Ford Holiday River Parade,” complete with an entourage of lit-up festooned floats, unfolds.

The quarter is also home to the luminous “Fiesta de las Luminarias” on select weekends (December 2–18), whereby some 6,000 luminarias (candle-lit paper lanterns) symbolically light the way for the Holy Family. Come by after December 3, and you’ll also get to ogle the “River of Lights” spectacle, featuring over 100 underwater lights and fiber optic-outfitted water features along the new Museum Reach section of the River Walk (free; www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com). In conjunction with the amped-up display, the city is additionally holding its inaugural “Light Up Downtown Holiday Contest” in 2011, which has downtown business owners competing for the most creative holiday light displays – and your starry-eyed attention.

Girls Getaway to Aspen - Day 4 (Guest Blog)

Guest blog by Teresa Wagner

Our final day in Aspen and after tidying up Le Mazot, we headed out to the Aspen shopping center for lunch at Poppycock’s where I had a breakfast burrito (they serve breakfast all day…open until 2pm) with fresh fruit and Casey had the Turkado from the lunch menu. This was basically a TurkeyLT add avacado and swiss which Casey thoroughly enjoyed with a side of chili. We then wondered down to the Aspen Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory where I purchased a Macadamia Bear Claw…enough said. The shops in Aspen are high-end sporting a good representation including Burberry, Prada and Ralph Lauren with some specialty and gift shops as well. After wondering about and enjoying yet another windless, sunny mid-day, we headed east on our trek back to Denver for Casey to fly to LA the next morning.

On the way, we stopped in Glenwood Springs for a little more shopping and found some fun, eclectic shops including Confetti Design, Personality Clothing, Lavender Rayne and Treadz. A couple of hours shopping and we were back in the car and on the road again back to Denver.
En route, we got hungry again and stopped at Dam Brewery in Dillon, CO. We split a delicious chicken and sausage pasta served with salad and bread. Definitely, a homey, lodge-type atmosphere with a friendly waiter named David. We finally made our way back and called it a night and a successful and fun Girls Getaway with the Getaway Girl and my good friend, Casey Wohl!!

Girls Getaway to Aspen - Day 3 (Guest Blog)

Guest blog by Teresa Wagner

Today we focused our efforts on skiing at Aspen Mountain. After picking up our equipment from the super friendly and over the top helpful crew at Incline Sports, we headed up the mountain in the Gondola. We happened to be riding with a young man who quickly inserted his ipod into the player and serenaded us with music on the way up. He shared that his faves are Katy Perry, Lady GaGa and Black-eyed Peas. A couple of runs in, we needed sustenance and stopped off at Il Miluno slopeside for a small feast of Club Sandwich and Soup Sampler. All were uniquely crafted with the sandwich featuring a twist of fried egg in place of the usual ham and the lentil soup, egg drop soup and tuscan soup all outside the usual ingredients. After lunch, we sat and soaked up the sun as the weather was perfect with very little wind and not a cloud in the sky. Oh and I guess I should mention here, the flourless chocolate cake that I had for dessert that was more like a piece of fudge and just a little less than a slice of heaven! Content and relaxed, we just hung out for a while and then, headed up the mountain for one last run before returning to Le Mazot for some blogging and relaxation in the comfort of our own place. After another nap, we pulled ourselves together and headed out for more shopping and exploration. We ended up at Jimmy’s for dinner and ordered from the bar menu which is more than ample. I chose the Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Casey had the Southwest Ahi Tuna Salad. I substituted Mac & Cheese for the grits that accompany the pork which was an excellent choice as the Mac & Cheese is to die for!! After dinner, we headed back to Le Mazot and had a quiet evening watching movies and packing up for our expedition back to Denver tomorrow.