Alaska Sept 2013

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13hr day Backcountry Adventue Tour

Day 3

 

Quick coffee and off to a 13hr full day journey with Alaska Travel and Tours “Backcountry” motorcoach tour.  Here we boarded a clean “bus” not motorcoach and was advised it would be a bumpy ride since a portion of the highway into Denali was gravel not a paved road.  Upon hearing this I decided to sit closer to the front and found the ride comfortable.  During the journey stops were made for bathroom breaks and most importantly for taking photos of the wildlife. Goal was to see the “Big Five” in Denali National Park.  Luckily the passengers today saw all accept the wolves.  The ride went past WonderLake and arrived at the Backcountry Lodge owned by Alaska Travel and Tours.  We had a wonderful lunch and had the option of gold panning or taking a botany walk.  I selected the walk and found my favorite fruit; blueberries. 

 

Alaska Adventure Sept 2013

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Grand Denali Hotel

Day 2 

It is an early morning as we depart with Alaska Travel n Tours for the 5 hr trip to Denali.

Luckily the motorcoach departs from the AlaskaConvention Center and across the street is a charming coffee shop, Bean Roost, that offers various coffees and delicious caramels to ease the long road trip to Denali.  Alaska Travel n Tours operates nice clean motorcoachs, provides bottle water and snacks for the drive.  Since it continues to rain the early morning scenery is limited but we are awarded with moments of sunshine as we head out of the city into the mountains. 

 We arrive to Denali Cabins and settle into our cabin #34 to find comfortable two beds, heat and bathroom in a rustic cabin setting.  A good value and accommodations just 15 minutes away fro the DenaliVisitorCenter with free shuttle service.  Leaving our luggage and heading our immediately time was spent at the VisitorCenter viewing a  20 minutes movie on the national park and then off for a short hike in the mountains.  

Still plenty of daylight left time to visit Denali Grand Hotel and meet with the new sales manager, Dee Dee, to learn what is new at this popular resort on Sugarloaf Mountain.  Beautiful rooms with planned upgrades for 2014, maybe mini-frigs in each room?  Staff was very friendly and the views from this hotel were amazing!  To top of the day, dinner was planned at the Denali Grand Hotel and was the one of the best meals in Alaska at Alpenglow.  Seafood bisque and fresh halibut over steamed vegetables topped with a mango chutney.  Chef Jacob continues to serve amazing entrees however skip the desserts and enjoy a wonderful cocktail with a sunset view from this hotel.

 

Alaska Adventure Sept 2013

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Day 1

I start my journey from Boston to Alaska with connection service via Dallas. I begin to wonder if others feel it is worth the long distance to travel to this state, our 49th state of the U.S   Upon arrival it is rainy in Anchorage and  so it begins “travelers must be prepared for rain with layer clothing and cool temperatures in the 50’s”.   First night layover is at the Historical Anchorage Hotel, a charming hotel near the train and close to shops.  Large rooms, a bit old, however friendly staff and an amazing free breakfast make this a good value.  Time to get some sleep before heading out tomorrow to Denali National Park.Image

Heading to Denali National Park and Anchorage

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Heading to Denali National Park and Anchorage

Heading to Denali National Park and Anchorage

In 7 days I will return to Alaska and experience Denali National Park along with the city of Anchorage. Will I see wildlife? Will I see Mt McKinley? Will it be cool or warm and sunny? Will I continue to love this state? Check back for updates next week or follow me on Sensational Travel Facebook page. Happy Traveling....

Sandals La Toc Resort St Lucia

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What a wonderful resort with many features such as an activity pool or a quiet pool. Lots of watersports such as paddleboarding or waterskiing. Piano bar to enjoy or a street fair to dance the night away. Lovely rooms to chose from and of course my favorite is either the concierge service or a luxury Butler to cater to your wishes. Here are my favorite staff at the resort, general manager and hotel manager along with the sales manager. Mr Eliott, Mr James and Pearl!! Contact me about how we can make your next Sandals LaToc Experience special.

St Lucia

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As a Boston traveler it was to be two airplanes and a 1hr layover in Miami for a 7hr journey then a 1hr van transfer to St Lucia's Sandals La Toc. Was it worth it? We arrive into our Sunset Bluff Waterview Edge Room with time to swim in the pool, enjoy a drink at the swim up bar and watch a beautiful sunset before dinning at Armando's Italian Restaurant on the Sunset Bluff. Food and service was top-notch at Armando's! Yes, all was forgotton about the long travel day.

Windstar Cruises Fall Sale

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  Imagine sailing from Spain to Portugal for a 8 day voyage with Windstar Cruises.

Imagine that you can do this for as little as $1549.00 per person with Windstar Crusies “flash” sale ending on 9/1/12.  Contact Sensational Travel for details at  Marisa@sensationaltravel.com

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Over-Water Bungalows

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Featuring just 6 overwater bungalows plus two restaurants and a spa, the Coral Lodge is a boutique resort in a secluded part of the San Blas Islands in Panama. The bare-bones and eco-friendly approach means there is no TVs or internet here, so a distraction-free vacation is nearly guaranteed.

The resort also offers “romance packages” and several other extras, so this is still quite luxurious. The Coral Lodge also is great value, with perhaps the cheapest overwater bungalows in the world. There’s great diving and snorkeling, as well as horseback riding nearby, so this could be a perfect choice for the right people.

Caribbean overwater bungalow resorts that aren’t open

Sandals Grande St. Lucia – This famous all-inclusive resort is building 26 overwater bungalows around its private island just off St. Lucia, scheduled to break ground in August 2012 and open in February 2013. Curiously, they are billing them as “the Caribbean’s first overwater bungalows,” so perhaps their definition of ‘Caribbean’ is more limited than ours or the general public’s. Sandals is also reportedly planning on opening overwater bungalows at its Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay, Jamaica resort as well, though information on those is limited as construction permits have yet to be granted as of February, 2012.

Couples Resorts in Jamaica

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What a complimentary wedding?  Chose Couples Resorts in Jamaica!

Couples Resorts

are an adults only all-inclusive collection of 4 hotels in Jamaica. Two are located in Negril and two are located in Ocho Rios.

Couples Resorts

are a great choice for a laid back, island chic

Destination Wedding

.  Some of the wedding planners have been with these resorts for over ten years and assure you professional & caring service to plan a dreamy destination wedding or a wonderful honeymoon experience.

Couples Resorts Complimentary Wedding Package

It's all included* - an intimate wedding ceremony, gourmet dining and a relaxing His / Hers massage.

 Personal service of a minister

 Personal service of a Wedding Coordinator

 Bridal bouquet

 Boutonniere for the groom

 Sparking wine

 Two-tier cake

 His and hers half-hour massages

Contact Sensational Travel to learn more about these resorts and personal experience at Couples Resorts.

978-745-2575 or

marisa@sensationaltravel.com

Travel Family Reunions in Paradise

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Nothing Completes a Family Vacation like The Whole Family How do you get the entire family together and keep them happy with plenty of activities for every age? You take them to Beaches. Family reunions at Beaches give you the chance to spend quality time together while giving everyone the space to do what they love. Little kids can hang out with their favorite Sesame Street characters, teens have the Xbox 360® Game Garage, Scratch DJ Academy®, and their own places to hang. That gives grown-ups time alone to scuba dive, play golf or head to the spa. It’s the perfect way to please everyone in the family, because sometimes you have to get away to get closer together. 

Book 5 rooms or more & you will receive:

  • A Private Family Picnic (10 guest minimum)
  • One Group Dinner Gathering
  • Exclusive Family Reunion Activities
  • Family Portrait Session and 5" x 7" Family Photograph
  • Private Check-In For The Family
  • Delectable Farewell Cake
  • Family Reunion Concierge

Contact Sensational Travel for details, 978-745-2575.

Jamaica 2012 with Sandals Resorts

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JAMAICA 2012 with SANDALS RESORTS

Sandals and Beaches Resorts offers weddings and vow renewals your way, your style, your Sandals with many choices. Check out Sandals new wedding designer tool on their website to see how easy and affordable it is to plan a wedding ceremony and optional reception in the Caribbean.  Contact Sensational Travel at  978-745-2575 for specials and pricing.  View photos on Sensational Travel Facebook Page                              

http://www.facebook.com/sensationtravels

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Alaska August 12, 2011

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Another beautiful sunny day in Seward, Alaska and we begin by exploring the Seward Sea Life Center, Alaska’s only public aquarium. It’s a fascinating place with great live exhibits and an amazing group of puffins, including a few “educational puffins”. These puffins are not afraid of visitors and allow the handlers to hold them while educating visitors about their habitats, breeding, food supply, and predators. After a little walk around the piers in Seward we were off to our inside passage cruise with Silverseas on the all-inclusive “Silver Shadow”. We were delighted with our spacious stateroom, plush robes and a “pillow menu” from which we could choose from nine different types of pillows: goose down, feather, memory foam, buckwheat… whatever kind of pillows you want, you got ‘em! Our butler, Gideon, asked what he could stock the bar with, and that evening we had large bottles of Amaretto and Bailey’s magically appear! Following a wonderful dinner we spent the next 8 or 9 hours testing our pillow choices. Blissful!

Alaska 8/10/11

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It’s summer in Alaska and tourists are hoping for sunny skies and the opportunity to view the wildlife and amazing scenery.

We had a wonderful journey on the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Seward in the Goldstar Dome Car, a very comfortable way to spend 4.5 hours viewing some wonderful scenery. We checked into the Hotel Seward, a lovely little hotel in Seward owned by Mark & Mary Kulstad and their mascot dog, Cody. Very comfortable rooms, some with outstanding ocean views. Hungry? Stop by the Ranting Raven for fresh baked goods & coffee. Gift shopping for family? Find The Alaska Shop for one-of-a-kind items or the usual souvenirs. Want to try salmon fishing? Contact Wes Oetinger at Hotel Seward for expert guidance. For the less adventurous, Major Marine Tours offers a 4-hour harbor cruise that was exceptional. We saw eagles, puffins, porpoises, mountain goats and one humpback whale. A U.S. Park Ranger onboard offered detailed information about the area, wildlife and history of the area. Captain Terry provided up close opportunities to see the wildlife. A small, but delicious, buffet dinner on board included prime rib and grilled salmon. When we got back to the dock at 10:30 PM, the sun was just setting

Alaska Day 1

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Left Boston on 8/9/11 at 82 degrees, pass thru Denver at 96 degrees and arrived into Anchorage, Alaska where it is only 56 degrees.  I saw my first Bear!  Ok, it was stuffed in a display case at the Anchorage airport.  Tomorrow we board the Alaska "Coastal Classic South" rail from Anchorage to Seward and will experience their GoldStar Service.

National Hurricane Center Predicts Above Average 2011 Season

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Atlantic hurricane season begins Wednesday June 1st and the National Hurricane Center predicts that it will be an above average summer with 12 to 18 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes and three to six major hurricanes, which are Category 3 and above. It is wise for any American traveler going to the Caribbean or Mexico this summer until November 2011 to purchase travel insurance that allows you to cancel or change for any reason and especially for hurricane storms.  

Contact Sensational Travel for more information on how to protect your vacation dollars during this hurricane season at 978-745-2575.