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New Shows on Broadway in 2010

The Addams Family – They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky. A dream cast takes on the quirky characters in a new and original Addams Family tale beginning March 4. Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth star.

Fences – Denzel Washington and Viola Davis star in the first Broadway revival of August Wilson’s Fences. This is a limited run beginning April 14 through July 11, 2010 with limited availability of theater tickets. We anticipate heavy demand for this show’s performances.

Promises, Promises – Broadway’s first-ever revival of Promises, Promises, starring Emmy Award winner Sean Hayes (Will and Grace) as the enterprising associate on the way up, and Tony and Emmy Award winner Kristin Chenoweth as the cafeteria waitress whose romantic troubles have got her down. Begins March 27.

The Miracle Worker – Starring Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) and Tony Award nominee Alison Pill, The Miracle Worker tells the story of real-life Helen Keller, who suddenly lost her sight and hearing at the age of 19 months, and the extraordinary teacher who taught her to communicate with the world, Annie Sullivan. Begins Feb. 12.

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark – Julie Taymor (The Lion King) and Bono and The Edge (of U2) bring to life the iconic superhero Spider-Man, who as high school student Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider and develops astonishing powers. Tentatively scheduled to begin in September.

Just off the coast of Southern California away from the
hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, its freeways and millions
of inhabitants is a quaint little island in the Pacific
called Catalina. Catalina Island is only 22 miles long and
8 miles across and is a beautiful oasis full of wildlife,
quaint hotels, bed and breakfasts and Inns.  There are a
large variety of attractions on Catalina that include
snorkeling, fishing, shopping, hiking, spas and relaxation.
The island is easily accessible from both the Los Angeles
and Orange County areas of Southern California by either
boat or plane.

The most popular arrival method into Catalina Island is via
boat from the mainland in the town of Avalon. Avalon is
considered the central point of the island where visitors
can get information on all aspects of the Catalina
experience from lodging to hiking. Located on the eastern
coast of the island, Avalon is home of most of the hotels,
shopping and dinning opportunities on Catalina. Small
little streets and walking paths criss cross through
Avalon. At the center of Avalon’s shores is its harbor,
home to dozens of private yachts and sail boats.

Avalon is home to over 30 restaurants, hotels and inns. The
accommodations of Avalon range from small bed and
breakfasts to larger hotels. Outside of Avalon, Catalina is
known as a haven for campers and offers a variety of
camping opportunities.

All around the perimeter of Avalon are quaint drives and
hiking trails that branch out from the town center to
points all over the island. For those not inclined to walk,
there are many alternatives including golf cart rentals and
shuttle buses that take visitors from either end of the
island. The hiking trails on Catalina are expansive, yet
beautiful as on many points they afford hikers 360 views of
the ocean. One of the more unique attractions for those
seeking an outdoor and nature experience are Catalina’s
many free roaming buffalo. Originally introduced to the
island in the 1920s, the buffalo were used in many old
western Hollywood shoots. Today the buffalo population is
over 250. The island offers a safari like tour where
visitors sit in back of giant jeeps and are taken through
the area where the buffalo’s roam much like a tour you
would see in Africa.

Catalina offers many opportunities for engaging with the
sea life that surround the island. The island offers one of
the most popular snorkeling and dive spots in all of
California. Catalina’s water temperatures vary seasonally,
from a low in the fifties to a high in the low seventies.
As well as offering excellent visibility, Catalina Island’s
underwater gardens and spectacular kelp forests provide a
beautiful back drop for the diverse variety of marine life
and local fish.  In addition there are many hidden coves,
underwater reefs and cliffs, as well as dolphins, sea
lions, harbor seals and aquatic birds that are both
residents and frequent visitors along the coast of Catalina.

Catalina has many transportation options from the mainland
to the island. Catalina Express, a ferry service is the
most popular and departs with frequent service from the
mainland to Avalon. Visitors can board a Catalina Express
boat in Los Angeles, Long Beach or Orange County. The trip
is about forty five minutes. In addition there are daily
helicopter flights as well chartered and scheduled fixed
wing air service from Long Beach and Orange County.

The island of Catalina is a fun destination that is full of
sights and attractions that are fun for groups, solo
travelers and families. Popular all year round, Catalina is
a quiet and serene retreat that can be an easy escape for
all those visiting or living in Southern California.

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See http://journeycontinent.com for additional information
on what to see and do when visiting Catalina Island.

Here are a few more timely tips to save you money this travel season, 2010.

Bag fees are the new norm and the airline industry’s newest revenue stream. They are most likely here to stay but there are a few ways to minimize the extra cost of packing and bringing a bag.

Keep in mind that by paying for services you use, the base fare is less or so the saying goes. Minimize expenses by sharing baggage to maximize use.   Traveling as a family, ditch the Sponge Bob luggage for a real suitcase, and pack the bags as a family to minimize empty space. Check with your airline because each one charges differently, some are $25 per bag and others are $25 for 2,  some don’t charge at all.

The oldest trick in the book for saving money- Be flexible with your dates – if you can fly on a Tuesday or Weds, you could save a significant amount of money on your airline tickets.

In todays online travel landscape, each site is coming out with new useful tools to find the best fares, tools like calendar displays for low airfares and hotel rates offer a huge benefit to finding the lowest fare. Sites which search multiple sites at once are good too but for the most part I find these meta search sites end up filling up your screen with unwanted pop up ads and a ton of cookies. What I like to do is search each site and print out the results. You will find each site will have a Best Deal from a supplier partner- if you search the big three sites – Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity for hotels in Vegas you will clearly see who is working with whom and you can benefit from a great lead rate.

If you are traveling and need Air and Hotel and possibly a rental car- try booking a package. Some vacation packages can save you on average $340 or more than buying each component separately. All inclusive packages are a great idea for when you are on a strict budget but still want to eat and drink like there is no more tomorrow.

You can also go to locations where your dollar goes further. Destinations such as Las Vegas, San Diego, Hawaii and Florida are promoting rooms less than $70 per night for many peak travel dates- now is the time to shop around.

So what is a good way to shop around when you don’t have a lot of time? Well try setting deal alerts with some of these travel sites- they will notify you of when a fare drops or becomes available. Also- sign up for travel deal newsletters like Dunhill Vacations- they email you the best travel deals available for a given week- for your departure city too!

There are lot of options out there and travel suppliers are hungry for business, with a little bit of work on your part, you can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars on that dream vacation.

The Adirondacks Has It All.

Do winter storms get you down because they make going
outside such a challenge?  Then what better way can you
make use of your time indoors than to plan a warm weather
vacation?  And one of the best travel destinations,
especially for people who live in the northeastern part of
the United States, is the Adirondack region.

Image via Wikipedia

If you love the wilderness you’re going to adore the

Adirondacks.  Can you close your eyes and see yourself
canoeing down a swiftly moving stream that feeds into a
pristine mountain lake?  Or hiking beneath a canopy of
fresh sweet smelling young buds in the spring, large green
leaves that shade you in the summer, or purple, fire-orange
and gold leaves that almost seem to sear your retinas in
the fall?

If you prefer a more serene, idyllic approach to life how
does this sound?  Curl up with a good book and lounge on a
deck chair by a soft sand beach that’s next to a lake which
reflects the nearby mountain range in its shimmering waters.

Image via Wikipedia

When you travel to the Adirondacks you always have a choice
between “civilization” and adventure.   You can casually
explore the Olympic Village at Lake Placid, stroll down
Main Street in Old Forge, or hike to a hidden waterfall and
enjoy nature’s splendor.

No matter how you spend your day, wouldn’t it be sublime to
be pampered at night?  The Adirondack Mountain region has
more four start resorts than any other area in New York
State.  It offers you more ways to rejuvenate your soul
than just about any other area on the face of the earth.

You can thank the New York State Constitution for this
natural beauty.  It guarantees that Adirondack Park, a six
million acre sanctuary, will remain unblemished forever.
This sanctuary is a place where it is still possible to

walk in the tracks of white tailed deer, black bears, and
beavers.  And when gaze at the sky you can still see bald
eagles soar.

And if you are adventuresome, you can get the action juice
you need taking hot air balloon rides, seaplane rides, Lake

George cruises and more.

The Adirondacks are certain to inspire memories that will
last as long as you live.  Its unspoiled wilderness will
spoil you and the available activities will get your heart
pounding.

If you can’t wait till warm weather, why not  get out of
your snow bound home and head for this region?
Snowmobiling across the Moose River Plains, dog sledding,
and chair lifts up McCauley Mountain, and ski jumping in
the shadow of Olympians are just a handful of things to do
in this winter wonderland.

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Now, if you prefer to stay closer to home yet still enjoy
serene surroundings while having a sense of the wilderness,
take a look at Oxford Garden Furniture at
http://www.adirondackauthority.com/oxford-garden.html