december 24, 2009

Now Boarding

Need to find a quick meal during a lay-over in St. Louis, or perhaps share a taxi to downtown L.A.? Twitter now has the #Boarding app that lets you find people close by who can share tips or a taxi. Just tweet #Boarding and the airport code and you'll get a reply with links to other Twitter users. Check it out at http://www.boarding.fr/

New Luxury in Chicago

The Elysian, whose mission is to restore hotel-keeping and service to a standard reflective of the old days, has opened a flagship property in Chicago. The new hotel has 188 rooms and suites, a European courtyard, two restaurants and bar and a 14,000-square foot spa. Check out the "one more night" package that includes a complimentary third night if you purchase two.  www.elysianhotels.com

Montreal High Lights

The 11th annual Montreal High Lights Festival is February 18-28. Renowned chefs, wine producers and speakers are at the event, which features close to 300 gourmet food and wine events, culinary tours and wine presentations. The event also includes light shows and performing arts series. This year's festival pays tribute to the cuisine of Portugal and the featured city is New Orleans. www.montrealhighlights.com

New at Sundance

Robert Redford's idyllic place in Utah is undergoing a renovation and is adding the Redford Conference Center. Famous as the location of the Sundance Film Festival, Sundance has a variety of accommodations, dining establishments, a spa, art shack, a mountain bike school and nature center. Not to mention a beautiful catalog with gorgeous jewelry. New this year is the addition of night skiing. www.sundanceresort.com

Pick of the Week

As a travelgirl who needs to be constantly hydrated, I lug around a water bottle just about everywhere I go. So I loved the water bottle cooler sleeve of this compact Cruising Caddy. But this compact caddy can also hold my cell phone, camera, map and any identification I need in a small pouch. It folds flat for traveling and can be hand washed if needed. An alternate version for golfers includes a microfiber towel. $19.99 at http://www.thegolfingcaddy.com/crusing-caddy.htm