Celebrity Romantic Travel News, Early October 2005

Romantic Travel in Paris

The City of Light was transformed into a paparazzi paradise as a torrent of Tinseltown's elite flocked to Fashion Week. Beyonce and her beau Jay-Z checked into their suite at the Plaza Athenee Hotel before checking out the naughty notions on display at Agent Provocateur's show, while Uma Thurman lodged at the Ritz Hotel after attending Louis Vuitton's latest show. The Ritz was also the home base for "Basic Instinct" beauty Sharon Stone, who was spotted sightseeing from a bateau mouche floating along the Seine.

From her suite at the Georges V Hotel teen queen Hilary Duff could look out upon the Champs-Elysees and the Eiffel Tower. The singer/actress was in Paris to promote her latest CD, although she tempered her grueling work schedule with shopping sprees on St. Honore street, her boyfriend Joel Madden of the group Good Charlotte at her side.

Greece Getaway

Billy Zane, best known to cinematic romantics as villainous Cal Hockley in the blockbuster "Titanic," appeared at the Zappion Megaron in Athens, Greece for the opening of an exhibit displaying over 300 artifacts from The Ship of Dreams. The actor, himself a romantic at heart, is rumored to be planning a summer 2006 wedding to his long time lady love, actress Kelly Brook.

Cavorting in Cabo

During her time away from the Nogales, Arizona set of her latest movie "Bordertown," Jennifer Lopez enjoyed a romantic getaway with husband Marc Anthony at Las Ventanas in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The posh resort has become a haven for Hollywood heavyweights, and rumours persist that it will soon be the locale for the most anticipated celebrity event of the season-- the wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

Spooky Fun

Actor Chris Rankin, better known to "Harry Potter" fans as Percy Weasley, brewed up some fun along with other magically-minded attendees of the "Witching Hour" festivities, a three-day Salem, Massachusetts symposium celebrating the works of author JK Rowling.

Dieter Schmitz and Jessica Smith from MTV's "Laguna Beach" had a ghoulishly good time inside the 3-D maze set up at Knott's Scary Farm Halloween Haunt, an annual event held at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California.

Royal Ramblings

Britain's Prince William, who is soon to follow in his younger brother's footsteps by enrolling in Sandhurst Military Academy, is currently enjoying country pursuits as he works on the Chatsworth Estate in Derbyshire, where the future king of England lodges in the property's 16th century hunting tower. Chatsworth House, which is open for self-guided tours, will soon be in the spotlight as one of the venues featured in the upcoming adaptation of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," starring Keira Knightley.

New Mexico Sightings

The residents of Santa Fe, Taos and Lordsburg may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of former 007 Pierce Brosnan and "Star Wars" alum Liam Neeson as production begins on October 17, 2005 in New Mexico on "Seraphim Falls," a Civil War drama slated for a 2007 release.

Hawaiian Hotspot

Constructed on land which once belonged to Hawaii's last queen, it seems only fitting that The Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa would be visited by Hollywood royalty, and in mid-October actress Kate Hudson, along with her co-stars in the upcoming comedy "You, Me and Dupree," Owen Wilson and Matt Dillon, enjoyed their time away from the set at a party held at the Maharajah Ultra Lounge, the new Hawaiian hotspot located inside the 1,310-room luxury hotel.

Scottish Stand-Ins

The regal appearance of Scotland's Blairquhan Castle will stand in for Balmoral Castle in the currently in production drama "The Queen," in which actress Helen Mirren portrays the current British monarch, torn between private sorrow and royal duty in the days following Princess Diana's death.

Shanghai Shenanigans

Lovebirds Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts recently jetted off to Shanghai, China to step in front of the camaras for the movie adaptation of Somerset Maugham's classic "The Painted Veil," which co-stars Edward Norton. Scenes have already been filmed in Huangyao for this remake of a 1934 flick starring Greta Garbo, which will be shot in its entirety in China.

Are Aniston and Vaughn an official couple? - Access Hollywood - MSNBC.com

Updated: 6:03 p.m. ET Oct. 19, 2005
What new Hollywood couple were seen dancing, singing and meeting the guy’s Mom?

Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, who made the cover of People magazine for doing just those things.

It looks to Access like Jen has bounced back in a big way.
With a smiling Jen on the cover — and the headline: “Hot New Romance” — it’s official. Jen and Vince are a couple!

“I definitely think there's a romance going on there,” said Larry Hackett, of People. “These are two people who feel its OK to be out in public and showing their affection.”

Jen’s been single for 10 months following the breakup of her marriage to Brad Pitt.

People guru Hackett isn't kidding. Jen, and her “Break Up” co-star, were seen openly kissing all over Chicago.

“Could you have possibly chosen a different title [for the movie]?” Access’ Billy Bush asked Jen in Las Vegas.

“Well, ya' know, I figured just seize the moment, ya know,” Jen told Billy.

Jen and Vince met on the “Break Up” set and have denied being a couple ever since!

“Nothing wrong with having pretty girls around, always makes the day go faster,” Vince said early on.

“We're not dating, but she's a lovely girl!” Vince told David Letterman.

Vince was undaunted by the constant tabloid speculation

“I don't take it personally, ya know, people are trying to sell papers,” said Vince, in an interview.

Well, they're selling now! On Oct. 11, Jen flew 1,800 miles from a magazine photo shoot to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to be with Vince.

The two were reportedly spotted in Chicago “kissing and making out” at the Holiday Club bar.

“They usually come in late at night, so nobody really bothers them,” said Tim Juliusson of the Holiday Club.

Two days later, the pair were seen kissing at the legendary Chicago steak house, Gibson’s.

On Friday, Oct. 14 — with Jen sitting on Vince's lap — the pair shared a kiss before strolling around Lake Forest where Vince grew up. The couple even had lunch with Vince's mom and stepdad.

“That's something people do when they feel it's a serious thing,” Hackett said. “And it's someone you want to meet, you're proud, you're happy about it, you want to show them, ‘Hey, this is my mom. This is where I'm from. This is my life,’” Hackett explained.

On Saturday, People reported the pair were snuggling and reading the morning papers on Jen's hotel terrace.

The couple is in Los Angeles Wednesday, with Vince hanging out at the newly-renovated Friar’s Club, where his friend, and “Swingers” co-star, Jon Favreau, is hosting.

And Thursday, Jen will co-host “Couture Cares: A Benefit For Breast Cancer” in Bel Air.

All Fresh Beef, Chicken and Eggs to Be Confiscated in Mexico

October 17 - Cabo San Lucas, BCS

Captain Patricia Rains, co-author, along with her husband Captain John Rains, of the Mexico Boating Guide, explains why these products will be confiscated again this year:

"Victor Barreda, a ship's agent in Cabo San Lucas, asked me to please remind all yatistas - and especially those in the Baja Ha-Ha and Class of '05 - that all fresh (uncooked) U.S. beef, chicken, and eggs are still banned in Mexico, and will be confiscated and incinerated by officials. This is due to Mad Cow disease and the Avian (bird) Influenza HFN1 and H5N2. Officials have the right to inspect all boats and their freezers.

"The bird virus is a serious problem for Mexico because their entire poultry industry got wiped out to zero about 20 years ago. Ever since, they've been inoculating against N5H2, but the newest outbreak is N5H1, which the chickens aren't protected against. If one tiny scrap of uncooked chicken or egg got into the garbage dumps or went overboard into coastal waters, it could be picked up by seagulls and pelicans, and be transported far inland through their droppings. That's how the last epidemic got passed from coast to coast. So, yeah, they're real edgy about it. And yes, we ought to do all we can to help. So I hope all the cruisers headed south get the message before they provision for an entire winter, as nobody wants to have to confiscate a lot of expensive food."

Rains also has some definitive information on the rumor - which apparently got started in Charlie's Charts - that yachties are required to have health certificates when they arrive in Cabo:

"Cabo San Lucas is NOT requiring a health certificate from yachties who enter the country there. John and I have been getting a lot of calls from worried and angry cruisers, so we contacted Victor Barreda in Cabo. He's been there for 40 years and hadn't ever heard of it, but just to be sure, checked with the port captain and also with both the state (Baja) and federal (international) health department officials. Everyone said, 'No way.' Not at Cabo nor at any other port in Mexico. With tourism such an important part of the Mexican economy, they'd like to know who started this false rumor."

But we also have some bad news from the Rains. The much-improved Second Edition of their Mexico Boating Guide will not be ready for the start of the cruising season. It won't be printed until about Thanksiving. We'll let you know as soon as it become available and where.

Tracking the Migration of Warblers By JOE EATON Special to the Planet

All through September, I’ve been seeing warblers in the backyard: not the yellow-rumps that spend the winter, but migrants of other species stopping over during their southbound flight—yellow warblers running the gamut from bright to drab, orange-crowns, a female Townsend’s, at least one Wilson’s.
Fall warbler identification on our flyway is easier than back east, where you have to contend with a myriad of species and some really nondescript first-year plumages. East or west, Wilson’s is one of the easiest: a small bright yellow bird with a green back and, in adult males, a black yarmulke. Its name honors Alexander Wilson, a contemporary and competitor of Audubon who lacked his rival’s flair for the dramatic and talent for self-promotion.

There’s always an element of mystery when it comes to migrants: Where have they come from, and where are they headed? Some western warblers, like the Townsend’s warbler, end up somewhere in California; most, including the Wilson’s, are bound for Mexico and Central America. With both breeding and wintering habitats under pressure, it’s become important for conservationists to learn which populations winter where and what routes they take. For warblers, that’s something of a challenge.

Historically, banding (or as the British call it, “ringing”) was the best key to the travels of migratory birds. It’s still important: thanks to banding studies, we know that less than 11 percent of first-year Wilson’s warblers nest near where they were hatched, although they tend to return to their first nest site in succeeding years. The technique has its limitations, though. No matter how many songbirds you band in their summer habitat, the odds of detecting banded birds on their wintering grounds are vanishingly small.

As of the turn of the century, 140,000 Wilson’s warblers had been banded in the United States and Canada; only three of those were ever recovered in Mexico and Central America.

For larger birds, like the stars of Winged Migration, there’s now a high-tech alternative: portable radio transmitters that allow satellite tracking. A recent study of northern pintails, for instance, followed one duck from the Sacramento Valley through the Warner Valley in Oregon and the Kenai Peninsula and Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in Alaska to her stopping point on the Kanchalan River in Siberia. Radiotelemetry has also worked with hawks and albatrosses. But a Wilson’s warbler weighs about a third of an ounce, and rigging it with a transmitter is just not practical.

To a limited extent, genetic analysis can indicate a migrant’s point of departure. Studies of both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA show a clear distinction between eastern and western populations of Wilson’s warblers. But with nuclear DNA, at least, it’s harder to discriminate between, say, a California breeder and a bird from the northern Rockies. Biologists speculate that there’s a lot of gene flow among western populations.

The best clue, it turns out, is feather chemistry. The isotopic content of a warbler’s feather can reveal how far north it was when the feather grew—and to a degree, how far uphill and away from the seacoast. An isotope, remember, is a stable form of an element like carbon or hydrogen, with a specific atomic weight.

Carbon can be either C12, with six protons and six neutrons, or C13, with an extra neutron. Add a neutron to plain hydrogen and you get deuterium. The ratio of heavy to normal carbon and hydrogen isotopes is related to latitude: the nearer the North Pole, the higher the proportions of deuterium and C13. These elements follow a path from rainfall to plants to plant-eating insects to insect-eating-warblers. When a warbler goes through its summer molt after nesting, the new set of feathers it grows contains a distinctive isotopic signature.

So all you have to do is mist-nest a warbler in Mexico or Costa Rica, snip a feather sample, and run it through your mass spectrometer, and you’ll have a rough idea of the location of its breeding grounds. The technique was apparently first used by biologists at Dartmouth with the black-throated blue warbler, an eastern species that winters in the Caribbean. Other researchers, including Sonya Clegg and Mari Kimura at San Francisco State’s Center for Tropical Research, then applied it to western birds like the McGillivray’s and Wilson’s warblers. The San Francisco State group also looked at genetic patterns for a finer-grained resolution.

As reported in a 2003 article in Molecular Ecology, the hydrogen isotopes had some interesting stories to tell about the travels of the Wilson’s warbler. The bird shows a pattern of “leapfrog migration”, with the northernmost nesters wintering farthest south—a phenomenon previously documented for a few other species, like the fox sparrow. Since coastal nesters have higher deuterium values than interior nesters, Clegg, Kimura, and their colleagues were also able to report that warblers from coastal sites like Oregon’s Siuslaw National Forest and California’s Pillar Point spend the winter in western Mexico—Baja California Sur and Sinaloa, to be exact. Colorado warblers, on the other hand, migrate to comparable latitudes in eastern Mexico.

Given that, I could conclude that the Wilson’s I saw from my back steps was headed for the neighborhood of Cabo San Lucas, or maybe Mazatlan. And I could only hope that it found semi-intact habitat when it got there. Wilson’s is less specialized in its wintering-ground preferences than some other warblers; in Costa Rica, it’s even been observed above timberline, in the chilly paramo. But it would find a cornfield, or a beach resort, less than ideal.

Rivals vie for Mexico routes

Frontier, United expect to benefit under new pact

By Chris Walsh, Rocky Mountain News
October 15, 2005

Rival airlines United and Frontier have launched a host of new flights from Denver to Mexico in recent years, pushing their competitive battle south of the border.
But a new aviation agreement between the U.S. and Mexico could turn out to be a mixed blessing for the carriers.

The agreement essentially allows three airlines from each country to fly between any U.S. city and any of 14 Mexican destinations. In the past, only two airlines from each country were allowed to serve any of the routes.

The aim of the expanded agreement is to increase service, boost competition and reduce ticket prices.

"This was meant to liberalize the market and enable more service between the two countries," said Bill Mosley, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Transportation. "Lowering fares certainly is a major part of it."

The agreement unlocks new opportunities for United and Frontier - Denver's two largest carriers - to launch service to Mexico from other U.S. cities.

But it also means the carriers could face more competition on their Mexico routes from Denver because they might face a third rival on some routes. Mexico also has seen a rise in low-fare carriers that might expand service to the U.S., which could put further pressure on United and Frontier.

"This certainly might create price competition in Denver, which could cut the growth of the Mexico opportunity" for Frontier and United, said Mike Shonstrom, an analyst with Shonstrom Research Associates in Denver.

Both carriers acknowledge the competitive threats but say they expect to benefit from the agreement.

United, which plans to increase its flights from Denver to Cabo San Lucas and add service to Cozumel this winter, said it now has the opportunity to apply for routes it couldn't serve before.

"Generally, we view the agreement as good news," said United spokesman Jeff Green. "We definitely hope to see some opportunities, as we can pursue markets that were unavailable to us."

Frontier is optimistic, as well.

"Moving up the limit to three carriers won't affect us too horribly," said Frontier spokesman Joe Hodas. "We don't expect to see a tremendous surge by a third party to come in here and become more competitive than Frontier and United already are."

Both airlines are making efforts to capitalize on the agreement, which is scheduled to go into effect later this month.

Frontier has applied for the third slot to provide service from Chicago to Cancún, previously blocked off because American and ATA already fly the route. It's also trying to get the third spot on the Los Angeles-Cabo route, which American and Alaska serve.

It's part of the carrier's move to expand outside its Denver hub, particularly from U.S. cities to Mexico destinations.

But Frontier already faces competition just trying to get approval to fly the routes. Delta also is applying for the third slot on the Los Angeles-Cabo routes, and two other airlines have applied for the last Chicago-Cancún route.

United plans to apply Monday for the right to fly from Chicago to Cancún and Puerto Vallarta and from Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta and Cabo, according to documents filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation. It also is waiting for a decision on its bid for Los Angeles-Cancún service.

When several airlines vie for an open slot, the DOT chooses a carrier based on "what's in the best public interest," Mosely said.

The criteria vary depending on the situation and are not set in stone. Some carriers win the rights to a route because they plan to start service immediately, while others are approved for other reasons.

Stuart Klaskin, an aviation consultant in Miami, said he thinks Frontier and United will see increased competition from other carriers in one form or another. But he said that could be offset by rising overall demand for flights to Mexico nationwide.

Klaskin also believes the new agreement is beneficial for the entire airline industry.

"What's happening is that there's this rising tide of demand on both sides of the border," Klaskin said. "So anything that goes toward expanding capacity between the countries, both in terms of trade and tourist links, is a good thing."

More options to Mexico

Denver's two largest airlines fly from Denver InternationalAirport to several hot spots in Mexico.

UNITED

• Current Destinations: Cabo San Lucas, Cancún, Puerto Vallarta and winter service to Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo

•Upcoming(in December): Cozumel

FRONTIER

•Current Destinations: Cabo San Lucas, Cancún,Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta.

• Upcoming(in December): Cozumel, Acapulco

A new agreement between the U.S. and Mexico allows three airlinesfrom each country to fly between any U.S. city and any of 14 cities inMexico: Acapulco, Cancún, Cabo San Lucas, Cozumel, Guadalajara,Huatulco, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Loreto, Manzanillo, Mazatlán, Merida,Monterrey, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta.

walshc@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-2744

Lavish tastings let travelers savor Mexico's best tequilas

Elana Ashanti Jefferson
The Denver Post
Oct. 15, 2005 12:00 AM

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - Armando Delgado sat at a table swathed in bright woven fabric, facing a tiled bar where tourists ogle a vat of homemade rattlesnake tequila brewed from an Indian recipe once thought to cure arthritis and kidney problems. He could have been mistaken for an old borracho (drunk) were it not for his grandfatherly smile and the pen tucked into the pocket of his pastel golf shirt.

Delgado is the tequilero at Pancho's Restaurant & Tequila Bar, a hangout founded by American cocktail connoisseurs who have amassed some 500 types of tequila and mescal. Pancho's once boasted the world's largest tequila selection, before similar bars sprouted in the United States.

Delgado sits in front of three bottles containing clear, gold and amber liquids. The tequilas - one blanco, one reposado and one anejo - are arranged near a wooden platter where fresh-cut limes flank a mound of salt and four squat glasses. advertisement

Mexico embraces travelers interested in learning to negotiate its national drink - tequila. While the American love affair with the potent nectar of blue agaves began about a century ago, the latest notch on tequila's bedpost comes from this country's culinary elite.

Tequila-based cocktails such as tamarind, ginger and prickly pear margaritas - served in sleek barware instead of bulbous beach glasses - are becoming staples at trendy restaurants and nightspots. And that means Mexico's tequila tourism is as likely to lure travelers into a tasting at a restaurant in a largely English-speaking resort town like Cabo San Lucas as it is to reveal tequila's cultural legacy via tours of Mexico's famous distilleries.

"Tequila is truly the 'essence of Mexico' reflecting its people's warmth, strength, and passion," writes John Bragg, Pancho's owner and original tequilero, in one of his many essays on the subject. "Tequila is not for the fainthearted, but is well-suited for (people) who are enraptured by the gusto of drinking, eating and living."

Bragg's protege, Armando Delgado, insists that anyone who buys Pancho's $45 tequila tasting have something to eat before the one-hour liquid tour. He begins the "master of tequilas" course by talking about the mural of Jalisco on the restaurant wall. Dotted with small, prickly, blue plants and cultural icons like mariachi singers and Spanish colonial churches, the mural indicates the dominant tequila production areas within Jalisco, Mexico's primary tequila-producing state. There, Delgado says, tourists can visit distilleries in and around the town of Tequila, which sits in the shadow of the Tequila volcano. "All of those names on that map are regions with tequilas," he says.

Mature blue agaves are as tall as he his, the tequilero continues. Often confused with cactus, blue agaves are native to Mexico and grow wild, though only some of them are suitable for tequila.

The Aztecs and their descendants once used a fermented beverage from agaves called pulque for medicinal and ritualistic purposes. But it was the arrival of the Spaniards that sparked the booming tequila and mescal industry in Mexico, which produces about 210 million liters a year, according to Newsweek. And Latin American scholar Ron Mader writes that more than a third of that tequila ends up in the United States.

Delgado places his hand on a plastic gas can sitting on the table in front of him. "The green (agave) is mainly used to make the beverage we call mescal," he says. Pancho's distills its own tequila and mescal, serving the latter, a more primitive drink than tequila, from a gas can to underscore its fiery might.

"It's like drinking gasoline," Delgado says with a smile. A native of Acapulco, Delgado had his first brush with the American tequila romance as a boy when he sold Chiclets to tourists outside nightclubs in his hometown.

Travelers who prefer to venture away from Mexico's beach towns and into the country's heartland can find numerous tequila tours. In Mazatlan, for instance, Vista Tours offers a five-hour trip to "La Vinata," the only distillery in the state of Sinaloa. The family-friendly Vallarta Adventures out of Puerto Vallarta offers a full-day tour of Tequila and Guadalajara, an area that fostered the original mariachi and boasts breathtaking 16th century architecture. And the National Chamber of Commerce of Guadalajara operates the Tequila Express, a one-day train trip that includes a walk through the Tequila Museum and two distillery tours. Tickets are available through several cultural agencies in Guadalajara, as well as through Mexico's Ticketmaster system.

The most enriching tequila research most certainly happens right in the town of Tequila, where companies like Sauza, Don Julio and Jose Cuervo, which has been making tequila there since the late 1700s, offer tours of their distilleries complete with a peak at the blue agaves and tequila tastings.

"They go all out," says Jose Lara, owner of a Denver tequila bar and restaurant. Born in Guadalajara, Lara has family members who still work in the agave fields. He's also buying his own small tequila distillery.

"They feed you, and they have a bunch of recipes for dishes made with tequila," Lara says of the distillery tours popular among his relatives. "For someone who's into tequila, it's great."

Any attempt to understand tequila is also likely to debunk a few popular myths. Most tequilas, for instance, are never bottled with worms. Worms are more common in mescal, and they are edible.

Another myth is that you get what you pay for. Certainly true when it comes to designer shoes but not necessarily the case with tequila. In Mexico, the country's top-rated brands generally sell for $20 to $30 a bottle.

Back at Pancho's, Delgado discusses pictures of tended agave fields and the "jimadores" who chop away the plant's tough leaves to reveal its 100- to 150-pound, bulb-shaped heart. "The Indians used to dance on the top of the bulbs like grapes," he says.

Then he talks about the way huge, heated rooms once served as distillery ovens before autoclaves became the dominant way to harvest the blue agave's rich sugars. The sugars ferment for several days to produce silver, or blanco, tequila, and age for anywhere from a few months to more than a year to make the reposado (rested) and anejo (aged) tequilas. The latter is often preferred by longtime tequila drinkers like Delgado, but preferences generally boil down to each person's taste, he says.

Not that Delgado sits around shooting back glasses of the stuff like an Old West gunslinger downing a bottle of whiskey. Those in the know sip and savor tequila. They never shoot it and rarely mix it.

Delgado wraps up by pouring each of the three types of tequila on the table, along with Pancho's own brand of mescal. Here the class dissolves into a midday social as tequila novices sip the selections and the tequilero turns a tangent into an entire conversation about life and changes in Cabo San Lucas.

At the end of the hour, Delgado's pupils leave the restaurant with red-trimmed certificates indicating each "completed the full course of requirements, which includes the consumption of large amounts of tequila." Their "masters" in hand, the tourists head back to hotels and villas to partake in another of Mexico's grand traditions - the siesta.

BLABBERMOUTH.NET - Ex-PANTERA Drummer VINNIE PAUL Jams With SAMMY HAGAR In Mexico: Photos Available

Former PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN drummer Vinnie Paul was among the special guests during a two-week celebration at Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The celebration, which culminated Thursday night (Oct. 13) with Hagar's annual Birthday Bash, saw Vinnie jamming with Hagar on a couple of David Lee Roth-era VAN HALEN classics, including "Running With the Devil" and "You Really Got Me". Check out pictures at Damageplan.net. Other expected guests at last night's show included VELVET REVOLVER drummer Matt Sorum and VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony. Hagar told Launch Radio Networks that he planned to play a long time and fill the set list with whatever songs he feels like. "It doesn't matter what songs I play," he said. "It's how I present it. It's all about the party. A band like VAN HALEN, it's all about the songs and the individual musicianship. Sammy Hagar's band, it's not about none of that. It's about the fun, the party, the event, the evening, and if we decide to play LED ZEPPELIN, ROLLING STONES, ZZ TOP songs all night, the fans could give a shit. They're there for the party."

Hagar has opened a second Cabo Wabo Cantina in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Hagar will also play at the Chet Helms Tribal Stomp on October 30 in San Francisco, California.

Skip the Turkey with These Enticing Thanksgiving Deals

By Charis Atlas Heelan
October 12, 2005
It's almost turkey time again and this year, it's your choice, home with the relatives or escape to somewhere more exotic. The fourth Thursday in November has never looked so good. Here are a few deals that may make your decision a little easier.

How about some Tom Ka Gai instead of turkey and stuffing? A five-night Gate 1 Travel (tel. 800/682-3333; www.gate1travel.com) trip to Bangkok could be just what you are after and for only $749 per person (plus taxes) from Los Angeles, the package includes round-trip airfare, seven-nights accommodation at the three and a half-star Narai Hotel and daily breakfast. Add $163 from New York, $281 from Boston or $340 from Chicago. Other departure cities are available for additional cost. This trip is available for a November 22, 2005 departure.

Fancy some French fare over cranberries and pumpkin pie? Gate 1 can give you four fabulous nights in the City of Light starting from a petite $399 per person plus taxes. This price is valid for November 21, 22 or 23 departures for this super package staying at the two-star Kyriad La Villette Hotel with daily breakfast. Optional Eiffel Tower, Dinner and late City tours are available on all days except November 24. Discover Paris with dinner at the "Altitude 95" restaurant providing breathtaking views of the city by night. Following your meal, join your guide for a relaxing tour of the city ($109).

And for a truly unforgettable Thanksgiving, consider an eight-day Egypt tour including a three-day Nile cruise. This trip departs on November 22 and features round-trip airfare from New York, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles or Boston to Cairo, domestic flights within Egypt, six-nights deluxe accommodation (three at the Sheraton Royal Garden and three in an outdoor junior suite aboard the King of Thebes, Ramses King of the Nile or Queen of the Nile) transfers, 12 meals (six breakfasts, three lunches and three dinners), sightseeing with visits to Aswan, Edfu, Luxor and the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, an English-speaking Egyptologist guide during the cruise and all entrance fees. This tour is priced at $1,439 per person plus taxes.

Cruises N' More (tel. 800/733-2048; www.cruises-n-more.com) can take you out on the high seas this Thanksgiving with some heavily discounted cruise options. Spend ten luxurious nights aboard the Coral Princess departing from Fort Lauderdale and sailing to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Limon, the Panama Canal, Cristobal, and Ocho Rios. The Thanksgiving cruise departs on November 24, 2005 and costs only $869 per person with a free upgrade to an outside cabin, or pay $1,169 for a balcony cabin or $1,549 in a mini-suite (including a $150 onboard credit in the mini-suite).

Or save a massive 50% on the Regal Princess's indulgent 21-night cruise from San Diego through the Panama Canal. Visit Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa, Puerto Quetzal, Puerto Corinto, San Juan Del Sur, Puerto Amador, Panama Canal, Puntarenas, Huatulco, Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas for a super low $1,429 in an inside cabin or save 37% and pay $2,189 for an outside cabin (with a $150 onboard credit). This cruise departs on November 15, 2005.

Set sail for the Hawaiian Islands from Los Angeles aboard the Island Princess on November 22 and you'll be in a Pacific paradise by Thanksgiving. Save up to $300 per person and spend 15-nights sailing to Kona, Hilo, Honolulu, Maui, Kauai and Ensenada. This cruise costs $1,499 with a free upgrade to an outside cabin, $1,899 in a balcony cabin and $2,999 in a mini-suite.

Sail on the Dawn Princess departing from San Francisco on November 20, 2005 bound for Catalina, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and San Diego. Prices start at $879 in an inside cabin, $1,039 for an outside cabin and $1,299 in a balcony cabin. A $100 onboard credit is included.

Looking for a way to entertain the kids and still get away? Vacation Kids (tel. 610/681-7360; www.vacationkids.com) may have a literary solution for you. Their Thanksgiving Harry Potter tour of Scotland is a six-day/five-night tour land-only tour priced at $1,499 per adult and $1,049 per child based on two adults and two children sharing a quad room (airfare is additional). This trip is perfect for Harry Potter fans both young and old. Not only will you visit sites seen in Harry Potter movies, but you'll discover the inspiration behind the Harry Potter phenomenon. This price includes five-nights accommodation in four-star hotels, daily breakfasts, one lunch and two dinners, a storytelling guide and a special screening of the new Harry Potter film, Harry Potter ad the Goblet of Fire. Visit locations used in Harry Potter films including Edinburgh castle and vaults, Alnwick Castle and Gardens, Dalhousie Castle, the highest mountain in Britain (Ben Nevis), Loch Morar, Loch Nevis and the famous 21-arch Glenfinnan Viaduct.

There is something quite prophetic about the idea of eating Turkey in Turkey and this could be just the year to do it. Go-Today (tel. 800/227-3235; www.go-today.com) has a six-night Istanbul special departing on November 21, 2005 for a super low $549 plus taxes of $190 per person. The package includes round-trip airfare from New York, airport transfers, six-nights at the Ottoman Hotel in Istanbul, continental breakfast daily, hotel taxes and service charges. Add $20 from Boston, $80 from Philadelphia or Washington, D.C., $100 from Atlanta or $120 from Detroit, Chicago, Miami or Tampa. Other departure cities are available for additional cost. Booking deadline for this trip is October 20, 2005 A three-night Acapulco getaway with Go-Today is yours for the taking for $469 plus taxes of $120 per person departing on November 22, 2005. Round-trip airfare on Delta (or other carrier) plus three-nights at the Acapulco Majestic Del Aristos Hotel and hotel taxes are included. This price is valid for departures from Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, San Francisco or Tucson. This package must be booked by October 27, 2005.

Sunburst Vacations (tel. 800/SUNBURST; www.sunburstvacations.com) can ensure that you celebrate this Thanksgiving with sand between your toes. Depart on November 22 and spend three nights in Aruba with this special deal. Priced at $624 per person, the trip includes round-trip airfare on American Airlines from New York and three-nights accommodation at The Mill Resort.

For a low $505 per person plus taxes, the sandy beaches of Negril, Jamaica await you. Depart New York on November 22 flying Air Jamaica and spend three nights at the beachfront Foote Prints on the Sands Resort.

A quick getaway to the Bahamas is only $508 plus taxes, also departing New York on November 22. Fly American Airlines and spend three-nights at the three-star Nassau Palm Resort

No matter where you choose to spend Thanksgiving, have a happy holiday and happy travels!

Related Information:
Trip Dates: Varies per provider
Destinations: Hawaii (The Big Island), Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Acapulco, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Paris, Bangkok, Cozumel, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Grand Bahama, Ocho Rios, Istanbul, Egypt, Molokai, Lanai, San Cristobal de las Casas, Punta Arenas, Chile, Grand Cayman, Limon, Panama Canal
Trip Ideas: Beach & Water Sports, Cruise, Family
Tips & Tools: Calendar of Events
Provider: Multiple Providers

Pacific Monarch Resorts Matches Employee Donations To Red Cross Katrina Fund

Laguna Hills, CA – October 2005 – Pacific Monarch Resorts, developer, sales, and marketing company for its family of vacation ownership resorts has donated $25,180 to the Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Fund. The donation amount reflects individual employee donations matched by funds of the corporate office. In March the company donated more than $15,000 to the American Red Cross to benefit the tsunami relief fund matching corporate office employee contributions of $7,665.
The Red Cross uses its donations to feed hot meals and snacks to millions of people who are sheltered across the country. Survivors are also being provided financial assistance in a variety of ways, including client assistance cards, vouchers, checks and cash for the purchase of essential items. In addition, trained health professionals are providing first aid and mental health services, assisting those eager to transition to recovery phase.

“Our business is travel and tourism. Many visitors and timeshare exchange guests have traveled to our resorts from the gulf region over the years and we consider them part of our family. At the same time, many of our Monarch Grand Vacation owners have exchanged their vacation points for stays at resorts in the areas now affected by the devastation of Katrina. We are committed to assist in the support of this region through The Red Cross,” said Mark Post, CEO of Pacific Monarch Resorts.

Pacific Monarch Resorts employs nearly 100 vacation ownership specialists in its corporate offices and more than 1000 people in various sites ranging from Las Vegas to Cabo San Lucas.

With more than 87,000 vacation owners, Pacific Monarch Resorts, which operates Monarch Grand Vacations, is one of the largest independent vacation ownership companies. Monarch Grand Vacations resort locations include Las Vegas, Nevada; Dana Point, California; Palm Springs, California; North San Diego County, California; Brian Head, Utah, and South Lake Tahoe, California. A new resort is under construction in Los Cabos, B.C., with an anticipated Phase One Grand Opening in spring 2007.

For more information on Pacific Monarch Resorts: www.monarchgrandvacations.com.
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Contacts:
Loren V. Gallagher
949-609-2400
Georgi Bohrod
619-696-8018