With so many vacation destinations around the world, it may be difficult trying to even just pinpoint the best places to go, but now, it doesn't have to be.

The Bay Area Travel & Adventure show is coming to the Santa Clara Convention Center, February 18-19, 2012, to make it easier for aspiring travelers to plan their perfect getaway. The show features a multitude of travel resources and information, seminars with celebrity guest speakers, hands-on activities, a Global Beats dance stage and special culinary demonstrations.

Over 150 destination experts and tour operators will present the thousands of options available in traveling. In addition, a number of the exhibitors are doing giveaways, ranging from gift certificates to trips, as well as providing show-exclusive discounts.

Celebrity guest speakers, such as Patricia Schultz and Rick Steves, will lead informative seminars on the Travel & Adventure Stage. Schultz, bestselling author of the 1,000 Places to See Before You Die series, and Rick Steves, TV personality and author, will share their travel tips and experiences and sign copies of their books following the seminars.  Rick Steves is known for his bestselling guidebook series and will discuss practical, money-saving ins and outs of independent travel.

On the Fiery Foods Stage, unique culinary flavors from around the world will come alive as local chefs cook traditional "hot" dishes and compete in the Fiery Foods Challenge. Each chef will prepare a dish that the audience will vote on to determine a winner.

On the same stage, celebrity travel expert and author Mark DeCarlo, known for his book "A Fork in the Road", will hold an interactive cooking class and competition. Three audience members will be chosen from a drawing to recreate a dish right on the spot based on DeCarlo's decision. The winner, determined again by the audience, wins an exhilarating, all-inclusive Yucatan vacation.

Show attendees can also take part in exciting adventure activities, including rock-climbing, zip-lining and bubble rollers.

The Bay Area Travel & Adventure Show presented by Unicomm LLC runs February 18 from 10am-5pm and February 19 from 11am-4pm. Tickets are $9 online with promo code SCPR, $15 at the door and children 16 and under are free. For additional information visit www.adventureexpo.com/santaclara . Direct press inquiries to Liz Rosinski at 650.548.6700 or via email at [email protected] .