Expedia Lets Travelers Escape Into the Movies
Expedia.com, the
world’s leading online travel agency, is inviting travelers to experience
life—just like how you see it in the movies—with new cinematic
getaways that will whisk you away from your day-to-day reality. Celebrate
this year’s crop of notable films with a trip that’s worthy of the red
carpet: try daredevil flying in San Diego, drinking anything but merlot in
Napa Valley or channeling Peter Pan in London’s Kensington Gardens. These
award-winning trips are available at http://www.expedia.com/movies. For the stars in all of us, who still haven’t managed to get personal
assistants, you can easily book everything for your next trip—from the
flight and hotel to the destination activities—at Expedia.com.
The Aviator—Soar above the seaside in San Diego
Recapture the high-flying feeling of days gone by. Just north of San
Diego, check into the La Valencia Hotel (4 stars) where Hollywood stars
and eccentric business moguls frolicked in the 1920s. Explore the area’s
aviation museums then take to the skies in an open-air biplane! Air from
San Francisco + three nights at La Valencia from $548. Add an Open Cockpit
Biplane Ride from $230.
Sideways—Savor the sights of the Wine Country
Whether you’re searching for the perfect Pinot or satisfied with
supermarket Chablis, you can’t deny the beauty of California’s Wine
Country. Get into the mood at your vineyard-themed boutique hotel in San
Francisco, the Executive Hotel Vintage Court (3 stars) then let a
designated driver whisk you to Napa and Sonoma’s famed wineries. Air from
Los Angeles + three nights at the Executive Hotel Vintage Court from $265.
Add a Napa and Sonoma Wine Tour from $57.
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Finding Neverland - Dream of London’s posh past
In tony Kensington, The Kensington Close Hotel & Health Spa (3 stars)
radiates vintage English charm. Stroll across the street to Kensington
Gardens, where writer J.M. Barrie met the children who inspired Peter Pan.
In the evening, head to the West End theatre district, which is where
Barrie’s plays were often produced. Air from Los Angeles + four nights at
the Kensington Close Hotel from $736.
Ray - Lose your blues in New Orleans
Devise your own “Ray Tour” in the Big Easy: Make your home at the elegant
hotel used in the film—The Fairmont Hotel New Orleans (4 stars)—then
walk by the historic Saenger Theatre where “Brother Ray” performed and
scenes from the movie were also filmed. Finish it off with a toe-tappin’
evening of Southern food and music. Air from Atlanta + three nights at the
Fairmont Hotel New Orleans from $541. Add a Cajun dinner and live music at
Michaul’s from $35.
The Motorcycle Diaries - Cruise South America by ship
Before he became a revolutionist icon, Ernesto “Che” Guevara explored
South America on a rickety Norton motorbike. For a less bumpy journey,
take a 17-night leisurely cruise from Holland America’s Amsterdam (4 1/2
stars) along the continent’s West Coast—though it’s doubtful Che would
approve of such bourgeois comfort. 17-night South America cruise
(Valparaiso, Chile to San Diego) from $2,089.
House of Flying Daggers - Invoke the echoes of ancient China
Be transported back to the Tang Dynasty in Beijing by losing yourself in
The Great Wall Sheraton Hotel’s (4 stars) Chinese garden, amid lanterns
and figurines. Then, enjoy an evening of timeless delights: a traditional
Peking duck banquet followed by a display of Chinese acrobatics, a
3,000-year-old art form. Air from New York + four nights at The Great Wall
Sheraton Hotel from $1,044. Add a Beijing evening dinner and show from $55.
Shark Tale - Sleep with the fishes in the Bahamas
You’ll feel like the “Godfather” of the reef at your beachfront resort—
the Radisson Cable Beach (3 1/2 stars). Relax beside one of three pools or
explore a tri-level waterscape, complete with waterfalls, rapids, and a
grotto. You can even arrange to swim with the sharks—and that’s no fish
story. Air from Miami + four nights at the Radisson Cable Beach from $718.
Add a Stuart Cove’s Shark Adventure from $125.
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