LPGA Anyone?

For those of you who follow the LPGA tour, why not follow the ladies right over to Maui next month? 

The pro golfers are going to be playing in Kapalua® Maui on October 13-19th for the first time ever!  The ladies will be teeing it up on the famous Kapalua® Bay Course during the Kapalua® LPGA Classic.  This 72 hole televised event will include players like; Paula Creamer, Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam.  The event includes playing “best ball” scramble and promises to be exciting!

There are vacation condo offers that are extremely generous for Maui right now.  So, I recommend getting on the plane and joining the fun!  Make your golf vacation plans today and don’t miss out!

Get into the swing with Kapalua® golfing!

 

Try a Local Sport Vacation This Year

Local sporting vacations can be just as exciting as traveling far away.  One idea is to incorporate your local sports teams into a weekend of fun!  Most cities have high school, college and/or pro sports teams to choose from. Hockey, basketball, baseball, football, the list is endless.  Make a list of your family’s favorite sports and check out the local team schedules.  A whole weekend can be planned around the sport theme.

Don’t forget those important cheering necessities when planning to attend a sporting event.  If you are planning to visit your favorite team to cheer them on, there are a few things you need to know.

First, you have to know what players are on the team you are cheering for.  Don’t get caught cheering for the wrong team.  For that reason, maybe you should wear your favorite team jersey.

Second, always remember to stock up on your “cheering supplies”.  Whether it is foam fingers or Pom Pons, whatever you can get your hands on that are your team colors.  You never know when you will have to out cheer that other fan.

Third, don’t forget the camera.  There are many fun and exciting moments that should be documented with those special pictures.  Remember your exciting times at the “local” game.

Forth, if the sporting event is close to a fun resort or hotel, take a night or two to enjoy the local hotel.  It is amazing how you can feel like you are on vacation when getting away from home for just a few days.

From your local high schools, college or professional sports teams, SportsDayCentral.com is your one stop jersey shop and ticket stop!

Boulder Colorado, What a Treat!

Boulder Colorado is a one of a kind place where the cool pines and summer festivals go on for what seems forever!  In my eyes, it is “heaven on earth”!  Boulder has several wonderful music festivals to offer.  Most of the festivals have entertainment, food and many local vendors.  The summer festivals are usually June through August, when the weather is just georgous!  Enjoy a long weekend or a week of vacation!  Colorado is calling!

Bend Oregon, Family Friendly

Looking for a great place to take a family vacation?  Try Bend Oregon this year!  This crisp, clean town is located in Central Oregon close to Mt. Bachelor and Sisters Mountain Range.  With a fresh water river running through town, Bend offers many fun and exciting family activities.

 
When the summer season hits, our family loves to visit the mountains!  Bend holds true to beauty and nature!  With over hundreds of hiking and biking trails in and around the city, it keeps our family busy.  Bend offers the Deschutes River with kayaking, swimming, tubing and whitewater rafting.

 
The shopping possibilities are endless.  One of our favorites is the Old Mill District, located on the river.  This shopping area offers many stores and restaurants like Ann Taylor Loft, Chico’s, Gamestop, REI and much more!  Many great restaurants and bars are located throughout the shopping area.  Catch a movie and ice cream!  If younger children are looking for some fun, try the Working Wonders Children’s Museum!

 
Accommodations in Bend are reasonable and easy to find.  Try visiting www.BendOregonHotels.us for more details of the area and hotels in Bend.

The Pineapple Grill Tops Our List

Our recent trip to Maui was a success indeed!  We were able to participate in my little brother’s beautiful wedding!  You did great Jack!  Mackenzie is a first class person and we are so proud of you both!

While enjoying the fantastic island of Maui, we took some of our long time family friends to one of our favorite restaurants, Pineapple Grill at Kapalua Resort.  Chris Kaiwi and his staff were most accommodating and fun!  We love eating here every visit, the ambiance and food are top notch!

Here are some of our favorites from their menu:  

• First things first, the Pina-Colada was my favorite drink, made with dark rum and top of the line ingredients!
• For an appetizer or “pupu” try the Pistachio and Wasabi Crusted Ahi.  This sweet soy glazed ahi is spectacular and melts in your mouth! 
• The fresh Kula Baby Spinach Salad pulls many tastes from around the island with fresh, local grown produce.  Yum! 
• For the main course try any fish available.  The majority of the fish offered is caught locally and served right away.  The Mahi-Mahi is always a favorite in my family.
• To finish the dinner properly try the “Maui Gold” Pineapple Upside Down Cake, oh “so ono”!!!!!

This incredible Pacific Island Cuisine restaurant is located at the Kapalua Bay Golf Course.  It is one of our stops every visit!  Say hello to Chris, he is the prime example of someone with real “aloha spirit”!  Kapalua is one of the best places to stay in Maui.

NBA Fans Love Phoenix Suns

Fun in the Arizona sun is even better now that the Phoenix Suns made it official naming Terry Porter their 13^th head coach in franchise history.  Porter comes to the Suns with 22 years of NBA experience as a player, assistant coach and head coach.  Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr stated, “We are excited to have Terry as our new head coach.  He is a strong leader and communicator and he is a tough-nosed competitor.”

 

The Suns have had one of the highest powered offensive teams in the league the last few years under former coach Mike D’Antoni, making them fun to watch.  Porter brings a very well balanced attack on both the offensive and defensive side of the court.  He will need to get his players buy in for his style of play, which should not be a problem with the current set of players on the team who are all hungry for a championship.

 

The Suns will be taking that well balanced attack to the courts next season in the Valley of the Sun.  Once the schedule is announced be sure to get your tickets purchased and book your stay at one of the best hotels in Phoenix Arizona.  Don’t forget to pick up your favorite jerseys before the game!

Things That Keep Me Busy When I Travel (From a kids point of view)

A summer vacation is always exciting.  I know most kids just like to stay home and play their Wii that they got for Christmas.  Hey, it’s the first time we actually get to play without worrying about homework.  But summer vacation can be interesting and don’t you have a portable Nintendo DS somewhere in your room?

Older kids and younger ones too, love anything electronic.  That is pretty much all I am taking on my upcoming trip to Hawaii.  A portable DVD player, my IPod, DS, sketch pad and book (I have to have something to use as we take off).  Just remember whatever you take, make sure you will play with it and it will fit in your backpack.

Have a great vacation wherever you go!

Summer Travel With Children

Ok, it’s that time of year again!  School is out and kids are excited to have lots of freedom from schedules.  Here are some car and flight travel tips that we find fun when on the move.

Gather some fun car games, toys, snacks or cameras.  (Don’t tell the children what you have gathered, it’s a surprise)  Put each of the items in different brown paper bags.  Label each paper bag with times on them.  For example; if you are leaving for the Grand Canyon at 9 a.m. label a bag 9:30 a.m. and let the child open it to see the surprise.  Label the next bag for 10 a.m. and so on.  This leaves the trip open for many discussions and surprises along the way.  If you are flying to Hawaii the same ideas can be used.

Have fun and don’t forget the sunscreen this summer!

May Snow in Arizona?

Yes, can you believe Arizona received snow in May?  The Grand Canyon sure did!  This place is incredible!  The pine trees and shrubs are loving the moisture!  This late snow will sure keep more moisture in the trees through the summer.  Yeah!

We recommend visiting the Grand Canyon before it gets too busy.  The best time would be May and June!  Try staying on the south rim  and visiting the north rim if you have time.  The Grand Canyon is one of the best places to make family memories, like camping, hiking, picnicing and just exploring together.

Don’t forget all of the things needed for your trip to the Grand Canyon.  Check out the section called “Tips for Hiking” at Grand Canyon Central!

Have fun and enjoy!

 

Top Golf Resort Again, Not Surprised!

Have you ever glanced at the top resorts for golf from the Golf Magazine?  The incredible places these writers get to travel to “test” is astonishing!  One in particular sticks out in my mind because it is near to my heart, Kapalua Maui!  I am not surprised that it was rated in the top!

We have forever been visiting this area all my life and have found that Kapalua has never let us down.  With tranquil landscapes, challenging golf courses, tennis courts, delicious restaurants and incredible beaches, Kapalua is one of our favorite family vacation spots.

The resort offers many condos and two hotels to stay in.  The Ritz-Carlton being one of them.  We actually have visited so many times that our family has purchased a condo for our frequent visits.  Let us know if you would like to be our guest.

Aloha and hope to see you soon in Maui!

www.mauidirectcondos.com

www.grandcanyoncentral.com