Seen them on the screen? Now give them a gander in real life

The Feb. 27 Academy Awards will no doubt inspire many people to see the places where the Oscar nominees took place. CheapOair.com knows this, so has lined up deals linked to the Best Picture category, with reservations required by Feb. 28. Here they are:

Black Swan -- New York: The offer is for the Bentley Hotel, starting at $ 159 per night.  Sample round-trip airfare starts at $288. Click here.

The King's Speech -- London: A package from New York to London starts at $363 per person and includes  airfare and a four-night stay at the Hilton Wembley Plaza. Click here.

 The Fighter -- Boston: A package from Los Angeles to Boston starts at $477 per person and includes airfare and a four night stay at the Hotel Marlowe-A Kimpton Hotel. Click here.

Inception -- Paris: Visit the location where Leonardo DiCaprio taught Ellen Page the intricacies  of The Pasiv dream machine. Starting at $ 119 per night, stay at Holiday Inn Paris La Villete. Sample airfare starts at $468. Click here.

True Grit -- Texas: A package from Los Angeles to Austin begins at  $611 per person and includes airfare and a four-night stay at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. Click here.

Social Network -- Silicon Valley: This deal takes you from New York to San Jose starting at $608 per person and   includes airfare and a five-night stay at the four-star Four Points By Sheraton San Jose. Click here.

You will not be surprised that assorted taxes and fees are extra and that prices may be higher on some dates. 

Search Amazon.com for Academy Awards

Trivial question

What is the southernmost city in Australia? (Answer somewhere below.)

Skate your way to savings with Boston packages

Starwood is sponsoring the first-ever ice rink at the Prudential Center in Boston. The rink will be open to the community for one month. In celebration, the Sheraton Boston is offering two Share the Ice  packages:

The Family Skating package includes four tickets  to the Rink at Prudential Center (a $40 value), and complimentary valet parking (a $44 value), with rooms beginning at $199 and suites from $279. In addition, the first 50 suites booked for stays between Feb. 20-25 get four tickets to Disney on Ice.

The Date Night package offers a romantic skating experience for stays before March 6. This package include a room with an outstanding view of the Charles River, complimentary valet parking and two tickets to the rink.

Stays can be booked at www.sheraton.com/boston.

Travel tip -- and we do mean 'tip' 

When it comes to tipping, hotel maids often get left out. Because few guests actually see the maids, some people figure it is easy to skip the tip. Others might want to tip but aren't sure whether the money they leave just before checking out will go to the maid who has done most of the work in the room. The answer is to tip daily. Leave a dollar or two on your pillow before going out in the morning. The maid who does the work will get the tip and your room will sparkle.

Kennebunkport resort rewards early bookers

The people at the Rhumb Line Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine, say they are tired of seeing the last-minute guest get the best deals. So they are rewarding those who book well in advance, with the best available rates and deals.  With the Rhumb Line’s new Best Booking Deal guests who book well in advance can take satisfaction in knowing that those who wait will pay more. In addition, youngsters 16 and under stay free in their parents' room. Current deals include two nights' lodging, a $25 dining certificate to a choice of several Kennebunkport restaurants, continental breakfast, Free wifi and use of the resort’s indoor pool, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, and fitness area, all  starting at  $125 per couple. Visit www.rhumblineresort.com/specials.htm or call 207-967-5457.

Worth quoting

“Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversations.” -- Elizabeth Drew

How about Italy for a family spring break?

TourCrafters has an Italy by Train package that takes in the sights of Rome, Florence and Venice. The 11-day/10-night package costs $1,129 ($985 if booked by March 1) and includes round-trip air from New York, an arrival transfer, accommodations at the hotels Brasile in Rome,  Meridiana in Florence and Malibran in Venice, daily buffet breakfast, tickets for the Eurostar train, a half-day tour in each city, a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus tour in Rome, service charges and VAT tax. The package is valid from March 1 to April 15. Air fares from other cities are also available.

For details, visit www.tourcrafters.it.  For reservations, call 800-482-5995.

Fascinating fact

Indonesia has about 13,000 islands.

Forgot Valentines Day? You can still escape the doghouse

Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa in Jupiter, Fla., has created a Get Out of the Doghouse package designed for those who made a mess of  Valentines Day.  The package,  at $1,299,  includes a night of luxury, oceanview accommodations in the penthouse suite, a  four-course dinner for two prepared in grand butler style by the resort’s executive chef, a half-day in the Spa, including two, 50-minute signature treatments followed by a duet massage complete with champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, flowers, two cocktails called Kiss Up Cosmos, and an  “I’m in the doghouse” T-shirt and leash. Visit www.jupiterbeachresort.com and use promo code UDIRTYDOG.

Trivial answer

Hobart is Australia's southernmost city.

You can find the darndest things in Michigan

Only in Michigan can you see roadside attractions such as the World’s Largest Tire (I-94 east of Detroit Metro Airport), The World’s Largest Cherry Pie Pan (Traverse City), and the World’s Largest Stove (Detroit). Some of the state's roadside attractions include:

• Big Gus, the world’s largest working chainsaw. Gus is 23 feet long, is powered by a V-8 engine and is the star of the fittingly named Da Yooper’s Tourist Trap in Ishpeming.

• The Eiffel Tower. Well, sort of. In Paris, Mich., north of Big Rapids, you'll see a 20 foot tall replica of the landmark. Crafted by welding steel, the monument sits among the tall trees and was made by industrial arts high school students.
• The house with 60,000 soft drink bottles. The bottles lay on their side with the bottoms forming the outside wall. the Bottle House is in Kaleva, 10 miles from Lake Michigan.
• Mystery Spot. Someone tall is suddenly small. Or climb a wall into the air without falling. This puzzling attraction is 5 miles west of St. Ignace and the Mackinac Bridge on Highway US-2.
• Cross Village. Following a short drive through the Tunnel of Tree that begins in Harbor Springs, you come upon upside-down stove legs that decorate the roof of the inn. Meanwhile, the interior features unusual shapes crafted from polished twining tree roots. Good Polish food is available, too.
  
• The Musical Fountain. From Memorial Day through Labor Day on Friday and Saturday evenings, you'll hear and see this sound and lighting masterpiece as it pumps out 4,000 gallons of water a minute and sprays 125 feet in the air. Grand Haven, where the foiuntain is located, had the idea in 1963, way before Las Vegas built the Bellagio.
• Paul Bunyan. The statue stands 15 feet tall in Manistique..
• The Shrine of the Snowshoe Priest Bishop Baraga. This one is 35 feet tall, high atop US-41 in L’Anse. The good Bishop founded 5 missions after he first came to the Upper Peninsula in 1830 from Slovenia.
• Hiawatha. This statue, in Ironwood, tops them all. It's 50 feet high, weighs 16, 000 pounds and can withstand 140 mph winds.

For other quirky attractions and destinations, visit www.michigan.org.

15 years of fire and water in Rhode Island
Water Fire is celebrating 15 years as one of the premier attractions in Providence. The award-winning art installationconsists of 100 bonfires that wind through the three downtown rivers, with lightings on selected Saturdays during summer and fall. Upcoming lightings take place on July 17, July 31, Aug. 14, Aug. 28 and Oct. 9. WaterFire has attracted millions of spectators through its visual aesthetics and fragrant wood smoke scent. The lightings are synchronized with music from around the world and often accompanied by dance performances. The July 31 lighting, for instance, will feature a live performance from the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, accompanied by a dance performance from Festival Ballet Providence. Spectators can enjoy every WaterFire experience on both land and water with boat and gondola rides available for an additional fee.

Visit www.waterfire.org or www.goprovidence.com.

Worth quoting
"When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money." -- Susan Heller

Here's a chance to stay in Cinderella's castle
A Southwest Airlines sweepstakes with an entry deadline of July 15 promises the winner a chance to win a package for four to Walt Disney World and stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite. Included are roundtrip flights, a one-night stay in Cinderella's digs, two nights at another deluxe Disney resort property and four-day park tickets. For details, go to www.southwest.com and wait for the Cinderella squib to magically appear.

Fascinating fact
Bagpipes are believed to have originated in Rome, not Scotland.

Explore Nassau's past with Hilton package
Validthrough Dec. 31, British Colonial Hilton's Historic Tour of Nassau Package takes guests on a journey through the island's culture and history. With rates starting at $239 per night based on double occupancy, the package offers renovated accommodation, daily breakfast and a two-hour guided Surrey ride of the island’s most enchanting sights. Travelers will visit old forts, botanical gardens, white-sand beaches and parliamentary buildings, accompanied by the driver’s tales of old. For reservations or more information, call 1-877-GO-HILTON and mention promotion code P7.

BoltBus marks a milestone
BoltBus, a discount curbside bus service, has reached its 3-millionth passenger milestone since it was launched in March 2008. The bus now provides express service between New York and the following locations: Baltimore; Boston; Cherry Hill, N.J.; Greenbelt Park & Ride, Md.; Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Tickets are available for purchase in advance at www.boltbus.com, bycalling 1-877-BOLTBUS (265-8287) or from a driver before boarding. Prices are available on the website.

We're still traveling, but perhaps not as far

Despite the rough economy, most families are still planning summer vacations, but some changes have been made. A new survey yielded these results:

* 82 percent plan to take vacations.

* 33 percent of those families, however, are spending less time or money on trips this year.

* Families who are not traveling cite economic concerns.

* Fifty-six percent are taking shorter trips.

* Forty-one percent are driving instead of flying.

* Forty percent are figuring out ways to eat out less often while on vacation.

The survey was commissioned by Disney Family.com, which has ideas on helping parents make the most of the summer. For the site's travel section, click here.

What's in a name?

Butt Hole Road in South Yorkshire, England, was recently renamed Archers Way. Wonder why.

Telluride has a summer season, too

Mention Telluride, Colo., and most people immediately think of skiing and other winter activities. But there's a lot doing in summer, too, such as music, food, wine and film festivals, and many free activities. What's more, it can cost as much as 50 percent less to stay there. Lodging in both Telluride and Mountain Village now starts at $49 per person per night. A 4th Night Free special is also available, along with golf and spa packages. But let's get to the free stuff. No-charge activities include gondola rides, fly fishing, hiking, mountain biking, cultural events and concerts.

Visit http://www.tellurideskiresort.com/ (and never mind that "ski" is part of the Web site's address) or call 800-778-8581.

Here's a chance to give back just a little bit

People who travel to other countries, expecially Third World ones, are often struck by the poverty they encounter. A simple way to help a tiny bit is to visit the Hunger Site. Just a click on the various icons, with no purchase necessary, ensures a donation to fight hunger, improve literacy, protect animals and even help save the rainforest.
Visit http://www.thehungersite.com/.

A travel joke, of sorts

A man was crossing into Mexico on bicycle. At the inspection station the official noticed he was bringing several bags in. What's in the bag?" the guard asked. "Sand," said the cyclist. Sure enough, an inspection showed nothing but sand. Two weeks later, the same thing happened and only sand was found. This went on every week for six months. Then one day the guard happened to meet the cyclist downtown. "Say, you sure had us crazy," said the guard. "We knew you were smuggling something across the border. I won't say a word, but what is it you were smuggling?" And the man answered:

"Bicycles!"

Prices drop on European hotels

TourCrafters is discounting rates on impressive hotels in Spain, France, Greece and Turkey by up to 25 percent. Some examples from Italy: In Rome, the four-star Hotel Cicerone has reduced the price of a double room from $406 to $324 a night. The four-star Hotel Beverly Hillshas lowered its prices from $366 to $304. Florence's Plaza Hotel Lucchesi has reduced rates from $384 double to $306 double. Even in pricey Venice, there savings. The four-star Sofitel has cut the cost of its$528 rooms to $378. And the three-star Hotel Malibran, on a hidden square near the Rialto Bridge, has lowered the price of its air-conditioned, Venetian-style rooms from $220 to $198.

Visit http://www.tourcrafters.com/ or call 800-482-5995.