Kansas City - A Place for Jazz

Kansas City Missouri is known around the world as one of the classic cities of Jazz. Yep, it's right up there with New Orleans when it comes to the genre of jazz and blues. So many greats in the world of jazz have come through Kanas City over the years it's almost impossible to even put together a short list that truly captures the essence of each and every entertainer.

Today, visitors as well as those that call Kansas City home can enjoy jazz and blues performances in venues, clubs, entertainment halls and festivals across the city and local area.

A little known fact but Travel Ape is an avid jazz enthusiast. From the legends and trailblazers such as John Coltrane, George Benson, David Sanborn and Miles Davis, to names that may not be well known such as Stan Getz and Fred Stone Travel Ape loves to chill out, sit back and listen for hours.

So to the point, if you love jazz, I mean truly love it, then a trip to Kansas City is a must. Upcoming performances include Marilyn Maye performing at Jaradine's Restaurant and Jazz Club from March 22nd to March 25th, Lisa Henry and the UMKC Jazz Band appearing at the Blue Room on March 2nd and internationally recognized jazz performer Joe Cartwright also appearing at the Blue Room on March 12th. For other Kansas City Jazz performances check this link.

Check out rates for Kansas City hotels for any of the dates of interest. If you do plan on visiting be sure to make time to check out other great Kansas City attractions such as the Kansas City Zoo and the Grand Street Cafe.

Boston - St. Patty's Day Celebration

A few posts ago we did an excerpt on a St. Patty’s Day Celebration in a city that, for most, wouldn’t otherwise be associated with the holiday that pays homage to the great patron saint of Ireland. That city was Dallas. This post and the post to come will focus and feature two cities that are probably synonymous with the holiday of St. Patty’s Day than any thing else, and for that matter, than any other cities world wide save Dublin Ireland itself. These are the cities of Boston and Chicago. Today’s featured post will be about the great St. Patrick’s Day Celebration in the historic town of Boston Mass. So for all you Celtic fans you’re in for a treat.

The official celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in Boston is taking place Sunday March 15th, 2009 starting at 1pm, but the entire week leading up to the Holiday Date has all kinds of events scheduled. Throughout the metro Boston area St. Patrick’s Day events are scheduled and begin as early as March 7th. One such parade is the Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Day Parade slated for March 7th 2009 to begin at 11am. Then on March 8th 2009 two additional parades are scheduled. The first in Lawrence MA and the second, in Worcestor MA both slated to begin at 12 noon. Check out our featured pick for accommodations for the Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Sheraton Boston located at 39 Dalton Street. It’s perfectly located and priced at $279 per night if you were to check in March 14th and check out on the 15th of March and head to the parade. The location puts you within walking distance to the parade route and you won’t have to fight with all the traffic.

There still is plenty of time to book and plan for a great St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Boston if you get on it today.

New Orleans and Mardi Gras

Today is Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but for millions of Christians around the world, and especially the United States this is Carnivale or Fat Tuesday. The day before the first day of lent which is commenced with Ash Wednesday tomorrow.

A little history of the event and where Mardi Gras came from is a neat way to start a homage to this celebration that is synonomous with New Orleans. To begin, just like most celebrations that were brought over from the proverbial “old world”, so was Mardi Gras. Just like the feast of Christmas, if we look to history, incorporated the holiday of Satranella with the Birth of Jesus Christ when the Emporer Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the empire, so to became Mardi Gras. The roman celebration of Lupercalia was combined with the feast before the lenten period. Well as time went on, the celebration of Mardi Gras became a grand festival each year in Paris. The fact that the New Orleans area was settled by the French we can all see how logic dictates the progression of this great celebration.


The first document Mardi Gras parade was in 1837, under the United States rule. The celebration evolved to the grand spectatcular that it is today.

Each year millions of people descend on the New Orleans area to celebrate this festival born in antiquity. New Orleans has certainly seen some tough times as of late, and the hope is to get people interested in visiting this wonderful city and their unique festival today and into the future.

For everyone out there, on behalf of Travel Ape and all of his friends, have a happy and safe Mardi Gras celebration.

Attractions in Venice Italy - Enjoy All There is to See and Do

Whether you're 100% Italian and you love the meatballs and pasta your grandmother made when you were a child, or just an avid traveler that enjoys all that an adventure and trip to a new place can bring, a trip to Venice Italy satisfies both. Yep, if you are a second generation or greater Italian American the city of Venice encompasses all you could want to enjoy on a trip to Italy. If you love to travel, a trip to Venice Italy is a must for your travels.

Why you might ask, would Venice be on the top of anyone's list for travel? Venice, quite simply is one of the most beautiful cities and destinations in the world, steep in history and embracing the tourism city it has become. With so much to see and do on a trip to Venice we've decided to highlight a few of the great attractions you could enjoy.

When speaking about Venice Italy I would gather that one thought would have to be fostered in most people's minds...the Grand Canals. The Grand Canals of Venice are incredible and offer those that live and work in the area a breathtaking natural back splash unlike anything anyone has ever seen in the world.  Take time to enjoy a gondola ride in any number of privately run tours, and you'll be off to a great start. While your in the Grand Canals one place you must try and see is the Palazzo Grassi, a grand structure that belonged to the famed Bolognese Grassi family of Venice and masterminded by Giorgio Massari. Words cannot do this place justice, so seeing it live is the only way to appreciate it.

Of course although we produce, create, write and edit our own content Travel Ape is a big fan of offering information provided by the insiders of a city or destination. That being said, we strongly recommend a visit to the Official Venice Italy Tourism site to find out more info about great places to visit. 

Travel To Milan with Travel Ape

Recently Travel Ape put out a press release about the web site that shares his name, www.TravelApe.com, and it's entry into another fold of european cities. Our featured city for this post is the destination of Milan Italy. 

The fact that it took so long to get content for the city of Milan and deliver it as a travel guide for our visitors is just ridiculous. Milan Italy is the second largest metropolitan city in the historic country and has about 1.3 Million people that call it home. Milan is unlike many of the other destinations that you'd visit in Italy in that it is more known for it's current effect on the world than a place to visit for it's rich history and pristine upkeep of it's riches of antiquity such as Rome, Venice and other great Italian cities. Milan is known as a mecca in Europe for fashion, design and even high finance. The city is so highly regarded as a modern renaissance city that it will be hosting the Universal Expo in 2015, the modern equivalent to what was called the World's Fair in the past century. 

If you are interested in enjoying Milan Italy today, we have complete coverage with our Milan Travel Guide.  Take our que and get reservations for one of the world's most famous hotels the AC Milan located at Via Tazzoli 2 in the city of Milan. Elegant decor and location makes the AC Milan a fabulous place to root oneself to begin what will be a memorable trip. Once you've got your proverbial and temporary roots down, where should you start? There are so many options, but my feeling is to begin with a trip to the Piazza Duomo located in, well the Pizza del Duomo Central Square. This will put you in the heart of "fun" as you begin your travels in and around the city. When you enter the square you will be in front of the Milan Cathedral. All points from there head you towards fun.

The nightlife of Milan is legendary and if we had to choose one place to visit it would have to be Milan's signature Absolut Icebar located at Piazza Gerusallemme 12. What makes this incredible Milan Nightclub and nightlife spot so hot? Well it's the ice...Yes, the bar is made of ice..the walls, the ceilings, the fixtures all ice and the inside stands at -2 celsius. The Absolut Icebar does provide boots and a complimentary cloak when you visit, but it's advised to dress warmly before you get there. They just serve vodka with fruit drinks, but visiting this place is an experience that will stay with you about your travels to Milan.

So we welcome the city of Milan to the Travel Ape family and we hope you enjoy it too. 

Kansas City - Travel to the Heart of America

Kansas City Missouri is steep with history and it's own sense panache. So we are proud to welcome one of the newest cities to our travel guide list, the great city of Kansas City. We have spent some time gathering and organizing the information to reflect all that is fun and exciting to do in this great United States metropolis. Also please be sure to check out the the Official Travel Source for Kansas City provided by the Kansas City council on tourism. 

Start your trip with a search of great potential hotels and accommodations. A little tip, if you can pull it off, mid week is usually the best time to check in and check out, as the weekends are almost double in rates. We have some great hotels that we'd recommend. The Double Tree Overland Park Kansas City is pure class. The hotel offers great hotel rooms, but the property is fantastic. You'll get a complete upgraded fitness center, dry cleaning service and onsite restaurants. Another great choice would be for it's value. Harrah's Hotel North Kansas City has rates at about $117 a night. With a brand like Harrah's you know you're getting quality.

When you arrive in town there is no shortage of attractions in Kansas City to visit. From the American Jazz Museum located at 1616 East 18th Street to the centralized collection of the best stores, boutiques and restaurants found at Country Club Plaza, you'll have a lot to do on your visit. 

Cap off your nights with some hot dancing or some quiet cocktails in any number of Kansas City Night Clubs and Nightlife spots. Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club located at 3101 Gillham fits the bill for hot dancing and the Velvet Dog located at 400 East 31st Street is a great martini lounge.

Check out our complete Kansas City travel guide for more great deals and ideas to do on your visit. 

Ohio Hotels - Find Great Hotels in the State of Ohio

The state of Ohio is a central fixture in the United States. No doubt for the educated out there that Ohio has been synonymous as a battle ground state for the past few presidential elections. Well there's a reason for that. Ohio is a state diverse with great places to visit and geat people to see. So why not take a vacation or a trip to the great state of Ohio.

So let's talk about all there is to do in the state of Ohio. Well that's a difficult thing to try and figure out with all there is to do in a state so vast. You have everything from great hiking, fishing and outdoor activities, to the fun and excitement of two major metrolopolis cities, Cleveland and Cincinnati.

There are endless possibilities of outdoor places to visit in Ohio, but if we're to make a suggestion Logan Ohio is fantastic. Logan has several great outdoor activities to choose from including fishing and canoeing. Sure going to visit one of the great campgrounds in the area might have some excitement, but if you're looking for some comfort there's a whole list of Logan Ohio Hotels to choose from including the Baymont Logan Hotel and the Inn at Cedar Fall Bed and Breadfast.

If fighting the wild outdoors doesn't sound like fun to you how about a trip to Canton Ohio and the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Check out a whole selection of great places to stay with Canton Hotels including the Canton Hampton Inn, the McKinley Grand Hotel and the Residence in Canton.

There are lots places and cities to visit in Ohio, so be sure to check out the complete list of State of Ohio Hotels to see all the great and wonderful destinations you can enjoy. 

Celebrity Cruises - Available on TravelApe.com

Did you ever wish you could be on the open sea, enjoying the gala affairs of a top notch cruise? Well TravelApe.com is here to bring this into reality for you. TravelApe.com offers a selection of cruises from major providers and one of them is a well known brand...the Celebrity Cruises. 

Travel Ape offers two notable cruise ships from Celebrity Cruises, the Constellation and the Zenith.  

The Constellation is a 965 foot vessel registered in the Bahamas, and was completed on May 1st, 2002. The Constellation can also hold up to 2034 people and features 853 outside rooms, 206 inside rooms, 11 passenger decks and 10 elevators. It also has great features such as shops that include well known names like DKNY and just about every kind of entertainment you'd want. The Constellation offers 10 and 11 day cruises mainly through the Caribbean and Bermuda. 

The Zenith is a 682 foot vessel that also has it's ship registry in the Bahamas. The vessel was completed in January of 1992 and refurbished in 1999. The maximum capacity of guests the Zenith can hold is 1368. Additionally the vessel features 525 outside rooms and 148 interior rooms. Just like the Constellation, the Zenith has it's own wonderful unique features that include gourmet dining and the famed AquaSpa, a spa that enriches the senses with the various therapies offered as well as the incredible architectural design. The Zenith offers cruises of 11 to 15 days in length, and destinations include the Caribbean and Bermuda. 

So get your "cruise" on and head out on the high seas with Celebrity Cruises. 

Nashville Travel Guide

Welcome to Nashville. The home of country music and the prototypical city of country western entertainment. I know, I know, making such drastic generalizations isn't the politically correct way to do things these days, however, come on people, this is Nashville, and Travel Ape has been torturing us with his new found love of the banjo since he's come back from collecting any and all of the information that we're providing to all of you on the web site.

So what does the new Nashville Travel Guide have to offer? Like any major city or metropolis Nashville has the arts and entertainment, the dining, the nightlife and the local attractions. That being said, however, Nashville also has it's own brand associated with each of the categories I just mentioned.

When it comes to the arts Nashville is very unique. Just check out the complete Nashville Arts and Entertainment section we provide. At the apex of the Nashville arts and entertainment scene is the Ryman Auditorium, donned the Mother Church of Country Music. The Ryman Auditorium is located at 116 Fifth North in Nashville and offers entertainment of such caliber as Olivia Newton John.

How about getting a great meal in Nashville? Sure every major city has good steak, seafood and Italian restaurants, but how about something that is indicative of the city itself? Check out the complete list of Nashville Restaurants, but if we may make a selection for you Restaurant Zola is an excellent choice. In fact it was voted the most romantic restaurant in the Nashville area.

There's lot's more to see and do in Nashville and we'll be sure to come back to report on more, but for now take a look at the new Nashville Travel Guide section at Travel Ape to see all the city has to offer.

Portland Oregon Travel Guide

Ok, sure we'd all like to go to some of the more glamorous places in the world. The places with Tiki Huts and Palm Trees. That seems to be the consensus. Well in a time of economic downturn, we sometimes have to make due with a little less than what we want. What if I told you about a place where you may not have thought about, but still is wonderful. Do you think you have a clue to where I refer? Well you better, it's in the title of this blog for goodness sake. It's Portland Oregon.

We're pleased to offer the newest arrival of the Travel Ape Travel guides, the Portland Travel Guide. Why Portland? Well we want the best information about the most diverse cities and destinations and yes, Portland Oregon has it.

Try out great arts and culture. Currently the Portland Jazz Festival is in play. This is an annual event that you must see if you ever are out on the Portland area during February.

How about great dining in a top notch Metropolis? Well Portland Oregon has just that. We'd certainly have you check out the complete Portland Restaurants guide, but are Featured Restaurant would have to be Hobo's Restaurant of Portland located at 120 North West 3rd Avenue is the epitome of class on the water. A glitzy jazz atmosphere with incredible food is all I have to say.

Then there's the arts and culture that any major city has. Check out the complete Portland Attractions section, but our featured attraction after much thought has to be the Oregon Zoo.

Well we thank you for reviewing the newest destination to the Travel Ape stable of destinations, Portland Oregon. Keep your eyes open for more destinations coming on board very soon.

Miami Beach Vacation Rentals

Finding the best value when traveling can be a huge obstacle to over come during these economic hard times. One strategy, for lack of a better term, is to look for vacation rentals, as opposed to getting a hotel room. On the surface vacation rentals may be a little pricer than a hotel room, however, if you get creative the value and discounts you can achieve are pretty substantial.

Our focus for this post will be finding Miami Beach Vacation Rentals. What better an example than planning for a vacation in a great destination resort like Miami and the surrounding area. The key here is stepping outside the proverbial box. Why not plan a vacation or trip with a group or some friends? That's exactly what you can do when you opt for a vacation rental over a hotel room. Now all of the sudden you spread the cost over many people. Let me tell you too, a vacation rental offers individual rooms, kitchen areas, living room areas, etc, so you can even knock off a chunk of the costs when it comes to meals. Sure when you're on vacation, at least for many of us, part of the fun is going out to eat. Take a second to think about the cost associated with 5 days of breakfasts and lunches going out to eat versus eating in. The comparison from eating in to eating out is fractional. That means more money for fun and visiting other attractions. How about a 5 day vacation rental to Miami Beach and getting a vacation rental at the New Casablanca on the Ocean. You get two bedrooms, kitchenette and not to mention a property centrally located to all that is fun in Miami Beach. A trip for March 22nd to March 26th is $143.00 per night. Split that between two couples comes out to be $357.50 for the 5 days !!!

There is no lack of events and activities for one to enjoy while in Miami Beach, but why not consider, especially taking into account the dates we used, visiting the Coral Gables Wine and Food Festival taking place on March 26th. There is much more. Visit the official Miami Beach Tourism Site to see what might tickle your fancy and plan a trip around that.

Vacation Rentals are just one more option at your disposal to still be able to travel and enjoy yourself. Travel Ape is here to make sure everyone has fun. 

Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts

If you have been lucky enough to travel to many places and often, hopefully the area of Naples Florida has been one of the places you've been able to see. Found on the gulf coast and south west region of Florida, Naples is a combination of sleepy quiet town and excitement rolled into one. Yes a very unique place indeed.

Naples Florida has long been known as a place for the blue hairs to reside and the snow birds to flock come winter, but many are probably aware that Naples Florida also has some great hot spots. One such area is Fifth Avenue, a place of chique shops, trendy restaurants and great bars. That being said, there is also the classy side of Naples if you're looking for world class entertainment or a show. You'll find that at the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts located at 5833 Pelican Bay Boulevard.  You may sneeze at what you may think is world class but check out some of these great artists that play the Philharmonic Center for the arts...They include notables such as Tom Jones, Queen Latifah, Oletta Adams and the world renowned River Dance Show, just to name a few. There are so many more. That being said here's some great up coming shows at the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts with dates and ticket prices.

Tom Jones will be appearing on Wednesday April 22nd at 8pm. Tickets range from $79 to $100. Check out the Spiritually uplifting gospel sounds of Oleta Adams on February 17th and February 18th where all tickets cost $45, first come first serve for the tickets of your choice. Finally, if classical music is your fancy, from February 26th to March 1st the group Classical No. 4 will be performing where tickets cost $25 for students and $55 for all others.

There's much to see and enjoy at the Naples Philharmonic Center. Call today for tickets and other information 1-(800) 597-1900.

Tampa Travel Guide

Most recently the host city for the Super Bowl, Tampa is now an official part of the Travel Ape team. Boy oh boy did the big Ape have fun down in Tampa getting the information to form the new Tampa Travel Guide. There's no doubt about it , I think our symian friend has a great affinity for the Sunshine State, although he never likes to play favorites publicly.

So what made Tampa such an appealing place to cover, at least, go to the extent of gathering up all the juicy bits and pieces to make a Travel Ape branded travel guide for the city? Quite simple. Tampa is all about fun. It's a big city, but the city embraces fun in almost everything it does. From the business district area to the marinas the people of Tampa want to have fun.

There are so many great things to do in Tampa and something for any one to enjoy. Let's start with Busch Gardens Tampa. This theme park is flat out a perfect excursion for the entire family, and excursion is the perfect word to define Busch Gardens of Tampa because its over all theme reflects the adventure of Africa. For the adults Tampa has a hot nightlife. If we had to choose one place to see on a visit, the Hyde Park Cafe is a must. Hyde Park Cafe offers three diverse areas in one establishment. Last, but not least, if you have a refined palette the restaurant of choice would have to be Fetishes Restaurant located at 6690 Gulf Street in St. Petersburg.

So we welcome Tampa to the Travel Ape Family. Currently Spirit Airlines has some great deals from several destinations to Tampa. Check them out today.

Pittsburgh Pennsylvania - A Place for Lovers.

Ok before you make yourself take a second look the title of this blog is exactly what you read...Pittsburgh Pennsylvania has been ranked,  according to an online poll, as the Number One city in the United States for romance to bloom. Now to the fine print. The poll actually is ranking the number one city for baby boomer romance to bloom. Regardless, Travel Ape found this poll to be interesting enough to look into just a little. 

How about some of these statistics about the Steel City. Pittsburgh, at least for boomer marriages, is ranked 8th in marriage rates among the top 50 metro areas in the United States.  On top of that, again among boomers, Pittsburgh has the 2nd lowest rate of those divorced and separated.  Is it something in the water? The air? Most would think that a tropical paradise would be where love would bloom. Who knew?

Why get into all this lovey dovey talk? Well it's almost Valentine's Day, and if you didn't know Travel Ape has a soft spot for love. With that being said, Travel Ape went out and looked for the top romantic things to do for your romantic trip to Pittsburgh. First check out any number of potential Pittsburgh Hotels. Then get your reservations at one of Pittsburgh's most romantic restaurants the Hyeholde Restaurant located at 190 Hyeholde Dr., Moon Township, PA. Just take a look at the link to the site provided. I can't do it justice by writing about it here. Here's the number for reservations too, 412-264-3116. What wold be a romantic night without a limo to drive you so call Excpetional Limo at 412-956-2697.

Where ever you decide to enjoy your night of romance enjoy. That's from the big old Ape himself.

Alaska 24 Hours of Sunlight - Travel for the Thrill of a Lifetime

There are many different things in the world that to many the live on this relatively tiny blue marble in the Universe that are obscure, unknown or unexperienced. In Alaska, the phenomenon of 24 hours of sunlight, or on a daily level close to that many hours, where the sun never seems to set.

Imagine traveling to a land where at midnight the sun shines as if you were sitting down for a late lunch. Alaska is no doubt considered and categorized for travel and the avid traveler as adventure travel and for good reason. Many of the state of Alaska's regions are still uncharted and hardly ever traveled by human beings. Many of the cities and even their largest cities are very tough to travel to especially during the winter months. If one were to travel to Alaska, it is said that the best times to enjoy this wonderful land of dense forests, untamed wildlife and majestic mountain ranges is around late May through June. Why? Because the days are longest, meaning the number of hours of sunlight, the skies are usually very clear and blue and the late morning to afternoon hours are warm and comfortable.

There are so many things to see and enjoy in Alaska should you wish to travel and vacation there. Visit old gold rush towns, visit villages of the indigenous people of Alaska, go skiing or do some of the best fresh water fishing that you could do anywhere on the globe.

There aren't a whole heck of a lot of hotels and formal accommodations, but you can make your start by heading to Anchorage. We have a list of Anchorage Hotels to choose from, so check out availability for this coming late May through June.

2009 Mens Basketball Big East Conference Championships.

The 2008-2009 NCAA Men’s College Basketball season is far from over, but it never is too early to prepare for the post season. Especially when you may be a die hard fan of any number of colleges.

Today’s post is about one of the biggest conference championships in Men’s NCAA Basketball, the Big East Championship. For over 30 years now, teams from the Big East Conference descend upon the city of New York to battle it out for the championship that gives the winner a direct bid into the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. The venue, none other than one of the most famous sports venues in the world Madison Square Garden. The excitement each year is palpable.

This year the Big East Conference Championship has a slightly different format than it has in many years mainly because the number of teams that participate in the conference have increased to 16 from what I believe was about 10 teams just a few short years ago. Back to the format, the two top teams will get double byes for the first two rounds, as the remaining teams will begin play on Tuesday on March 10th, 2009.

It's not too early at all to try and search for New York City Hotels in and around the Manhattan area where Madison Square Garden is located. If you are really a fan of college basketball this may be one of the finest tournaments in the country. Also, on a personal note Travel Ape has predicted the winner to be the Villanova Men's Basketball Team. We'll see.

If you are interested in getting tickets you have to go to one of the individual colleges or schools ticket offices. Check out the official Big East Men's Basketball site to see the teams. 

Boston Harbor Hotel - Boston Hotels

The Boston Harbor Hotel one of the only Five Star Hotel located on the Water Front in Boston. The location might be what makes this hotel a must to stay at if you have the means and funds, while visiting Boston. It is uniquely positioned as it has views of the ocean on one side and a clear view of the city of Boston on the other. What's more visitors are greeted by a story book like winding green parkway on another side. The long and short is the Boston Harbor Hotel is all about luxury and an upscale experience for visitors. Which, might I add, visitors can reach the hotel by car or by boat should you be out on the open seas and want to come to land to be pampered for a spell.

The hotel features 230 guest rooms which have been recently renovated and updated to capture a more modern, yet elegant decor.

Rooms and accommodations at the Boston Harbor Hotel feature all the trimmings of luxury including big comfy beds and hand crafted and carved furniture and Italian Marble. How about the fact that you also can relax in your room while enjoying television on a flat screen plasma television? Talk about class and luxury, the Boston Harbor Hotel has it all.

The hotel and property are great for staying over and also for hosting events. The event room can handle both small intimate gatherings and meetings, to large events such as weddings where attendance can reach up to 350 people.

Find out more about the Boston Harbor Hotel by visiting their official website. Why not also check out the local events calendar for the Boston area to see if some event , show or anything is happening and plan a trip. You can't lose.

NBA Tickets.

The NBA or National Basketball Association is very hot right now, and believe it or not, it's coming to it's mid way point in just a few weeks. That point culminates on February 15th 2009 for the NBA's All Star Game. 

Why are things so hot? The NBA is experiencing a resurgence of interest mainly due to the achievement of the USA Basketball team during the 2008 Summer Games in China where USA won gold. The team was made up of great players from the USA that are all excelling for their respective NBA teams, of which two of Team USA's premiere players are caught in a grudge match for potential 2008-2009 MVP NBA Honors...You might have heard of them both..A Mr. Lebron James and a Mr. Kobe Bryant.

So don't miss either of them if you can. Check out both player's teams schedule and available tickets by going to www.TravelApe.com Cleveland Cavalier's Tickets and the Los Angeles Laker's Tickets sections provided.

Should some other form of entertainment strike some interest in you TravelApe.com has a complete event tickets sections. Check it out. 

Cancun Hotels and Cancun Vacation Packages.

I think the cold and snow have finally gotten to most of us here in Travel Ape nation. I know Travel Ape himself has taken excursions to Florida several times in the past few months, but he's even complaining today about the wintery weather.  In his mind Florida isn't tropical or south enough, he's thinking about Mexico.

Well one of the most famous destination resorts in Mexico is of course Cancun. We've stumbled upon several Cancun Vacation Packages through some of our alliances, and they really are great. Obviously being a great destination like Cancun is, the hotels in the area are quality. One such Cancun hotel that features multiple packages is the Laguna Suites Spa and Golf Resort Cancun. In general the Laguna Suites Spa and Golf Resort has a whole bunch to offer. First and foremost like the name of the property indicates it sits on site with a golf course. The Pok Ta Pok Golf Club to be specific offering 18 holes of majestic play in Mexico. Also you'll find the full service Namaste Spa. Other perks include full access to two other local sister resorts, free airport transfers to and from the hotel and a free shuttle to the Ocean Spa Resort Cancun. 

The suites at the Laguna Suites Spa and Golf Resort are just fantastic. They are fully air-conditioned, equipped with cable television a sofa bed and are handicap accessible. 

Packages for the Laguna Suites and Golf Resort range from $199 to $549 depending on the number of days and nights spent and the premiums offered. 

The $199 package is called the Sweet Suite Cancun Getaway and offers accommodations for 4 days and 3 nights in a junior suite plus 2 $30 Spa Gift Certificates.  For $429 they have what is called the Cancun 5 Night Getaway. This is basically the same package as in the Sweet Suite Cancun Getaway but you get 6 Days at the resort. Finally is the Cancun Super Getaway which offers 7 Days and 6 Nights for $549. As with all packages this one comes with accommodations in a junior suite plus 2 $30 gift certificates to the spa.

If you're really interested in pursuing one of these packages you can go directly to the web site links offered above or call 1-800-675-8399 for a customer  service representative. Also why not plan your vacation around events happening around the calendar in Cancun. Check out the Official Cancun Visitors Bureau Website. 

Getting Ready for the Pro Bowl after a Crazy NFL Season...

As I stated in my previous post congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers the 2009 NFL's Super Bowl Champions !!! Again what a crazy season and a fitting crazy end to the years most anticipated sporting event. 

To that end we now set our sights on the some what anticlimactic game of the NFl's Pro Bowl to be played on February 8th 2009 in Hawaii.  To most of you out there traveling to the Hawaii, or better yet, making plans to take a vacation to go to Honolulu is at this point on the calendar may not be financially and practical for many. That doesn't mean that for those lucky few that are may be able to find time, money and whatever else is necessary to get to the game, or for those of you that are interested in the game itself, that we at Travel Ape can't help but build up a little excitement. 

The game is played at Aloha Stadium and has been for many years. If you go to Wikipedia it has some great information that not many know about relating to the evolution and history of the Pro Bowl, one little fact of which, it was played at Texas Stadium in 1973. One additional fact that I'm not sure a lot of people know is that there are plans to have the Pro Bowl Played the week between the Conference Championship Games and the Super Bowl. The times they are a changing.

If you are still thinking about finding a hotel room for the game check out our complete listings of potential vacant hotels in Hawaii and the surrounding area for this coming weekend. Just so you know we've seen rates for as low as $92 a night to as high as $400 a night for premium hotel locations. The big rate deal on the $92 a night price can be found at the Waikiki Sand Villa Hotel and for a 2.5 Star Rated hotel it's quite a bargain and relatively near the stadium.