August Getaways at September Prices

It may be the last few weeks of summer but several travel companies are lowering prices to capture last minute travel planners. If you have the luxury of traveling in September and October, take advantage of the season when rates and leaves fall together.  Here are some of our picks:

Luxury Resorts offering End of Summer Sales

Omni Hotels & Resorts is offering special, limited time only savings to travelers who book by August 14 for stays through October 2, 2017. This family-welcoming luxury hotel says that nearly 60 of its properties will have rates starting from $99, whether you’re interested in Austin, Texas or Scottsdale, Arizona or any of their popular resorts in between. Look for the “End of Summer” package at resorts that include:

• Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas. It’s a golfer’s paradise noted for its fine cuisine and casual dining, perfect for romantic getaways and memorable family vacations alike.
• Omni Houston Hotel at Westside is just minutes from Houston’s City Centre on a pretty,two-acre lake with an atrium waterfall that will wow the kids.
• Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia boasts a Spanish flair and walkways with fountains that connect the Montelucia villa neighborhood’s three pools to the Moroccan-inspired Joya Spa.
• Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center is all about indoor, air-conditioned fun, because it’s connected to Philips Arena and the Georgia World Congress Center, and it is the nearest hotel to the Georgia Dome.

The End of Summer package is available for purchase through Aug. 14 and applies to overnight stays until October 2, 2017. For more information, visit omnihotels.com, or call 1-800-The-Omni.

Fishing and Country Western Tunes

Trend-spotters say we can expect an increase in multigenerational vacation options, and Missouri’s Ozark Mountains is an ideal destination for all ages. Here, the whole family can enjoy watersports at Table Rock Lake, more than 80 comedy and musical reviews in nearby Branson, the Titanic Museum (yes, about the sunken ocean liner) and thrill rides and traditional midway games at the Silver Dollar City theme park. You’ll have to stay awhile to do everything there is to do.

The local tourism office maintains a deals page that tracks current live music shows offering sale prices, and most shows have steep discounts for seniors and kids under 12. At the hilltop Chateau on the Lake Resort & Spa, they’re offering a third night free on rooms that begin at $139 per night through October 31, 2017. The only fine print is that your arrival days must be Friday through Tuesday, the three nights must be consecutive, and you must book at least a week in advance. Summer and autumn fun on the lake includes rental pontoons, waterskiing, parasailing, snorkeling and guided fishing excursions. Onshore, there’s a fitness center, tennis, indoor and outdoor pools, nearby golf and biking.

Travelers should take note of the unusual NAACP Travel Advisory for the state of Missouri, issued this week and effective through August 28, 2017. It “calls for African American travelers, visitors and Missourians to pay special attention and exercise extreme caution when traveling throughout the state given the series of questionable, race-based incidents occurring statewide recently.” According to NAACP interim president and CEO Derrick Johnson who cited recent reports from the Attorney General’s office and pending legislation that challenges anti-discrimination laws, “We share the alarm and concern that black individuals enjoying the highways, roads and points of interest there may not be safe.”

A Posh Stay in London with the Kids

London bargains may abound as the British pound fluctuates in value in this unsure political climate, yet the city is as much fun as ever.  For example, The Arch London, a small and posh hotel in Marble Arch near Hyde Park, the West End and major attractions, has a summer “Family Fun” family package priced at £385.00 (about US$500) per night, a good rate in this buzzy city. Their Family Fun offer includes free breakfast plus kids’ meals at the hotel’s Hunter 486 restaurant. Family rooms sleeping three provide an Archie Teddy with his own VIP (Very Important Pet) T-shirt, children’s toiletries, kid- sized bathrobes and slippers, a myriad of baby essentials, and a chest of toys and books.

Prefer to read to the babes over a glass of rose? Kids can have complimentary cookies and milk at the hotel’s Martini Library. If you’re staying for five days or more, check out their other summer specials online.

Greece among the ruins

Looking for a special trip with a recent grad? Mind that Gap Year with a special guided tour by the award-winning Peter Sommer Travels, to the northeast region of the Peloponnese peninsula October 14-21, 2017.
 
“Famed for its steep mountains, rugged coastlines, long sandy beaches, fertile plains and fast-flowing up-land rivers, the Peloponnese is also filled to the brim with the stunning remains of past civilizations that made their home here, from the Mycenaeans to the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Venetians, Ottomans and more,” Sommer noted. “Nafplio – an early capital of the modern Greek state, and one of Greece’s more beautiful harbor towns – is the perfect base from which to explore it.” In addition the dozens of major sites in this picturesque region, there is time in Athens to explore the National Archaeological Museum and together see the famous treasure of Mycenae, including the so-called Mask of Agamemnon. 
Exploring the Argolid: From Mycenae to Epidauros is priced at £2,525 land only, per person, in double occupancy at three and four-star hotels, and includes transfers from Athens airport; transportation on tour; accommodations; entry fees; all meals except two dinners and one lunch; and the services of experienced and dedicated guides.The company also arranges private tours for families.

Higher and higher to Macchu Picchu

Budget watchers aiming sky high to summit Macchu Picchu should consider booking their own trip to Peru, then using a local tour operator to organize the mountain trek portion of their journey. It’s a big savings on the markup usually imposed by international tour operators, and a great way to make sure your dollars are going directly back to the local economy.  This month, Viator is offering several Macchu Picchu tour specials that range from four days to more than seven days, with as much or as little adventure as you want. The four-day Inca Jungle Trek tour departing from Cusco costs just $495 per person and gives the fit ones in your group a chance to practice adventure sports like rafting, trekking, biking, and zip lining.  The eight day Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu leads hikers through lesser known trails up to Macchu Picchu, and is priced at $1,725 with an additional 10% off if booked by September 30.

If you’re looking elsewhere for more deals, let us know what you come up with in the Comments field below.