Portland, Maine

The Beacons of Coastal Maine

Owing to its spectacular views, history and literary associations, Portland Head Light is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the country...  Locals say you can still hear the tinkering of the piano keys from the Sequin Island Lighthouse in Phippsburg, 150 years after the death of its lighthouse keeper.  Majestic and sometimes haunting, Maine’s coastline boasts over 60 lighthouses- you’re sure to find one that speaks to you.

Casco Bay Beaches

Breathtaking coastal scenery, miles of pure white sand, and quaint, picturesque New England communities are descriptors that define the Greater Portland Casco Bay beaches. Spend the day relaxing in the soft sand while the waves crash and break onto the shore line. Public accessible beaches to explore include Scarborough Beach, Pine Point Beach, Crescent Beach, Higgins Beach and Willard Beach. Pack a picnic and visit Fort Williams State Park or Winslow Park for a day trip.

Whale Watch While You're There

Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company offers seven different cruises that allow you to see puffin’s, whales, lighthouses, lobster fishing, seals, seabird’s, or nature.  Whale breeds found in the Gulf of Maine include the humpback, finback and Minke. Odyssey Whale Watch, out of Portland’s Casco Bay provides you the chance to see whales, North Atlantic white-sided dolphins, basking sharks, ocean sunfish, sea turtles and seabirds. They maintain nearly 100% sightings on their trips.

For more information on visiting Portland, go to www.visitportland.com

Las Vegas, Nevada

(PHOTO CREDIT: LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU)

Freemont Street Experience

Located in classic Downtown Las Vegas, this five-block pedestrian promenade features 10 casinos, 10,000 slots and more than 60 restaurants, bars and lounges. Overhead is Viva Vision -- the largest big screen on the planet -- featuring nightly state-of-the-art light and sound shows.

Budget Travel

For those looking to make the most of their travel budget while visiting the "Entertainment Capital of the World," there are several options for the value-conscious visitor. Here are just a few:

Free attractions line the Las Vegas Strip and they're not hard to find. The Mirage's volcano erupts in a lagoon filled with waterfalls and palm trees every 15 minutes from dusk to midnight. The Mirage has joined forces with legendary Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, Indian music sensation Zakir Hussein, and the Fountains of Bellagio design firm WET to create an all-new audio/visual spectacle for its famous volcano attration. WET forges a primal volcanic environment of sound, light, music and heat with choreographed FireShooters, which send massive fireballs more than 12 feet into the air. The volcano attraction features a state-of-the-art sound system with music and sound specially created by Hart and Hussein.

Next door, nightly passersby can catch the "Sirens of TI" at Treasure Island. The revamped version showcases the popular pyrotechnic war as male renegade pirates battle "sexy sirens" of Sirens' Cove. Performances run every 90 minutes beginning at 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, the world-famous Fountains at Bellagio thrill visitors with more than 1,000 water-emitting devices choreographed to music by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Whitney Houston and Andrea Bocelli.

Downtown's famous, casino-lined street is now the Fremont Street Experience, a 175,700-square-foot pedestrian area covered by a continuous canopy studded with more than 14 million lights. Each evening on the hour, this canopy comes alive with spectacular light-and-sound shows.

From Las Vegas Hilton to Luxor to JW Marriott, most major resorts offer free lounge entertainment that is available practically around the clock.

For lunchtime bargain-hunters, nothing beats the classic $1.99 shrimp cocktail at the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, the oldest hotel in Las Vegas. For gourmet on a budget, many Las Vegas buffets now offer fare from around the world and at a reasonable price.

Courtesy Las Vegas News Bureau/LVCVA www.lvcva.com

Arlington, Vermont

Join Innkeepers, Eric and Elizabeth Berger, at The Arlington Inn, one of Vermont's preferred bed and breakfasts nestled in the center of Arlington.

An 1847 Estate, on the National Historic Register with 18 guest rooms. Modern amenities such as private baths, air conditioning and two person Jacuzzi's complement historic niceties such as claw-foot soaking tubs, fireplaces, and patios.

The Inn offers a full service dining room and tavern and all rates include a full country breakfast.

Romantic Escapes & Wedding are a speciality of the Inn and can make your country dream vacation or wedding come true in this quiet New England village.

Explore the magic of Arlington and see other time-honored homes such as Hildene (the Robert Todd Lincoln Estate), where Abraham Lincoln's descendants lived until 1975 or the Robert Frost Stone House Museum, home of he 1920a poet.

Wagon rides, shopping and art, antiques, hiking, day spas and theatre provide a variety of options to get out and enjoy Arlington.

For more information visit www.arlingtoninn.com

The Arlington Hotel is A "Green" Hotel.

Chama, New Mexico

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
Moonlight Specials!
All Aboard for Moonlight, Rails, and Scenery!

Ride the rails, take in the scenery and gaze at the moonlight aboard the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad!

Imagine a star-studded night sky and the glow of the full moon while riding this historic train into the heart of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The C&TS RR is offering two Full-Moon night rides to experience this uncommon evening trip. The first ride is scheduled for August and the second in September.

Chama Moonlight Dinner Trains
August 16, 2008
September 13, 2008

Hop on board for a unique opportunity to experience the beauty of a Rocky Mountain sunset on this “Dinner Train Special”. Each of the two “Moonlight Specials” will depart from the Chama Depot at 3:00 PM and will climb the rails providing a sunset view of the mountains up to the old stagecoach stop and mining town of Osier, Colorado. There the train riders will be regaled with a tasty home-style hot meal prepared in this high mountain kitchen by Chef Steven Flowers and the staff of Osier Kitchen. The return trip will bring the riders back down the mountain under the glow of the full moon and starry night sky. It is scheduled to arrive back in Chama at 9:30 PM.

Fares for the Moonlight Special are: Adult Coach ticket price is $75, Adult Parlor Car tickets are $125, and Child Coach tickets are $45. Reservations are highly recommended. Schedules and details about these “Moonlight Specials” and all train rides are available on our website at www.cumbrestoltec.com