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If you want to get a feel for ancient Hawaii and its heritage, customs and culture, then stop by Kalaekilohana B & B near South Point and Volcancoes National Park.  You can get a Lomi Lomi massage from a local expert.  You can learn how to make a lei.  You can try your hand at weaving and work with Hawaiian tools.

You might even catch a Hulu workshop.  This place is very much in touch with Hawaii’s past.  You can also sample some local coffee that has won awards around the globe.

Check their website for info on the Southern Most Point in the US.

Visit the BigIsland.org for great ideas on things to do around the island.

Photo credit flickr user jsgottwald

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Aloha fellow jetSetters!  We explore the massive and beautiful Big Island of Hawaii.  This place has so much to do so come along for great travel tips and info to get the most of your Hawaii vacation.

We will tell you where to stay and what to do.  You’ll hear about the secluded beaches of the Kohala Coast.  You’ll want to check out the largest volcano in the world erupting and dumping lava right into the ocean.  Volcanoes National Park offers hiking and great views of the volcano plus you can learn about volcanoes and walk through lava tubes.

Enjoy a little podsafe music from Hawaiian artist Kenneth Makuakane.

More info on the Big Island.

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Just twenty miles from downtown Los Angeles and seven miles south of LAX, Redondo Beach is a hot spot! Located in an area of LA referred to as the South Bay….along with Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach lies right on the Pacific and embodies the quintessential Southern California lifestyle!

journeyPod scoped out some great dining in Redondo Beach. It’s no surprise seafood was a top choice! ChartHouse Restaurant, Captain Kidd’s Fish Market, Bluewater Grill, and Baleen. Be sure to check out our Chef’s Corner with Chef Daniel from Baleen.

And when it comes time for an overnight, your best bet is The Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club. It’s part of the Noble House & Resorts collection and has recently undergone a $11M renovation. It’s waterfront luxury at its best! journeyPod sat down and spoke with Jeannene Glenn, General Manager at The Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club, and got some inside scoop on this amazing property.

Get away to Redondo Beach, and enjoy the relaxing sounds of Sasha Evans–an up and coming artist from nearby Laguna Beach. You are sure to hear this young talent lady making waves soon! And you heard her first here on journeyPod.com.

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The perfect blend of outdoor adventure and urban sophistication. That’s what both locals and visitors love about Denver. With snowcapped Rocky Mountain peaks providing a spectacular backdrop, Denver is as refined as it is laid-back.

Now is the perfect time to visit Denver - all summer long, Denver is on sale, with more than 100 fantastic bargains, all for the ‘Mile High’ price of $52.80!

Summer in Denver offers plenty of pro sports thrills, including home games from the Colorado Rockies, Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids, and Major League Lacrosse’s Denver Outlaws.

Hungry? You’re in luck!  The “Mile High City’s” culinary climate is heating up like never before. journeyPod enjoys dining at Rioja, Osteria Marco and Fort Restaurant. Looking for a laugh, we suggest Comedy Works - a venue frequented by Jerry Seinfeld, Jamie Foxx, Chris Rock & Ellen De Generes. Hotel Teatro is a favorite of Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner & Jewel. Oprah loves the Bella Vista Suite at the Loews Denver.

Book your next memorable vacation to Denver by logging on to www.visitdenver.com today!

Now here’s Denver native artist, Lisa Cruz, with her smash hit ”All there is to know”.

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journeyPod was live on the track, in the pits, and at the paddocks for the 35th Annual Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix. We got up close with several racers including Butch Leitzinger, Patrick Long, Adrian Fernandez, and Hideki Mutoh.

While we didn’t get a chance to speak to the winner of the 35th Annual Long Beach Grand Prix, Dario Franchitti, we did briefly chat with his lovely wife, Ashley Judd, who was hanging out in the pits with us, celebrating her birthday!

Take a listen to what these international racers had to say about the Long Beach Grand Prix and the city of Long Beach.  Then get pumped up with the podsafe sounds of “Race Car A Go Go” by the group Pohgo.

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Central Pennsylvania: 90 minutes from Pittsburgh, two hours from Washington, DC and three hours from Philadelphia. With outdoors activities year-round, this is the place to be.

And in the middle of this wilderness, there stands a palace. The Bedford Springs Resort, a National Historic Landmark, is also a member of the Preferred Hotels of the World. And our pick for best place to stay in Central PA.

After an unprecedented $120 million renewal and expansion, guests now enjoy a new Bedford Springs Resort. The legend began over 200 years ago at Bedford Springs, where eight mineral springs became famed as a mecca of rejuvenation. Today, the legacy continues at the world-class Springs Eternal Spa incorporating treatments with mineral waters, and a magnificently restored golf course.

Let’s listen to more fun facts and history from the Director of Sales & Marketing of the Bedford Springs Resort, Courtney Lowe.  Then check out the smooth acoustic sounds of Sub Rose and their song, “History.”

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journeyPod headed to sunny Southern California for the 5th Annual San Diego Wine and Food Festival. journeyPod was there for lip smacking, glass clinking, celebrity watching, swishing, swirling, mouth watering kinds of fun! Held at venues along the stunning San Diego waterfront, the Festival was a sizzling five-day festa that offered attendees everything from cooking classes with celebrity chefs, to wine tastings with Master Sommeliers, to a Reserve Tasting aboard the Hornblower’s Inspiration, and the Final Grand Event –where over 800 wines were poured.

journeyPod caught up with some of the movers and shakers at the festival. We spoke with the Chef of the Fest from 2007, Chef GT, for some real inside scoop on what it is like to be “Chef of the Fest.” We also chatted with the Dan from Redwood Creek Wines, and with Rita from Designo Plus who told us all about sea salts from around the world!

Let’s take a listen straight from this year’s San Diego Wine and Food Festival. And if you’re interested in attending the festival next November, journeyPod highly suggest you make your hotel reservations now—at the Grand Del Mar. That’s where we stayed this year and we couldn’t have been more impressed! Tune in for our podcast on The Grand Del Mar in an upcoming show. You’re gonna love this kitchy piece called “Glass of Wine” by The New Autonomous Folksingers.

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If you’re looking for a trip away from it all, then journeyPod has the answer! Adventure lovers, couples, girlfriends and solo travelers enjoy a weekend up in the North Georgia mountains filled with wine tastings, spa, yoga, world-class cuisine, waterfalls, canoing and more!

Wolf Mountain Winery in Dahlonega serves 100 % Georgia-grown grapes in their seven varieties of wine. Bring the family for a gourmet Sunday brunch and let your tastebuds go wild with dishes like Venison Sausage, Grilled Quail and Buffalo Chili. Celebrate the holidays, special occasions such as weddings, anniversary parties and birthdays in your own private wine cellar. Sit outside on the veranda and enjoy a bottle of award-winning wine while gazing at the breathtaking scenery. Make sure to ask about the Wolf Mountain Winery Wine Club!

After a full day of wine tasting head on over to Pura Vida USA Wellness Spa and Retreat Center for a spa treatment, dip in the jacuzzi and healthy meal. Wake up in your own cottage or stay in the barnhouse and start the day off right with a rejuvenating yoga class! Listen in as we chat with Margaret Nemec about the Inn.

Spend the rest of the afternoon canoing, tubing and swimming at Dicks Creek Falls or marvel at the longest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi - Amicalola Falls.

Enjoy podsafe artist Mac and Shrout and their hit “My Angel:

Photocredit to Sirobertson!

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Welcome to West Hollywood, California! In Los Angeles County, West Hollywood is situated between Beverly Hills and Hollywood and located at the base of the Hollywood Hills. At only 1.9 square miles in size, West Hollywood is one of the smallest and densest cities in California! This exciting destination is home of the world-famous, nightlife hotspot the Sunset Strip. Whether you’re visiting for the hottest shopping, dining, nightlife, spas or luxurious hotels, West Hollywood has it all.

And of all the hotels in West Hollywood….which one is the “sexiest” hotel in West Hollywood? And which hotel does Snoop Dogg stay?

Check out our podcast with Chad Thompson, the General Manager of The Grafton on Sunset to find out… and then chill to the smooth sounds of Diana Rein and her song “So Sexy”.

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San Francisco, the city by the bay, is located about an hour flight north of Los Angeles or a six hour drive from the city of angels. A convenient area of San Fran in which to call home base when traveling is the financial district.The area is marked by the cluster of high-rise towers that lies between Grant Avenue east of the Union Square shopping district, Sacramento Street and Columbus Street, south of Chinatown and North Beach, and the Embarcadero that rings the waterfront. So, while you are only a few walking blocks away from al the hoopla and tourists, you kind of have your open little piece and quite, especially if visiting during the weekend. And if you are visiting during the weekend, do not miss the Saturday Farmer’s Market down on the water at the Ferry Building. journeyPod was in town for the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball tourney–where we saw Olympic Gold Medalists Misty May Treanor, Kerri Walsh, Phil Dalhausser, Todd Rodgers perform on a man-made sand court.

For a real “American” breakfast, our Swiss friends enjoyed Dottie’s True Blue Cafe. While the wait is long–at least 45 minutes–it’s well worth it! The place only has 10 tables. Plenty of locals frequent this place for the homemade foods and flavors. Some other hot spots for breakfast include Sears Fine Foods. It’s always packed with visitors from the US and abroad. journeyPod recommends the famous Swedish pancakes.

The one thing to remember about San Fran is that while it may be 80 and sunny down in Los Angeles on any given August day, it’s probably not the case here. Your journalist has still not learned her lesson. She packed like she was still in LA, and hence added yet another “waterproof SF touristy fleece” to her collection….five in all now. One for each trip to this city by the bay….

The financial district of San Francisco is also home to the city’s tallest buildings, including 555 California Street and the Transamerica Pyramid, with the third tallest building located at 222 Sansome Street–home to the luxury hotel, Mandarin Oriental.

The top eleven floors of this third tallest building in the city are literally rooms in “the clouds.” Every guest room as an amazing view of either the city or the bay. journeyPod stayed in a “Golden Gate King Room” so named because we had views of both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge and everything in between…including Alcatraz! Guests will find a pair of binoculars in every room…and since all the beds have been raised, you can sit in a bed and use the binoculars to see the incredible views! How’s that for some fun trivia!

The Mandarin Oriental San Francisco is the recipient of many awards including, Travel & Leisure US 2008 World’s Best 500, Mobil Guide Four Star 2008 for Hotel and Restaurant, and Conde Naste Gold List 2008.

journeyPod sat down with Michelle Loane, Director of Sales& Marketing, for some inside scoop. Let’s take a listen…

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