Hotel Season here again

It looks like it’s hotel season again. Every hotel in Calgary seems to be booked up. My friend from North Carolina is in town and he had to stay up by Motel Village on 16th Ave while his coworker stayed at the very plush Fairmont Palliser hotel downtown.

If you are planning a trip, consider staying at a Starwood hotel. Sheraton for instance has a deal, stay 2 nights and get the 3rd night free. Don’t know where to go? With the Indian summer, I think anywhere in Canada is nice this time of year. Perhaps, Montreal is where you should go.

Or if you hurry, before October 4th, stay at the Marriott Courtyard Providence and get the VIP treatment. Quote promo code P53 or enter it in the Corporate/Promotional box online to get breakfast for two, a $25 gas card, discount offers for shopping and a deluxe room.

Closer to home, check out the Rocky Mountain Two Night Getaway in Canmore at the Falcon Crest Lodge. For $179 per person, you get a 5 course dinner and Oh Canada Eh? Dinner Show, two nights deluxe accomodations, cruise to Devil’s Gap with Lake Minnewanka boat tours and free passes to Banff Upper Hot Springs.

Free Golf

We all know that once the leaves are on the ground that fall is around the corner. With the coming of fall, the golf season winds down and golf deals emerge. Golf courses in the Columbia valley will probably stay open for a few weeks more but as far as Calgary is concerned, most courses will close before the third week of October.

New in Kimberly are premier accomodations on Northstar Mountain Village offering ski-in/ski-out access, hot tubs, fireplaces, fitness room and fully equipped kitchens. Now if you call and make an early booking, you will receive 2 rounds of golf free at Bootleg Gap. Just call 1-800-665-1801 and quote ‘Kimberly Fall Special’. Don’t try to book online to get your free golf because this is not available for everyone. Hurry because this offer is only limited to the first 30 bookings.

Want to stay closer to Fairmont and Radium Springs? No problem. With High Country Properties, you can now stay for 3 nights and only pay for 2. Call the same number above and quote ‘Pay for 2 Stay for 3 Special’. Offer is good until October 31, 2008.

There’s a lot of golf left in this season. I hope you will take advantage of the late summer/ fall specials that I find for you.

Save 50% off in Radium Springs

Our friends are back from their Parksville and Qualicum Beach stay and they had a great time. Every year they head out and have a grand old time doing beach activities and shopping for real estate. They said it is a buyer’s market out there with lots to choose from. An average single family home in Parksville sells for $350,000 but there are a lot of condos and beach cottages available for the part time vacationer.

I stumbled upon a coupon for 50% off at Prestige Inn and Resort in B.C. If you are thinking about heading out to Radium Springs, you might want to get this coupon and stay at the Prestige Inn, located about 2 blocks from the Radium Springs golf course. It sits on the corner where you turn off the highway and head south to Fairmont. I did an early blog about the Italian restaurant in the Prestige Inn, recommending the great greek salad there. The hotel is well situated with several golf courses nearby. Copper Point, Eagle Ranch and Radium Springs golf courses to name a few.

To get the coupon, visit WiseResearch and fill out a survey that will take 15-20 minutes of your time. It is worth it because you get a 50% coupon off your next stay at Prestige Inn. If you don’t plan to stay there then get a voucher for Caribbean travel or Discover Islands.

N, S, E, W? Stay and Play

The roads are going to get busy again with the long weekend approaching. We would have flown to somewhere but to keep costs down, we will probably drive and pick up a stay and play package. From Calgary, there are four directions we can travel to. We can drive west towards Kananaskis, Banff, Fairmont, Golden and the Okanagan. Towards the east, we can drive to Strathmore, Speargrass or all the way to Saskatchewan where I hear, has a lot of golf waiting to be played. To the north, there is Sylvan Lake, Lacombe and Edmonton area. Finally to the south, we have Okotoks, High River, Lethbridge and Montana.

We have friends that are planning a trip to Kalispell where there is a golf resort and cooler mountain air waiting for them. Unless you want a change of scenery, I think I would like a lesser drive and more time to stay and play. Before committing to a direction, I would advise you to check out the places to play first.

Staying in Kananaskis is an awesome experience with mountains all around you but the golf isn’t cheap and the only tee times available are early morning (eg. 6am) or twilight (eg. 6pm). Fairmont and Radium is busy this time of year but golf is always incredible there, especially up at Greywolf. Be prepared to pay $80 to $150 per round at the more popular courses such as Copper Point, Eagle Ranch, Greywolf and Radium Springs. 

I’m leaning towards driving north and finding a good course at reasonable rates. Stay tuned for more analysis.

Play Unlimited Golf + Lunch for $25

If you don’t mind the heat, you can play unlimited golf and get free lunch at Painted Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona for $25. They call it Monday Madness because you can play the course for $19 if you tee off before noon. Personally, that’s too hot for my liking.

And talking about hot, I heard that there was a fire at the Panorama Village near Greywolf. If you are looking for stay and play packages in the BC Rockies, check out the Greywolf website. In July, you can stay and play for $139 per person per night. That’s pretty good considering that green fees is $149 regular and $134 after 12:30pm. The accomodations are great and the golf course is spectacular with an over the cliff, par 3 signature hole. 

Or for a little less money, you can stay at Bighorn Meadows and play at Copper Point. The midweek special for a couple includes 2 nights accomodations and 1 round of golf for as little as $102 per person per stay. The Bighorn Meadows resort is situated right on the Radium Springs Golf Course, just alongside hole # 9. 

To get to Fairmont, Radium or Panorama, fly into YYC (Calgary) and rent a car. Drive west on highway 1 towards Lake Louise then head south on highway 93. From Calgary, the drive is about 3 hours.

Flying into YYC

I figured that there are a lot of people visiting the Stampede this year. Believe it or not, it’s just around the corner. Instead of digging their spurs in, alot of Calgarians like to leave town during this time. They find it too rowdy and rather spend it elsewhere. It’s hardly a reason to leave town, considering it’s quiet most of the year in Calgary. Why not stay and welcome the visitors?

I’ve seen Jeff Goldblum come into Calgary and stay out in Banff. He prefers the privacy and serenity out in the Rockies than the bustling oil town that Calgary is known as. If you plan to stay in Canmore or Banff, try to book a hotel online before getting here. 

If you want to explore the Rockies, I recommend that you rent a car from the airport. Even if you plan on camping or gamping, a car will allow you to get to some of the hidden gems in the Rockies. You can drive out to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake and marvel at the beauty of the lakes. You can drive further west to Emerald Lake and canoe on perfectly still waters. You can drive northwest to the Columbia Ice Fields where the glacier once occupied over the highway. To save you money, we have coupons, promo codes and discounts for car rentals with Budget, Alamo, Hertz, Thrifty’s and Avis. Take your pick.

For hotels, I recommend staying at Falcon Crest in Canmore and in Banff, I like the old Fairmont Banff Springs hotel or the Rimrock. Be sure to try out the all-u-can-eat buffet breakfast at the Banff Springs hotel every Sunday – make reservations!

If you plan to golf in Kananaskis, you can stay at the Delta hotel or you can camp at several campsites in the area. Unfortunately, if you don’t already have tee times there, you can play at twilight and save yourself some money. If you are going further to explore Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, plan to stay at the Chateau Lake Louise.

Abit of Europe in Canada

Some people have chosen never to set foot in Europe because they don’t think they will like it. If you are one of these people, let me see if I can change your mind. I have to admit that history wasn’t one of my favorite subjects in school. Perhaps, I found it irrelevant when it came to memorizing dates and being quizzed on the people that made history. Or the fact that these places were so far away and as a kid, you don’t appreciate art, culture nor history until a lot later in life.

To get a taste of Europe without going too far, I urge you to go to Montreal and stay a few days then take a train to Quebec City for some French immersion. 

First, read my earlier blog on Visiting Montreal. Plan to stay a few days in Montreal to take in some of the sights such as the Biodome, McGill University campus, the underground city, Old Port and the site of the 1976 Summer Olympics. Take a cab to Schwartz’s located at 3895 Saint Laurent Boulevard. If you plan to drive there, take note that parking may be a challenge. Schwartz’s is a Montreal tradition since 1928 and when we arrived for a late lunch, there was already a line in front of the small deli. After 10 minutes in line, we sat down at a cramped table and ordered a large plate of smoked Montreal meat along with some olives and a pickle. It was delicious to say the least.

Ask the concierge at the hotel on where to catch the train to Quebec City. The ride is only 2.5 hours away but let me warn you in advance, we were told by a tour guide that the train is always late. Believe it or not, Quebec City is the second oldest existing European settlement in Canada. The old quarter is a walled city and is the only walled city in North America. How cool is that? In Europe, there are so many walled cities that after visiting one, you can almost say you have been to them all. But I have a thing for walled cities which always brings me back to the Holy Grail, Knights in shining armor, castles, moats, watchtowers and medieval villages.  

Quebec City is split into two, a lower part and an upper part. When we sailed into Quebec City on our Canada/ New England cruise, the port was in the lower part. From the port, Place-Royal was a nice 10 minute walk away from the ship. There you will find narrow cobblestone streets filled with quaint shops, pubs and restaurants. There are patio cafes and pubs where patrons can sit, drink a glass of wine or a pint of beer and people watch. To reach the upper part, you can either climb a long flight of stairs up to the Chateau or you can take a funicular. If you have been to Hong Kong or Varese, Italy then you are familiar with a funicular. Even the Montreal Observatory has a funicular that takes people up an inclined hill.

Most of the newer hotels are in the upper part. If you want a blast into the past feeling, stay at the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac that resembles a castle. Actually, I was told that when they built it originally, it disappointed alot of the residents there so they added the extra tower to it so it looked more like a castle. Another good hotel to consider is the Luxe which is walking distance to Place-Royal, the first permanent site in New France. There you will find quaint shops, pubs and restaurants. Be sure to try to local beer brewed in Quebec.

Just a stone throw from the Chateau is a fountain and a square. Across the street from the fountain, you will find a lane that is highly populated with local artists. There you will find watercolor prints and photographic images at reasonable prices.  Down from the lane, you will find a Roman Catholic church, the Notre-Dame de Quebec Basilica which is the oldest parish in North America. Walking through the cobblestone streets, you get a sense of European culture. It is very French here so give your high school French a try when speaking to the locals. Most establishments speak English, but they appreciate it when you try to speak French.  At least, learn the greeting ‘Bonjour’ that means good day and ‘Vas-Bien?’ to ask if someone is well. 

Give yourself a chance to appreciate a foreign place and perhaps, you will find something you like to visit in Europe.

Let your feet do the talking

My feet is killing me. After walking the Radium Springs course and the Riverside Golf Course, I have two trophy blisters to show for my stamina. We are back from our 3-day golf getaway in Fairmont that started on Saturday. We played a total of 4 rounds in 3 days and as much fun as we had, it is good to be back.

With aching feet today, I decided to shop for new golf shoes. It was probably not a good idea with swollen feet but I did so anyways. Who is Dr. Scholls and what does he know about making golf shoes? The Dr. Scholl’s that I know of, makes foot care products such as blister treatment (which I need desperately), massaging gel arch supports, corn cushions and more. I’ve just never heard of them making golf shoes. 

My first stop was at Golf Town but they didn’t have my size. They had the best selection but they didn’t have any sale priced shoes. My next stop was Sport Chek but I became agitated when the salesman was trying to steer me towards the more expensive shoes.

All I wanted to do was to buy a new pair of golf shoes for under $60. My final stop was at Wal-mart.

Wal-mart carries Dr. Scholl’s golf shoes. The one model that caught my eye sold for $44.95. In my opinion, it was a good contender to a pair of Nike or FootJoy shoes that sold for at least $60. I checked out the workmanship on the shoe and it looked pretty decent. The soft spikes were fair and were of the small screw thread type. Overall, it looked good but when I walked around in them, they squeeked and made a lot of noise. It was like stepping on a balloon on every step. You certainly wouldn’t be able to sneak up to someone wearing these shoes. 

The verdict? As a upay2much blogger, stick with the brand names that are known for making running shoes such as Nike, FootJoy, Puma, Ecco, Adidas, Bite and Etonic. Be wary of car tire companies like Goodyear, club manufacturers like Callaway and foot care products like Dr. Scholl’s.

Save Money on Golf in Fairmont

Here’s where the 3 guys’ golf getaway begins…in Fairmont. Just in case you’re interested in the weather like I was all week, here’s a webcam facing east. Hole # 10 at the Riverside Golf Resort is in view along with the parking lot.

I think the guys are going to have a good time. My first round for 2008 was played on the Wailua Golf Course in Kauai back in February but for the other two, this will be their first round of the season. Both of them belong to a private golf club in Calgary. Chris belongs to the prestigious Earl Grey Golf Club, just off the Glenmore reservoir and James belongs to the Country Club of the Hamptons. I’ve played both of these courses and enjoy the Hamptons course more, but with a guest fee of $150 per round, I can’t afford to play too many rounds there. The guest fee at Earl Grey isn’t cheap neither but after paying the fees, you can go to the executive 9-hole course and play there until the sun goes down. There is only the 18-hole course at the Hamptons and usually after a round there, I just want to throw my clubs in the lake.

If you’re coming to Fairmont and want to save some money on golf, pick up a Golf Pass book for $46 at Sport Chek. There are coupons in there that will save you money at the Riverside Golf Resort and at the Radium Springs course. Another book you can pick up that has coupons is the Tee-Off book that is sold for $37 at the car association club (AAA in the US, BCAA in BC and AMA in Alberta). If you’re going with the Tee-Off book, make sure you travel with your friends because the coupons apply to 2 or more players.

Talking about discounts, I was up late last night putting the latest cruise deals on our site. There are cruises as cheap as $399 to Europe. Check them out. And if you’re set on going to Alaska, watch for my blog on sightseeing in Alaska.

 

Golf Coupons to Save More Money

The guys’ golf vacation planned for Fairmont this weekend is a go! The tee times are booked and the golf bags are being loaded in the car as we speak. To get into the mood, I spent the day looking at golf equipment at wholesale prices. This site is going to go a long way for me, since I am in the market for a new driver and hybrids. 

I decided to pack a dozen golf balls with me. This year, I’m trying out several brands of balls to see which ball gives you the best rounds. Last year, I was tired of throwing my money away playing Titleist Pro V1 balls that sell for over $40 a box. The balls I’m playing with include Wilson DX2, Nike Juice, Titleist DT Solo, Top Flite Distance and Dunlop Loco balls. 

If you don’t want to pay too much for golf balls, I recommend picking up some Grade A or B balls from a used golf ball store like Knetgolf. But if you can afford to play a nice course then you should treat yourself to a nice box of balls. 

Looking for a coupon to save some money? Keep our Shops directory bookmarked and check it frequently for coupons to use. Until the end of April, you can save an additional 10% off golf balls and apparel with a coupon listed in the directory. Also, did you pick up the coupon to save 70% off your restaurant bill? Most of these coupons are good until the end of April, with the exception of some that are good until Mother’s Day.