travel

“A Day to Remember” Wedding Showcase at Rancho Las Palmas

| kristencastillo

I recently attended the “A Day to Remember” wedding showcase at Rancho Las Palmas in Rancho Mirage, near Palm Springs. 

It’s a stunning site for local and destination weddings in the Coachella Valley. This luxurious venue offers much to enjoy, including well-appointed accommodations, 27 holes of championship golf, a world-class spa, and much more.

Here are some of the wedding spots at Rancho Las Palmas that I visited during the showcase: The ceremony site, the Las Palmas Lawn, is surrounded by palm trees and fits 100 guests, with 700 seated. We had cocktail hour on the sunrise terrace, a two-tiered outdoor space that features views of the fifth fairway. Next, we enjoyed dinner on the starlight terrace, a 10,000 square feet rooftop space boasting stunning views of the surrounding Mount San Jacinto. The rooftop accommodates 1000 guests or 600 for dinner.

We finished the night with dessert at the Spa Las Palmas pool, a poolside area that’s intimate, private, and accommodates 60 guests. Here’s a video of my visit.

Perfect for a desert wedding, the Southern California venue has many other places to say “I Do.” For example, the Las Palmas Ballroom has 30,000 square feet of flexible indoor space. The Sixth Tee Box showcases a beautiful pond and waterfall and is a cozy venue choice for 100 to 150 guests. Check out the venue’s wedding brochure.

Thanks to Rancho Las Palmas and its parent company, Omni Hotels, for inviting me. After the wedding showcase, they hosted me for a one-night stay in a lovely room near the Las Palmas Lawn. 

This resort is an excellent getaway for a vacation, weekend visit, or a special event, like a wedding. I’m already looking forward to returning to this sunny, luxurious resort.

Happy 50th anniversary Fleet Science Center!

| kristencastillo

The Fleet Science Center is celebrating 50 years with a blast!  They’ve been celebrating science since the museum opened in 1973 in Balboa Park. Since then, 26 million people have visited the Fleet, which has interactive exhibits and an IMAX theatre. Their mission is, “to realize a San Diego where everyone is connected to the power of science.”  

Today they kicked off the anniversary with a science experiment featuring liquid nitrogen (at -321 degrees F) and warm water topped with colorful playground balls. They put the liquid nitrogen in a 2-liter bottle and sealed it tightly. The pressure built and boom!

As part of the celebration, the museum is offering special pricing and events throughout the year. Here are some photos of the museum over the years.

Staying Organized While On the Go

| kristencastillo

Holiday travel season is almost here. That means packing suitcases, carry-ons and managing accessories while on-the-go. More than ever, it’s important to be organized.

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I recently traveled for work and before I went to the airport, I prearranged the essentials including my tickets, ID, money and gadgets.  Instead of stashing everything in my purse or computer bag, I kept it all neatly packed away in a rollup bag.

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Great Useful Stuff sent me their TechAway Travel Roll, a tote that has a place for all the basics you need to have handy when traveling, including charging cords, earbuds, passport, sunglasses and other gear.

 

The TechAway Travel Rolls come in three colors: black, hunter green and the cabernet red. I received the cabernet red, a sophisticated deep burgundy shade. The bag retails for $25, an affordable price for keeping all the essentials in one handy, secure place.

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It’s sturdy and held all my gear and gadgets. I’m already planning my next trip and know this travel roll will be making the trek with me.