So, I did. But more on that in a minute.

Growing up in a yuppie suburb outside of Boston, I never, ever, EVER would have guessed that this is where life would have taken me. I mean, really? City girl? Wilderness? Come on. That’s crazy talk.

But when I found myself living in Salt Lake City 5 years ago, right in the heart of the Wild West, I realized it was time to shake it up. Trade in the stilettos for hiking boots. Well, at least on the weekends anyway.

The longer I have stayed in the mountains, the more I love it. The fresh air, the trees, the wild streams… that’s good stuff, right there.  And just as my love for the great outdoors has grown, so has my palette for newer and even more exciting adventure.

Three days ago, I found myself rafting down the mighty Colorado River. It was a first for me and I offer so much thanks to Wide Open Adventure for the incredible experience! As our courageous guide led us heroically over white water rapids, our crew of rookie sailors put forth a dynamic effort, the likes of which have never been seen before! The air was warm, the water cool, and we laughed and cheered our way through the canyons.

Then we came upon the area designated for cliff jumping. Oh, my. If you’re not familiar with this activity, it’s quite literally the act of jumping off a cliff into the water below. This activity of this was yet another first for me, and one I had always been a little nervous to try.

Let’s be real, here. I’m terrified of heights. And you want me to what? No way, dude.

At the same time… How often do these chances come along?

Not being the type to back down from a challenge, (and not wanting to look like a total wuss) I decided to shut up and just do it. How bad can it be, right? Plus, I can tell all my friends at home how completely bad ass I am after.

So there it is, friends. I climbed the rocks and looked over at the gorgeous river oh-so-far below. After some internal debate, a bad attempt at hiding my nerves, and a countdown from a good friend I finally walked to the edge and…

…lept.

“This was probably a bad idea, Laurel” thought the sensible side of my brain.

But 30 ft. later I was surrounded by water and happier than I could ever imagine. It was exhilarating.

The rest of our spectacular river trip was filled with content rafters and cliff jumpers alike. The sun lit up the sprawling landscape as we paddled to shore.

Smiles all the way home.

A life-changing experience always seems to be the best way to recharge my batteries. You better believe I’ll be looking for the next adventure, just around the mountain.

Bring it on, nature. Let’s DO this.

Post by: Laurel C.

Meet (some of) our Destination Experts!

Navigating the rapids

Boats stopping to visit one of the natural hot springs along the river.

Into the air...

We made it! (Can we go again?)

Everyone had a great time... even her!

The number of new blogs in the last 24 hours is 95,142.

The total number of blog posts indexed in last 24 hours equals 928,109.

Staggering.

So how does one decide which blogs to read and where you will spend your time?  It is simply impossible to keep up, even with topics that may interest or inspire you.  One of the best ways to find new blogs is through recommendations.

Recently Chris Brogan came to Salt Lake City for a social media summit.  He is an interesting and nice guy who is always looking for new projects.  Often I wonder how he does it all.  One of his new projects is Man on the Go.  According to the site, the idea behind the site is “to deliver information on whatever works with regards to gear, hotels, airlines, and everything that goes around the crazy world of travel. blog about travel”.  Some of the posts are tips, some are about certain properties and others are meant to be funny, like Chris’ informative post about the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

Another one with great tips is this post from Mitch Joel giving some tips about checking into hotels.  Mitch talks about simple things like asking for a quiet room on a low level floor and he also suggests signing up for all hotel loyalty programs.  Mitch came to Salt Lake with Chris, so it was fun to listen to him, and especially comical watching him role his eyes numerous times, although I found his tip about asking for a more suitable desk chair a bit over the top.  It sounds like he spends too much time working in his room and not enough time working by the pool.

Spending some time on Man on the Go is both fun and you can also find some great ideas.

What are some of your best travel tips?

In the meantime, here is a Travel Tip Tuesday video from March that will get you excited to book for Winter!

Located just 15 minutes away from the town of Aspen itself, Snowmass Mountain is the largest of Aspen’s four Mountain resorts.  (Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Aspen)  In fact, Snowmass is one of the largest ski resorts in North America and is larger than its three sister mountains combined.  Aspen Ski Company’s Kim Edwards tells me:  “Snowmass is known for 2 things – the greatest selection of Ski-in Ski-Out lodging, and the kids program at the Tree House”.  And therein lies the secret- 95% of the lodging is right on the Mountain.  If you have ever tried to ski with a large family, you know the trials and tribulations of getting the little ones dressed up in their gear, packed into the car, carried from the parking lot and onto the lifts – only to find that Jr has left one glove back at the house, and his sister has left her goggles at breakfast.   Everyone enjoys staying right on the Mountain, but this is especially valuable for families.  It means no shuttling back and forth: Mom can stay in and meet the rest of the group later.  If a child gets cold or hungry, or has forgotten something, its just a quick path down the trail to the home or condo.

The next challenge for family skiing is trying to teach your kids to ski yourself.  While this can often work, it is amazing how much better kids respond when among their peers in a well run- ski school.  The complaints of “Mom, I’m tired”,  “Dad, I’m cold”, “I want  a cookie” often turn into focused attention on improving and impressing their peers in class – “I bet I can beat you to the chairlift”, or “watch me do the S turns”.    We dropped our 3 and 4 year olds off at Snowass’s new TreeHouse ski school facility each day of our vacation.  They immediately joined age and skill-appropriate groups, spent half of  the day on the runs with their teacher and half in the TreeHouse’s indoor facility where they ate lunch, played with toys, and watched movies.  By the first night, they were telling us about their new friends and  bragging about  what level they were able to meet in their ski class.

The Treehouse Children's Center is right at the base of Snowmass Mountain

The TreeHouse kids facility is one of the best that I have seen anywhere.  Situated right in the Snowmass base village, it includes several age-specific indoor play areas.  Our 1 year old worked on her walking skills and played for hours with the doll houses before retiring to a special nap area.  The boys played in the indoor “treehouse” – a  collection of rope bridges, swings and suspended platforms and perches, as well as several other toy rooms.  Older kids get to visit the Treehouse’s cabin in the woods, a wonderful camp-like setting right in the middle of the beginner area, where the classes stop for lunch and more play in between the ski lessons.  A small NASTAR-like slalom course is set up right there, and the kids can watch their peers compete as they sit at the picnic tables in the woods eating their hot lunches.

The TreeHouse has programs for all ages of kids and all levels of skiing.  They provide the kids with meals, naps, ski lessons and play – everything they need to have a wonderful adventure.  Packages that include lift tickets and rental equipment save money and are also readily available  For my wife and I- knowing our kids were safe, secure and having fun allowed us  the luxury of spending the days skiing together and exploring the rest of the Mountain.  The skiing was great, the scenery was beautiful, and the food was terrific – make sure to try the fantastic BBQ at Sam’s Smokehouse at the top of the Sam’s Knob lift!    Our conclusion:  Snowmass is First Class – for Families!

The Treehouse - a fun, friendly and safe place for your kids to spend the day!

To book your perfect family skiing holiday at Aspen/ Snowmass -  – visit Vacationroost.com, or call 1-888-33ROOST.

Sure you can rent a vacation home directly from the owner, but what if you need some help while you are there?  Professionally managed vacation rentals come with a Front Desk and 24 hour on-site support.  That means there is someone there to greet you when you arrive and answer all of your questions, and just as importantly, someone there to help with your needs during your stay.  Need some extra towels?  Coming right up.  Want some recommendations on where to eat?  Most Property Managers will not only have recommendations, but can also show you how to take advantage of the “local specials” and discounts.  Have a toaster break?  They’ll have a new one in your unit the next day.  Need something special to accomodate your party like a Baby crib or High Chair?   Many Property Managers have them on site, and will have them waiting for you in your unit.

The point is that Professional Property Managers are in the Hospitality Business.  Their jobs are to ensure that guest enjoy their vacations and have a good time, not spend their vacation trying to figure out how to work the hot tub or find the lights in the basement.  Joe Ballstaedt, President of Park City based Resorts West  reports that their Private Concierge Service is the most important part of their operation, and is growing more important every year.  “We provide our guests with the services and amenities that they would expect to get if they were in a hotel,” explained Joe.  “We offer our guests personalized on-site check-in, grocery delivery services, equipment rentals delivered to their vacation rental, dinner and spa reservations – even luggage delivery!”

So whether you want to be catered to with full concierge services, or just want someone to call if you lose your key, be sure to book a Professionally Managed Vacation Rental…. Which brings us to our Story Headline.  This funny “rescue story” is shared with us by Ashley McClain of Colorado Rocky Mountain Resorts:

Last year in mid-February around 2:30-3:00 AM I get a call on the on-call phone from a distressed guest who explains that her and her party have locked themselves out of their condo in Breckenridge!  I assured them that it’s not a problem and that I would meet her at our office to give her an additional set of keys. Although she was hesitant at first, which I assumed was because it was a full on blizzard outside, she agreed to meet me.  As I pulled up to our office I noticed she was already parked out front with the engine running.  I opened the office, turned on the lights and opened the front door so she could come in.  I waited for a couple of minutes and eventually proceeded to go out to her car as she apparently didn’t want to get out of her car. As I walked up to her car - I noticed she was naked and the only one in the car!  A little embarrassed, I asked her where the rest of her party was (there were 4 adults when I checked them in and they were suppose to be locked out). She explained that they had “poached” the already closed hot tub for some skinny dipping fun and only when they got out did they realize that they had locked themselves out!  The rest of the party was sitting NAKED in the hallway of the condo building waiting for her to return! Embarrassed and cold, she thanked me and drove away.

VacationRoost is the largest online marketplace for Professionally Managed Vacation Rentals, and all of our vacation homes have on-site management.  To find your perfect vacation home visit www.vacationroost.com, or call 1-888-33ROOST!

Zack and I were married in New York City on November 7th, 2009. It was the most magical night of our lives, but after months of planning, we were MORE than ready for our honeymoon. We were so excited to be able to go to Hawaii thanks to VacationRoost and the Honua Kai Resort in Maui where we stayed for 7 magical nights.

We had been researching the island for months and had heard so many wonderful things about the island. After a 10 hours flight (plus a 2 hour stop in LA!), we were so excited to finally land in Maui.

Location, Location, Location
After picking up our Jeep rental (Jeeps are definitely the way to go in Hawaii), we drove for about 45 minutes to Ka’anapali where the Honua Kai Resort is located. The resort, we were pleased to learn, is located on the sunniest side of the island, which can really make a difference. Go 20 minutes in any direction, and the weather can change-which can be a big bummer if you are sun worshippers like my husband and me. The other great thing about the location of the resort is it’s so close to Front Street which is where lots of shops, restaurants and boating activities are located. We were there almost every day!

The Honua Kai Resort
We pulled up to the resort and were blown away before even walking in. The Tiki torches, beautiful landscaping and elegant entrance way tipped us off that this was going to be an amazing resort.

One of the great things about the Honua Kai is the underground parking. When renting a Jeep, it’s a bit of a nightmare to put the top up every night (which we came to learn quickly) and underground parking made things much easier. We are able to park and not worry about anything at all!

The resort staff greeted us with a warm welcome. They were expecting us and whisked us right up to our room.

Our Room!!!!
This is what sets the Honua Kai Resort apart from most other resorts-while you have all the extras of a resort, including daily maid service, concierge, valet, front desk, room service…the Honua Kai is actually more like a luxury condo complex. Our mouths dropped to the floor when we realized we had our own kitchen with top of the line appliances, granite counter tops and stainless steel fridge, we also had our own Bosch washer/dryer (believe it or not we were excited to do laundry on our Honeymoon!), beautiful bathroom with sunken tub, amazing flat screen TV with Blue-Ray, iPod dock and other fun stuff! We then realized we also had out own private balcony. It was truly incredible!

Although it was late, we were still able to look out from the balcony and see how beautiful the grounds were.

We received a very nice note from the resort along with a bottle of champagne that was enjoyed a few days later on our balcony (thanks Dave!).

Resort Accommodations
On our first full day in Maui, we hit up the gourmet food/sundries store located within the hotel. We soon realized the store had just about anything you wanted and we could even buy stuff to make in our own room-including food and cocktails! This really can help you save so much money on your trip. No room services charges, additional fees and crazy prices. Just amazing food for purchase or cooked by their resident chef. Zack LOVED the fish tacos and made a daily habit out of them! We also loved the fact we could make our own cocktails in our blender and relax before going out to dinner.

We started to tour the grounds and couldn’t get over how peaceful, beautiful and quiet the resort was. The koi pond (huge fish!), infinity pool and right-on-the beach location was just perfect. Waitresses were making the rounds and happy to bring you a cocktail (or 4) and some great food from the resort. The pool cabana not only provided guests with towels and other pool-side needs, but also had snorkel and boogie board rentals. You also had the option of renting your own chairs or cabana right on the beach for a small fee.

Pool and Beaches
The pool at the Honua Kai is just beautiful. We enjoyed it every day-from morning ’til late at night and even took a dip in the hot tub a few times. The pool was so quiet and peaceful. Being on our honeymoon-we loved that it was not overly crowded.

The Ka’anapali Beach is amazing. We both did lots of snorkeling and saw some amazing fish. Just down the street is Black Rock Beach where we actually saw a sea turtle!

But even if you didn’t want to leave the resort (which we hope isn’t the case!), you can’t walk a few steps and hit the water to see some amazing sea life right off the resort.

Activities on Maui
There is so much to do on Maui. While we asked family and friends for their tips and advice-we really found that asking the locals or resort staff was really the best bet. They are so nice on the island and everyone just wants you to have a good time. Celeste, our concierge at the resort, always had great suggestions for us and helped us make informed decisions. She let us know when the surf was right for deep sea fishing and the best snorkeling and when the weather would be best for the trip to Hana (you MUST do this-even if the thought of being in a car all day doesn’t excites you-also be sure to take a Jeep).

Our Maui Favorites
While we do encourage you to explore, ask the locals and do your own research, here is a list of our favorite activities, vendors and restaurants on the island (we could have stayed for weeks and not been able to get to everything-so don’t let this hold you back!)

• Snorkel & Surf Board rentals: Maui Dive Shop (located all over the island)-very reasonable
• Surf Lessons (I got up on my first wave!!!!): Outrageous Surf on Front Street-if you get Todd you are lucky! It’s a good idea to throw them $20 before the lesson and you will definitely get up on those waves!
• Restaurant: Lahaina Grill (Zack has been in the restaurant business for over 15 years and even he was blown away!) The owner Jurg makes the rounds and even sat with us for a while-amazing food with so much attention to detail.
• Casual Restaurant: Small Plates & Leilani’s on the Beach (both local favorites)
• Surf Shop: Local Motion
• Road To Hana: MUST DO! Make sure you have 4-wheel drive and check the weather!
• Best Snorkeling: Black Rock Beach
• Best Bloody Mary: Cheeseburger In Paradise
• Best Deep Sea Fishing: Start Me Up! Ask for “Deli”-he’s great!-tell him we sent you.

You should definitely go out on your own, but we really loved all of the above and each and everyone listed helped make our vacation so memorable.

All in all-we had an amazing time. We can’t thank VacationRoost and the Honua Kai Resort enough-we had the trip of a lifetime and one that we will remember forever. Mahalo!!!

Julie & Zack P.

P.S. See you next year for our anniversary!!!!

Cool - Hanging out with World-Champ Matt Pritchard

Cooler - Matt allowing us to use his state of the art windsurfing gear

Even Cooler - Having Matt join us at our vacation rental beach house to share tips and technique suggestions

Matt Pritchard is a terrific guy and was a great ambassador for windsurfing and Maui with his kindness and generosity with our group on this recent vacation in Maui. You may be wondering – what does this have to do at all with vacation rentals? Of course – I can suggest a connection. Had we been staying in one of the major resorts in the main tourist zones of the island, I don’t think we could have enjoyed this experience. For years, my windsurfing friends and I have been renting beach front vacation rentals on the North Shore of Maui. Because this is a much more quiet part of the island, we have interacted and met with dozens of Maui locals over the years and built some nice friendships. It was through these connections that one of my friends met Matt a few years ago, and the rest is history.

The Coolest - Having a few beers with Matt over happy hour after a great day windsurfing

Vacation Rentals allow you to really experience the local community when you vacation in a way that is not usually possible at the larger resorts. For me, some of the best memories from my vacations are based on the people I meet, the adventures we have and the local spots we explore. This most recent trip was no exception – thanks Matt!

If you want to find the perfect vacation rental in Maui – visit Vacationroost.com, or call 1-888-33ROOST.

Hmm... what would it cost to buy this place?

It certainly is an attractive and recurring fantasy. Now that I’m in the business of vacation homes and vacation rentals, however, my perspective has changed a bit. I now know much more about what goes on behind the scenes to give my family and I that perfect vacation experience. I understand a bit more about the costs and logistics involved. As I look around and enjoy all of the beautiful tropical trees and lush grass at an ocean front beach house in Maui, I also notice the telltale signs of an aggressive fight against beachfront erosion to maintain the property. I see the dozens of small seedlings being planted with custom irrigation systems gently nurturing them. I notice the maintenance people coming and going almost constantly in the neighborhood – salt water, sun and wind are not friendly to a home’s paint job. I see a brand new BBQ grill that has obviously replaced an older unit within the last few weeks. I look across this beautiful grass lawn and wonder how often they have to mow it. As I mentally note all of these maintenance issues that I have simply taken for granted in the past, I breathe a relaxing sigh of relief and think “Aaaaahhhhh… Not My Problem!” I can simply enjoy the benefits of this little slice of paradise and ignore all of those issues.

Who has to water those tiny trees? Not Me!

This is one of the many benefits of vacation rentals. I can experience the dream home, but without the mental and financial burdens of ownership. No mortgage, no utilities, no association dues, no maintenance, no battle with the elements, no management of an army of carpenters, landscapers, plumbers, contractors and maids and no worrying about local politics and regulations. Just relaxing and enjoying vacation – that sounds like the right equation for me.

At VacationRoost.com – we only represent the best vacation rental properties that are managed by a full time property management service or have on site management. This insures that our guests can enjoy their vacations – worry free. They are sure to have a well maintained property that is in good shape without any hassles. In the event of an issue with the home – they are still homes after all and things do break once in a while – it is not our guest’s problem. They can go out and enjoy the ocean or the ski slopes, while the onsite manager quickly replaces a microwave oven or brings over a new tank of propane for the grill. We think it is the best of both worlds – the benefits of a private vacation home, with many of the amenities and services of a hotel or resort.

As for me, I still will pick up the real estate magazines once in a while but more out of curiosity than fantasy. I already know that I’m living the fantasy by renting a home in paradise worry free!

Vacation Home owners are very protective of their homes – and rightly so.   A second home can represent the fulfillment of a lifetime of dreams, and often is the “pride and joy” of the owners.  Unfortunately, sometimes these very understandable feelings, and the desire to protect their “pride and joy” can result in  a booking experience that is far more cumbersome than what travelers are used to when they book a hotel or other accommodation.   Many owners will insist on a rigorous rental contract or short term lease agreement to govern the terms of the rental.  Sometimes, these agreements also require  significant security deposits and checks mailed in advance and held well after the vacation is completed.

Case in Point – My wife recently rented a vacation home in Newport Beach California.  It was a terrific home, and she had a great time.  Unfortunately, this home required a rental contract and a $3,000 security deposit.  My wife organized the trip for her group and spent several weeks going back and forth with the owner and signing a detailed contract.  She also had to forward the money for the deposit.  My wife and her friends returned from their trip 2 weeks ago, but she is still waiting for the deposit to be returned.  This is not the ideal customer experience.

Professional Property Management Companies can help make things easier for both the owner and the renter.  Because the PMC is in the hospitality business and books hundreds of customers in and out of their clients’ vacation homes, they are better positioned to help streamline the process.  If a contract is needed, they have standardized forms that are both thoroughly vetted to protect the owner and renter, and efficiently streamlined to minimize the disruption to the booking and check-in process.  In addition, the PMC is able to utilize credit cards, and often will only require an authorization to cover a damage deposit, instead of actually charging the card.

At VacationRoost, we seek out the best Property Management Companies to work with so we can provide our customers with the most convenient  shopping and booking experience possible.  The vast majority of our properties can be booked online with a credit card, and the terms and conditions of the rental are clearly outlined in the Vacation Authorization form that our clients can read and agree to online or over email.

This is just one of the many innovations that VacationRoost is introducing to the marketplace to make booking a vacation rental online as easy and straight forward as booking a hotel room.  To rent your dream vacation home as easily as possible, visit www.vacationroost.com, or call 1-888-33ROOST.

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