5th Annual Laguna Beach Music Festival

The Philharmonic Society of Orange County and Laguna Beach Live! present its fifth annual Laguna Beach Music Festival from Monday, January 15, 2007 through Sunday, January 21, 2007 with featured artists, The Ahn Trio. This world-class Festival, established in 2003, brings music at its most exciting---up close and personal---to the charming seaside community of Laguna Beach.

The Ahn Trio is composed of three Juilliard-trained Korean sisters who are breathing new life into the classical music scene by breaking all the rules with a hip, contemporary image and a sophisticated, innovative approach to performance. Hailed as a brilliantly distinguished ensemble gifted with extraordinary powers of communication and an exquisite blend of sound, each of the artists performs with superb technique and contagious excitement. The Washington Post said, "Their technique was impressive, and they balance unanimity and individuality in a spirit that is at the heart of chamber music."

The composers, selected by the Ahns, whose works will be premiered in the Festival are: five time Grammy nominee composer and pianist David Benoit on Saturday, January 20; author of prize-winning concert works and over ninety film scores, Paul Chihara on Sunday, January 21; Argentinean composer Fernando Otero on Friday, January 19; and composer and jazz guitarist Nguyen Le on Sunday, January 21.

Dedicated to artistic excellence and innovation, the Festival presents traditional and contemporary classical music in an accessible and intimate style. The week features a special Meet the Artists salon with the Ahn Trio, several educational events open to the public with the Ahns and composers in residence, master classes, an opening night gourmet dinner at Claes Restaurant and concludes with three inspired weekend concerts held at the Laguna Beach Artists’ Theatre on Friday, January 19, 8 pm, Saturday, January 20, 8 pm, and Sunday, January 21, 3 pm. Concert ticket prices are $30 for center orchestra; $25 for rear and far sides, and $15 for full-time students. For more information or to request a full schedule of events, call the Philharmonic Society at (949) 553-2422, or visit www.LagunaBeachMusicFestival.com.

posted by luv2travel! at 12:28 PM

Looking forward to Spring in Fairbanks

It's January, and we all know what that means in Fairbanks, right? The days are getting longer, it's time to start looking forward to Summer! I mean, we could all just mope around in the dark, I suppose... but really, that's no fun at all. I'd rather think about what's coming up, start looking towards April, May, June...

April's always fun, watching the snow melt and turn black, right? Don't you love it when your driverway turns into a big slushy mess? It's not very pretty, but we know it means Spring - and where there's Spring in Fairbanks, summer's close behind. The important thing is to get properly prepared for the changes in weather, and a great place to do that is Big Ray's downtown on 2nd Avenue.

May's probably my favorite month, the weather's gotten warm, the days are nice and long, and the mosquitos are still mostly asleep. It's a great time for barbecuing, getting your garden ready, or wandering around the places that are popular with tourists before the season starts. Ester Gold Camp opens up at the end of May, featuring the Malemute Saloon, and the Palace Theater and Alaska Salmon Bake at Pioneer Park. And there's always the grand openings of Bun on the Run and Hot Licks Ice Cream on College Road to look forward to in May!

June... so many great things about Fairbanks in June! There's all the celebrations of the Summer Solstice on June 21st, the Midnight Sun Festival, the Midnight Sun Baseball Tournament, the street fair downtown. The Alaska Railroad starts pulling the big tour company train cars to and from Anchorage - offering daily passenger trips with stops in Denali Park, Talkeetna, and Anchorage. June's a great time to take a drive out to Salcha to the Knotty Shop for Ice Cream and handmade Alaskan gifts. There's drinks and appetizers on the deck at The Pump House, dinner cruise on The Riverboat Discovery... the list goes on and on.

Yeah, it's January, and in Fairbanks, that means we've started the downhill slide into summer!

posted by luv2travel! at 12:26 PM

Enjoy the great outdoors in Scottsdale, Arizona

From horseback riding and jeep tours to hiking, hot-air balloon rides and rock climbing; there's no end to things to do in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Experience the beauty of Arizona on horseback while riding the trails of the wild mustangs through the ever-flowing Verde River. City slicker cattle drives, trail rides and wagon rides offered by Fort McDowell Adventures.

360 Adventures offers guided rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking and canyoneering adventures. Experience single- or multi-day tours for beginners or experts in some of the Southwest's best outdoor locations. 360 offers adventure-based team building programs that are engaging and memorable. Custom programs range from 4 hours to 3 days with multi-sport options. The best in guides, gear, location and attitude will challenge, reward and inspire every guest, and allow everyone to find their own adventure.

posted by luv2travel! at 12:25 PM

25th Anniversary Great Race to Start in Concord, North Carolina

ORANGE, CALIFORNIA, December 6, 2006 - GREAT RACE officials have announced that Concord, NC and the Cabarrus, County Convention and Visitors Bureau, will host the official start of GREAT AMERICAN RACE 2007, next June. The annual cross-country race for classic cars will celebrate its 25th Anniversary next summer.

"We are pleased to bring GREAT RACE back to Concord, North Carolina for our 25th Anniversary," said Bill Ewing, CEO for Rally Partners, Inc., the event organizers. "Concord has a rich heritage of motor sports (in North Carolina), and we are excited to be part of it. When we were last seen in Concord, there was a tremendous rainstorm and we still had a huge crowd, so with the promise of good weather in late June, our official start should be a memorable event."

"Concord is synonymous with racing and there is no better place for the Great American Race to start. As home to Roush Racing we are thrilled to be able to host this event. We welcome car enthusiasts to our area as they vie for the Great American Race crown," said Concord Mayor Scott Padgett.

"Having Concord be the starting city for the Great American Race is a real win for our area," notes Sharon Campbell, Chair of the Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau. "It will generate a significant amount of visitor activity. This is certainly great news for Cabarrus County’s tourism industry."

The GREAT RACE was originally known as the Interstate Batteries GREAT AMERICAN RACE when it began in 1983. It was later re-branded The Interstate Batteries Great North American Race in recognition of its Ottawa, Canada to Mexico City route in 1995. "American" was dropped from the name in 1996 in cooperation with Daytona 500 officials who use the trademarked name for closed-course, automotive competitions.

GREAT AMERICAN RACE, presented by Interstate Batteries will begin on June 30, 2007 in Concord, NC and will finish two weeks and 4,000 miles later, on July 14 in Orange Country, California. The midway point will be in Irving, Texas July 6.

GREAT RACE is a recreation of the legendary "Greatest Auto Race" of 1908 that raced around the world from New York to Paris. For the past 24 years, GREAT RACE competitors and their classics have raced over some of the most scenic roads in North America in a race of time and endurance. What was originally created to provide enthusiasts with an opportunity to drive their classics cars quickly became an American institution, attracting competitors from all over the world. Fans of all ages attend GREAT RACE events to meet the competitors and view the timeless machines that annually take to the highways in the ultimate automotive adventure.

GREAT RACE will go international in 2008 when it celebrates the Centennial of the 22,000-mile "Greatest Auto Race", an around-the-world race that ran from New York to Paris in 1908. "GREAT RACE WORLD 35,000km New York to Paris", features alternative-powered automobiles and classic cars in a race around the world from New York to Paris, following much of the same route as the 1908 race. For more information, please log on to www.greatrace2008.com.

About Rally Partners, Inc.

For 24 years, the GREAT RACE has delivered family entertainment and community events in more than 900 cities in North America. Rally Partners, Inc., the event organizers, is focused on bringing experiential automotive events to consumers both nationally and internationally through GREAT RACE events. Jack Roush, one of NASCAR’s leading team owners, and Corky Coker, CEO of Coker Tire, are two members of the Rally Partners organization. For more information, visit GreatRace2008.com.

Concord, North Carolina

Concord is located in Cabarrus County, the Racing Side of Charlotte, in the North Carolina piedmont. The area is home to legendary Lowe's Motor Speedway and the largest concentration of NASCAR teams. A half million race fans visit Cabarrus County during major race events in May and October every year. All year round, 200 to 300 thousand fans visit the area's race shops and other motorsports attractions to see what goes on behind the scenes of the fastest growing sport in the country.

posted by luv2travel! at 12:24 PM