There’s still time to squeeze the last sweet days of summer vacation, save a bundle, and scamper past attraction ticket lines with CityPass. Talk of stay-cations, day-cations, and zooming prices may have dampened early summer travel spirits, but big cities are always crackling with excitement, and ripe for a late-summer break. Best of all, CityPass offers a pocket-size booklet of admission tickets to a select collection of top-drawer attractions in 11 North American cities, priced to save about 50% of regular admission.

CityPass has five cost-taming tips for a memorable city vacation:

1. Purchase a CityPass for New York, Southern California (theme parks), Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Toronto, Seattle, San Francisco, Hollywood, or Houston at www.citypass.com, and print the voucher at home to save money on shipping fees. The voucher is redeemable at any participating attraction, so not a step is wasted. Once in hand, CityPass allows visitors to bypass most ticket lines, spending time inside cool attractions, rather than overheating in long lines. CityPass includes general admission to the most popular attractions and sightseeing in each city and often includes an extra value, such as an IMAX movie, audio tour or same-day admission to a sister museum.
2. Ditch the guidebook. A CityPass is slim, fits in a pocket, and packs not only admission tickets, but a map, information about transportation directions, insider tips, coupons and discounts, and four pages of recommendations from the experts at National Geographic Traveler magazine – specialists in what inquisitive travelers need to know.
3. Travel like a local. Take the bus, train or trolley. A Metrocard will save in New York subways, MARTA’s a good bet from the airport in Atlanta, snare a CTA pass in Chicago for the elevated trains, and head for LA’s clean, efficient Metro Red Line to get from downtown LA to Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.
4. Park yourself. Enjoy fresh air, people-watching, and a simple picnic lunch between tickets. New York’s Central Park and Atlanta’s Olympic Centennial Park are close to CityPass museums. Houston’s 455-acre Hermann Park borders the Museum District and is home to the Houston Zoo. Chicago’s Millennium Park has entertainment and free evening concerts.
5. Some sights really are free. Don’t overlook the energy and distinctive local flavor of each city’s famous intersections, districts and city center. Make a beeline to Times Square for theater of the street. Hollywood and Vine is legendary to star-seekers. Seattle and San Francisco have fascinating waterfronts. Sometimes just watching the world go by while munching a street vendor snack is the way to go.

New York CityPass costs $74, a $134 value, and includes the Empire State Building, Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Guggenheim Museum, and a choice of how to inspect the Statue of Liberty–with the option of either a Statue Cruise to Ellis and Immigration Islands, or a Circleline Sightseeing Cruise around lower Manhattan. San Francisco CityPass includes a cruise, museums, aquarium, and 7-day MUNI Passport—including cable cars—for $54, a $98 value. The Southern California CityPass is unique access to Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure, Universal Studios Hollywood, SeaWorld in San Diego and the San Diego Zoo for $247, a $356 value.

LocalEats, the new iPhone application recently launched by Magellan Press, combines the latest technology with meticulous restaurant research to help locals and visitors alike choose from among the 100 best restaurants in the top 50 U.S. cities, and then guide them to their dining destinations.

From burger joints to sushi bars to white-tablecloth dining establishments, LocalEats makes it easy to discover the best restaurants in America. With just a few touches, users can find restaurants “Near Me” via the iPhone’s GPS technology, check out choice eateries in a specific neighborhood or peruse the “Best Of” in a restaurant category. Instantly, diners receive detailed descriptions, reviews and directions, and can call for reservations or visit the restaurant’s website.

Available on iTunes for 99 cents, LocalEats has quickly become a popular choice for iPhone owners. It is currently rated 4 out of 5 stars by users and is the ninth most popular paid-for application on iTunes.

“LocalEats marries food and culture with technology,” says Bill King, publisher and founder of Magellan Press. “LocalEats is a simple and intuitive guide — not an overwhelming list — that can help you discover true and authentic local restaurants. We’ll take you to real dry rub barbecue in Memphis, show you the best seafood in San Francisco, and lead you to the greatest deep-dish pizza in Chicago. From Los Angeles to New York, LocalEats™ gives a thoughtful snapshot of a city’s culinary landscape that is accessible to casual diners and serious foodies alike.”

LocalEats is an extension of www.wherethelocalseat.com and the Where the Locals Eat print dining guides published by Magellan Press and available across the country.

The application currently focuses on the following 50 U.S. cities: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Worth, Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Oakland, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, Rochester, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Washington, D.C. It will soon expand to additional communities across the country.

“Whether you’re a traveler, a transplant to a new city or a longtime local, we designed LocalEats for people who love food and want to experience the best local restaurants a city has to offer,” continued King.

Led by a veteran food journalist and a veteran professional cook, LocalEats’ team of experts is a passionate group of discerning researchers and writers who share a keen sense of what constitutes a great kitchen, a creative menu and a memorable dining experience. Using a rigorous restaurant selection process, the team weighs personal experiences and surveys from local diners with reviews from top food critics, local and national awards, and notable restaurant ratings.

“Rather than relying on online polls or user-generated ratings, we trust the opinions and research of our hardy band of certified foodies,” says LocalEats editorial director Pat Embry. “We love food and take pride in helping people find little-known neighborhood legends. And with LocalEats, we’ve now made the process of finding the countries best restaurants even easier.”

LocalEats provides up-to-the-minute reviews, ratings, awards and survey information for each restaurant featured.

aloha! Starwood Hotels & Resorts and its much-anticipated new lifestyle brand, aloft hotels, have just announced the opening of aloft Charleston Airport & Convention Center. The new aloft Charleston Airport & Convention Center will offer an exciting yet affordable place to stay for travelers looking to work or play in the Charleston area.

It is conveniently located at the Intersection of International and Tanger Parkway, the 136 room aloft Charleston Airport & Convention Center is minutes from the airport and ideal for business and leisure travelers looking for a respite within a short distance of downtown Charleston and all the many local attractions.

In the same way that W Hotels broke through the clutter of conformity in the upscale hotel arena in 1998, aloft is shaking up the lodging industry with high design at an affordable price point, accessible technology, style and a social atmosphere.

“We are excited to open our doors in Charleston in the expanding Center Pointe area” said Brian McGuinness, Global Brand Leader of aloft and element hotels worldwide. “Guests will find sanctuary from the road or work in our spacious rooms and spa-like bathrooms. When they have finished relaxing they are welcome to join the fun at bar w xyz, sure to be at the heart of the nightlife scene for both visitors and Charleston residents alike.”

“We are thrilled to open the FIRST aloft in South Carolina. The state-of-the art facility with a contemporary feel will be a re-freshing addition to the greater Charleston area,” said Ravi Patel, President & CEO of SREE Hotels, LLC.

Additional aloft hotels at airport locations are scheduled to open at the Philadelphia, Dulles, Portland, Denver, Baltimore, Phoenix, Jacksonville and Orlando airports.

aloft offers atmospheric public spaces designed to draw guests from their rooms to mix and mingle. Savvy travelers can read the paper, work on their laptops via complimentary hotel-wide wireless Internet access, play a game of pool or grab a drink with friends at re:mix, the communal lobby area featuring the sassy w xyz bar. The re:charge fitness center and splash, the indoor pool, give travelers options to de-stress and re-energize, while re:fuel by aloft, a one-stop food and beverage area, offers sweet, savory and healthy food, snacks and beverages to grab & go, 24 hours a day. Not just a pretty space, aloft is committed to the environment through its see green program, which offers such eco-friendly amenities as preferred parking for hybrid cars and a greener-saline solution in the splash indoor pool.

Guest rooms feature urban-influenced design, while the centerpiece of each aloft room is an ultra-comfortable plush platform bed. Loft-like nine-foot ceilings and oversized windows create a bright, airy environment. Large, stylish bathrooms complement the guest experience with oversized walk-in showers and amenities created by Bliss Spa. Each aloft room is also a combination high-tech office and entertainment center, featuring wireless Internet access and plug & play, a one-stop connectivity solution for multiple electronic gadgetry such as PDAs, cell phones, mp3 players and laptops – all linked to a large, flat-panel HDTV-ready television for optimal sound and viewing.

Guests of aloft can book their stay directly through www.alofthotels.com which features the best rate guarantee. Guests also may book through their local travel agents. In addition, during the year of aloft hotel’s launch—2008—members of the Starwood Preferred Guest program can earn an unprecedented 8 Starpoints for every U.S. dollar spent (quadruple the base earning) when they register and then book a stay at any aloft hotel worldwide until December 31. Members of the award-winning and industry-leading Starwood Preferred Guest program currently earn two points for every dollar spent at a participating Starwood hotel. After racking up their Starpoints, SPG members can redeem their points for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 860 hotels and resorts worldwide. The offer is designed to celebrate the opening of aloft, the eighth hotel and lifestyle brand to join the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program.

The historic little town of Princess Anne, “The Jewel of the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland” will celebrate its 275th anniversary October 17-19, 2008 during the annual Old Princess Anne Days Festival and historic home tour.

The two-day festival offers great opportunities to see how the town developed from its founding in 1733 to today. Walking and driving tours of the many significant historic buildings, farms, plantations and country homes show a number of excellent architectural styles ranging from the early 1700s to the early 1800s. Additionally, the grounds of the famous Teackle Mansion, built in 1801, will host “visits” from famous historical figures, demonstrations of 19th century cooking, crafts and life on plantations. There also will be The War of 1812 reenactments, period music concerts and shanty singing.

Saturday evening, October 18, will feature OktoberFest, a German-themed dance and dinner in Princess Anne’s Manokin Park hosted by the Princess Anne Police Department. Don’t miss a chance to dance with Princess Anne.

Festival tickets will be available in the early Fall through the Somerset County (Maryland) Office of Tourism (410-651-2968) or 11440 Ocean Highway, Princess Anne, Maryland 21853.

Areas and Information: Princess Anne is an easy and beautiful 2-3 hour drive from Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Virginia Beach and other major mid-Atlantic communities. There are many quaint bed and breakfasts and antique stores in the area. This is an ideal family outing or for history and nature enthusiasts.

CityPass is making visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island much more simple and affordable this summer. In addition to saving almost 50% to see the city’s selected most-famous attractions, New York CityPass ticket holders get a time-saving advantage: they move to the front of the line awaiting security protocols, bypassing general admission lines at Battery Park.

One of six New York CityPass tickets (others include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Empire State Building, Guggenheim Museum, American Museum of Natural History, and Museum of Modern Art), Statue Cruises’ ferries serve Liberty Island and Ellis Island as a National Park Service operator. Note: There are two ways to enjoy the Statue of Liberty with CityPass; with Statue Cruises boats delivering visitors the Statue of Liberty and spending several hours on both islands, or viewing it as part of a narrated two hour half-circle cruise with Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises.

Summer is the ideal time of year to experience the Statue of Liberty. It is an American icon and a magnificent work of art. CityPass spotlights the Statue of Liberty this month as its featured attraction.  The information includes tips to plan for the first Statue Cruises departure; how to breeze past long lines and where to enter the security tent for boarding, and ways to enjoy the history and highlights of the statue and immigration museum.

Actual admission tickets are bundled in a pocket-size ticket booklet. Also included are hours, tips, transportation directions, four pages of expert advice taken directly from the pages of National Geographic Traveler magazine, shopping values, and dining offers, making New York CityPass a budget-busting little guidebook to the Big Apple. Adult New York CityPass: $74, a $134 value; kids, $54, a $106 value.

Purchase tickets at any participating attraction or in advance, online at www.citypass.com and sent to home, office or hotel addresses. Save shipping fees with the print-at-home voucher option; vouchers are redeemed at a participating attraction.

CityPass saves money and time in 11 North American destinations: New York, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, Hollywood, Houston, Texas (new this year), and Southern California. For further information, to take a page-by-page peek at each CityPass ticket booklet, or link to each attraction, click on www.citypass.com.