San Francisco is an urban hotspot for art, famed restaurants, chic wine bars, specialty boutiques and more. Vacationers with timeshare rentals in the busy city will have jam-packed agendas during their visit, dining at the trendy pubs and cafes and savoring the breathtaking sights of the Golden Gate Bridge, Telegraph Hill and Chinatown. For those who land hot vacation deals in the spring and venture to the West Coast, three starkly different festivals await, offering a celebration of culture, the arts and nature in the city of San Francisco.

Chinese New Year Festival & Parade
Aside from celebrations in Asia, the San Francisco Chinese New Year festival is the largest spectacle to ring in the new year. Travelers who book vacation rentals in San Francisco during the month of February can take part in this massive parade on Saturday, February 11. Involving two major fairs – the Chinese New Year Flower Fair and Chinatown Community Street Fair – a Miss Chinatown USA competition, and the New Year Parade, the massive celebration is the largest general market event in Northern California, according to its official website.

The year 2012 will mark the year of the Dragon. According to ancient Chinese culture, the Dragon is the mightiest of all zodiac signs. The 2012 New Year Parade in San Francisco will have many floats featuring the ferocious creature and will end traditionally with the Golden Dragon and over 600,000 firecrackers.

San Francisco International Film Festival
The longest-running film festival in the Americas, the San Francisco International Film Festival has grown since 1957, transforming into a two-week showcase of film discovery and innovation featuring over 150 films. Approximately 80,000 individuals attend the cinema extraordinaire each year.

This past fall season, Bay Area audience members were given the opportunity to delve deep into the various genres of film and make their own assumptions on which cinematic debut should be held higher than the rest. The acclaimed festival will take place in spring 2012.

Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival
Another widely acclaimed celebration of Asian tradition, the 45th annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Northern California will hit the streets on Saturday and Sunday, April 14-15, and April 21-22.  The event garners an attendance of roughly 200,000 people, celebrating Japanese culture in San Francisco’s Japantown. Food booths, cultural performances, martial arts, live bands, the annual Queen program and more will fill Post Street between Laguna and Fillmore during this two-weekend event.

Travelers booking cheap vacation deals in Hawaii during the spring can soak in the rich island culture at the annual Merrie Monarch Festival, a week-long celebration from April 8-14, 2012. The spectacle first spread joy to Hawaiians in 1964, and preserved and promoted the art of hula and the native heritage through education every year since. Individuals of all ages are invited to share their knowledge of the art of ancient and modern hula.

Consisting of art exhibits, craft fairs, demonstrations, performances and a parade, the festival leaves little room for idle time among its anxious guests. The most anticipated event of the entire festival is the three-day hula competition, a celebration that honors the island’s history and culture to future Hawaiian generations.

The preparation for the Hawaiian dance festival is much longer than the seven-day period of celebration. Hula studios and instructors in Hawaii and on the U.S. mainland hold seminars and workshops year-round to teach the art of hula, native chants, Hawaiian clothing, the language and overall history of the people.

The festival dedicates its celebration each year to King David Kalakaua, who claimed the Hawaiian Kingdom throne in 1874 until his death in 1891. Known as the Merrie Monarch, the ruler cherished the arts and restored cultural traditions during his reign. Thousands of participants join in the hula celebration each year and those who book vacation rentals on Hilo in Hawaii can learn from new and old generations of Hawaii’s rich history of music and dance.

Outdoorsy families on the hunt for vacation rentals jam-packed with natural recreation can book their next trip at Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America.

Families can savor the outdoors in all its glory, including the clear water of the lake, the surrounding Sierra Nevada mountains, massive groves of pines and sunsets that take their lucky viewer’s breath away. South Lake Tahoe can entertain the most hard-to-please child, with hot-air balloon rides, helicopter tours and enormous arcades. For families who choose to take advantage of the natural world in its prime, the outdoor activities of Lake Tahoe’s south shore are what brings visitors back year after year. Whether travelers snag hot vacation deals at the enormous lake of the Golden State in the winter or summer, the list of enjoyable activities is endless.

Winter at Lake Tahoe
The ski resorts at South Lake Tahoe attract skiers and snowboarders of all levels with their well-manicured slopes, and those looking for a cross-country tour can cruise through the acres of backcountry trails.

For the out-of-the-box winter enthusiast, opportunities to snowshoe or snowmobile are available at the wide variety of resort rentals in South Lake Tahoe. For an even wilder experience, the winter enthusiast can engage in activities such as human sled bowling or dog sledding.

South Lake Tahoe summer fun
Outdoor activities in the summertime at the pristine West Coast lake can send a lover of the great outdoors into a joyful frenzy, not knowing where to begin. Of course, at the continent’s largest lake, water recreation is a given. Climb aboard a sailboat for a sunset cruise, ride a speed boat at Zephyr Cove, or partake in a family fishing competition in the waters of the lake with 75-feet visibility below.

Hiking through Desolation Wilderness can be a week-long adventure, exploring its subalpine and alpine forest, granite peaks and glacial valleys and lakes. Some of the greatest trails for hiking run parallel to legendary mountain biking courses that can accommodate any skill level.

The Saxon Creek Trail – also known as Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride – is not for the faint-hearted mountain biker. With abundant drops and rock gardens, the experienced biker is sure to enjoy the challenge of the accurately nicknamed wild ride. For those who aim to enjoy the view of the ride more than the sweat flying off their bodies, the Flume Trail Ride may be more suitable. A nearly flat trail, the course sits 1600 feet above the east shore of Lake Tahoe and a half-mile away from the shoreline in some places. In short, the view is spectacular.

When hints of warm weather begin to show, young students know that spring vacations from school are soon to arrive. While a simple getaway from the daily routine is enough to excite most kids in the classroom, booking vacation rentals in new and exciting cities can be a fun change of pace for the family.

Many locations around the country are ideal for entertaining individuals of all ages. Travelers can take a spring vacation road trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco across Highway 1 and cruise around its curvy turns and steep cliffs that plunge straight to the crystal clear ocean. Sightseeing through each California city and booking the occasional nightly condo rentals when drivers need a rest can open children’s eyes to unfamiliar cultures and style.

A visit to Flagstaff, Arizona, will give family travelers the ultimate look at the wonders of the Southwest. The city is found 7,000 feet high in the world’s largest ponderosa forest, welcoming visitors to seven national parks and monuments. Families can visit Bushmaster Park or FoxGlenn Park and take advantage of the great outdoors, or visit the Mountain Top Honey Company to savor a taste of its sweet quality product.

For a fun and educational vacation for the whole family, book a condo rental at the Historic Powhatan Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia. Named after Chief Powhatan, father of the Native American princess made famous by the Disney film, the historic plantation holds the original Manor House – the 1735 historical home of skilled colonial architect Richard Taliaferro.

The owners have restored the home and created a modern day resort out of the plantation, with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, an outdoor pavilion, a playground and The Kitchen, one of the finest dining experiences in Williamsburg, according to Gourmet Magazine.

An endless list of activities awaits those who visit Williamsburg, including a candlelit walking tour of the colonial city that highlights eerie tales of ghosts that may haunt the streets. Colonial Williamsburg museums abound in the town, providing detailed accounts, reenactments and artifacts dating as far back as the first colonies of America during the 18th century.

Kids and parents will enjoy all that Williamsburg has to offer, particularly in the warmer Spring weather that is ideal for outdoor activities and walking tours.

There is plenty of things to do in Williamsburg, Virgina. Plan your Williamsburg Vacation Today!

The Belcourt Castle, the only Newport mansion to still have its owners reside in the building, is one of the best guided mansion tours in Newport, Rhode Island.

Once a summer cottage with 60 rooms, Belcourt had cost $3 million in 1894, an amount that would equal about $75 million in 2007, according to the mansion’s website. Its current owner, Harle Hope Hanson Tinney, still invites guests into her home to view the elegant beauty of one of the most elaborate historical landmarks in the small Rhode Island city.

The exterior of the home follows the architecture of French King Louis XIII, while the inside design mimics two starkly different styles: French Renaissance and Elizabethan English.

Because of its ancient history, the mansion also offers ghost tours in which guides enlighten visitors of the past owners of the home, whose spirits may still haunt the grounds.

Stay in one of the nearby oceanside timeshare rentals such as the Wyndham Vacation Resort Inn and schedule a tour of the exquisite and mysterious Belcourt Castle to see for yourself if the home’s ghostly past is in fact real.

There is plenty of things to do in Newport Rhode Island. Plan your Newport vacation rental today!

If your vacation to Carlsbad, California, falls somewhere between March and April, then the city’s Flower Fields are an essential item on your must-see list.

A cultivation of flowers that started 85 years ago, The Flower Fields are a span of 50 acres of rolling hills filled with the Tecolote Giant Ranunculus bulb, one of the finest strains of ranunculus plants in the world. When Edwin Frazee first began gardening the fields, he produced red and yellow buds, and now, the rows of flowers span nearly the entire spectrum of the rainbow.

The hills of The Flower Fields overlook the Pacific Ocean and picnic tables, chairs and benches sit sporadically along the blooming rows so families and couples can relax and enjoy lunch amidst the vibrant colors on a cool spring day.

On April 21, The Flower Fields will host a Red Hatters’ Rendezvous show with two scheduled times in the morning and afternoon, complete with admission to the fields, an arts and crafts festival, Red Hat vendors, music, door prizes and more. Don’t worry if your vacation rental stays do not line up with the Red Hatters’ event, however, because the Flower Fields will be blossoming all spring.
There are plenty of things to so in Carlsbad. Plan your Carlsbad vacation rental today and see the Flower Fields of Carlsbad

Families with timeshare rentals in Palm Springs can take their children to an eye-opening commemorative program in February at the Palm Springs Air Museum. The 70,000-sq. foot air museum began construction in 1993 and officially opened on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 1996.

The museum is home to one of the world’s largest collections of World War II combat aircraft. In addition to its display of 26 aircraft, the institute uses other World War II artifacts, photographs and automobiles to better share its story with incoming visitors.

On the first weekend of February, the museum will commemorate Dr. Dean Hunter, author of “For Love of Life and Country: One Man’s Account of Heroism with Humor.” Hunter will be present at the museum to share his unique story of going from Eagle Scout to United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel while maintaining his sense of humor through the whole journey.

Almost every weekend, the Palm Springs Air Museum is busy with the commemoration of a war hero or a memorial of a major event in history. Children can learn more about the country in which they were raised and enjoy walking among the enormous, historical aircraft.

There are plenty of things to do in Palms Springs. Book your Palms Springs Vacation rental today.

Conservation specialists claim that the northern white rhinoceros of Africa is facing threats of extinction in its near future, with approximately eight members of the species surviving in the world, MSNBC reports. Two out of the eight rhinos live at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park among an array of other wild creatures roaming freely on the park grounds.

Travelers who book vacation rentals in San Diego and Southern California can take advantage of the San Diego Zoo, its Safari Park and an expansive list of varied safari tours. A behind-the-scenes guide of the park takes attendees to off-exhibit locations where zookeepers look after the animals. Children with an interest in caring for animals will love watching them steal treats from their caretakers and seeing tigers’ and lions’ sleeping lairs.

The Ultimate Safari is a special gift for the whole family, as park members can personalize your trip to your specific wishes. Whether you’re seeking an exciting adventure, an exclusive VIP sneak peek or up-close interaction with the animals, the Ultimate Safari offers up to eight hours of animal exploration and is available with a three-day advanced notice.

Book your vacation rental in or near San Diego and schedule a trip to the Safari Park to view some of the most endangered and near extinct animals in the world.

There is plenty of things to do in San Diego.  Plan your San Diego Vacation today.

Families staying in vacation rentals in La Jolla this spring can bring their young adventurous girls to Surf Diva, a surfing school for girls of all ages. Twin sisters Izzy and Coco Tihanyi began the school 15 years ago to combine their passion for surfing and educating others about ocean preservation, and have since expanded the school into various locations including Costa Rica and Australia.

Because of the growing popularity of the surf school, the Tihanyi twins have expanded their services to not only aspiring surfer divas but dudes as well. The newer “Guys on the Side” surf training service offers the same private and group lessons, and some co-ed group lessons are available for those interested.The school offers private or group lessons, week or weekend-long clinics, as well as bachelorette party lessons and team building lessons for business professionals. The school advises potential students to prepare their bodies for surfing by swimming, practicing yoga and doing push-ups and sit-ups. Also beneficial prior to surfing is training on a skateboard, because of its similarities in stance and balancing technique.

With over 50 talented male and female instructors at the school, your kids are bound to receive thorough training and care from their surf teacher while riding their very first waves.