Last week the kids and I hit Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, Alaska.

by Wendy Perrin

In honor of the end of summer, and the preservation of my sanity, I'm taking a break from this blog for the next two weeks so I can have a true vacation. The "Deal of the Day" team and I will be back on Monday, August 31. Meanwhile, if you'd like to hear about my vacation adventures, you can follow me on Twitter, where I post quick updates and photos from the road.

Indeed, the past week has seen me Twittering from Alaska, British Columbia, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area. We even played a "Where's Wendy?" game on Twitter: I dropped photographic clues as to my whereabouts, and people tried to guess where I was. Click on each link in this sentence and you can see some of the clues I posted in Juneau, at Hubbard Glacier, in Sitka, in Ketchikan, and in Victoria, B.C. The whole time I was actually on board Holland America Line's Amsterdam, cruising Alaska's Inside Passage.

Upon disembarking on Saturday in Seattle, I popped down to Corte Madera, CA, to speak at the Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference. (First I was on a panel entitled "The Web: Blogging, Tweeting & Social Networking" with Jen Leo of the L.A. Times and Jim Benning of World Hum. Then veteran travel writer and conference chair Don George interviewed me for a session entitled "A Day in the Life of a Multimedia Travel Journalist."  Which only underscored my need for a true vacation.)

Now I've rejoined my husband and kids in Seattle. We're spending the next couple of days here before flying back East and driving down to St. Michaels, Maryland. As you may recall, we had an awesome time there last summer, so we're heading back for a repeat of the fun.

See you back here at The Perrin Post on Monday, August 31... or on Twitter later today.

One of the pools at the Four Seasons Hualalai, on Hawaii's Big Island.

by Kathryn Maier on Travel Deals

That Four Seasons Punta Mita deal we told you about in June was popular: 18 Perrin Post readers called Terry McCabe--the travel agent we recommended--to book it, and altogether those travelers will stay a total of 41 nights there.

So we thought we should apprise you of a similar deal on offer from the Four Seasons Hualalai, which is giving away $1,000 in resort credits if you stay a minimum of four nights. As with the Four Seasons Punta Mita deal, this one represents big savings because, unlike most other resort-credit offers, you can apply the $1,000 toward the cost of your room as well as toward any incidentals.

The savings: If you book a "golf ocean-view room" for four nights and apply the $1,000 credit, the price of $815 per night drops to $565 per night including taxes and resort charges--or 30% off.

Condé Nast Traveler approved: This hotel has appeared on our Gold List every year since 1998.

Book by: There is no book-by deadline.

For travel from: August 15 through September 30.

Book through: We recommend booking through Terry McCabe, one of the experts on Wendy's list of top travel specialists, because she can score perks that you can't get if you book directly through the hotel--free daily breakfast, one free lunch per stay, and a room upgrade on a space-available basis.

The lush setting of the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele is the highlands of Lana'i. For a day at the beach, take the 20-minute shuttle ride to the Four Seasons Manele Bay.

by Julia Bainbridge on Travel Deals

Remember Wendy reported last fall that 33 Four Seasons properties were offering three nights for the price of two? One of the company's venerable Hawaii resorts has now been added to the list: The Four Seasons Lodge at Koele on Lana'i.

Rates start at $345/night for a garden room, which puts the price for 3 nights at $769 (including taxes) instead of the usual $1,153. Tack on $45 for unlimited transfers, and your total is $814. You need the transfers to get to and from the airport and also to get to the Lodge's sister property, the oceanfront Manele Bay, where you can have as much beach time as you want.

Should you prefer to splurge on Manele Bay, it's offering a fourth night free. The rate for a garden room is $445/night, which puts the price for 4 nights at $1,488 total (including taxes and fees) instead of the usual $1,983.

For travel through: December 18.

Condé Nast Traveler approved: Our readers have voted both of these Four Seasons properties onto the Gold List every year since 2005.

by Wendy Perrin

If your appetite's been whetted by Conde Nast Traveler's February feature on Obama's Oahu about where the President eats, stays, surfs, and plays, and you're looking to get away before the end of next month, you should know about the latest big Oahu sale from Pleasant Holidays: 3-night airfare-plus-hotel packages from Los Angeles to Oahu starting at $299 per person. For $456 you can upgrade to the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa and for $493 to the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa. These offers are combinable with the extraordinary added values available at many Hawaiian hotels right now, including third night free, guaranteed upgrades, daily breakfasts, resort credits, etc. (Reservations must be booked by January 31, for travel now through February 28.)

Of course, if you're flying from a city other than L.A. or you'd prefer a different Hawaiian island, Pleasant Holidays has plenty of other deals too. Why? My January Perrin Report on how to save money and travel smarter in 2009 explains why some of the best travel offers these days come in the form of airfare-plus-hotel packages put together by consolidators. After the jump, find out why:

The last time Obama was in Hawaii--a couple of weeks ago, to visit his grandmother for the last time--he stayed at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, which is offering third nights free, plus a comp upgrade and daily breakfast for two, through December 19.

by Wendy Perrin

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: This is the winter to go to Hawaii. I'd be headed there myself for post-Election Day de-stressing if work assignments didn't have me bound for other parts of the globe.

Last week I told you about fares to Honolulu for $244 from L.A. and $452 from New York. Then yesterday Beat of Hawaii reported fares of $421 from Washington, D.C., and $426 from Boston, including over Thanksgiving!

We also learned yesterday that Hawaii hotel occupancy fell to only 63 percent in September. That's the worst it's been since the months right after 9/11. All those empty rooms will force resorts to offer big discounts and incentives this winter. How to nab the best deals?

The nightly rate for this Oahu vacation rental home that sleeps 10 has dropped to $120 per person. That's a remarkable price for a top-notch beachfront house in a central location.

by Wendy Perrin

Tempted by those dirt-cheap air fares to Hawaii and the tremendous hotel deals there? Keep in mind that you can often stretch your dollar even farther by renting a vacation home.  Rental owners in Hawaii are offering excellent deals right now, even for those Christmas/New Year's weeks that are normally sold-out at peak prices this late in the year.

This over-the-top-luxurious villa on Maui sleeps 8. The nightly rate over the holidays is $238 per person, marked down from $350.

Anne Pawsat-Dressler of Hawaii Hideaways, who is on my rigorously vetted list of the country's best villa rental agents, updated annually in Conde Nast Traveler, says that renters have enormous bargaining power right now. Here, courtesy of Anne, are key bargaining tips for negotiating the best rate:

The new Hawaii Superferry is embroiled in an environmental battle.
Photo: Hawaii Superferry

by Brook Wilkinson

Hawaii Superferry has won the latest round of its years-long battle against Hawaiian environmentalists. This means that it will soon resume service between Oahu and Maui, and between Oahu and Kauai. But I would urge anyone headed to the islands to fly instead.

Back in 2005, the Hawaiian government ruled that the state's first inter-island passenger ferry would not need an environmental review before it started operating. Many residents and environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, have protested since then that a review needs to be done, to study whether the ships might affect the local whale population or spread invasive species among islands. Back in August, the state Supreme Court finally ruled that an environmental review is indeed needed before the ferry can begin operating. However, because of this political flip-flop, the ruling came just weeks before the ferry was due to begin service. Preventing the ferry from running for the months or years that it could likely take for an environmental study to be completed spells certain death for the company, which has already hired 300 employees.

How did some locals protest the news that the state legislature would in fact allow Hawaii Superferry to resume service while an environmental study was undertaken? Read on to find out.

This photo, shot by a reader and submitted to our Dream Trip contest, captures the view from a cruise ship between Sitka and Frederick Sound.

by Brook Wilkinson

Question from reader Johnsalmon:

"I am planning a trip to Alaska for late August. The original concept was to fly to Anchorage, rent a car, and drive to various sites, mostly in the interior (where I lived for three years as a child in the 1950s). However, I'm now wondering if it is possible to fly to Seattle or Vancouver and take a cruise one-way to the Anchorage area. From there I'd pick up a car, take my interior drive, and eventually fly home. I'd like to see the inland passage, glaciers, etc., if possible."

Actually, your options aren't limited if you're looking for a one-way cruise to Alaska -- most of the major lines run such itineraries. I asked Margret Propper of Brownell Travel, an Alaska expert on Conde Nast Traveler's list of the world's best travel planners, for some advice. She said:

"The cruises that depart out of Seattle do not go all the way to Anchorage, so I would suggest a cruise from Vancouver to Whittier or Seward. You can then take the cruise line's transfer inland to Anchorage, arriving at about noon, and either overnight there or pick up a car and drive north. It might be better to fly out of Fairbanks rather than Anchorage if you are planning to travel as far as Denali National Park -- from there, it's a shorter drive to continue north."

Read on for Margret's tips on choosing the right cruise line.

The Regent Seven Seas Mariner plies Alaska's waters all summer long.
Photo: Regent Seven Seas

by Brook Wilkinson

Question from reader Michael in Gallipolis, Ohio:

"My wife and I are planning our 25th anniversary trip for next June/August 2008. We have always wanted to take an Alaska cruise and inland excursion. Any advice on what to do, what to expect (costwise), and recommendations for the best trip of our lives?"

The best trip of our lives, huh? No pressure! Not to worry, I have just the person to help you: Margret Propper of Brownell Travel, who's been to Alaska -- on both land and sea -- more than 40 times. Here's what she recommends for you:

"Fly to Anchorage and drive 40 miles south to the lovely Alyeska Resort in Girdwood. The next day take a helicopter tour to a glacier and drive or ride with a dog team across the glacier -- perhaps celebrating with a glass of champagne and an anniversary photo with the dog team (possible Christmas card!). That evening, have a special anniversary dinner at the resort's Seven Glaciers Restaurant, which is accessibly only by cable car. You can really see seven glaciers! The next day...

The view from my table at the Crow's Nest restaurant at 9:00 p.m., June 7, 2007.

By Tara Kyle

The finale of my week in Anchorage was dinner at the Crow's Nest, which sits atop one of the towers of the Hotel Captain Cook.  This is the place for the city's best meal with a view.  We asked for a table overlooking Cook Inlet (see photo), but the view of the Chugach Mountains behind the city is lovely too.  There truly is no bad table.  Entrees are pricey  in the $30 to $40 range  so if you're traveling on a budget, consider swinging by the bar either pre- or post-dinner for a cocktail with a panorama.

The coconut curry and crab soup is, according to our server, the most popular thing on the menu "by far."

Pablo and his bike rental hut in downtown Anchorage.

By Tara Kyle

Day 6 in Anchorage: One of the best reasons to visit Southcentral Alaska rather than the Inside Passage (home to the towns where cruise ships dock) is the drier weather: In August, for instance, Anchorage gets fewer than three inches of rain, whereas Sitka gets double that amount. And one of the best ways to see the Anchorage area is to take advantage of the sun and pick up a bike from Pablo's Bike Rentals, conveniently located next to downtown's Copper Whale Inn. You'll get exceptionally friendly service and a choice between $15 for a three-hour rental and $30 for a full day plus overnight. 

Tip: Skip the city's interior trails like Chester and Campbell Creeks.  They are poorly marked in sections and pass through some of the city's shadier neighborhoods.  Instead, go back to the Coastal Trail.

A simulation of the semi-subterranean homes once used by the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands.
Photo: Anchorage Museum

By Tara Kyle

Day 5 in Anchorage, and I spent it at the Anchorage Museum at the Rasmuson Center. If you've got time for only one museum visit during a trip to Alaska, this isn't it:  I'm partial to the Alaska State Museum in my hometown of Juneau, since its permanent exhibitions include a cool simulation of the climb from a Southeast Alaskan fjord up into the mountain ranges.  But if you've got time for two museum visits, include the Anchorage Museum's upstairs Alaska Gallery on your itinerary. 

Kids in particular will get a kick out of the life-size simulations of late 18th- and early 19th-century dwellings used by Alaska's indigenous Aleut, Athabaskan, Eskimo, and Northwest Coast Indian communities.  Among the art downstairs, I recommend this summer's "Changing Hands: Art without Reservation 2" exhibit.  It highlights traditional and non-traditional works (some with a political dimension) from Native American and Canadian artists.  I particularly liked one piece, "Ethnopoly," that put a twist on the classic board game by exploring the racial dimension of pursuing the American dream (e.g. instead of chance cards, players would draw cards labeled "hope" and "fate").

Flattop Peak was enveloped in mist yesterday when I took this snapshot in the pouring rain. The local kids climbing down from the summit were a lot tougher than I.

By Tara Kyle

Day 4 of my trip to Anchorage.  Alaska's most climbed mountain, atop the 1.5-mile Flattop Mountain Trail in Chugach State Park, is just a 20- to 30-minute drive from downtown. You need to be moderately physically fit for this work-out; the trail is steep in sections, and dislodged rocks can be hazardous.

Need something lighter?  We stuck to the Anchorage Overlook Trail, a much easier .5-mile path with plenty of nice picnic spots (and, in late summer, lots of nearby blueberries for picking).

The good thing about rainy days in Anchorage:  The city gets close to 20 hours of daylight in summer (tomorrow the sun will rise at 4:30 and set at 11:30). So, if it's raining in the afternoon, you can do your trail hiking in the evenings; it's not unusual for the sun to finally come out at 7 or 8 p.m.

For the fainter of heart: In bad weather, choose the Overlook Trail.

Snow City Cafe is the Anchorage Press's pick for Best Breakfast 2003 and 2004 and Best Brunch 2005 and 2006.

By Tara Kyle

It's Day 3 of my trip to Anchorage, where locals know that the best spot for breakfast or brunch is Snow City Cafe.  They also know not to show up at noon on a Sunday and expect to be seated quickly. (We made this mistake yesterday and faced an hour-long wait.) Tip: Although Snow City Cafe doesn't take reservations, it turns out that if you call in advance they will put your name down and tell you an approximate time to show up.

Traditional Alaskan birch bark baskets from J. Choate Basketry at Anchorage's downtown summer market.

By Tara Kyle

Just spent the afternoon at the Anchorage Market and Festival -- a highlight of summer weekends here. Located downtown, just a short hop from the start of the Coastal Trail, the outdoor market has grown from a couple of dozen vendors 15 years ago to more than 300 today.  There are loads of local crafts, culinary treats, and free entertainment.

The best shopping is at the stands featuring native Alaskan crafts such as birch bark baskets (I remember birch bark basketry lessons from my elementary school days in Alaskan Studies class) and jewelry made from the ivory of woolly mammoths (I bought an ivory beaded bracelet for $20).

11,000-year-old mammoth ivory combined with stones like jade and amethyst.