October 2012 - Five Star Vacation Rental

Winter Fun and Golfing in Palm Springs/La Quinta With a Five Star Vacation Rental

GolfVacation — Enjoy a golf vacation this year.

We got a call this week from our old aunt Clarisse in Duluth. She usually calls us this time of year to talk about the weather, so we were prepared. It seems the weather in Duluth has been unseasonable warm for this time of year. It’s only dipped below freezing 4 days this week. But even with this apparent proof of global warming, Aunt Clarisse calls us each November to let us know she’s packing away her Bermuda shorts for the winter, and pulling down her suitcases. And is that spare bedroom of ours still available for Thanksgiving?

Well that got us to thinking. How wonderful would it be if when your own aunt Clarisse calls (or Laura, or Betty, or Norma, or Susan), you could inform her you’re handling things a bit differently this year. Yes, she’s always welcome to come visit, but no, she won’t be in the guest bedroom. And she should also delay packing away her overly-plaid shorts. You see, this year, you’re having the entire family join you for a winter getaway to a Five Star Vacation rental in Palm Springs/La Quinta. We think you should seriously consider this.

For many people, Thanksgiving and Christmas are days filled with both fun and meaning. We get to spend time with friends and relatives we don’t see too often, and we’re also able to enjoy some relaxing time recounting our many blessings away from the holiday rush. And if you want to enjoy this time along with some outdoor activities and nice weather, there’s really no better place than in a Five Star Vacation Rental in the La Quinta/Palm Springs area.

PerfectionAtPGAWest_21 — No snow here! Just amazing golf course views.

Consider this: While our dear dear aunt Clarisse lives in an area where even the ice cubes migrate to warmer climates, you can plan the holiday of a lifetime for your extended family in one of our luxurious Southern California desert vacation rentals. The average winter temperatures in La Quinta rarely drop below 60 during the day, so while all the folks back home may be shopping for parkas and cutting firewood, your entire party can enjoy the holidays in shorts and a light jacket. And while much of the country must pack away their golf clubs for the winter, you can make sure yours continue to get a workout. That’s a much better option, don’t you think?

We’ve got two amazing properties available. Our Spacious Modern Perfection at PGA West sits right on the golf course. Imagine the looks you’ll get back home when you let them know you spent your holidays playing golf with folks who have never seen a snow shovel. This home is right on the 4th fairway and has both a pool and spa to relax in at the end of the day. Palm Springs is close by with great shopping and outlet stores for last-minute gifts.

80555ViaTerracina_19 — Let the folks back home build snowmen. You can enjoy this view instead.

Our La Quinta Country Club Home is an absolute gem. This luxury home overlooks the fairway and has panoramic mountain and lake views. Plus, it comes with access to the Mountain View Country Club, so you can enjoy golfing and maybe even get in a bit of celebrity watching. And we know you’re going to want to spend some quality time in the infinity pool to enjoy the fairway views while you wrinkle up smiling at the amazing comfort and quality of this finely-crafted home.

Call us today at 310-780-3411 to book your winter getaway in one of our Palm Springs/La Quinta luxury vacation rentals. And if you’d prefer some snow for your winter vacation, you can view our Big Bear cabins on this page. Please be sure to also look at our other luxury rentals in Park City, Southern California Beaches, Mammoth Mountain, and Villa la Estancia in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. As always, you can depend upon Five Star Vacation Rentals to ensure that any one of our vacation rental homes and cabins will meet and exceed your expectations. We know that your vacation time is precious, and we are constantly working to make sure that your only regret will be that you couldn’t stay with us longer.

Spotlight on Mammoth Mountain Vacation Rentals

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Grab your skis. It's time!

California is the most amazing place to live, isn’t it? Your intrepid blogger is still turning on the air conditioning with our current heat wave, but he just glanced at the calendar of events and sees that the Mammoth Mountain ski season opens in just a few weeks. Yes, that sound you hear coming from the garage is your skis whining for some attention. You’re still running around in shorts and stopping for the occasional Slurpee on the way home, but pay no mind to these things. Winter is here. You may not feel it, and it may seem too soon, but it’s not. Grab a rag, dust off your skis, then grab your credit card, and give us a call. We’ve got some great Mammoth vacation rental condos that are just as eager to see you as you are to see them.

Opening weekend at Mammoth is always an amazing event. At 8:30 am on Thursday, November 8th, Mammoth kicks off a huge weekend of festivities. The first chair goes up and the celebration begins. This is one of the year’s biggest events in Mammoth. Snowfest is celebrated with live music, movie premiers, and much more. Visit their website for the full lineup of fun.

If you’ve never been to Mammoth for a ski trip before, you’re really cheating yourself out of one of the great experiences in the life of a Southern California skier. The quality of the skiing rivals that found in some of the top resorts around the world. And the sheer number of runs available usually insures that you actually spend your time skiing rather than fighting downhill traffic. Ski runs are available for all skill levels, with some amazingly long runs for intermediate and expert skiers that give you outrageous amounts of downhill time.

We’ve got ski-in/ski-out condos that are perfect for your getaway. We have 2 Juniper Springs condos next door to each other, so you can put together a group of up to 8 people to share.

And for all our anglers out there, the “Ambush at the Lake” Convict Lake Fall Trout Derby is ongoing through the middle of November. This is a great annual event with thousands of dollars in prizes. Drop a line, hook some cash! The entry fee is only $15.00, and it can be some great family bonding time hanging out on the lake trying to stay warm. Visit this link for more details. Bring blankets, a Thermos of hot chocolate, and some old memories to help create a few new ones.

Don’t forget that we also have Five Star Vacation Rentals available in Park City, Palm Springs/La Quinta, Southern California Beaches, and Big Bear. Each of our destinations offers a huge variety of activities for the entire family, so call us to book your next vacation. We’ll help you plan a vacation you’ll always remember and want to repeat.

Plan Your Thanksgiving Big Bear Getaway

macysParade — Thanksgiving Morning Tradition

The stifling heat of summer is just about gone, so our thoughts start to turn to our winter vacations. Winter in Big Bear is a unique experience in Southern California. You and your family can sit in the rustic luxury of one of our Big Bear vacation rental cabins, while within a couple hour’s drive millions of other Southern California residents labor away in traffic, smog, and crowded cities. It’s the relaxing vacation getaway that your entire family will enjoy. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to plan a getaway for you and your extended family.

Have a big family Thanksgiving.

All of our Big Bear cabins have full kitchens and many are gourmet kitchens. For many families, much of the closeness and intimacy of Thanksgiving revolves around the work in the kitchen. If you’re cooking, it’s a day that starts early and quickly fills the cabin with the wonderful smells of the season.

Let someone else cook this year

How about Thanksgiving without cooking?

Make this year the one that you finally get all the distant relatives to fly out and enjoy a family reunion for Thanksgiving. This can be a wonderful opportunity to get caught up with family members from all parts of the country. And to make sure you don’t miss a single moment of quality time with them, this may be a good year to let someone else do the Thanksgiving cooking. Fortunately, in Big Bear you have some very tasty options.

A number of good Big Bear restaurants will be open on Thanksgiving day, so you can load everybody up and head over one of these fine eateries. Click here to see a list of local restaurants who have been open in years past, so we suggest that you contact them to confirm that they’ll be open again this year.

For an even better experience, there are good catering options available in Big Bear as well. One of our favorites is Denise Cavalli Catering. Denise is a local fixture in Big Bear, and she’ll work all day on Thanksgiving so that you don’t have to. Visit her website for more details and to arrange for your professionally catered delicious dinner: http://www.bigbearcaterer.com/

And apart from all the food options available in Big Bear, you’ll also have a dizzying variety of choices for how to spend your time away from the dinner table. There’s our world-class skiing and shopping as well. Call us today at 310-780-3411 to book your Big Bear Thanksgiving getaway.

Call us and we’ll help you plan an amazing Thanksgiving in Big Bear. Browse all of our Big Bear cabins on this page. If you’re planning a getaway somewhere other than Big Bear, please be sure to look at our luxury rentals in Park City,Palm Springs/La Quinta, Southern California Beaches, Mammoth Mountain, and Villa la Estancia in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Regardless of where you may go, you’ll have the confidence of knowing that Five Star Vacation Rentals is working to make your vacation relaxing and memorable. Don’t risk your precious vacation time by booking anywhere else!

Big Bear Fall Colors Getaway Time

Though it may vary a bit from year to year, we’re quickly coming upon the usual time when Big Bear starts showing its fall colors. Living in Southern California, most of us miss the amazing variety of fall colors that explode in other areas of the country. This may be your one chance to experience the amazing beauty of the changing of the seasons in Southern California.

October is most often when the fall colors make their arrival, so please give us a call right away at 310-780-3411 to book your stay. Most years the colors are in full display during the 2nd and 3rd week of October, so you may want to wait til the last moment to grab one of our available cabins.

While you’re here, October is also one of the most active months of the year in Big Bear, so be sure to plan for lots of other activities as well.

Oktoberfest continues till the end of the month. This is one of Big Bear’s most popular events, and its easy to see why. There are dozens of activities for all age ranges, and lots of exotic beers to sample for mom and dad as well. You’ll be sure to have fun with the street fair that accompanies the festivities as well.

After you have some fun at Oktoberfest, be sure to head over to the zoo on Saturday evenings during October for the Flashlight Safari Through Moonridge Animal Park. This provides a rare opportunity to view the zoo’s nocturnal residents when they are most active. Gates open 6:15 PM and close at 6:30 PM to start the tour. Bring your flashlight and wear warm clothes. For more information call (909) 584-1299 or visit www.moonridgezoo.org

October Fun at Moonridge Zoo

The zoo gets into the Halloween swing of things on October 27th with Boo In The Zoo. This starts in the late afternoon and continues through the early evening with a truckload of fun including Tricks ‘n Treat–The Graveyard, Pumpkin Patch, Electric Dungeon of Doom, Witches Brew, Scarecrow Land, Witches Lair, and Goblins throughout the park. Get the entire family into costume, and head over to the zoo to let the animals get a good look at you. We’re sure they’ll be amused.

And on Halloween evening, the 31st, be sure to dress warmly, but strangely, and visit the village where the local merchants all join in to fuel a cosmic sugar jolt for young and old alike. The merchants will have candy and other fun things at the ready for every strangely dressed kid that comes along. It’s an annual tradition, and you really should plan on being there.

Call us at 310-780-3411 to book your October getaway. Also, we’re starting to fill up our holiday reservations, so don’t delay your plans. Call us and we’ll help you plan a holiday in Big Bear that will bring joy to the entire family. Browse all of our Big Bear cabins on this page. If you’re planning a getaway somewhere other than Big Bear, please be sure to look at our luxury rentals in Park City,Palm Springs/La Quinta, Southern California Beaches, Mammoth Mountain, and Villa la Estancia in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Regardless of where you may go, you’ll have the confidence of knowing that Five Star Vacation Rentals is working to make your vacation relaxing and memorable. Don’t risk your precious vacation time by booking anywhere else!