Carolina discount package south vacation

Island Retreat

Useppa Island, an exclusive retreat located on Southwest Florida's Gulf Coast, is offering a "Romantic Island Getaway" package at its Collier Inn. The package includes suite accommodations and "kayaking for two" through the tranquil waters around Cayo Costa and Useppa. It also features chilled champagne upon arrival, welcome basket, two continental room service breakfasts, two five-course dinners at the inn's gourmet restaurant, daily high tea with biscuits and sherry, and boat launch shuttle service to and from the mainland. Useppa Island is accessible only by boat.

Originally built in 1912 as the winter home of land baron Barron Collier, the Collier Inn has 11 themed suites and a restaurant. A heated swimming pool, championship croquet, the Useppa Island Museum, library, fitness center, tennis, outdoor chess set, hot tub spa, beach, and boutique shopping are all available.

Contact: The Collier Inn at Useppa Island Club (TravelAmerica Magazine), P.O. Box 640, Bokeelia, FL 33922; (941) 283-1061; www. useppa.com.

Golf Galore

To meet Phoenix's growing popularity as a golf vacation destination, the Pointe Hilton Resorts have introduced two new packages. Each package offers up to a 50 percent discount on two-room suite accommodations, 60-day advanced tee times, 18 holes of golf for each night registered, and complimentary use of the fitness center.

The "Drive Yourself Crazy" package (priced from $145 per person, double occupancy, fall season) offers value and convenience for the guest who prefers to play the resort's highly ranked home course. The "Golf a la Cart" package emphasizes variety and personal choice by allowing guests to choose from 30 of Arizona's finest courses. This package is priced at $149 per person, double occupancy, plus greens fees ranging from $26 to $190 (depending on courses selected).

The Pointe Hilton Resorts are: Pointe Hilton South Mountain Resort, a golf, tennis, and spa resort with 638 suites and six swimming pools; Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, a 585-suite resort featuring The Falls--a three-acre oasis of streams, travertine pools, and a 40-foot waterfall; and Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort, a 563-suite mountainside resort highlighted by Hole-in-the-Wall River Ranch (an eight-acre water park with pools, tubing canal, and a slide.)

Contact: Pointe Hilton Resorts (TravelAmerica Magazine), 7600 N. 16th St., Phoenix, AZ 85020; (800) 747-7111; www.pointehilton.com.

Yellowstone Country

It's not too early to book next summer's vacation at Moose Creek Ranch, a popular guest ranch on the Wyoming/Idaho border. Located in the majestic Teton Range, near Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, it offers an extensive children's program. Off-ranch activities include whitewater rafting and a Western dinner show. Accommodations are in comfortable cabins near the main lodge.

Contact: Moose Creek Ranch (TravelAmerica Magazine), P.O. Box 3108, Jackson, WY 83001; (800) 676-0075; www.moosecreek ranch.com

Tennessee Smokies

The new Country Pines Log Home Rentals in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, boasts that it "has it all." Each log home is on a spacious site to ensure privacy, and decks are positioned for the most scenic mountain views. Each home has a unique look and is fully furnished with completely equipped kitchens; hardwood floors; stacked-stone, wood-burning fireplaces; large hot tubs; charcoal grills; queen-size beds; and spacious porches with rocking chairs.

Contact: Country Pines Log Homes (TravelAmerica Magazine), 3510 Country Pine Way, Sevierville, TN 37876; (800) 564-7829; www.countrypines.com.

South Carolina

Charleston Place offers accommodations in the heart of the historic district of Charleston. Known for its signature double staircase and 12-foot crystal chandelier in the Italian marble lobby, the property also offers a full service spa with indoor/ outdoor heated swimming pool with retractable glass roof, and the largest hotel ballroom in South Carolina. The Shops at Charleston Place offer a collection of 28 upscale shops and boutiques.

Contact: Charleston Place (TravelAmerica Magazine), 205 Meeting St., Charleston, SC 29401; (843) 722-4900; www.charlestonplace hotel.com.

Florida's East Coast

Key West Inn, next to Captain Hiram's Restaurant and Marina in Sebastian, Florida, is ideally located on the Intracoastal Waterway, 12 miles north of Vero Beach. The marina offers direct access to Sebastian Inlet. Activities include cruising the Indian and Sebastian rivers, deep-sea fishing, jet skiing, and swimming in the heated pool. All 56 rooms have balconies; suites, kitchenettes, and efficiencies are available. Rates ($69 to $154) include breakfast bar.

Contact: Key West Inn (TravelAmerica Magazine), 1580 U.S. 1, Sebastian, FL 32958; (561) 388-8588 or (800) 833-0555; www.key westinn.net.

Romantic Wall Street

Love takes on majestic proportions with the extraordinary "Romance Package" at New York's Regent Wall Street. The historic landmark hotel provides exclusive use of the Grand Ballroom, a live string quartet, a seven-course tasting menu for two, accommodations in the Deluxe Loft Suite, and breakfast in bed or on the suite's outdoor terrace. The $5,000 price includes tax and service. (Accommodations and service for dinner guests may be arranged at an additional cost.)

For their private fete, the couple may choose to preside at a table in the center of the 12,000-square-foot ballroom (which usually accommodates 1,000 guests), where a pinpoint spotlight sets an intimate mood, and a 2,700-pound chandelier offsets the room's elegant floral decor. Or they may have their table placed on the mezzanine overlooking the room.

When the couple retires to their loft suite, they will find a 14-foot-high entrance foyer and private terrace overlooking historic Wall Street. And the 160-square-foot marble bathroom offers a six-foot soaking tub for two, a separate shower with a built-in stool, a separate lavatory, bath salts, candles, plush robes, and oversized towels.

Contact: Regent Wall Street (TravelAmerica Magazine), 55 Wall St., New York, NY 10005; (212) 699-8610.

Ocean Breezes

Marriott International recently announced that its Stuart, Florida, property (previously known as Indian River Plantation Marriott Resort) will now be known as Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort and Marina. The words "island," "beach," and "marina" were chosen to replace "plantation" in the name to more accurately reflect the resort's location between the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway.

The resort offers 298 rooms in three locations on the property. It has three swimming pools, four restaurants, a 77-slip marina that accommodates yachts of up to 130 feet, an 18-hole golf course, and 13 Nova tennis courts with a synthetic surface that simulates grass play.

Contact: Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort and Marina (TravelAmerica Magazine), 555 N.E. Ocean Blvd., Stuart, FL 34996; (561) 225-3700.