Three hours north of Boston sits one of the legendary New England properties, The Mountain View Grand. One of three remaining grand hotels in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the 1865 Colonial Revival resort recently underwent a $20 million restoration after being abandoned for most of the 90s. Located in Whitefield, just north of Franconia Notch, this immense resort has been restored to its original state and, in winter, features a free shuttle to nearby Cannon Mountain for downhill skiing, cross-country skiing under the tall pine and spruce, a large outdoor ice rink, sledding, an indoor pool and whirlpool, and a full-service European spa to rest that weary body after a day of play. I just received word that they are offering a rate of $179 per night over February Vacation Week. It’s a pretty good deal for a night at this historic property.
 

It’s never too early to think about an upcoming trip to the Caribbean this winter, especially with temperatures expected to top out in the 40s this weekend in Boston. Consider, for example the “Voyage to the Volcano” package offered on the isle of Montserrat. During the six day/five night package, you’ll take a boat tour along the Leeward Coast of the island culminating in spectacular views of the Soufriere Hills volcano, go kayaking and snorkeling at secluded black sand beaches, take a private tour that stops at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory and AIR Studios where music greats such as the Rolling Stones, Elton John and Paul McCartney once recorded, take a trek with a local guide through one of Montserrat’s numerous hiking trails to view the lush forest and search for the Montserrat Oriole, the island’s national bird, and have dinner at Olveston House, the private home turned guest house of Beatle’s producer Sir George Martin. The $885 per person price includes lodging at a private villa, rental car, some meals, and activities. Visit Dive Montserrat for more information.
 

If you’re looking for a decent rate on hotel rooms around the world, check out LastMinuteTravel.com. To the right of the home page is their new “Star Bar” program, where depending on whether you’re looking for a 5-star, 4-star, or 3-star hotel, they have budget prices for lodging in Europe, Asia, and America, all under $100 a night. The one downside is that they won’t tell you the exact name of the hotel, just the location. But they have contracts with Intercontinental, Hyatt, Hilton, and the Trump Collection, so it could be a great deal.
 

Want to get genuinely excited for Ken Burns’ six-part National Parks documentary on PBS? Then head to Grand Teton National Park before “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” starts airing on September 27th. Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park is offering a special $145 a night Elk Lovers Excursion package from September 4 through September 27, 2009. This is a discount of 35% off their usual rate. It’s a terrific time to hike through the foliage, savor the scenery of the jagged peaks, and listen to the elks bugle during rutting season. The bull elk’s bugle starts as a low whistling sound that builds and culminates into the high-pitched sound of a flute. This lets other elk know that the bull has staked claim to his territory and harem. Let it blow, baby!
 

This is the last week to book Club Med’s “$99 WOW Deals.” For as little as $99 per person, all-inclusive, you can be staying at one of Club Med’s family resorts in Florida, Cancun, Ixtapa, Punta Cana, Guadeloupe and Martinique. And kids get another 50% off the adult rate of $99! Travel does not include airfare and must be booked by 8/31/09 for travel until 4/24/10. So if you’re already thinking of a family trip in winter, this is a good place to start.

Now and then I get deals that come across my desk that are so good I want to book it immediately. This one comes from one of my favorite places to stay in New England, The Old Tavern in Grafton, Vermont. Book one night at $175 a night per room and get the second night free, including breakfast both days. For less than ninety bucks a night, you can be staying at one of the most majestic spots in the whole state! Or you can stay two nights and get two free nights, three nights and get the next three nights free. You must book by this Friday, August 7th, and travel August 17 through September 13th. Once there, you can bike, canoe, hike, and eat Grafton cheese to your heart's content.

Never been to Grafton?  Amble along Main Street past the Country Store, where I once spotted a sign posted outside asking if anyone’s seen a missing horse, and you swear you just stepped into a Currier and Ives painting. To the right is the red brick town hall, circa 1816, now home to the post office. Further up the road, past the white clapboard houses spewing smoke from their chimneys is the almost obligatory steeple. Across the street is the Old Tavern, opened in 1801, and once the stagecoach stop on the ride from Boston to Montreal. Ulysses S. Grant spent a night here while campaigning for his presidency and Rudyard Kipling liked the locale so much he honeymooned at the hotel in 1892.

For more information on Grafton, see the story I wrote for The Boston Globe.
 

With lift tickets at most major ski areas closing in on $100 per person and slopeside condos an even greater cost (not to mention the price of equipment and clothing), skiing at well-known resorts has become a costly venture. Come summer, however, when the snow has long melted, replaced by wildflowers, these same ski areas are desperate to rent their accommodations. Over the past decade, they have built golf courses on the base of their mountains and have kept lifts running year-round to entice the summer hiker or mountain biker. Remarkably, even though these peaks stand in the Rockies and other majestic regions in America, summer tourism has remained a slow trickle. This has resulted in the ski areas offering incredibly good package deals that often include lodging, food, and activities. Try these seven ski areas for starters: Stowe, Sugarloaf, Keystone, Crested Butte, Park City, Big Sky, and Whistler. 
 

I’ve never seen so many summer deals pour in as they have in the past two weeks.  Regent Hotels & Resorts are offering a 20 percent savings on two- and three-night stays through December 31, 2009.  Such a discount is a first for this luxury brand. Stays must be booked by August 31, 2009.  From now until October 31, the sybaritic Anantara Phuket is offering four nights for the price of three with daily breakfast. Nightly rates start at $467 including service charge and tax.

Surprisingly, the best deal is in Nantucket, where this week the rooms at the Jared Coffin House are as low as $165 a night.  Bike trails on Nantucket spread out in every direction like spokes on a tire.  Head east from old Nantucket town (where the ferries arrive) on a straight ride through the moors and cranberry bogs.  You’ll soon arrive in the quaint town of Sconset, where rose-trellised cottages with names like “The Snuggery” and “Very Snug” line the small streets.  If a thriving college and family scene is more your pleasure, an easy 3-mile bike trail leads to crowded Surfside Beach.  Yet, for sheer romance, it’s hard to top a late afternoon pedal to Madaket Beach.

On the westernmost tip of Nantucket, Madaket’s beach has a narrow, wild feel to it as the white sand quickly drops down to the waters of the Atlantic.  Bring a backpack full of provisions, say fresh sushi from Yoshii (2 East Chestnut Street) and sinfully good truffles from the Nantucket Chocolatier (One Cambridge Street), plop yourself on the beach (preferably after 6 pm when most families have vanished), and get ready to savor the sunset. 

Rent bikes at Young’s Bicycle Shop, just off the ferry on Steamboat Wharf.
 

Autumn is a great time to bike around the Irish countryside, especially when Sceptre Tours is offering an incredibly affordable package.  From September 1 through October 31st, a mere $599 fee gets you airfare from New York to Shannon (fares vary from other North American cities), a six night stay in a villa at Adare Manor, and your own rental car.  From Shannon, it’s an easy drive to Limerick, the Cliffs of Moher, and Blarney Castle.  Bikers have their choice of backcountry roads, seaside trails, or mountain biking in Ballyhoura.