Beach Week Day 6: Hoda and Kathie Lee on the Today Show

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Not surprisingly, we aren't the only ones this week with warm weather and beaches on the mind. Hoda and Kathie Lee turned into beach babes for a day on the Today Show earlier this week, featuring sunny day playlists and a visit to best beaches in the country.

Beach Week Day 4: Fishing in the Abacos

Here's a trip worth planning ahead for: The Reel Sassy Girl's Weekend at the Abacos Beach Resort in the Bahamas, April 29-May 1. Fishing's not usually our thing (we still have flashbacks to the dull fishing trip we were forced to take with an ex), but we chatted with Reel Sassy co-owner Kim Ewing (that's her above) and she convinced us that it's worth giving the sport a second look.

Kim grew up in Florida and started fishing off of the causeway as a way to spend time with friends on the weekends in high school. She only got into deep sea fishing after meeting her now hubby a sport fishing boat captain. Kim promises there are no worms or bait fish involved with deep sea fishing—it's all about using lures.

As for the allure of fishing itself, Kim says:

"It's not the fishing, it’s the catching—hearing the line zing, knowing you have something on your line, but not knowing what’s on the other end."

Ready to give it a try yourself? The Reel Sassy weekend includes two nights at the Abacos Beach Resort, airfare from Ft. Lauderdale, an opening reception, breakfast everyday and a day trip to Hope Town in the Bahamas. Prices start at $549 per person. Email info@reelsassy.com for more details.

Beach Week Day 3: Countdown to Cancun

Cancun gets a bad rap as a spring break destination that you should only go to if you want to compete in a wet T-shirt contest or break a record for tequila shots, but as Hope learned it depends on when you go and where you stay. Ready to test the waters? Enter VH1's Countdown to Cancun giveaway that celebrates Virgin America's inaugural flight to the Mexican beach resort.

Included in the prize is a 3-night stay at the new Live Acqua Cancun, a 371-room resort. The hotel is an all inclusive with restaurant choices ranging from Mediterranean to Asian to New American to Mexican. (Why you wouldn't indulge in guacamole and salsa everyday of your trip is beyond us.) It has a spa and a pool valet who hands out snacks, magazines and fully loaded iPods to borrow and is located in the main hotel zone.

The only bad news: Virgin America is currently only flying to Cancun from the west coast, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Here's hoping flights from the midwest and east coast start soon! Enter to win on CountdowntoCancun.com.

Beach Week Day 1: St. Barth

We're in the middle of the snowiest winter in our lifetime (on the east coast, at least) so there's no better time to start our annual beach week. First up is the Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France.

This boutique hotel is one of the chicest options on what is arguably the chicest island in all of the Caribbean. Room options include a simple garden or beach rooms, suites and the new 3-bedroom Flamands villas.

There's an on-site restaurant and a Molton Brown spa.

Save a beach chair for us!

Jetsetter's Super Bowl Package

Congrats to the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers for making it to the Super Bowl! If you're a die hard fan and want to go to the game, there's still time to buy one of Jetsetter's Super Bowl package.

Included are tickets for two to the big game, 3-nights at the InterContinental Dallas, various parties and transportation to Cowboy's Stadium. Prices start at $7,900 for two. Better hurry--the sale closes Friday night. Available on Jetsetter.

Jennifer Aniston's Favorite Vacation Spot

While the rest of the world was focusing on Jennifer Aniston dissing "The Rachel" haircut and her clip in bangs from the Allure shoot and accompanying article, we were most interested in hearing about her favorite vacation spot:

"It's Anguilla in the Caribbean. It's just very far, not that easy to hop on a plane and go. I love the ability to really relax. Even if I'm just sitting in my house, I still have work, whether it's dealing with a production company or future project. What I love is the ocean. I hear it and go calm. It allows you to truly refuel."

We're betting Aniston rents a private villa when she goes, though the Viceory Anguilla is pretty spectacular.

Read the full interview with Jennifer Aniston in the February issue of Allure.

41 Places to Visit in 2011

Stumped for where to travel in 2011? The New York Times helpfully provided a list of 41 places to go this year. While some are really off the beaten path (Skiing in the Republic of Georgia, anyone?), others like Iceland, Milan and Park City (that's the Montage Park City above) are high on our own lists. What's on your must-go list this year?

The Opening of the JW Mariott Mraquis

Downtown Miami has another newly opened luxury option, the JW Marriot Marquis Miami. I'm Not Obsessed shares what celebs were there celebrating the christening of the brand new hotel earlier this week.

What's your pick? The new J.W. Marriott Marquis or the new Tempo Miami?

On Our Radar: Sheila Kelley's S Factor Retreat

Combining three of our favorite things: Pole dancing, San Diego and a girls' getaway, the Sheila Kelley's S Factor Retreat is on our travel wish list this fall. The weekend is Oct 21-24 at the aptly-named Paradise Point. The weekend's itinerary includes:


October 21 ~ Awaken My S Journey ~ Sheila Kelley chat entitled The Story of S, Elements of the S Factor Movement Path, Elements of the S Factor Erotic Creature Path and How to Use Your Feminine Eye
October 22 ~ Ignite My Feminine Fire ~ Meanderings and Good Mornin' Breakfast ~  Pole Dance Clinic ~ The Beauty Workshop ~ Erotic Creature Intensive ~ Sheila Kelley Chat entitled Igniting Your Feminine Fire and The Male vs. Female Campfire ~ Iemanja Ocean Cleansing Ceremony and Bonfire Celebration
October 23 ~ Understanding My Erotic Creature Journey ~ Sunrise on the Beach ~ Erotic Creature Intensive w/ Sheila Kelley ~ Lap Dance Intensive ~ Sheila Kelley Chat entitled Understanding Your Erotic Creature Journey ~ History and Politics of Female Sexuality ~ S Factor Flight Night
October 24 ~ S-ing My Way Through Life ~ Good Morning Breakfast: experiencing your food through your sensuality ~ S Factor Erotic Creature Discovery ~ Farewell Meditation w/ Sheila Kelley ~ body cleansing self-acceptance ritual

We can only imagine how fit and sexy attendees will feel by checkout time on Sunday! Register at SFactor.com.

On Our Radar: Sheila Kelley's S Factor Retreat

Combining three of our favorite things: Pole dancing, San Diego and a girls' getaway, the Sheila Kelley's S Factor Retreat is on our travel wish list this fall. The weekend is Oct 21-24 at the aptly-named Paradise Point. The weekend's itinerary includes:


October 21 ~ Awaken My S Journey ~ Sheila Kelley chat entitled The Story of S, Elements of the S Factor Movement Path, Elements of the S Factor Erotic Creature Path and How to Use Your Feminine Eye
October 22 ~ Ignite My Feminine Fire ~ Meanderings and Good Mornin' Breakfast ~  Pole Dance Clinic ~ The Beauty Workshop ~ Erotic Creature Intensive ~ Sheila Kelley Chat entitled Igniting Your Feminine Fire and The Male vs. Female Campfire ~ Iemanja Ocean Cleansing Ceremony and Bonfire Celebration
October 23 ~ Understanding My Erotic Creature Journey ~ Sunrise on the Beach ~ Erotic Creature Intensive w/ Sheila Kelley ~ Lap Dance Intensive ~ Sheila Kelley Chat entitled Understanding Your Erotic Creature Journey ~ History and Politics of Female Sexuality ~ S Factor Flight Night
October 24 ~ S-ing My Way Through Life ~ Good Morning Breakfast: experiencing your food through your sensuality ~ S Factor Erotic Creature Discovery ~ Farewell Meditation w/ Sheila Kelley ~ body cleansing self-acceptance ritual

We can only imagine how fit and sexy attendees will feel by checkout time on Sunday! Register at SFactor.com.

JSG in Bridal Guide

Annie was thrilled to contribute her most romantic picks for Canada in Bridal Guide's September/October issue. Check it out on stands now!

Bachelorette Party Ideas #10: Montreal

Montreal is a top bachelorette party pick for many reasons:

• You feel like you're in Europe, even though it's only a short flight away from many American cities
• It's home to a number of festivals, including jazz, fireworks, and the weekly (in the summer) Piknic Electronik dance party.
• The food is amazing, the wine is cheap and the waiters are across the board some of the hottest we've ever seen. 

Last, but not least, Montreal is home to Le 281, the only all-male strip club in North America. 

Read more about what JSG's Annie has to say about Montreal Bachelorette parties on AOL's Aisle Dash.

On Our Radar: Borgata

I’ve been going to Atlantic City since I was a child.  As I grew up, it became the perfect girls weekend getaway (especially for concerts and shows).  While I have stayed in almost all the hotels on the Boardwalk, The Borgata is by far my favorite when it comes to luxury, amenities and entertainment!

The Accommodations
Last year we stayed at the Borgata and this year we chose to switch it up and stay at their Water Club tower (above) for Memorial Day Weekend.  The water theme is evident throughout all the design and décor.  What stood out the most were the bright teal sheets on the beds.  You get so accustomed to standard, bleached white bedding, that the burst of color was a refreshing and comforting change.  Our room even had great views of the bay and boats in the marina, keeping with the water theme.

Service was excellent also.  One of our favorite things about The Borgata is that you have to show your room key at the elevators ensuring only those who are staying overnight have access to the rooms. The friendly staff took every opportunity to ensure we were enjoying our stay.

The Spa
Our goal for the weekend was to do as much as possible – without ever leaving the hotel.  We spent Saturday morning getting massages as Spa Toccare.  Many other people must have had similar plans as the spa was hustling with women coming and going.  The three of us got the standard aromatherapy massage and left the spa feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and smelling like lemon, orange and pomegranate.  The heated tables and relaxing music made the massage experience even more enjoyable.  We especially liked that all fees and gratuity were included when you paid upon arrival.  (Insider’s tip:  Ask for Gio, he was an amazing massage therapist!)

The Entertainment
It was a concert that brought us to Atlantic City and we can’t say enough good things about the Event Center venue.  The intimate size and general admission set-up allows for great views no matter where you’re standing.

The above picture with the stage curtain in the background shows how close we were to all the action.

After the concert we headed over to one of our favorite clubs, MIXX.  Soon after turning 21 my girlfriends and I enjoyed a fun night at MIXX so the nightclub has always had a special place in my heart.

The DJ played a great mix of music, the lines at the bar were manageable and security spends a lot of time managing crowd control which provided us enough room to dance the night away.  We got there early on a Friday and there wasn’t a long line, but we’ve seen the line curve around the entire casino, so be sure to plan accordingly.

The Food
Last but not least, The Borgata offers a ton of places to eat.  We sampled casual dining options at The Borgata Buffet, Bread & Butter and our personal favorite, The Metropolitan (get the Cobb Salad!).

One piece of advice -- if you’d like to have Internet access over the weekend, be sure to pack your laptop.  The business center is only open on weekdays (we found this out the hard way).

We’re already looking forward to our next stay.  Fingers crossed the future holds some nicer weather for us so that we can fully check out the indoor and outdoor pools.

Written by JSG contributor Samara Finn.

Girls' Trip to Monterey

Monterey is one of our favorite towns in Northern California. We love the aquarium, the small shops and the cute but stinky sea lions.  The Monterey Bay Inn is the perfect place to enjoy a stay, now that we don't live close by.  Its "You Go Girls!" package includes beachfront accommodations, discounted stand-up paddle board rentals and lessons, a complimentary Burt’s Bees skincare kit, and daily in-room breakfast.  Last time we were there, we rented kayaks and paddled around the sea lions; but this is our chance to try out paddle boarding.

The Monterey Bay Inn is offering the "You Go Girls!" package through September 2, 2010. The two-for-one stand-up paddle board rentals, lessons and tours are provided by Adventures by the Sea.