Empty Voices

San Diego has a reputation for nurturing research and development. The La Jolla Village and Sorrento Valley in particular house numerous biotech companies with both administrative offices and actual research facilities. San Diego was ranked by the Milken Institute as the top US biotech cluster. In 2009 there were nearly 2000 full-time biological technicians employed in the tri-city area (San Diego-San Marcos – Carlsbad). In addition to being a mainstay of the San Diego economy, research organizations bring visiting scientists, investors, and international representatives to the San Diego luxury hotel s in the area.

Over 140 Contract Research Organizations (CRO) call San Diego home. These CROS provide contract services for the local life science companies. Major biotech companies with offices and labs in the area include Nventa Bopharmaceuticals, BD Biosciences, Integrated DNA Technologies, Neurocrine Biosciences, Merck, Vertx, Pfizzer, and Genzyme, amongst many others. There are also non-profit health care and biotechnology institutes in San Diego , including the Scripps Research Institute, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, the West Wireless Health Institute and the Sanford-Burnham Institute. CROs with a strong San Diego presence include Catalent Pharma Solutions, Pharmatek Laboratories, Accelrys, bio-Quant, Explora BioLabs, Alta Analytical Laboratory and MicroConstants.

Take the family to San Diego this October and you’ll enjoy not only the lovely climate, but the chance to celebrate Halloween at two of the area’s biggest attractions: SeaWorld San Diego and LegoLand. So figure out transportation, book a San Diego boutique hotel , and prepare for lots of fun!

SeaWorld San Diego will be celebrating their Halloween Spooktacular Oct 1st – 31st. Kids can trick-or-treat for candy and healthy treats at 10 sea-themed stations while strolling amongst the various sea life who call SeaWorld home. Costumes are encouraged throughout the month. There will be a variety of Halloween-themed shows and some of your kids’ favorite characters will be sharing in the Halloween spirit.

Those willing to head north to Legoland will be able to attend Brick-or-Treat Party Nights each weekend in October. Travel the Brick-or-Treat Trails to find the treat stations, enjoy Halloween entertainment, music, and complete in costume contests for prizes. There will be special, spooky lighting effects as well as the traveling Boo Crew to make the party complete. Several of the Legoland areas will stay open late just for the Party Nights, including Castle Hill, Coastersaurus, Land of Adventure, the Imagination Zone, and Safari Trek.

Regardless of the reason you decide to visit Montreal, Canada there are some standard attractions that you will definitely want to see while you are there. This is one of the world’s most beautiful and livable cities, and to really experience it you will want to pursue as many of the cultural dynamics as you can. Meanwhile, you will also want to explore some of the great cuisine of the city, and there is plenty of that and the city’s restaurants represent food from around the world.

However, for the guests in a Montreal hotel , sampling some of the local fare is on the top of their list. And of course, coming from such a strong French tradition, and as well as strong French influenced contemporary culture, you are going to find some excellent French food in Montreal.

Le Cartet is one of the more hip places to dine, though if that’s not quite your style, you will be drawn by the quality of the food. They have recently introduced a sit down breakfast, which quickly gained popularity with locals. And the food market at the front of the restaurant is great for picking up a few items on the go. Have a great time exploring Montreal, just don’t forget to eat while you’re there.

Steamboat Springs, Colorado is not one of the state’s largest cities, though it most definitely boasts having one of the state’s as well as the nation’s most popular ski resorts. It is located near Mount Werner and the Yampa River, which makes it an ideal vacation destination in both the summer and winter as well as the two seasons in-between. It’s appeal as a ski destination is known throughout the world and the winter guests that fill the luxury Steamboat Springs hotels come from across the globe. There are great professional instructors that are perfect for beginners or skiers of all levels and the degree of difficulty on the slopes is also suited for various skill and experience levels.

Meanwhile the summer also has some spectacular offerings. And the Steamboat Gondola is the prefect way to tour the mountain and enjoy some of the most panoramic views of the surrounding country available. In addition, horseback riding and hiking are extremely common along the summit and are popular throughout the season. The Coca Cola Adventure Zone is another popular summer season attraction and has plenty of great outdoor adventure options for children and adults. And one of the favorite aspects of the trip for many people is the great on mountain dining options. Establishments like Hazie’s are easily accessible from the gondola ride and offer delicious food with amazing views of the enchanted Yampa River Valley.

My husband has always been one of those adventurous types that loves to get in the car and drive off in any direction just to explore some new area. We have taken more road trips than airplane flights and if we do happen to fly somewhere you can be sure that an extended road adventure has been at the other end of the flight. Last summer we were in a small town in Central Florida and were standing in line in a grocery store when suddenly John grabbed a map of Orlando off of the rack and I knew instantly where we were going.

As it turned out, we had two weeks left of our vacation time when we arrived at the Orlando hotel . We decided to visit Sea World and had an amazing time. The Up Close tours with some of the marine animals was absolutely amazing and seeing the penguins and dolphins so close was a truly an experience. The next day we went to Universal Studios and spent a large part of the day in the Harry Potter Wizarding World. This was mostly John’s idea and I expected to find ourselves in the middle of a ton of children. As it turns out there were a large number of adults there and I had as much fun as John did. In fact, I think this trip introduced my husband into a new way of seeking adventure and making new discoveries. Tomorrow we’re headed to Disney World .