GALVESTON,TX (Sept. 1, 2010) — Some of Galveston’s top restaurants will compete for the best shrimp gumbo designation during the inaugural Galveston Island Shrimp Festival cook off on Saturday, Sept. 25. Participating restaurants include Benno’s on the Beach, Bernardo’s Restaurant at Hotel Galvez, Float Pool & Patio Bar, M&M Restaurant & Bar, Olympia The Grill at Pier 21, The Spot and Yaga’s Café, as well as Galveston College Culinary School. Visitors can purchase a tasting cup for $5 to sample the gumbo from participating restaurants.

At TravelingMamas.com, we travel for business and pleasure. We’re excited that one of our favorite brands has unveiled its new look to reflect the wide portfilio of properties available under the Hilton flagship brand. We’ve relaxed at many Hilton properties that are resorts, and not just hotels. This is an exciting time for such a legendary name in the hospitality industry. – CajunMama

MCLEAN, Va. - Hilton Hotels & Resorts (formerly Hilton Hotels), the flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide, introduced a refreshed brand name and logo today. The new name and stylish logo holistically represent the brand’s extensive global portfolio, which includes more than 70 resorts with more than 32,600 guest rooms in key leisure markets around the world.

“Generations of global travelers share a strong connection with our brand identity,” said Dave Horton, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand. “Our name and core mark are both recognizable and incredibly powerful. This evolution reflects the modern style and world-class resorts that define our brand today.” 

The logo change continues an enhanced leisure marketing strategy for the brand.  There are currently more than 70 Hilton branded resorts in 25 countries around the world.  Furthermore, the Hilton Hotels & Resorts development pipeline currently includes more than 11 resort properties from Argentina to Ras Al Khaimah, U.A.E. and Hangzhou, China.

The many award-winning and legendary resorts within the brand include Caribe Hilton, birthplace of the Pina Colada; Hilton Namhae Golf & Spa Resort, World Travel Award winner as South Korea’s leading resort and golf resort; Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa, 2010 TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Award, global winner for romance; and Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort, recently named one of the ten best family beach resorts in the United States and the Caribbean by Parents magazine.

Earlier this year Hilton introduced “Stay Hilton. Go Everywhere.,” a global advertising campaign promoting the brand’s more than 530 hotels and resorts in 76 countries across six continents. The campaign calls special attention to signature Hilton resort properties while entertainment industry integrations have placed Hilton resorts on popular television shows.

A global consumer research study conducted as part of the logo refresh indicated strong awareness of the signature “Hilton cartouche” and association of the symbol with highly positive brand attributes. The contemporary design is the first change to the iconic brand’s logo since 1998.

Design features of the refreshed logo include:

• Addition of “Hotels & Resorts” to create a clearer distinction between Hilton Worldwide, the corporation, and the Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand;
• Introduction of a sophisticated blue logo color;
• Use of a new, contemporary font named “Hilton,” which was custom-designed for the brand; and
• A smaller cartouche that provides a modern look and places more emphasis on the Hilton name.

The Hilton brand logo has evolved to reflect design trends and notable steps in the brand’s journey for more than 90 years. For example, in 1977 the brand’s logo featured a rainbow icon, while an icon of a globe appeared atop the logo in the 1950s after the brand opened its first international property, the Caribe Hilton.  The refreshed Hilton Hotels & Resorts logo will initially be used in brand activities and communications, and will be introduced at the property level in 2011. Hilton Worldwide’s logos and imagery will remain unchanged.

If you’re a writer working on a Hilton Hotels and Resorts story, be sure to check out Hilton’s innovative Global Media Center.

New seasonal kids’ menu promotes environmental awareness
and healthy eating for younger guests of Loews

Restaurants at Loews Hotels across the country will be celebrating healthy eating while promoting the importance of environmental awareness in a number of engaging ways through an “Adopt a Carrot” program for kids from August 16 – September 6, 2010.

Under Loews’ “Adopt-A-Farmer” program, an initiative supporting partnerships with area farmers, fishermen and independent purveyors, “Adopt a Carrot” is centered on an interactive menu that teaches younger restaurant-goers the importance of supporting farmers and saving the environment. In addition to healthy options featuring carrots – such as carrot muffins and carrot dippers – the colorful menu takes children on a journey through their surroundings and the impact they have on the planet. Fun facts and games incorporate recycling tips, energy-saving methods and other ways kids can help make a difference.

In partnership with Burpee, one of America’s oldest and most-trusted home garden companies, over 15,000 kids dining at 17 Loews Hotels in the U.S. from August 16 – September 6 will receive a complimentary package of carrot seeds with planting directions to bring the “Adopt a Carrot” experience home.

“Carrots are a tasty and incredibly healthy vegetable, rich in the antioxidant beta-carotene, fat-free, low in sodium and a good source of fiber,” said Ellen Burke Van Syke, Loews Hotels creative director of F&B. “Because they are so good, and so good for you, carrots are the perfect extension for children of Loews’ ‘Adopt-A-Farmer’ program. Through the special menu and the partnership with Burpee, our younger guests can enjoy a well-rounded, engaging experience that they can continue to enjoy at home.”

“Adopt a Carrot” menus are featured in one of every Loews Hotels restaurants around the country. The special children’s menus feature multiple entrée and dessert choices, along with a variety of drink options. Prices vary by location and offer is good while supplies last.

(Newport, RI) – Celebrity chefs from the Food Network and American Public Television, exclusive wines from around the world and fabulous food from the region’s best restaurants make the 5th annual Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival the place to be from September 24-26, 2010. Sponsored by FOOD & WINE, the Festival takes place in one of America’s most picturesque settings—the historic Newport Mansions, Rosecliff and Marble House, in the seaside resort of Newport, Rhode Island.

The Festival will showcase more than 500 high-end international wines, fabulous food and cooking demonstrations by celebrated chefs, a Sunday jazz brunch, live and silent auctions, and a gala celebration. More than 100 of the world’s finest vintners, and nearly two dozen of New England’s finest restaurants and caterers will be featured.

Highlights of the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival include cooking demonstrations by Chris Cosentino of Food Network’s “Chefs vs. City” and Incanto Restaurant in San Francisco, David Burke of David Burke’s Prime, and Nick Stellino, Rachel Allen and Christina Pirello of American Public Television and Create TV, as well as seminars led by industry experts such as Ray Isle of FOOD & WINE and Leslie Sbrocco of Thirsty Girl. Additional celebrity guests include Annie Copps of Yankee, Roseann Tully of Intermezzo, and noted viniculture artist Thomas Arvid, who will be creating one of his unique wine-themed paintings during the Festival.

Tickets to this remarkable weekend of fine wine and food are on sale now, and may be purchased at www.NewportMansionsWineAndFood.org or by calling 401.847.1000, ext. 140. Special pricing is available on tickets purchased before September 17, 2010.

The Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival features an all-inclusive Grand Tasting at Marble House on Saturday and Sunday, September 25-26, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. A single admission price includes samplings of wines from around the world, small plate tastings of exciting dishes from regional restaurants and caterers, cooking demonstrations by our celebrity chefs, a souvenir glass, tote bag, and free parking and shuttle transportation to/from Marble House. Upon arrival, guests will also have the opportunity to tour the first floor of this historic mansion, which was the most opulent house in America when it was built in 1892.

The weekend’s festivities will begin on Friday, September 24, with the lavishly upscale Wine & Rosecliff Gala, where guests will delight in the “Meet the Chefs” theme that allows for intimate encounters with the Festival’s celebrity chefs, showcasing their recipes and delightful culinary creations paired with exquisite special vintages uncorked exclusively for the evening.

The Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival also includes a Jazz Brunch on Sunday morning, September 26 at 11:00 a.m. on the terrace of Marble House.

All proceeds from the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival benefit The Preservation Society of Newport County, a non-profit organization accredited by the American Association of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes and decorative arts. Its’ 11 historic properties—seven of them National Historic Landmarks—span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development

The Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival is also sponsored by Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, Infiniti, American Public Television, Create TV, Rhode Island PBS, Dave’s Marketplace, Dasani, Intermezzo, Rhone Valley Wines, Loire Valley Wines, Travelocity, Clarke, Alaska Seafood, Stella Artois, Thirsty Girl, Yankee, Hyatt Regency Newport, and Hotel Viking Newport.

PORT ANGELES, Wash.; –This summer the much-anticipated release of Eclipse will once again turn the spotlight to the sleepy town of Forks. Stephenie Meyers’ plot for the popular book and movie series, Twilight, takes place on the west end of the North Olympic Peninsula. Find story locations through self-guided tour maps or on organized tours offered by local tour companies. Visit the high school in Forks that Bella and Edward attend, the beach at La Push where Bella learns the truth about Edward, and the restaurant in Port Angeles where they have their first date. Local stores and restaurants offer menu items and memorabilia for Twilight-hungry fans. In celebration of the popular series, local winery Olympic Cellars, created a sparkling Syrah titled Sparkling Twilight. Twi-hard fans planning on visiting Olympic National Park this summer or fall should check out Kalaloch Lodge’s Twilight Packages. Plan your next Twilight getaway at www.northwestsecretplaces.com or http://www.olympicpeninsula.org/featured-content/twilight-fascination-olympic-peninsula.

Special Ticket Offers and Online Savings Available for Families

Colonial Williamsburg’s introduction of “A Kid’s Summer Program,” encompassing various family-oriented events and activities, ensures that children of all ages can interact and engage with the stories of history during summer vacation. From June 21-August 22, visitors to Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area can play games, explore 18^th-century career paths, try their hands at chores of the 18^th century, and more.

Interactive family programming includes:

-          Tours and games at the Benjamin Powell House, Colonial Williamsburg’s premier family site.

-          Native American Storytelling and Games of Chance and Competition at the Geddy House; programs begin on Palace Green and end in the Geddy House Orchard.

-          The Apprentice! Tour, during which families visit three trade shops, children decide what they want to be when they grow up, and sign an apprenticeship contract.

-          Let’s Go to the Farm: at Great Hopes Plantation children help work the crops, draw and carry water, assist with building construction, and learn about the life of 18^th-century small farmers and their enslaved workers.

-          Mother Goose’s Riddles and Rhymes Tour and Read me a Story!, for children ages three to seven at the Benjamin Powell House.

-          Aesop’s Fables Stick-Puppet Plays for the Young and Curious, at the Geddy House.

Other Historic Area sites that are part of “A Kid’s Summer Program” include the Gaol (Jail), the popular Revolutionary City^® program, the Wythe House and the Magazine.

At the Colonial Williamsburg Art Museums, family guides for many of the exhibits, and “Teen Takes” audio tour written by teens for teens are available every day.

Entrance to Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area and Art Museums requires a Colonial Williamsburg admission ticket. The Apprentice! Tour and Let’s Go to the Farm require additional tickets.

Colonial Williamsburg’s ticket packages offer added value for families:

-          Save 10 percent off the purchase of four One Day Plus admission passes.

-          Save 15 percent off the purchase of six One Day Plus admission passes.

-          One Day Plus tickets purchased online include a 15 percent savings and a second day free.

-          Tickets purchased in June include a 15 percent savings off most evening programs.

-          Save 20 percent with the online purchase of Bounce Passes that allow guests to move between Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens and Water Country USA as many times as they choose for up to seven consecutive days. Adult tickets are $98.80 and youth ages six to 17 are $82 for the week.

-          Children under six are free.

Colonial Williamsburg also offers various family-friendly dining and hotel options. For more information about Colonial Williamsburg’s Hotels, visit www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/hotels.

Engage in nature at this free, day-long event celebrating family! Games and give-a-ways, arts & crafts, nature portraits and much more …

Saturday, June 12^th 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

WHAT:   New York Restoration Project (NYRP) invites New Yorkers to celebrate the value of family and the incredible opportunity nature provides for fun time together at New York Restoration Project’s 4^th Annual Family Day at Swindler Cove Park, a five-acre park along the Harlem River. From family fishing to a recycle relay, NYRP welcomes families from the Upper Manhattan communities of Washington Heights and Inwood to engage in all things nature. NYRP staff and environmental educators will lead families in a variety of activities centered around family, nature and health, including games, hands-on hikes, family nature portraits, gardening demonstrations and learning about ways to be green, together.

WHO:  NYRP, a non-profit organization dedicated to reclaiming and restoring New York City parks, community gardens and open space.

WHEN:  Saturday, June 12^th 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

WHERE:  Swindler Cove Park (Harlem River Drive and Dyckman Street, Inwood – Entrance at 10th & Dyckman Ave.)

Subway Directions: A, C or 1 Train to Dyckman Ave.            

About New York Restoration Project

New York Restoration Project (NYRP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to reclaiming and restoring New York City parks, community gardens and open space.  Since the organization’s founding by Bette Midler in 1995, NYRP has achieved dramatic results by investing in the greening and beautification of underserved communities throughout New York City and educating thousands of residents about environmental issues.  In partnership with the City of New York, NYRP is also leading MillionTreesNYC.  For more information, visit www.nyrp.org