Bidding for bargains

 

Maine Windjammer Vacation.

Give yourself or a loved one a travel treat.

What: The annual Society of American Travel Writers' travel-oriented, online auction.

Where:  http://auctions.readysetauction.com/societyofamericantra/

How: Sign up, pick your faves and start bidding.

Deadline: Auction closes at 11:45 p.m. EST, Nov. 15, 2013.

Samples:
4- Day Maine Windjammer Sailing Vacation
Starting Bid:    $250.00 — Be First to Bid!
Win It Now Price:    $1,700.00
Bidding Ends:    Fri Nov 15, 2013 - 11:45 PM US/Eastern
Time Left:    17 days 14 hours 55 minutes
ESTIMATED VALUE: $1,500.00

Oyster Bay Beach, St. Maartens.

Also ...
• Online Travel Journalism Courses
• City Passes
• Condo in Destin, FL, and a cotttage in Palmetto Bluff, SC.
• Stays in Aspen, Palm Springs, Prague, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Indianapolis, Boston, St. Maarten, Punta Cana, Disney World, Tacoma, Natchez, Miami and Los Cabos, Mexico to name drop a few.
• A stay and a round of golf at St. Andrews.
• River rafting
• Trip, including air, to Branson
... And many more, including a round-trip, transcontinental excursion Toronto to Vancouver in Sleeper Plus Class on VIA Rail Canada.

Cross Canada VIA Rail

Tip: Don't forget to keep track of your picks; bidding picks up as the auction ends.

 

Best of China bargain

Summer Palace, Beijing. Photo © by Judy Wells.

What: 15-day "Mighty Yangtze" tour

Where: Beijing (Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace), Xian (Terracotta Warriors), Chengdu (Giant Panda Breeding Center), a 3-day Yangtze cruise on five-star Victoria Katarina, and Shanghai, China. Hotels are in four- and five-star.

How much: $2,339, based on double occupancy, includes round-trip airfare from San Francisco or Los Angeles. Add $60 for a New York departure.

Fine print: Cash-only, subject to availability.

Log onto www.chinaspree.com and click "China tours" then "specials".

Art in the Park special

Alfond Inn, Winter Park, FL.

What: Art in the Park package includes two nights (double occupancy), $100 credit at Hamilton's Kitchen, admission to the Cornell Fine Art Museum, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art with its superb Tiffany collection and a guided tour of the Alfond Collection.

Where: The Alfond Inn, Winter Park, Florida's newest and poshest hotel, where its net operating income goes to the Alfond Scholars program fund for scholarships at Rollins College.

When: Now through December 31, 2013.

How much: $395.

www.alfondinn.com, 407-998-8090.



Hate orange and blue and red and black?

Dillsboro Pottery Festial.

And for Jacksonville, FL, area residents who want to escape the World's Largest Cocktail Party hullabaloo (otherwise known and the annual Georgia-Florida game), you just have time to get to...

What: Western North Carolina Pottery Fest with more than 40 professional ceramic artists from 15 states throwing, demonstrating, exhibiting and selling their creations.

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, rain or shine.

Where: Front Street in the friendly mountain village of Dillsboro, NC.

How much: $3 per person, children under 12 free.

www.wncpotteryfestival.com. Call the Jackson County Visitors Center, 800-962-1911, for lodging info.