Fall in Love with Greater Fort Lauderdale

Fall in Love with Greater Fort Lauderdale (415) (NewsUSA) - Travelers may think of summer and beach activities when they think of Florida, but Greater Fort Lauderdale takes its relaxing vibe into the fall season. With options for off-season savings, visitors can enjoy a VIP experience for less and make the most of a fall visit to the destination, including deals on fine dining, outdoor activities, and indulgent spa experiences, just before heading into winter. -Food: Greater Fort Lauderdale Restaurant Month is back by popular demand with a new name and improved dining deals. "Crave GFL," Greater Fort Lauderdale Restaurant Month, is back by popular demand with a new name and improved dining deals. "Crave GFL," which runs through the month of September with many restaurants extending until October 15, celebrates the distinctive fusion of flavors that Greater Fort Lauderdale has to offer. The promotion includes a series of tasting events, and more than 45 area restaurants offer specially created three course meals priced at $37. celebrates the area's distinctive fusion of flavors that Greater Fort Lauderdale has to offer. The promotion includes a series of tasting events, and more than 45 area restaurants offer specially- created three-course meals priced at $37. "The natural beauty of our seaside community inspires chefs to create meals that are fresh and palate-pleasing," says Stacy Ritter, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Our restaurants and cafes are taking their rightful place not only on the global-cuisine stage, but also among our abundance of visitor attractions," she adds. For more information, visit sunny.org/cravegfl for more details. -Fun: The Vacation Like A VIP program, offering packages at a number of upscale hotels through October 15, allows visitors to Greater Fort Lauderdale to enjoy a buy-one-get-one free deal on activities, including Everglades airboat rides, visits to Sawgrass Recreation Park and Everglades Holiday Park, scuba diving, snorkeling, and surfing the FlowRider at Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort, along with other water-sport activities and water-taxi tours. Visit sunny.org/vip for additional information. -Feeling good: Greater Fort Lauderdale's popular spa promotion is back through October 15. During "Spatember," the promotion includes specialty services for $99 at select spas in the area, with many extending to October 15. Treatments range from organic facials and eye treatments to therapeutic manicures and pedicures, as well as unique hot stone massage sessions. The Spatember deals may be a welcome opportunity "to find some much deserved 'me time' to restore the mind, body, and soul without breaking the bank," Ms. Ritter says. Visit sunny.org/spatember for more information.

Why Yoga Relieves Stress, Improves Health and Balances Your Life

Why Yoga Relieves Stress, Improves Health and Balances Your Life (391) (NewsUSA) - Life is stressful. Between a down economy, long commutes to a job you may not even like, and overbearing bosses, not to mention trying to eke out a few minutes of "me" time in between diaper changes and dinner dates with your significant other, life can be challenging. Equally apparent is that for decades we've been told that yoga can combat all of these stressors -- and yet, it seems as if it is one of the last things people try to take the edge off. For Leslie Crespi, a social worker in Atlanta, it was the changes she saw in a colleague that got her to consider attending an Inner Engineering program of Isha yoga. A key component to the practice is the "kriya," which Crespi describes to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an interview as a "process to energize and balance the human system using breathing." "The kriya gives me a sense of balance and the ability to deal with life as it is," she tells the paper. "It's not about what I do anymore. It's about how I am, and that's a beautiful way to live." If the thought of having more balance and energy in your life sounds intriguing, the Isha Institute of Inner Sciences may just be for you. Nestled in Tennessee's spectacular Upper Cumberland (45 minutes outside of Chattanooga), the retreat center offers daily campus tours that include light hikes, rejuvenating time spent in Adiyogi: Abode of Yoga (an energized meditation space), and a visit to the largest yoga and meditation hall in the western hemisphere. For daytrippers, visitors learn yoga for free, if they arrive in the scheduled time for the session each day. Looking to stay awhile? An overnight includes the option of private studio accommodations, delicious vegetarian buffet meals, and an introductory yoga session of the visitor's choice, such as the yoga of sound, yoga for strengthening the joints, and yoga for purifying life energies. The center also offers a myriad of opportunities for hiking and mountain biking on forested trails winding throughout nearly 1,400 acres. The center's five miles of mountain biking trails feature waterfalls, a spring-fed creek, and bluff overlooks. And for those strictly interested in getting centered, there are beginning level yoga and meditation weekends, classical Hatha yoga programs, and individual wellness retreats. For more information, please visit www.IshaUSA.org.

When Was The Last Time You Enjoyed Your Business Trip?

Real Talk -- When Was The Last Time You Enjoyed Your Business Trip? (498) (NewsUSA) -It's hard to believe that 2017 is more than halfway over and that fall is in the air. With that, life starts to speed up as kids head back to school, holidays loom just around the corner, and you may find yourself traveling for work a bit more in the coming months as companies try to wrap up end-of-the-year projects. Welcome to real travel. What does that mean exactly? While we would all like to plan trips to exotic locations for weeks at a time, the truth is that people travel for life reasons, such as visiting relatives, meeting with clients, and for children's sports. Just because these types of trips are practical does not mean they can't also be enjoyable. And one travel blogger has some ideas on how to inject some fun into your real life trips. Danielle Smith, wife, mother, and creator of the Pretty Extraordinary website, "A place where you can ditch perfection, embrace the juggle and come away celebrating the small victories," believes there are some simple ways to get the best out of real travel. * Make Practical Trips Fun and Fun Trips Practical: Whether you are obligated to visit a family member or simply travel for business, seek out a few opportunities to enjoy the time away. Find a new restaurant that serves your favorite type of food, take in a show or visit a local treasure. Alternatively, if you have the opportunity to steal away for vacation, take the time to do a college tour with your kids: even if they aren't looking yet, you never know what doors you may open. * Seek the Perks: For any type of travel, always look for hotels that offer the amenities that will make your stay both more comfortable and affordable. When traveling for business, chances are you're visiting clients in various cities, so it's important to find a hotel brand that consistently offers what you need. Hampton by Hilton, for instance, has more than 2,240 properties around the world and offers free amenities to make your stay more pleasurable. To help fuel up for those long days on the road or endless meetings, the hotel provides On the Run breakfast bags as a perk. Need to stay up late working into the evening? There's free Wi-Fi for that. * Plan for Disruption: We all know that real travel involves real life moments -- lost luggage, delayed flights, rainstorms when you were planning on a sunny day. So take the time to monitor the weather before you head to your destination, and keep a few extra items in your carry-on or purse (such as a rain hat, sweater or umbrella). While travel can be stressful, if you are prepared and plan ahead, it doesn't have to be. You may even be able to enjoy a few moments. So don't forget to book your next getaway at Hampton.com, where Hilton Honors members get a guaranteed discount.