Spring Travel Deals

There are many travel deals out there all year long, and here are a few exciting ideas I found for the coming months.

The first ever Divino Tuscany festival takes place from June 2-5. (www.divinotuscany.com). The festival will celebrate winemaking in the region. The four-day extravaganza in Florence shows off Tuscany's top vintners paired with fabulous cusine and world class entertainment.

Longtime oenophiles and those looking to sophicate their palates will enjoy seminars by the likes of James Suckling, former European Bureau Chief of Wine Spectator, tutored tastings at the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, and hosted dinners at the private Palazzi of Tuscany's leading wine families. The topper is a traditional Tuscan pig roast with Sting and his beautiful wife at their private villa. You'd think this would be super expensive, but it's only $2,299 per person, without air fare. Not cheap, but how often do you get the opportuntiy to dine with a rock star and a supermodel? It sounds like a wonderfly decadant weekend to me.

Closer to home, the Four Seasons Austin is slashing rates and offering crazy discounts and freebies on the 25th of every month through December in honor of the resort's 25th birthday and the brand's 50th anniversary. Rooms can be snagged for only $89 on April 25 (the original cost of rooms when the hotel opened in 1986), save 60% on 50 minute massages, priced at $50, on October 25, sip 50-cent cocktails, and so on. Every month is a different special deal. Check out www.fourseasons.com/austin for more details.

How about a weekend at a New York City spa? Two top New York City hotel spas are offering the antidote to the gluttony you usually associate with a weekend in the big apple, by offering juice cleanse packages, which are incredibly popular with New Yorkers. At th Surrey Spa (www.thesurrey.com), guests can book a three-day Organic Avenue (www.organicavenue.com) juice cleanse, paired with two 60-minute detoxifying spa treatments, one private yoga class, and luxe accomodations. The Mandarin Oriental New York (www.mandarinoriental.com) is kicking off the Ultimate 24Hour Detox Spa Package. A Himalayan Salt Sea and Chakra Therapy treatment, and a healthy bento box dinner to prepare you for a day of juice cleansing, using the BluePrint Cleanse juices (www.blueprintcleanse.com). This is a pretty price, at $1,630 per night. Would I pay that amount of money to drink juice and starve? I don't think so.