OCTOBER GETAWAY FOR BODY AND SOUL

My friends at Escape to Shape just emailed me to let me know that they've picked the destination for their October trip. They are heading to Taormina, Sicily for seven nights. You can join in and get to stay in a magnificent villa, enjoy world renowned Sicilian cuisine, daily exercise, wine tasting, cooking classes and pampering! Escape to Shape considers itself a traveling fitness spa. If you are interested, hurry up and book now because these spots do fill up quickly. Guys don't tune out, plenty of men go on these trips every year!Dates: October 16-23, October 23-30, 2010

Here's an example of a Day in the Life at Escape to Shape:8:00am- Breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt and granola
9:00am- Skin-Detox session at Volcanic mud baths
12:00pm- 90 minute power walk on the beach
1:30pm- Lunch of gazpacho soup and grilled chicken salad
3:00pm- 50 laps in the pool and aromatherapy massages
4:00pm- Snack of watermelon slices
5:30pm- 90 minute vinyasa yoga session
7:00pm- Salsa dancing lessons
8:00pm- Dinner of pumpkin soup and grilled shrimp
10:00pm- Head out and dance till dawn or collapse into bed

EVERYONE NEEDS A LITTLE NAPA

Napa Valley is one of my all time favorite destinations in the U.S. I went out there a couple of years ago with one of my best friends and had an amazing time, but swore to myself that the next time I go it will definitely have to be with my husband. Napa is just so romantic. So when we do book our trip, the place where I want us to stay is The Wine Country Inn & Gardens.

The Wine Country Inn has been around since 1975 and is family owned and operated...I just love that because you always get the warmth and attention you deserve when you stay at a place like this. The inn is built well off the highway and is surrounded by vineyards. They have a pool, jacuzzi, spa, complimentary breakfast & afternoon appetizers as well as a free restaurant shuttle to take you into town so that you can relax, drink wine and not have to worry about driving. Rooms range from $250-$600 a night, depending on which room you choose and what time of year you jet set to Napa valley.

The Holidays are around the corner, so now is the perfect time to go...and take a look at the great things happening there this time of year:

October: There are still many days in the 80's & 90's temperature-wise...so take your bathing suit and enjoy the Napa Valley grape harvest while you're there.

November: The Inn holds its annual Ode to Olive celebration (November 19th-22nd) where you can taste different olives, olive oils and cheeses.

December: Head there for a romantic New Year's Eve celebration with your honey. They have a special dinner for $75 per person which includes a four-course meal with wine right at the inn...and also a complimentary champagne toast at midnight.

NEW YORK CITY'S VILLAGE HALLOWEEN PARADE

Sticking with the Halloween theme, following my "No Trick All Treat" post yesterday about JetBlue's $31 flights in honor of Halloween...I thought I'd write about something to do on Halloween day. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year...how exciting! That means we can dress up, trick-or-treat and party and not have to go to bed early. So if any of my jet setting community is interested, Halloween weekend (October 30th-November 1st) is the time to jet set to NYC and attend the 36th Annual Village Halloween Parade.

For those of you who haven't been, this is the parade of all parades! It's the largest public Halloween celebration in the nation! You have to go at least once in your life to see the colorful costumes and personalities that come out for this event. The parade runs up 6th Avenue from Spring Street to 21st Street. It starts at 7pm and ends around 10:30pm. The parade is free...so grab a costume and a bunch of your friends and you're sure to have a blast and a night you won't soon forget!

AN OCTOBERFEST IN OCTOBER

Yes, we all know the real, true Octoberfest is held every year in Germany...and what an event it truly is! But, it's funny that it's called Octoberfest because it's usually held at the end of September, and finishes in early October. In fact, this year's festivities officially ended last Sunday! So, I did a little digging to find out where my New York jet setters could go for an Octoberfest celebration...in October...and closer to home than Germany...and I found something that I think sounds like a lot of fun!Circle-Line Sightseeing Cruise has an annual Octoberfest cruise that runs every weekend during the month of October! Basically, you hop on the boat from Pier 83 in Manhattan at 8:30am sharp and go for a 2-hour cruise up the Hudson River (enjoying beautiful scenery of fall foliage and views of the George Washington Bridge and other sites along the way) all the way up to Bear Mountain State Park. On the boat, you can buy all of the beer you want. Once you get to Bear Mountain State Park, the festivities really begin with German food, beer, and entertainment. You leave the park at 3:30pm for your 2-hour cruise back to Pier 83 which drops you off by 5:30pm. Ticket Prices are as follows: Adults ($49), Children ($30), and Senior Citizens ($40).