Endless Summer promotion - 415

If the heat index is pushing up past 100 degrees you may not be thinking about a tropical vacation at the moment.  But when the temperature falls and prices heat up, you’re going to wish you booked a vacation early.  Well you still can!  Paradise by Marriott is offering up to 40% off their nine resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico if you book before August 31 and travel by December 20, 2010.  Visit Paradise by Marriott or call 1-888-PARADISE for more details.

If you’re stuck on which resort to visit, you can get a sneak peek into activities at each resort August 21 - 24 by following the hashtag #Blogparadise. Marriott Resorts is kindly hosting nine bloggers, including GoGalavanting Contributing Editor Shanna Quinn, at one of the Marriott Resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico. 

The Bloggers:

• Donna Hull from My Itchy Travel Feet 
• JoAnna Haugen from Kaleidoscopic Wandering and BootsnAll 
• Annie Scott from Pure Happy Travel, Gadling, and Luxist 
• Dave Bouskill/Debra Corbeil from The Planetd 
• Vikki Stenstream from Hipster Travel Guide 
• Patti Hodapp from Lost Girls World and Travel Squire 
• Shanna Quinn from Go Galavanting 
• Sonja Stark from GoNomad/Pilot Girl
• Lisa Overman from Wanderlust & Lipstick

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Shanna Quinn is a Galavanting contributing editor, based in Chicago, IL, and also writes about life in the Windy City on Gaper’s Block. She likes lattes, going barefoot, when public transit is on time (not that it happens…ever) and of course traveling.

Blog Your Way Around the World Contest - 394

Photo by James Seith PhotographyHave a travel blog? Now might be the time to start one. Why? Well, so you can Blog Your Way Around the World! By submitting a 400 word essay you could win one of eight world class expeditions.

Travel companies such as AFAR magazine and ExOfficio have come together to sponsor this exciting event which launched this month. Between now and December 31, 2010 you can submit your travel essay (including creativity, excitement and adventure) along with your photo to the Blog Your Way Around the World website. The entries will be up for public voting. If yours has the most votes come the end of the year you can win one of eight incredible vacations!

These trips are so great that it will be tough to make a choice. The prize trips available include salmon river rafting, biking in the Czech Republic and Austria, hiking in Canada, polar bear encounters, a Costa Rica adventure, a visit to the Galapagos Islands, a Borneo cruise and an African safari. Trips are for two people and the details of each vary including the length of trip. Each lasts anywhere from 4 to 10 nights and has a different deadline for travel as well. In addition to these fabulous trips there is also some fantastic travel gear up for grabs from sponsoring companies.

Each person is allowed one vote on the site and voters can change their vote if another essay catches his or her attention. Winners will be notified in early January. You must be a U.S. or Canadian citizen to enter.

The deadline is a long way off so you have plenty of time to plan out your best strategy and do your best vote-for-me marketing!

Lori Rice is a freelance health and travel writer, and Galavanting travel news and reviews correspondent. You can follow her adventures at 3 Star Traveler or explore her thoughts as a nutritionist, wellness advocate and foodie traveler at Fake Food Free.

Travel Blog Exchange '09: Chicago Travel Blogger Meetup July 26th

CTA overhead in Chicago's Downtown Loop

There seems to be no shortage of travel bloggers in the world -- which is absolutely a wonderful thing.

With so many places around the globe to write about, everyone's input and experiences can help fellow travelers.

What there is a shortage of however, has been networking opportunities for those who write about travel to come together and meet one another. Until now! 

Debbie Dubrow of Deliciousbaby.com (a great site dedicated to making travel with kids fun) and Kim Mance of Galavanting (yes, that's us), are co-hosting a meetup of all those who write about travel.

Click to read more ...