Hey, kids! Where do you want to go? Around the world(wide web)! You’re on. This is the time on the UpTake show where we link to a bunch of doings in the online travel biz and then you click on them and say nice things about us. Sometimes you send us flowers.

Buckle up, it’s go time:

Enter the Great Kiwi Adventure to win a trip for 4 to New Zealand!

The classic Italian coffee house (and its impressive guests).

Thinking about checking out the National Parks of France? Here’s a list of the top ten.

Taste Napa Valley at Rubicon Estate.

Mexico is looking for Arizona tourists… to have a good time.

TripAdvisor announces an iPhone app.

Enjoy Cancun in a boutique hotel.

Snorkel and explore off Maui’s coast.

The Top 5 places to eat ice cream at Walt Disney World (you know you want to know this).

KLM offers a new à la carte menu.

BP keeps Florida beaches off the best lists.

The untouched(ish) Society Island of Hauhine.

Cancun’s underwater museum rocks!

Check out the New England Aquarium package in Boston.

ABC presents Summer Travel Planning 101 (video opens automatically).

USA Today offers some tips on pet travel safety.

The Millennium Hotel in NYC is celebrating 20 years with a giveaway per day.

Hike Israel’s National Trail, it’s the destination and the journey.

The first Toy Story meet-up at Disneyland is FULL.

Looking to keep the romance alive while on the road? It can happen.

Are smartphones the new room key?

Win a trip to San Luis Obispo — sign up for the newsletter and you’re entered!

The 10 Best Amusement Parks (this list could use a good shuffle).

National Geographic on U.S. National Parks and travel.

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That just happened. Another rousing round of online travel tidbits for your consumption.

You’re welcome. Contact us via email or Twitter to get your link included next week!

Wild mustard in Napa Valley

When one thinks of Napa Valley in California one tends to think of wine. Oh, the vineyards and the inns! Oh, the dining and the winding roads and the making of jokes about not drinking Merlot. As a destination it’s near paradise on Earth for anyone that loves a good grape or the polished ruggedness of affluent country living. This is where old Pottery Barn catalogs come to die and frankly, it feels right.

But what about mustard? Mustard? Don’t let’s be silly.

Yes, mustard. Read More »

Purple Roofs is “your GLBT key to world travel” and features Gay and Lesbian Bed & Breakfasts, Inns, Guesthouses, Hotels, Travel Agents, & Tour Operators.

The site is run by Mark and Scott and they have been kind enough to share some of their favorite vacations with us.

Today we’re looking at the weekend getaway of Amador County in Northern California for wine tasting, bed and breakfasts and everything in between.

When most people think of California wines they think of two places: the Napa Valley and the Sonoma Valley, and then they go there by the busload.  This premier wine region in Northern California overflows with tourists in the summertime, and wine tastings are often $5, $10, or $15 a glass.  Yes, for a tasting.

However, there are a number of other lesser-known wine regions in California that offer fantastic local varietals, scenic vine-covered hills, and best of all, elbow room.

The Shenandoah Valley in Amador County is such a place.  It is a lovely wine-growing region about an hour southeast of Sacramento. There are at least 32 wineries here within 15 minutes of each other, most of them can be found on one large loop of road that makes it easy to enjoy the grand tour.

How to Get There:

From the East (Lake Tahoe/Highway 50), catch Highway 49 in Placerville south. In 14 1/2 miles, you’ll reach the small town of Plymouth – make a left onto Fiddletown Rd., and you’re there.

From Sacramento proper, you have a couple options. The shorter route is to take Highway 50 up to El Dorado Hills. Take the Latrobe Rd. Exit (it only goes south), and follow Latrobe Rd. about 14 miles south to Old Sacramento Rd. This runs about 5 miles into Plymouth, and becomes Fiddletown Rd., leading you right into the wine region.

For a slightly longer scenic route, exit Highway 50 at How Ave. Go South on Howe and make an almost immediate left onto Folsom Blvd. Stay to your right – in about a block, Folsom veers left and Jackson Highway (16) veers right. Stay on 16 for about 30 1/2 miles, passing through lots of farmland and rural scenery. 16 then becomes 49 north bound and veers to the right – a little more than 2 miles takes you into Plymouth. Make a right onto Fiddletown, and you’ve arrived. Read More »

Silverado Mansion

Now this is a contest.  If you have a love for all things spa, wine and blogging with just a pinch of the misandry, then the “Spa Girl Package” is the prize for you!

UpTake has partnered with the Silverado Resort in beautiful Napa Valley for a blog contest with the prize being a “Spa Girl Package” for you and three of your friends.

It’ll be just like Silverado the movie, but without Kevin Costner acting all goofy.

Prize
One winner will receive a “Spa Girl Package for Four” (valued at $1,140.00.) This is the perfect Napa Valley spa package for you and three of your closest friends. Enjoy all that Wine Country has to offer with this Napa Valley vacation package.
Package includes (per person):

• Shared accommodations in a spacious fireplace suite with kitchen, living room and dining area
• One 50-minute Spa treatment and full use of The Spa at Silverado and 20% off additional select 50-minute spa services
• Wine Tasting at Black Stallion Winery
• Silverado Resort tote bag
• Breakfast in either of our cafes
• All taxes, service charges and Resort Fee

Cheers! It's the wine country.

Deadline
The blog contest begins at Midnight on April 15, 2009 (PST) and ends at Midnight on May 15, 2009 (PST).

Submission

1. Write a post about why you deserve a getaway on your blog and include a link to the UpTake.com homepage (www.uptake.com.) Linking to the home page on the UpTake site is a requirement for entry.
2. You must also tell us you entered by commenting on this post. Please include your email address in the comment field. We will contact you using this email address if you are the winner.

Requirements & Criteria

1. The winning post will be judged upon the quality of its writing, its originality and how well it conveys why you and three of your friends deserve a getaway more than any other entrant. Since UpTake is a family-friendly site, we require the post be “family-friendly” and reserve the right to reject unsuitable or pornographic material.
2. Only one entry per day per blogger. Each entry must be associated with a new blog post. Each participant may submit up to ten posts total.
3. Entry materials may not infringe on any third party rights and you must have obtained permission from the third party if their property or image appears in the text of the post or in any photos included with the post. We can disqualify the entry at our sole discretion if we cannot obtain the necessary permissions for any element or component of the post.
4. Prize must be claimed within one year of the contest conclusion. Accommodations and Spa appointments are based upon availability at time of booking.”

Judging
The winning post will be selected by the Silverado executive team by May 22nd, 2009. Winner will be selected on the above criteria.

Terms and Conditions
Since UpTake is a family-friendly site, we reserve the right to reject unsuitable or pornographic posts or images.

Copyright

1. Copyright for any of your original posts will be licensed to UpTake under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
2. Copyright of the post remains the property of the blogger.
3. Entries must be submitted by the original author. Only posts submitted by the original author will be considered. Do not submit a post written by someone other than yourself. You must be the sole owner of the copyright of any post submitted. Your submission of the post is your guarantee that you are the author and copyright holder of the post.

Official Rules

Please go here for the official rules.