Photo Contest Series Provides Chance to Win a Santa Cruz Vacation

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA – Do you love all things Santa Cruz County?  Are you handy with a camera?  Then the Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council (CVC) wants to hear from you!  The CVC is debuting a series of photo contests, seeking images which best illustrate one of several themes.  Entrants can submit photos on the Santa Cruz County blog at www.SantaCruz.org/blog and those photos will be voted on by the general public via the Web site.  Each contest will run for approximately two weeks and winners will be announced shortly after the closing of each contest.

Contests will have three winners each:  A Grand Prize winner, a Second Prize winner and an Editor’s Choice selection.  Winners will be selected by most popular votes on the CVC’s blog.  Locals are encouraged to enter and vote for their favorite photo!

The contest kicks off with a call for the “Most Cruziest” photo theme.  Participants are asked to submit a photo that they believe captures the essence of Santa Cruz and include a brief description to go along with the shot.  The “Most Cruziest” contest is currently running and continues through May 20, 2012.  Voting for the “Most Cruziest” photo ends on Friday, May 25^th.

Photos can be viewed and submitted through the Santa Cruz County blog, www.SantaCruz.org/blog where voting will also take place.

Winners of the CVC photo contests will receive a variety of prizes ranging from overnight hotel stays, gift certificates to Capitola Village, and day passes to the legendary Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

Other upcoming photo contest themes include “Food and Drink” and “My Perfect Summer”.

The photo contests are sponsored by the Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council and the following partners: Beach Street Inn & Suites, Best Western Plus Capitola by the Sea Inn and Suites, Capitola Village, Comfort Inn Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz Dream Inn, and the Seascape Beach Resort.

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About the CVC: A private, non-profit corporation, the Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council (CVC) exists to enhance tourism and the economy by positioning Santa Cruz County as a visitor, conference and film destination. For more information, contact the CVC at 831-425-1234 or 800-833-3494.  Or visit the CVC’s web site at www.santacruzcounty.travel

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA –  The Santa Cruz County Conference & Visitors Council announces new ready-to-go vacation deals just in time for summer.  Visitors can save on amazing places to stay and things to do.  From the majesty of the Santa Cruz Mountains, to the charm of Capitola Village and the legendary Beach Boardwalk, a number of choices await.  A variety of things to do and places to stay are all here, and these travel specials make planning a Santa Cruz Surf City Getaway easier than ever:

Save 20% at the Best Western Plus Capitola-by-the-Sea Inn & Suites

Enjoy a getaway at the beautiful Best Western Plus Capitola-by-the-Sea and save 20% when you stay Sunday through Thursday.  Offer good through June 28, 2012.  Excludes black-out dates and holidays.  Reservations must be made by calling the hotel directly at 800.621.8115. Mention promo code “CVCSpring612” when making your reservation

http://www.bestwesterncapitola.com

800.621.8115

Stay 7 Nights for the Price of 5 at the Seascape Beach Resort

Weekends are free at the Seascape Beach Resort. Arrive any day of the week, stay a minimum of seven nights in a studio, one bedroom suite or two bedroom beach villa

and two of the nights are free!  Offer based on rack rate, resort fee and applicable taxes are complimentary on the free nights.  Based on availability.  Valid May 28 thru August 30, 2012.  Use promo code “WF”.

http://www.seascaperesort.com

800.929.7727

Cool Savings from the Admission-Free Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Don’t miss out on this summer’s biggest savings!  The Beach Boardwalk features the famous Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster and a mile of sandy beach.

http://www.beachboardwalk.com/discounts

831.423.5590

Experience the Paradox!

Opening in June 2012, the Hotel Paradox is a sophisticated boutique hotel in the heart of Santa Cruz.  Featuring chic guest rooms, great amenities and the best pool in town, the Hotel Paradox is a short walk to Pacific Avenue shops and a short hop to the beach and Boardwalk.  The new restaurant, Solaire, features modern American cuisine, an indoor-outdoor bar and poolside dining.  Enter your email address on the website by June 1^st to be entered in a drawing for a free weekend getaway!

http://www.thehotelparadox.com

Enjoy Travel Deals in Capitola Village this Season

Over 90 charming boutiques, bistros and galleries decorate the quaint streets of Capitola Village.  Discover great deals in California’s oldest seaside resort town!  Visit website to enter a contest for a free two-night stay.

http://www.capitolavillage.com

800.474.6522

Save 20% Off Your Stay at the Comfort Inn Santa Cruz
The newly renovated Comfort Inn^® hotel is conveniently located, featuring stained glass windows and over-sized spas in many private rooms.  This season, save 20% off a Sunday through Thursday night stay!  Offer good through June 28, 2012; based on availability.

http://www.comfortinnsantacruz.com

831.426.2664

Stay a Week at Howden Castle and Receive $100 Off!

This Scottish-inspired castle is a visitor’s dream, with full amenities and an enchanting setting.  Receive $100 off any weekly stay!   Mention offer code “CVC Special”.  Offer valid through June 30, 2012.  Excludes partial weeks; subject to availability.

http://www.howdencastle.com

650.328.1058

Spend a Summer Getaway at the Beach Street Inn & Suites

Located on the Santa Cruz coastline across from Main Beach, most rooms overlook the beautiful Monterey Bay!  The Beach Street Inn and Suites offers great discounts and packages on ocean view rooms.  For details on special offers please visit Web site.

http://www.beachstreetinn.com

831.423.3031

Save 25% and Free Breakfast for Kids at the Chaminade Resort & Spa

The AAA, Four-Diamond Chaminade Resort & Spa is a spectacular

mountaintop retreat in Santa Cruz.  This historic, Mission-style resort overlooks sweeping views of Monterey Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains.  This season, guests can save 25% off their stay and kids under 12 eat a free delicious breakfast buffet.  Enter promotional code or mention “CVCSP12” to receive promotional offer.  Offer valid through June 30, 2012.   Kids 12 and under eat free when an adult full-price breakfast buffet is purchased. Rates and dates subject to availability.  Other restrictions may apply.  Not valid for existing reservations.

www.ChaminadePackages.com

800.283.6569

Celebrate Summertime at the Santa Cruz Dream Inn

The quintessential Santa Cruz experience awaits you at the iconic Dream Inn where every retro-chic guestroom features breathtaking views of the beach, wharf and historic boardwalk from private balconies or patios. Watch surfers and sunsets on the spacious beachfront pool deck.  Enjoy family friendly dining at Aquarius restaurant or seasonal pool bar. Or take advantage of the Dream Inn’s ideal location just a short stroll to all of the area’s best family attractions.
http://www.dreaminnsantacruz.com/

866.774.7735

Stay Three Nights for the Price of Two at Pajaro Dunes
Unique beachfront rental homes and condos located along the beautiful Monterey Bay.  Based upon availability and owner participation.  Valid September through May 2012, excluding major holidays.  Use promo code “CVC342” when making your reservation.

http://www.pajarodunes.com

800.564.1771

In addition to these travel specials, enter to win a Santa Cruz Surf City Getaway and see for yourself why everyone is raving about this classic beach community.  Recently hailed by TripAdvisor as one of 15 Emerging Destinations in the United States, Santa Cruz’s legacy as the birthplace of mainland surfing only adds to the allure of California’s favorite beachside destination.

Starting March 26, 2012 and continuing through June 30, 2012, visitors to www.santacruz.org who enter the contest will have a chance to win tickets to the legendary Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and gift certificates for shopping and dining in Capitola, California’s oldest seaside resort town.  Prizes include a stay at one of a number of places, including a variety of family-friendly hotels, resorts, vacation rental properties.  There are numerous chances to win, including special Facebook contests.  The contest ends at midnight June 30, 2012 and a winner will be drawn randomly this summer.

For more information on winetasting in Santa Cruz County, visit www.santacruz.org

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About the CVC: A private, non-profit corporation, the Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council (CVC) exists to enhance tourism and the economy by positioning Santa Cruz County as a visitor, conference and film destination. For more information, contact the CVC at 831-425-1234 or 800-833-3494.  Or visit the CVC’s web site at www.santacruzcounty.travel

Annual Sweepstakes Provides Chances to Win a Free Vacation in the birthplace of mainland surfing

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA – This season, enter to win a Santa Cruz Surf City Getaway and see for yourself why everyone is raving about this classic beach community.  Recently hailed by TripAdvisor as one of 15 Emerging Destinations in the United States, Santa Cruz’s legacy as the birthplace of mainland surfing only adds to the allure of California’s favorite beachside destination.

Starting March 26, 2012 and continuing through June 30, 2012, visitors to www.santacruz.org who enter the contest will have a chance to win tickets to the legendary Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and gift certificates for shopping and dining in Capitola, California’s oldest seaside resort town.  Prizes include a stay at one of a number of places, including a variety of family-friendly hotels, resorts, vacation rental properties.  There are numerous chances to win, including special Facebook contests.  The contest ends at midnight June 30, 2012 and a winner will be drawn randomly this summer.

Vacationers who surf the Web may see ads for the contest on the Visit California Web site, www.visitcalifornia.com, Go-California.com, SFGate.com, and the Bay Area Newsgroup Web sites in addition to Central Valley, Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area television stations.

The Surf City Vacation Getaway Contest is sponsored by the Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council and the following partners: Beach Street Inn and Suites, Best Western Capitola by the Sea, Capitola Village, Chaminade Resort, Comfort Inn Santa Cruz, Hotel Paradox, Howden Castle, Pajaro Dunes Resort, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz Dream Inn, and the Seascape Beach Resort.

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About the CVC: A private, non-profit corporation, the Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council (CVC) exists to enhance tourism and the economy by positioning Santa Cruz County as a visitor, conference and film destination. For more information, contact the CVC at 831-425-1234 or 800-833-3494.  Or visit the CVC’s web site at www.santacruzcounty.travel

Contact:  Christina Glynn, Communications Director/Film Commissioner
Phone: 831.425.1234 ext.112, email: cglynn@santacruz.org

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA – Santa Cruz County has long been known as a “green” destination.  But now, a different type of green can be found at the area’s many golf courses.  From Boulder Creek to Watsonville, Santa Cruz County offers a wide scope of challenging golf courses that satisfy both the high and low handicapper.  And this season, in honor of the U.S. Open Championship taking place at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, golf fans have new reasons to tee-off in California’s favorite beachside destination with four new golf-related travel packages and specials:

Play and Stay at Pasatiempo Golf Club and Chaminade Resort

Make your Pasatiempo golf outing extra-easy with a golf package at the Chaminade Resort & Spa. Pasatiempo Golf Club is just a chip shot away from Chaminade.  Package includes luxury accommodations, daily breakfast for two, two (2) rounds of golf. Rates start at $649.

Rate does not include tax and resort fee. Other restrictions may apply. A reservationist will contact guest to set up tee times. All Tee Times subject to availability.  Click here to book this package.

Golf Digest ranks Pasatiempo Golf Course in the nation’s best 100, out of about 40,000 golf courses in the United States and Pasatiempo is one of the few top spots open to the public.  Pasatiempo, Spanish for “passing of time,” began as a dream for Marion Hollins, the 1921 U.S. Amateur Golf Champion. After acquiring the 570 acres that became Pasatiempo in 1928, she commissioned Alister MacKenzie to design the course as a test for any level of golfer: high or low handicapper.

MacKenzie, one of golf’s outstanding architects, also designed three of the six top-rated courses in the world: Augusta National, Cypress Point and Australia’s Royal Melbourne. But Pasatiempo was his most beloved design, hole #16 being his favorite par four in all of golf.

With its worldwide reputation and breathtaking views of Monterey Bay, Pasatiempo hosts an array of international golfers. In addition to challenging golf, Pasatiempo offers a four-star restaurant called Hollins House; a driving range; and facilities for tournaments, weddings and off-site meetings.

Stay and Save at the Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley

Save 20% off regular room rates if you book a stay at the Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley before February 29, 2012.
Rooms subject to availability. Phone: 831.440.1000 or toll-free: 888.445.3010

Boulder Creek Golf:  A Mountain Getaway Among the Redwoods

Opened in 1961, the Boulder Creek Golf and Country Club in the Santa Cruz Mountains was designed by Jack Fleming, noted golf course architect and protégé of Alister MacKenzie.  Set in a peaceful clearing among giant redwoods, lakes and creeks, the well-maintained property also offers six swimming pools, six tennis courts, a full-service restaurant, banquet facilities, outdoor barbecue area, condominiums. This package includes two (2) nights in Villa, three (3) rounds of golf per person, cocktails, lunches, swimming and tennis. Package is $395 per couple, based on double occupancy.

Valid May – October (Sunday – Thursday), and November – April (All week).
Occupancy taxes included. No pets allowed and no substitutions Rooms subject to availability.  Click here to book this package.

Beach Street Inn & Suites:   From Green to Blue!

Just steps to the sand and perched atop one of the most spectacularly scenic vantage points in Santa Cruz, the Beach Street Inn and Suites is offering guests a special package during the U.S. Open Championship.  Take a break from the green and head to the blue, with an ocean view room directly across from Main Beach in Santa Cruz and a stone’s throw from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Santa Cruz Wharf.  Book a Pool View Room for $159 or an Ocean View Room for $229 – a savings of $40 per night.  Special rate offered Sunday through Thursday June 10^th -14^th and 17^th – 21^st, 2012. To reserve a room at this rate, call the Beach Street Inn & Suites directly and mention the US Open.  Phone: 831.423.3031

For a Do-it-Yourself way for visitors to test out their clubs, an array of choices await for golfers.  Newly renovated DeLaveaga Golf Course is a championship par 72 green known for its aesthetic mountain-top location and challenging layout. Famous for holes #10 and #15, DeLaveaga also offers a full range of services including a two-story, lighted driving range; a comprehensive lesson program; and a lodge restaurant and bar available for parties and banquets.

Aptos is home to the Seascape Golf Club with 18 exciting, competitive golf holes and a well-stocked pro shop.  Near the Santa Cruz Mountains, Scotts Valley features the Valley Gardens Golf Course, an executive 9-hole golf course that challenges both the experienced and beginning golfer.

For more information on playing golf in Santa Cruz County, click here!

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Contact:  Christina Glynn, Communications Director/Film Commissioner
Phone: 831.425.1234 ext.112, email: cglynn@santacruz.org

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA – For visitors lost in a sea of options when it comes to accessing information about their next vacation, a free mobile app launched this month by the Santa Cruz County Conference & Visitors Council (CVC) is making travel on-the-go easier than ever.  Available for Smartphone devices, Visit Santa Cruz is the first official destination marketing mobile tool for Santa Cruz County.   This new mobile travel app enables users to explore and discover attractions, restaurants and hotels at their own pace.  After downloading the free application, users have access to detailed information on things to do, and provides navigation, restaurant and attraction information and the ability to book a hotel room throughout the entire Santa Cruz County region.  Information about events, a park finder and beach finder, navigation and directions, lodging and restaurant information, and the ability to build a “Favorites” list to build customized itineraries are all presented in this user-friendly travel tool.  The creation of this dynamic travel tool is supported by the Santa Cruz County Tourism Marketing District.

“The Visit Santa Cruz app features the unique aspects of our destination, in a simple-to-use format, available to everyone.  With each step of development, we’ve kept the visitor top-of-mind,” said Maggie Ivy, CEO and Executive Vice President of the CVC.  “Through the years, we’ve supported people creating their own authentic Santa Cruz County vacation experience and helped them discover something new.  This app does just that, by leveraging technology for the benefit of visitors to Santa Cruz County as well as locals,” she said.

Tourism is a $600 million industry in Santa Cruz County, and according to Trip Advisor’s annual travel trends survey, technology will play an increasingly important part of travel planning.  The travel trends survey stated that 31% of respondents are planning to use travel apps on their mobile phone device and 47% of those surveyed planned to use their mobile devices for their travel needs upon arriving at the destination.

Additionally, 37% percent planned to use a mobile device for restaurants, 27% will use one for attractions research, and 26% will use one for accommodations research.

As dining is the number one activity for visitors – who spend approximately $168 million a year on this activity alone – this app, enabling users to access restaurant information from the palm of their hand, is particularly useful.  Restaurant listings are sorted by category and type of food and include photos, click-to-call dialing, websites, and directions.

“The Visit Santa Cruz app is a natural progression for the CVC and coincides nicely with the launch of our mobile website and 2012 Official Santa Cruz County Traveler’s Guide”, Maggie said. “It will be interesting to see how someone’s trip can take on a virtual life of its own, and the various ways the app will be utilized by locals.  The possibilities are endless.”

The app also is a new way for the CVC to share last-minute hotel deals and packages, breaking news, last-minute events or emergency information with the public.

Available on iTunes and at the Android Marketplace, the Visit Santa Cruz app is also available via the CVC website, www.santacruz.org, and by scanning a Microsoft tag in the 2012 Official Santa Cruz County Traveler’s Guide.  Visit Santa Cruz is also distributed via the CVC’s monthly e-newsletter, sent to approximately 20,000 households who have specifically requested information about Santa Cruz County.  Additional promotion of the Visit Santa Cruz app includes a variety of advertising efforts in 2012.

Developed by Nomad Mobile Guides in collaboration with the CVC, Visit Santa Cruz is the newest travel tool available for free worldwide to anyone interested in planning a trip to California’s favorite beachside destination.

To download the Visit Santa Cruz app, go to www.santacruz.org

To download the Microsoft Tag Reader, go to http://gettag.mobi on your Smartphone.