This month's Contest Watch asks a little bit of contest participants. Scour a beautifully drawn map for a miniscule corgi; reminisce about a bygone vacation; click a button in a split second. No matter how much effort you put in, the chance to win one of these great travel experiences is worth it.
To celebrate the iconic mountain property’s 50th anniversiray, Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa in central Vermont is giving away a six-night $7500 return trip for four to the resort. Travelers who have visited Stoweflake can enter by sharing their memories and photos of a past Stoweflake vacation at the property website. Entries must be fewer than 100 words and will be judged on creativity and fan voting; the resort owners will choose the winners on June 15th. The grand prize includes daily breakfast and dinner, four spa treatments, and access to all of the resort amenities like pools, squash and racquetball courts, and even three par-three golf courses. Four runner-up prizes will be awarded and include two-nights of accommodations for two including breakfast, dinner, and spa treatments.
Earlier this year, I took a weeklong anniversary trip to San Francisco, Napa, and Sonoma with my husband, Lee, an academic who gets hives at the thought of anything luxurious. Keeping him comfortable meant mixing extraordinary meals with unexpected finds and cheap local favorites. Here’s the best of our high-low itinerary that kept both of us satisfied.
While you finish up your last-minute online shopping, why not slip a little something in for yourself? Enter these contests and sweepstakes to find yourself on a wild safari, an all-inclusive vacation in Mexico, or even a New Year’s retreat to, er, Minnesota, for some pro football. Good luck and happy clicking!
“Monkey See, Monkey Do” African Safari Contest, South Africa
Enter Now – January 31st, 2013
Do you have a secret talent for animal impressions? Submit a video of your jungle call on Facebook to win a 10-day family safari for four (two adults and two children under 12) to South Africa. The itinerary includes airfare, a stay at Cape Town’s Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront, two days at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, and a stay at the Etali Safari Lodge in Madikwe Game Reserve. The Top 25 video entries selected by online voting will be available for viewing February 1-8, 2013, and a panel of judges will determine the grand prize winner based on quality, creativity and humor. The grand prize safari winner will be announced in mid-February.
The contests this month ask just a little more from their entrants. Snapping photos, discovering kinship in Papua New Guinea – you know, just a little effort. Tap into your creativity and you could win some big prizes: a weeklong cruise, $1500 in cash, and a whopping $12,000 trip to the South Pacific.
Fancy yourself a travel personality? CheapOair is looking for a budget travel correspondent to share the thrills of affordable travel, with up to $12,500 in prize money and travel credits. Not so extroverted? Three other sweepstakes take little more than a few clicks to whisk you away to London, Los Cabos, New York City, or Texas.
While we’re all for the experiential value of travel, sometimes some liquid assets are a welcome change. Pad your bank account with some cold cash from these summer contests. Prizes include first-class airfare to Hawaii, a $5,000 jewelry spree, and plain ole cash money.
Capture the Catskills Slogan Contest (Enter Now – July 15, 2012) Have a way with words? Your clever Catskills catchphrase could earn $1,500. Submit your new slogan for the Catskills area by 11PM on July 15 to be eligible to win. A panel of judges will pick the final five to be judged by popular vote. Visit www.cprando.org to enter.
I’m not one to use multiple exclamation points in a single headline, but these are desperate times. This month’s giveaways require so very little time—you could enter all three over lunch and still have time for take-out. The payoff? An all inclusive resort vacation to Hawaii (pictured above), a VIP tour around Virginia (including a sleepover inside an aquarium), and a weeklong trip to Rome. So get clicking, time’s ticking!
Think Facebook and television are for nothing more than procrastination? Be sure to plug in for this month’s Contest Watch, full of social media contests and sweepstakes . The stakes are high with a $15,000 trip on Crystal Cruises, a $4,000 vacation to South Africa, or a brush with fame during a Top Chef-inspired trip to Canada. The only hard part is choosing just one friend to take along. And if you win, be sure to tag us in the pictures!
Embrace the winter with a roundup to awesome cold-weather retreats. Ski in Lake Tahoe with a spare-no-expense getaway from Southwest Airline Vacations or take it even further with a two-week trip to Antarctica, valued at a whopping $26,000. Warm up with whiskey and a trip to the Glenrothes distillery in Scotland. Good luck and stay warm!
Vintage Moment Contest, Speyside Scotland Enter Now – January 31st, 2012
Scotland's Glenrothes whiskey distillery is giving away a trip to
Speyside to help create their Vintage 2012. To enter, select a pivotal
moment in your life, visit Theglenrothes.com, and
submit a 1000-character (not word) statement about your “vintage
moment,” then upload a photo or video. Winners should plan to travel in
May 2012.
For some, the holidays can be joyous, delicious, and restful. For everyone else, there’s Contest Watch! If you need something to look forward to during these short days and cold nights, hit up these contests for solace and excitement. Can’t get far enough away from Aunt Milly? How about the Galapagos (above)? Need a daily fix to get you through a long stay with prying in-laws? Click on ever-changing giveaways from Design Hotels. Of course, if you love your family and need more quality time, there’s always the kid-friendly ski vacation from Virginia Tourism.
While we’re all for the experiential value of travel, sometimes some liquid assets are a welcome change. Pad your bank account with some cold cash from these summer contests. Prizes include first-class airfare to Hawaii, a $5,000 jewelry spree, and plain ole cash money.
I’m not one to use multiple exclamation points in a single headline, but these are desperate times. This month’s giveaways require so very little time—you could enter all three over lunch and still have time for take-out. The payoff? An all inclusive resort vacation to 
