Sheraton Redding Hotel at the Sundial Bridge and Turtle Bay Exploration Park’s first annual Glowing Wild Lantern Festival at Turtle Bay’s McConnell Botanical Gardens, happening now through May 26, 2024. It's truly an incredible, awe-inspiring experience! Perfect for families, but also friends and couples! Talk about a unique and memorable first date idea!
Educate:
In 2024, Americans are changing their routines and their travel plans. Local travel gives you the flexibility to just pick up and go with a moment’s notice. What I particularly like about traveling in the USA is discovering new adventures. Another positive benefit of traveling locally is connecting with your local community. Putting a human face and personal connection is one way to connect. Exposing yourself to their cultural events, food, festivals…, can help build these blocks of understanding. It is a great way to learn about the history and individual experiences of your fellow Americans. It is an opportunity to learn more about others around you.
Affordable:
Travel can reveal personal limitations for most American families, such as high inflation and a sluggish economy. Due to the lower cost of local travel, you can now stretch your budget to travel even more often. Instead of a 2-week excursion abroad, you can do a day trip every other weekend or once a month. Local businesses have been documented to circulate far more revenue into the local economy, which has had many positive effects. More taxes are paid locally, translating to better infrastructure and local services. Experiencing adventure close to home allows you to purchase food and products from your region, helping local producers maintain their production and encouraging and supporting local businesses, restaurants, and shops of all kinds for whom times are tough. You can also save money on expensive flights by taking advantage of other transportation needs such as buses and trains. It’s also a great solution to travel with pets.
Ecological impact:
Traveling locally is an alternative to limit your ecological impact. Automatically your carbon footprint is reduced if you are not flying across the world. Traveling locally also means less time traveling and more time enjoying your surroundings. Even small actions can have a significant effect on the world. By reducing your travel, you also limit your carbon footprint. Traveling locally reduces environmental waste. Americans are now taking the time to reflect on our impact on the earth. Tourism and travel reflect this concern as well. More and more of us are questioning how we travel, as evidenced by our community and social media testimonials. And, with the rise of Gen Z entering adulthood, Americans are interested in learning ways to be more responsible and respectful in our travels.
More importantly, it’s inevitable that there are plenty of advantages in traveling locally. Traveling close to home contributes to the local economy; traveling somewhere close to home can avoid the time change and transportation problems that seem to occur more and more. You can also save money on expensive flights by carpooling or taking a bus or train to your destination.
And, if you need an exciting travel idea to help inspire your next local adventure, look no further.
and Turtle Bay Exploration Park’s first annual Glowing Wild Lantern Festival at Turtle Bay’s McConnell Botanical Gardens, happening now through May 26, 2024. It’s truly an incredible, awe-inspiring experience! Perfect for families, but also friends and couples! Talk about a unique and memorable first date idea!
In honor of 2024 being the Year of the Dragon, the festival features ten acres of botanical gardens illuminated with larger-than-life Asian lantern displays inspired by wildlife and plants worldwide. There are giant illuminated displays, themed music and animation, four Lantern Lounges, glowing swings and bubble machines, food and drinks, and a community stage with live performances.
The Sheraton Redding at Sundial Bridge also offers an overnight package called the Glowing WildPackage, which includes accommodations and two adult tickets.
More information can be found below. Would you be open to covering the Glowing Wild lantern festival? I am also happy to also arrange for you to personally experience the festival if you’ll be anywhere near the area (+hotel stay!)
Glowing Wild
The experience begins with a walk across the world-famous Sundial Bridge across the Sacramento River. A path leads guests to the garden entrance and courtyard, featuring food and beverages for the entire family. Guests can explore winding paths through ten acres of artfully illuminated and immersive displays, including a 100-foot-long Dragon Lantern and a 30-foot-tall Buttery Tree featuring giant glowing butterflies. There will be lanterns that pay homage to the many animals native to the region, including turtles, skunks, badgers, bobcats, and porcupines, as well as animals from around the world, such as tigers, pandas, apes, zebras, alligators, snakes and more.
Elevated dining options will include private Lantern Lounges surrounded by the festival’s nearby magical sights and sounds. Each Lantern Lounge reservation includes admission for up to eight (8) guests with exclusive access to a reserved private lounge furnished with comfortable seating and décor inspired by the festival, nature, and wildlife. Guests can enjoy two large wood fired pizzas by Mosaic restaurant, unlimited non-alcoholic drink wristbands (alcoholic drinks available for purchase), and two commemorative keepsakes.
Tickets to the Glowing Wild Lantern Festival start at $20 for adults and $15 for children (ages 4-15), veterans, and seniors. Children 0-3 are free. The festival is open Wednesdays through Sundays. Tickets can be purchased here: www.glowingwild.org
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