St. Louis' oldest neighborhood opens its doors Dec. 5 and 6 for the 34th annual Soulard Holiday Parlour Tour.

Take a guided tour of festively decorated historic homes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 5 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 6.  Advance tickets and group discounts can be purchased at www.soulard.org or by calling 314-621-6226.

Rocket to NYC

New York City's Buckingham Hotel offers a Christmas Spectacular package that features a two-night stay in a one-bedroom suite that can occupy four.

The $950 cost includes four tickets to see the Rockettes in the 2009 Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.  Without the package, the Radio City's Christmas Spectacular show can cost as much $250 per ticket. The offer is good through Dec. 30, excluding Nov. 26-27 and Dec. 1-3. Visit www.buckinghamhotel.com.

Golf courses

Tripadvisor.com says the best golfing destinations are: Monterey Peninsula, Calif.; Pinehurst, N.C.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Maui, Hawaii;  Palm Springs, Calif.; Hilton Head, S.C.;  Bandon, Ore.;  Las Vegas, Nev.; and  Kohler, Wis.

Teddy bears

Motel 6 is doing its second annual Great Teddy Bear Roundup through Dec. 11. Drop new teddy bears in collection boxes at participating Motel 6 and Studio 6 locations across the country. The small- to medium-sized stuffed toys will be donated to law enforcement agencies, fire departments or hospitals to comfort children in stressful or traumatic situations.

Last year's Great Teddy Bear Roundup collected more than 10,000 teddy bears, benefiting local communities nationwide.

As added incentive, Motel 6/Studio 6 will give $6,000 to the local fire or police department at the location that collects the largest number of bears. Find your nearest Motel 6/Studio 6 at www.motel6.com and verify they are participating.

For women

Outdoorswoman Cheryl Fleet, founder of Canyon Calling travel, will lead women to the wilds of Kauai and the Big Island on a Hawaiian Islands trip Jan. 23-29.

The all-inclusive trip costs $2,496 and includes several once-in-a-lifetime activities, such as swimming with giant sea turtles, hiking the Na Pali Coast, kayaking the Wailua River, walking through a lava tube and hiking the Kilauea Iki crater. Women also can zipline 60 to 80 feet above ground in 200-foot trees. Check it out at http://canyoncalling.com.

Family resorts

Parents magazine recently published results of its first-ever 10 Best Snow Resorts for Families survey. Parents focused on reports with room rates of less than $250 per night, or $400 for an all-inclusive daily package.

Top finishers were: Jackson Gore Inn in Ludlow, Vt.; The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, Beaver Creek in Avon, Colo.; the Lodge at Suncadia in Cle Elum, Wash.; Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, N.H.; The Peaks Resort & Golden Door Spa in Telluride, Colo.; Woodloch Pines in Hawley, Pa.; Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vt.; Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa in Thompsonville, Mich.; Resort at Squaw Creek in Lake Tahoe, Calif.; and Dakota Mountain Lodge & Golden Door Spa in Park City, Utah. Visit parents. com/snowresorts for more.