BOOK YOUR VACATION
The essays in “Mark Twain: On Travel” (Lyons Press; $24.95) written more than 100 years ago are at once antique and inarguably germane. Anyone whose feet ever went numb traipsing through museums finds a kindred spirit in this sentence: “We have seen famous pictures until our eyes are weary with looking at them and refuse to find interest in them any longer.” This collection, edited by Terri Mort, includes excerpts from six books, including “The Innocents Abroad.” Don’t miss his confessions of the rudely hilarious pranks played on overzealous tour guides. An Italian guide is confounded when, instead of expressing awe upon seeing a letter by Christopher Columbus, Twain’s straight-faced companion complains, “Why, I have seen boys in America only 14 years old who could write better than that.”
REAL DEALS
Le Blanc Spa Resort in Cancun is celebrating its post-hurricane reopening with discounts on stays of three nights or longer through April 22. A three-
night all-inclusive package is $1,350 per couple; usual rate is $1,680.
Info: 877-753-2526, leblancsparesort.com.
Lake Placid Lodge in New York’s Adirondack Mountains is open during reconstruction of its historic main building, which was damaged in a December fire, and rates at the unscathed cabins have been reduced by as much as 60 percent for 2006. A lakeview cabin – previously $700 a night – is $325.
Info: 877-523-2700, lakeplacidlodge.com.
Hotel Healdsburg in California’s Sonoma wine country is offering a “Winter Spa Renewal” package. The $876-for-two deal includes two nights’ lodging, $500 worth of spa treatments and breakfasts.
Info: 800-889-7188, hotelhealdsburg.com.
The Washington Post
YOU MUST BE DREAMING
Despite our newfound love for marching penguins, the dolphin remains our favorite creature with which to interact. The Mirage in Las Vegas has launched a program called “Trainer for a Day” that allows the public the chance to work with animal experts and hang out with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in the hotel’s Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. Participants begin the day with breakfast to learn terminology and the hand signals used to train the dolphins. After a behind-the-scenes tour of the Dolphin Habitat, including veterinary-care procedures such as ultrasounds and recording of the animals’ heart rates and temperatures, the group changes into wetsuits and meets the dolphins and the trainers for hands-on instruction. After working with the animals for the rest of the morning, the group breaks for lunch before spending the rest of the day learning more about underwater sonar capabilities, and additional dolphin training sessions, with the finale including photos. The program is open to anyone age 13 and over; each day is limited to four participants. Cost is $500 per person, and participants may bring one observer for an additional $150. Call 702-792-7889 or visit mirage.com.
GEARING UP
Your travel bag has enough junk flopping about that you have to maintain travel tenet No. 1: Protect thy iPod. It doesn’t take Rick Steves to prioritize your carry-on; those 99-cent tweezers will destroy that $399 MP3/video player – so get a protective case on it. While there are countless options out there, the folks at Sena Cases present the most sensible. Their new line fits all models of iPods and allows maximum screen viewing –
and you can even dock the device with the case still on. Other features of the slim grain-leather cases: magnetic closures, bantam belt clip and a pocket perfect for small papers (plane tickets, receipts). The cases come with fabric covers, offer a shatterproof mirror option and sport a variety of colors.
Also, Sena offers cases for other electronics
devices, including Palm and Blackberry. | $49.99, senacases.com. – Ricardo Baca
TRAVEL BY NUMBERS | Top Golf Commuities
The top U.S. golf communities, from Travel + Leisure Golf magazine:
1. Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel, Calif.
2. The Bear’s Club, Jupiter, Fla.
3. Isleworth, Orlando, Fla.
4. Kiawah Island, S.C.
5. Mayacama, Santa Rosa, Calif.
6. Wade Hampton, Cashiers, N.C.
7. Estancia, Scottsdale, Ariz.
8. Sea Island, Ga.
9. The Cliffs Communities, Travelers Rest, S.C.
10. Promontory: The Ranch Club, Park City, Utah
WEBSITE
Birdwatchersdigest.com You’ve sailed and sunned, toured and tasted, camped, canoed and cruised. But have you ever waited and watched? We’re talking bird watching, the beauty of getting up before the sun, heading out to some damp, chilly bog and hoping some feathered creature shows up … or not. Need a better spin? How about a chance to meet new people, travel through amazing scenery and witness secret animal rituals? This site has plenty for newcomers and veterans, including a monthly list of events such as the Galveston (Texas) FeatherFest in March or the Ute Mountain Mesa Verde Birding Festival this May in Cortez, as well as bird-watching trips around the country and helpful tips on getting out there with your binoculars. If that’s not enough, there are some very pretty pictures of birds.
GEO QUIZ | Where are these places?
1. Which country does not border the Mediterranean Sea – Lebanon, Italy, or Moldova?
2. Which country is not crossed by the Rhône River – France, Netherlands, or Switzerland?
3. Which African country does not border Lake Victoria – Ethiopia, Kenya, or Uganda?
4. Which country is not considered part of Southeast Asia – Iran, Laos, or Thailand?
5. Which country is not crossed by the prime meridian – the United Kingdom, France, or Greece?
6. Which country does not have Arabic as an official language – Malaysia, Mauritania, or Morocco?
7. Which country is not a major producer of forest products – Canada, Australia, or the United States?
8. Which country does not share a border with China – India, Pakistan, or Uzbekistan?
9. Which country is not crossed by the Equator – Chad, Colombia, or Indonesia?
10. Which country is not landlocked – Krygystan, Lithuania, or Tajikistan?
ANSWERS: 1. Moldova 2. Netherlands 3. Ethiopia 4. Iran 5. Greece; 6. Malaysia; 7. Australia. 8. Uzbekistan. 9. Chad 10. Uzbekistan
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
