YOU MUST BE DREAMING
Not everyone wants to work while on a cruise, but for those who missed the chance to study abroad during the college years or travelers looking to truly learn something while on a trip, a Seminar at Sea, a shorter version of the Semester at Sea, could be just the ticket. The Institute for Shipboard Education runs the Seminar at Sea program that runs Dec. 27 to Jan. 7 on the MV Explorer, which includes Spanish workshops and on-shore adventures combined with lectures from experts on the regions passengers visit. This particular cruise begins in Nassau, Bahamas, and journeys to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where participants can kayak around Seven Seas beach or hike through El Yunque rain forest. Next is St. John’s, Antigua, and Roseau, Dominica, and a New Year’s Eve celebration at sea. Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Oranjestad, Aruba, are on the way to the final stop, Ochos Rio, Jamaica, before disembarking in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Along the way, passengers can take advantage of lectures, historically oriented adventures and workshops, as well as language classes and fun classes such as swing dance lessons. Cost begins at $1,525 per person (excluding airfare) for an economy inside room and includes all meals. Call 800-854-0195 or visit semesteratsea.com./seminar2006.
TRAVEL BY NUMBERS | Top 10 City Bike Rides
The October issue of Sunset magazine names the Top 10 City Bike Rides.
1. Albuquerque: Paseo Del Bosque Trail
2. Boulder: Boulder Creek Path
3. Denver: Cherry Creek Trail
4. Los Angeles: South Bay Bicycle Trail
5. Portland, Ore.: Willamette River Loop
6. Salt Lake City: Jordan River Parkway Trail
7. San Francisco: Bike the Golden Gate
8. San Jose, Calif.: Los Gatos Creek Trail
9. Seattle: Burke-Gilman Trail
10. Tempe, Ariz.: Rio Salado Paths
BOOK YOUR VACATION
Not quite as widespread as bird watching – the subjects are a bit more elusive, and not everyone has access to the right bodies of water – whale watching nonetheless continues to grow as a hobby, with more than 10 million devotees heading out annually to find their favorites. “Whalewatcher: A Global Guide to Watching Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises in the Wild” ($19.95, Firefly Books), by Trevor Day, is for anyone interested in figuring out what species might be swimming along near the cruise ship or along the shoreline. Part educational guide – with comprehensive chapters on 65 species in nine groups, including identifying marks, shapes and sizes, habitat information, food sources, where to find them, when to go and how to get there – and part photo album, “Whalewatcher” is as captivating as it is informative, and it’s hard not to want to head out to start looking for a dolphin just a few pages in. Photos of the dolphins, whales and porpoises taken in the wild are supported by illustrations to show variations to help with identification, and Day offers further behavioral characteristics.
GEARING UP
As tough as it is to drive with a cellphone pressed against an ear, try taking a road trip with the toddler frustrated 10 miles into the trip because all 48 crayons from the box are on the floor behind the driver’s seat, and he’s going to scream at windshield-shattering decibels until you pick them up while passing that semi at 70 mph on I-70. Thank Denverite Alyson Probst, who invented the Snack & Play Travel Tray, which won Whirlpool’s Mother of Invention Contest and a place in our hearts for coming up with a washable, soft-sided nylon tray that buckles to a car seat, stroller or even around a kid sitting down. It has a side pocket for snacks, toys, books, whatever, and a 2-inch- high border that keeps stuff from falling off the edge. The 18-inch-by-14-inch flat surface is sturdy enough to hold a coloring book or a plate of food, and the whole thing cleans easily. You can even take it on an airplane and avoid the whole “tray table in an upright position” for kids who want to stay occupied during takeoff. | $19.95, starkidsproducts.com
REAL DEALS
The week’s best travel bargains around the globe, by land, sea and air.
Pay for at least four nights at one of 13 Bermuda hotels and receive a Visa gift card worth $300. Rates vary at the participating hotels (including Cambridge Beaches and Grotto Bay Beach Resort). Book by Oct. 27 and travel by Oct. 31; blackout dates Oct. 4-7. Deal based on double occupancy. Info: 800-BERMUDA, bermudatourism.com.
Hotel Caesar Augustus, a luxury property on the Italian island of Capri, has 20 percent rate discounts during October for stays of at least two nights.
Nightly rates now start at about $366, including taxes; usual rate starts at $457. Info: 800-448-8355, caesar-augustus.com.
Stay for two nights at Zion Lodge in Utah’s Zion National Park and get the second at 50 percent off, or stay for four nights and get half-price rates on the second and fourth nights. The package applies to stays Nov. 1-21. Regular room rates start at about $141 (plus 9 percent taxes). Info: 1-888-29- PARKS, zionlodge.com.
Swan Hellenic, a Carnival Corp.-owned cruise line, will cease operations next spring and is offering U.S. travelers a special farewell fare. Balcony cabins on the “Blue Mountain Majesty” cruise Nov. 30-Dec. 14 have been discounted by 70 percent. Price for a balcony cabin on the 15-day Caribbean itinerary aboard the Minerva II is $2,499 per person double. Book at 877-800-SWAN. Cruise info: swanhellenic.com.
– The Washington Post
GEO QUIZ
1. The sun is directly overhead at noon at the Equator two times each year. What is the term for these events?
2. Loam, a kind of soil valued by farmers, is a mixture of sand, silt and what other material?
3. Irrigated fields can lose their productivity when water evaporates, leaving salts that gradually accumulate in the soil. What is the term for this process of salt accumulation?
4. What is the term for the lower limit of permanent snow cover on a mountain?
5. In 2001, a major earthquake struck southern Peru and damaged historic buildings in one of its largest cities, located at the foot of Volcán Misti. Name this city.
6. A 1948 earthquake killed a large percentage of the population in Turkmenistan’s largest city. Name this city.
7. Following a 1995 earthquake, broken gas lines started fires that destroyed large sections of Japan’s largest container port, located on the western side of Osaka Bay. Name this city.
8. In 1906, an 8.2 magnitude earthquake in Chile almost completely destroyed a port city about 80 miles northwest of Santiago. Name this city.
9. About 85 percent of the buildings in Jamaica’s largest city were destroyed in a 6.5 magnitude quake in 1907. Name this city.
10. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Mexico in 1999, damaging homes and collapsing church steeples in a city east of the ruins of Monte Albán. Name this city, which is a capital of a state with the same name.
ANSWERS: 1. equinoxes (Also acceptable: spring and fall equinoxes, vernal and autumnal equinoxes) 2. clay 3. salinization (Also acceptable: salination) 4. snow line (Also acceptable: firn line, firn edge, annual snowline) 5. Arequipa 6. Ashgabat 7. Kobe 8. Valparaíso 9. Kingston 10. Oaxaca
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
