YOU MUST BE DREAMING
Last stop before the North Pole: the Spitsbergen Archipelago, 500 miles north of Norway, where custom polar cruise operator Fathom Expeditions offers three small-ship Arctic voyages for chance encounters with about 5,000 polar bears in an area where the sun shines 24 hours a day. In addition, the archipelago boasts seals, walruses, whales and other marine life, and busy seabird colonies. The same team that led the filmmakers for “Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure” will be the guides for these summer cruises, including IMAX expedition leader Dave German, who also will lecture on geology and climate changes while historian Rob Reader covers Arctic history and Fathom biologist Adam Rheborg explains wildlife habits and habitats. The ships hold just 25 guests; each cruise runs nine days between June 17 and July 9. Berths start at $4,495 per person for a twin cabin, which includes meals, shore excursions, guides, lectures and transportations once guests join the program in Longyearbyen. Call 800-621-0176 or visit fathomexpeditions.com.
GEARING UP
The hut trip has become a rite of passage in Colorado, and it requires the right pack, with room for snacks, your meals, maybe a small bottle of wine, a change of clothes, toiletries, emergency gear and a sleeping bag. SpeeDiva and SpeeDemon from Ultimate Direction make great choices for this kind of trip. The water reservoir comes with an insulated hose, and the water even stayed a nice temp. And while the roll-up system of closing the bladder initially made us nervous, it held tight, and the water was easy to get to with gloved hands. A waterproof shell tucked away on the bottom could be pulled out in case of snow, and while both packs feature a sturdy, well-padded suspension system, Diva offers a shorter torso for women. | $139, ultimatedirection.com
BOOK YOUR VACATION
Further reinforcing the notion that there are a lot of 20-something folks out there with travel income to spend, Frommer’s, in partnership with MTV, has launched a series of guides (Wiley, $21.99-$24.99) aimed at college-age people looking to spend time abroad.
The first three – “MTV Europe,” “MTV Italy” and “MTV Ireland” – come with the subhead “Go Stay Play,” and those are the subjects upon which each one most heavily focuses, using black type with blue headers and shading to highlight road trips and explanatory information.
The listings are written in a light, hip tone, with the word “totally” figuring prominently, and inexpensive, cool hangouts, nightclubs, bars and restaurants are naturally the preferred stops. But that’s what makes these guides valuable, along with well-marked maps.
railsaver.com Getting around Europe by train is easy and relatively inexpensive. This site allows you to plug in your itinerary, including travel by ship or plane and get a sense of what passes you will need, for how many days and what each will cost. Railsaver also offers suggestions to save money by buying lengthier passes , shortening your trip or adding cities. You can purchase tickets here at a reduced rate or try elsewhere. The site also posts rail schedules and maps for all major systems.
TRAVEL BY NUMBERS| | Top 10 airlines, airports in the world
From Business Traveler magazine’s Best in Business Travel Awards for 2006:
Airport, world: Singapore Changi Airport
Airport, U.S.: Denver International
Flight attendants, world: Asiana
Flight attendants, U.S.: Continental
Overall airline, world: Singapore
First class, world: Emirates
Business class, world: Virgin
Economy class, world: Singapore
Low-cost carrier: Frontier
Frequent-flier program: Delta
GEO QUIZ | Where are these places?
Note: It is a new year, and again we start over with questions from the National Geographic Society’s National Geography Bee from the previous year. As always, we begin with the preliminary questions, then move on to the State and the National Finals. This is why the questions are a little bit easier at the beginning and get progressively harder. While some of you like them to be mind- boggingly difficult, we find that some appreciate this little bit of a breather. Please stick with it, because as the weeks progress, they again will become impossible.
1. Name the mountain range that stretches from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea.
2. Banks Island is part of which Canadian territory?
3. The Sea of Azov is bordered by Ukraine and what other country?
4. The Maldives are located off the southwest coast of what country on the mainland of Asia?
5. What country that borders Guatemala has English as an official language?
6. Cape Roca is the westernmost point in which European country?
7. What European country is bordered by both the Gulf of Riga and the Gulf of Finland?
8. Name the mountain range that extends roughly 1,500 miles from northern Kazakhstan to the Arctic Ocean.
9. The northernmost point of the Australian mainland lies in which state?
10. Dakar, located on the peninsula of Cape Verde, is in which African country?
ANSWERS: 1. Pyrenees 2. Northwest Territories 3. Russia 4. India 5. Belize 6. Portugal 7. Estonia 8. Ural Mountains 9. Queensland 10. Senegal
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
