VISIT
Newport, Oregon
Oregon Coast Aquarium
among highest- rated; once home to “Free Willy” Orca
Famous for being the aquarium that rehabilitated Keiko from the “Free Willy” movie before releasing the beloved Orca into the wild, the Oregon Coast Aquarium sits on Yaquina Bay in Newport and is rated one of the top 10 aquariums in the country. The popular exhibits include “Claws,” with dozens of crustaceans of all shapes, sizes and colors; “Passages of the Deep,” where visitors can immerse themselves in Keiko’s former home of acrylic tunnels that feature sharks, bat rays and rockfish; and the sea bird aviary. Admission is $13.25 adults, $7.75 ages 3-13. Oregon Coast Aquarium, 2820 SE Ferry Slip Road, 541-867-3474 or aquarium.org
LEARN
China Hong Kong
Spoon by Alain Ducasse offers cooking seminars with lunch, wine on Saturdays
Alain Ducasse’s acclaimed Spoon at the InterContinental Hong Kong, which was named one of the world’s “Top 100 Restaurants” by Restaurant magazine, offers Saturday cooking and wine seminars for 16 participants that include a continental breakfast with baked items and coffee or tea, along with a three-course lunch and accompanying wine. Taught by Spoon executive chef Tjaco van Eijken, pastry chef Christophe Grilo and sommelier Thomas Scheidt, the demonstrations run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and cost $125 per person. The first class is Saturday; the last will be Dec. 22. To register, e-mail spoonbyalainducasse
.hk@interconti.com. Spoon in the InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, 1-888-424-6835 or intercontinental.com
EXPERIENCE
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Civil War Trails Discovery offers events related to war, Gettysburg Campaign
From Colonial cooking demonstrations to tours of the Battle of Hanover and the Battle of Hunterstown, as well as period re-creations and presentations by living history groups, the weekend of March 31 and April 1 promises to offer a thorough revisiting of the Civil War and the Gettysburg Campaign, starting in downtown Gettysburg. Billed as the second annual Pennsylvania Civil War Trails Discovery Weekend, the whole package can be purchased by visiting the website, where the events calendar also can be viewed, or call the Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau for more details. Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, 800-337-5015 or gettysburg.travel
STAY
Belize Toledo
Machaca Hill Lodge eco-development to open at Laughing Falcon Reserve
On April 14, the eco-friendly Machaca Hill Lodge at Laughing Falcon Reserve opens, situated on an 11,000-square-foot private retreat in Belize’s southernmost Toledo District. With 12 cabanas, a restaurant and bar, Machaca Hill offers views of the jungle and miles of nature trails and river canoeing. Located five minutes from the town of Punta Gorda and one hour from Belize City, the resort is remote, but this is the modern age – Wi-Fi is available. Rates start at $160 per night, single occupancy. Machaca Hill Lodge, 501-722-0050, machacahill.com
– Denver Post staff and wire reports
