TRAVEL BRIEFS
OAKLAND, Calif.
Lonely Planet has new guidebook series
Lonely Planet is launching a new series of guidebooks in March called "Trips."
The first six titles in the series are "California," "Pacific Northwest," "Arizona, New Mexico & the Grand Canyon," "New York, Washington DC & the Mid-Atlantic," "The Carolinas, Georgia & the South," and "New England."
Each $20 paperback offers 50 to 68 itineraries and more than 1,000 places to see, organized by themes like "Food & Drink," "Outdoors," "History & Culture," "Offbeat" and "City."
The books also outline trips by season, trips that can be done any time of year, "iconic" trips, day trips from cities, and classic routes. Routes outlined in the Arizona and New Mexico guide include Route 66, the "Turquoise Trail" between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and the Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway, a 105-mile trip between Truth or Consequences and Silver City, N.M.
"Iconic" trips in the New York, Washington and Mid-Atlantic guide cover everything from Gettysburg and the Appalachian Trail to the Statue of Liberty and the White House. An "Outdoors" itinerary for New Jersey includes the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival in October, the Batona Trail in the Pinelands National Reserve, and canoe trips on the Mullica River. A "Food & Drink" itinerary for Maryland is the "Crab Quest," with recommendations for Baltimore eateries that include Waverly Crabs & Seafood and LP Steamers, Cantler's just outside Annapolis, Stoney's on Broome's Island, and Harris Crab House in the Kent Narrows on the Eastern Shore.
The Pacific Northwest book includes itineraries for "Cowboys & Kerouac: The North Cascades," with a section on the hard-to-reach Desolation Peak, where Jack Kerouac spent 63 days writing in isolation in 1953, and a recommendation for Sun Mountain Lodge near Winthrop, where you can take a horse trip and enjoy a cowboy cookout. The book's list of offbeat attractions includes the Oregon Vortex, known for its optical illusions; a building shaped like a giant teapot near Zillah, Wash., and the World Class Chainsaw Carving Competition held each September in Hope, British Columbia.
MONTEREY, Calif.
Aquarium opens new exhibit on seahorses
Dancing fish and pregnant daddies: That's the world unveiled in "The Secret Lives of Seahorses," a new exhibit opening at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on April 6.
More than 15 species of seahorses, sea dragons, pipehorses and pipefish will be on display. Four multimedia galleries will combine new live animal exhibits, interactive experiences and games.
Details at www.montereybayaquarium.org/aa/pressroom.
WILLIAMSBURG, Va.
Bermuda celebrates 400th anniversary
Bermuda is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year, and a new exhibition called "Jamestown and Bermuda: Virginia Company Colonies" looks at the shared history and links between England's first two permanent colonies in the New World.
The exhibit at Jamestown Settlement in Williamsburg opens today.
Jamestown, Va., celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2007. A British presence on Bermuda dates to 1609 when the Sea Venture, the flagship of a fleet of nine ships heading from England to Jamestown, was caught in a violent storm. The Sea Venture's passengers survived, built two smaller ships in Bermuda and in 1610 sailed to Virginia, leaving two people behind on the island.
Shakespeare was said to have used survivors' accounts of the Sea Venture shipwreck as inspiration for his play "The Tempest."
More than two dozen objects from the Sea Venture underwater archaeological site will be exhibited in Jamestown, on loan from the Bermuda Maritime Museum. Also on display will be a 17th-century cedar chair from the Parliament of Bermuda. The island's first legislative body was formed in 1620.
Virginia and Bermuda were initially administered by the Virginia Company of London and later became British royal colonies. Today, Bermuda is the oldest self-governing British overseas territory.
Events in Bermuda marking the anniversary include a "Tall Ships" festival planned for June 11-15 in Hamilton.
Jamestown Settlement is located southwest of Williamsburg on Route 31 at the Colonial Parkway next to Historic Jamestowne, site of the 1607 English settlement. Permanent exhibits include outdoor re-creations of an early 17th-century Powhatan Indian village, the three ships that brought America's first permanent English colonists to Virginia in 1607 and a colonial fort.
The "Jamestown and Bermuda" exhibition will continue through Oct. 15. Details at www.historyisfun.org. A video and a background paper, both titled "The Story of the Sea Venture," are available at www.historyisfun.org/jamestown-and-bermuda.htm.
WINTER PARK, Fla.
Magazine offers tips on Caribbean savings
Caribbean Travel + Life magazine's March issue offers tips on how to save money on your next vacation in the islands.
The magazine's March issue says the region's low-season begins in mid-April, when room rates start to sink. The lower prices last all the way to mid-December. Also, the magazine says packages that include airfare, hotel and transfers can save a bundle, and an all-inclusive resort might be the right choice for those who would otherwise spend a lot on food and drinks.
Signing up for e-mail alerts from American Airlines, Air Jamaica and other carriers can alert you to airfare sales. Deals are often posted on Tuesdays, so make sure to check then to see what's available.
Consider coupons and other added value when figuring out your best bets. Sometimes hotels will give credits toward dining, spas and activities that make the nightly room rate a much better deal. Taking a room with a garden view rather than an ocean view can also cut your bill substantially.
Other ways to save, according to Caribbean Travel + Life, include staying in newly opened hotels, which often have introductory rates, and getting a group together and splitting the cost of a villa.
RICHMOND, British Columbia
Skating facility opens for 2010 Olympics
A 512,000-square-foot rink has opened near Vancouver in preparation for the 2010 Olympic speed-skating events.
The Richmond Oval, in Richmond, about 7 miles from Vancouver, is open to the public when not in use for sporting events.
The building, which was completed in December, also houses facilities for indoor soccer, yoga, basketball, fitness and other activities.
The Richmond Oval will host 12 medal events during the Winter Games, but it will also be used for several Canadian and international speed skating competitions this year.
The building was designed to be eco-friendly. Its unique roof has a "wood wave" design, using arched trusses and rafters and a curvature in the surface panels to create a rippled appearance. Its exterior channels rainwater for reuse in landscaping and plumbing.
Details at richmondoval.ca/.
NEW YORK
Sports Museum in Manhattan closes
The Sports Museum of America closed Feb. 20 after nine months but could reopen if a buyer is found.
The for-profit museum opened in May in Lower Manhattan and was billed as the first of its kind in the U.S.
Without a buyer, its collection will be dismantled in the next few months, founder and chief executive Philip Schwalb said. All its memorabilia is on loan from individuals and sports organizations.
The board of directors is seeking $10 million, which would cover the museum's debts. Among the groups Schwalb is approaching is Magic Johnson Enterprises.
If there is no buyer, the Heisman Trophy will again need to find a new home.
