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Travelistas! Tours/Trips/Getaways, Flights-of-Fancy Exclusively for Sololady.com Constantly updated to intrigue, inspire, and propel. by Janet K. Rodgers
(For past entries, ideas and links, please click here for our extensive archives.)
Tee Time This fall The Wayfarers are offering a 7-day Austrian golf-walk vacation - - Innsbruck to Salzburg - - with visits to Alpengarten, the highest botanical garden in Europe, and the 900-year-old Hohensalzburg Fortress, the most prominent landmark in Mozart’s city of Salzburg. They are tossing in tee times, and one round of complimentary greens fees per person on each of the three courses. The walking factor is rated moderate, 7 to 11 miles per day, over lovely mountain paths and grassy meadows. One date only: September 14 to 20, 2008. Jane Eberhardt, the golf-walk leader, is an accomplished golfer with ‘insider’ Alpine knowledge. Priced at $3,595 per person for doubles, single supplements are available. For more info on this or other carefully crafted Wayfarer trips call 800-249-4620 or click on: www.thewayfarers.com. The Botox Boat Remember “The Love Boat?” Well, that was then. And this is so now: the venerable Under the supervision of Dr. Brad Herman, a Miami-based, board-certified plastic surgeon and his team of doctors, guests can schedule a 30-minute consultation onboard to create an individualized treatment plan. The medi-spa treatments supplement NCL's onboard and on-going menu of exotic skin, body and massage treatments. Still at sea? NCL also offers GoSmile tooth whitening, microdermabrasion and Ionithermie cellulite reduction. Come home looking like a star. Medi-spas are being offered on select NCL ships: Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Gem and Norwegian Spirit, with plans to launch fleet-wide this fall. Best bet: call 866-234-0292 or check: www.ncl.com.
New York Anglers A women's fly fishing club based in New York City? Juliana's Anglers is just that and created to encourage all interested women to enjoy the sport together via education, activities, and events.
Rare Polar Voyage Connecticut-based Quark Expeditions, world leader in polar adventure travel, are the fellows who operated the first-ever passenger voyage to the North Pole, and the first full circumnavigation of Antarctica as well: places that few will ever see,” according to Pat Shaw, President. This summer Quark offers a rare (once/twice a decade) Arctic Islands voyage from July 21 to August 6 docking at Franz Josef Land (a former Soviet "national security zone" and off-limits to foreigners until recently), the Svalbard archipelago, the world's northernmost inhabited land (populated only by polar bear), Northeast Greenland National Park, a UNESCO biosphere reserve larger than Texas and home to bears, whales, seals, Arctic foxes, walrus and reindeer. Rates start at US$19,500 pp for this 17-day expedition for a standard twin cabin aboard the venerable Kapitan Khlebnikov, helicopter-equipped (for ice reconnaissance, aerial sightseeing and shore excursions), polar-class icebreaker accommodating only 108 guests. Great lounge and bar, heated indoor swimming pool, exercise room and sauna. Call 1-800-356-5699 or +1-203-852-5580. Trip of a lifetime and more, surf to www.quarkexpeditions.com/arctic/ _____ Walk & Whisk This fall consider an arty amble with a small group of similar souls through the medieval Tuscan towns of Siena, San Gimignano and Volterra to sample the local culinary bounty, and work in the kitchen with Chef Claudio Piantini during "Italy: Tuscany Fall Harvest & Tuscan Cooking." 10 glorious days, the trip departs September 14, 2009. Through a partnership with The International Kitchen, Country Walkers will introduce gourmet wannabes into Chef-owner Claudio’s Torre Guelfa Restaurant in Figline Valdarno where he delivers his generous hands-in cooking lessons with patience and skill. Learn his favorites: ribollita (Tuscan vegetable and bread soup,) crostini (grilled bread with chicken liver or fresh tomatoes and olive oil of course,) and curiously, castagnaccio (chestnut flour cake enriched with nuts.) Priced from $4,898, this is only one item on the menu of delicious and healthy trips from popular and creative Country Walkers, established in 1979 in Vermont. For solo women travelers, there are special trips planned to Vermont, Arizona and Puglia, Italy this year. For details and ideas, call 800-464-9255 or click on: www.countrywalkers.com _____
In Wyoming's Wind River Country flakes of pure gold still float elusively in the local rivers. With a pan and perseverance, a solo gold-digger could actually get lucky. And with gold prices north of $600 an ounce, it’s worth a shot! _____
Montana’s arid countryside was once home to lush, 80-million year old ferns and pines. How do we know? Because clues have been found in the stomach of Leonardo, the 6.5 ton mummified 77 million-year-old adult duckbilled dinosaur, discovered with almost all of his skin and many internal organs still intact. This fossil is setting the scientific world ablaze with extensive, never-before-seen detail about the diet of plant-eating dinosaurs—details that could only be hypothesized before this incredible find. Take a wild chance and join the Houston Museum of Natural Science Paleontology Team and Dr. Robert T. Bakker, renowned paleontologist and HMNS curator, in Malta, Montana, from May 22 – 25, 2008 as they dig deeper into prehistory. Visit amazing local museums and a nearby cattle ranch to see where Leonardo was discovered in the summer of 2000 and experience rare, behind-the-scenes modern cattle ranching where vast herds of cattle are moving out to summer pastures. For more information on activities, travel costs log on to www.hmns.org/generic/dinosaur_mummy_malta.asp. _____
In the only divided country in the world today, Communist North Korea has issued less than 1,000 visas to Americans since the signing of the Korean War armistice almost 55 years ago. Here’s your chance to be number 1001. Pioneer of travel to Asia’s most remote corners since 1992 and often named one of the world’s greatest adventure tour companies, Snow Lion Expeditions is offering a new trip, “Contrasting Koreas.” Eleven eye-opening days will offer a rare opportunity to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) from the North, attend one of those famous 100,000-performer Mass Games, visit Pyongyang the mysterious capital, the palaces and gardens the 1,200-year-old Haeinsa Buddhist Temple, and the gorgeous seaside and underwater tombs of Gyeongju. Then the contrast: visit seductive South Korea and boomtown Beijing. Two 2008 departures: September 19 and October 3, and priced from $5,895. Check it out at: www.snowlion.com _____ Chefs Aweigh! Pioneering, award-winning, eco-dedicated Lindblad Expeditions has created and launched “Chefs-at-Sea,” an innovative cruise theme where guests will meet and learn from top guest chefs while cruising in Europe, the Atlantic and/or in the Galapagos. Visit markets, watch professional demos, learn local culinary history and techniques in a delectable manner while sailing the deep blue sea. This newest Lindblad program, to kick off in the Fall (2008), will feature A-list chefs passionately committed to fresh, modern and sustainable cuisine -- nationally-recognized names such as Barton Seaver of Washington, DC, Bruce Sherman of Chicago, Michel Nischan (Paul Newman’s partner) in Westport, Conn. all of whom are exemplary models of environmental culinary stewardship. Surf to www.expeditions.com or phone 800-EXPEDITION for details. _____ Thighmaster, Italian Style The five enchanting villages set in the cliffs and harbors of the Italian Riviera near Genoa, Cinque Terre, is today a World Heritage site and characterized by rocky terraces, pastel hues, terraced vineyards, and olive groves framing Ligurian Sea. The Wayfarers, named one of the "Best Outfitters on Earth" by National Geographic and in its 25th season, offers a new girlfriend getaway in this gorgeous part of Italy. Their “energetic walk” (6-8 miles per day) over old mule tracks, rocky roads, and into hills via stone steps, will lead to such treasures as the lace museum in Rapallo, the precious little port of Portofino, and shops for fine linens in Sestri Levante. Sleep in a former 16th-century Franciscan monastery (updated with a tip top Spa) and in a hotel with its own sandy beach. Priced at $3,795 per person, double occupancy, the 7-day/6-night walk takes place on September 21-27 (women only) and October 5-11, 2008. The single supplement is $470. _____
…and only in America: Nine Quarter Circle Ranch is hosting their 14th (!) Annual Cowgirl Quilting Retreat from August 24-31 and August 31-September 7, 2008. Georgia Bonesteel and Charlotte Warr Anderson, renowned international quilting instructors, will teach new patterns and techniques in quilt-making western-ranch style. But hey, solo women travelers, we’re not just stitchin’ out there on the grassy plains. There’s plenty happening in Gallatin Gateway, Montana -- horseback riding, fly-fishing, hiking, and exploring the nearby mountains of Yellowstone National Park. The trip cost includes home-cooked family-style meals, lodging, quilt instruction, and all activities on the ranch. $1569 (+$300 for singles). Call directly: 406-995-4276, eMail: nineqtrcircle@mcn.net and/or surf to their site at: www.ninequartercircle.com. _____ Sail the High C’s The internationally acclaimed Wurttemberg Chamber Orchestra will perform aboard the 513-passenger MS Deutschland on a Music Gala Voyage which departs Hamburg, Germany on September 18, 2008. For music loving travelers, this is an opp to have it all. Cruise the coasts of the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Portugal, and Spain, enjoy divine music, and hop off and into well-crafted shore excursions. Or if you can’t wait until the fall, the MS Deutschland will cruise the cool hanseatic ports of Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Riga plus other less well-known port cities during their spectacular Baltic program. Select either 12-13 days in July or August, 2008. _____
Travel Dynamics has matched up the best of the Med with some of the world‘s finest classical music talent and dovetailed them into a superb voyage: their Mediterranean Music Festival. The 114-passenger all-suite yacht, the Corinthian II, sails from Athens to Venice featuring classical music performances at marvelous historic sites en route - September 6 to 17, 2008. Visit Santorini, Kefallonia, Albania, Montenegro and Croatia on the way to Venice and savor the sounds of tenor Robert White, sopranos Mela Sarajane Dailey and Martina Arroyo, and pianist William Hobbs. The Corinthian II is the ship everyone wants to sail on – small and spacious with elegant suites. For all details surf to: www.traveldynamicsinternational.com/ call (212) 517-7555 or (800) 257- 5767. _____ …local nicknames for the bays, the channels and straits along a rugged stretch of Newfoundland coastline. Venerable Maxxim Vacations is offering an 8-day/7-night fully-guided walking and hiking tour (a moderate 3-6 miles a day) that features humpback and minke whale watching, birding (esp. puffins and blacklegged kittiwakes) in historic countryside. This dramatic coast is where the sun rises first on the New World, where the waves of Europe crash first onto our shores, and it is also home to “Iceberg Alley,” where an awesome procession of massive icebergs drifts southward in early summer. Two group departures: July 19 and August 2, 2008. Package prices: $3,400 to $4,100, includes knowledgeable and friendly local guides throughout, lodging, meals, and intra-Canada air -- so check with them for rates to and from U.S. Call Maxxim Vacations of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada at: 1-800-567-6666. or click on http://www.maxximvacations.com/. _____ Indulgent Girls! Why should European women have all the shopping fun in New York City? The Hotel Elysée, perfectly set-to-shop on East 54th Street, is within walking distance to every place you want to be, especially to Bergdorf Goodman, most sophisticated women’s store in the U.S. They’ve wrapped up an exclusive indulgence package for solo shoppers: pink champagne on arrival, deluxe accommodations, a personal Bergdorf Goodman shopping consultation, complimentary facial on the beauty level, complimentary tea for two in the BG Restaurant, and an incentive store gift card. Plus: Leonidas Cocoa dusted truffles, a NYC Zagat shopping guide, the latest Vogue Magazine, and tons of extra comps: breakfast each morning; fruit, cookies, tea and coffee throughout the day; wine and hors d'oeuvres, and even passes to the nearby Sports Club to knock off the calories as pile on. Check out: www.elyseehotel.com (then “Specials”.) Available from May 1 through August 31, 2008. Rates start at $350 per room per night + tax, for a two-night minimum. For reservations call them directly at 212-753-1066 or eMail: res@elyseehotel.com. _____ Quests For those of us who yearn to connect with the powerful energies of the ancient sacred sites where mysterious forces are probed and absorbed, Body Mind Spirit Journeys will gather you together and guide you. Transformation and personal growth are the goals of these awesome pilgrimages. Two special upcoming sacred journeys, excellent for solo women, are: ►”Sacred Journey for Singles” from October 1 - 5, 2008 in Sedona. Featured Speaker & Sedona Vortex Tour Guide: Author Mark Amaru Pinkham, Director of the Seven Rays of Healing School and Andrea Mikana-Pinkham (see above) offer their skills to enlighten on spirituality, metaphysics, yoga, holistic lifestyle, green living, and New Thought principles. Be amazed: http://www.bodymindspiritjourneys.com/foursectorssacredjourneys.htm _____ Think Pink Paradise Found! On an eyelash of an island framed by pink sugar sand, Harbour Island off Eleuthera in the Bahamas is reachable only by water taxi. There are a couple of good hotels a couple of good restaurants, one internet café (located in the bakery), a small herd of dune buggies (no cars,) tall, clacking palm trees, a scruffy straw market, heavenly sand and sea, and possibly the cutest graveyard in the world. For solo women, Ocean View Club is the perfect place to stay. Owned and operated with fashionable élan, Pip Simmons, a graduate of the Cordon Bleu, runs her 9-room inn with awesome imagination and skill. Reigning queen of the isle for over 20 years, her place is charmingly decorated British colonial style with tons of art. Fall out of bed and onto the beach…you’re that close. Meals are taken as you like, the food is fab, the kitchen is open (for schmoozing and watching but not participating,) and recipes are all signature chefs’. Cocktails and dinner are usually served on the open, candlelit terrace, waves lapping nearby. Pip also owns the best boutique in the Caribbean, Miss Mae’s, in the center of the tiny town, an ever-evolving women’s collection of the chic and the sensational. To nab a room or two call her directly at 242-333-2276 or email: pip.oceanview@gmail.com _____
…Faces, that is, attached to poker celebs, such as T.J. Cloutier, Clonie Gowen, and Mike Sexton, all of whom teach in the World Poker Tournament Boot Camps. Learn strategies, hear lectures, and join live interactive learning labs…while pros critique your plays. If you don’t know the difference between Seven-Card and Mississippi Stud, or if you are unclear about the meanings of Buttons, Blinds and Kill Pots, WPT camps are for you. Huge menu of venues for 2 and 3-day camps -- Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Foxwoods, Biloxi, and on – just call (866) WPT-BOOT (978-2668) or watch the video on their site: www.wptbootcamp.com. From $1,695. _____ Ms. Mahout! Ever yearn to stick your toe behind an elephant’s ear (like his trainer) and tickle? If so, here’s a chance to learn how by working with local mahouts (elephant experts) during the course of a 3 or 4 night exotic adventure in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand. The incredibly sophisticated Four Seasons Hotel there operates a special camp where guests interact directly with and learn basic elephant “driving” skills, like stop and go. Learn to trek through the jungles, then bathe, feed and roundup these big babies … all for the non-bargain but sure-worth-it price of about $2,250 per person per night. At the end, there’s time for a quick stop at the Hall of Opium Museum. Click on: www.fourseasons.com/ goldentriangle . _____ The Oeno File
Her classic Bordeaux tour offers meetings, visits, and tastings not only with celebrity vintners but with the ambitious newcomers as well. In Portugal, the Douro Valley is one of the world's most spectacular wine regions for high-quality reds as well as the legendary Port. And their trip to Champagne, sprinkled with star chefs, will reveal a lot more than those divine sparkling wines. Over the past 15+ years BKWine has organized more than two hundred wine tours to France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Hungary and Austria, and for solos, womens’ clubs or groups of friends, they are pleased to arrange custom tours. For the full scoop, click: http://www.bkwine.com/ or write to Ms. Karlsson at info@bkwine.com _____ Birdland Forget the overcrowded Galapagos. Turn left from San Francisco and zoom out into the Pacific for about 3,200 miles (half way to Asia) and tie up at the appropriately named Midway Atoll, a pristine U.S. Gov-maintained territory consisting of three little islands and a deep blue lagoon. Midway Atoll has thankfully been designated as a National Wildlife Refuge and has been closed to visitors since 2002. It is now, carefully, open again. Except for a small band of government employees, the atoll is delightfully unpopulated. It is home, however, to millions of birds, especially albatross; plus monk seals, green turtles and dolphin. Thick coral reefs guarantee great snorkeling and fish-ogling. The lack of local amenities is filled in by the non-profit, eco-serious Oceanic Society’s new week-long tours geared to handle only 16 visitors each. Trips are scheduled from March 22 to December 6, 2008 at a cost of about $5000. pp. which includes air from Honolulu, about 1200 miles away. Surf to: www.oceanic-society.org for this and their other thrilling trips, or call them in San Francisco, 800-326-7491. _____ Learn the Ropes Windjammers are steel-hulled sailing ships that were popular a century ago. With their distinctive three or five large masts and great square sails they were the grandest of cargo-carriers. Today they deliver a fun, easy voyage with a whiff of historical romance. Adventure-loving solo travelers will enjoy life aboard a Maine windjammer cruise. An immediate camaraderie develops between fellow shipmates (20-40 depending on the ship) especially if one opts to learn the arts of ropes and sail-handling and it's easy to get to know everyone over the course of a three- or six-day cruise. Hearty, delicious meals are served family-style. Each day’s voyage is determined by both the weather and captain’s whim. Since more than 3,000 islands dot the coast of Maine, anchorage choices for overnights are virtually unlimited. There’s time to run or stroll on the beach, enjoy a sunrise, check out the stars tossed out onto the inky black nighttime sky, listen to live music and/or go for a midnight row. Solo travelers will not be lost in the crowd aboard one of these old tall-masted sailing ships. Most of the windjammers offer some single cabins, either at no extra charge or $25 extra per night. For more information, surf to www.sailmainecoast.com or call 800-807-WIND. _____
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An energetic world-wide traveler and guidebook author, Janet Kaplan Rodgers is a veteran public relations travel pro.
