Trivial answer

I have been unable to blog lately but owe you an answer to the most recent trivia question, and here it is: From Africa eastward, the dozen countries that lie on the equator are Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon, Republic of The Congo, Democratic Republic of The Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Indonesia, Kiribati (the equator may or may not touch dry land), Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil. (Source: About.com.)

Mother and child reunion

These pretty porkers were spotted in Sedona, Ariz., which is kind of pretty itself. The sculpture is of Sedona's famous pig-like creatures, the javelinas.

(Photo by Richard P. Carpenter)

The joys of spending a night in a hotel

Hotel rooms aren't always cheap but they can be a welcome break from daily drudgery. In a survey of U.S. adults recently commissioned by hotels.com, respondents were asked what they looked forward to when spending a night in a hotel. The results:

* 66 percent -- simply peace and quiet.

* 66 percent ( a tie!) -- having no responsibilities.

* 58 percent -- not having to make the bed or clean up.

* 43 percent -- room service.

* 41 percent -- a full night's sleep.

* 18 percent -- control of the TV and remote.

Participants in the survey were also asked what they gladly leave behind when heading for a hotel. The answers:

* 75 percent -- chores and housework.

* 47 percent -- their jobs.

* 11 percent -- their children.

* 8 percent -- their spouses or significant others.

The study was conducted as part of a promotion for the website's welcomerewards program, in which guests automatically earn a free night in a location of their choice after booking and staying 10 nights with hotels.com.

Fascinating fact

Israel (8, 019 square miles) is less than one-fourth the size of the state of Maine (34,554 square miles).

Free 3rd, 4th or 5th night in Florida's Gulf Islands

Florida’s Gulf Islands of Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, and the mainland areas of Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch are offering free nights at 16 properties through Oct. 31. Included are properties hotels,  mini resorts,  condominiums and luxury vacation rentals at varying prices. Depending upon the property, you get a free third, fourth or fifth night, which sounds so much better than saying you get a discount of 33, 25 or 20 percent.

For details and offers, click here. 

Trivial question

Twelve countries lie on the Equator. How many can you name? (Answer with next posting.)

Two autumnal offers from a Cape Cod resort

The Cape Codder Resort & Spa in Hyannis, Mass., has a couple of packages for fall and beyond. The one-night Cranberry Harvest Package, with rates starting at $239 through November,  includes a welcome gift, dinner for two at Grand Cru Wine Bar and Grill or Hearth 'n Kettle Restaurant ($40 in meal allowance) and a $40 Gift Voucher to use in the resort's Beach Plum Spa or Sea Breeze Gift Shop. Meanwhile, the one-night Fire and Ice Romance Package starts at $169,  Columbus Day through Memorial Day. The offer features champagne, chocolates, a 
$10  allowance off  lunch or dinner at the Hearth 'n Kettle Restaurant or Grand Cru Wine Bar and Grill and 10 percent off all Beach Plum Spa services.

Call 888-297-2200 or 508-771-3000. For resort details, visit www.capecodderresort.com.

Worth quoting

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.”

                                                                                                     -- Aldous Huxley

Get set for the Buffalo Wing Festival!

Few things attract a crowd like buffalo wings. In fact, more than 75,000 people are expected to attend the 8^th annual National Buffalo Wing Festival, to be held Labor Day Weekend in where else but Buffalo, N.Y. A highlight   will be the second annual Celebrity Chef Challenge sponsored by Frank’s RedHot, the secret ingredient in the original Buffalo wing recipe. The chef challenge will feature festival founder, Drew Cerza, aka The Wing King,  and Kevin Roberts, executive chef, cookbook author and radio personality. Attendees will learn savory sauce secrets and  the history of Buffalo wings. Afterward, you can cool off by visiting nearby Niagara Falls and Ontario wineries.

Visit www.buffalowing.com.

All those museums, all that chocolate and all that beer!

Brussels: a capital like no other.

Belgium may be a small country -- it encompasses 11,787 square miles and has a population of 10.7 million -- but big treats are in store for visitors. Here are some of the things they will find: 

* 2,000 chocolate shops.

* 500 types of beer, from 125 breweries.

* 200 museums.

* 35 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

* 3,000 castles, farm-castles, citadels, manors or palaces, giving the country more castles per square mile than anywhere else in the world.

* More than 500 buildings that are fully or partially Art Nouveau, in Brussels alone.

If you need more to whet your interest, consider this: The Belgian Tourist Office says that Brussels -- the capital of the nation and the headquarters of the European Union and NATO -- is less expensive to visit than London, Paris, Amsterdam, and most western European capitals. And wherever you go, you'll be sure to hear lively music. After all, the saxophone was invented in Dinant Belgium in 1846.
For more information, go to www.visitbelgium.com.

Worth quoting

"Laughter is an instant vacation." 

                                               -- Milton Berle.

The wide world of the Web

FlightCaster.com says it can predict flight delays up to six hours before official airline alert notifications, which should help travelers determine if they should change itineraries, notify colleagues, or alter their plans. The data is available free on the Web and through paid apps for the iPhone and BlackBerry.

Forget the heat and think about autumn foliage

The Appalachian Mountain Club is offering an all-inclusive "kid 2-for-1" deal at AMC's five lodges in New Hampshire and Maine throughout New England's glorious peak foliage season, plus a Moosehead Lake package at its Maine wilderness lodges with a cruise of Moosehead Lake. Prices vary but are reasonable.

Click here.

Fascinating fact

In addition to being nicknames the Sunflower State, Kansas has also officially or unofficially been called the Squatter State, the Grasshopper State, Salt of the Earth, the Battleground of Freedom, the Garden of the West, the Cyclone State, the Dust Bowl State, the Wheat State and the Jayhawker State.

Free hotel nights throughout Italy

TourCrafters is offering free nights at many hotels in Italy. In Florence, for example, the new 4-star Palazzo Ognissanti is offering a pay-for-two-nights-stay-for-three deal in August, November and December, cutting a third off the usual nightly price of $224. Rome's centrally-located Hotel Brasile, popular with budget travelers, has a pay-two-stay-three offer in August, November and December. In Venice, the Hotel Malibran ($174 a night)also has a pay-two-stay-three deal in August, November and December. Even on the Italian Riviera, the 4-star Hotel Continental ($284 a night) is offering pay-three-stay-four from September through December. Several villa hotels in Tuscany and other regions are offering similar deals from August through December. Hotels in Bologna, Perugia, Parma and Spoleto are also offering free nights.

For a list of all hotels offering free nights, visit www.tourcrafters.com. For more information and reservations, call 800-ITALY-95.

Disney World Halloween starts Sept. 4

On 24 evenings between Sept. 4 and Nov. 1, Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom will be filled with friendly ghosts and goblins during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.Guests of all ages can dress up in their own Halloween costumes if they want, but in any case they get to trick-or-treat around the theme park, collecting candy. Special lighting and music transform areas of the park into haunted (but happy) hollows. The parties will be held Sept. 4, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29; Oct. 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 and Nov. 1, beginning at 7 p.m. and continuing till midnight. The event, which takes place following Magic Kingdom closing and requires a separate admission ($46-$59), also features two entertainment extravaganzas: Mickey’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween parade and a “Happy HalloWishes” fireworks spectacular.

Visit www.disneyworld.com/halloween or call 407-W-DISNEY.

Trivia answer

The statue pictured below is of Paul Bunyan and this particular one is located in Bangor, Maine. The question was not that easy because, among other places, you can also find Bunyan statues in Bemidji and Brainerd, Minn.; Westwood and Del Norte County, California; St. Ignace and Ossineke, Mich.; Enchanted Forest Water Safari, New York, and  Eau Claire, Wis. Bunyan, alas, exists only in folklore. Among the wondrous tales told about him is that he and Babe the Blue Ox, his companion, dug the Grand Canyon when he dragged his axe behind him.

Where are you, and who is he?

Today's two-part trivia question asks where you can find this statue, and who is this big guy? Hint: He never really existed, but perhaps he should have. (Answer given with next posting.)

(Photo by Richard P. Carpenter)

Going abroad? These tips may enhance your experience

The Taj Mahal: Never on Friday

Part of the joy of overseas travel is observing the differences in cultures and lifestyles. But those differences can also lead to questions. For instance: When should you avoid shopping in southern Europe or visiting the Taj Mahal?  When is the best time to visit Kyoto, Japan, or the best time of day to see wildlife in Africa?   
 
The U. S. Tour Operators Association, whose member companies send 11 million people annually on vacation,  asked its members for insider tips on trips to various parts of the world.  Below are some of the tips, along with their sources.
 
Southern Europe.  In some parts of southern Europe, shops and restaurants close for siesta  in the afternoon, reopening in the evening and staying open late.  Travelers should plan accordingly so they are not disappointed.  (Avanti Destinations)
 
Italy. The nation's climate in Italy can vary from 15-20 degrees in all seasons.  So  bring a sweater, clothes that can be layered, and an all-weather jacket, plus comfortable walking shoes.  Also, some religious sites may require modest dress to enter, meaning no shorts, short skirts or sleeveless tops. (Gate 1 Travel)
 
Where can you dine at a 350-year-old restaurant in Rome?  La Cisterna, one of Rome’s oldest restaurants, is in the city’s Trastevere section.  The restaurant’s origins date to 1630. (Tauck World Discovery)
 
Ireland and Scotland. To see Ireland on your own terms, choose an open voucher program that provides the first night’s stay at a pre-booked hotel, and remaining nights wherever you want, such as at bed-and-breakfasts. In between,  explore on your own. (Celtic Tours World Vacations)
 
To mark the 250th anniversary of poet Robert Burns' birth, with the celebration going on now through Nov. 30, Scotland is hosting numerous events, including the first annual Homecoming, which focuses on visitors with Scottish heritage. (Go Ahead Tours)
 
Australia.  One U.S. dollar buys $1.25 in Australian currency.  Not only will travelers save money while visiting due to the favorable exchange rate, but the trip itself will cost less.  (Goway)
  
U.S. citizens need a visa for entry into Australia.  But that visa is inexpensive and easy to obtain. (Explorica)
 
Botswana and South Africa. Animals are most active in the early morning and late afternoon, because they avoid the midday sun. (African Travel, Inc.)
  
No immunizations are required for travel to South Africa, unlike other parts of the continent.   And while the official languages of South Africa are Afrikaans and English, there are 11 officially recognized languages.  Guides and bush trackers all speak English well. (International Expeditions)
 
India. Avoid visiting Agra and the Taj Mahal on Friday.  The Taj Mahal is closed every Friday.  (SITA World Tours)
 
Japan and Vietnam. The best times to see Kyoto, Japan,  are during its festive summer season; or visit in autumn to see the foliage.  (Signet Tours)
 
If you’re going to Vietnam, enhance the experience by adding on a tour to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. (Brendan Vacations)
 

General advice. Carry all prescriptions and over the counter medicines in their original containers.  (Abercrombie & Kent)   Schedule transfers with your travel agent prior to your arrival in a foreign destination to avoid long lines and language issues. (Travel Bound) On cruises, purchase optional shore excursions before boarding the ship.  Doing so will help you avoid long lines and allow you to disembark earlier than those buying excursions at the  last minute. (Homeric Tours)
 
More Information. For more information on the U. S. Tour Operators Association, and for a list of member companies serving destinations around the world, visit:  www.ustoa.com, www.ustoa.travel, or see a travel agent. 

Worth quoting

"The Americans are a noisy nation. ... They do not seem able to enjoy themselves unless there is a tremendous noise going on about them all the time." 

                                                             -- Canadian author L.M. Montgomery, after a visit to Boston

The fine print in JetBlue's unlimited-flight offer

At first glance, JetBlue's new offer of unlimited flights sounds great, and for many travelers it will be. But here are some things to keep in mind: Flights must take place Sept. 8-Oct. 8; do you have a lot of destinations you want to go to in that time span or will you just be flying to take advantage of the deal? JetBlue flies to 57 destinations, which obviously isn't everywhere you might want to go. If you change your mind after booking, there is a $100 penalty for no-shows. Taxes and fees of up to $127.60 each way are not included for trips to Puerto Rico or international destinations. 

Visit www.jetblue.com or call 800-538-2583.

Fascinating fact

A Boeing 747 can carry 57,285 gallons of fuel.

Facebook fans, how good is your geography?

Geo Challenge, a popular game on Facebook, lets you challenge your friends to see who knows the most countries, flags and cities of the world. 

Click here. 

An Iceland air-hotel package for $499

Icelandair has  announced a $469 per person package in November that includes airfare from New York or Boston, two nights' lodging in three star hotels in the historic center of the capital city of Reykjavik, and big Scandinavian-style breakfasts for two mornings. The same package in October is  $90 more, and although September travel is slightly higher, travel costs are still generally 20 to 30 percent lower than peak season rates. (Of course, there are taxes and other restrictions.)

Visit www.icelandair.com.