What's gnu on TV? National Geographic's 'Great Migrations'

        One of the great sights of my life was a seemingly endless stream of wildebeest (gnu) migrating from Tanzania's  Serengeti plains to the hills of Kenya’s Masai Mara -- a distance of  over 1,800 miles -- in search of rain-ripened grass. So you can be sure I'll be hunkering down in front of my TV to watch  the National Geographic Channel’s "Great Migrations,"  a seven-part series premiering in the U.S. on Nov. 7.
     The series will spotlight the arduous journeys that millions of animals undertake to ensure the survival of their species. Shot from land and air, in trees and cliff-blinds, on ice floes and underwater, "Great Migrations" will tell the stories of many of the planet’s species and their movements, while revealing scientific discoveries. Among the sights:
      * The  red crab migration on Christmas Island, which has been termed miraculous.
      * Flying foxes in Australia and army ants in Costa Rica.
      * Wildebeest, great white sharks, zebra and Mali elephants. 
      * Microscopic plankton and jellyfish in Indonesia. 
      * The first radio transmitter attached to a monarch butterfly. 
      * The first film crew on the ground in Sudan in 25 years, there to capture the migration of the white-eared kob. 

        The National Geographic Great Migrations team spent 2 1/2  years in the field, traveling 420,000 miles in 20 countries and all seven continents. I'm impressed.

Photo/National Geographic

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Trivial question 

    Millions of people have visited Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa. But what was its original purpose? (Answer somewhere below.)

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$99 one way, Boston to LA, on Virgin

      Virgin America has  cut West Coast fares from Boston to $99-$129 each way. Sample fares:  Los Angeles, $99;  San Francisco, $119;  Las Vegas, $129; San Diego, $129.
Travel is valid Nov. 1 - Feb. 15 but you must book by 2:59 a.m. Eastern Time Nov. 2. Not surprisingly, the lowest fares are for travel Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 

     Visit www.virginamerica.com. I gave it a try this morning and did indeed find a $99 fare (plus fees) to LA on  Tuesday, Nov. 9.

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Fabulous fact

     The "you are here" indicator on a map is officially called an ideo locator.

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The wonderful world of the Web

     Starting today (Oct. 26),  TripAlertz.com goes live to offer impulse getaway packages with prices that it says are 30 to 50 percent below the leading public online travel sites. Members, who sign up for free,  will have access to  deals in destinations like Miami, Orlando, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, and Cancun. Visit 

www.tripalertz.com. 

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Terrible travel joke

     You know you're on a no-frills airline when before takeoff the flight attendant asks you to fasten your velcro and the captain makes a plea over the loudspeaker for passengers to chip in for gas.

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Trivial answer 

    The Leaning Tower of Pisa was designed  to be a bell tower, not a tourist attraction filled with trinket salespeople.

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Utah resort thinking of singles on holidays

Guests who find themselves alone for the holidays might be interested in  the Signature Package at Red Mountain Resort & Spa in St. George, Utah. The package, which starts at $269 per night single occupancy, nightly accommodations, three meals a day, unlimited fitness classes, healthy life classes, daily guided morning hikes, personal discovery activities, cooking demos, and use of the resort's amenities such aspools, bikes, walking trails, and strenght-and-cardio studios. People who book a three-night stay will receive a $125 adventure and spa credit, and those who book a five-night stay will receive a $200 credit. Package details can be found here.

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