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.

Five free attractions that are really worth your while

Many attractions across the country are free simply because that's what they are worth. But others can give you so much fun that you can't put a price on it. Here, from TripAdvisor.com, are five favorite freebies.

* Mallory Square, in Key West, Fla., where you'll find food vendors, acrobats, musicians and a spectacular sunset.

* Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colo., home to sandstone rock formations and a view of Pike's Peak.

* Cliff Walk, Newport, R.I., a scenic 3 1/2-mile walkway with the ocean on one side and views of the famous Newport mansions on the other.

* Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, where you can look up at the night sky through a telescope or simply take in the view of Los Angeles and the famous Hollywood sign.

* You've no doubt heard of the above four, but are you familiar with Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah? There, in the scenic Angel Canyon,  you can volunteer to help with the animals or take a free tour of the grounds.

How's that again?

A shopping bag spotted in Japan proclaims,  "Primitive Cool: collective heterosexual scenario and turn the women red."

It's the early bird that catches Stowe's discount

Vermont's Stowe Mountain Lodge is already getting ready for snow.  For those who can't wait to be the first on the lift, the lodge will offer up to a 20% discount on nightly room rates with its First Tracks package. The offer includes lodging for two in a studio guestroom, 2 two-day ski passes, complimentary ski storage and boot warming. One guest per booking will also receive a Royal Foot Treatment at The Spa at Stowe Mountain Lodge --  a 25-minute wrap, scrub and massage for the feet and lower legs. The package is valid for visits between Nov. 28 and Dec. 18, with rates starting at $329 per night (This represents up to a 25% discount off best available rates).  A two-night minimum stay is required for  this package, which must be booked by Aug. 31.

Visit  www.stowemountainlodge.com or call 888-4-STOWE-VT, and refer to booking code FIRSTTRACKS.  

Meanwhile, Sunday River is all set for summer

Sunday River in Newry, Maine,   shifts   into its summer mode with the opening of the Sunday River Mountain Bike Park and the start of the resort’s summer activity calendar. Additional summer activities for guests include golf and guided or unguided ATV/Ranger rides, fly fishing, mineralogy and canoe/kayaking tours. New this summer is the Chondola for scenic rides and mountain bike transport and 6 new miles of mountain bike terrain for beginners and intermediates.   The $7.2 million Chondola -- part gondola and part chairlift -- gives a seven- minute ride to North Peak where the resort’s system of mountain bike and hiking trails branch from.  The eight-person gondola cabins are reserved for pedestrians, while the six-person chairs are  for mountain bike transport. Mountain bike adult all-day tickets with Chondola access are $27; trail-access-only tickets are $10. Roundtrip Chondola rides are $8 (ages 5 and under ride  free).

Guided tours (ATV/Ranger, fly-fishing, mineralogy and canoe/kayaking) can be booked seven days a week by calling 800-543-2754. For more information on Sunday River, visit www.sundayriver.com or call 207-842-5234.

Trivial question

Where would you find Hagatna? Answer Monday.

Relax ... even if you're lost on the drive

Steve Halpern's CD "Drive Time RX" has relaxation suggestions encoded so softly in his music that the listener can't hear them, but the subconscious does, and will respond. At least that's the theory behind the recording artist's latest effort. So when you're totally lost while driving to your vacation destination, you might want to pop this disc into the CD player.

The CD is available at www.innerpeacemusic.com and Amazon.com, among other places.

 Fascinating fact

Smokey the Bear, that indefatigable fighter of forest fires, has his own ZIP code: 20252.

Budget vacations from Appalachian Mountain Club

The Appalachian Mountain Club  (AMC) is offering summer vacations for every budget, from free naturalist activities for day trippers to all-inclusive, five-night vacations for a family of four under $1,500. Three-night values for two include camping trips under $100, shore-side private cabin retreats in the Maine Woods for $300, and lodge-to-hut hiking under $500. Everyone is welcome, and AMC members get additional discounts.  The destinations are in New Hampshire, Maine and New Jersey.

   For details, click here.