Where the buffalo stampede

Here's a chance to see 8 tons of gen-u-ine American bison. Beginning Feb. 25, Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner Attraction in Branson, Mo., will present “Return of the Buffalo!”  nightly in the 35,00-square-foot arena.  In addition to the buffalo, the show presents 32 horses as  North and South conduct a friendly rivalry, assisted by audience participation. The show comes complete with a four-course feast. Ticket prices begin at about $25 for children and $46 for adults, but there are sometimes coupons and other discounts.  Visit www.dixiestampede.com.   

As for those buffalo, they are the largest terrestrial animal in North America, and once numbered 60 million in massive herds roaming the grasslands.  In modern time, buffalo have been restricted to a few national parks and reserves, and nowadays Branson.

Trivial question

Which South American countries does the equator pass through? Hint: There are three of them. (Answer somewhere below.)

Here comes the world's largest pub crawl

A  world record is expected when the 10^th Annual Mardi Gras Pub Crawl hits the road on Feb. 19 at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks.  Considered the world's largest pub crawl, this year's festivities are expected to attract a  record  6,000 participants, organizers say. During the crawl,  shuttle buses will carry participants to 19 Lake-area restaurants and bars.  Participating venues will feature a variety of food and drink, including Ozarks barbecue, Chicago-style pizza, seafood, Mexican favorites and more.  Bars will offer live rock, blues and country music, plus DJs and karaoke.  Along the way, revelers will be able to collect plenty of Mardi Gras beads and souvenirs. A $5 wristband, available at any of the venues and participating hotels, is all you need to ride and participate, but you do have to be 21 or older. Visit www.lakepubcrawl.com.

Fascinating fact

In 1791, Maine's first lighthouse keeper got an anuual salary of $160. But then he had a unique residence with a seaside view. 

Mmmmmm ... chocolate -- all month long 

Throughout this month, Kimpton hotel guests, restaurant diners and local cocoa cravers can indulge in complimentary chocolate-themed events at more than 50 hotels and restaurants across the country.  And on Feb. 17, Kimpton will celebrate “Chocolate Lover’s Day” from 5-7 p.m. in hotel living rooms with complimentary chocolate-inspired desserts, tastings, hors d’oeuvres and Kimpton’s ultimate hot or chilled chocolate drinks. Also, participating restaurants around the country will feature at least two chocolate loving desserts on the menu all month. Visit www.kimptonchocolate.com for recipes, featured chocolate desserts at restaurants and a schedule of tasting events.

Worth quoting

"Let your memory be your travel bag." -- Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Three Las Vegas deals

The following offers can be found at www.vegas.com:

Book a room marked with the Up to 30% Off Your Stay offer at Trump International Hotel and Tower between now and Feb. 28,  for stay dates between now and Feb. 28 and get up to 30 percent off your stay and a $50 spa credit. Book a room marked with the "Includes Free Bottle of Wine and $50 Food Credit offer The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas for a two-night stay between now and Feb. 28 for stay dates between now and Sept. 30 and get a free bottle of wine and $50 food credit. For a limited time, buy a ticket to see Penn & Teller  (pictured) and get dinner at Cafe Martorano of Buzios inside Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino. 

 

Trivial answer

 The three South American countries the equator passes through are Ecuador, Brazil and Colombia.

Fun, fun, fun at Curious George Festival in N.H.

 You've got to love Curious George. New Hampshire's Waterville Valley certainly does -- so much so that the 4th Annual Curious George Cottage Family Festival returns  Aug. 13-15,  featuring a weekend full of family-friendly activities including a banana pancake breakfast, a family nature walk, a Fireman's BBQ lunch, photo opportunities with George and the Man With the Yellow Hat, a traveling barnyard, face painting, games for kids, a Curious George story hour and movie viewing, planetarium shows, and a family spaghetti dinner. Whew!

Headlining the festival will be musician Steve Schuch, and storytellers Rick and Carolyn Hunt Schuch will sing "Songs & Tales of the Earth," celebrating nature in all its diversity. Rick and Carolyn, better known as The Laughing Couple, combine Native American storytelling and improvised art into one program for audiences of all ages.

Wristbands for the 4th Annual Curious George Cottage Family Festival are $28 per person for a 3-day pass. Children two and under get in free with a paying adult. Limited tickets available at the event. While in Waterville Valley, families can also enjoy swimming and canoeing on Corcoran's Pond, walk along Waterville Valley's many hiking trails, skate at the WV Ice Arena, or play a game of tennis at the WV Tennis Club.

Participating hotels are offering  festival packages, which include Friday and Saturday night  lodging, a round of golf per day at the WV Golf Club, a Festival Wristband, and a Curious George souvenir.  (That wristband includes admission to the Fireman's BBQ Lunch, Photo Opportunity with Curious George, Petting Zoo, Live Music, Mad Science Show and Fun Station, Storytellers, Face Painting, Games for Kids, Curious George Storytime, Movie Viewing, Planetarium Show and Nature Walks). Additional fees are charged for the Banana Pancake Breakfast and Curious George Spaghetti Dinner; tickets  can be purchased with wristbands.
   
Curious George, a sweet simian who is now featured in books, movies and television,  was born in the imaginations of H.A. and Margret Ray, who spent their summers in Waterville Valley.
For more information about the area and the Reys, call 1-800-GO-VALLEY or go to www.visitwatervillevalley.com.

Trivial question

On average, how many people are airborne over the United States at any given hour?  6,100? 61,000? 610,000? Or 61,000,000? (Answer somewhere within this posting.)

Search Amazon.com for Travel books and products

A memorable free travel exhibit in Boston

 To celebrate their  passion for travel, Grand Circle Corporation Chairman and Vice Chairman Alan and Harriet Lewis have accumulated an extensive collection of vintage travel posters dating from the early 20th century up to World War II. They are now sharing their collection with the public through the Grand Circle Gallery, which opens to the public Friday in Boston.
In addition to vintage travel posters, the gallery will feature the breathtaking photography of their late friend,  Bradford Washburn, who also was a founding honorary director of Grand Circle Foundation, their company’s charitable organization.

The gallery will also include the Lewises'  black-and-white photography—some travel-related, like the vintage images of Europe photographed by George Daniell, and some reflective of times of historic world change, like the dramatic portrayals of the civil rights movement captured by photographer and filmmaker Danny Lyon, and photographs of the 1960s by Elliott Erwitt, including a portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy at her husband’s funeral in 1963.

Grand Circle Gallery is housed in Boston’s Fort Point Channel district, in a historic 19th-century brick building whose first tenants were Chase & Co., a confectionery company that patented America’s first candy machine in the early 1800s.  Today, it is the headquarters of Grand Circle Corporation, parent company of Overseas Adventure Travel and Grand Circle Travel. For more information on the gallery, click here.

Fascinating fact

American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class. Or so legend has it anyway.

A luxurious lake stay in Missouri

A Day on the Lake Package is being offered by Chateau on the Lake Resort & Spa in Branson, Mo. Featuring an Ozark mountaintop setting overlooking Missouri’s  Table Rock Lake, the AAA Four-Diamond resort features a full-service marina that the resort says offers more water sports activities than any other resort in the Midwest. Offerings include watercraft rentals, such as ski boats, fishing boats, waverunners, catamarans, paddleboats, sea kayaks, and canoes. Parasailing, guided fishing excursions, scuba diving, and snorkeling are among other options.

 

In addition to accommodations for two nights in a lake view room, the package includes a $150 credit for the Chateau Marina to be used toward one of the water sports offered, as well as a picnic lunch for up to four people. The package, which is available through Sept. 30, begins at $570 per room, plus tax, and is based on availability. For reservations or for more information, call 1-888-333-LAKE (5253) or (417) 334-1161 or visit www.chateauonthelake.com.

Trivial answer 

 On average, 61,000 people are airborne over the United States at any given hour.

Along with Branson, you get lakeside living

Chateau on the Lake Resort & Spa, which is near the many attractions of Branson, Mo., has a  “Stay 2 nights, and get the 3rd night free” offer Sunday-Thursday nights through Oct. 1. In addition to accommodations, the offer features complimentary use of paddleboats, sea canoes and kayaks at the resort’s Chateau Marina on Table Rock Lake; complimentary use of the 24-hour fitness center; nightly movies in the resort’s Sassafras Theatre; and free meals for children 5 and under with a paying adult.

Call 888-333-LAKE (5253). The Web site is www.Chateauonthelake.com.

What's in a name?

Big Ben, London's famous clock, began telling the time 150 years ago today. But how did it get its name? That remains a mystery. One theory holds that it was named for Chief Commissioner of Works Benjamin Hall. But another maintains that the name honors  Benjamin Caunt, a popular heavyweight boxer nicknamed Big Ben.  But there are no records, so we'll never know. But to learn the many things that are known about Parliament's legendary clock, click here.

A chance for teens to see the real Berlin

Berlin's Hotel de Rome has partnered with Berlin Teen to let teenage travelers 14 and over the opportunity to experience Berlin the way the locals do.  Responsible English-speaking students will accompany the teenagers. Activities include a tour of hip and trendy clubs, a guided street art tour,  a tour of World War II bunkers, a guided bike tour along the trail of the former Berlin Wall, and a guided Segway tour of the city.  Parents who book a deluxe room or a junior suite will getc the second room free, plus a complimentary breakfast buffet. Rates begin at about $750 a night.

Click here or call 888-667-9477.

Fascinating fact

By a quirk of the law, the queen of England owns all wild mute swans living in open water.