Rundown for the week of August 29, 1998
Travel Advisory
Smog Alert: Environmental Protection Agency's Office
of Air and Radiation
Ocracoke
Hurricane Bonnie has slammed the Carolinas, causing many coastal
cities to batten down the hatches, or even evacuate. But this is
usually the time of the year when the beaches are swarming with
tourists, even in the smaller, out-of-the way places. Earlier this
summer, Karen Brown visited her favorite island in North Carolina's
Outer Banks. And she found that in addition to hurricanes, tourism is
a powerful force for change.
Q & A I -- Most Memorable Family Vacation
Rudy reminisces with listeners about those trips with the family
years ago. You can see pictures of Susan O'Day's two-month vacation
with her daughters on her web site.
Robber Baron Homes Interview
Ever been curious about the homes of the rich and famous of days gone
by? Wealthy industrialists like Getty or Rockefeller who had so much
money they could afford to have several homes... places where people
supped in black tie, road to the hounds at dawn, and spent long
afternoons playing croquet and sipping mint juleps in the rose garden.
The mansions these tycoons called home was the subject of a story Kim
Clark and Faye Rice did for Fortune magazine. They've come to
assure me that even if your family doesn't own oil wells or have its
name emblazoned across railroad cars, for the right price, you too
can live for a few days like -- as Kim and Faye call it -- a robber
baron. We learn today about some of the most outrageous places they
stayed.
Their story "Inns Fit for a Robber Baron" appeared in the May 25th
issue of
Fortune.
Deal of the Week
Quantas, the Australian airline, has increased the frequency of
flights between Sydney and Los Angeles. They've put together a
package trip with an unbeatable price in order to fill those new
flights: between the middle and end of September, Quantas Vacations
will fly you from LA to Sydney, get you to and from the airport, put
you up in a four-star hotel for seven nights, feed you a continental
breakfast every morning, and throw in a harbor cruise for $1,098.
That's $150 less than the usual, advance-purchase LA-Sydney round-trip
ticket on Quantas. Throw in that $150, and you can travel in October,
November, and some dates in December. As usual, you can depart from
other U.S. cities for a modest surcharge. The phone number for Quantas
Vacations is 800-641-8772.
Q & A II -- General Questions
Rudy takes listeners' general questions about travel. He mentions:
Yellowstone National Park
information:
Northern Rockies Natural History: 406-586-1155
Llamas of the Yellowstone: 406-587-2661
Yellowstone Mountain Guides: 406-388-0148
Lewis & Clark Trail Adventures: 406-848-7292
EBS Travel Service offers Jewish heritage tours:
800-784-4347 or 818-784-6641
Sierra RV Rentals in Nevada: 800-972-8760 or 702-324-0522
Burning Man Festival: www.burningman.com
Lost luggage:
If you don't file a written report, the airline can -- by law -- deny
you compensation. Airlines are only required to compensate you up to
$1250 per incident.
You can complain to the Department of Transportation at 202-366-2220
or write:
The Aviation Consumer Protection Division
U.S. Department of Transportation
C-75
400 7th Street SW
Washington D.C. 20590
Biking Through Italy
Travel isn't just about the destination. Getting there can be equally
rewarding. And your mode of travel can often define or
redefine an experience. My recent barge cruise through
Burgundy, France gave me a view of the country I never saw when I took
the train. So in today's final destination, we're heading off to a
popular vacation spot in a very different sort of way. This time we're
going to hit the road -- literally, as Joan Reiss takes us on a
biking trip through Tuscany.
Next Week on The Savvy Traveler
We visit an unlikely site in Nova Scotia that's been flooded with
tourists, inspired by the biggest box office attraction of all time...
"There they are, 10 plain black granite headstones. Only two have
names. The rest are identified with numbers. The stones all read: died
April, 15, 1912."
Where to find the real history of the Titanic tragedy. And we learn
how a Buddhist Lama uses humor to deal with the day to day stress of
travel on his book tour.
-Do you know how to recognize a Buddhist vacuum cleaner?
-No I don't.
-Oh, well let me tell you it comes with no attachments.
Plus I'll take you on a champagne soaked, jet-set jaunt through the
beaches of St. Tropez. All that plus my deal of the week and your tips
on how to beat the Labor Day crowds, in next week's edition of The
Savvy Traveler.
Ordering Tapes of The Savvy Traveler
If you want your very own copy of The Savvy Traveler, order an audio
cassette. It's easy. Just call 303-823-8000. The price is $15. As Rudy
says, it's a steal.
