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Rundown for the Week of January 22, 2000

The Rush of the Rapids
Though most guidebook writers come home eventually, there are people in the travel industry who stay on the road practically all year long, chasing the seasons from continent to continent. Rafting guides are a good example. A special breed of traveler, these folks spend much of the year in the outdoors, sleeping in tents, cooking at campfires, and following the water, as they say, wherever it's running. Typical salaries range from $10-20,000 a year, depending on tips and how many weeks they work. It's clear they're not in it for the money, so why do they do it? We spent some time along the Green River in eastern Utah and asked that question of 27-year-old Rebecca Brown, who started guiding eight years ago and hasn't stopped paddling since.

A Skater's Paradise
My staff in L.A. cracks me up whenever they complain about the weather...they get cranky when the mercury drops below 70! For the rest of us in the real world, winter is cold, slippery and it seems to go on forever. Some people hibernate. But others, like visitors to Ottawa, Ontario, try to make the best of it. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Karen Kelly found, Ottawa is home to the longest skating rink in the world.

The Genesis of Vacation
Reading from the first book of the Travel Bible. Hear how The Vacation was created by the almighty travel agent in the sky.

Vacationing: Nunnery Style
A monastic retreat isn't for everyone, but sometimes it's worth trying these things just for the pure adventure of it. The Savvy Traveler's Judie Fein is always up for a new experience, so she decided to give it a try. Obviously she wouldn't be allowed to stay at Mt. Athos, so she found a place closer to home and sent us this postcard from a retreat in Arizona.

Unpacked: An Interview with Tony Wheeler
Each year scads of Lonely Planet writers hit the road to report on the travel scene all over the world. The out-takes -- the stories that didn't make it into the guides, danger, disaster -- all the good stuff -- are the subject of a new Lonely Planet book called Unpacked. It's a collection of short stories that may leave you wondering if travel writers are eligible for battle pay. When Tony Wheeler stopped by recently, we asked him what inspired this book.

Deal of the Week
Entertainment Discounts

Question of the Week
Friends on the Road

Travelers' Aid
Monastery Lodging

Rudy's View
The "Typical" American

Culture Watch Northern Lights

Next Week
Don't forget to hop on board next week because we're going to take you on a special tour of Rudy's hometown: Washington D.C. You see, there really are two Washingtons. One's for tourists, with museums and Memorials. The other is for a different kind of insider: people like Ellington and Fitzgerald, Dunbar and Hughes. Rudy will give you the grand tour.

Then, a deeper investigation as we try to figure out what that stuff is that flight attendant serve you during the course of your trip:

"Actually on board we look at food as a form of entertainment. They look forward to that meal, that's something to break up their flight."

Well, it's good to know they don't look at it as food. The grill marks on chicken and more appetizing adventures during next week's journey with The Savvy Traveler.

Cassette Copies
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.

Rudy Maxa's Traveler Newsletter
Check out Rudy's monthly newsletter at www.rudymaxa.com.

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