Rundown for the week of October 17, 1998
The Open Road: Salt Flats
If you've ever had the urge to drive really fast, listen up. We're
going to a place where there is no speed limit, a place which dares
you to drive as fast as you can. They'll even clock you if you can
scare up a crash helmet, an entry fee of 75 bucks, and a number on the
side of your car. It's the Bonneville Salt Flats, just off Interstate
80 near the Utah/Nevada border town of Wendover. Hal Cannon and his
wife Teresa Jordan of The Open Road take us there. By the way, don't
just pull off the interstate onto the salt; chances are it's soggy and
you'll find yourself up to your axles in mush, which will make the tow
truck drivers a little richer. Head to one of the speed trials, stay
at one of a half dozen inexpensive casinos in nearby Wendover and by
all means, stay on the marked course.
Q & A I -- Ugly American Episodes
Rudy talks to listeners about those awful moments on the road when
they've witnessed Americans behaving badly.
Armistead Maupin Interview
Now we head to San Francisco, home to Armistead Maupin, author of the
popular Tales of the City series. It's probably safe to say
that in no other city would Maupin have been able to speak so frankly
about the swinging 70s lifestyle, candidly talking about gay life and
taboo subjects like transsexualism and drug use. So when we invited
Armistead to talk about the place he holds in his heart, we expected
him to talk about the city that helped foster his career. Instead, he
surprised us and said he'd like to talk about a tiny village in New
Zealand where he bought a second home in the early 90s and he referred
to it as a "weekend place," yes, a weekend place in New Zealand.
Deal of the Week: Magical Holidays 2Afrika
Safaris are becoming more affordable. Isn't it about time you
consider visiting Kenya, Botswana, or Tanzania and see the wildest of
wildlife in its natural habitat? Magical Holidays 2Afrika is offering
a six-night safari package via KLM from New York, Boston or Chicago
for only $1900 per person, including airfare, lodging, meals, and a
guaranteed window seat on drives through a few of Kenya's very best
game reserves.
You can call:
- British Airways' vacation division at 800-359-8722
- Magical Holidays at 800-2AFRIKA.
Q & A II -- General Questions
Rudy takes listeners' general questions about travel. He mentions:
Grand Canyon in the winter
- Less crowds and colder temperatures (in the 20s), but it's warmer at
the bottom(50s).
- Raft trips are only available November through March because the
river can freeze, but you can take a mule tour. Call the tour
operator at 303-297-2757.
- For a free trip planning guide call the national park at
520-638-7888.
Cheapest way to England from Minnesota
- Shop around for lowest fares, but Chicago may be your best bet.
- Best time to go is after January 4 - when the holiday crowds are
done with their trips.
- British Airways offers packages with hotel stays starting around
$400: 800-359-8722.
- London to Manchester by train is about 3 hours and $80. Call Rail
Europe at 800-4EURAIL.
- For bed and breakfast accommodations in Manchester call B and B My
Guest: 800-906-4232.
Destinations for dogs (and owners!)
- Florida's Turtle Beach Resort offers cottages with kitchens anc
accepts dogs. High-season rates are about $1200/week: 941-349-4554.
- The YO Ranch in Mountain Home, Texas accepts hunting dogs:
800-Y-O-RANCH.
- Stiles in
Travel is an agency specializing in travel with dogs:
916-383-1782.
Foreign Tongue Twisters
Here's one tip on how to be a considerate traveler: learn a few words
native to the country you're visiting. Hey, if nothing else, it gives
you a chance to dust off your college French or high school Spanish.
People will appreciate it because it's no easy feat communicating in a
foreign tongue. And as The Savvy Traveler's Doug Lansky found, a
foreign tongue -- like an American tongue -- can twist. Lansky is
editor of a new travel-humor anthology called There's No Toilet
Paper on the Road Less Traveled.
Next Week on The Savvy Traveler
Well, that about does it because there's no way I can recite those
foreign tongue twisters for you. But there's much more to learn next
week and many journeys to take, beginning with a visit to a remote
tribe of people in Borneo...
"Tattoos are the Iban's most profound sign of manhood, and they
function in spiritual terms as an actual torch to help make one's way
into the dark after death."
We'll also hear from a disgruntled passenger who thinks the airlines'
new peanut free zones are...you guessed it...nuts!
"Have you given any thought to what the airlines are gonna
substitute for the peanuts? Certainly not real food, which we all
know has no place on an airline."
All that plus your tips on how to be more considerate on the road in
next week's edition of The Savvy Traveler. We hope you'll join us.
For tapes of the show...
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.
The Savvy Traveler Newsletter
For more information about the upcoming newsletter call 888-SAV-TRAV
extension 3 or e-mail mail@savvytraveler.org.
