Rundown for the week of May 15, 1999
Touring Patagonia
Patagonia is an area so removed that it's an ideal
breeding ground for wildlife, far from the pressures of the human world.
Argentina's beloved Poet Jorge Luis Borges once said, "There is nothing in
Patagonia." And granted, it's not your typical tourist destination. But
the very obscurity of Patagonia, covering the southern third of South
America, is what inspired Rachel Anne Goodman, to make the arduous journey
and discover that there is indeed something in Patagonia.
Q&A I: Summer Reading Rudy talks to listeners about their
favorite books for the festival season. Take a look at the summer reading list we've compiled from your suggestions.
Jerry Mallet Interview
Just last week a man named Pete Athans
reached the summit of Mount Everest for the sixth time. That makes him the
first non-Sherpa to make it that many times. Athans is one of the lucky
ones. More than 150 people have died trying to climb Everest. This week a
team of Ukranian climbers chose to push toward the summit through high
winds and billowing clouds without oxygen! Two of them had to be rescued
and, last we heard, one was missing and presumed dead. I am always amazed
when I hear stories like this. I am, what's known in the travel industry
as, a soft-adventure traveler...a little white water rafting...an extended
bike trip here and there. But I just don't have that desire to climb the
world's highest and most dangerous mountains. I don't get a thrill
thinking about diving in shark infested waters. What's even more amazing
to me is that the number of folks who do want that type of experience is
actually growing. I can't but wonder what it is that compels someone to
risk his or her life for the sake of adventure. I certainly don't have
the answer so I've invited an expert to help me see the light. We
interview Jerry Mallet, president of the Travel Adventure Society.
Nighttime in Nevada: Las Vegas
For some people thrill-seeking
comes, not from climbing mountains or swimming with great white sharks,
but from the challenge that comes from beating the odds...adventures that
are potentially more damaging your wallet than your neck. And for these
folks there's no better place to win and lose big than Nevada...the Silver
State. Today is the first of three journeys in which The Open Road's Hal
Cannon and Teresa Jordan take through Nevada at nighttime. And were else
to begin...but Las Vegas?
Deal of the Week
Everyone knows that summer means peak season
airfares to Europe. But if you can decide on your travel dates now, and
if you're willing to travel mid-week, you can lock in some terrific deals
on Air France out of New York and Newark.
Ready for the rules? But of course! OK, you can buy these discounted
tickets from now until Wednesday, May 19th. Travel is good in the heart
of the summer, between July 11th and August 11th. Travel midweek between
New York or Newark to Paris and you'll pay $648 round trip before taxes.
Air France promises that's about $200 less than you're going to pay if you
buy the same ticket later. Similar deals are good for travel to Austria,
Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. If you have to travel on a weekend, figure
on paying about 50 bucks more.
And here's a tip: If Air France can't accommodate you, check the
competition--sometimes rival airlines will drop their fares to match an
announced sale like this one. But remember, you have to act by Wednesday.
Q&A II: General Questions
Rudy takes listeners' general questions about travel. He mentions:
Traveling to the Ozarks
- For information on trails, fishing and how to rent cabins or campsites,
call 800-NATURAL.
- The Eureka Springs area of Arkansas is filled with natural and cultural
things to do. Call 800-6-EUREKA.
- Visit the Crater of Diamons State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, the
only diamond mine open to prospecting by the public. Call 870-285-3113.
- Places to stay in Eureka Springs:
- Morningstar Retreat. A small country inn nine miles outside
Eureka Springs that offers suites, rooms or a cottage starting at $95-115
per night.
- Red Bud Valley Resort. With 17 cottages, this resort, situated
on a 200-acre valley with a private park, offers hiking, swimming, fishing
guides, roaming wildlife and a spring-fed stocked lake. Cottages start at
$120/double with jacuzzi. Family cabins start at $79. Call 501-253-9028 or
surf to www.redbudvalley.com.
- Big Cedar Lodge, 612 Devil's Pool Road, Ridgedale, MO. Call 417-335-2777.
Frankfurt in November
- Check out the Christmas markets for a taste of a traditional German
Christmas. Frankfurt's Christmas market is located in the Historic Center
and opens November 24. Email info@tcf.frankfurt.de for more information.
- Take the kids to the Kaleidoskop Children's Museum, located at
Juliusstr. 12. Or check it out on the Web.
Thailand's Ko Samui Island
- The Imperial Samui on Chaweng Noi beach offers simple rooms with views
of the beach, an oceanside pool and the cleanest, whitest sand on the
island. Call +66-77-424-393 or visit www.imperialhotels.com.
- The Laem Set Inn on Laem Set Bay is a more traditional, Thai-style inn.
Call +66-77-424-393 or surf to www.laemset.com.
- When making hotel reservations always use your top card - if you have a
platinum card it gives you more protection than a regular card.
All-Inclusive Island Vacation Packages
- Allegro Resorts are scattered throughout the Caribbean and feature a
variety of amenities - volleyball, tennis, kayaking, windsurfing, etc.
Visit www.allegroresorts.com.
- For a package including airfare, try calling Air Jamaica at 800-LOVEBIRD
(no, it's not just for lovebirds).
- You can browse through a variety of travel packages by visiting www.vacationpackager.com.
Driving Lessons in Napoli
Last year we had you place you votes for the
worst drivers in the world. We heard, of course, about Los Angeles,
Israel, Paris. It seems to be pretty bad everywhere. The Portuguese have
one of the highest death rates. Egyptian drivers don't make much use of
their headlights at night.The Greeks don't appear to have ever passed any
traffic laws. And I don't think New Yorkers have yet figured out why turn
signals were installed on their cars. So we decided to ask an expert...our
own Vagabond traveler for his opinion. He replied with this postcard.
Next Week on The Savvy Traveler
Next week we visit an town in Nova Scotia that's become a magnet for tourists drawn by disaster and the
biggest box office attraction of all time.
"There they are, 10 plain black granite headstones. The stones all read:
died April, 15, 1912."
The real history of the Titanic tragedy And how would you feel if you went
to a place so remote, that you became an virtual tourist attraction?
"There's a number of villages that we went into where we were the first
Europeans ever to go in. On some occasions no one there had ever seen a
European before."
One man's voyage to undiscovered New Guinea and more of the Nighttime in
Nevada, during next week's journey with The Savvy Traveler.
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.
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