A reader recently asked about where and how to buy discounted business-class tickets to Europe or Asia. Although most people are clearly interested in finding the cheapest airline ticket available, no matter what, some are willing to pay more to escape cattle-car economy – if it isn’t too much more. A handful of agencies sell discounted business-class tickets, and a few of these also now handle premium economy. But don’t expect any genuine “fly business class for the price of economy” opportunities. You’ll always pay more – typically at least three to five times as much.
York is a highlight for any visit to Britain—by far the best stop between London and Edinburgh. It has a huge church ... and, locals love to add, “A giant bell.”
Mexico wasn’t going to move, so I had only one option: Bang into it. Canoeing along the Rio Grande in West Texas requires quick reflexes and international diplomacy. After crashing into Mexico’s banks and shredding a small patch of Carrizo cane, I quickly U-turned and did the same thing to the U.S. side. Viva binational boating!
• Visit California is promoting a slew of deals at ski resorts in such powdery destinations as Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain and Big Bear Lake. Specials include free lift tickets and accommodations. For example, with the Slopeside Lift and Lodging Package at Mammoth Mountain, stay at least two nights and receive a free lift ticket for each guest per day. Choose from the Mammoth Mountain Inn, Tamarack Lodge and Resort, Village Lodge or Juniper Springs. For a one-bedroom condo at Juniper Springs, pay $828, including taxes and four lift tickets, for two weekday nights in early February. By comparison, lift tickets start at $89 and the room alone goes for $608 for two nights. Valid through May 26.Info for Mammoth deal: (800) 626-6684, www.mammothmountain.com. For other Cali ski deals: www.visitcalifornia.com/winterdeals.
My nose was on a mission: to sniff out home. At Kringle Candle in western Massachusetts, I lifted dozens of lids in search of a scent redolent of the warmth, comfort and co-dependence of my childhood.
BLAINE, Ohio—The Blaine Hill Bridge is a monument to Ohio’s past.The 385-foot, brick-paved bridge in Belmont County is also a surviving link to the historical National Road. Dating to 1828, it is the oldest surviving bridge in the Buckeye state and was designated Ohio’s Bicentennial Bridge in 2003.
We’ve all heard of Paul Revere and John Hancock, but what about Crispus Attucks?Attucks, a dockworker in his 40s, was the first American to die in the American colonists’ fight for freedom from Britain. He also was African-American and Native American. He was shot during the Boston Massacre in 1770, along with four others. Attucks is buried at the historic Granary Burying Ground, resting place for some of America’s founders, including John Hancock and Paul Revere.
While Europe is my passion and the focus of my work, Latin America has long held a fascination for me. I took my first trip to the region (to both Nicaragua and El Salvador) in 1988, during El Salvador’s civil war. I returned to both countries in 1991, after the war ended, and again to El Salvador in 2005. Here are some impressions I brought back from my most recent visit last Christmas.
From color therapy and medipedis to frigid blizzard rooms and swankier eyebrow bars, fresh trends are surfacing around the world in the $60 billion spa industry, according to an annual forecast.
• The Windham Hill Inn, a Relais & Chateaux property in southern Vermont, has an upscale stay-and-ski package through April 1. The deal starts at $710 double (plus 9 percent taxes) and includes two nights’ lodging (nightly rate typically from $255, plus taxes); one dinner for two at the Windham Hill Restaurant (tax and gratuity extra); three-course gourmet breakfasts; and two adult lift tickets to Stratton Mountain (value $69-$87 each) or Bromley Mountain ($49-$65). Blackout dates are Feb. 17-20. Info: (800) 944-4080, www.windhamhill.com/ special-offers/offersski-stay.
