Did you know that strawberries, though considered a fruit, are technically a member of the rose family? Then you are ripe for the California Strawberry Festival this weekend in Oxnard. On 50 acres, the event features two concert stages and an array of strawberry treats, including strawberry beer. There’s also Strawberryland for the kids. Info: (888) 288-9242 or www.strawberry-fest.org . . . . Speaking of kids, here’s yet another summer activity in family friendly San Diego: Pirate Ship Adventures offers daily cruises aboard an 83-foot sailing ship, including a special July 4...

Active U.S. servicemen and women and their families will receive a new perk come Saturday: free passes to more than 2,000 public lands nationwide. The Department of the Interior and the Joining Forces initiative announced Tuesday that passes would be available starting on Armed Forces Day on Saturday.

"Just 1% of Americans are fighting our wars, but we need 100% to support our troops and their families," Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar said in a news conference Monday. Salazar and others are scheduled to appear Tuesday at the Yorktown Victory Monument in Virginia and begin giving out passes.

T...

Accor Hotels, which operate Novotel, Ibis, Pullman and other brands in India, is offering a 15% discount on rooms this summer as well as breakfast for two for just 1 rupee (roughly a penny). The sale is good at 15 hotels, including properties in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

The deal: You might recognize the name Accor because the company operates Motel 6 and other properties in the U.S. The Early Breaksoffer requires reservations at least three days in advance to receive 15% off the standard room rate and breakfast for two for the equivalent of a penny. Note the rate must be prepaid and...

The hills are alive with the sound of Black Hawk helicopters at Denali National Park,  home of the highest mountain in North America.

With spring ebbing toward summer, Denali National Park Preserve mountaineering staffers are putting the finishing touches on the base camp and high-altitude camps needed to support the 1,200 climbers who will assault Mt. McKinley and other nearby peaks this year.  And they couldn’t do it without the support of three US Army UH-60's, or Black Hawks.

The Black Hawksbegan flying missions from Talkeetna, Alaska, to the 7,200-foot-level on the Kahiltna Glacier,...

Question: Can I be a greener hotel guest?

Answer: You can and you should. But, as Kermit the Frog noted, it's not easy being green.

The May 6 "On the Spot" column focused on behaviors of hotel guests that are wasteful and harmful to the environment. But, we should note, it's also up to the hotel to practice what the green gods preach. The question for those of us who are environmental novices — and I am one — is what is a best practice? I'd love to know if housekeeping is using environmentally sound products, but I don't have the expertise to assess that. Instead, experts made these...

Vancouver, Canada, is very beautiful, very blue and very affordable through June 27, thanks to a $281 round-trip fare from LAX on Alaska and WestJet.

The fare, subject to availability, includes all taxes and fees. It requires a 14-day advance purchase and travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays. No minimum stay required.

Info: Alaska, (800) 252-7522; WestJet, (855) 547-2451.
Source: Airfarewatchdog

All you need in your pocket or purse to find a hot restaurant.

Name: Chef's Feed

Available for: iPhone, iPod touch and iPad; Android coming soon.

What it does: Profiles award-winning chefs and their favorite dishes at specific restaurants in certain cities. From there, you can map the restaurant, add it to your profile and itinerary, rate the dish and tell your friends about it using Twitter or Facebook.

Cost: Free.

What's hot:This app is becoming a better tool for business travelers. Since launching with San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, they've added Boston, Philadelphia,...

If you can’t decide between a European tour and a transatlantic cruise this year, YMT Vacations offers a fall trip that combines both. It starts with four days in Amsterdam touring the canals, the Skinny Bridge and a diamond factory. 

From there it’s on to the German cities of Bremen and Hamburg, before hopping a ferry to Denmark. After seeing the Little Mermaid and other landmarks in Copenhagen, the 14-day transatlantic cruise on the Norwegian Sun begins. Ports of call include Lisbon and Funchal, Madeira, before arrival in Miami.

When: The trip begins Sept. 23 in Amsterdam.

Price: St...

The Red & White Wine Bar is across the street from beautiful Lake Como, with forever views, in Tremezzo, Italy. The chef and his wife are charming, friendly and speak English. The food is outstanding: It was the best pasta e fagioli I have ever had, and my husband had the lasagna three days in a row. Prices are reasonable.

Red & White Wine Bar, 18 Via Portico Sampietro, Tremezzo; 011-39-0344-40095. Pizzas and pastas from about $10. Main dishes $20-22.

Jade Kemble

Rancho Bernardo