More to love about San Francisco

VISITORS to San Francisco will find several new attractions and incentives. Among them:

* Duck Tours offers land-sea tours aboard an open-air amphibious vehicle, a renovated World War II transport that holds 30 passengers.

The 90-minute journey, which leaves several times daily from Fisherman’s Wharf, rolls through Chinatown, North Beach, Union Square and other districts, then on to China Basin, where it splashes into San Francisco Bay for a skyline view.

The company is Bay Quackers, whose co-founder helped start similar tours in Seattle. Adults $35; less for children, seniors and families. For information: (415) 431-DUCK (431-3825), www.bayquackers.com.

* An exhibit called “After the Ruins, 1906 and 2006,” opening Dec. 17, pairs 46 photographs taken after the disastrous 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire with modern views of the same sites.

Photographer Mark Klett spent two years on the project.

It’s on view through June 4 at the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, near 34th Avenue and Clement Street.

Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for children 13 to 17 years old; 13 and under are free. For information: (415) 863-3330, www.legionofhonor.org.

-- Jane Engle

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Hertz system points the way

in Europe

HOW to get from here to there on the Continent or in Britain? Help on the way from Hertz.

The car rental company is rolling out its NeverLost satellite navigation system, which gives audio and visual driving directions in Europe.

Starting last month, it was available on cars rented in Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands. Next year, it will be added in Belgium, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

The system, operating in 11 languages, covers 27 European countries and costs about $12 per day or $60 per week over the cost of the car rental.

Among other functions: Users can search for hotels by rating and restaurants by cuisine type.

For information: (800) 654-3001 or www.hertz.com.

-- Jane Engle

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Chicago extends a warm welcome to its visitors

CHICAGO in January isn’t exactly Siberia. Sometimes it’s colder. But the city is making the most of its slow period by offering Winter Delights, an annual campaign that features deals and programs designed to lure visitors in January and February.

This year, such offerings as ballroom dancing, opera and jazz are being added to the usual hotel promotions.

More than two dozen hotels will participate in the themed weekend packages, in partnership with artists and cultural organizations. Participants will have VIP access to performers and events, many of which will be staged right at the hotels.

One music program, “Winter Jazz Delight at the Pen” features a performance by the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra led by Wynton Marsalis and meet-and-greet sessions with members of the band.

Rates begin at $150 per room per night. Book at www.877chicago.com or call (877) 244-2246.

-- Chris Erskine

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Airlines may be asked to provide health data

CITING a need to protect Americans from bird flu and other ailments, U.S. health officials have proposed requiring airlines to file reports on passengers and crew who show symptoms of certain infectious diseases, such as cholera, yellow fever and SARS.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, which proposed the regulatory overhaul, also said it wanted authority to vaccinate and treat quarantined people.

“We’re not talking about quarantining anybody for a sniffle or a cough,” said Dr. Martin Centron, director of the CDC’s division of global migration and quarantine.

Although bird flu has not yet surfaced in the United States, it has killed several dozen people in Asian nations since late 2003.

The proposed rules are subject to 60 days of public comment.

To view the rules or to comment, log onto www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/nprm/comments.htm or write to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, ATTN: Q Rule Comments, 1600 Clifton Road N.E., (E03), Atlanta, GA 30333.

-- Reuters