A tour from the top down

ADMIRE the Chicago skyline on a five-day architecture history tour with the Oceanside Museum of Art.

The tour, which begins Sept. 22, will visit the Art Institute of Chicago and Oak Park, Ill., site of the home and studio of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as the birthplace of Ernest Hemingway.

“Chicago has marvelous architecture, theater, art and shopping,” said Ellen Stotmeister, museum travel committee member and Chicago native. “It’s as vibrant as New York but at a slower pace.”

The group will take a cruise of the Chicago River with an architecture docent, who will point out more than 40 famous buildings that can be viewed from the riverfront. The group will also tour some of the buildings, including the Sears Tower, the tallest building in North America.

Cost: $1,398 per person, double occupancy ($356 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare from San Diego, hotel, some meals, ground transportation, entrance fees and admissions, Oceanside museum contribution, airport transfers from Oceanside, baggage handling and hotel taxes. Airport taxes, government fees and a $30 membership fee to the museum are not included.

Contact: For tour information, call the Oceanside Museum of Art, (760) 721-2787, www.oma-online.org/news.html. For reservations, contact STS International Tours, Vista, Calif.; (800) 620-9995, www.stsinternationaltours.com.

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BAJA CALIFORNIA

Mexico as marineland

Kayak with whales and sharks in the Gulf of California on a weeklong getaway.

The road trip, which begins Sept. 10, passes through the wine-producing region of Santo Tomas and the agricultural area of San Quintin on the way to Catavina for a one-night stay. The group will arrive the following day at Bahia de los Angeles and travel by 28-foot fishing boats to La Unica, a camp of palm-thatched huts and hammocks in an isolated cove, for three days of snorkeling, swimming and hiking.

The return trip takes tourgoers north to San Quintin for one night, with a stop for lunch in Ensenada the following day.

Cost: $1,495 per person, double occupancy ($95 single surcharge), including ground transportation from San Diego, hotels and accommodations, most meals, boat transfers, excursions and guides.

Contact: Baja Discovery Tours, San Diego; (800) 829-2252, www.bajadiscovery.com.

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SICILY

Ancient ruins, active volcano

See Greek and Roman ruins and villages of Sicily on a nine-day tour of the island.

The tours, now through Oct. 28, visit Palermo, the medieval hill town of Erice, Cefalu, Messina, Syracuse, Trapani, Taormina, the active volcano Mt. Etna, and Monreale.

On the agenda are the Byzantine mosaics at the cathedral in Monreale, polychrome mosaics at the Roman villa at Casale and the Greek amphitheater in Segesta.

Cost: $2,429 per person, double occupancy ($450 single surcharge), for departures Oct. 7, 14 and 21. Included are round-trip airfare and tax from Los Angeles, meals, ground transportation in Sicily, sightseeing and guides.

Contact: Picasso Travel, Los Angeles; (310) 645-7527 or (800) 995-7997, www.picassotours.com.

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SPAIN

Mixing studies with pleasure

PRACTICE dressage and conjugate Spanish verbs during weeklong ride-and-study programs in Spain.

The chaperoned tours, offered July 17, Aug. 21 and Sept. 11, are primarily for those 13 to 19 years old. Teens will stay at El Molino equestrian estate near Pedraza in the Segovia area.

The vacations balance two hours of Spanish lessons and two hours of dressage or show jumping with trail riding and sightseeing in the surrounding countryside and medieval villages.

Cost: $1,485 per person, double occupancy ($300 single surcharge), including guesthouse accommodations, meals, riding, Spanish instruction and airport transfers. Airfare from Los Angeles to Madrid is not included.

Contact: Cross Country International, Millbrook, N.Y.; (800) 828-8768, www.equestrianvacations.com.

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The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. Send information to Tours & Cruises, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 or write via e-mail to travel@latimes.com.