TOURS & CRUISES

Trail drives take riders from valley to High Sierra

Ride herd on 100 head of horses and mules on a rousing four-day June trail drive that will roam 80 miles from the scrublands of the Owens Valley to the snowcapped mountains of the High Sierra. Or reverse the trip in September, driving the herd back down from the mountains.

“The trail drives are easily the most exciting days of the year for us,” said Craig London of Rock Creek Pack Station. “It’s an active riding vacation in which guests participate in all phases of the horse drive.”

The drives, on June 14 and Sept. 20, are open to riders of varying abilities and typically draw participants from children to seniors, London said.

The pack station moves the horses to the mountains for the summer and then organizes trail rides and pack trips into the John Muir and Yosemite wilderness. Rock Creek also operates hiking trips, a fly-fishing course and packing schools in the summer.

Cost: $785 per person for the trail drives, including mounts, camping equipment and food. A cook and crew set up camp nightly. Sleeping bags are not provided. Other summer programs range from $475 per person for a three-day Hilton Lakes trail ride to $1,475 per person for a 10-day northern Yosemite hike.

Contact: Rock Creek Pack Station; (760) 872-8331 during winter or (760) 935-4493 during summer, www.rockcreekpackstation.com.

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ANGUILLA

Moving to the beat in the

British West Indies

Tune in to your inner rhythm as you learn how to tango and rumba at a five-day Dance for Joy school at the Cap Juluca resort in Anguilla, British West Indies.

The program, offered June 18, Aug. 20 and Nov. 5, will be conducted by U.S. ballroom champion Bill Davis. Students will participate in daily group dance lessons and a final dinner dance. Swing dance lessons will be included.

Cap Juluca is on the southwest coast of Anguilla and overlooks the mountains of St. Maarten, six miles away. The island of Anguilla, which is a British Crown territory, is 16 miles long and 3 miles wide.

Cost: $2,858 per couple, including beachfront accommodations, two meals daily, lessons, yoga and spa sessions, room tax and hotel service charges. Transportation to Anguilla is not included.

Contact: Cap Juluca; (888) 858-5822, www.capjuluca.com.

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ARIZONA

In the ancient homeland of

Native Americans

StEP into the distant past this summer on a four-day tour of northern Arizona’s prehistoric ruins and archeological sites.

The trip, which begins July 10 in Camp Verde and ends in Flagstaff, will draw on local and native guides to talk about cliff dwellings, rock-art sites, prehistoric pueblos and the ancient homeland of the Hopi Indians. Tour participants will travel by van.

“It’s an educational trip with a lot of hands-on elements,” said tour organizer Tony Nester, who has a background in archeology.

The group will visit the national monuments at Montezuma Castle, Tuzigoot, Walnut Canyon and Wupatki. It will also visit the town of Sedona and the Third Mesa region on the Hopi Reservation.

Cost: $475 per person, including transportation, tents and camping gear, meals, permits and camping fees. Round-trip transportation to Camp Verde and from Flagstaff is not provided.

Contact: Ancient Pathways; (928) 774-7522, www.apathways.com.

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FRANCE

A summertime

of study in the

City of Light

GeT to know the City of Light this summer with a five-week study-abroad program in Paris sponsored by Riverside Community College.

The June 27-to-Aug. 3 program helps students become immersed in French culture while earning college credits in literature, humanities and French civilization. Courses will be held at Schiller Institute in the Montparnasse area of Paris.

Students will travel with college faculty members; they will stay in furnished apartments.

Cost: $3,869 per person, including round-trip airfare from LAX to Paris, group transfers, accommodations, two-day excursions, bus and Metro passes, pre-departure and on-site orientations, and medical and travel insurance.

Contact: Jan Schall, coordinator of international education at Riverside City College, (909) 222-8340, or e-mail jan.schall@ rcc.edu.

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NEW MEXICO

Opera, stories

and a spa visit in O’Keeffe country

Raft down the Rio Grande, stroll through artist Georgia O’Keeffe’s home, then watch a colorful dance ceremony at Zia Pueblo. All are part of an eclectic weeklong New Mexico tour for women.

“It’s a chance for women to take a leisurely, responsibility-free vacation to rejuvenate themselves,” said tour representative Christy Rojas. The tour is scheduled Aug. 14 to 20.

The group will visit Santa Fe, Taos and Santa Ana, N.M. Among other highlights will be a spa visit, a performance at the Santa Fe Opera, participation in a Native American pottery class and a session with a Native American storyteller.

Cost: $1,000 per person, double occupancy, or $1,400 single occupancy. Included are hotel accommodations, land transportation, two meals daily, museum entrance fees, opera ticket and fees for other activities. Round-trip transportation to New Mexico is not included.

Contact: Christy Rojas, Aventura Artistica; (800) 808-7352, www.newmexicotours.com.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. These should be confirmed with travel agents, cruise lines or tour operators.