TOURS & CRUISES

CALIFORNIA

Really feel the wind in your hair

HOIST a sail or swab the deck on six-day trips aboard the Californian, a 145-foot topsail schooner and the official tall ship of California.

Sailors will cruise the high seas between San Diego and Santa Barbara, stopping at the Channel Islands.

Three sailings are available: The Sept. 12 voyage departs San Diego, sailing to Santa Barbara via Catalina Island. On Sept. 19 the ship sails from Santa Barbara to the Channel Islands and returns to Santa Barbara. The third and final sailing leaves Santa Barbara on Sept. 26 and returns to San Diego by way of the Channel Islands.

“It’s definitely an adventure ... for people who want to participate in sailing the ship,” said Michael Shanahan of the San Diego Maritime Museum. “But you don’t have to have any experience.”

Participants are members of the “guest crew” and spend the first day learning the basics of rigging and sail handling. More experienced sailors, who must pass a physical test, may be permitted to go aloft. Children younger than 12 are not allowed.

Cost: $1,350 per person, includes shipboard accommodations (berths), meals on board and instruction. Transportation from Los Angeles is not included.

Contact: San Diego Maritime Museum; (619) 234-9153, Ext. 101, www.sdmaritime.org.

CANADA

Thundering falls, foliage

EXPLORE the cultural heritage of French Canadians on a tour for mature travelers to Ontario and Quebec.

Travelers on the 10-day sojourn, beginning Sept. 25, will stay in Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa and Toronto.

Along with Quebec City, the only walled city in North America, the itinerary includes stops in the nearby Sainte Anne de Beaupre Basilica and the Parliament Buildings and Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa.

Cost: $1,999 per person, double occupancy ($500 single surcharge), including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, hotels, most meals, ground transportation, cruises, tours, admissions, airport transfers and airport shuttle to and from home.

Contact: AFC Tours & Cruises, San Diego; (800) 369-3693, www.afctours.com.

CALIFORNIA

Yosemite, in a meadow mood

TAKE the high road the next time you visit Yosemite National Park on a day trip to Tuolumne Meadows.

Shuttle bus tours from Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadows are offered daily now through Labor Day.

Guides explain the park’s geography, history and wildlife along the 56-mile route with views of the glacier-carved valley, waterfalls and Tenaya Lake.

The group arrives at the 8,775-foot subalpine meadow in midmorning and leaves in midafternoon. Participants can wander meadow trails, hike along the river, rent a horse at the Tuolumne Meadows Stable, visit the Mountaineering School and Outdoor Shop or grab a burger at the Tuolumne Grill.

“Some people go to Tuolumne just for the burgers,” said Gary Rosenfield, manager of tours and transportation for DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite Inc.

Accommodations in the Yosemite Valley range from tents at Housekeeping Camp, $67 for one to four people, to hotel suites at the Ahwahnee that cost as much as $936.

Cost: The shuttle bus tour is $23 for adults, $11.50 for children age 5 to 12, free for children 4 and younger. Food and accommodations are not included.

Contact: Yosemite Tour Desk, Yosemite Lodge; (209) 372-1240. For tour or hotel reservations more than seven days in advance, call (559) 252-4848, www.yosemitepark.com.

GERMANY & FRANCE

Teach dog the Bavarian bark

TAKE Fido to Frankfurt on pooches-are-welcome weeklong tours of Germany and France.

The Sept. 1 and Oct. 15 tours include Germany’s wine region, dog-friendly (and human-friendly) spa treatments, hikes in the Bavarian Alps and lounging in French cafes.

The group stays at a spa in Bad Duerkheim for five nights, venturing on day trips to surrounding wineries and sightseeing in the French city of Strasbourg. Visitors also travel to the Bavarian Alps for a two-night stay that includes a boat ride on Lake Tegernsee.

Man’s best friend must be at least 1 year old and shorter than 16 inches at the shoulder.

Cost: $2,399 per person, double occupancy ($295 single surcharge), including hotels, some meals, ground transportation, guides, sightseeing tours, boat ride and airport transfers. Airfare from L.A. to Frankfurt is not included.

Contact: Specialty International Tours, New York City, N.Y.; (646) 435-2833, www.voyageswithdogs.com.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. Send information to Tours & Cruises, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012, travel@latimes.com.