The home of the world’s tallest Christmas...

The home of the world’s tallest Christmas tree (a 125-foot Sitka spruce) will be celebrating Christmas the old-fashioned way again this year. Ferndale (210 miles north of San Francisco via Highway 101) will welcome holiday guests through December. The lighting of the big tree takes place Dec. 9. Nearly 1,000 bulbs strung by Ferndale’s volunteer fire department will glow while carolers sing. Hot chocolate/homemade cookies for visitors. On Dec. 7, shopkeepers will serve cider/hors d’oeuvres to crowds gathered in town.

Other Christmas trees along Main Street will be decorated with handmade ornaments by students from Ferndale Elementary School. Adding to the spirit of the season, the 50-voice Ferndale Community Choir will perform at Ferndale’s Congregational Church on Dec. 8. St. Nick takes over the show Dec. 22, with holiday music provided by Ferndale’s Booster Band.

If you intend to stay over, I have a favorite inn: the Gingerbread Mansion, P.O. Box 40, Ferndale, Calif. 95536. This is an old Victorian. Nine rooms with private baths. The house will be decorated with trees, pine boughs, holly. Hot mulled wine served each evening. Carols by the fire.

Rates: $75/$165. Telephone (707) 786-4000.

Ski Express: Here’s an item for skiers planning trips to Aspen/Telluride, Colo. On Dec. 14, United Express will begin daily nonstop service from LAX to Aspen. The following day, SkyWest Airlines will begin service to Telluride. Flight time to Aspen on United Express will be 2 1/2 hours aboard an 86-passenger jet. Departure from LAX: 7 a.m. daily (except Wednesday), 2:30 p.m. daily (except Tuesday). Fares start at $369 round trip. SkyWest will fly to Telluride twice weekly (Saturday/Wednesday). Morning departures (9:30 a.m.), with arrival in Telluride at 1:30 p.m. Fares from $398 round trip.

United Express: (800) 241-6522.

SkyWest Airlines (800) 453-9417.

Old Mill Inn: A number of old mills in France have been converted to inns. Great atmosphere, plenty of peace and privacy. South of Paris (150 miles) is a restored 18th-Century water mill that’s attracted a lot of attention since our visit several years ago. Auberge du Moulin de Chameron is operated by Jacques Candore and his wife Annie (he’s the ex-manager of Jack’s Restaurant in San Francisco). A rural setting, excellent cuisine. Peaceful gardens, a pond, biking along country roads. Both Jacques and Annie are natives of France. They returned home after homesickness set in for the slower pace of France’s smaller villages. In spare moments, the Condores deliver guests to old castles/monuments near their home. Wonderful hosts.

Auberge du Moulin de Chameron, 18210 Bannegon, France. (Ask the Candores for the addresses of other member inns.)

Lost Luggage: While some travelers probably will disagree, I’m convinced that the lost luggage departments at most airlines do a commendable job of recovering missing bags. What amazes me is that more items don’t go astray, considering the millions of individual bags handled annually by the airlines. No one intentionally sends your luggage to Baltimore if you’re on a flight to Boston. But mistakes do occur, and particularly during the busy holiday season. To avoid risks, here are a few rules to follow:

--First, always attach identification tags to your bags--inside as well as outside. This way, if the tag on the handle is ripped off, the airline can trace your bag by the tag inside.

--Jot down your name, office address and telephone number on the tags. If possible, avoid using your home address. Thieves who hang around the airports study these tags, with the result that you run the risk of having your home burglarized while you’re away.

--Make certain the tags attached to luggage by skycaps/airline personnel are coded with your destination. During peak hours, tags with the wrong destination can be mistakenly attached--and that’s when your luggage ends up in Miami or Portland rather than Chicago or Cheyenne.

--Never place car keys, medication, jewelry or other valuables in checked baggage. These items should be kept with you in a carry-on bag aboard the plane.

--Finally, make a list of everything you place in your luggage. This will help the airline to identify your belongings should they turn up at another destination.

The Tipping Bugaboo: How much to tip? The question keeps popping up, and for travelers it’s a perplexing subject. Frankly, there’s no pat answer.

Tipping varies country to country. Often city to city. What a taxi driver expects in Santa Fe, N.M., probably won’t satisfy a cabbie in New York City. (New York City cabbies are the highest-tipped drivers in the United States, averaging a minimum 10%/15% of the meter price.) This business of tipping involves a host of others: skycaps, hotel doormen/bellmen, room porters, stewards on cruise ships, tour guides, maids. Yes, maids. Few travelers realize that maids expect a gratuity, too. This is why it’s a blessing of sorts when a 15% service charge is added to your bill, allowing you to escape the vexing problem of how much to tip.

Some travelers tip too much, others too little. If it’s pouring rain and your hotel doorman braves the deluge to flag a cab, he deserves a couple of dollars or so. So do airport skycaps (who ordinarily earn the minimum hourly wage). It’s overseas, though, that Americans get into real trouble. In many countries there’s a 10%/15% service charge added to hotel/restaurant bills. So the cardinal rule is always to ask, “Is service included?”

It is no secret that tipping can put a strain on the traveler’s budget. Everyone, it seems, is looking for a handout. The hall porter who shines your shoes expects something. The maid, as I pointed out, is hopeful. Always, of course, it’s up to the individual. So consider purchasing a tipping guide before going overseas--and make an effort to learn the value of the coins you’ll be using. Otherwise you’ll probably overtip or undertip (and you’ll know which simply by the smile or the frown you get).

Touring D.C.: A new booklet published by the Washington, D.C., Convention & Visitor’s Assn. is filled with tips on driving, airports, railroads, buses, taxis serving the nation’s capital. A listing of attractions: Arlington Cemetery, Bureau of Engraving/Printing, FBI (free one-hour tours), Ford’s Theater, Jefferson Memorial, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Library of Congress, Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Memorial Library, Mount Vernon, National Archives, National Gallery of Art, Pentagon, Roosevelt Memorial, Smithsonian Institution, Supreme Court, Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, Washington Monument, White House. Details on weather, parks, Georgetown, Foggy Bottom, Anacosta. A helpful centerfold map pinpoints major attractions.

Free copies of “Attractions & Tours” from the Washington, D.C., Convention & Visitor’s Assn., Tourist Information, 1212 New York Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005. Call (202) 789-7000.

Reader Recommendations

California--Rosemary Sperry, Santa Ana: “Sea Lodge, 8110 Camino del Oro, La Jolla. Perfect place to vacation with the kids. Rates average $125 off-season.”

California--Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Brown, Escondido: “Evans American Gourmet Cafe, 536 Emerald Bay Road, South Lake Tahoe. Superb cuisine. Moderately expensive.”

Arizona--Donni Clark, Placentia: “A touch of Sedona, 595 Jordan Road, Sedona, Ariz. 86336. Comfortable. Lovely appointments. Four bedrooms that range in price from $65-$75 per night.”

Canada--Janet Benjamin, Beverly Hills: “La Belle Vie, 325 Lancaster Ave., St. John, New Brunswick, Canada E2M 4Y1. A small mansion built in 1872. Six rooms, from $50 single to $90 for a large suite. The best dinner we had, including those in Montreal, was at La Belle Vie. Cost: about $18.”

England--David Reskin, Hollywood: “A delightful B&B; called Corner House, 36 Victoria Road, Penrith, England CA11 8HR. Comfortable, spotless rooms. Price: about $22 per person.”

We regret that only a select few recommendations can be used. They must be brief (typewritten or printed). Only one recommendation per reader, please. Note: Recommendations will not be used unless prices and addresses are included.