QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS : Family Farm Vacations in the West

Question: Are there farms on the West Coast that offer weekly summer accommodations for the family?

Answer: This kind of vacation is increasing in popularity throughout the West, and more farms and ranches are opening their doors to the public. Your travel agent can help and bookshops carry various guides, including “Ranch Vacations,” by Eugene Kilgore (W. E. Norton $18.95), and “Farm, Ranch & Country Vacations,” by Pat Dickerman, 37 East 57th St., New York 10022 ($12).

Q: Where is the Civil Rights Museum and what’s to see?

A: The $10-million Memphis museum is constructed on the site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Exhibits highlight the bus boycott and various freedom marches, plus other significant Civil Rights’ occurrences of the 1950s and ‘60s.

Q: Can you recommend some literature to help the senior traveler?

A: There are numerous guides in bookshops covering this subject. However, for a free 48-page booklet, “101 Tips for Mature Travelers,” call (800) 248-3737 or write to Grand Circle Travel, 347 Congress St., Boston, Mass. 02210.

Q: Is it more advantageous to book a cruise through a cruise-only agent?

A: These travel shops specialize in booking cruises and don’t sell other services. This is no guarantee, however, that you’ll get more information or better rates than at a “full-service” agency.

Q: Do all airline frequent - flier programs include deals with car rental firms?

A: Except for some small, regional airlines, all American and Canadian frequent-flier plans incorporate car rentals.

Q: Will the Canadian railroads operate in daylight over the Rocky Mountains again this year?

A: The Great Canadian Railtour Co. is scheduling weekly departures from Vancouver. Call (800) 665-7245 for information.

Q: Does the federal government maintain a health information center for travelers?

A: The Centers for Disease Control, in Atlanta, operates a travelers’ hot line, accessible from a touchtone phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call (404) 332-4559. It provides information for the international traveler and is updated as needed.

Q: What with the United States having competed in the recent Pan American Games, will tourism be reopened in Cuba?

A: U.S. State Department officials say they are not planning to lift restrictions on tourist traffic to Cuba until there is a substantial change in the Castro government’s political policy involving the United States.