Hotel Space in San Diego Despite America’s Cup

The America’s Cup failure so far to draw anticipated crowds means recession-plagued San Diego still has plenty of hotel rooms available in all price ranges for April yachting qualification races and for the best-of-seven match race that begins May 9. Of the 43,000 rooms in the San Diego area, it is projected that less than half will be booked even at peak periods of competition, according to an America’s Cup spokesman.

Still, for best race viewing, it is a good idea to advance-book a day trip on a spectator boat. The duration of excursions on Coast Guard-sanctioned craft vary depending upon the race, but generally are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Day trips for April elimination races will range in price from about $50 to $90; for the match race it will be $150. Tickets should be purchased in advance for pickup at the boat operator’s dock.

For those who prefer to stay on land, televised race viewing is possible at the America’s Cup International Centre--an open-air tent adjacent to the Amtrak station and the boat docks.

And in the nearby America’s Cup Museum, the 140-year history of the race is studied with historical artifacts and photographs. Admission to the museum, 1150 N. Harbor Drive, adjacent to the boat docks, is $3 for adults; $1 for children 6-12.

For advice on finding a room with easy access to events, as well as on purchasing tickets for spectator boats, contact the International Visitor Information Center of the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau: (619) 236-1212.

Travel Quiz: In what cities did the legendary Route 66 begin and end?

Running Rings Around Pisa: Workers will start clamping steel rings around the Leaning Tower of Pisa within the next couple of weeks as a stopgap measure to keep it from toppling. Five steel rings, made of cable about half an inch in diameter, will be clamped around the lower part of the tower, where pressure from the lean is greatest. The rings will reduce pressure on the stones between the tower’s first and second stories, which have to bear most of the pressure caused by its tilt. The 187-foot-high structure, one of Italy’s most popular tourist attractions, leans nearly 16.5 feet off the perpendicular because its foundation unevenly settled on a layer of unstable subsoil. It was closed to the public in January, 1990, causing a huge economic loss for the Tuscan city, which is famous for little else.

Who’s Going Abroad?: If you are between 45 and 49 years old, with an annual family income of $40,000 or more and employed in a professional or managerial position, you are the most likely category of American to be taking an international trip this year, according to the U.S. Travel Data Center’s National Travel Survey. Nearly 56 million people, or 30% of the U.S. adult population, indicated they are likely to take an international trip in 1992, says the survey, which interviewed 1,500 adults.

Quick Fact: Amount of U.S. domestic air travel that last year actually involved some form of discount, according to the Air Transport Assn.: 95%. (The average discount was about two-thirds off full fare.)

No Plane, No Gain: Forget about “vegging out” on long-distance flights. Lufthansa and Swissair are the first airlines to show fitness videos that offer exercises for use by passengers while seated. The videos, which will be shown before movies on Lufthansa flights between Los Angeles and Frankfurt and on Swissair between Los Angeles and Zurich (as well as other long flights), will feature exercises for improving circulation in lower legs and arms, and for helping relax neck, back and shoulder muscles. The programs debuted on Swissair in January and on Lufthansa in February.

Reducing Plan: Stung by international criticism of its Olympic prices, Barcelona will offer rooms ranging from $10 to $30 a night, a city spokesman said recently. The city’s tourist authority and church leaders have drawn up a plan, aimed primarily at young visitors, to provide dormitory-type accommodations in schools, campsites and sports halls at moderate prices. More than 3,000 such accommodations will be made available, the spokesman said, and a further 8,400 berths in camping sites have been reserved provisionally in case demand exceeds the initial supply. The total number of visitors expected during the Olympics was recently revised downward to a little more than 300,000 a day, partly as a result of adverse publicity over hotel prices--which are expected to rise 250% and hit $450 a night at some hotels. For more information on cheap accommodations, fax Operation ’92 in Barcelona: 011-34-3-318-9812.

Comparatively Speaking: Cruise ship sanitation scores for ships inspected in February (a score of 87 or higher indicates acceptable sanitation): Azure Seas, 84; CostaRiviera, 91; Cunard Countess, 96; Enchanted Seas, 96; Mardi Gras, 92; Meridian, 95; Regent Sun, 95; Star Princess, 77; Starship Oceanic, 97; Tropicale, 93; Viking Princess, 90; Berlin, 69; Mermoz, 86; Renaissance III, 93. (Source: Department of Health and Human Services.)

Fair Warning: Asparagus Bisque, Asparagus Shrimp Salad, Asparagus Pasta, Deep-Fried Asparagus, Beef & Asparagus Sandwich and Asparaberry Shortcake will all be served at the seventh-annual Stockton Asparagus Festival, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 25-26 at Oak Grove Regional Park in Stockton. In addition, there will be musical entertainment, a classic car show, Belgian horse and wagon rides, a children’s petting zoo and puppet show, a wine-tasting and cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs. Entry tickets are $6 for adults, $3 for children 6-12. For more information, call (209) 466-6674. To advance-order tickets, call (800) 888-8016.

Quiz Answer: Route 66--which would have turned 66 this year--began in downtown Chicago at the corner of Jackson Boulevard and Michigan Avenue and ended 2,448 miles away in Santa Monica at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. Although portions of the highway remain, it ceased to officially exist in 1985 when Interstate 40 bypassed Williams, Ariz., and the last Route 66 shield came down.