Making Maritime Off the Coast of Maine

Experience life at sea aboard a historic vessel with North End Shipyard Schooners, an association dedicated to preserving Maine’s maritime heritage. Three-, four- and six-day excursions are available on three ships docked at North End Shipyard in Rockland, Maine. The Heritage, built in 1983, is a 95-foot schooner designed in the tradition of a 19th century coaster.

The Isaac H. Evans, fitted with the latest navigational equipment, was built as an oyster boat in New Jersey in 1886.

The restored 92-foot American Eagle, built in 1930, was part of the Gloucester, Mass., fishing fleet for 53 years and has been designated a National Historic Landmark. The sailing season begins May 24 and runs through Oct. 6. On July 14, the American Eagle departs on a special 10-day sail to Boston to celebrate the USS Constitution’s bicentennial.

Cost: from $370 to $705 per person, double occupancy, including meals on board. Air fare to Maine is not included. Contact: North End Shipyard Schooners, P.O. Box 482, Rockland, ME 04841; telephone (800) 648-4544.

Gone Fishin’

Take the bait and go on a fishing trip to San Quintin, Baja California, Mexico. The bus departs from Southern California about 8 a.m. on March 13, and returns about 5 p.m. March 16. Tour members stay in San Quintin, about 200 miles south of the U.S. border, at Ernesto’s motel on the Bay of San Quintin. Participants will fish for yellowtail, red rock cod and cabrilla at San Martin Island, Ben’s Rock and Socorro on the Pacific side of Baja.

Cost: $349 per person, bus transportation, three nights’ motel accommodations, two days’ fishing, boat rental, Mexican fishing license, snacks and beverages on the bus going south. Meals and personal expenses not included. The trip is limited to 25 people. Contact: Steve Barstow at (800) 894-7239.

Martial Arts

A martial arts tour to China that concentrates on Buddhist and Taoist sites known for martial arts practices runs April 13 to 28.

Participants spend a day touring Beijing before taking an overnight train to visit the Martial Arts Academy in Shiyan. They will have lunch on the summit of Mt. Wudang Shan with Taoist monks and attend a martial arts demonstration in Shaolin. Guests stay overnight in a Taoist monastery and climb to the peak of Mt. Wudang Shan to welcome the sunrise. Participants will also take a bus to Xian for sightseeing.

Before returning home, the tour stops in Hong Kong for two days.

Cost: $3,828 per person, double occupancy, including air from LAX and land transportation, rustic accommodations, sightseeing and most meals.

Another tour goes to Tibet and focuses on the Tibetan temple pilgrim circuits called gora. The Spiritual Tibet Tour runs May 13 to 28. Sacred spiritual temples included are the Jhokang, Drephung, Garden and Sera temples in Lhasa; the Shigatse and Tashilumpo, Sakya temples; and the Gyantse Temple that overlooks Mt. Everest. Many sites visited on this tour are at high altitudes, some higher than 16,000 feet. Travelers need to be in good physical condition. Guests also stop in Hong Kong before returning to the U.S. Both trips are limited to 15 participants.

Cost: $4,799 per person, double occupancy, including air and land, rustic accommodations and most meals.

Contact: FourWinds Travel, 3662 The Barnyard, Carmel, CA 93923; tel. (408) 622-0800.

England and Ireland

Palisades High School drama teacher Vicki Francis will lead a 14-day London/Dublin theater tour, which also features a motor-coach tour through the Wales and the Irish countryside, July 14 to 27. The tour begins with five nights in London, where participants will attend three plays, including a performance at the recently restored Old Globe Theatre.

After traveling by motor coach through the English countryside, the group will overnight in Wales, then travel by ferry to Dublin for a two-night stay that includes a play at the Abbey Theatre. Upon leaving Dublin, the group will have a five-day fully escorted motor-coach tour of southern Ireland, visiting Waterford, Cork, Killarney, Limerick and the scenic Irish coastline along the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula.

Cost: $2,675 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Los Angeles, hotels, four plays, motor-coach and ferry transportation, daily breakfasts throughout and four dinners in Ireland, including a medieval banquet, round-trip transfers and baggage handling. Contact: Gloria Welles, En Route Travel, 15221 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272; tel. (310) 459-9955.

Michigan Tulips

It’s not the real Holland, but you can come pretty close to it on a tulip tour May 29 to June 4 that begins in Holland, Mich. Guests visit Veldheer Tulip Gardens, the DeKlomp Wooden Shoe and Delft Factory, and Windmill Island. Then they will tour Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, attend church in the community of Suttons Bay and stay overnight at the Island House on Mackinac Island. The tour includes lunch at the Grand Hotel and guests take a carriage ride on Mackinac Island. Participants also visit Ft. Mackinac, Colonial Michilimackinac, Mill Creek, Frederik Meijer Gardens and the Gerald Ford Museum in Grand Rapids.

Cost: $1,275 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, six nights’ accommodations, motor-coach transportation throughout Michigan, gratuity for driver and eight meals. Contact: Main Street Tours, 1751 W. Torrance Blvd., Suite N. Torrance, CA 90501; tel. (800) 300-6246.

Not Boring Borneo

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is offering a trip to Borneo June 21 to July 7, which will be led by botanist Robert Gustafson. In Sarawak, travelers will visit Bako National Park, known for its birds, primates and pitcher plants.

Gunung Mulu National Park has 170 species of orchids as well as the Mulu Caves where guests see colorful stalactites. A visit to the Sarawak Museum and Cultural Village is planned in Kuching. In Sabah, guests have the option of climbing to the summit (13,445 feet) of Mt. Kinabalu. Participants will see the orangutans at Sepilok Sanctuary, proboscis monkeys and hornbills at Sukau and the market at Sandakan. A tour of Kuala Lumpur is also included.

Cost: $3,275 per person, double occupancy, including air fare from Los Angeles, accommodations, most meals, sightseeing and entrance fees. Contact: Travel Program, Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007; tel. (213) 744-3350.

Colonial Mexico

Explore Mexico with a focus on its colonial past on a tour April 18 to 26. Participants will visit San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Queretaro, Morelia and Patzcuaro. Each of these towns is filled with Spanish-Moorish architecture as reflected in cathedrals, plazas and palaces. Each night the group will dine in a different colonial courtyard restaurant. Guests also have a chance to relax in mineral hot springs.

Cost: $1,195 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, airport transfers, seven nights’ hotel accommodations, daily breakfast and dinner, and entrance fees. Contact: Frank Tysen, Private Adventures, 15012 del Gado Drive, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403; tel. (818) 501-4100.

Trekking in Peru

Three wilderness hikes through the Andean highlands, guided by a Peruvian American, will be May 3 to 16, May 17 to 30 and July 5 to 19. Participants will be traveling along Inca-engineered trails exploring Inca ruins and visiting native villages and traditional markets that feature original Peruvian ceramics, textiles, art and handicrafts.

Guests will interact with Quechua herders of llamas and alpacas in remote mountain communities. The trip includes visits to Cuzco and its surrounding ruins, the sacred valley of the Incas called Urubamba and Machu Picchu.

Cost: $2,195 for the 11-day trip or $2,350 for the 14-day trip, per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, all transportation and flights in Peru, sightseeing tours, hotels and camping, and all meals. Contact: Andes Adventures, Devy Reinstein, 1323 12th St., Suite F, Santa Monica, CA 90401; tel. (310) 395-5265.

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