New Discoveries in Old-Growth Forests

Discover old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest on a trip to Oregon. Five-day trips are available along the Oregon Coast or in the Oregon Cascades. Coast program dates are Aug. 14 to 18 and Sept. 4 to 8. A Cascades trip is set for Sept. 11 to 15.

Participants learn about Native American heritage as they encounter indigenous plants used for food, tools and medicine. They also learn why these forests are at the center of such heated controversy between timber interests and environmental groups.

Adventures begin and end at the Portland International Airport. Daily hikes are tailored to each group, and most trips are quite moderate, with gradual elevation gain at a leisurely pace. Participants stay in cabins.

Cost: $870 per person, double occupancy, for coastal trips, and $738 for the Cascades, including accommodations, all meals, ground transportation from Portland International Airport, services of a professional naturalist, national forest and park fees, and trail maps. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Personalized Tours & Travel, 800 N.W. 6th Ave., Suite 201, Portland, OR 97209; telephone (800) 248-0414.

Artistic Ireland

Take an art, castles and cuisine tour of Ireland with William Havlicek, curator of the Riverside Art Center. The tour runs Oct. 11 to 21. Guests will stay in castles and estates and take guided tours to Trinity College, the National Gallery, Russborough House, Kilkenny Castle, Muckross House and Gardens and the Waterford crystal factory. Other stops include the Cliffs of Mohar, Ring of Kerry and the village of Adare.

Cost: $3,575 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations, daily breakfast, some dinners, theater tickets and sightseeing entrance fees. Air fare is not included.

Contact: Frances Reps, Presidential Worldwide Travel, 24411 Ridge Route, No. 130, Laguna Hills, CA 92653; tel. (714) 380-0849.

Austrian Wines

Cardoza Travel and Herzerl Tours are offering a wine tour of Austria Oct. 12 to 20. Guests will visit such wine regions as the Wachau Valley, Burgenland and Lower Austria (both provinces are located in the eastern part of Austria, along the Danube or Lake Neusiedl and into the northern hills) and the capital, Vienna.

One stop is Krems on the Danube, famous for its history and wine-growing for more than 2,000 years. Here the group will sample wines such as Riesling, Gruener Veltliner, Neuburger and Mueller Thurgau. Members then travel to Eisenstadt, capital of the province of Burgenland, where composer Joseph Haydn lived for many years at the Palace of Esterhazy. Next they will visit the town of Rust to view the many stork nests and visit the Wine Academy Burgenland.

The last stop will be three nights in Vienna for tours and concerts.

Cost: $2,155 per person, double occupancy, including seven nights in four-star hotels, most meals, land travel, wine tastings and lectures, and sightseeing. Air is extra.

Contact: Walli Liedl at Cardoza Travel, 550 Hamilton Ave., Suite 125, Palo Alto, CA 94301; tel. (800) 654-4746.

Heritage on a Bike

Historical Cycling International and the University of Judaism is offering a Jewish Heritage cycling tour in Tuscany, Italy, Sept. 10 to 17. The tour begins in Florence, and guests travel to Sienna, Pitigliano and Sovana--towns where guests will meet with local experts on Jewish cultural history. There is time to bike individually and meet up with the group later. Guests will stay in castles, Renaissance villas and monasteries along the way.

Cost: $2,500 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations, daily breakfasts and dinners, bicycles, guides and entrance fees. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Historic Cycling International, 31566 1st Ave., Laguna Beach, CA 92677; tel. (714) 499-0342.

Take Five in San Diego

Movie-making is the focus of several Sunday-to-Sunday ventures arranged by FilmScape Vacations. Classes start Sept. 28 and Nov. 9. The San Diego-based instructional programs organize about 40 people into film crews of four to five, and start with workshops in screenwriting, directing, cinematography and other disciplines. The group then goes on location for two days of “shooting” a 30-minute, 35mm-movie based on the title “How to Murder a Host.” The group also takes a sightseeing tour of San Diego and has a day to shop in Tijuana, Mexico.

Cost: $2,395 per person, including seven nights at the Westin Hotel, all breakfasts, five lunches and four dinners, and San Diego sightseeing. Transportation to San Diego is extra.

Contact: FilmScape Vacations; tel. (800) 345-6625.

Flash of Europe

English/humanities teacher Robert Brough, who has taken students to Europe for 16 summers, will lead a small group of 15 on a no-frills tour of five European cities: Paris; Barcelona, Spain; Rome; Lucerne, Switzerland; and Munich, Germany. The 17-day tour leaves Aug. 12. Participants will carry their own luggage and sleep in night trains that run between each destination. There will be city tours and stops at most major art museums.

Cost: $1,875 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, train passes, hotel accommodations, most meals and guided sightseeing.

Contact: Two Guys Travel; tel. (818) 957-7533.

Channel Islands

Horizons West is offering a five-night sailing adventure to the Channel Islands National Park aboard the tall ship American Pride Aug. 10 to 15.

Guests will be able to participate in the sailing of the 130-foot schooner, including sail handling, steering and navigation. Upon arriving at the islands, the group may go ashore to explore the natural and historic sites. Fishing and snorkeling will also be available.

One day will be spent exploring sea caves by kayak in the vicinity of Scorpion Anchorage, on the northeast corner of Santa Cruz Island. Kayaking excursions will be led by experienced guides. All gear will be provided.

Cost: $780 per person, including all meals. Trip will depart from Long Beach. Group size will be limited to 15 participants.

Contact: Horizons West Guided Travel Adventures; tel. (800) 430-2544.

Paris’ Secrets

Join a small group (eight people) on a luxury tour of Paris Sept. 20 to 28. Guests will cruise on the Canal St. Martin through the heart of Paris; hear a concert by candlelight in a church constructed in AD 647; dance to live music in a subterranean nightclub; visit poet Victor Hugo’s quirky apartment in the Place des Vosges; and dine on duck a l’orange in a bistro once used as the secret headquarters for the newspaper of the French Resistance during World War II.

Cost: $3,000 per person, including round-trip business-class air fare from LAX, hotel, daily breakfast, transfers, taxes and guide.

Contact: Where on Earth? The Art of Travel; tel. (213) 937-9073.

Colonial Mexico

Explore Mexico with a focus on its colonial past on a tour Oct. 17 to 25. Participants will visit San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Dolores 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 a mineral hot springs.

Cost: $1,295 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, transfers, hotels, breakfast and dinner daily, and entrance fees.

Contact: Frank Tysen, Private Adventures, 15012 Del Gado Drive, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403; tel. (818) 501-4100.

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