Weaving Sights Into an English Textile Tour

Quilt artist and teacher Norah McMecking will lead a textile tour of England, departing Los Angeles on Oct. 2 and returning Oct. 15.

The tour will include stays in Cambridge, Bath and London and will allow free time in London. Participants will visit textile-related workshops with creative teachers. Special visits to the Costume Museum in Bath and the Knitting and Stitching Show in London are included.

Cost: $2,795 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from LAX, ground transportation, hotel stays, breakfasts, workshops and museum entrance fees.

Contact: Nancy King at Magic Carpet Travel; telephone (800) 276-2542.

Yucatan: Cruise

Just off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula lies the island of Cozumel. On a Norwegian Cruise Lines ship, travelers have time to visit the Mexican Caribbean and explore its crystal blue waters off the Palancar Reef or take a side trip to the mainland to visit the ruins of Tulum. Four-night cruises start running Nov. 5 and continue through April 15, 2002. Passengers leave Miami on a Monday, stop in Key West, Fla., spend Wednesday in Cozumel and Thursday at sea, and return on Friday.

Cost: from $460 per person, double occupancy. Air fare to Miami is extra.

Contact: Norwegian Cruise Lines; tel. (800) 327-7030, https://www.ncl.com.

Northwest: Rivers

The 161-passenger Columbia Queen will begin its second season of cruising the main rivers of the Pacific Northwest. From now until Dec. 28, the eight-night (one in a hotel) package takes cruisers on the Columbia, Snake and Willamette rivers. Passengers board the day after arrival in Portland, Ore., and stops are made at Astoria, The Dalles (after passage through the Columbia Gorge and the locks of several dams) and Pendleton, Ore.; Hells Canyon in Idaho; Ft. Walla Walla in Washington; and Parkdale, Ore., at the base of Mt. Hood.

Cost: from $1,910 per person, double occupancy, including all meals and most shore visits. Air fare is extra.

Contact your travel agent or American Classic Voyages of New Orleans; tel. (800) 297-3960, https://www.columbiaqueen.com.

Himalayas: Trekking

An 18-day trek into the Himalayas is available from REI Adventures of Kent, Wash. Dates for this “Annapurna Sanctuary” trip are Oct. 5 to 21, Oct. 26 to Nov. 1 and March 7 to 24. The four to 15 participants will gather and sightsee in Katmandu, Nepal, while adjusting to the altitude. On Day 5 they fly to Pokhara. From there they hike six to eight miles (five to seven hours) daily. The first stop on Annapurna’s slopes is Machhapuchhare camp (12,200 feet) on Day 9; the second is Annapurna camp (13,400 feet) on Day 10. A different route is used for the return to Pokhara.

Cost: $2,195 per person, double occupancy, including hotel and tent lodging and all meals. International air fare is extra. REI membership is $15. Nonmembers pay $2,395 for the trip.

Contact: REI Adventures; tel. (800) 622-2236, https://www.rei.com.

Paris: Art

Amadea Bailey, a bilingual, Yale-trained professional artist who tailors trips to France for individuals and small groups, will lead a trip to Paris June 10 to 19. Guests will see the Impressionist collection at the Musee d’Orsay and contemporary galleries. Meals are eaten at fine restaurants, including the St. George at the top of the Pompidou Center with views of the city. Participants also will visit fashion boutiques on the Left Bank. The tour ends with a weekend getaway to the Chateau d’Esclimont, a 16th century castle between Chartres and Versailles.

Cost: $2,400 per person, double occupancy, including luxury accommodations, daily breakfast, museum pass, welcome dinner and ground transfers. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Amadea Bailey Tours; tel. (310) 822-4504.

Montana: Canoeing

Grab a paddle and climb aboard ROW’s voyager canoes, which replicate those of the early fur traders. Participants on these four-and six-day trips will follow the trail of Lewis and Clark on Montana’s Upper Missouri River. Along the way, guides will point out historical sites dealing with the fur trade, gold prospecting and the Indian wars. Canoeists will stop often to hike and explore sites related to Blackfeet culture. Historians will accompany the group.

Luxury camping accommodations are set up each evening. The smooth river current makes this trip suitable for those in reasonably good physical condition. Children as young as 5 are welcome. Tours run from June 24 to Sept. 9.

Cost: from $1,165 per person, double occupancy, including camping equipment and all meals; children’s rates vary by age. Transportation to Montana is extra.

Contact: ROW; tel. (800) 451-6034, https://www.rowinc.com.

Kauai: Health

Hawaii Health Getaways is offering two weeklong “Get Healthy” tours on Kauai from June 8 to 15 and Sept. 21 to 28.

Classes on Hawaiian health practices including massage, Huna techniques for mind-body healing, yoga and hula are taught daily. Outside activities include hiking on the Na Pali coast, snorkeling above coral caves at Tunnels Beach, kayaking on the Wailua River to Manifest Falls, and guided hikes at the Tropical Botanical Gardens and at Crater Hill in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.

Oceanfront accommodations are on Hanalei Bay on the north shore. The cuisine is based on a traditional Hawaiian diet of organic whole foods.

Cost: $1,750 per person, double occupancy, including room, meals, classes, massages and guided excursions. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Hawaii Health Getaways; tel. (800) 484-2615, Ext. 1358.

Czech Republic: Castles

The Czech Republic is a land of fairy-tale castles, well-preserved medieval towns and natural beauty. A May 2 to 12 trip begins in Vienna and crosses the border into the Czech Republic at Valtice to explore remnants of the Roman Empire. Lodging includes an inn converted from a 13th century fortress and a hunting lodge preserved in its 1500s style. Drives through the countryside and hikes to several World Heritage Sites are planned. The tour ends with a visit to Prague.

Cost: $2,395 per person, double occupancy, including 10 nights’ accommodations, most meals, ground transportation, entrance fees and guides. Air fare is extra.

Contact: Walking the World; tel. (800) 340-9255, https://www.walkingtheworld.com.

Kenya: Big Game

Nairobi, Masai Mara and the Samburu Game Reserve are the highlights of a trip to Kenya from Sept. 16 to 25. Participants will stay at hotels in national parks or in luxury tent camps so they can get close to wildlife. The first stop is the Giraffe Center, where giraffes sometimes eat out of visitors’ hands. Then it’s on to the Ark Lodge in Aberdare National Park, which overlooks a watering hole where animals often are seen. The next day, guests take a safari ride through Samburu Game Reserve and also visit the Mount Kenya Safari Club. Then a flight takes travelers to Masai Mara Game Reserve to stay in a camp and observe elephants, rhinos and big cats.

Cost: $4,795 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare with stop and overnight stay in London, lodging, most meals and guides. An extension to Tanzania to visit the Serengeti, Arusha and Ngorongoro is available.

Contact: Jerren Travel Service; tel. (714) 731-8020, https://www.jerrentravel.com.

Alaska: Country Music

Grand Ole Opry fans can spend their vacation mingling with their favorite Opry stars on an Alaskan cruise set for Aug. 29 to Sept. 5 aboard the Carnival Spirit. Fans will enjoy private shows by Opry members Little Jimmy Dickens, Jim Ed Brown and Jeannie Seelyall along with a cocktail party and a question-and-answer session.

Cost: from $1,199 per person, double occupancy. Air fare to the cruise embarkation point in Vancouver, Canada, is extra. Taxes are not included.

Contact: Corporate Travel Service; tel. (877) 927-9777.

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