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TOURS & CRUISES

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Times Staff Writer

MONTANA

Disabilities are no problem on canoe trip with room for all

Drift lazily downstream on Montana’s Missouri River on five-day canoeing adventures that follow the path taken by explorers Lewis and Clark nearly 200 years ago.

The Wilderness Inquiry trips, which are designed for people of diverse ages and abilities, are along the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River, a part of Lewis and Clark’s route that has changed little since their visit in 1805 in search of an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, Native American guide Sacagawea and the Corps of Discovery spent three weeks in the region during their historic journey.

The trips are scheduled July 14 to 18, Aug. 18 to 22 and Sept. 7 to 11.

“It’s a wonderful trip for beginners,” said tour representative Molly Gaines. “The river moves along well, but it isn’t scary. And there’s a lot of beautiful country to explore.”

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Wilderness Inquiry is a nonprofit organization that specializes in trips for able-bodied and disabled travelers. Outdoor experience is not required, and support staff is provided to help disabled participants.

Other summer and fall trips in the West include horse packing through the Colorado Rock- ies, canoeing and hiking in Yellowstone National Park and canoeing on the Green River through Canyonlands National Park, Utah.

Cost: $595 per person, including equipment, camping accommodations, meals, permits and staff. Transportation to the river, outside Great Falls, Mont., is not provided but can be arranged from nearby cities.

Contact: Wilderness Inquiry, based in Minneapolis; (612) 676-9400, www.wildernessinquiry.org.

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BRITAIN

Take in historic highlights of

three countries

Get a taste of the British Isles this summer on two-week escorted trips to England, Scotland and Wales.

The tours, which have several departure dates through October, begin and end in London, with sightseeing in the capital as well as in outlying regions such as Bath, Stonehenge, the Lake District, York, Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon. The group also visits Chester, Caernarfon Castle and Snowdonia National Park in Wales and Edinburgh and Borders Forest Park in Scotland.

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Cost: From $2,679 per person, double occupancy (single supplement $575), including round-trip airfare from LAX, San Diego or San Francisco, bus transportation, transfers, hotels, most meals, theater tickets in London’s West End, walking tours in Chester and York, sightseeing, admissions and guide service.

Contact: New Jersey-based CIE Tours International; (800) CIE-TOURS (243-8687), www.cietours.com.

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SPAIN

From the north coast to the

Rock of Gibraltar

Say ole to Spain on a 14-night tour that visits cities from Barcelona to Seville.

The Oct. 2 tour, which begins and ends in Madrid, also visits Burgos, Pamplona, Valencia, Granada and Cordoba. The bus tour includes a drive along the Costa del Sol and through La Mancha, the land of the fictional Don Quixote, and visits to the Rock of Gibraltar and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. The group will visit cathedrals, museums, palaces, gardens, a bullring and the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona.

Cost: $2,465 per person, double occupancy (single supplement $480), including round-trip airfare from LAX to Madrid, hotels, many meals, transportation, sightseeing, transfers and guide.

Contact: Santa Monica-based Let’s Travel, (800) 458-7477, www.letstravelsm.com.

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MAINE, CANADA

By road, rail and boat around a rugged landscape

Stalk moose on a nighttime outing in the Maine highlands, explore the rugged Gaspe Peninsula of Canada and ride the rails through eastern Quebec on a Sept. 10-to-23 tour.

The trip, which begins and ends in Boston, explores Maine and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec. The group will travel on back roads, including the historic Old Canada Road Scenic Byway through the mountains of northwestern Maine. It will also visit the Pemaquid and Schoodic peninsulas, as well as the villages around Penobscot Bay.

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Besides land tours, the group will take nature cruises on Passamaquoddy Bay and at Gaspe.

Cost: $1,965 per person, double occupancy (single supplement $360), including transportation, lodging, 19 meals, sightseeing and admission fees. Transportation to Boston is not included.

Contact: Irvine-based Mountain Outin’ Tours Inc.; (800) 844-3985, www.mountainoutin.com.

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WISCONSIN, MICHIGAN

Period charm on Mackinac Island and beyond

Fall for the Great Lakes region on a 10-day autumn color tour that includes picturesque Mackinac Island.

The tour, scheduled Sept. 15 to 24, visits Door County, Wis., called the Cape Cod of the Midwest; Traverse City, Mich., a lakeside resort town; and Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan. The two-day Mackinac Island trip will include lunch at the Grand Hotel, a carriage ride around town and a ferry ride across Lake Huron.

The tour begins in Madison, Wis., and ends in Detroit.

Cost: $2,269 per person, double occupancy (single supplement $480), including round-trip airfare from Los Angeles or San Diego and shuttle between airport and home, hotel, 16 meals, transportation, sightseeing and guide.

Contact: San Diego-based AFC Tours; (800) 369-3693, www.afctours.com.

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

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