NEED TO KNOW

A $100-million expansion of Pala Casino Spa & Resort in north San Diego County, to include two new restaurants and -- for really serious gamblers -- a poker room with table-side meal service, is expected to be finished May 22. The 507-room property, owned by the Pala Band of Mission Indians, opened in 2001 at a cost of $115 million. With this expansion, the property has once again been feng shui-aligned to bring good vibes to those trying their luck at the casino’s 2,000 slots and video gambling machines and 87 gaming tables. The new Amigo’s cantina and Sushi Sake eateries will allow the Vegas-style resort to offer guests 10 dining options, from grab-and-go to the high-end Oak Room steakhouse. The resort also includes live entertainment at four venues, a fitness center, pool and full-service spa with indoor and outdoor massage rooms. Info: (877) 946-7252, www.palacasino.com

-- Beverly Beyette

Your bags can get all dressed up for travel -- and be easier to identify on the baggage carousel -- with Travel Chic’s luggage tag and handle wrap sets. The handle wraps provide welcome cushioning and come in subdued to wild styles, including white leather; metallic silver; stylish houndstooth; shaggy orange, pink or black; and faux fur; with matching leather (or synthetic leather) ID tags. Luggage tag, handle wrap and key chain sets cost $27. Info: (877) 878-2442, www.travelchic.com

Pala deals a new hand

Stylish luggage

-- Judi Dash

Riding a manta

The new mantra for SeaWorld Orlando: See a manta, be a manta. This month, the Florida amusement-marine park debuts Manta, a flying roller coaster that soars to 140 feet and swoops at speeds reaching 56 mph. Suspended from the hanging coaster, riders fly facedown in a horizontal position beneath a giant manta ray with a 12-foot wingspan. Tilting to the side, Manta’s wing skims the lagoon’s surface during the final maneuver of the 2 1/2 -minute ride, spraying the riders with water. Before boarding, visitors walk among 10 floor-to-ceiling aquariums with 300 rays of varying types: leopard, cow-nose, river, spotted eagle and shark rays. Info: (888) 800-5447, www.seaworld.com/orlando

-- Brady MacDonald

Tsunami lesson

Much like an earthquake rattling California, a tsunami striking Hawaii isn’t a question of “if,” but “when.” The Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo is ideally poised to inform people that history does indeed repeat itself when it comes to these dramatic events. The museum was an outgrowth of experiences of survivors of tsunamis that devastated the Big Island in 1946 and again in 1960. It features several interactive exhibits, including one where visitors predict when and where tsunami warnings should be issued after an earthquake. A wave machine demonstrates the deadly power of a tsunami, such as the 35-foot wall of water that hit Hilo in 1960 and killed 61 people. Info: www.tsunami.org

-- Jay Jones