THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 24, 1995 TAG: 9509220069
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STEPHEN HARRIMAN
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
TWO GOOD REASONS for heading toward the Eastern Shore of Virginia:
One is the Eastern Shore Birding Festival, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 7-8, at Sunset Beach Inn, Cape Charles. The autumn migration of neotropical songbirds and raptors that began in late August peaks in early October on the Eastern Shore. Counts of both types of birds here are among the highest on the Atlantic seaboard. Info: (804) 787-2460.
The other is the 23rd annual Chincoteague Oyster Festival, an all-you-can-eat deal with music thrown in, Oct. 7 (food noon to 4 p.m.) at Maddox Family Campground. Info: (804) 336-6161. FOLIAGE HOT LINES
Here are some phone numbers to call if you want information on fall foliage viewing locations and times:
Virginia (804) 786-4484.
Shenandoah National Park (703) 999-3500.
North Carolina (800) 847-4862.
Maryland (800) 532-8371.
West Virginia (800) 225-5982.
U.S. Forest Service (800) 354-4595. ROUND THE WORLD
United Airlines is set to launch around-the-world flights Dec. 14, becoming the only airline to offer such a service since 1982. Fares start at $2,570 for coach, $3,618 for business and $5,019 for first class. Stops on the route are in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, New Delhi, London and Newark, N.J., with flights operating both in east and west directions. The trip takes about two days, but passengers have a year to complete the journey and can take unlimited stopovers in other cities as long as they keep going in the same direction. Info: (800) 241-6522. CANAL ROUTE
The Panama Canal and Costa Rica are two hot destinations, and just as hot is the deal offered by the Radisson Diamond. The twin-hull luxury cruise ship is offering 50 percent off a second passenger's fare on three sailings of a nine-night Panama Canal and Costa Rica cruise, leaving Nov. 13 and Dec. 28 from Barbados and Nov. 22 from Costa Rica. Prices for the first passenger in a cabin start at $3,595 per person, including round-trip air fare from the East Coast; a two-night hotel stay in San Jose, Costa Rica; a day tour of the Poas Volcano and Cloud Forest, transfers and shipboard tips. Info: A local travel agent or (800) 333-3333. WINTER IN ICELAND
Icelandair has packages from November through March starting at $299 a person, double occupancy, for a two-night stay in Reykjavik, including midweek round-trip air fare from New York, hotel and breakfast. (There are four departures.) A Thanksgiving package, including air fare, three nights' hotel and an American-style holiday dinner, is $479 a person. And a snowmobiling package includes three nights' hotel stay and an escorted day tour with snowmobiling, is $499 (Monday departures). Airport taxes and charges are extra. Information: Info: A local travel agent or (800) 757-3876. ARE WE THERE YET?
Boredom and jet lag are tied as the top complaints of travelers who take long flights, according to the International Air Transport Association. In third place are delays.
What is the longest non-stop scheduled commercial flight in the world? New York to Johannesburg on South African Airways; it takes 14 hours and 25 minutes to cover 7,967 miles. MEMO: Travel-wise is compiled from wire-service reports, news releases, trade
journals, books, magazines and the deepest recesses of the writer's
mind. Send comments and questions to Travel-wise, The
Virginian-Pilot/The Ledger-Star, Norfolk, Va. 23501-0449; phone (804)
446-2904. by CNB