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Show “a H6 e Salt Lake Tribune TRAVEL Sunday, August 30, 1998 Orlando Targeting Four Cities: Not Producing Enough Tourists THE ASSOCIATEDPRESS year, including 3.5 million f rei tourists, and this year ex about 40 million. ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando tourismofficials say they aren't seeing as many visitors from four particular cities as they should and they hope te turn that around The biggest source of visitong! York; Charlotte, N.C. Philadelphia, and Chicago. © residents of Baltimore, Dal- Hotel occupancy in cen Florida dropped last year, to 7 percent from 80.1 percent las, Minneapolis and Washington will be barraged with newspaper and magazine ads, radio spots and junk mail touting the central Florida area. ‘Our research shows these are previous year. The average daily rate for a room, however, jumpe@ to $81 last year from $73 the pre vious year. The cause ofthe dip in the oceus underperforming cities,” said Jose Estorino, a marketing offi- cial of the Orlando/ Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. With Walt Disney world as the major draw, the Orlandoarea was pancy rate could be because ofan increase in the number ofhotel rooms in Orlando, bureau offis cials said. Orlando currently hag’ about 88,000 hotel rooms. host to 37 million visitors last vinay Vacadions ‘Qur backyard isve favorite Jackson Hole Raft & Ride = nighis, river np, tram nde Jackson Hole Ride & Dine — 2 nights, Bar-T-5 Chuckwagon Dinner Tuacahn How West Was Won = nis, play, Zion Canyon Cinemax ParkCity Up Up & Away ~1 night, 30-minute hot air baloon fight trom $148 trom 427 from 989 from A Capitol Reef B & B — 2 nights iodging near Capitol Reet and breakfast Sun Valley Romance nights deluxe hotel room, scenic chairift ide YellowstoneBB & B ~2 nights and breakfast HOF Deal ata Cool Price! Brian Head Oktoberfest « 18-20: Nightly rates from $75.00 Enjoy German f00d, entertainment, arts & crafts, mountain biking and more! *} «reservations cal DrveAway Vacations “Downtown Sail Lake City Big Bend: Lush, Vast AndStately 5374-1556 .s.c) 800-695-4000 + www.drivevacations.com ange: Rates per petson, double occupancy. Tanos ad bgrove@moristravel. gen @ Continued from H-t Mexican family rows across the river to buy groceries in Rio Grande Village. Americans hail rowboats on the Mexican side to take them across for lunch in thevillages of Boquillas and Santa Elena. Nobody ehecks passports. Even ~ SPECIALS Reeae PRUk rangers do not seem worried about illegal aliegg, As one ranger puts it, Let's face it. Wherearethey going to go once they get here?” It is a A derelict windmill stands over a yucca in bloom. long walk tocivilization. Theeasiest way tg see theriveris to hike inte Boquillas Canyon in theeast, or into the yawning gorge c d auio as you planyourleisure travel. Email passport@morristravel.com for information onthis new IBM computer program. £z é Hei, girls wadeto the foreignside to cap x ¥ of Santa Elena Canyoninthe west \t Boquillas Canyon, the Rio Grandeis so narrow youcan pick up a rock and throw it into Mexico. The river sometimes runs so shallowat Santa Elena that early-teen school- 5669 off a recent sunny day. The boardwalk of the Rio Gran: Village NatureTrail curves into a thicket of reeds edging theriver bank. Weare taken aback at suddenly spotting a blotched water snakepeeringat us fromapool not a yard fromthe boardwalk poisonous, we later findout). * Tnights accommodations at the Outrigger Maile Sky Court + Round trip mid-week airfare from Salt Lake City (non- Air via Delta Air Lines valid 10/1-12/15/98 Another mode for enjoying the wateris toraft it, and the park ser- Roundtrp llima vantransfers Classic's Change & Cancellation Waiver vice maintainsa list of commercial river runners as well as regulations for do-it yourselfers. ‘ss than a mile from theriver the ChihuahuanDesert begins, see- ondof our three-in-oneparks. This arid zone comprises the bulk of the the 1940s sever damaged the fragile, waterless grasslands. Fur trolled patiently by turkey vultures above, the Grapevine Hills Trail blossoms the Big Bend bluebonnet fringing the roads. Two roadrunners forage for lizards as our car wheezes by Creosoteis the common shrub in these parchedenvirons. Thelechuguilla, though, is the indicator plant of the Chihuahuan Desert, It s found nowhere else. Although not as impressive as the giant sa guaro cactus of the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona, lechuguilla ks like a low clump of green They grow for about 10 years, send upa 15-foot-tall bloom stalk and then die. IF YOu GO Getting There: Big Bend National Park access is from Fort Stockton, Te s, on 1-10, 127 les away Take Highway 385 south from Fort Stockton via Marathon Closest major airports are Midland-Odessa (2230 E] Paso (323 miles). | miles) and Admission: $10 per vehicle. When to Go: The park is open year-round, and spring break is the busiest season. Spring and fall weather is pleasant. In summer the desert and river are hot while the Chisos Mountains are temperate. Where to Stay: The only Big Bend, it seems, really is a world ry, silver and lead also thrived But beforeall of that were the The mechanical call of a cactus wren saws through the air. Big Bend boasts more recorded bird species — some 450 — than any marauding parties into Mexico for livestock and captives. Like an islandin a sea of desert the Chisos Mountains rise to form famous thethird of our mini-parks. Onlyit not so mini. Forty squaremiles of gged peaks dressed with pines, junipers and oaks, harbor black bear and mountain lion. A campsundandlodgenestlein the Chi- apart and pack to the subject of threes. Do not deny yourselfless thanatrio of days in thepark. It is that huge;it is that varied. Besides comingthis far, you might as well stay a while. warbler. Just do notlingeras long as Bobcat Carter. This denizen of thede- Few mountain ranges in the years he hadlive here, theoldtimer i end. In theChisos, tales are told of a forgotten silver mine worked by enslavedIndians undertheir Span ish lords bark on the bushes in the Big other national park. Particularly is the Colima which nests in the U.S. only in the Chisos Mountains. sert died in 1940 at the age of 97. When a womanasked how many Westlack their own lost-mine leg. teplied, “Why, honey, 1 put the Whilenoriches await hikers to- — 399 hear includinghotel tax ontnenta ines esas tal car at additional cost a. CRUISE BAJA MEXICO SO. CARIBBEAN 2289 2699 ais VikingSerenade « 3 2 Unihis Galaxy + ee arly inside cabin 24, 31, Nov. 7, 14,2 5,12, 19 (BelibblhGhaises Spy [Rovalcar ibbean| Erie Johnsonlives in Aurora ANCUN $399 Package: Airfrom SLC, 6 nights hotel accommodations and Three campgroundswithin the 6 night Sundayd park arelocated at Rio Grande airport/hotel transfers Calinda Beach & Spa Cancun om999,95 All inclusive Resort EI Dorado mt & Spa ‘trom *789.95 6 night Sunday departures 11/1-12/13/98 From Village, the Chisos Basin and near Castolon ($7 per night, rate es 19/9-12/13098, TRAVEL eo subject to change). No reservations are allowed Mexican Riviera Cruise except for groups. Backcountry days * Feb ampingis available with a free permit, Contact the park for a information Vacations Colo, eral months ahead, especially for general Contingntal Bend spring break, when wildflowers and yuccas bloom ine P. Vallarta + Mazatlan + Cabo San Lucas * Cruise only « =8 Panama Canal Cruise omas brochure ique * Grenada + SanJuan + listing several other campgrounds outsidethe park. For lodging outside the park, try the Big Bend Motor Inn in Study Butte near the west park entrance. (1-800-848-BEND). Whereto Eat: Theonly restaurant in the park is in the Chi sos Basin andis open year round Groceries can be purchased near thethree campgrounds, Dining is are strongly recommended sev- intendent, Reservations nearsightedpigs. Indians. Mescalero Apachesresist ed Spanish and Mexican domina tion. Comanches conducted yearly alsoavailablein Study Butte out- 477-2291). room. A woman walking 20 feet past does not evennotice, evidently Just as visually challenged as the 3 NIGHTS view of brown peaks pinning clouds against the wide Texas sky lodging in the park is at the Chi. sos Mountains Lodge in Chisos Basin. Rooms start at $75 (tel (915) scold us along winding up just outside the door of ourlodge gion until 1848. Mining for mercu i-colored North America’s sole native pig Trail green gulches of the Chisos, The trail ends abruptly at an expansive munch serenely at dusk on gr Wildflowerspaint the land, notably cr It is so restful that twojavelinas, Ocotillo ablaze in Big Bend. day, Mexican jays the Lost Mine moonscape fleck the flats and hills in spring of sos Basin, enclosed by the mountains, which provide cool oasis and winds through a boulder-strewn Stock grazing was successful in this corner of Texas, beginning Mexico, which ownedthere ens | Desert hiking can berisky. Sun- screen, hat and plenty of water should be your companions. Pa- Meanwhile, yuccas bearing doz A Delta Air Lines Hotel taxesandairport fees included Onthe boardwalk: The Rio Grande Village Nature Trail winds through lushriver habitat along the Rio Grande park. Overgrazing bycattle up to ther decades must pass before their recovery EMAIL EXCURSIONS™* Thousands of people receive weekly specials via e mall with Moris Travel’ exclusive service E-mail Excursions. E fek.com 1) send your emai address 2) word “Tribune 3) the nearest aport such as SLC side the west park entrance. Information: Contact Super Big Bend National The abandonedpostoffice at Hot Springs wasthe center of an old resort before the park was created Park TX 79834; tel. (915) 4772251 Further Reading: Tales of { the Big Bend by Elton Miles, published by Texas A&M University Press. igy TRAVEL DEALS We Know Your World. s ‘Sah Laka-2 € Brosowiay oe Vacation8 Lele TY (ary ged 380 Spans Frk-644 N00E Si Georyo-175 W 800 $ Taylorevile-1769 W 4700 $ 966-8335 ra NaeAaa |