Minnesota Tourism

C M Y K PAGE E6 E 6 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2014 TRAVEL winnipegfreepress.com villasatgiantsridge.com•800-843-7434 Yourmostmemorablevacation... is just a click away! Play and stay at the Villas at Giants Ridge, and bring the whole family for a memo- rable retreat. Call or visit our website for reservations today! Thinkoutside. No box required. Find your lake place at Detroit Lakes. 800-542-3992, ext.143 S C H S V i l l a g e & H i s t o r y C e n te r BEEN HERE? DO THIS! M e d f o r d O u t l e t s Let's talk. 800-423-6466 OWATONNA www.VisitOwatonna.org S t a t e S c h o o l O r p h a n a g e M u s e u m R i v e r S p r i n g s W a te r p a rk You already love Owatonna's favorites… Now it's time to explore the rest. We have so much more to see and do! R i v e r S p r i n R A D Z o o River cruises compared Join Cruise Vacations for a free presentation comparing 5 major river cruise lines that focus on Europe. The lines to be compared include Avalon, AMA, Uniworld, Scenic and Viking River. Sev- eral itineraries will be discussed, such as Amsterdam to Budapest, Budapest to Nuremberg and Chalon to Avignon. 7 p.m. Thursday, May 22 at the Cruise Vacations office, 1941 Portage Ave. Please RSVP to 204.954-2095 or email jim@cruise- vacations.ca or you can register at www.cruise-vacations.ca under "Experience Travel-Information Seminars". Southern Charm Embassy Tours invites you to an information evening with Ashley Van Elslander of Collette on our Southern Charm group departure Oct. 26-Nov. 1. Experience true southern hospitality and charm in Georgia and South Carolina, featuring Charleston, Savannah and Jekyll Island. Presentation: Thursday, May 22, 6:30 p.m. at the Henderson Library, 1-1050 Hender- son Hwy. Please RSVP to Embassy Tours at 204.757-9383, or embassy- tours@mts.net Princess Cruises Please join Expedia Cruiseship- centers in welcoming Larissa Hass from Princess Cruises for a special presentation. Be the first to hear about our exclusive Expedia Extras that will be offered to you for our 1 Day Sale with Princess Cruises. Rossmere Golf & Country Club, 925 Watt Street on May 26 at 7 p.m. Please RSVP to Angie Kalechyn at Expedia Cruiseshipcenters, at akalechyn@cruiseshipcenters.com or by phone at 204.421-5611 Exploring Scotland Join Scots Agent Aruna Hall for an afternoon of one-on-one consul- tations about planning your vaca- tion to Scotland, exploring history, genealogy, golf, self-drive, hiking, island-hopping and escorted tour- ing options. Wed. May 28 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Around The World in 80 Ways, 8 Donald St., Phone: 204.987- 2845. Email: aruna@80ways.com Plains of Africa Is the African plain, with its abundance of wildlife and stunning vistas, on your travel wish-list? Join us on a small-group departure as we explore The Plains of Africa Feb. 12–25, 2015. UNIGLOBE One Travel and Collette Vacations invite you to an information evening at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 29 at 1215 Henderson Hwy. Please RSVP to Linda at 204.989-4828 or by email at LindaL@UNIGLOBEOne.com. Compass T HIS is the weekend when Mani- tobans officially begin celebrat- ing what we hope will be a beauti- ful summer. But it also signals the beginning of overseas vacations, with the cities and countries of Europe still being among our favourite destinations. Of these, Italy continues to cap- ture the imagina- tion of a signifi- cant percentage of travellers. I get loads of questions about the destina- tion throughout the year. How safe is it? Do you recom- mend driving up and down the country? Are all accommodations expensive? And how much of Italy can you take in on a two- to three-week vacation? Because of the extensive interest in so many aspects of this fascinating country, I will use this column to try answering these and other queries that have been posed to me over the past days and months. Many of the answers will pertain to other countries in Eur- ope as well, even though the concen- tration of information will highlight Italy most of all. So long as you take normal pre- cautions, Italy is not a country where you are likely to experience violent crime activity. However, as in most of the large tourist cities around the world, Italy's pickpocket industry is thriving. Most travellers have no idea just how professional these people are at separating you from your most valuable belongings without you even knowing it. Cutting the bottoms of purses, slicing straps to take the entire purse, and getting into a purse through a zipper are all common. Money should never be kept in one place and should be hidden in waist safes or similar accessories. Transportation in Italy, as in most of Europe, is very efficient, with a rail system that is among the best in the world. In Rome, where everyone going to Europe should spend time, the under- ground is relatively inexpensive and can take you anywhere you might want to go quickly and efficiently. City driving can be hectic. However, I have driven throughout most of the country a number of times and found it extremely easy to get around in by automobile. Today's GPS era has made it even more comforting to get around, know- ing if you aren't sure of of directions, you are guided by the nebulous voice emanating from the unit. It should be noted that driving through the Italian Amalfi coast re- gions will involve a seemingly never- ending series of hairpin turns. Many find this a more disconcerting region to drive in as a result. Though the east-to-west distance in Italy is never more than 170 kilo- metres, the north-south distance is about 1,932 km. Most roads are paved and in very good shape. The southern journey, with its moun- tains and turns, will take considerably longer than the mileage suggests. The sights along any route — north, south, east or west — always contain attrac- tions that persuade visitors to stay longer than intended. The point being that in a two- to three-week vacation, you cannot prop- erly visit the entire country. Using Rome as a theoretical centre point, I would suggest going north or south if your time falls into a normal vacation frame. During the high season months of summer, even budget accommodations might seem expensive compared to what you might find in Canada. Summers can be very hot, especially if you're spending a lot of time out- doors visiting the major attractions. That's why May, June and Septem- ber/October have become so popular for Canadians. Especially in the major cities, even in what are described as bed and breakfasts, prices might range from $300 to $400 a night for good-quality accommodations. There are always good deals to be found, but you will need to check reviews carefully to be certain of what you're paying. A note of caution: Bed and break- fasts in cities such as Rome are not like the quaint owner-operated homes you often find in places such as Strat- ford and other places in England. In Italy, they are often converted build- ings with small bedrooms, extremely small elevators and a central dining facility in the basement or on the main floor. They are clean and well-kept, but may not reach the romanticized ex- pectations you might have. Italy might be one of the best countries in the world for wining and dining, and you don't have to break the bank to enjoy exceptional meals in quality establishments. There are fine-dining options that will take your credit card to its limit, but finding a reasonably priced restau- rant is not hard. In cities such as Rome, you will find streets where they're lined up side by side for block after block, each owner or manager imploring you to view their menu and pricing. Often, you will be filled with the antipasto and not even need the full meal. Italian wines are well-known and of excellent quality, and the service at most of these restaurants is not only excellent, but can quickly lead you to making friends with the owners, making you want to return to the same restaurant for other meals. Europe has many countries that are worth visiting. Italy has been and will continue to be one of my favourites. Forward your travel questions to askjourneys@journeystravel.com. Ron Pradinuk is president of Journeys Travel & Leisure SuperCentre and can be heard Sundays at noon on CJOB. Previous columns and tips can be found on www. journeystravelgear.com or read Ron's travel blog at www.thattravelguy.ca Watch money in romantic Italy ASK JOURNEYS RON PRADINUK The Gatliff Trust-run hostel on the island of Berneray, Scotland. E_06_May-17-14_FT_01.indd E6 E_06_May-17-14_FT_01.indd E6 5/15/14 8:50:32 PM 5/15/14 8:50:32 PM

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