the concierge...int’l auckland, new zealand* cabo san lucas, mexico london* paris* sydney,...

L6 SUNDAY, JULY 21, 2019 LATIMES.COM/TRAVEL

THE CONCIERGE

Which mountainrange has the greatestnumber of activevolcanoes?

* Andes

* Tian Shan

* Cascade RangeAnswer below. Source:National Geographic Bee

GEO QUIZ

Want to save $350 per person oncruises that explore Baja’s tropicalbeaches?

The deal: AdventureSmith Explor-ations takes you deep into the Gulf ofCalifornia with stops at Isla SanFrancisco, Bahia Agua Verde, Mag-dalena Bay and Isla Espiritu Santo.You can swim, snorkel and look formigrating gray whales on this eight-day trip. Discounted price starts at$4,045 per person, double occupancy.Book by July 31 to get the deal, basedon availability. Travel is aboard the88-passenger Safari Endeavour..

Info: bit.ly/adventuresmithbaja— Mary Forgione

DEAL OF THE WEEK

Baja at bargain rate,but time’s a wastin’

EXPLORE the Gulf of California’s beaches and islands on an Adven-tureSmith Explorations cruise on 88-passenger Safari Endeavor.

AdventureSmith Explorations

ALASKA

Make friends with a polarbear — from a distance — ona new seven-day adventurein the Alaskan Arctic. TheGondwana Ecotours jour-ney offers opportunities tophotograph polar bears,snowy owls, Arctic foxes andthe northern lights. Fourbear-viewing safaris areincluded as well as a chanceto mingle with residents ofUtqiagvik (previouslyknown as Barrow), thenorthernmost town inAmerica. Highlights includelearning how native life isadapting to global warming.

Dates: Sept. 21-27

Price: From $8,770 perperson, double occupancy.Includes flights in Alaska,accommodations in Fair-banks and Utqiagvik, meals,guides, activities andground transportation.Airfare not included.

Info: Gondwana Ecotours,(877) 587-8479, bit.ly/gondwanapolarbearadventure

— Rosemary McClure

FRENCHPOLYNESIA

Tahiti and more Island hop through FrenchPolynesia on a weeklongjourney that includes airfareand visits to Tahiti, Mooreaand Rangiroa, three of theregion’s most picturesquedestinations. Participantsspend three nights in anoverwater bungalow onMoorea, home to soaringmountains and lush land-scapes; two nights in abeach bungalow on Ran-giroa, one of the largestatolls in the world; and onenight in a beachfront hotelin Tahiti. They’ll be able todine at the roulettes, theFrench food trucks thatgather nightly at the Papee-te seaport.

Dates: Nov. 1-Dec. 10 andJan. 15-March 31

Price: From $2,999 perperson, double occupancy.Includes round-trip airfarefrom Los Angeles, accom-modations, daily breakfast,and transfers to Moorea andRangiroa by boat and air.

Info: Pacific Holidays, (800)355-8025, bit.ly/polynesiavacationpackage

— Rosemary McClure

CENTRAL EUROPE

Holiday plansAmaWaterways is offeringsale prices for eight-dayChristmas Market rivercruises that visit festivals incities such as Budapest,Hungary; Vienna; andNuremberg and Regens-burg, Germany. Cruiserscan choose from four itiner-aries on the Rhine andDanube rivers that includestops to shop at holidaymarket stalls. The savingsprogram applies to 38 sail-ings and can be bookeduntil Aug. 31. It includessavings of $1,000 per person,a stateroom upgrade and a$50 onboard credit perperson.

Dates: Late November-Dec. 22.

Prices: From $2,999 perperson, double occupancy.Includes accommodations,entertainment, meals andtours in every destination.

Info: AmaWaterways, (800)626-0126, bit.ly/christmasmarketcruises

— Rosemary McClure

TOURS &CRUISES

Go seeowls, bearsand foxes

GEO QUIZ ANSWER:

Andes

Skiing this summer can be asclose as Mammoth Moun-tain, about 300 miles north ofLos Angeles, or as far as theSouthern Hemisphere,where it’s now snow season.Here are five places to hit theslopes.

MammothMountainThis year will mark one of thelongest ski seasons in Mam-moth Mountain’s history. Ithad aimed to stay open untilAugust but announced lastweek the slopes would closeJuly 28. The resort is sellingtickets at $129 per day thatallow morning access to theslopes, all-day entry to trailsin Mammoth Bike Park anda nine-hole game at SierraStar Golf Course after 3 p.m.

Info:mammothmountain.com

Mt. Hood, Ore.Timberline Lodge and Skiand Snowboard Area, 60miles east of Portland, isopen all year, not surprisingsince it’s on 11,250-foot Mt.Hood. The ski area, recentlyhad two lifts operating andpublic access to two terrainparks.

Info: timberlinelodge.com

Valle Nevado, ChileWhile we’re having poolparties in the NorthernHemisphere, the SouthernHemisphere is sipping hotchocolate and bundling upbecause it’s prime time forskiing. Valle Nevado is in theChilean Andes, about 40miles east of Santiago, thecapital. The ski resort hasthree hotels (Hotel ValleNevado, Hotel Puerta del Soland Hotel Tres Puntas) thatoffer packages that includelift tickets.

Info: vallenevado.com/en/

The Remarkables,New ZealandThe Remarkables Ski Area,about 45 minutes from cen-tral Queenstown on NewZealand’s South Island,allows skiers and snow-boarders to test their skills atone of seven parks. The skiarea also has a massivebeginners area; four-daypackages, including liftpasses, lessons and rentals,are available for newbies.

Info: theremarkables.co.nz

Mt. Buller,AustraliaThe resort village of Mt.Buller is about a three-hourdrive northeast of Mel-bourne. It has 22 ski lifts, twotoboggan parks and morethan 30 bars and restau-rants.

Info:mtbuller.com.au

TIP SHEET

Don’t putthose skisaway yet By Mike Morris

ATLANTA CHICAGO DENVER HONOLULU LAS VEGAS NEW YORK/NEWARK, N.J. PHOENIX SAN FRANCISCO SEATTLE WASHINGTON, D.C.

LAX $358 $352 $226 $574 $108 $390 $156 $108 $193 $466

SNA 390 382 256 589 136 451 230 124 188 478

BUR 371 344 262 598 136 364 176 133 188 489

LGB 349 336 274 574 121 414 176 108 172 443

ONT 382 346 252 585 148 387 176 108 178 436

INT’L AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND* CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO LONDON* PARIS* SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA* TOKYO* VANCOUVER, CANADA

LAX $974-$1,349 $295 $861-$1,218 $917-$1,351 $936-$1,525 $928-$1,331 $286

Restricted round-trip airfares are researched on Thursday, the day before the Travel section goes to press. Fares change daily, and availability is not assured. Fares, which may involve a change ofplanes, are for airlines serving Los Angeles International (LAX), Orange County/John Wayne (SNA), Burbank/Hollywood (BUR), Long Beach (LGB) and Ontario(ONT). Domestic fares and interna-tional airfares include taxes and fees. *These international fares vary because of differing fuel surcharges on different airlines. Sources: Sabre reservation system, airlines and Web.

AIRFARES

Fare: $661 round trip, in-cluding taxes and fees, fromLAX to Denpasar, Bali, onEVA Air.Restrictions: Subject toavailability. Must book byJuly 31. This is a basic econo-my fare that includes twochecked bags; seat selectioncosts extra. Valid for depar-tures through March 31.Info: (800) 695-1188, bit.ly/EVAairfareSource:Airfarewatchdog-.com

$661 TO BALI

Hang it up, way upSlim hangers conserve space in

suit bags and hotel closets. Whiletypical hangers slope downwardfrom the hook, Higher Hangers dipat the center, then rise on each sidein a kind of shoulder shrug. Clothinghangs up to 4 inches closer to the topof the suit bag or closet rod than onsloping hangers. Long coats anddresses droop less in hanging bagsand are less likely to drag on thefloor. Higher Hangers come insmooth or felt-flocked plastic, allnotched near each end to reduceslippage.

Cost, info: Higher Hangers in packsof 40 for about $65 at higherhangers.com.

Cool drinks for daysLifeProof is best known for its

smartphone cases, but the companyhas branched out with its tough new nylon Backpack Cooler. At 17inches high by 11 inches wide by 9inches deep, the cooler can keep ice(and the equivalent of 24 beveragecans) chilled for up to two days.

Adjustable padded back strapsand chest strap help balance theload and reduce neck and shoulderstrain. An integrated metal bottleopener and built-in mesh bottleholder flank the sides. The bag canprotect more than food. Load it withmakeup, lotions, medications andother temperature-sensitive items for atrip to the beach or protection ina hot parked car (the included re-freezable ice pack can prolong cool-

ing). A zippered pocket at the frontis great for stashing documents,keys, credit cards and other smallitems.

Cost, info: LifeProof BackpackCooler is about $70 at bit.ly/backpackcoolerand other online retail-ers.

Feels like a sock ...Everyone knows you’re supposed

to pack sturdy walking shoes forexcursions out and about. The folkswho designed Skinners MinimalistBarefoot Sock Shoes beg to differ —or at least broaden your options.They take the stance that plenty oftraveling feet would be happier onmost terrain unbound by all thatstructure and weight. Skinners’alternative is a pull-on, ankle-hug-ging high-tech sock with a grippy,shoe-like sole. The breathable multi-layer uppers combine yarns made ofsilver-infused antibacterial, mois-ture-wicking polypropylene, silkyviscose, soft cotton and Lycra (forform-fitting light compression).

The soles are made of a puncture-resistant, waterproof, double-layerpolymer/plastic compound and aresecurely fused to the sock upperswith no glue or seams. Weighing lessthan 6 ounces a pair, Skinners sockshoes are machine washable andstash in the included drawstringpouch or in a pocket. They are notintended for extended cold-weatherexposure, nor for feet with seriousorthopedic challenges.

Cost, info: Skinners Barefoot SockShoes in black with red, green, blue

or other color accents are about $60in unisex sizes at skinners.cc/shop/skinners/

Pack your pooch in styleSure you could toss the dog’s gear

into any old sack for the next bigroad trip, but wouldn’t a well-organ-ized canine travel bag be more help-ful — just like the human version isfor you? The folks at Overland DogGear have loaded their new doggieWeek Away Bags with collapsiblespill-proof silicone food bowls, insu-lated treat and water carriers, andeven a zip-out placemat — all sys-tematically organized in easy-accessinternal and external zippered andpatch pockets, mesh pouches andflaps. Available as a shoulder bag, awheeled model or an extra-largeduffle, all the bags are made of light-weight water-resistant-lined poly-ester; have padded, adjustableshoulder straps, multiple sewn-inhandles, internal dividers and exter-nal mesh bottle holders; and meetairline carry-on requirements.Shoulder bags come in two sizes insolid colors, animal prints or camo-look. The wheeled bag has a tele-scoping pull handle; the roomy Ulti-mate Duffle’s external sleeve slidesover the telescoping handle of anywheeled bag.

Cost, info: Overland Dog Gear WeekAway Bags, complete with multiplestorage containers, are $43 to $50 forshoulder styles; the Ultimate Duffleis about $70; the wheeled modelabout $90; at overlanddoggear.com/week-away-bags

Higher Hangers

GEAR

Calm, cool and collected

CLOCKWISE from top left: Higher Hangers’ slim lightweight hangers; LifeProof’s insulated BackpackCooler; Skinners Minimalist Barefoot Sock Shoes; and Overland Dog Gear’s spacious Week Away Bags.

Overland Dog Gear

LifeProof

Skinners

Better hangers, a backpack cooler, sock shoes and your dog’s gear ac-

cessible and organized can help make travel easier — or at least less stressful.

By Judi Dash >>>