L10 S U NDAY , O C T O B E R 15 , 2 017
C O M/ T R AV E L
GEO QUIZ
Majorca and Mi-
norca are the largest
islands in what island
group in the Mediter-
ranean Sea?
* Aegean Islands
* Balearic Islands
* Pelagie Islands
Answer below. Source:
National Geographic Bee
TIP SHEET
These spots
will be all
aflutter
By Mary Forgione
Tourists aren’t the only
ones who love to visit Cali-
fornia’s coast in winter. So do
monarch butterflies. Thou-
sands of these hardy trav-
elers flock to coastal areas on
an annual migration from
Central California to Mexi-
co’s Baja Peninsula.
We’ll share the three best
places to spot these orange
and black butterflies in euca-
lyptus and pine trees, but
here’s where you should not
go: The Goleta Butterfly
Grove, a popular viewing site
on the bluffs in Goleta near
Santa Barbara, has been
closed indefinitely.
Drought-damaged trees
that provide temporary
homes for the butterflies are
at risk of dying and falling.
The city is devising a man-
agement plan for the trees
and the wildlife, but the area
remains closed until then.
Here’s where you can go:
Pismo Beach. The Monarch
Butterfly Grove in Pismo
Beach is one of the largest
viewing areas in the state,
with counts in January of
about 20,000 butterflies. The
grove is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Oct. 28- Feb. 28. Prime view-
ing is in December. The grove
is about a mile south of
Pismo Beach just off Cali-
fornia 1 near the North Beach
Campground at the state
beach.
Info: www.monarchbutter
fly.org
Santa Cruz. The state’s sole
designated Monarch Pre-
serve is in Natural Bridges
State Beach in Santa Cruz.
You can take an easy walk to
an observation platform
beneath eucalyptus trees.
Warm, sunny days are the
best time to visit because
that’s when butterflies are
most active. The park is open
sunrise to sunset, and a free
hourlong guided tour occurs
at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sat-
urdays and Sundays in but-
terfly season. Parking is $10.
Info: lat.ms/santacruzbutter
flies
Pacific Grove. Monarchs
have started to arrive at the
Pacific Grove Monarch But-
terfly Sanctuary in the mid-
dle of this town near Mon-
terey. The local natural his-
tory museum counts the
butterflies every week; the
most recent count was 45.
Monarch viewing etiquette
includes staying on paths
(“Monarchs often drink their
water from the fog dew left on
the ground. You could step
on a monarch and never
know it”), leaving your dog
home and being quiet.
While you’re in the area,
stop at the museum as well
as Point Pinos Lighthouse
and Asilomar State Beach.
Info: lat.ms/pgbutterflies
GEO QUIZ ANSWER:
Balearic Islands
AIRFARES
ATLANTA CHICAGO
LAX $312 $260
SNA 345 296
BUR 396 331
LGB N/A 351
ONT 364 381
INT’L AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND*
LAX $1,034 - $1,491
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 of
planes, are for airlines serving Los Angeles International (LAX), Orange County/John Wayne (SNA), Burbank/Bob Hope (BUR), Long Beach (LGB) and Ontario (ONT). Domestic fares and inter-
national airfares include taxes and fees. *These international fares vary because of differing fuel surcharges on different airlines. Sources: Sabre reservation system, airlines and Web.
THE CONCIERGE
KEY WEST , Fla.’s port has hosted Carnival and other lines since Hurricane Irma. This photo from 2013.
CRUISE NEWS
These ports are calling
Although hurricanes have
pummeled the Caribbean
and southern Florida, many
untouched sites are open.
By Rosemary McClure
So many hurricanes battered the
Caribbean and southern Florida in
the last two months that it may seem
that no island escaped damage.
Not true. Many islands were out-
side the paths of hurricanes Irma, Jo-
se, Maria and Nate, or weren’t hit di-
rectly.
These islands — more than 40 in
all — are open for business and gear-
ing up as usual for the peak holiday
season in the Caribbean, which
stretches from December to May.
(June to November is the official hur-
ricane season.)
Other islands and ports that were
affected are racing to make repairs to
kick-start their fall tourist seasons.
Key West, Fla., launched a $1-million
advertising campaign this month to
let visitors know it has reopened to
visitors.
Tourists are helping the recovery
process, said Stacey Mitchell, direc-
tor of marketing for the Florida Keys
tourism council
Royal Caribbean International
and Carnival Cruise Lines ships have
visited the Port of Key West since the
hurricane.
Key West and Marathon airports
DEAL OF THE WEEK
Sweet discount on
rooms in Monterey
If you book at least 21 days before your
visit to Casa Munras Garden Hotel &
Spa in Monterey, Calif., you’ll receive
20% off room prices.
The deal: Using the discount, you can
find a room for as low as $129 a night.
Guests get free parking, Wi-Fi and ac-
cess to a fitness room. The offer is
good for stays through March 31.
One word of warning: What you gain in
savings you give up in flexibility. The
discount price means you pay in full
when you make the reservation, and
it’s nonrefundable.
Info: (800) 222-2446, www.hotelcasa
munras.com — Mary Forgione
DENVER HONOLULU LAS VEGAS NEW YORK/NEWARK, N.J.
$184 $496 $88
266 544 88
287 558 108
N/A N/A 92
184 516 88
CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO
$199
and the Florida Keys Overseas High-
way are open.
Some parts of the Keys haven’t yet
resumed normal operations. Recov-
ery efforts are ongoing especially in
the Lower Keys and parts of Mara-
thon that were hardest hit by the
storm.
More than a dozen public parks
have been closed. and many boat
ramps from Key West to Key Largo
were severely damaged or destroyed.
Elsewhere, recovery operations
are in high gear. Cruise industry exe-
cutives and Caribbean tourism offi-
cials have been reminding travelers
that the region encompasses more
than 1 million square miles and more
than 100 islands, many untouched.
“The Caribbean is open for busi-
ness and is going strong,” Arnold
Donald, Carnival Cruise Lines’ chief
executive, said in his quarterly earn-
ings remarks in late September.
Norwegian Cruise Lines is beating
the same drum.
“Yes, some islands have been af-
fected, but we’re making changes so
that people can still have a great va-
cation,” Norwegian representative
Christina Baez said.
Hurricane Nate, which struck the
U.S. Gulf Coast a week ago, report-
edly caused 25 deaths as it barreled
across Central America before slam-
ming into Biloxi, Miss.
It was the ninth hurricane to form
in the Atlantic this season, the great-
est number since the 2012 season
when 10 hurricanes formed, including
infamous Hurricane Sandy.
BOOK EARLY and you’ll get 20% off your room, including the
deluxe king, at Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa in Monterey, Calif.
PHOENIX SAN FRANCISCO
$316 $162
364 162
352 162
349 162
397 162
LONDON* PARIS* SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA*
$525 - $722 $649 - $934 $939 - $1,280
L AT I M E S .
TOURS &
CRUISES
BRAZIL
Dance
at Rio’s
Carnival
Picture yourself at Rio de
Janeiro’s lavish Carnival
parades, street parties and
samba competitions on a
five-day tour with Southern
Explorations. You’ll spend a
full day at the Sambadrome,
the landmark building where
dancers compete and per-
form in the annual parade of
samba schools. The trip also
includes walking tours of
Rio’s neighborhoods such as
Copacabana and Ipanema;
taking a cable car to Sugar
Loaf Mountain to see coastal
views; and visiting the Christ
the Redeemer statue that
stands guard over Rio.
Dates: Feb. 9-13
Price: From $3,345 to $4,275
per person, depending on
group size. Includes guides,
transfers, hotel stays, en-
trance fees and some meals.
International airfare not
included.
Info: Southern Explo-
rations, (877) 784-5400,
Karen Bleier AFP/Getty Images lat.ms/brazil
carnival
—Mary Forgione
JAPAN
Ancient & new
History and culture are
the focus of a new seven-day
tour offered by Classic Jour-
neys. The excursion begins
Nate did not affect Caribbean is- in Tokyo with a guided walk
lands nor ports in Mexico and Belize to the old district of
as had been feared. Asakusa, followed by a sushi-
Many Caribbean islands suffered making class. In Hakone,
severe damage from the other hurri- known for its hot springs,
canes, including Puerto Rico; St. participants will spend two
Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands; Bar- nights in a traditional ryo-
buda; Dominica; and Tortola in the kan, or inn. A bullet train will
British Virgin Islands. speed them to Kyoto, where
All hope port repairs will be com- activities include visits to the
pleted for at least part of the fall tour- Arashiyama bamboo forest,
ist season. the Golden Pavilion and Nijo
Among the places where the Castle.
cruise ships are being welcomed are Dates: April 16-22, May 14-20,
Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cuba, the Sept. 10-16, Oct. 1-7
Bahamas and the islands of the
Southern Caribbean: Aruba, Cu- Price: From $6,695 per per-
raçao and Bonaire. son, double occupancy.
To check the accessibility of vari- Includes accommodations,
ous islands, see Caribbean Travel Up- all breakfasts; admission to
sites and other events;
date, caribbeantravelupdate.com,
If you have scheduled a cruise, you guides and land transporta-
can check on changes to the itinerary tion. International airfare
not included.
on your cruise company’s website.
Most have listed alternative desti- Info: Classic Journeys, (800)
nations, such as this Carnival listing, 200-3887,www.classic
lat.ms/carnival, and this Royal Ca- journeys.com
ribbean International guide, lat.ms/ — Anne Harnagel
rccl.
But if you’re thinking about can-
celing an upcoming cruise because of CENTRAL EUROPE
itinerary changes, you’ll probably
face an uphill battle.
Many cruise lines are taking a
Black Sea cruise
hard line about letting guests cancel Explore the architectural,
for this reason. cultural and natural won-
For more information, check with ders of a region that once
your cruise line, travel agent or cruise languished behind the Iron
planner. Curtain on the new 15-day
Budapest to the Black Sea
travel@latimes.com cruise from Riviera River
Cruises. The cruise, which
begins in Budapest, Hunga-
ry, follows the Danube River
through Hungary, Croatia,
Serbia, Bulgaria and Roma-
nia to the Black Sea, then
returns. Between Serbia and
Romania, the ship will pass
through Iron Gates Gorge,
an 83-mile stretch of lime-
stone cliffs. At the Danube
Delta, participants board
smaller boats and cruise
through a 2,200-square-mile
expanse of rivers, marshes,
lakes and reed islands.
Dates: Nine departures from
April 27 through Sept. 27.
Price: From $4,069 per per-
son, double occupancy.
Includes accommodations
and meals. International
airfare not included.
Info: Rivera River Cruises,
Patrik Argast (888) 838-8820, lat.ms
/budapesttoblacksea
— Rosemary McClure
SEATTLE WASHINGTON, D.C. SINGAPORE FOR $438
Fare: $438 round-trip, in-
$96 $139 $322
cluding all taxes and fees,
96 175 368 from LAX to Singapore on
United.
112 177 372 Restrictions: Subject to
97 142 407 availability. Must be pur-
chased by Friday. For de-
128 168 349 partures Oct. 28-Dec. 5.
Maximum stay: three
TOKYO* VANCOUVER, CANADA months. Holiday blackouts
apply.
$679 - $1,288 $198 Info: (800) 864-8331, www
.united.com
Source: Airfarewatchdog
.com