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By Fred Wright, Jr. |
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Turn Boredom into Fundom
Family vacations by car can be a bonding experience, but also a boring one for young children, sometimes even the adults. And once you’re at your destination, sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate, and it rains. Now a retailer offers popular family games that can travel. Built to handle the jostle of a suitcase or a bumpy car ride, the games, by Front Porch Classics, range from Boneyard Dominos (more fun than it sounds) to Checkers and even something called Shut-the-Box. Prices range from US$ 7 to US$ 30. For more information, go to www.frontporchclassics.com.
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Head for the Hills!
For those who like to see history reenacted, the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut will ring with the sound of gunfire and drums as nearly 100 enthusiasts recreate a Revolutionary War battle. Hundreds of participants from the Fifth Connecticut Regiment and their families, dressed in authentic Colonial costumes, will set up a realistic military camp June 17 and 18. There will be parades and drills, and field skirmishes reenacting the Battle of Breakneck Creek. Admission is US$ 8 for adults, US$ 4 for students and children. For more information, call 800-663-1273 or go to www.litchfieldhills.com.
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Movies at Sea
Princess Cruises has a clever amenity for this summer’s cruises. After polling 45,000 passengers about their favorite films and film scenes, starting in June, the top-rated films will be shown on the Crown Princess, sailing for the Caribbean out of Brooklyn. Films will be screened poolside on a 300-square-foot (28 m²) LED movie screen each day, sort of a drive-in at sea. Subjects include Best Escape Film, The Shawshank Redemption; Best Drive-In Movie, Grease; Captain Most Likely to Steal Your Heart, Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean; and Best Performance by a Lobster, The Little Mermaid. For more information, go to www.princess.com.
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Safety at 30,000 Feet
Emirates Airlines, known for its luxury onboard facilities, will be offering its New York–to Dubai–passengers a bit of extra in-flight safety for any passengers who might become ill: a state-of-the-art health-monitoring system that communicates a passenger’s vital signs (blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature, blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels), high-resolution visual images and other information directly to medical personnel on the ground in Phoenix, Arizona. For further information, visit www.emirates.com.
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Sweet, Suite London
If you decide to stay in one of the new two-bedroom suites in London’s Capital Hotel, there’s an additional perk: a chauffeur-driven Bentley Continental GT at a guest’s disposal for up to five hours a day. The Capital is well located, just a few steps from Harrods, Harvey Nichols and many of the trendy shops around Knightsbridge. The suites come with WiFi connections, CD players, Bose radio alarm clocks and flat-screen TVs in both bedrooms. Guests can even arrange to go jogging with Clive Smith, The Capital’s concierge (and a marathon runner) in nearby Hyde Park. The rate is GB₤ 850 (US$ 1,480) per night. For more information, call 800-926-3199 or go to www.capitalhotel.co.uk.
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Sweet, Sweet Honeymoon
Wedding registries, including those on the Internet, have become almost routine for many couples getting married these days. But now there’s an online registry for honeymoons. Couples can put a wish list on the site — which features amenities such as gourmet dinners or sunset cruises that they would like to experience while honeymooning — or friends can contribute toward airfare, hotel accommodations, car rentals and the like. TheBigDay Travel features such additional options as announcement cards, a wedding Web page and email, images and photos, thank-you notes, e-postcards and more. Fees vary according to the size of the honeymoon package, generally 3.5 to 9 percent. For more information, go to www.TheBigDay.com.
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