Taking a family vacation often involves meticulous planning and more importantly, careful budgeting. If you haven’t gotten started on either these next travel treats may offer incentive for you to do so. One doesn’t take place until next summer (which gives you ample time to sock some money away) and the other is a priceless and popular mainstay in paradise.
MINNESOTA
Attention all “Star Wars” fans: Now is the time to start planning for the next great adventure involving your favorite movie characters.
It requires traveling to Minnesota, but at least it will be during a time when the weather there is halfway decent. On June 13, 2008 “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination” opens at the Science Museum of Minnesota. (The museum recently found out it won the rights to host the blockbuster exhibit.)
The traveling exhibit was developed by the Museum of Science in Boston in conjunction with Lucasfilm, and features more than 80 costumes, models, and props from all six “Star Wars” films. For less than $20 you will able to climb aboard a full-size replica of the cockpit from Episode Four’s Millennium Falcon, sit inside a real hovercraft and step into a lab where they can build and program robots and engineer droids.
You have nine months to plan your trip and visit before the exhibit blasts out of the country. The Science Museum is the final stop in the exhibit’s national tour of eight museums after that the exhibit is sent overseas.
You won’t be able to purchase your tickets until April, but the museum is allowing you to log onto to its special website right now to sign up to buy tickets in March—-a month before general ticket sales begin.
Admission is $17 for adults and $14.50 for ages 4 to 12 and 60 and older.
MAUI, HAWAII
Okay, all you adrenaline junkies, here’s a way to satisfy your need for speed in a picture-perfect setting.
On the Hawaiian Island of Maui there’s a company offering ATV tours of one of the state’s most picturesque cattle ranches. Haleakala ATV Tours offers a 3-hour four-wheeled adventure for under $150.
For that price you are given the use of a top-of-the-line 350cc 4WD quad, plus three safety items: A head sock (covering everything but the eyes), a helmet, and a pair of goggles. The three-hour tour includes a box lunch (standard sandwich, chips, and a drink) and two knowledgeable guides who give you a 30-minute introductory course on ATV operation before setting off on the excursion.
Your tour takes you across Haleakala’s varied terrain (the dormant volcano is a hotspot for tourists), including lava beds, rolling hills, and forests. The tour covers about 14 miles, and includes two “educational” stops-—both give you the chance to learn about the island’s wildlife and vegetation. Though the highlight of the trip typically comes at 4,200 feet. The breath-taking panoramic views from that height will make you happy that you packed your camera and binoculars. I would also suggest packing some sunscreen and bottled water. Note: Each ATV has a zippered pouch where you can stash your belongings.
One final reminder: you must be 16 years or older to participate in the tour.
Visiting Hawaii? Check out these other related articles:
Traveling To Hawaii—With Your Pet
Hawaii–Visiting the Big Island’s Best Waterfalls
Hawaiian 101: “Was that Mauka or Makai?”
Adventure Travel–Swimming With Sharks
Adventure Travel–A Trip to the “Valley of the Kings”
Visiting the World’s Largest Outdoor Shopping Center
Destination: Hawaii–A Great Family Beach
Visiting Hawaii’s “White Mountain”