4-Wheeling to Bodie to Rev Up Ghost Town

Sept. 13 to 15, drive across rugged country to the ghost town of Bodie, which gained a reputation as one of the most lawless mining towns in the West.

Participants will depart from Bishop and travel along the old stagecoach road through Chalfant Valley to see ancient petroglyph sites on the volcanic tableland. The group will sleep under the stars in the Inyo National Forest the first night and share a potluck dinner.

On the second day, drivers head to Mono Mills, where Bodie’s lumber was milled, then to Lee Vining and Mono Lake. An early afternoon arrival is planned for Bodie State Historic Park, where a park ranger will guide the group through an ore-processing mill. The rest of the afternoon is open for leisurely exploration. Time permitting, the group may journey to the nearby ghost town of Masonic on the way to overnight quarters at a motel in Bridgeport.

Cost: $170 per vehicle. Price does not include motels or meals. Tour is limited to 15 four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Contact: Ecological 4-Wheeling Adventures, 2925-A7 College Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626; telephone (714) 540-7731.

Loire Valley

Join a cultural, historical and up-close look on a seven-night tour (via bicycle) of the Loire Valley in France from Sept. 20 to 27. Participants spend the first three nights at a private country estate, where evenings are devoted to tasting different wines and taking a cooking class. The group will bicycle two to three hours each day through small villages. Also planned is a cruise on the Cher River, a visit to several cha^teaux, museum stops and time for shopping. Lodging for the remaining nights are in small cha^teaux.

Cost: $1,495 per person, double occupancy, including daily breakfast, entrance fees, guides and ground transportation. Not included: international air fare and bike rentals (about $90).

Contact: Gurnhan Group, 11950 Ventura Blvd., Suite 4, Studio City, CA 91604; tel. (800) 475-0004.

Designs on Sweden

A small-group tour for travelers interested in design and architecture runs from Aug. 8 to 21. Two design professionals will lead the tour. Architects in Sweden and an architecture author in Finland join the group as guides. The tour begins in Kalmar, Sweden, near the glass district, with events that feature architecture, furniture and glass. The next stop is Stockholm, with visits to selected sites for design enthusiasts. Guests will take a cruise through the islands and drive to Finland’s lake district. The tour finishes in Helsinki, Finland, with mini-tours for textile, furniture, glass, pottery and architecture fans.

Cost: $2,950 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air on SAS from the West Coast, cruise ship with overnight cabin, some meals and coach transportation.

Contact: Elise Backmann at Rainier World Travel; tel. (800) 432-4456.

Dvorak in New York

Rich Worldwide Travel is offering a New York tour to coincide with the dedication of a statue of composer Antonin Dvorak near his former home in Manhattan. The tour is open to anyone interested in Dvorak’s music, and runs from Sept. 12 to 15. Participants will enjoy reserved seating at the concert following the dedication, as well as a post-concert reception to meet the statue’s artists. The concert will consist of works composed by Dvorak while he lived in New York. Guests also attend a gospel service in Harlem. Group members also can take a Grayline tour of the city.

Cost: $799 per person, including transfers, ground transportation, city tour and concert. Hotel, meals and air fare are not included.

Contact: Rich Worldwide Travel; tel. (212) 997-1600, ext. 202.

Horsing Around Italy

A six-night, five-day holiday at the rural Malvarina hotel between Assisi and Perugia offers riders of any skill four days in the saddle, exploring the Umbrian hills. The itinerary winds along roads dating to Roman times, through miles of olive groves, and up Mt. Subasio, the region’s highest point. Riders visit Colleplinio, a restored village with a castle, and Assisi, the hometown of St. Francis, famous for his love of animals.

Hot baths and a dinner await riders after each day’s ride. Riders also are invited into the Malvarina kitchens for a cooking class. A full day is reserved to explore Umbria by foot, bicycle, rental car or bus.

Cost: $1,350 per person, double occupancy, including use of a horse and equipment, guide, accommodations, all meals and taxes. Arrangements can be made for non-riding companions to enjoy biking, walking or sightseeing in nearby Assisi and Perugia.

Contact: CCI Travel, P.O. Box 1170, Millbrook, NY 12545; tel. (800) 828-8768.

British Literature

British Literary Tours is offering several nine-night tours this fall beginning in October. The itinerary will include the birthplaces of Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy and William Shakespeare. There also will be stops at museums, graves and other important sites relating to these three writers, as well as Dylan Thomas and Charles Dickens. Accommodations will be at country pubs and B&Bs.;

Cost: $2,299 per person, double occupancy, including round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, all accommodations, daily breakfasts and most admissions.

Contact: British Literary Tours; tel. (714) 903-5548.

Chile and Patagonia

Explore Chile’s Torres de Paine National Park on foot from base camps, and see the fiords by sea kayak. Peruvian Adventures is offering an 18-day trip to southern Chile on Jan. 14. The first week will be spent in Patagonia. Some tours will be made in vehicles, but most will be day hikes from two lakeside base camps.

The second half of the trip begins in Puerto Montt. Guests will paddle in two-person sea kayaks to explore the scenery of the southern fiords, rest in some of the many hot springs, and see sea lions, dolphins and penguins. The group will camp along the shore. No previous experience is necessary. The trip originates and ends in Santiago.

Cost: $2,480 per person, double occupancy, including most meals, all accommodations, equipment, tours and the services of a tour conductor and naturalist guide.

Contact: Peruvian Adventures, 444 Redlands Ave., Claremont, CA 91711; tel. (909) 626-2905.

Insider’s Prague

Discover Prague’s history and beauty on a nine-night tour scheduled for Sept. 11. The tour’s highlights include walking trips through Prague, classical evening performances and private day trips in the Czech Republic to UNESCO-listed World Heritage towns and castles.

The tour is limited to 15 participants. The itinerary includes an overview tour of the capital and walking tours structured along ancient divisions including the Old Town, the Jewish Quarter, Prague Castle District, New Town and Lesser Quarter. The group also meets with Prague residents to discuss current events, and local experts provide historical narrative.

Cost: $2,700 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations, bilingual tour director, two meals daily, evening performances, private coach transportation, all scheduled admissions, sightseeing and entrance fees, luggage handling, transfers and porterage. Not included: air fare.

Contact: The Bohemian Express, P.O. Box 397, Santa Monica, CA 90406; tel. (310) 828-3514.

Cuisine of Spain

Celebrate the Rose of Saffron Festival this October in Albacete, Spain. Villagers race to gather the delicate crocus stamens that yield one of the world’s most expensive spices. The 10-day journey also is focused on harvest, preservation and preparation of traditional regional foods. The tour begins in Madrid, where participants will visit small-scale producers of breads and cheeses, wines and spices, ceramics and lace. Guests will see paprika peppers roasting and taste air-cured ham in the mountains of Aragon. They also will join a chef in the kitchen of a medieval castle as he prepares dinner.

Cost: $2,995 per person, double occupancy, including accommodations in palaces and regional hotels, some meals, guides, and all entrances and gratuities. Air fare is not included.

Contact: Saranjan Tours, 12865 N.E. 85th St., No. 102, Kirkland, WA 98033; tel. (800) 858-9594.

The Times is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. These should be confirmed with cruise lines, travel agents or tour operators.