HOT SPRINGS LURES

Hot Springs lures
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. -- The Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission has reached an agreement with Mike Wurm, a top bass angler, to help promote the city to travelers.
"We couldn't think of a more appropriate way to help spread the word about Hot Springs' reputation as a fishing destination than by having a true fishing legend like Mike Wurm represent the city in at least 20 professional tournaments in 15 states during 2006," commission director Steve Arrison said.
Hot Springs hosted the high-profile FLW Championship bass tournament this year, which drew broadcast and print coverage. Rather than sponsor a lesser tournament in the coming year, the commission chose to seek exposure with Wurm, an angler who has a regular presence in big tournaments. Wurm, who lives in Hot Springs, is a seven-time B.A.S.S. Classic qualifier and four-time FLW Championship qualifier, in 2006.
Arrison said more than 40,000 people came to the Hot Springs Convention Center for weigh-ins and an outdoors show for the 2005 FLW Championship hosted by the commission.
Yellowstone winter
POWELL, Wyo. -- Advance bookings for winter trips into Yellowstone National Park through the park's East Entrance are up from last year, according to two tour business owners.
Jon Sowerwine, owner of High Country Adventures, which offers snowcoach tours into the park via Sylvan Pass, estimated winter reservations are up 30 percent from this time last year.
"We've had really good bookings, actually," he said.
Sowerwine said he expects to do more business this season than last winter, even though Yellowstone's 2005-06 winter season started Wednesday, one week later than last year's. It runs through March 12, 2006.
Advance bookings for Yellowstone snowmobile tours at Rimrock Ranch are also looking good, considering the confusion over snowmobile regulations the past few years, said Dede Fales, ranch owner.
Rimrock is the East Entrance's only sled provider.
"We're looking fairly steady," said Fales, who manages sled rentals with husband, Gary. "Reservations over Christmas are looking really good and we're starting to fill up January. Of course, we're still wishing those who own their own snowmobiles could go in themselves. It's a shame."
Yellowstone is currently operating under temporary winter use rules while the National Park Service prepares a new long-term winter use plan. There was much confusion last winter about snowmobile use in the park because of competing court rulings.
The temporary rules, in place through 2007, allow a maximum of 720 guided best-available-technology snowmobiles in the park each day, including a limited number through the East Entrance.
In addition to improved advance bookings, both Fales and Sowerwine expect the snowpack in the park to be better this season.
For more information, contact Rimrock at http://www.rimrockranch.com or (307) 587-3970, or High Country Adventures, http://www.yellowstoneadventuretours.com or (307) 587-7669.
Caribbean adventures
NEW YORK -- The Dominican Republic is well-known as a destination for kiteboarding and windsurfing, thanks to its Cabarete beach.
But did you know that it's also a worthy destination for mountain-climbing, thanks to its 10,000-foot-high Pico Duarte, reachable via a three-day, 28-mile route.
The January issue of Men's Journal highlights these and other places in the Caribbean where you can temper lazy beach days with adventures.
In Grenada, the magazine recommends diving to the Bianca C, a 600-foot-long luxury liner that sank in 1961. It's one of 30 dive sites near the island.
Also on the magazine's list are bonefishing in the flats and reefs around Andros Island in the Bahamas; surfing in Rincon on the west coast of Puerto Rico; mountain biking on St. Lucia and climbing the island's twin Piton peaks; and diving, bonefishing, windsurfing and kiteboarding in Los Roques National Park, an archipelago 85 miles off the northern coast of Venezuela.
Finally, in the Virgin Islands, Men's Journal recommends a five-day, 35-mile sea kayaking trip among four islands, organized by Arawak Expeditions, http://arawakexp.com or (800) 238-8687.