Fall Tours open homes and gardens

Fall Tours open homes and gardens

CHARLESTON, S.C. — One of the more popular tourist events in Charleston is back: the annual Fall Tours of Homes and Gardens sponsored by the Preservation Society of Charleston, continuing through Oct. 26.

It’s the 32nd year the tours have been showing off the interiors of Charleston’s private homes, as well as gardens, churches and public buildings.

Tours are held Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings as well as Sunday afternoons. Many tours sell out in advance.

Tickets can be purchased at www.preservationsociety.org or by calling (843) 722-4630, or in person at 147 King St.

Tickets are $45 per person, per tour, but a $120 ticket includes Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening tours for the same weekend.

They’re making snow in Colorado Rockies

GEORGETOWN, Colo. — Skiers, take note: The snow is starting to fly, even if it is manmade.

Loveland Ski Area fired up its snow guns Sept. 23 with a goal of opening for the season sometime this month. An exact date hasn’t been set.

The Rocky Mountains have already been dusted by natural snow, but Loveland crews had been waiting for lower nighttime temperatures and the right humidity to begin making more.

Nearby Arapahoe Basin Ski Area hasn’t started making snow yet. A-Basin opened for the season last year on Oct. 10, making it the earliest resort to open in the nation for two straight years.

Carnival Fascination based in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The 855-foot-long Carnival Fascination has arrived at the Port of Jacksonville to begin year-round, four- and five-day voyages.

The 2,052-passenger vessel is the largest cruise ship to ever permanently base in Jacksonville.

Owned by Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines, Fascination is expected to carry about 170,000 passengers each year. Jacksonville Port Authority officials say that will amount to a local economic impact of about $30 million.

Carnival hopes to attract many first-time cruisers residing in southeastern states that are an easy drive to Jacksonville.

Fascination’s alternating itineraries includes port calls to several Bahamian ports and Key West.

Sweepstakes offer wildlife expeditions

BOULDER, Colo. — A tour company is offering a sweepstakes to win a series of once-in-a-lifetime wildlife expeditions to Antarctica, the Falklands, Tanzania, the Galapagos, the Amazon and Machu Picchu and the polar-bear country of Manitoba, Canada.

Natural Habitat Adventures’ “Wild Wonders Sweepstakes” runs through Feb. 28. You can enter daily at www.nathab.com/wildwonders. The winner gets five nature expeditions for two, including airfare, over a period of five years. Details on each trip included in the contest are at www.nathab.com.

The company offers conservation travel to the World Wildlife Fund and has won honors for its ecotours from Travel + Leisure, National Geographic Adventure and Conde Nast Traveler.

Associated Press