DreamSack
(DreamSacks Inc., from $55)
Everybody compares this wisp of a sleeping bag to a cocoon. It’s a description so hard to resist (we’ve discovered a bit shamefacedly) that we can only join the chorus. We thought we’d try to say something clever about how you can emerge from the 34-inch-wide opening like a butterfly after a night spent in its seven-foot, nine-inch length. We considered making a witty reference to mulberry trees and silk worms: After all, the six-ounce sack, which can add a layer of warmth in a winter sleeping bag or keep you cool in summer while protecting against mosquitoes, is made of 100 percent silk. We looked for some small object, other than a Popsicle or a pack of travel tissues, to illustrate how little space the SleepSack takes up when it’s folded — because other people had already used those references. All that’s left for us to say is that the machine-washable, air-dryable SleepSack comes in other sizes and lots of colors — teal, burgundy, midnight blue, royal blue and purple — just like butterflies. (800-670-7661)
KID STUFF
“The Unofficial Guide to Florida With Kids”
(Macmillan Travel, $16.95)
Miami’s MetroZoo garners high enjoyment ratings from all age groups. St. Augustine’s Zorayda Castle gets yawns across the board. You can tell all that at a glance because this first-edition guide awards stars to attractions and resorts based on their appeal to six different age groups, from pre-schoolers to senior citizens. Rides at the Disney parks and at Universal Studios, for instance, are graded on their fright potential, from A to F. Resorts are evaluated for the offerings of their children’s programs. Family friendly restaurants are listed. So are the best beaches. Actually, this is a quick, nuts-and-bolts travel guide for anyone headed to Florida, kids or no. The state is divided into regions, with each section advising on things like side trips, weather and festivals. Easy-to-read maps show the location of resorts, attractions and restaurants mentioned in the text.
MAGAZINES
Nevada Magazine
(April 1999, $3.95)
Howard Hughes slept here. That’s all the tease you need to pick up this magazine and read the article that tells how you, too, can sleep in the millionaire’s old digs. Before you check in, though, you might want to know that the two-room suite on the ninth floor of the Desert Inn will set you back $1,800 a night, it says here. You also ought to know that by the time Hughes checked out, so to speak, in 1971, the lone bedroom to which he retreated had “developed a thick layer of dust and was littered with files, newspaper clippings and Kleenex,” the article reports. Sure, this issue of Nevada Magazine has other features, such as the one about a Shoshone woman who weaves baskets of blue-ribbon quality. There’s an eight-page pullout on spring tourism news and lots of lists of things to do around the state. But it’s Hughes’ sad ghost that’ll make you buy it. On the stands till May 1. (800-495-3281)
GUIDEBOOKS
“The Ecotravellers’ Wildlife Guide: Costa Rica”
(Academic Press, $27.95)
You could empty a forest’s worth or trees, what with all the books being printed about Costa Rica. Pity that so few guides so fully focus on the country’s ecological treasures as this one does. Here, you won’t find a word about the best hotels or who’s got the coldest beer. About half of its 426 slick pages are devoted to identification plates, those colorful drawings that, for instance, help you differentiate between the mealy parrot and the red-lored parrot. Joining the multitude of bird species are equally fine drawings of reptiles, monkeys, wild cats. The other half of the book details, in relatively fine print, topics such as the connection between ecology and animal behavior. Maps indicate national parks and ecological preserves. Photos depict flood plains, rain forests, beaches and volcanoes. An even thicker title is available on Belize. Upcoming additions to the series include Tropical Mexico, Hawaii, and Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. (619-231-0926)
CORRECTION
“French Phrase Cassette: French As It’s Really Spoken”
In the Feb. 21 Resourceful Traveler, we reviewed this foreign language cassette published by Berlitz. However, Berlitz has notified us that this title has been discontinued; an updated version has taken its place, and is on its way to us for consideration. Because Berlitz received many phone inquiries as the result of our Feb. 21 review, we wanted to let you know the product’s status and apologize for any inconvenience.
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Toni Stroud’s e-mail address is tstroud@tribune.com.
