Maybe Darwin’s theory of natural selection has finally made it to the travel industry, for touring the Galapagos Islands has progressed to the brink of being considered a budget trip. What else could explain low-season rates that start at $925 for a three-night voyage aboard the 100-passenger Galapagos II Explorer? Four-night voyages start at $1,290; seven-night sailings start at $2,100. Price covers accommodation, all meals, entrance fees and guided shore tours on departures Sept. 1-Oct.14 or Dec. 1-16. Book through Elegant Cruises & Tours. (800-683-6767)
COURS DE PICNIC
Just imagine: 600 miles of matching tablecloths! Spread with French cuisine. From Dunkirk on the Strait of Dover to Prats de Mollo on the Spanish border, France will put on the pate for an expected 3 million grazers at 20 designated sites for The Incredible Picnic on July 14. The route traces what’s known as the Green Meridian through eight regions and 337 towns (including Paris) and has long been planted with cedars, oaks and olive trees — and recently with poppies that should bloom by picnic day. B.Y.O. basket for the munchies you’ll buy. (312-751-7800, or at www.2000enfrance.com)
B.Y.O. BLANKET
The shortest distance between July 3 and the Fourth of July may be the 2 miles of railroad track that stretch from Monticello’s Old Wabash Depot bound for a grassy meadow, perfect for spreading a blanket from which to watch the fireworks. The Monticello (Ill.) Railway Museum’s Fireworks Train is always a sell-out, they say. So you’ll need reservations for the 8 p.m. departure on July 3. The whole trip lasts only an hour, but the diesel locomotive that powers it may be a Wabash F-7 built in 1953 or a former Long Island Railroad Alco RS-3 built in 1955. Bring blanket and mosquito repellent. Refreshments are available on board. Fare: $7 adults, $4 for ages 2-12. (800-952-3396)
HANDI-CAMPED
The National Handicapped Travel Club goes a-camping June 21-24 in Wisconsin Dells. The group that formed in 1973 to encourage people with disabilities to travel will “do” the Dells properly, seeing a Tommy Bartlett Thrill Show, taking a river cruise and holding a tailgate supper. Club members are avid RV campers. They’ll be setting up at The Country Roads Motorhome & RV Park in Lake Delton, Wis., where the $16-per-day camp fee includes water and electric. (Gretchen Wenzel at 262-786-6098)
FREE STUFF
Here they are: Lincoln City, Siletz and Waldport. Let’s not forget Waldport. Once you get past the really dorky town names, you’ll discover they’re located along the dramatic Oregon Central Coast — and listed in the map guide by the same name. (800-767-2064) . . . Some of the towns in the Oregon Coast Mile-by-Mile Guide to Highway 101 have much zappier names: Tillamook, for instance, and Coos Bay. That’s because it’s a bigger guide and covers a wider territory. But it won’t let us forget Waldport either. (888-628-2101)
Prices generally are per-person, double.
