Top 10 quick getaways!

Everybody deserves a break, some time to themselves. And it doesn’t need to be a month or even a whole week: a few days is often all you need to remind yourself that life can be a whole lot of fun.

1. New to you in Paris
Name it and you’ll most likely find it at the Marche aux Puces at the Porte de Clingnancourt Metro. The eclectric array includes jewellery, military uniforms, tapestries, antique and vintage Louis Vuitton trunks. When you’re shopped out head to Chez Louisette where a songstress belts out Edith Piaf. It’s kitsch and great fun.

2. Tea time at the Palace in London
After wandering around in the sunken gardens and regal rooms of enchanting Kensington Palace (home to several princesses including the late Diana), pop into the Orangery for proper afternoon tea complete with finger sandwiches, scones and clotted cream. You might even be tempted to splurge with a glass of champagne.

3. Big Apple greeter in New York
Pick your neighbourhood (Soho or Little Italy, for example) and take a free stroll with a resident New Yorker. A walk around Central Park, for instance, could reveal such hidden delights as an 1871 carousel or John Lennon’s imagine memorial garden. Book a month in advance and bring your walking shoes.

4. Eye Candy in LA
You shouldn’t be caught dead hanging out in the City of Angels without cool shades. LA Eyeworks (7407 Melrose Avenue) is where Elton John makes a spectacle of himself. Other stars- including Ben Stiller, Reese Witherspoon and Charlize Theron-also flaunt Eyeworks’ cutting edge designs. Prices range about $200 skyward.

5. Desert Kilts in Scottsdale
At Scottsdale’s Kierland Golf Club, golfers can ride three nines on Segway scooters, customized to hold your golf bag. If it’s too hot and you prefer to ride, Kierland outfits its carts with air conditioners. And if you really want to get into the Celtic swing of things, play your game in a rented kilt, lads and lassies.

6. Sky-high in Vegas
Just 45 minutes away from the glitz of the famous strip, you can be soaring over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter. Papillion Tours offers many memorable options. How about a champagne picnic on the canyon floor, horseback riding, white water rafting or a stroll on the soaring glass-bottomed skywalk?

7. Walt’s World in San Francisco
The Walt Disney Family Museum chronicles the life and creations of the legend, from the birth of Mickey Mouse to the Disney empire. Wolfgang Puck’s museum café features family-friendly prices and Walt’s favourite foods, such as chili, Jell-O with fresh fruit and mini cupcakes. The cartoon genius was a man of simple tastes.

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8. Swim with turtles in Barbados
Once endangered, the hawksbill and leatherback turtles are now protected throughout the island. Spend the day enjoying a catamaran cruise where you’ll swim with sea turtles and snorkel over coral reefs teaming with tropical fish. Don’t forget the sunscreen and waterproof camera, and take it easy on those rum punches.

9. Helmet diving in Bermuda
Water clarity to 150 feet, coral reefs teeming with marine life and hundreds of shipwrecks have earned Bermuda the title “Wreck Diving Capital of the Atlantic”. Don a weighted helmet with its own regulator, walk down a ladder and stroll among the fish and reef creatures.

10. Local colour in Nassau
The free Bahamian People–to-People program brings travelers and local volunteers together. Depending on your interest you might be invited for some home-cooked cracked conch and a chance to swap stories on the front porch, take an island tour, or maybe attend a tea party at Government House in Nassau.

At Carlson Wagonlit Travel, we can help you plan the perfect getaway. Contact your nearest CWT office today at 1-800 CARLSON(227-5766) or visit www.cwtvactionclub.ca/carp to register online to receive a $50 CWT Savings Coupon!