Globe Trotting
The Tribute in Light rises behind the Brooklyn Bridge and buildings adjacent to the World Trade Center complex in New York. The tribute, an art installation of 88 searchlights aiming skyward in two columns, is a remembrance of the 9/11 attacks. The New York City licensing test for sightseeing guides includes 150 questions about the bridge, the trade center and everything from Dutch history to pop culture.
Railway offers Polar Express rides
Christmas, anyone? Book a holiday-themed trip aboard the Grand Canyon Railway’s Polar Express. Tickets are on sale now for evening or overnight excursions, running Nov. 7 through Jan. 3, out of Williams, Ariz., to a destination dressed like the North Pole. Williams is about 30 miles west of Flagstaff along Interstate 40.
Based on storylines from Chris Van Allsburg’s classic Christmas book, evening trips depart at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. for a star-filled ride that takes a little more than an hour. Prices for most departures are $25 for ages 2 to 15 and $39 for adults. Matinee tickets are also offered on select dates at 3:30 p.m. ($20 for children and $34 for adults). A Christmas Eve trip costs $69 for adults and $49 for children and includes mementos.
The Grand Canyon Railway also offers an "overnight package," including the round-trip train excursion, a one-night stay at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel and breakfast and dinner at the Grand Depot Cafe. The starting package price for two adults and two children is $379 and does not include taxes.
A new light show at the historic Williams Depot will mark Polar Express departures.
Call 888-848-3511.
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2 ski resorts acquired for $38M
BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. » Two Southern California ski resorts that draw visitors from around the world have a new owner.
The operators of Mammoth Mountain have signed a $38 million deal to acquire the company that runs Bear Mountain and Snow Summit in the San Bernardino Mountains, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
The deal for Snow Summit Ski Corp. includes a golf course, driving range and several parking lots, as well as rights to 438 acres of skiable land owned by the U.S. Forest Service. It puts Mammoth Mountain in control of more than 4,000 acres of skiable land in California.
Mammoth Mountain will sell an annual pass that gives snow enthusiasts access to Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain, plus Bear Mountain and Snow Summit, for $689, said Rusty Gregory, chief executive of Mammoth Mountain. That’s the same price that Mammoth Mountain charged for its annual pass last year. Skiers and snowboarders who have already bought passes for this season will be allowed to use the pass at Bear Mountain and Snow Summit, Gregory said.
