travel
talk

THIS California coastal
playground for
Canadians, long a
favorite for winter sun-
shine, Sea World, the
200, Balboa Park and
golf galore, look even
better this month and
next when Maple Leaf
discounts give relief to
the beleaguered
Canadian dollar.

The annual Maple Leaf
Days promotion means sav-
ings of up to 20% on hotels,
restaurants and attractions.
Not bad when it currently
costs about $1.45 to buy a
greenback.

Easiest way to save money
is to cut back on accommoda-
tion. Find a hotel that’s cen-
tral and clean, perhaps in the
heritage Gaslamp district, then
get up early and cateit a terry
for a patio breakfast at the
magnificent Hotel del
Coronado, built in 1888 and
scene of many 2 good rout, as
Tallulah Bankhead used to say
of Lord Beaverbrook’s parties
at the London Savoy.

The actress stayed at the
Del, and probably him as well,
along with Charlie Chaplin,
Marilyn Monroe (while film-
ing “Some Like it Hot”) and
the Prince of Wales as a young
naval officer came for dinner
in 1920, when he possibly
met Wallis Simpson. This was
during her first marriage to
the commander of the navy
base here.

The beauty of the Del is its
striking Queen Anne exterior,
one of the most admired on
the continent and ane to sival
Canadian Pacifie’s jewels in
the Rockies. The soaring
curved wooden ceiling of the
Crawn Room hangs boldly
without a nail.

The rest of the day could
easily be spent in Balboa Park,
home to many things under
the sun including the San
Diego Acrospace Museum
and its superb collection of
flying machines trom the days
of the Wright Brothers.

And there’s always some-

north shore news

> TRAVEL

NE

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MISSION Bay (above) is just a short bus-ride from San Diego's downtown core. The current Maple Leaf Days
promotion in the Southern California city means savings of up to 20% on hotels, restaurants and attractions.

thing new, or perhaps 4 detail
that catches the eve. One time
1 got talking to one of the
guides about Wrong-way
Corrigan, the pilot who thew
into fame in 1938 by taking
off trom New York for Los
Angeles, but went the wrong
way and ended up in Ireland.

“Thar’s him there,” said
the guide. So it was, as large
as lite standing in a big blow-
up picture with Charles
Lindbergh and other workers
at the San Diego factory
where the Spirit of St Louis
was built.

The waterfront is also
great value, from the old sail-
ing ship Star of India to the
ferries which give a relaxing,
14-niinute ride over to
Coronado. Sit on the sunny
upper deck and enjoy the sky-
line, the Navy aireratt carriers
and the cruise ships in the
busy port.

Not only is San Diego a
good place to rent a bike, the
city buses are equipped to
carry them, so for a couple of
dollars vou head tor Mission
Beach or La Jolla and then go
for a spin. Alternatively, and
also for just a couple of dollars
or so, you can ride the street-

aN
b

car to Tijuana in Mexico.
Towals call it the Tijuana
Trolley.

Horton Plaza dominates
the downtown, This pastel
building of multi-levels, gal-
lenes and rooftop restaurants,
formerly a bleak site, will
bring joy to a heart of anv
dedicated shopper, while the
restored Gaslamp area puts
Vancouver's Gastown to
shame. This is the place to
stroll ar might, a happy hunt-
ing ground of bars and restau-
rants.

Thad a very good meal at
the Bela Luna, while not far
away there’s a new Elephant
and Castle from the
Vancouver-based chain.

My favorite eating place in
San Diego, and maybe all of
California, is La Gran ‘Tapa, a
Spanish restaurant founded by
ex-bulltighter Paul Dobson,
Here a traveller can stand at
the curved bar and meet peo-
ple while sipping ona glass of
wine, with fresh bread and
mussels to follow. What's
more it doesn’t cost too much
either. “Waiter! More bread if
you don’t mind.”

Just don’t Tet them see the
Maple Leaf pin on your jacker.

Hawaii
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10 days

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7 days
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From CON. $1475.00
inside Passage

Prices are per purson/
double occupancy,
inside Cabin
Taxes are extra.
Aeservations are subject to
availability

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