Travel briefs

Paddle the inlets of the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge on six-day canoe trips to the southwestern corner of Florida.

The trips, which explore the saltwater ecosystem of the Everglades, are offered Feb. 21 and March 4 and 13.

Wilderness Inquiry trips are designed to include people of all ages and abilities. The nonprofit group, whose philosophy is that diversity is educational, provides additional support staff such as sign-language interpreters or personal-care attendants at no additional charge.

Cost: $745 per person, including trail meals and snacks, tents, group camping and cooking gear, canoe and paddle. Adaptive gear is available as needed. Airfare to Fort Myers, Fla., is not included.

Contact: Wilderness Inquiry, Minneapolis, Minn.; 800-728-0719, www.wildernessinquiry.org.

Go birding for a day on California’s Morro Bay.

The package, available daily, includes an overnight hotel stay and a half-day guided tour by canoe or kayak to learn about bird biology, anatomy and identification techniques.

Participants will paddle the Morro Bay estuary, searching for bird groups including sandpipers and raptors.

Cost: $269 and up Sundays through Thursdays and $299 and up Fridays and Saturdays for one or two people, including accommodations, a picnic lunch and a tour of the estuary.

Contact: The Cliffs Resort, Shell Beach, Calif.; 800-826-5838. Tours are led by Baysong Eco-Tours, www.baysong.net.

Cruise for dates on a singles voyage to Ensenada, Mexico, in Baja California that begins April 21.

The three-night excursion aboard Carnival’s Paradise includes onboard activities such as dancing and swimming. In Ensenada, the group will shop and visit a winery.

Cost: $275 per person, double occupancy (single cabins $389), including meals, accommodations and sightseeing. Port charges and government fees not included.

Contact: Singles Travel Co., Los Gatos, Calif.; 888-286-8687, ext. 222, www.singlestravelcompany.com.

Le Blanc Spa Resort in Cancun is celebrating its post-hurricane reopening with discounts on stays of three nights or longer through April 22. A three-night all-inclusive package is $1,350 per couple; usual rate is $1,680. The deal also includes free select tours and coupons toward spa services, car rental and golf. Info: 877-753-2526, www.leblancsparesort.com.

Hotel Healdsburg in California’s Sonoma wine country is offering a “Winter Spa Renewal” package with discounts of $220 for a two-night stay. The $876-for-two deal includes two nights’ lodging, $500 worth of spa treatments and breakfasts. Available Sunday-Thursday through March 31. Tax is 10 percent. Info: 800-889-7188, www.hotelhealdsburg.com.

Take a river cruise with France Cruises and receive a $200 discount per couple, plus all transfers and two free nights in a Paris hotel. For example, a six-night cruise on the 50-passenger Anacoluthe is now $1,890 per person double for select departures in May, July, August and October. Free accommodations at the Hotel Louvre Saint Romain (rates typically start at $176) or Hotel Duminy Vendome ($211). Info: 866-498-3920, www.francecruises.com.

Take a seven-night cruise between Vancouver, B.C., and Whittier, Alaska, on the luxury Seven Seas Mariner and get free airfare on select departures in May, June, August and September. The deal includes 30 percent fare reductions; fares start at $3,497 per person double including air (worth about $512 per person), and port charges and fees are an extra $280. Info: 800-285-1835, www.rssc.com.

A four-night “Rome Value Vacation” from Gate 1 Travel begins at about $670 per person double, plus about $94 taxes. The package, with departures in February and March, includes round-trip airfare from Seattle and accommodations at the Hotel Princess. Priced separately, air is aboout $687 and the hotel $202 a night. Info: 800-682-3333, www.gate1travel.com.

Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door hosts free travel classes most Saturdays at 10 a.m. at the Edmonds Theater, 415 Main St., Edmonds.

* Alpine Europe with Dave Hoerlein, 10 a.m. Feb. 4.

* Rome with Reid Coen, 10 a.m. Feb. 11.

* Women’s seminar: Women traveling solo with Lisa Friend, 10 a.m. Feb. 18.

* Women’s seminar: Packing light with Joan Robinson and Ann Neel, 11:30 a.m. Feb. 18l.

* Italy with Colleen Schaffer, 10 a.m. Feb. 25.

Classes are free, reservations recommended. Call 425-771-8303 ext. 298 or visit www.ricksteves.com/seattle.

The Savvy Traveler offers travel seminars at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. most Saturdays at 112 Fifth Ave. S., Edmonds.

* French for travelers II, 6 p.m. Thursdays, Feb. 9 through March 2.

* Learning to pack like a savvy traveler, 10 a.m. Feb. 11.

* Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro, 10 a.m. Feb. 18.

* Eastern Europe, Hungary and Poland, 1 p.m. Feb. 18.

* Trans-Siberian Railway and Russia, 3 p.m. Feb. 18.

* Exotic Iberia: Spain and Portugal, 10 a.m. March 11.

* Gorgeous Greece, 1 p.m. March 11.

* Paris and beyond: The city of light and day-trips, 10 a.m. April 8.

* Provence and Southern France, 1 p.m. April 8.

* French for travelers, 6 p.m. Thursdays, May 4 through 25.

Classes are free, reservations recommended. Call 425-744-6076, 877-225-1994, or visit www.savvytraveleredmonds.com.

LiveWell Ventures Travel Services hosts a free “Taste of Travel Seminar” at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Brindle’s Marketplace at Camano Commons at Terry’s Corner, 848 N. Sunrise Blvd., Camano Island.

Each seminar features guest speakers. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and coffee will be served. A wine tasting is available for $5.

For information, call 877-357-0022, 360-629-0881, or visit www.livewellventures.com.

The Herald is not responsible for changes in prices, dates or itineraries. These should be confirmed with cruise lines, travel agents or tour operators.

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