Tips & Trips

By Sheila Callahan | January 21, 2005

FERRY

Circle Line Harbor Cruises will offer high-speed ferry service between Manhattan and La Guardia Airport starting mid-year. Passengers can embark at either Wall Street's Pier 11 or at 34th Street before arriving at La Guardia's Marine Air Terminal, where they can connect to the Route A bus, stopping at all terminals. Passengers boarding at Wall Street will have a 30-minute voyage, while service from 34th Street will take 20 minutes. One-way tickets will cost $25 for adults and $15 for children ages 4 through 12. Children under 3 ride free.

For more information, visit www.circlelinedowntown.com.

SPA

In the spirit of keeping New Year's resolutions, Lodging.com, an online hotel booking service, is featuring a "New Year, New You" sale through January 31, with values on spa getaways, calming retreats, and resorts geared toward fitness. The three-and-a-half-star Spa Atlantis Oceanfront Health and Fitness Resort in Pompano Beach, Fla., has rooms starting at $196, and the four-star New Otani Hotel & Garden, an oasis in downtown Los Angeles, offers rooms for $120. Honolulu's Outrigger Reef on the Beach features a starting rate of $144, with "Rhythms of the Ocean," a daily hula exercise class.

For more information, visit www.lodging.com.

SKIING

The Equinox Resort & Spa, in Manchester, Vt., is offering the "Stratton Ski Package" now through the end of the 2005 ski season. For $645 a couple, ski enthusiasts get three nights' accommodation (Sunday through Thursday); daily breakfast, a three-day lift ticket (Monday through Friday), and complimentary use of the Avanyu Spa Fitness Facilities, indoor pool, and Jacuzzi. At the Avanyu Spa, treatments such as the Arnica Sports Massage will help work out any muscle kinks. Great meals by a roaring fire and live music at the Marsh Tavern provide plenty of apres-ski relaxation.

For more information visit call 888-367-7625, or visit www.rockresorts.com.

TURKS AND CAICOS

American Airlines now offers nonstop flights from New York's JFK Airport to Providenciales, on the Turks and Caicos Islands, six days a week, with late-morning departures Tuesday through Sunday. Ocean Club Resorts has two properties on the islands, each a 15-minute stroll down a sandy beach from the other. Guests at either hotel can take advantage of the amenities of both properties, including restaurants, bars, and activities. Accommodations range from a studio to three bedroom apartments. Activities include tennis, diving, golf, fishing, and boating.

For hotel information, call 800 457-8787 or visit www.oceanclubresorts.com. For flight information, visit www.americanairlines.com