DAVID SWANSON/Special Contributor

A hot stone massage is great for melting away stress and easing sore muscles.

It's no secret that spas are on the upswing, here and abroad. Less known is that men are a growing segment of spagoers. The International Spa Association reports that men comprised 31 percent of spa patrons in 2006, up 29 percent from 2003. "In the past, spa has been seen as pampering, lotions and potions that appeal to women," says Jim Root, association chairman. But spas are also for health, fitness and wellness, he said.

GEORGES BADOUX/Special Contributor

This lakeside campsite at Mineral Wells State Park gives travelers a chance to escape the stresses of urban life.

RVing is fun, easy and cheap, and Texas is a great place for getaways with your own home-away-from-home. More than a dozen state parks are within a two-hour drive of Dallas.

FILE/AP

Many policies won't cover canceled flights unless you decide not to fly or you hop to a different carrier on your dime.

Groundings, bankruptcies and the outright closure of airlines in recent weeks have sparked a flurry of interest among travelers curious about insurance to protect them against those hazards. But is it worth the money?
Answers to common questions

Wildcatter Ranch

Ranch suites open onto a long back porch with rocking chairs, for a relaxing look at the wide-open Texas horizon.

The Wildcatter Ranch & Resort occupies 1,500 acres in Graham, about 100 miles northwest of Fort Worth. Here, the land begins stretching out to plains, and the Brazos River is a golden ribbon winding through loosely laid hills. It's a place to relax and capture the cowboy spirit.

Russian River Valley Winegrowers

Pinot noir vines stretch across MacMurray Ranch, southwest of Healdsburg, Calif.

It takes chilly conditions to produce red-hot pinot noir, and the cool, foggy Russian River Valley in northwest Sonoma County is the place where many of California's most exciting pinots are made. Americans can't get enough pinot noir, so the best course is to go to the source – with a home base in Healdsburg – to taste and to buy pinots.

MARY G. RAMOS/Special

Grapevines flow across gentle ridges at Quail's Gate Estate Winery. At last count, the Okanagan Valley has more than 90 of British Columbia's 134 wineries

All around the lake, grapevines in neat rows march down gentle slopes toward the water. It's here in British Columbia's garden spot, Okanagan Valley, that more than 90 of the province's 134 wineries have sprouted. Canada's western province offers wineries ranging from grand to small and cozy.

MICHAEL GORDON/Special to DMN

A mansion-size cottage graces the shoreline in the Muskokas, a vast area of 1,600 lakes in Onatario where the wealthy spend their off-hours.

When winter's snows melt, fortunate Torontonians pack the outbound highways. "Goin' up north," they call it. Each long weekend, they flow northward to dwellings among northern Ontario's pines, rustic cabins on island humps or sprawling cottages at the edge of summer beaches. A tourist's best way to see the Muskoka district of 1,600 lakes is to rent a cottage.

LISA THATCHER KRESL/Staff

Low-powered cars with bumpers let kids try their hand behind the wheel at The Track Recreation Center in Destin, Fla.

During a family break to Destin, a popular getaway for North Texans, there are plenty of activities beyond boogie boarding and building sand cities. The fun includes: white-sand beaches, a dolphin cruise, deep-sea fishing, go-karts, shopping at Destin Commons, speed slides and river rides, and seeing the gators.

LARA CERRI/Special

Maho Bay Camps offers affordable wood-and-canvas tent cottages for eco-tourists in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. The resort is constructed from recycled materials.

We had heard about Maho Bay Camps from environmentally minded friends, and for five days last spring, we experienced the buzz of staying in a tent cottage in the trees on the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. Since 1976, eco-tourism promoter Stanley Selengut has drawn travelers to his haven, letting them absorb the natural beauty of the greenery and the water in a resort built from recycled materials.

Doug Swanson/Special

A swimmer glides through the water in the infinity pool at the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas in the U.S. virgin Islands.

You don't have to break the bank to enjoy the Caribbean's beautiful bounty. How? Head south in summer, the region's low season. Light crowds mean easier planning, and hotels across the region drop rates as much as 40 percent from winter prices. Check out our list of five resorts that are summer steals.

TOM UHLENBROCK/Special

Fishing boats and brightly painted buildings decorate the beaches of South Andros in the Bahamas.

About 700 Bahamian islands are sprinkled in the waters east of Florida, with the turquoise Caribbean on one side and the Atlantic on the other. We were headed to South Andros and Cat islands, each of which boasts a single beach-hugging road lined by native settlements. Spend a week in these laid-back havens and you'll never want to put on shoes again.

Ken Stern

Apartments at Agriturismo Collelungo, in the village of Castellina, about 30 miles south of Florence, include the use of outdoor space.

Instead of renting an expensive villa for touring Tuscany, think about an economical alternative. A growing number of old farms and vineyards in Italy are offering tourist accommodations. It's a more flexible option than paying for one week's stay ($3,000) at a villa rental, which may require a Saturday-to-Saturday stay and is often booked a year ahead.

SUSAN B. WARD/Special Contributor

Horse-drawn carts ferry visitors about the unpaved byways of Sark. No cars are allowed on the island.

Thousands of tourists flock to Sark every summer to enjoy its four square miles of rugged cliffs, hidden smuggler's caves and the charming gardens and grounds of the Seigneurie (ruler's mansion). But most of all, they come to this small oasis in the Channel Islands for the archaic Norman customs and ambience.

REX CRUM/Special Contributor

A statue of Lenin in a Budapest park beckons to Hungarian masses who no longer follow him."

Years after oppressive Soviet troops disappeared, you might think the Hungarians would have blown up Budapest's monuments to Vladimir Lenin and other Communist heroes. Instead, they chose to make money off a tour of valiant-looking monuments to them in Statue Park and another tour showing a room set up as a typical Communist-era apartment.

Bellagio Las Vegas

The walls of Picasso restaurant in the Bellagio Las Vegas are adorned with the paintings and gouaches by the famous artist.

Sometimes you beat the casinos. Sometimes they beat you. Either way, you have to eat. Here's where to go.
Fine dining: Where the winners eat
Mid-priced dining: Where to eat if you break even
Cheap eats: Where to eat if you lose big