Cruise into AAA offices for big vacation event

October is National Cruise Vacation Month and AAA, along with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), will host the World’s Largest Cruise Night on Oct. 16.

All AAA Travel offices will be open until 7 p.m. on Oct. 16 as part of the promotion. Participating cruise lines include Holland America Line, Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Princess Cruises, Cruise West, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, Crystal Cruises, Regent Seven Seas and Cunard Line.

Join AAA Travel for Cruise Week Oct. 13–18. AAA members will receive benefits, from upgrades to onboard credits, for booking a cruise through AAA Travel. Book a cruise valued at $1,000 or more (excluding air fare) during Cruise Week and receive a $50 Visa gift card.

A cruise vacation remains a great value, especially during a time when travelers are making every dollar count.

“One of the top reasons cruises are so popular is the outstanding value they represent,” said Terry L. Dale, president and CEO of CLIA.

Contact AAA Travel at (888) 366-4222 or click on www.AAA.com/Travel for more information on Cruise Week.

Tour of Missouri cycling event returns

Pony Express riders left St. Joseph, Mo., on a grueling cross-country relay to deliver mail, with riders covering more than 200 miles per day. This month, riders of another sort will leave St. Joseph to travel 600 miles across the state during the second Tour of Missouri, a world-class cycling event.

St. Joseph is host city for the start of the point-to-point cycling stage race that will involve 120 cyclists from around the world. The Tour of Missouri kicks off Sept. 8 and finishes Sept. 14 in St. Louis, with stops in Kansas City, Clinton, Springfield, Branson, Lebanon, Rolla, St. James, Jefferson City, Hermann and St. Charles.

A Bikes and Blues Festival, Sept. 5–8, will set the stage in St. Joseph for the big race. In addition to music, the festival will include cycling events and demonstrations, food and a health and wellness expo.

Last year, quite a bit of money rolled into Missouri from the cycling event. According to the University of Missouri School of Business, 367,500 spectators attended the six-day event and for the $1.7 million in state money spent to promote the Tour of Missouri and tourism, the state received $26 million.

“This event proved, in only its first year, to be hugely successful for all involved, most importantly the great host communities of the tour,” said Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. New host cities for the tour, which has been expanded to seven days this year, are Rolla, St. James and Hermann.

For more information on this year’s event–including information on each of the seven stages–visit www.tourofmissouri.com. Information about St. Joseph is available by calling (800) 785-0360 or visiting www.stjomo.com.

• The way of the buffet. Many AAA approved hotels offer a breakfast buffet in the price of the room. Skip the pastries and select items like yogurt, fresh fruit or oatmeal.
• Portion control is important. As soon as you’ve had enough, as the waiter to remove the plate.
• Navigate through the free hotel treats like chocolate and cookies. As the housekeeping staff for an extra bottle of water instead.