Best airfares
These roundtrip airfares were valid as of 3 p.m. Friday, airline ticket pricing is volatile, and fares shown in the list might have changed since press time. This list is intended to be a snapshot of the lowest prices available. Restrictions apply on all fares. Provided by Washington Travel Service, 7702 Terminal St. S.W., Tumwater. 360-352-7655
San Francisco $268
Los Angeles $198
San Diego $228
Honolulu $341
Reno $158
Denver $268
Las Vegas $198
Salt Lake City $198
Phoenix $198
Anchorage $578
New Orleans $268
Dallas-Fort Worth $224
Minneapolis $236
Chicago $218
Kansas City $178
St. Louis $228
Memphis $301
Miami $228
Detroit $258
New York $238
Boston $278
Washington, D.C. $258
Atlanta $318
Orlando $218
Auckland $1,888
Cancun $322
Copenhagen $548
Dublin $477
Frankfurt $318
Hong Kong $583
London $544
Madrid $428
Paris $482
Puerto Vallarta $386
Rome $514
Sydney $1,398
Tokyo $610
foreign currency
in U.S. dollars $1 U.S. buys
Australia 0.78908 1.2672
Britain 1.9744 0.50645
Canada 0.85478 1.1698
Denmark 0.17397 5.7478
Euro 1.2964 0.77136
Israel 0.23741 4.2119
Japan 0.00824 121.265
Mexico 0.09187 10.8840
New Zealand 0.69550 1.4378
Sweden 0.14257 7.0138
Switzerland 0.80174 1.2472 ---
IF YOU GO
GETTING THERE: The park is about a two-hour drive from San Diego, Riverside and Palm Springs. Contact the park or its Web site for exact directions. Make sure your route entering or leaving passes through the old mining town, and current tourist destination, of Julian, which is famous for its pies. Most visitors get the apple, but the caramel pecan with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream was fabulous.
GUIDED TOURS: Two licensed companies offer park tours.
La Casa del Zorro Desert Tours uses four-wheel-drive Ford Excursions. Call 1-760-767-2882. Its brochures are in the Park Visitor Center.
California Overland Tours uses open-air military vehicles. Call 1-866-639-7567 or visit www.californiaoverland.com.
ACTIVITIES: Hiking, naturalists' talks, fossil programs, nature walks, campfire programs and guided night hikes. Hunting is prohibited. Dogs are allowed in campgrounds on a leash, but not on trails or in wilderness areas.
LA CASA DEL ZORRO DESERT RESORT: Call 1-800-824-1884, or visit www.lacasadelzorro.com. The resort has a "weekend romance" package for couples that includes Champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries, breakfast and an eco-tourism outing for $654 for one night and $1,102 for two in a deluxe poolside room. The weekday price is $562 and $919.
LODGING AND RESTAURANTS: For a full listing of lodging and restaurants available in Borrego Springs, call the Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-559-5524.
WILDFLOWER VIEWING: The wildflower hotline is 1-760-767-4684. Send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Wildflowers, ABDSP, 200 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, Calif., 92004, and the park will notify you approximately two weeks in advance of the peak bloom.
FEES: The day use fee at the park is $6 per vehicle. Camping at developed campgrounds ranges from $7 for a camp site to $29 for a hookup and $53 for a group site. Reservations are required by calling 1-800-444-7275. Primitive and back-country camping is permitted and free.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: The park headquarters' number is 1-760-767-5311 and the Web site is www.anzaborrego.statepark.org. The Visitor Center, which is underground and has new exhibits, is 1-760-767-4205. The center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., October through May, and open weekends and holidays only June through September.
This story was originally published January 21, 2007 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Best airfares."