The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

24 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday September 1, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Travelling in September is for the girls S eptember is the month when girlfriends, of all ages, plan a "just for us" getaway. Kids are back in school, prices are lower, destinations are less crowded and, for many of us, it is an annual tradition. Some women have an annual gettogether that goes back 30 years. If your group is looking for new ideas, here is a couple to help your planning. Are you a group interested in arts, culture and fine dining? Would you like to explore these in the exciting city of Montreal? Inspired by women's marked interest in its regular packages that are focused on the arts, gardens, and fine dining, SN Tourisme culturel is offering a first exclusive itinerary entitled Montréal with girlfriends. This getaway designed for women who are travelling alone or with female friends is an invitation to discover Montréal -- its history, its artistic and cultural institutions, as well as its gourmet offerings -- in a warm, friendly, and safe atmosphere. From Sept. 13-16, you and your `crazy pals' can visit, among other places, the Old Montreal quarter -- with a focus on its architecture and treasures of public art -- and an important exhibition dedicated to the works of Emily Carr, a renowned and original Canadian artist, at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art. You'll have an opportunity to sample Québec specialties at Montréal's Académie culinaire, including a selection of delicious québécois cheeses. In addition, you will tour the lively public market in the Italian neighbourhood, sampling many of the gourmet treats. This travel experience has been carefully designed to ensure the well-being and safety of women travelers while they have the pleasure of discovering the fascinating and dynamic city that is Montréal. They have included first-rate accommodation in a boutique hotel in Old Montréal, meals in some of the best restaurants, attentive, friendly, and professional tour guides, customized suggestions for places and events not to be missed, as well as some free time for a shopping session -- a must. For complete details on this travel package designed for women only, click on Montréal with girlfriends on their website www.QuebecCulture.travel. If you are a beach group who love to walk and talk, think about Virginia Beach. Summer is still happening a 10-hour tle-builders, the resort city is a wonderland for those wanting the more physical adventures. More than 18,600 acres of state parks and wildlife refuges, more than 121 navigable miles of waterways and 35 miles of ocean and bay beaches give you a variety of landscapes for exploring the great outdoors by hiking, kayaking, biking and canoeing. First Landing State Park features more than 19 miles of interpretive hiking trails through beach, back dunes, upland forest, tidal marsh and cypress swamp. If you're vague about where it is, it is where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, creating the perfect playground and feeding spot for dolphins. Each year, bottlenose dolphins migrate off the coast, and you can join dolphin and whale watching cruises sponsored by the Virginia Aquarium. For those of you who want more physical adventures, there are ocean kayaking trips offered by a number of outfitters. You'll love watching dolphins as they feed, tail slap and jump among the wave. With the warm Atlantic Ocean and the calm Chesapeake Bay, there are lots of options for water sports. Swimming, surfing, boogieboarding, windsurfing, jet-skiing, hydro-biking, parasailing, scuba diving, kayaking and boating. Take your pick, or do them all. After a day on the water, it's time to tee off. With eight public courses in Virginia Beach and 20 in the surrounding region, you will love and also maybe curse the intriguing, challenging greens for all handicaps, from beginner to novice to pro. Miles of bent Bermuda grasses, hardwood forests, and challenging layouts create the perfect setting for an incredible day on the links, with designs by Arnold Palmer, Rees Jones, Pete Dye, George Cobb, and Gene Bates. The prices are very reasonable. Have fun, and a glass of wine, or three, for me. Sam Ion can be reached at sion10@cogeco.ca. drive or a quick flight away. Virginia Beach is giving us one more reason to "Live the Beach Life." The resort city is extending "Canada Weeks," offering one extra night free in Virginia Beach during select weeks in September. Here's how it works. Book six nights to stay at a participating hotel travel between Sept. 3-29 and get one room free. To find out which hotels are offering this, visit ww.vbfun.com/canadaweeks. Although Virginia Beach is known to sunbathers and sandcas- BEAVER TRAILS TO CALIFORNIA: Sunquest's `Kids Free' p q promotion now available at Christmas, New Year's Effective immediately on all bookings made by Sept. 10, Sunquest's popular `Kids Fly Free' promotion is available for selected hotels at Christmas and New Year's. Valid for travel from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2, 2008, one child per two paying adults flies free (taxes and transfers extra) from gateways across Canada to over 45 resorts in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. The offer is for children aged two to 12 unless otherwise noted. Participating resorts include: Grand Pineapple Beach in Antigua (ages two to 11, ocean view room), Holiday Inn Sunspree in Jamaica, Blau Costa Verde, Sirenis La Salinas, Grand Paradise Samana, Colony Bay in Punta Cana, Viva Wyndham Playa Dorada in Puerto Plata (ages two to 17), Melia Cozumel, Riu Caribe in Cancun, Riu Santa Fe, Hola Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta, Paradisus Playa Conchal in Costa Rica and Barcelo Montelimar in Nicaragua. Available across Canada, departures for this promotion vary by destination and gateway and are based on seven-night durations only (unless specified otherwise). Some conditions apply. Lydia Hillis,14, a fan of the television show Laguna Beach took The Oakville Beaver to Laguna Beach, California where she posed in front of Laguna Beach High School.Take along a copy of The Oakville Beaver on your next vacation and send it in for publication to Beaver Trails, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4 or e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. Cobblers Cove introduces `Canadian Early Bird Special' Barbados' Cobblers Cove, a member of Resort to the Best, has introduced a "Canadian Early Bird Special" for bookings made by Sept. 15. Guests booking a minimum seven-night stay for travel between Oct. 8 and Oct. 31 will receive a US$255 air credit p.p. and their last night free. The offer includes Superior Suite accommodations, daily breakfast (except on the free day) and use of the gym, watersports and tennis. Located on the north-west coast of Barbados (near Speightstown), Cobblers Cove is an English Country House-style hotel with 45 units, and is a member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux organization. (www.cobblerscove.com, www.resorttothebest.com) Visit McTavish At: www.mctavishtravel.com Voted Best Travel Agency Best Cruise Company Best Travel Agent Thanks Oakville! Hopedale Shopping Centre 1515 Rebecca Street, Oakville oakville@selloffvacations.com 146 Lakeshore Road, East Oakville, On L6J 1H4 Relax... you're with us 221 Lakeshore Road E. (905) 827-1100 fax: (905) 827-4982 e-mail: travel@mctavish.com 905-842-4999 905-337-2228 www.hookedoncruising.com