TOURS & CRUISES

Take the trail to adventure in a trio of parks in Patagonia

Hike to the ends of the Earth on high-country trekking adventures that explore national parks in southern Chile and Argentina.

The 18-day Patagonia tours, planned Nov. 28 and Dec. 18, cross pampas, forests and glaciers on an itinerary that includes trails in three parks: Torres del Paine National Park in Chile and Los Glaciares National Park and Tierra del Fuego National Park in Argentina.

"Patagonia is a vast land of spectacular beauty," said Devy Reinstein, the tour organizer and leader and a Peru native who lives in Santa Monica. Trekking the region "is an adventure of a lifetime." The tour includes visits to the advancing Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina, the granite massifs of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre in Los Glaciares and a visit to Buenos Aires.

Participants spend eight nights in mountain lodges, hiking lodge to lodge during the day over moderate-to-steep terrain. Seven nights are spent in hotels.

Cost: $3,995 per person, including round-trip airfare from LAX or Miami Beach, intertrip air and ground transportation, accommodations, all meals, guides, sightseeing tours and trekking services.

Contact: Santa Monica-based Andes Adventures; (800) 289-9470 or (310) 395-5265, www.andesadventures.com.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Take in the sights at upper region celebrations

Get a taste of Midwestern hospitality on a 12-day tour that traces the mighty Mississippi River from Hannibal, Mo., to its headwaters at Itasca State Park in Minnesota.

The Sept. 2 tour, which begins in St. Louis and ends in Minneapolis/St. Paul, is being held in honor of Grand Excursion 2004, which celebrates the renaissance of the upper Mississippi River region. Throughout the coming year, communities along the upper 400 miles of the river plan to hold celebrations, educational events and cultural programs.

The tour also celebrates the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition to find a water route to the Pacific Ocean.

Tour highlights include visits to Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Mark Twain's home in Hannibal and the new National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa.

Most accommodations will be renovated historic properties on the riverfront or lakeside.