Theme vacations

Instead of that trite trip to Disneyland or routine tour of Europe, how about a vacation off the beaten path?

For that matter, how about an offbeat vacation?

You and your family, for example, could spend those hard-earned days away from work by reliving the old West — riding in a covered wagon that gets attacked by Indians.

Or you old baseball junkies ... how about a week as a big leaguer, going through training camp with the likes of Willie Mays?

Then again, if you’re into balloon safaris or packing with llamas, there’s a place for you.

And of course, for the sun worshipers, there are hideaways where wardrobes aren’t essential.

Or maybe the proverbial fat farm, where you pay to shed pounds, is more to your liking.

If leaving pounds behind is not a worry, how about a gourmet tour of some far-away place where time between meals is spent getting to the next dinner table.

Most travel agencies can steer you into the vacation of your choice. Or, for $3, you might consider buying “Specialty Travel Index,” a directory of special interest travel. It’s published by Alpine Hansen Ltd., 9 Mono Ave., Fairfax, Calif. Other such publications are usually available through travel agencies.

Attacked by Indians?

That’s right. “Oregon Trail Wagon Train,” a company operating out of western Nebraska, touts its $270, four-day (single adult price) vacation as an experience in pioneer living. “Activities include, Indian attack, prairie square dancing, Pony Express mail service, black powder shooting...”

Down in Florida or Arizona, “Baseball Fantasies Fulfilled” offers three-day and full-week vacations in a simulated spring training camp.

“Now you can live what others merely dream,” the company lures. “You can play baseball with real ex-major leaguers on a real major league practice facility and live just like the guys who have made it to the bigs.”

“Eat and sleep baseball and play baseball with names like Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Maury Wills, Brooks Robinson and a whole lot more.”

Out in New York, there’s a place called the “New Age Health Farm of Neversink — A Place of Becoming.” Through wholistic living techniques, the retreat “invites you to slim down, decrease your stress and discover your beauty — physically, psychologically and spiritually.”

Standard methods include fasting, natural food eating, yoga, meditation and such. “Optional services include massages, aromatherapy, reflexology, skin care and cellulite treatments.”

“Frick’s Llama Journeys,” with a slogan of “Lighten your load ... lift your spirits ... lead a llama!” operates out of Bend, Ore. The company takes familes, their tents and gear into “breath-taking wilderness areas of the Central Oregon Cascades...” The llamas do most of the work.

“The Great Snowmass Balloon Adventure” offers a “comprehensive vacation package” highlighted by hot air balloon flights into the Colorado mountains. There are a lot of other balloon vacation companies, like “Buddy Bombard’s Great Balloon Adventures,” operating both in the United States and abroad.

Maybe spelunking (poking around underground in caves and caverns) is more to your liking, A company called “Caverns,” out of California, knows the hole for you.

“Trips involve crawling through tight passages, crossing bottomless lakes on rafts, rappelling down sheer vertical walls into huge chambers ...”

Voyages of Discovery, headquartered in La Jolla, Calif., offers, among other trips, a reindeer safari in Lapland. “Qualify for a reindeer driver’s license...” the company beckons.

Travel agents point out that despite the offbeat appearance of some of the packages, specialty vacations are growing in popularity.

Be it Biblical tours, bicycling around the world or birdwatching, whale watching, windsurfing or wine tasting, there’s probably a place for you to spend your vacation doing that very thing.

How about checking out a company called “Barge France?” For $7,000 a week, you can rent a barge and cruise the country’s canals.

Or what about “Wines West ...”

Or “Wimbledon A La Carte ‘85 ...”

Maybe Disneyland is best after all.

This story was published in the April 30, 1985, edition of the Lewiston Tribune.