Terry Holstad
South Riding, Va.
Winterlude is an annual outdoor celebration during the first three weekends of February. Bundled-up festival-goers can try carving ice sculptures, chill at an ice cafe, even ice skate for 4 1/2 miles along the Rideau Canal. Most events are free. Coinciding with Winterlude are free music, dance and skating performances at a new outdoor amphitheater called the Snowbowl.
When it's time to come in from the cold, there are plenty of indoor events occurring consecutively as Winterlude. Three area museums -- the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography -- will exhibit retrospectives on the 1960s. The National Arts Centre will host the premiere of the one-man play "Portrait of an Unidentified Man." And a live show at the Casino du Lac-Leamy celebrates cinema classics.
For more info: Ottawa Tourism, 800-363-4465, www.ottawatourism.ca. To celebrate my 50th birthday, I'm hoping to visit large game preserves in Africa. What countries and parks are best, and when's the best time to go?
Jenny Vanier-Walter
Herndon
Safari enthusiasts say nothing compares with the wildebeest migrations across Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya from July to October and across Serengeti National Park in Tanzania in January and February. The latter is often accompanied by a visit to Ngorongoro Crater, where 25,000 animals -- including black rhinos, lions, zebra and elephants -- reside. Those East African spots, along with Kruger National Park in South Africa, are good destinations for first-time safari adventurers, says Linda Friedman, president of Custom Safaris of Rockville.
For something different, consider Botswana in southern Africa. Julian Harrison, co-author of "African Safari" (Fodor's, $9.95), suggests the lagoon-filled Chobe and Moremi national parks and the Okavango Delta, all of which are abuzz with wildlife and birds.
Details: Custom Safaris (301-530-1982, www.customsafaris.com), or Harrison's agency, Premier Tours (800-545-1910, www.premiertours.com) of Philadelphia.
Send queries by e-mail (travelqa@washpost.com), fax (202-912-3609) or U.S. mail (Travel Q&A, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington D.C. 20071).
