Volcanoes are getting uppity all over the world. In recent weeks, Mount St. Helens in Washington state has been belching smoke and ash. Mount Etna in Sicily has been spouting lava. And scientists are watching Hawaii's Mauna Loa, the world's largest volcano.
No one can say exactly when Mauna Loa will erupt, but increased earthquake activity beneath the 13,677-foot mountain indicates that the volcano is emerging from a more dormant state. It last erupted in 1984, sending a 16-mile-long flow of lava toward Hilo. Since then, thousands of homes have been built on its slopes.
Unlike Hawaii's other volcano, Kilauea, which has been erupting continuously since early 1983, Mauna Loa produces large lava flows that move quickly; in one instance, a lava flow traveled more than nine miles in three hours, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
Your chances of being at a resort that's impacted by a sudden eruption are slim. The volcano is wired with tracking and measuring technology, and scientists most likely will be able to warn residents if it's about to blow. But if you're still worried, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory publishes "lava flow hazard zone maps," which divides the island into safety zones based on past lava flow history. North Kohala and Mauna Kea are safe bets, although they are not the island's tourist centers. For more info, go to hvo.wr.usgs.gov.
I would like to take my 17-year-old to Paris and London on a senior spring fling. But now my daughter is swooning over Italy after seeing "Under the Tuscan Sun." Is there a way we can also see Florence and an inexpensive way to combine all three in a week?
Karina Hirschhorn
Damascus
You can do London and Paris, or you can do Florence, but trying to visit all three cities in a week would be madness. You'd be exhausted, and I doubt you'd get all that much out of the trip. Since your daughter has her heart set on Florence, why not save Paris and London for another time?
You can organize the trip in several different ways. Escorted tours work best for those who prefer the ease of having the trip totally planned, but they often attract an older crowd. Planning it yourself may save money, but this works best if you're a seasoned traveler or are willing to put in lots of research time. Perhaps an independent tour, where a tour operator puts together a planned itinerary but you travel on your own, makes the most sense.
Several companies offer inexpensive trips to Tuscany. Crown Travel (800-853-6453, www.crown-travel.com), for example, is offering a Tuscany itinerary that includes round-trip air to Rome, five nights at the Arco Naturale Country House in Siena, breakfasts and a six-day car rental starting at $959 per person double, including taxes. Monograms (866-270-9844, www.monogramstravel.com) offers a three-night trip to Florence with airfare and hotel starting at $599 per person double. Gate 1 Travel (800-682-3333, www.gate1travel.com) has a three-night trip to Florence starting at $672 per person, including hotel, air and taxes. Go-today.com (425-487-9632, www.go-today.com) and Tourcrafters (800-482-5995, www.tourcrafters.com) also offer budget packages to Tuscany. For more choices, contact a local travel agent.
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).
