"Ten perfect summer road trips," from Outside magazine's July issue:
1. Montana: Havre-Libby
2. North Carolina: Cedar Island-Corolla
3. Kentucky: Manchester-Breaks Interstate Park
4. Vermont: Wilmington-Stowe
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5. Wisconsin/Minnesota: Bayfield-Grand Portage
6. Utah/Colorado: Moab-Telluride
7. Mississippi: Tupelo-Natchez
8. California: Gaviota State Park-Piedras Blancas
9. Nevada: Baker-Lake Tahoe
10. Washington/Oregon: Toppenish-Bend
STOCK REPORT
OLTEN, Switzerland -- In what organizers say is a world first, a Swiss company has inaugurated a museum dedicated to the history of stocks and shares.
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Based in the headquarters of the SIS Swiss Financial Services Group, Wertpapierwelt -- or Stock World -- tracks the history of shares since 1602, when the Dutch East India Company was founded as the first joint stock firm. The museum, which opened July 15, houses a collection of 7,000 share certificates from 100 countries, including rare documents from the 17th and 18th centuries.
"SIS wants to ensure that the history of securities does not fall into oblivion," SIS chief executive Heinz Haeberli said.
MISSION: MARS
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The newest thrill ride at Walt Disney World's Epcot is a simulated rocket flight to Mars heavy on "Gee whiz" and G-forces. It remains to be seen whether Mission: Space also will lift the theme park's flagging attendance skyward.
Mission: Space made its debut for the media earlier this month and officially launches Aug. 15, with a grand opening celebration slated for October.
Once on the ride, as the virtual rocket prepares for blast off, passengers feel as if they're pointed straight into a blue sky, although your rocketship is a giant centrifuge in disguise.
The clock counts down and the engines roar to life with a blast of noise and smoke and flame. Lift off G-forces -- just over twice the normal force of gravity -- cause short-lived facial distortions as you're pressed back into your launch seat.
RUM TOUR
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CATANO, Puerto Rico -- You've taken the vineyard tours in California and New York. You've taken the chocolate factory tour in Hershey, Penn. But have you taken the rum tour in Puerto Rico?
Bacardi recently opened a visitors center at its 240-acre distillery in Catano, a 15- to 20-minute cab ride from Morro Castle or the airport in San Juan. The tour is free and takes an hour.
The tours include drink-mixing demonstrations by bartenders.
The tours run Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, contact (787) 788-8400 or www.bacardi.com.
