By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Calabash Cove Resort & Spa on the West Indies island of St. Lucia is offering off-season deals that tie into new United Airlines non-stop flights to the island from Newark and New York, which start in July. For dates booked through Dec. 20, the resort offers reduced seasonal rates starting at $405 a night, depending on rooms and meal plan selected. If you book five or more nights in a sunset ocean-view junior suite by June 14, for travel through Dec. 20, you get an extra 10 percent off rates and a $200 resort credit. 

For information visit www.CalabashCove.com The new St. Lucia flights have connections from a variety of New England locations, including Boston, Burlington, Vt,, Portland, Maine, Providence, Windsor Locks, Conn., and Manchester, N.H. 

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Got $40,000 to spend on a drink? We didn’t think so. But for $18, you can sip something much cheaper but with the same theme.

It’s all part of the White Barn Inn’s 40^th anniversary weekend May 31-June 2, when the luxury Kennebunkport, Maine is holding events such as a nine-course dinner, wine from 1973 and charity auction. Part of it is a $40,000 ruby cocktail that indeed comes with a four-carat ruby, which is the 40^th-anniversary gemstone. The one in the drink is a lasting keepsake for those ordering, and the drink is available through the end of the year. If you don’t want to spend that much, the inn offers a Ruby Rose martini for $18, Hangar One vodka, St. Germain Elderflower, fresh grapefruit juice, pomegranate and a spoonful of rosewater.

The menu for the nine-course dinner will be created by Chef Jonathan Cartwright, and costs $400 per person, served on June 1, with the dishes taking diners back 40 years to mark the occasion, Cartwright said. With dinner, guests will drink a 1973 D’Oliveiras Verdelho wine. And during the dinner, there will be an auction of a bottle of 1973 Hanzell Vineyards pinot noir, with proceeds going to “Share Our Strength,” which fights childhood hunger. The bottle is valued at approximately $200.

There will also be a special VIP cocktail reception May 31, and on June 1 at 11 a.m., a historic tour of Kennebunk with food and drink along the way. Through the end of June, the inn offers room specials and a $40 spa service. For information, visit www.whitebarninn.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Newport is known for old stuff, such as the oldest continuing tavern, lending library, synagogue and Fourth of July celebration. But each year, more new comes to Newport, and this year is no exception.

The Doris Duke Monument Foundation between Thames Street and Trinity Church unveils a $3.5 million revitalization of Queen Anne Square, designed by Maya Lin. Entitled “The Meeting Room,” the installation includes three shallow foundations to illustrate the history of the property and provide community gathering spots. The project will bring more green space, seating, trees and lighting to Queen Anne Square. It is intended to honor the memory of Doris Duke, who championed Newport’s historic preservation. Check it out at www.ddmf.org

The old, elegant mansion of Newport have added thing, including the Elms with a new audio tour which includes new information about recent restoration projects in the house and servant life. In addition, Mandarin translations of the audio tours at The Breakers, The Elms, Marble House and Rosecliff will be added as Chinese-speaking visitors are the fastest growing segment of foreign visitors to the mansions. The 2013 costume exhibition at Rosecliff features 20th century highlights from the Newport Preservation Society's collection, and highlights designer pieces by Chanel, Givenchy and Halston. The exhibition runs through November 22. Visit www.newportmansions.org for information

For the adventurous, there is a new Fort Adams zip line, where you can strap in and dive off walls of the fort, North America’s largest coastal fortress, on the 430-foot-long zip line. You start at 50 feet up, sail over the fort’s complex and land on the ground. You can go solo or with a friend on a tandem zip line. Visit www.fortadams.org for info.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame exhibit, “Tennis and Hollywood,” showcases the popularity of the sport of tennis with Hollywood’s elite. A social sport that initially catered to an upscale crowd, tennis became a natural pastime for many big screen stars in the early 1900s. Legends including Alice Marble and Frank Parker were known to share their expertise by giving lessons to stars including Dinah Shore, Charlton Heston, Dustin Hoffman, Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin. The exhibit will be displayed for one year.   

Also, the hall will host the first and only viewing of “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, which proved to be an event that created heightened awareness for gender equality, in honor of its 40th anniversary. King will be present at the special screening on July 14 to introduce the broadcast footage and then discuss her memories of key moments in the match, what the match meant to her personally, and reflect on its lasting impact. Check both hall events out at www.tennisfame.com

The International Yacht Restoration School and Museum of Yachting 2013 exhibition features a diverse collection of Newport yachting and coastal scenes including artwork in various mediums from the 19th century to today. Exhibition opens June 1. Check out www.iyrs.edu for information.

The Newport Dinner Train introduces The Ice Cream Train, a family-friendly experience aboard Rhode Island’s only moving ice cream parlor. During this scenic ride, families get entertainment aboard air-conditioned rail cars as the they travel along the coast while having soft-serve ice cream or sundaes. The train departs Thursdays through Saturdays from the Newport Train Depot, 19 America's Cup Avenue. For information, visit www.newportdinnertrain.com/docs/schedule.htm

Samuel Whitehorne House, a museum of 18th- and early 19th-century Newport and Rhode Island furniture, will feature a new exhibit this year of high chests including one on loan from the Ott family of Providence. For information, visit www.newportrestoration.org/visit/whitehorne

The inaugural Newport Sharkfest Swim will take place Sept. 28 along the waterfront beginning at the harbormaster’s dock at Perotti Park, proceeding past anchored sailboats on the right side of the swimming channel, and continuing for a total 1500 meters to finish on the beach at King Park. This event is for experienced open-water swimmers only. For info, visit www.sharkfestswim.com

As to new lodging, check out the Crow’s Nest Newport, with new lodging at Seamen’s Church Institute, a non-profit with a mission to service those connected to the sea, in its National Register historic building. The space is remodeled and includes 10 guest rooms in the heart of the waterfront. For information, visit www.crowsnestnewport.com

There’s also a new transportation option this year as the Block Island Ferry introduces seasonal high-speed ferry service from Newport to Block Island starting the end of June. Travel time between the two ports will take about one hour on a hi-speed aluminum catamaran ferry, to run several times a day. Visit www.blockislandferry.com for information.

For information on all Newport offerings, visit www.discovernewport.org

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Blount Small Ship Adventures, based in Warren, R.I., is offering $1,000 savings per couple on sailings of its “Islands of New England” trips this summer, including three new enrichment cruises focusing on arts and crafts adventures, food and wine discoveries, and Native America history. The six-night cruises on the Grand Caribe hits six ports including the Massachusetts islands of Cuttyhunk and Nantucket, and Block Island in Rhode Island. The sailing also features onboard entertainers, a lobster bake, three meals a day (with beer and wine at lunch and dinner) and snacks around the clock. Unlike many cruise operations, here you can bring your own bottles, and they’ll provide mixers and cocktail setup. 

The Grande Caribe, which has 48cabins and a capacity of 88 passengers, was built by Blount Boats in Warren in 1997 and renovated in 2009 with new furnishings, décor, cabins and dining rooms. With discount applied, rates start at $1,599 per person, based on double occupancy, and doesn’t include a port charge of $185 per person. Booking must be made by May 31. 

For info, visit www.blountsmallshipadventures.com/ine.

By Patricia Harris and David Lyon, Globe Correspondents

A couple of years ago we wrote about a National Park Service walking tour of Woodstock, Vermont during the Civil War period. It was researched and developed by historian and author Howard Coffin, who was born in Woodstock and scoured the historic records to piece together what life was like on the home front during those tumultuous years. The tour will be offered again this summer; see www.nps.gov/mabi for details.

Six of Coffin's ancestors served in the Vermont regiments and his fascination with the Civil War knows no bounds. He has just published a new book, Something Abides: Discovering the Civil War in Today's Vermont (Countryman Press, $35), that sheds the same light on the entire state. Based on six years of research and numerous miles of driving through the Green Mountain State, Coffin identifies more than 2,500 extant sites that were affected by the Civil War and organizes them by county.

“Vermont's Civil War sites are everywhere, on back roads, at the ends of roads, by busy downtowns, at crossroads, in store blocks, on islands, in remote woods, in fields, in churches and cemeteries, and on college campuses and school grounds,” Coffin writes. And he fully expects readers to seek them out. “Take with you an 'Official Vermont Road Map,'” he advises, “one of the best maps in all 50 states. And it's free.”

By Patricia Harris and David Lyon, Globe Correspondents

Readers of our In Transit column in the Globe Travel section know that we're partial to the Downeaster train. Now Amtrak would like to win over the skeptical. For National Train Day on May 11, Amtrak is celebrating at the Brunswick, Maine, station from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with train tours and cafe samples during the 1-4 p.m. time slot. They also promise activities for kids, educational exhibits, and ticket giveaways.

Even better, for three weekends in a row, Amtrak is offering $5 tickets on the northern half of the Downeaster line. They're good from Haverhill to Brunswick, Maine (or points in between) on May 4-5 and May 11-12, and between Exeter, N.H. and Brunswick, Maine April 27-28. That's definitely something to toot about.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

If you don’t get invited to the annual White House Easter Egg roll, take heart, it’s a select group. But the Mayflower Renaissance Washington, D.C. Hotel in the nation’s capital is hosting an Easter event that honors its 88th birthday by hiding a total of 88 decorative Easter eggs in randomly selected guest rooms, up to 12 eggs a day. Guests can check out their rooms and if they find an egg, turn it in for either an adult or kid-friendly Easter basket. Prizes include Marriott Reward Points, a free cocktail at the new Edgar Bar & Kitchen, a milk-and-cookie turndown, bag of candies, chocolates and other gifts. During the course of the Easter Egg Hunt Week, five golden eggs will be hidden and if found, qualify the holder for a free future two-night weekend stay.

Rates start at $159 a night from March 24-31. And it’s close to the White House, so if you do land tickets to the April 1 Easter Egg roll on the president’s lawn, you won’t have far to go. For reservations, visit www.mayflowerrenaissance.com  

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Gathering 2013 is a year-long celebration of Ireland and Irish ancestry, with gatherings, festivals, special sporting events, music and concerts across the country. Friendly Planet Travel, a group-tour operator, has announced a nine-day “Fitzgerald Clan Gathering in Ireland” tour, and yes, that would means the Fitzgerald clan that includes Massachusetts’ own John F. Kennedy Jr., our 35th president. The tour package, starting at $3,099, offers the chance to trace the family roots and heritage of one of the country’s oldest and most powerful families.

The package includes round-trip flights from, fittingly, JFK airport in New York, or Newark, and also Boston, which includes all fuel surcharges, taxes and fees, ground transportation and transfers. It also includes accommodations in first-class hotels; 15 meals, including Irish breakfast daily, one lunch, five hotel dinner and two special dinners. The tour also includes an Irish house party with dinner and entertainment in Kildaire; a medieval banquet in Adare; afternoon tea at Castlemartyr Castle; three genealogy workshops; Fitzgerald history and information package; comprehensive touring, including entrance fees; and an English-speaking driver-guide.

Complete details can be found at  www.friendlyplanet.com/fitzgerald-clan-ireland.htm. Wearing of green is optional, but not a bad idea, whether you’re Irish or just want to be.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Fans of Bravo’s popular series “Top Chef” take note: Guests of The White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, Maine can cook alongside some of the country’s most notable chefs, during The White Barn Inn’s 7th Annual Guest Chef Series, where Grand Relais & Chateaux Chef Jonathan Cartwright welcomes new chefs to cook with him for weekends.

Executive Chef Dale Talde from “Top Chef” season four and “Top Chef All-Stars,” who runs Talde in Park Slope, Brooklyn, comes to The White Barn April 12-14. Executive Chef Manuel Trevino from season four, and Marble Lane at Dream Hotel in New York City, is on tap for April 26-28, and Chef Kevin Sbraga, winner of season seven, and owner of Sbraga in Philadelphia, comes May 3-5 to The White Barn Inn.

The White Barn Inn is offering a package to allow guests to mingle with the chefs as well as learn their tips through cooking demos and hands-on cooking classes. The package includes two nights lodging, daily extended continental breakfast, afternoon teas with finger sandwiches, pastries and scones, welcome cocktail reception with Cartwright and a guest chef, cooking demo  on Saturday mornings at Keys TO, a private beach house; optional hands-on Saturday afternoon class; a nine-course tasting menu for two at The White Barn Restaurant on Saturday night; a signed cookbook; and a White Barn Apron.

Price is $1,282 for two nights, based on double occupancy. For info, check out www.whitebarninn.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, many spring school vacations have been shortened as schools try to make up for missed days. Kimpton’s The Muse hotel in New York City is offering a package, “Mini-scape to The Muse,” for those looking for a quick getaway in the Big Apple. Through the end of April, the package, with rates starting at $379, includes an overnight stay, free breakfast with specialty children’s menu (think chocolate pancakes, for one thing), and a $20 Metro subway card. The hotel also offers children’s welcome gifts on check in, such as Matchbox cars, coloring books, popcorn packages and more. In addition, Ginger, a Pomeranian pooch, and the hotel’s “Director of Pet Relations,” welcomes other dogs to stay at the hotel with their families.

The hotel’s NIOS restaurant is also celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year, it being steps away from the city’s famous St. Patrick’s Day Parade scheduled for March 17. The restaurant, starting March 15, will have drink specials and an Irish-themed menu, through the weekend. For information on the hotel’s package deal, visit www.themusehotel.com and use rate code MSCAPE.  For more information on the restaurant, visit www.niosrestaurant.com.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

A family getaway package is being offered at the Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda, a quick flight away from Boston, which includes an adult room accommodation and a second connecting room for the kids free of charge. Children 12 and under can eat free from the children's menu and those up to 18 pay 50 percent off the adult prices of the a la carte menu. The package is for families with children 18 years old and younger, and includes free access to the hotel's Explorer camp and a family welcome amenity. The package is available through March 31, with rates starting at $269 per night, excluding taxes, tips and resort levy. For information and reservations, visit www.fairmont.com/southampton-bermuda, or call 800-441-1414.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

AAA Travel has announced new discounts and deals for consumers booking their Walt Disney vacations through their local AAA branches in January. Benefits to AAA members include exclusive the Disney Story Tell Experience; Diamond Savings Card, which gets holders up to 20 percent savings on dining, shopping and events; Diamond parking, which gets you closer proximity to the park; and preferred fireworks viewing locations. Booking in January gets members things like a Disney Gift Card offer; a $50 onboard credit for Disney Cruise Line trips when booking for a May 2-Sept. 26 departure; and $100 off the land-package price of an Adventure by Disney vacation. Check it out at your local AAA travel office, visit www.southernnewengland.aaa.com/sne/travel/disney.php or call 800-222-7448.

By Patricia Harris and David Lyon
Globe Correspondents

If the journey along the Wine & Cheese trail in central Massachusetts described in the October 21 Travel section has inspired you to check out the state's wineries and cheesemakers, you might want to purchase a $2 Massachusetts Wine Passport at one of the participating wineries. The 19 wineries in the Passport cover the state from the tip of Cape Cod to the southern Berkshires and produce a range of grape and fruit wines. Once you have had your passport ''stamped'' at 15 wineries you will be eligible to enter a January drawing for the grand prize of 15 cases of wine.

For more information, see masswinery.com and massvacation.com/pdf/winecheese.pdf.

Jenn Samek-Lutkus of Hardwick Vineyard and Winery holds a Massachusetts Wine Passport. (Photo by David Lyon for the Boston Globe)

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Montpelier Plantation & Beach, a 19-room Relais & Chateaux boutique hotel on Nevis in the Caribbean, reopened Oct. 6 after a summer of renovations that included all-new culinary offerings. The resort renovated Indigo, the poolside bar and restaurant, which included expanding the dining and drinking area, which hotel officials said bring a contemporary element to the hotel's aesthetic landscape. The new bar area showcases Montpelier's rum collection including a selection of home-made spirits infused with local ingredients, such as coconut, passion fruit, pineapple and other fruits.

To mark the occasion, the resort is giving guests a $500 resort credit package. Book by Jan. 1 to get the credit, good for dining and resort amenities. The offer is valid for a minimum stay of five nights and blackout dates apply. For info, visit www.montpeliernevis.com or call 869-469-3462 for details or to book.

The resort is made up of 19 contemporary plantation-style guestrooms, plus two guesthouses, and features a hand-laid, 60-foot mosaic-tiled pool, tennis court and a private, two-acre beach. It was build around one of the island's original 17th-century sugar plantations, and is an AAA Four Diamond award recipient.
 

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

enVision Hotel Boston opened up this summer, the newest addition to the Ascend Hotel Collection membership program from Choice Hotels International. Through Thanksgiving, rates at the new boutique hotel start at $229 per night. The property borders scenic Olmsted Park on South Huntington Avenue a few miles from Fenway Park and downtown Boston. It is the first Boston lodging to join the network of more than 70 upscale, independent hotels, each with a different personality reflecting its location. For more information, visit www.ascendcollection.com/hotel-boston-massachusetts-MA199

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel is running some fall specials this year, themed packages to escape the holiday crush and rush. From Nov. 1-Dec. 30, guests get in-room aromatherapy or relaxing face mask, and movie night, two so-called "In-Law Equalizer" cocktails blending spiced cider, bourbon and apple jack in the Capiz Lounge, and insider secrets from the Renaissance Navigator on best ways to check out the city's hot spots, under the radar and hopefully away from the maddening crowds. It's all part of the "Turkey Time Out" package. You can book at www.renaissanceboston.com by entering promotion code YX1.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Contortionists, jugglers, acrobats and more can be found in Boston at Faneuil Hall Marketplace's first Street Theater Festival Oct. 20-21. Scheduled to appear are Alakazam, aka "The Human Knot," who puts on what is billed as a self-contained freak show as he twists his body into pretzel shapes. Wacky Chad is scheduled to be there as well, a guy who does comedy with tricks and pogo-stick stunts, who has bounced on programs like 'America's Got Talent" and "Live with Regis & Kelly." Also on hand will be magician/juggler/comic/mind reader/fire eater Lucky Bob, and Jason Escape who lives up to his name by wriggling out of constraints, a Houdiniesque display of magic that features him wrapped in 75 feet of rope and hung by his ankles by audience members.

The two-day festival runs 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is free to all. Check out the full listing of events at www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com/info/streetperformers

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent
National Hotel and Suites in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, which just became part of the Ascend Hotel Collection, is offering rates through December 2013 from $129 to $270. The hotel is now part of a network, though it remains independently owned and run, while gaining a presence on www.choicehotels.com, and also benefitting from giving customers a loyalty program, Choice Privileges, with more than 15 million world-wide members.

The 328-room hotel is located in the heart of Ottawa, Canada's capital city, and is within walking distance of Parliament Hill; Rideau Canal, the country's largest skateway at five miles long; the National Art Gallery; and a variety of stores, restaurants and night life. It's also about 10 miles from Ottawa International Airport, and 15 minutes from the Gatineau Mountains. For information, visit www.ascendcollection.com/hotel-ottawa-canada-CNA16

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Beaches Negril Resort & Spa in Jamaica, and Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa were named number one and two respectively as "Top Family Hotels in the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas," in the "World's Best Awards 2012" poll from Travel + Leisure magazine, that asked more than 970,000 readers to vote on the most sought-after hotels around the world.

As someone who stayed at the Turks & Caicos Beaches a couple of years ago, I can attest to the luxury digs, and though I was there sans family, it never had a kid-intensive feel to it. The place was huge, with 16 restaurants and so much to do, the humanity was spread out quite a bit and there was, mercifully, no noticeable squealing and screaming from teeming hordes of children. There was just so much going on for children in a variety of programs for all ages, it never had that overrun feeling a lot of family resorts have.

For the complete list of awards, visit www.travelandleisure.com For info on Beaches resorts check out www.beaches.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

If you believe in ghosts, and even if you don't, this is the time of year where things going bump in the night seem to get bumpier. The Kennebunk Inn in Maine celebrates its haunted heritage this Halloween season with a special harvest dinner and overnight stay for those willing and eager to experience the paranormal activity at one of the state's most historic inns.

On Oct. 27 and 31, guests can attend "A Spirited Evening Harvest Dinner" with internationally known psychic Vicki Monroe, starting at 6:30 p.m. with a three-course dinner with appetizer for $68 per person, which gets you a choice of three entrees and dessert. The fun stuff, all eating aside, starts during the "Dueling Spirit" dessert created by Chef Shanna O'Hara, featuring an aptly named devil-dog ice cream sandwich and angel food cake with strawberry balsamic compote. Monroe will be your spiritual messenger for the evening, revealing, hopefully, the inn's source of ghostly activities over the years as she shares insights into the spook world she purports to know so well.

The 200-year-old Kennebunk Inn has two former employees - Cyrus, an inn clerk who died in the mid-20th century and lets his spirit self be known via falling wine glasses and other objects that mysterious take flight, and Silas Perkins, a night watchman and published poet. There is a third spirit in the mix, Sara Emily, identified by Monroe, who inhabits the main stairwell and waves to guests as they enter the building. Most do not see her, but she is said to be playful and enjoys knocking on guest room doors. The inn's room 17 is said to have the most paranormal activity.

Some dinner guests whose spirits connect with Monroe will get a personal reading during the program, and all can stay for a "Meet and Greet" with her in the lounge after dinner. For those guests wanting to take part in the inn's restaurant, Academe's award-winning cocktails to enhance their paranormal sightings, the inn offers a 25-percent discount off room rates in the Adams, Jefferson and Madison suites. Prices overall start at $79 per night (not including dinner). Reservations must be booked by phone only, inn officials said, by calling 207-985-3351.

Book soon, inn officials said; last year's event sold out quickly, prompting them to add the second date this year. For information, visit www.thekennebunkinn.com

 

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Bodega Bay? The Bodega Bay? Of "The Birds" fame, a movie, believe it or not, now nearly 50 years old? There is such a place? And could we be that lost we found it accidentally?

Well, yes, and I'm so glad we did. My daughter and I were headed for Healdsburg in northern California for part of the Sonoma Wine Country weekend, when we ended up in Bodega Bay on the Pacific coast, thanks to some bad advice from my GPS. We stopped at the Sonoma Coast Visitors Center, where they gladly indulged my questions about filming of "The Birds" and then dropped this bomb on me:

"Tippi Hedren is here today," a nice lady in the office said, pointing out the window. "Right down there. At the Tides."

Wait, whoa...Tides? The Tides, the one featured in "The Birds," where Tippi Hedren's Melanie Daniels putters away in a boat with song birds for Rod Taylor's Mitch Brenner? The same Tides where, via Hollywood magic, the gas station blows up when the birds attack and knock a lit match from the hand of a guy pumping gas? The Tides where Tippi is attacked in a phone booth? That Tides? That Tippi Hedren?

Yup. Turns out she was there signing autographed pictures to raise money for her cause, The Roar Foundation, which she founded in 1984 to support the Shambala Preserve in Acton, Calif., home to more than 50 big cats such as lions, tigers, cougar, leopards and other creatures that would, I'm pretty sure, gobble up all those birds in one bite given half the chance. The big cats came to the preserve after being confiscated by authorities from roadside zoos and private homes.

Hedren was in "The Roar," a 1981 movie about a woman bringing her kids to the African jungle. Sadly, during filming accidents led to the death of several big cats, which prompted Hedren to action protecting the animals and lobbying against private ownership

"The practice of private ownership of these animals must be stopped, and that's why I do this," said the diminutive little actress, now 81 and as drop-dead gorgeous and elegant as ever, dressed to the nines with a - what else? - bird brooch on her lapel as she stood to talk to me.

Many states forbid private ownership, some do not and Hedren is adamant about her crusade, testifying before Congress and doing whatever it takes to not just protect the cats she loves but humans "who are killed or maimed for life," she said, when the jungle cats revert to doing what jungle cats instinctively do - attack.

She saidthe U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates big-cat licensing, too easily gives out permits to people who shouldn't have them. For more info on her cause, visit www.shambala.org, and if you're ever up Acton way, stop in, they give "Sunset Safaris" for $100 per person, snacks and toasts to the big cats with Hedren's Roar Foundation Wine included. You can also join the foundation online and adopt some of the most beautiful beasts on Earth.

When I first greeted her, I extended my hand. She pulled back and offered me a fist bump instead. I said, "Oh, the germ thing?" and she laughed, threw her hands out and said, "But I never get sick! Ever!"

We chatted briefly about "The Birds," as on a nearby monitor played an endless loop of that scene of her going out on the small boat from The Tides, going over to Mitch Brenner's house. I asked if that house was still there.

"No, it's gone," she said, disappointment evident in her voice. "And the schoolhouse, that got sold years ago for $8,000. Wish I'd known that, I would've bought it."

I ask about Taylor, whose last film was "Inglourious Basterds" in 2009, playing Winston Churchill.

"Oh yes, we stay in touch," she said. "He's a good friend."

One thing I didn't ask, because I wasn't aware of it at the time, was about her relationship with Alfred Hitchcock, during the filming of "The Birds," the film that launched her career - and effectively stifled it. She reportedly rebuffed Hitchcock's sexual advances and he saw to it she never had the skyrocketing stardom many say she deserved. That relationship is the subject of a film, "The Girl," which debuts on HBO Oct. 20, starring Sienna Miller as Hedren.

I bid her farewell, telling her I'd kiss her hand goodbye if she weren't so germaphobic. She smiled graciously, and then continued to speak about her cause to the next folks in line. My daughter and I then walked out onto the Tides pier, where a big fat seagull sat on a pole just feet away from us, calm as could be, never ruffling a threatening feather.

Getting lost is usually for the birds, but at the expense of meeting a Hollywood legend in the place that made her famous? Not a problem.

(Tippi Hedren photo by Paul Kandarian. Big cat photo by Bill Dow)

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council is hosting its annual Fall Foliage and Shopping Train Excursion Oct. 20 aboard the Providence and Worcester Railroad, which leaves the Woonsocket train depot in Rhode Island at 9 a.m. and returns at 4:30 p.m. The foliage train travels through historic Blackstone River Valley to the many antique shops, restaurants and gift shops in Putnam, Conn., where there will be an arts and crafts fair, music, sidewalk sales, a pumpkin festival, bazaar and luncheon, at the Putnam Congregational Church. The train leaves Putnam at 2:15 and chugs back to Woonsocket by 4:30 p.m.

Ticket prices run from $28 to $58. There is a snack bar on the train, and passengers can also bring their own, though no alcoholic beverages are allowed. For information and reservations, visit www.tourblackstone.com or call 401-724-2200.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

If pork is your thing, you must consider taking in the fourth annual "Hogtoberfest" Oct. 13 and 14 on Nantucket. Chefs Michael LaScola of American Seasons on the island, and Matt Jennings of Farmstead in Providence (James Beard nominee for Best Chef-Northeast and three-time Cochon 555 winner), pair up for a back-of-the-house carving demo on Berkshire-Tamworth hogs, hand raised on Nantucket's The Faraway Farm. They then use each cut throughout the weekend for beer/charcuterie tastings and a multi-course meal of inventive pork dishes paired with American Seasons' small-production American wines.

The weekend lineup includes the carving demo which will show head-to-tail carving and showing diners how to harvest and use each part of the animal; a beer and charcuterie master class; an "All-Things Pork" dinner, featuring a range of pork specials at American Seasons.

For complete pig-out information and reservations, visit www.americanseasons.com/hogtoberfest.html or call 508-228-7111.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

I've never been a huge football fan, but given the chance to talk to Don Shula, one of football's most beloved coaches, winner of back-to-back Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins, while at the same time chowing down a world-class burger at a new restaurant bearing his name, you think I'm gonna say no?

The occasion was the opening earlier this year of the first Shula Burger at the Postcard Inn in Islamorada (formerly Holiday Isle, a legendary hotspot of the Florida Keys back in the day). The burger joint is the newest part of the Shula culinary empire, which consists of Shula's Steak Houses, Shula's 347 and Shula's 2 Steak and Sports.

"We had a lot of success in restaurants, starting in Miami Lakes where we live, then on to Tampa, then outside Florida," said Coach, as I found myself respectfully calling him as everyone does, a title he'll righteously never lose despite not having coached for years. "We'd never done it before, but my wife, she has a great business mind."

So does his son, David, who runs the food empire, and who also had coached for the Cincinnati Bengals. Opening night at Shula Burger, David was explaining to rapt football fans the details of a play scrawled on one wall, one of his dad's plays from the Super Bowl years that was found on a yellow legal pad Coach had drawn. Sitting near the wall bearing the play writ large was a familiar face: Bob Griese, fabled Dolphins quarterback and winner of said Super Bowls, and long-time great and food friend of Shula.

Coach looked great, still fairly active at 83, though not as much as he'd like: A balky back had sidelined his golf game, he grumbled. I asked where the next Shula Burger would be opening.

"I don't know," he shrugged, as we sat on the outside patio of the restaurant. "They don't tell me anything."

"But Coach, you're the face of the franchise," I offered. He just smiled.

And he's still good dealing with reporters bearing loaded statements.

"Coach, I have to say, you have a way better personality than Bill Belichick," I teased about the sour-pussed Pats coach.

He laughed and held up one hand, Super Bowl ring flashing, as if about to make a point, but diplomatically stopped, talking instead about what a great receiver Wes Welker was for the Pats and calling Tom Brady "a great quarterback, just so cool under pressure." Just a few feet away sat Griese, one of the greatest and coolest of all time.

Shula Burger is a lovely place with, naturally, a football motif, and an impressive menu of burgers of all stripe, the buns fresh and fluffy and branded - literally - with the Shula name. My fave was Coach's as well, "The Don,"which has an all-beef hot dog, split and grilled, served atop a burger with pickles, onion, sauce, cheese and mustard served on a branded brioche-style bun.

"You go to a barbecue, what do you get?" the Coach asked, setting up the punchline as easily as Griese set up in the pocket all those years ago. "A burger and a dog. Why not put 'em together? Makes perfect sense."

Coach was looking a little tired, but remained gracious despite my blabbering, but I moved on as he moved inside, to pose with the staff, Griese, his son, his wife, anyone who wanted his time and chance to pose with him and talk burgers or football. But mostly football.

Now, I wish I had his ear, I'd love to know what he thought of the replacement officials in the NFL. I'm sure he'd have plenty to say - between bites of "The Don" that is.

Photos from Shula Burger. Top photo, from left, Bob Griese, Mary Anne and Don Shula

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Call it barefoot chic: At the new Beach House Turks and Caicos, slated to open Oct. 22 as Grace Bay's first boutique hotel, "No Socks Allowed" signage will be found on specialty items throughout, reminding guests to kick off their shoes and socks and relax. Beach House has 21 one- and two-bedroom suites (each a minimum 1,150 square feet) with what hotel officials call interior designs melding Caribbean with New England, showcasing crisp whites and blue hues. French doors frame views of the expansive beach and open to oversized patios that have daybeds. Suites also have culinary nooks where private chef dinners and surprise treats can be placed in the refrigerator.

The hotel also has a 90-seat Beach House Restaurant, run by Chef Eric Vernice, a native of France, who has created eight-course meals. According to hotel folks, menus will focus on one item, such as lobster, a unique spice or a country, with each course more unique than the last, paired with wines and cocktail teasers.

If it sounds pricey, it is: Nightly rates run from $532 to $1,038 on weekends and holidays, with special rates available in shoulder seasons. For more information, visit www.beachhousetci.com or call 855-946-5800.