I Bought an Offset and I Feel...

Springdale The Bit & Spur is one of the best restaurants in the vicinity of Utah's Zion National Park: The locally brewed beer is top-notch, and Mexican-inspired basics like the house burrito and fresh fruit margaritas satisfy after a long hike, especially if you've snagged a patio seat. Ingredients are high-quality, and the vibe is festive and always friendly. Still, food quality can be erratic, and the prices are higher than they need to be—the seasonal menu, especially, trends towards expensive options (this spring's bistek asado dish goes for $30, and the special tamales are priced at $21). Keep it simple and you'll walk away happy, and full: Grab a good beer or a margarita, try well-regarded favorites like the tacos or burritos, and down it all on the back patio while contemplating the West Temple Mountains. That's hard to beat after an attempt at nearby Angel's Landing, a legendary hike to one of the best summit views in the National Park system. Information: 1212 Zion Park Blvd., 435/772-3498, bitandspur.com. Price check: The chicken, beef, or pork burrito goes for $12.50. Fajitas go for a pricey $18.25. A children's menu is available: The child's portion for a taco or enchilada plate is $6.25. Thanks for sharing: Reader Lois was the first to tip us off.

Finesse an Invite Sue Fox, author of Etiquette for Dummies, suggests a subtle approach to feel out whether a family member might be up for hosting you. You could start by asking, "Gee, when I'm in town, maybe I can come by? Can you suggest any hotels in the area?" "It's not OK to hint that you should be invited to spend the night," says Lizzie Post, great-great-granddaughter of etiquette authority Emily Post and author of lifestyle guide How Do You Work This Life Thing? "But it can happen through conversation. You might call a friend and say, 'Hey, we're coming through town and we'd really love to see you. Could we get together?' Then, leave it up to them to take the next step. Don't get upset if they're not rolling out the welcome mat." Keep Your Visit Brief "At the very start, deal with the exact start and end date of the visit," says Post. "Personally, I think no one should stay more than three days—you know the saying that both fish and houseguests stink after three days. It's true." If you want to visit the area longer, bite the bullet and split your stay between your friend's place and a hotel. Be Clear and Up Front About Everything Hosts do not deserve to be surprised that you've brought two German shepherds and your latest biker boyfriend, when they expected only you. "Never assume that bringing your pets, children, friend, or family member is acceptable if you're not directly told or invited to bring them," says Fox. "You must also be up front about any dietary issues. It's awful when a guest shows up and says, 'I forgot to tell you I'm a vegan,'" says Norine Dresser, author of Multicultural Manners: Rules of Etiquette for the 21st Century. Maintain Contact in Advance "Check in a few days before the visit to get directions and double-check the dates," advises Post. "And most definitely touch base on the morning of the day you're supposed to arrive. If anything changes your planned arrival time, you absolutely must call your hosts. It's rude to have people waiting around for you." BYO Amenities "Hosts will generally provide you with towels," says Dresser. "But ask before you take just any towel from the closet. In some families, each person has his or her own towel, and you don't want to upset anyone by drying off with the wrong one." As for pretty much everything else you'll need in the bathroom—shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, a special soap if you're particular—bring your own. It's OK to ask to use some toothpaste if you've forgotten yours. Acknowledge Everyone in the House Pet the hosts' dog, say hello to their aunt who lives above the garage, and most of all, make an effort to be nice to the hosts' children. "You don't have to get on your knees with the kids or play board games the entire time you're there," says Post. "But you should pay attention to the kids, even if you're not a 'kid person.' Every parent loves it when other people enjoy spending time with their kids." Make It Look Like You're Not There Wipe down the sink after you shave. Make the bed. Tidy up every chance you get—especially if you have children. "Don't leave toys in a pile, or worse, scattered all over the place," says June Hines Moore, author of Manners Made Easy for the Family. If you're in a makeshift bedroom in an office or the living room, fold up the futon. The goal is to make it look like no one is even visiting. Offer a Helping Hand This may be your vacation, but the host is not a combo cook-maid-butler-concierge. Offer to pick up groceries, do the dishes, mix some margaritas, chop vegetables for dinner, or take the dog for a walk, and make your offer an earnest one. "Let me help with that" is better than "You're all set in the kitchen, right?" But don't be pushy. "Some people are weird about their kitchens," says Post. "They don't like other people messing with their spices. So if they turn down your request to help, back off." Respect House Rules and Schedules "Watch what the host family does," says Dresser. "If they take off their shoes, you take off yours." Be especially respectful if your hosts have to work during your visit. "Ask about your host's morning routine," says Post. "Then stay clear of the bathroom when your host needs the shower." Spend Some Time With Your Hosts "It's assumed that guests and hosts will hang out and share some meals together," says Dresser. "The host's house is not a hotel. It's not just a place to crash. It's offensive if you show up, disappear, and only come back to sleep and shower." You should still be able to find plenty of time to sightsee, with or without your host. Get Out of Your Host's Hair Don't expect your host to be a tour guide for the entire visit. When you arrive, plan a rough itinerary for what you want to see and let the host know that he or she is welcome to come along. Include some downtime in the itinerary, along with some time apart. "If your host has work to do, or even if you just feel like everyone needs a break, disappear for a little while," says Post. "Read a book, explore town by yourself, or go for a walk." Give a Good Gift "Do you have to show up at the host's house with gift in hand?" asks Post. "No. Absolutely not. Do you have to buy something? Again, no. A nice gift could be something you make—a pie, a scarf. Taking your hosts out to a nice dinner can also count." Fox suggests bringing a bottle of wine, a flowering plant, or some gourmet chocolates. "Special blends of coffee and tea are acceptable too," she says. The key is knowing what your hosts like and don't like. If you're unsure what to give, listen for cues during your visit. Make a mental note when your host mentions loving a restaurant or shop, and get a gift certificate. Handwrite the Thank You "An e-mail thank you is still a no-no," says Post. "It's OK to jot off a quick thanks on your Blackberry from the airport, but you must follow that up with a handwritten note within a few days afterward." It's also nice to return the hospitality by extending a hearty "If you're ever in our neck of the woods..." invitation to the folks who just graciously hosted you.

Baltimore Port of Baltimore's Cruise Maryland Terminal, 10 minutes from downtown Baltimore, operating year-round (800/638-7519, cruisemaryland.com). Google Map Cruise Lines: American Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International. Regular Departures to: The Caribbean, New England, and Canada. Sample Itinerary: Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas departs in August, with five-night itineraries to Bermuda. The same ship also does nine-night sailings in September with stops in Bar Harbor, Maine, and Nova Scotia. The ship has a huge six-story atrium, and the dining room is decorated in a lavish art deco style. Parking: There are three lots next to the terminal with 1,500 spots total; it's $15 per night including taxes, and you can prepay. Latest News: The remodeled Cruise Maryland Terminal (which opened in 2006, the Port of Baltimore's tricentennial) has more than doubled its cruise offerings since last year. And in April, Carnival inaugurated year-round service from the port; Royal Caribbean will begin year-round service in 2010. Cape Canaveral, Fla. Port Canaveral, about an hour from Orlando, operating year-round (321/783-7831, portcanaveral.com). Google Map Cruise Lines: Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean International. Regular Departures to: The Caribbean and the Bahamas. Sample Itinerary: Seven nights on the Disney Magic with stops in Key West, Grand Cayman, and Castaway Cay (Disney's private island), departing August through April 2010. Included in the itinerary is a classic character breakfast, or go for the adult-exclusive dining. Parking: The six-level parking area is next to the cruise terminal and costs $15 a night, including taxes. Latest News: Royal Caribbean launched one of its biggest ships in the Freedom class here in May. Carnival's Dream—the line's newest and largest ship at 130,000 tons and holding 3,652 passengers—will make its permanent home here in December. Norwegian Cruise Line is coming to the port in 2010, and Disney will add two new ships—Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, in 2011 and 2012. L.A. The Port of Los Angeles World Cruise Center, Pacific Cruise Ship Terminals, 25 miles outside of downtown L.A., in San Pedro, operating year-round (310/514-4049, portoflosangeles.org). Google Map Cruise Lines: Celebrity Cruise Line, Crystal Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean International, Silversea, The Yachts of Seabourn. Regular Departures to: Alaska, Australia, Hawaii, Mexico (Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Ixtapa are some of the stops), the Panama Canal, and elsewhere. Sample Itinerary: Seven-night cruises on Princess's Sapphire Princess (with the nightlife-friendly Club Fusion) go to the Mexican Riviera, with stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas, and leave September through May. Parking: More than 2,500 spaces available; it's $12 per night, including taxes, with a complimentary shuttle to the terminal area. Latest News: Royal Caribbean recently moved its 3,114-passenger Mariner of the Seas to the port. The 964-foot Disney Wonder will move here in 2011. And Nearby Is... If you have your heart set on sailing Carnival, you can catch a ship in the neighboring Long Beach Cruise Terminal, the cruise line's L.A. base. Parking is a little more expensive, at $15 per night including taxes. Mobile, Ala. Mobile Alabama Cruise Terminal, in downtown, operating year-round (251/338-7447, shipmobile.com). Google Map Cruise Lines: Carnival Cruise Lines. Regular Departures to: The western Caribbean. Upcoming Departures: Three- and four-night sailings to Cozumel, Mexico, leave in September and October on the Carnival Holiday with a nine-hole golf course on deck. Parking: The 500-space parking deck is adjacent to the terminal; cost is $15 per night, including taxes. Latest News: Carnival will offer new six-night cruises to Mexico with stops in Jamaica and Grand Cayman in 2010 on the Carnival Fantasy . The 10-deck ship just got a multimillion dollar renovation, including a brand-new water park. New Orleans Port of New Orleans, less than two miles from the French Quarter on the Mississippi River, operating year-round (504/522-2551, portno.com). Google Map Cruise Lines: Carnival Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Line, American Canadian Caribbean Line. Regular Departures to: Mexico and the Caribbean. Sample Itinerary: Seven-nights on Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Spirit, with stops in Costa Maya, Mexico, and Belize City, leaving January through April 2010. The 13-deck ship has a walloping 11 restaurants and 10 bars and lounges. Parking: There are two parking structures with more than 1,000 spots, including a structure by the Riverwalk Marketplace shopping area; parking costs $16 per night, including taxes. Latest News: This November, Carnival inaugurates the newer, larger Carnival Triumph with a weeklong Caribbean itinerary. The Triumph has a 22-foot LED screen on an upper deck. And one to watch... The Port of San Diego, already a huge power in the cruise industry (almost 300 ships docked there in 2008), will open a new $21 million cruise terminal in late 2010. The 52,000-square-foot structure has a glass façade and is designed to use less water and energy, which will likely gain it LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification—the standard bearers in sustainable design.

Walla Walla Valley, Wash. In the mid-90s when oenophiles started to buzz about the region's Bordeaux-style wines, there were 10 wineries in Walla Walla. Today, there are more than 100, mostly accessible from Highway 12. With wine comes food, and gourmands like Alexa Palmer and Charles Maddrey have been pouring into town in the past decade. Two years ago, Palmer and Maddrey left their jobs as owner and chef, respectively, of an Italian restaurant in Renton, Wash., to open the Fat Duck Inn in the heart of Walla Walla. Each of the four guest rooms at their renovated Craftsman-style bungalow has a fireplace and a large tiled bathroom, and Maddrey can pack box lunches of gourmet charcuterie and cheeses, sandwiches, fruit, and dessert for picnics (fatduckinn.com, rooms from $125, lunch $13). Palmer recommends enjoying them on the outdoor patio near the bocce ball courts at Cougar Crest Estate Winery, west of town on Highway 12 (cougarcrestwinery.com, tasting $5, refundable with wine bottle purchase). The highway takes you back toward downtown Walla Walla, a preserved 19th-century Western town, where food options range from a burrito stuffed with beef, cheese, and local sweet onions at the Tacos La Monarca truck (509/522-2866, $5), to Turkish flatbread wrapped around spiced lamb and topped with yogurt sauce at Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen, whose chef was recently a semifinalist for a James Beard Award (saffronmediterraneankitchen.com, $13). Highway 12 continues east toward K Vintners, a converted farm shed with a capital K painted on its front and a 12-foot cement statue of the letter by the entrance. Here, former band manager Charles Smith blasts music by the Raveonettes and the Ramones—both personal friends—and serves his signature K Syrah in honor of his favorite toast: Que sera (kvintners.com, tastings free, by appointment). —Alison Rohrs Anderson Valley, Calif. Twisting from Cloverdale, Calif., to the Pacific Ocean, a 16-mile portion of Highway 128 passes through the organic apple orchards, olive groves, and redwood forests of Anderson Valley. Some of the more than 20 vineyards along the way supply pinot noir grapes for famous wineries in Napa and Sonoma, but you can taste similar vintages at the farm-style Anderson wineries—minus the popped-collar crowds. Navarro Vineyards lets babydoll sheep (too petite to reach the fruit) graze under the vines, and free-range chickens wander the vineyards to help keep pests under control. Daily tours of the grounds and tastings of the star wines—pinot noir and dry Alsatian-style whites—are both free (navarrovineyards.com). About 10 miles northwest along the highway, gewürztraminer grapes thrive in the rich soil and foggy mornings at Lazy Creek Vineyards. Longtime owners of Sonoma's Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery, Don and Rhonda Carano, acquired the rural estate last year (lazycreekvineyards.com, tastings free). Nearby, Husch Vineyards—the oldest in the valley, and actually owned by the Oswald family—has 10 picnic tables: some in the sun, some sheltered under vine-covered pergolas. Past an arch of roses, the family pours complimentary samples of sauvignon blanc and pinot noir in a century-old redwood tasting room (huschvineyards.com). Like their neighbors to the north, Bob and Linda Klein also run a vineyard and farm at LindaVista Bed & Breakfast in Yorkville (a separate wine region in the Anderson Valley). Each of the two huge suites in their 6,000-square-foot French Victorian–style inn comes with a queen-size bed, a separate sitting room with a daybed and trundle, a full bath, and mountain views (lindavista.com, $150). Along the route, you can stop for one of 60 varieties of apples at Gowan's Oak Tree, on an orchard just north of Philo (707/895-3353).—Alison Rohrs Between Hermann and New Haven, Mo. What the Hermann Wine Trail (hermannwinetrail.com) lacks in size—there are only six wineries along the 20-mile stretch—it makes up for in experience. The region has been producing vintages since the 1840s, before Napa had produced a single bottle. The Captain Wohlt Inn makes an ideal home base—and not just because it's in the center of Hermann's adorable historic district. The breakfasts of upside-down apple French toast, three-cheese quiche, or baked eggs with turkey bacon and herbs are exactly what you need to prepare you for a day of sampling wines (captainwohltinn.com, from $75). Less than a mile away, the family-run Adam Puchta Winery gives free tastings in the estate's original stone house with wood-beamed ceilings. For many of the 16–18 wines, you'll get a bite of something to help you identify the flavors. A Key-lime shortbread cookie brings out the fruit flavors in the vignoles, a sweet white wine, and a piece of chocolate softens the tannins in the dry red Norton (adampuchtawine.com). The picnic tables on the grounds make the perfect lunch spot, so on the way to the winery, stop at husband-and-wife-owned Time for Pie to pick up some bratwurst sandwiches and one of the 15 kinds of homemade pie (time4pie.com, pie $3 per slice). Two and a half miles down the road, Stone Hill Winery is set high on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River—one can imagine that the terrain reminded German settlers of their native Rhine River valley. Tours of the 162-year-old arched cellars, where wine is still stored, end in the tasting room, where you can try the chardonel, a dry, buttery white that's similar to a chardonnay, and the limited-edition vintage port. Next to the tasting room, Stone Hill's original stable is now Vintage Restaurant, where the menu ranges from hearty German specialties like schnitzel to more refined entrées like filet mignon (stonehillwinery.com, tours $2.50, tastings free). —Beth Collins Charlottesville, Va. Virginia's premier wine country, dotted with working farms and over 1,000 acres of grape vines, spreads out around the city of Charlottesville in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The free tour at 20-acre Jefferson Vineyards both explores the winery and recounts the history of Virginia wine making (jeffersonvineyards.com, tasting $5). The viognier, with aromas of honeysuckle and apricot, is an ideal refresher, and from the deck at the tasting room, visitors have a view of Carters Mountain and Jefferson's home, Monticello, a mile and a half north, where a recently opened visitors center introduces guests to the founding father's life and ideas (monticello.org, from $15). Jefferson's master builder also built Dinsmore House, a B&B just a block from the University of Virginia. The decor deliberately recalls the colonial era, but the amenities—Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs—are right up-to-date (dinsmorehouse.com, from $109). South of Monticello is Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard, whose 2005 blanc de blanc has hints of candied apple and lemon custard (klugeestateonline.com, tasting $10). About 18 miles west of Charlottesville, in Crozet, King Family Vineyards occupies 15 acres on a farm where polo ponies are raised; visitors can watch polo matches for free on Sundays from Memorial Day through the end of September (kingfamilyvineyards.com, tasting $5). For a picnic at the vineyard, the Crosé, a dry rosé, pairs well with the tomato sauce on a pie from perennial favorite Crozet Pizza. Be prepared for a wait at the 32-year-old institution; some call this the best pizza in the state, and people come from miles around to combine toppings from the list of over 30 options, including zucchini, peanuts, and bacon (crozetpizza.net, from $11.50). —Thomas Berger