Laos: A Tour That Even Loners Can Love

The Argentine capital is at the top of everyone's list these days, what with all the gorgeous architecture, world-class shopping, and, of course, tango, the sexiest dance on the planet. (The fact that the dollar still goes quite far in B.A. certainly doesn't hurt either.) But the truth of the matter is that you can see the best of the city in four days. And if you're spending 10 or more hours on a plane, you probably want to settle in awhile. We've come up with three excellent side trips--all within striking distance of the city--that make the long flight more than worth it. Be a Cowboy for a DayNinety minutes from B.A., San Antonio de Areco is the heart of gaucho country At Estancia La Bamba, about 15 minutes outside San Antonio de Areco, I sit atop a horse named Poroto (Bean) alongside Juan Fortina, a gauchito who lives on the cattle ranch. In front of us spread the 400 acres of La Bamba. On sunny days, dozens of visitors descend on the ranch for a día de campo, or day in the country. It's the perfect combination of gluttony, exhilaration, and relaxation that begins with fried empanadas and an aperitif from the open bar, and continues with a horse ride through the fields, an outdoor asado (buffet lunch of grilled meats, salads, and wine), a poolside siesta, another ride, and afternoon tea and cake. A handful of guests choose to stay the night in cabins that surround the main house. Juan turns to me with a giddy, guileless grin. "I've been riding since I was 4, and I'm 7. That's three years," he says. "Wanna gallop?" When my wife, Cintra, and I arrived in Argentina a year ago, I'd never gotten a horse out of first gear, but before I can answer, Juan kicks his horse into a sprint and Poroto follows. As we speed across the fields, the saddle beats bruises into my thighs, my heart pounds, and I holler with glee. I look around to see if Cintra can see the cowboy me, but she's off on a long walk with the two friends who have joined us for the weekend. The day before, we'd piled into a taxi for the 70-mile trip through the empty pampas northwest of Buenos Aires. We set up camp in San Antonio de Areco at Hostal de Areco, a terra-cotta-colored hotel 50 yards from the town's riverside park. Our rooms are basic but very comfortable, and there's a garden with chairs for lounging and reading. I feel a little bit bowlegged after our day at Estancia La Bamba, but that evening we walk over to La Esquina de Merti. The restaurant, with a retro saloon interior--black-and-white-tile floor, walls decorated with scores of antique bottles and signs--is packed with people eating the kind of food a gaucho doesn't normally see, dishes like ravioli stuffed with octopus and linguine in a wild boar ragout. Daniel Orellano, whose family owns the Hostal de Areco, recommends we check out Puesto La Lechuza after dinner. The traditional pulpería (bar/corner store) has live music after 9 P.M. We arrive to find a band playing Argentine standards while red-faced cowboys in traditional baggy bombacha pants and dark berets (known as boinas) whoop, sing, and dance along. The following morning, we stop in at the Museo de Platería Gauchesca y Taller Abierto Draghi, known locally as Museo Draghi, on the town's main square. Owner Juan José Draghi is a silversmith who has made everything from stirrups to belt buckles for both local cowboys and celebrities like Luciano Pavarotti and Ronald Reagan. Inside the museum and atelier, our guide, María Fernanda Laserre, shows us a set of ceremonial silver-and-gold reins and accessories that Draghi is forging for a wealthy Spanish estancia owner. "It will take two years to finish and use more than 50 pounds of silver," she says of the $50,000 getup. A year ago, the silversmith's son, Patricio Draghi, broke away from the family business and set up his own atelier around the corner. "I spent 20 years making the gaucho things and I got tired," Patricio says and laughs. Instead of cowboy paraphernalia, pages from jewelry-trade magazines and old copies of Vogue litter his shop tables. His intricate necklaces and bracelets are decorated with draghi--the Italian word for dragons. The definitive gaucho novel, Don Segundo Sombra, was published in 1926, and the Parque Criollo y Museo Gauchesco Ricardo Güiraldes is named for its author. Güiraldes fell in love with gaucho culture at his family's ranch, and based his book on the stories of the men who worked there. In a whitewashed building across the Areco River from our hotel, the museum houses gaucho brands and knives, as well as photographs of and manuscripts by Güiraldes. Our last stop is a late lunch at Hostería del Palomar, which has since moved a block away and changed its name to Viejo Roble. María, our guide at the Draghi museum, had mentioned that it's popular; the half-hour wait for a table proves her right. Locals sit outdoors in front of piles of ribs, chorizo, and whatever else the grill-master happens to be cooking. I ask for a vino con soda--the house red mixed with ice and carbonated water from a classic soda siphon. It's the Argentine way. Getting there: By bus or taxi Remises Esperanza, a remis (car service), charges about $50 each way for the 90-minute ride from Buenos Aires to San Antonio de Areco (011-54/11-4829-1551). The Nueva Chevallier bus company has service from Retiro Station in B.A. to San Antonio for $5 each way; the trip takes two hours (011-54/11-4016-7000, nuevachevallier.com.ar). A taxi from San Antonio to La Bamba costs $6.50 each way. Lodging Estancia La Bamba 011-54/2326-456-293, la-bamba.com.ar, from $240 all-inclusive Hostal de Areco 011-54/2326-456-118, hostaldeareco.com.ar, from $23 Food La Esquina de Merti Arellano 147, 011-54/2326-456-705, entrées from $9 Viejo Roble Bolívar 4, 011-54/2325-156-886, lunch from $10 Activities Estancia La Bamba (info above) día de campo from $60 Museo Draghi Lavalle 387, 011-54/2326-454-219, $1.65 Patricio Draghi Arellano 45, 011-54/2326-452-961 Parque Criollo y Museo Gauchesco Ricardo Güiraldes Camino Ricardo Güiraldes, 011-54/2326-455-839, $1 Nightlife Puesto La Lechuza Segundo Sombra 497, 011-54/2326-454-542, wine $1.30

Day 1: Palm Springs to Desert Hot Springs It must've been the brochure I was holding that tipped off the rental-car agent that I was heading to Joshua Tree National Park. "You know, the Joshua tree isn't a tree at all," he said as he handed over the keys to a navy PT Cruiser convertible. "It's a yucca." Legend has it that the yucca was renamed by Mormon settlers who thought its upraised limbs and scruffy-bearded appearance resembled the prophet Joshua leading them to the promised land--which seemed like a good enough reason to bring my friend Josh along on the trip. With the ragtop down, we drive northwest on Indian Canyon Drive, and we're soon greeted by the wind farms of San Gorgonio Pass. The 60-foot-tall gray metal poles are intrusive, but striking, and in any event harnessing the wind is better than burning oil. With more than 4,000 turbines, the farm is one of world's largest, and since we're in a convertible, we can hear the propellers whirring every time we stop at a red light. They sound like gentle waves breaking in the clouds. I'm eager to reach Desert Hot Springs, 50 miles south. Because it's built over a natural mineral-water aquifer, the town claims to have some of the world's best water. We backtrack a bit, as I'd made a reservation for a mud bath atTwo Bunch Palms--now a ritzy resort, it was originally built by Al Capone as his western hideout. Little do I know what I'm getting myself into--literally. It's called mud, but if the smell is any indication, it could be fertilizer for my mother's garden. After a half-hour-long, neck-deep soak, I'm treated to a hot mineral-water shower, a steam, and full use of the grounds, but it's not enough. I smell like manure the rest of the day. Josh thanks me yet again for renting us a convertible. At 5 P.M. we leave Two Bunch Palms for our hotel, a pleasant spot called theEmerald Springs Resort and Spa. Our room has turquoise walls, black furniture, and white duvets, giving it a '50s vibe. We go swimming in all three of the hotel's heated mineral-water pools, in the shadow of the San Jacinto Mountains, surrounded by cacti and bougainvillea. We fall asleep early, in anticipation of our first day exploring Joshua Tree National Park. Lodging Emerald Springs Resort and Spa68055 Club Circle Dr., Desert Hot Springs, 760/288-0071, from $110 Activities Two Bunch Palms Resort and Spa67425 Two Bunch Palms Trail, Desert Hot Springs, 800/472-4334, twobunchpalms.com, mud and steam $110 ($85 for hotel guests) Day 2: Desert Hot Springs to 29 Palms The coffee at Emerald Springs is exceptional--can it be the water? An elderly couple from Milford, Conn., believes in its power. For 25 years now, they've wintered in Desert Hot Springs solely for the rejuvenating effects of a good soak. Josh and I hop in the car and head east on Highway 62, toward the West Entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. At nearly 800,000 acres, the park straddles two distinct deserts: the Mojave in the north, marked by craggy Joshua trees and moon-like rock formations, and the Colorado in the south, with wide-open vistas and jagged mountain peaks. Between the two lies the transition zone, with features from both plus cholla cactus gardens and patches of spidery ocotillo. In the town of Joshua Tree, we stop at the Joshua Tree Visitor Center. There are no concessions inside the park, so we buy lots of water. The Park Service recommends one gallon per person per day, two gallons apiece in the summer. It immediately feels as if we've been transported to prehistoric times. Boulders the size of dump trucks sit near spiky trees, and the air is fragrant with lavender and chia, which smells like sage. We're only a few miles into the park and already we're scoping out rocks to climb. At Quail Springs Picnic Area, we pull over near a sign that explains how bighorn sheep can go without water for 14 days. Interesting enough, but all we really care about are the rocks. We begin our ascent with carefully placed steps but can't avoid getting on all fours as we lumber up the granite formations. At the top of the biggest rock, we scan the desert for wildlife--the park is home to jackrabbits, coyotes, and bobcats, plus a population of birds that includes golden eagles and red-tailed hawks--but all we get are trees and boulders. We drive on to Hidden Valley, popular with advanced climbers--sure enough, two fearless friends are scaling a sheer rock face. Josh and I decide that the Barker Dam nature trail is more our speed. The sandy path, just over a mile long, leads past turbinella oak and California juniper to one of the park's few man-made attractions, a small lake where ranchers used to feed their livestock. It's now a watering hole for desert animals and migrating birds. After snapping photographs of the surrounding area, aptly named Wonderland of Rocks, we explore the trail's end--or whatever the opposite of a trailhead is called--which is marked by red, black, and white petroglyphs left by migrating Native Americans. Keys View, by far one of the park's best panoramas, is about five miles south. At nearly 5,200 feet above sea level--and despite a slight haze--we can see the entire Coachella Valley, including the Salton Sea, the town of Indio, and the San Jacinto Mountains. While eating our picnic lunch at Jumbo Rocks campground, we talk to a crunchy couple from Vancouver, camping with their 10-month-old son, Viggo, and an adventurous foursome from Cincinnati, who have just returned from off-roading through a muddy riverbed. Afterward, we go to Skull Rock nature trail--named for a large anthropomorphic formation--and scramble over as many rocks as we can. Josh and I agree: We would've loved this place even more back when we were kids. In Twentynine Palms, we've reserved a room at theHarmony Motel--where U2 stayed when they worked onThe Joshua Tree. It's dingy at best, but hey, that's rock and roll. For dinner, we go over to the poolside restaurant at nearby29 Palms Inn(we would have stayed there if it hadn't been fully booked). I opt for the pasta primavera, made with vegetables from the inn's garden, and Josh digs into teriyaki chicken, brushed with a tangy homemade sauce. Lodging Harmony Motel71161 Hwy. 62, Twentynine Palms, 760/367-3351, harmonymotel.com, from $70 Food 29 Palms Inn73950 Inn Ave., Twentynine Palms, 760/367-3505, 29palmsinn.com, pasta primavera $10.25 Activities Joshua Tree Visitor Center6554 Park Blvd., Joshua Tree, 760/366-1855, nps.gov/jotr Day 3: 29 Palms to Indio TheCrossroads Cafe & Tavernis 15 miles in a direction we weren't planning on heading, but everyone we talk to says we have to go there. The cheery restaurant, which has local artists' paintings on the walls, is run by mother-daughter duo Bonnie and Stacee LaGassa. We grab a seat in the back and order challah French toast stuffed with raspberry cream cheese and a plate of Willy Boy Hash, with shredded beef, bell peppers, red onions, and cheesy scrambled eggs. We also buy two lunches to go and are soon making a beeline to the park. We enter near the Oasis of Mara, then make our way through the transition zone to the southern end. The scenery morphs: Joshua trees become sparser, cacti and creosote appear, and the air gets hotter and drier. In the distance we see craggy mountain peaks (instead of smooth rock formations) and the sweeping vistas of the Colorado Desert. Our first stop is a cholla cactus garden, home to hundreds of chest-high cacti with fine, light-green needles. From a distance the chollas appear soft and fluffy, and even though signs everywhere warn you not to touch, I can't help myself. My second mistake is wearing a sweater that somehow attracts the chollas' needles. As annoying as the barrage of pinpricks is, it still beats smelling like manure. Less than a mile down the road is an ocotillo patch. The tall, spindly shrubs resemble bright green shuttlecocks facing nose down. In spring, like plants all over the park, they sprout vibrant flowers; it's still winter, however, and there hasn't been enough rain for wildflowers to appear. Once back in the car, we continue south and eventually reach the Cottonwood Visitor Center. In the bookstore, we read up on the nearby Mastodon Peak trail. Like most hikes, this three-mile loop has a payoff at the summit. The Eagle Mountains are visible in the distance, and when we yell, our voices echo on and on. Proud of our accomplishment, Josh and I head back down, drive 35 miles to Indio, and crash at aTravelodge. Lodging Travelodge80651 Hwy. 111, Indio, 760/342-0882, from $79 Food Crossroads Cafe & Tavern61715 Hwy. 62, Joshua Tree, 760/366-5414, French toast $6 Day 4: Indio to Palm Springs Our first stop of the day isShields Date Gardens, an old-fashioned roadside attraction that opened in 1924. The Coachella Valley produces 95 percent of U.S. dates, and the preferred way of eating them is in a date shake, or so I learn. I'm not a sweets-for-breakfast guy, but Shields' date shake--a blend of ice cream, milk, and two kinds of dates that've been dried into "crystals"--is delicious, even at 9 A.M. I savor it while watchingRomance and Sex Life of the Datein the movie theater. The film, made in the 1950s, explains the process of growing and picking dates, and inspires hours of "cheap date" jokes. Chiriaco Summit, 30 miles east, is mostly a rest stop, as well as home to theGeneral Patton Memorial Museum. In 1942, the general headed a desert training center for soldiers bound for North Africa; it was the largest simulated theater of operations in the history of U.S. warfare. The museum is filled with World War II memorabilia, including 15 tanks outside. It's lunchtime, so we grab a bite at theChiriaco Summit Coffee Shop. One General Patton burger and bowl of chili later, we're making our way towardOasis Date Gardensin Thermal. There's just enough time to work up the appetite for the second half of our date-shake taste test. We take a self-guided tour, and I can't resist breaking the rules and donning a hard-shelled costume (resembling a wide-eyed smiling date) left in a corner. I pose for funny pictures under the palm trees outside. As for the shakes, Shields's takes the blue ribbon. We're nearly 15 miles from theSalton Sea Visitors Centerand already we smell the sulfur. Even on this beautiful day we're tempted to put the top up. The smell is due in part to the high salinity levels of the sea; it was created in 1905, when the Colorado River overflowed, flooding the Imperial Valley's salt beds. At 35 miles long and 15 miles wide, it's California's largest body of water, but of interest only to bird-watchers. So we drive further south to Niland, gas up, and then turn around. Palm Springs is 80 miles away, and the sun is setting. We decide to race it, even though we know who always wins. Food Chiriaco Summit Coffee Shop62450 Chiriaco Rd., Chiriaco Summit, 760/227-3202, General Patton burger $8 Activities Shields Date Gardens80-225 Hwy. 111, Indio, 760/347-7768, shieldsdates.com, shake $3.50 General Patton Memorial Museum62510 Chiriaco Rd., Chiriaco Summit, 760/227-3483, $4 Oasis Date Gardens59-111 Hwy. 111, Thermal, 800/827-8017, oasisdategardens.com, shake $3 Salton Sea Visitors Center100-225 State Park Rd., North Shore, 760/393-3052, parks.ca.gov Finding your way Joshua Tree National Park is at its most crowded from March through May, when the wildflowers are in bloom and the temperatures are still mild; if you're hoping to avoid the crowds, such as they are, consider visiting in the fall. Most major airlines serve Palm Springs International Airport, but if you're in the Los Angeles area, a day trip to the park isn't out of the question--the North Entrance (3.5 miles south of Twentynine Palms) is about 160 miles east of the city. Just be sure to enter the park with a picnic lunch and a full tank of gas, because there's nowhere to refuel once you've crossed the border.

Years ago, Michael Fine, of Lake Ariel, Pa., received a brochure in the mail with photos of Switzerland's Bernese Alps. "I saw a blue sky, snow-covered mountains, and a meadow with the greenest grass," says Michael. "I thought, This place seems like it's pretty close to paradise. I want to walk there." Michael and his wife, Tamra (Tammy), are in what she calls their "fit 50s" and in recent years have gone dogsledding in Alaska and parasailing in Fiji. They both work in the classical music field--he's a Grammy-winning producer--and Michael has been to Lucerne and Zürich many times on business. But this autumn, they're finally going to explore Switzerland's mountains. "We want to base ourselves in one place and become locals for a week," says Tammy. The Fines are looking for beautiful scenery on hikes and a relaxing meal and bottle of wine at the end of each day. "For us, it's the smell of the air, the natural sounds, the light," says Michael. "We much prefer the sound of distant cowbells to that of traffic or nightclubs," adds Tammy. The Jungfrau region of the Bernese Alps, renowned for its jagged peaks, green valleys, and wintertime ski slopes, offers everything the Fines seek. After we discuss mountain villages in the area with the Fines, they narrow the choice to Gimmelwald, Mürren, and Wengen. All three feature car-free streets, ample hiking trails, and epic views. "Michael was pushing for Gimmelwald," says Tammy. "But with only one hotel, a hostel, a couple guesthouses, and a single restaurant, I was afraid it might not be the best fit." They eventually choose Mürren because it's a bit smaller than Wengen and yet still has plenty of options for lodging and food. "I looked on Google Earth and saw that Mürren was basically hanging on a mountain cliff," says Michael. "It seems relatively inaccessible, small, and tranquil." Wondering what to pack for their visit in late September, Tammy asks, "What should we expect weather-wise?" Mürren is at an altitude of 5,413 feet, and while days are often sunny and temperatures sometimes stretch into the low 70s in early fall, warm clothes are essential. Snow is not uncommon even in September. The Fines are tacking on the week in Switzerland after a business trip to the Netherlands. They'll fly from Amsterdam to Basel, where they'll board a train to Lauterbrunnen, take a bus to the town of Stechelberg, and finally ride an aerial tram to Mürren. "There's a bewildering array of rail passes to choose from," says Tammy. "Which will be the best for us?" The three-day Flexi Saver Pass ($150 each, raileurope.com) is good for travel on public trains, buses, trams, and boats. The pass will cover their journeys to and from the airport, as well as a day trip to Interlaken or some other destination. It also gives free admission to most Swiss museums and a 50 percent discount on private mountain trams and railways--which will come in handy, since the mountain trams that lead to Mürren and to many outstanding hiking trails are privately owned. Michael asks if there's someplace secure to store his bulky suitcase during the Mürren portion of the trip. Interlaken Ost, a train hub on the way to Mürren, has lockers, but they require a coin feed every 24 hours. Instead, he should check his bag with the station's luggage attendant, for about $7 per day. "We don't need luxury lodging, but do want to be comfortable," says Tammy. "A cute chalet guesthouse is fine, and a room with a balcony and a view is wonderful." Because the Fines also like the idea of having a kitchen, they book an apartment suite at the Chalet Fontana. Denise Fussell, an expat from England, manages the lodge and is an excellent source of advice on hiking routes. "To us, food that's fresh and regional is of more interest than haute cuisine or Michelin stars," says Tammy. A grocery store in Mürren sells the basics, and the Fines can also take a 45-minute stroll to a neighboring village, Winteregg, where the Staubbach Alpine Dairy turns milk into cheese, yogurt, and butter, available for purchase. There's no need for a map or addresses in any of these villages--with only a few houses and businesses and many friendly people who speak English, everything is easy to find. Since the Fontana is only available for the Fines' first three nights, they book the remainder of their week at the family-run Hotel Alpina. Their second-floor room costs $129 a night and has a balcony overlooking the mountains. "I foresee sunsets spent sipping a nice Swiss white, feet up on our railing, watching the colors change on the mountains," says Tammy. Michael's birthday falls during the trip, and the Fines plan on celebrating with a special meal. They could head on a tram to the mountaintop Schilthorn restaurant, featured in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The restaurant platform revolves 360 degrees so patrons can take in the full view without leaving their seats. The first tram leaves Mürren at 7:25 A.M., and a special James Bond 007 breakfast ($18), which includes scrambled eggs and a glass of Prosecco, is served until 10:45 A.M. Alternately, a lunch at the summit can be magnificent. Either way, the point is the view, not the food. For a truly authentic--and filling--meal, the Fines could order a Jäger Spiess ($28), typically served in the autumn hunting season, at Restaurant Jägerstübli. The dish consists of skewers of veal, beef, and roe deer meat roasted over a small fire by the table. If all that meat sounds like overkill, they could go to Restaurant Stägerstübli for a different Swiss signature dish--like raclette ($12), a specially melted cheese served with potatoes. To complete the Swiss experience, they should wash down their cheese dishes with kirsch, a cherry schnapps. "Hiking is the best attitude adjuster in the world," says Michael. "It gives you time to think, to be inspired." The Swiss have hiking down to a science. Trails are marked with little yellow signs that often give estimated walking times. The most popular trails are dotted with Alpine huts that have big decks and hot food. While riding the Schilthornbahn tram to or from the revolving restaurant, the Fines might get off at Birg, a midpoint between Mürren and the peak. From there they can hike 45 minutes down to the Schilthornhütte. The rustic mountain hut serves bratwurst, pasta, and other hearty dishes, which most guests eat on outdoor picnic tables. Tammy and Michael could also hike for two hours directly from Mürren to the Rotstockhütte for a casual lunch. If they're up for it, they might press on two hours further to Sefinenfurgge pass and more spectacular views. Along the way, there's a good chance they'll encounter mountain goats, ibex, and marmots. Another trail from Mürren leads to Lauterbrunnen's Trümmelbach Falls, a set of roaring waterfalls in a dramatic slot canyon. To mix things up, Michael and Tammy plan to go bicycling one day. "We don't want to do any technical mountain riding, just some gentle terrain," says Tammy. Easy bike routes circle Interlaken's pair of stunning blue lakes, and the Interlaken Ost train station rents bikes for $21 to anyone with a Flexi Pass. There's no guaranteeing Mother Nature will cooperate for a day of cycling, so we suggest a backup excursion. From Interlaken, they can take a train to Locarno and board a ferry to Ascona, a town on Lake Maggiore where locals speak Italian. If they time the trip right, the Fines will arrive for Le Settimane Musicali di Ascona, an event we're sure they'll enjoy. It's a classical music festival. Lodging Chalet Fontana Mürren, 011-41/33-855-4385, muerren.ch, from $94 Hotel Alpina Mürren, 011-41/33-855-1361, muerren.ch/alpina, from $114 Food Staubbach Dairy Winteregg, 011-41/79-275-3577 Schilthorn 011-41/33-826-0007, schilthorn.ch Jägerstübli Mürren, 011-41/33-855-1401 Stägerstübli Mürren, 011-41/33-855-1316 Schilthornhütte 011-41/33-855-5053, bratwurst plate $13 Rotstockhütte 011-41/33-855-2464 Activities Interlaken Ost 011-41/33-828-7319 Le Settimane Musicali di Ascona 011-41/91-785-1965, settimane-musicali.ch, from $16 How was your trip? Marney Jones and Tarsha White had a fantastic time in Jamaica, where Tarsha was born and raised--and will soon be married to Marney's son John. "We want to thank you for the great coaching," says Marney. A day of Jet Skiing, swimming, and lunch donated by the Goldeneye resort (where this picture was taken) was a highlight. "They gave us the use of a villa, and made us feel so pampered and so at home. We felt like movie stars!" The group also had a blast while staying at the RIU resort. "I won the Jamaican dance contest," says Marney, "with the help of rum punches!"

One of our chief complaints about travel websites that rely heavily on user-generated comments is you can't be sure who the comments are coming from--or whether that person even shares your tastes. Enter Tripmates.com, a social site with a fresh approach. It's an interactive community where people worldwide can swap tips, organize their trips, and connect with others looking for travel (or dating) partners. Tripmates functions as a one-stop shop for all-things travel. As a member, you create a profile where you can post reviews and photos, share past and future trip itineraries, list your favorite travel tunes and destinations, and blog. You can search the Tripmates member database--half American, half international, all ages--and designate people as "my tripmates," like you'd list friends on friendster.com. The site's Tripvite feature, modeled on Evite.com's party invitations, allows members to fill out a form with travel details and send it to friends, who can then post comments and RSVP. It's a great tool for planning family reunions, weddings, or girlfriend getaways. Launched in August by a Los Angeles couple, Tripmates now allows non-members to scope out profiles and read reviews. But you'll still have to register (for free) before you can post information or contact tripmates directly.