HOLOHOLO
See Japan's Miho Museum in Liliha
By Chris Oliver
A free travel video and discussion about Japan's Miho Museum will be presented by Chris Christensen at 7 p.m. Thursday, at the Liliha Public Library, 1515 Liliha St. The Miho Museum complex, designed by distinguished Chinese architect I.M. Pei, opened in 1997 and is one of the 20th century's most innovative buildings. The museum is about 20 miles from Kyoto. Information: 587-7577.
Vegas via Grand Canyon: Visit the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas via train for six nights, leaving Los Angeles Dec. 29.
The tour travels first to Winslow, Ariz., and includes a bus tour of the Painted Desert before going on to Williams, where participants transfer to the Grand Canyon Railway for the scenic ride to the South Rim.
The group rings in the new year at the Maswik Lodge in Grand Canyon National Park and spends New Year's Day sightseeing in the park. The tour then hops a bus to Las Vegas for three nights at the Bellagio.
Cost: $1,895 to $1,990 per person, double occupancy ($500 single surcharge), and includes train transportation from Los Angeles, accommodations, most meals and airfare or coach transportation from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.
Reservations: Uncommon Journeys/Train Holidays, (800) 543-2846, www.trainholidays .com.
Disney fans' world tour: Seven Australian Disney fans who took a four-week, around-the-world tour to all five Disney parks on three continents are home.
"Every park was different yet still familiar," wrote Keith Simpson, 36, on the Web site www.dudisneyana.info. Simpson said he still loved Disneyland in Anaheim — "it is the only park where you walk in Walt's footsteps and it has a different vibe to all the other parks," he wrote.
The Disney addicts' first stop was the Disney park in Tokyo, followed by a visit to Hong Kong, timed to coincide with the newest Disney park's first anniversary there.
From Asia, the fans flew to Paris to experience Disney European-style, then to Walt Disney World near Orlando, Fla. They arrived in California in time to take part in the final day of the 50th anniversary festivities at the original Disneyland on Sept. 30.
Traveling the world one Disney park at a time cost about $4,661, inclusive of discounted rates for hotels, transfers and passes to the parks.
Reach Chris Oliver at coliver@honoluluadvertiser.com.
