Travel digest 06/26/05

Some campers opt for five-star cuisine

NEW YORK -- Sushi, fine wine, table linens -- and a tent. Welcome to the world of luxury camping. The July issue of Outside magazine profiles a trend in which some campers opt for five-star cuisine served tentside. They want to sleep in a tent under the stars in the woods -- but they'd rather not deal with the hassles of building a fire and eating canned food. Among the companies listed by Outside that offer camping experiences with fine food and other amenities are the Chattooga River Resort -- www.sockemdog.com -- in Long Creek, S.C.; Buck's on the Brazos -- www.buckbrazos. com -- in Fort Worth, Texas; El Capitan Canyon -- www.elcapitancanyon.com -- Santa Barbara, Calif.; On the Loose Expeditions -- www.otloose.com -- in Vermont's Green Mountains; and Sky Camp -- www.whistleroutbackadventures.com -- near British Columbia's Crystal Lake.

Cherokee exhibit focuses on roles of women

CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- A summer exhibit at the Museum Center at Five Points explores the roles of women as decision-makers, landowners and clan leaders in old Cherokee society. More than 300 pieces of contemporary Cherokee artwork and crafts from the private collection of R. Michael Abram are included in the "Cherokee Women in Legend and Daily Life" display through Aug. 31. Clanship in the tribe was inherited through women and women had a right to vote on certain matters. Thousands of Cherokees perished on the Trail of Tears during the tribe's 800-mile forced march to Oklahoma in 1838-1839. For more information about the exhibit, call (423) 339-5745.

Route 66 festival scheduled for August

WILLIAMS, Ariz. -- In its heyday 50 years ago, Route 66 brought people from every corner of the world into this small ranching town in northern Arizona. On Aug. 19 and 20, the Cool Country Cruise-In and Route 66 Festival recreates the era of sock hops, Elvis and the historic road that's at the center of 1950s nostalgia. "The festival celebrates Route 66 as the 'Mother Road,"' said Dave Pouquette, 63, a Williams native and sponsor of the festival since its inception. "The trip down Route 66 was fun. You could see the alligator farms and buffalo farms, mom-and-pop shops, snake pits, all kinds of crazy things to get people to pull off that road and spend money." In its ninth year, the festival will feature customized hot rods from the 1950s and '60s, a sock hop, hula hoop contests and a battle of 1950s rock 'n' roll bands. While the festival harkens back to 1950s culture, it also celebrates the history of the road that carried countless visitors toward Los Angeles. Many stopped in Williams along the way. In 1984, however, Interstate 40 bypassed the historic road in Williams, a blow to small nearby communities that depended on tourism.

-- From wire reports