TAHOE RIM TRAIL ASSOCIATION

That's snow fun!

Is it time to play in the snow? Yes, it is, and here's an opportunity: The Tahoe Rim Trail Association will sponsor its sixth annual National Winter Trails Day event, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 12 at Tahoe Meadows.

Sign up for a snowshoeing hike, learn the meaning of "snow core sampling," sharpen your winter-safety checklist, build a snow shelter, check out the latest in winter gear and learn more about winter recreation on the Tahoe Rim Trail and in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The festivities will be in Tahoe Meadows, just off Highway 431 (a.k.a. the Mount Rose Highway) outside of Incline Village. Register (and get more information on the Tahoe Rim Trail) at www.tahoerimtrail.org, or contact Hayley Walker at (775) 298-0238.

Oh, and don't forget to bring your snowshoes, as rentals are limited.

TRAVEL BY SLIDES

Trips near and afar

If it's vicarious travel you're looking for, how about free "trips" to New Zealand and the 2012 Burning Man celebration in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada.

A World Travelers Slide and Image Club presentation will focus on those two destinations from 6 to 8 p.m. next Sunday at Eskaton Monroe Lodge, 3225 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento; (916) 961-8405.

THWART ID THIEVES

If wallet or purse is lost

Losing your wallet or purse can be a nightmare, and travel means putting it in harm's way. The identity-theft company www.protectmyid.com offers safety tips for safe travel:

• Keep an inventory of the wallet's contents and a record of important account numbers and phone numbers.

• Limit the number of credit cards, and be sure you don't have PINs or passwords written on any papers in your wallet.

• Don't travel with your Social Security card, and don't use your Social Security number on any other identification.

• If you lose your wallet or it's stolen, call the phone numbers for the issuers of all your cards and your driver's license.

• File a police report for personal credibility in case you're a victim of identity theft later.

• Call all credit bureaus and have them place "fraud alerts" on your accounts.

• Check all incoming statements for signs of identity theft.

• Review credit reports.

LODGING

You'll like these

Leave it to Condé Nast Traveler magazine to come out with a list of the "510 best hotels, resorts and cruise lines."

Note that the list was gathered from the recommendations of "our readers who participated in our annual Readers' Choice survey. Every entry has been rigorously tested and screened by (some of) the world's most discerning travelers." California did well, hotel- and resort-wise:

New to the Gold List

• Montage, Beverly Hills

• Scripps Inn, La Jolla

• Lavendar, Napa Valley

• Villagio Inn & Spa, Napa Valley

• Vintage Inn, Napa Valley

• Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes

Platinum Circle (properties that have made the Gold List five years running)

• Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills

• The Peninsula, Beverly Hills

• Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur

• Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Dana Point

• Montage, Laguna Beach

• Auberge Du Soleil, Napa Valley

• Inn at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach

• Lodge at Pebble Beach, Pebble Beach

For the complete list, go to http://www.cntraveler.com/gold-list/2013

– Allen Pierleoni

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