Friends in Travel of Sacramento is organizing a group for a Saturday cruise aboard the USS Potomac, a yacht commissioned in 1934 and once known as the "floating White House." The cruise will pass under the Golden Gate, Richmond/San Rafael and Bay bridges. Pickup will be in the College Greens area. The $98 per person cost includes lunch. Information: (916) 207-9691.
Napa wine, Gilroy garlic
Join Sacramento Wine and Nightlife Tours next Sunday on a Napa winery tour that features stops at Beringer, V. Sattui and Domaine Chandon. The $79 fee includes transportation and tasting.
Also on tap: a $60 excursion to the Gilroy Garlic Festival on July 27.
Reservations: (916) 443-8741 or www.sacramentowinetours.com.
Planning for Italy
Whether you already have tickets to Italy or a trip is just a gleam in your eye, a 7 p.m. Tuesday seminar will provide inspiration and practical tips. Dick Mercer and Lori Martin of Sacramento-based Experience Italy, a company specializing in Italian travel, will lead the session at Aioli Bodega Espanol, 808 Second St., Davis. The fee is $10; register at www.experienceitaly.com or (916) 456-0570. The restaurant has prepared a special dinner menu for the event; meals may be reserved by calling (530) 757-2766.
Beer and bluegrass
Summer in the Sierra wouldn't be complete without a festival or two, and the Village at Northstar is throwing a doozy, featuring live bluegrass and beer tasting from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday. A $60 Lux ticket includes premier seating for the music, a T-shirt, a commemorative glass, hors d'oeuvres and tastings. A $30 ticket includes glass and tastings only. Children and young adults under 21 get all the benefits of the Lux ticket, but without the beer, for $30. Information: www.northstarattahoe.com.
Howl at the moon
Squaw Valley USA is hosting guided sunset hikes on 11 evenings this summer, starting next weekend and continuing through Aug. 30. Full-moon hikes are scheduled July 17-18 and Aug. 15-16.
Hikes depart at 6 p.m. from High Camp, a building complex at the top of the cable car, elevation 8,200 feet. Hikes are rated easy to moderate and are led by knowledgeable guides who provide information about the human and natural history of the region. A Cable Car & Hike package is available after 5 p.m. for $15 general, $5 for ages 11 and under. Information: (530) 583-6985.
Harrah's for Shakespeare
The Harrah's and Harveys casino-hotels at Tahoe are offering special lodging packages, available Sunday-Thursday from July 13 to Aug. 14, in conjunction with the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival at Sand Harbor. Packages from $417 include two nights' lodging, a $100 dining credit and a $150 spa credit. Festival tickets, $22-$67, also are available online. Details: www.LakeTahoeShakespeare.com.
Learn about cheetahs
Animal Ark, a sanctuary for non- releasable wild animals, is hosting a July 16 program led by a famed South African cheetah conservation agency. The session will include a high-speed cheetah run. Fee is $50; children under 10 are not allowed. For reservations: (775) 970-3111 or email info@animalark.org. The Ark is north of Reno off Highway 395.
Road trip escape
The Stanford Court Hotel on Nob Hill in San Francisco is offering a Road Trip Escape package that includes a deluxe guest room, valet parking and a $25 gas card for $249 plus tax on Friday or Saturday nights. Two-night stays with a $50 gas card are available at the same rate Thursday- Sunday nights. The hotel is undergoing a $32 million renewal set for completion this fall. Details: www.stanfordcourt.com or (415) 989-3500.
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Send items to Travel, The Sacramento Bee, P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852, or to travel@sacbee.com with "Trips & Tours" in the subject field. Submissions should be received at least two weeks before an event. All submissions become the property of The Bee.
