As a kid, I was obsessed with outer space. I wrote songs about the solar system, short stories about space travel (including one about an alien Santa Claus, and his disgruntled former elf employee who comes to earth to spill S.C.’s extraterrestrial secret … yeah, weird kid), and I wanted to be the first female astronaut to go to Mars.

Sadly, that didn’t happen. I didn't even get to go to Space Camp!

But maybe I don’t have to retire my dream of space travel quite yet.

Real Space Tourists

Today, Richard Garriott became the sixth space tourist when he docked at the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft; he launched Oct. 12 from the Baikonur Cosmodome in Kazakhstan. The folks that sent him there: Space Adventures, Ltd. the first and only private space tourism company to send clients into space. Space Adventures works alongside professional astronauts and cosmonauts to provide safe space travel opportunities for its clients.

There are more than a dozen private space tourism ventures in the works, among them, Virgin Galactic, an offshoot of the popular Virgin Atlantic Airlines. Virgin Galactic owns the world’s first spacecraft line SpaceShipTwo, modeled from Burt Rutan’s award-winning SpaceShipOne design.



Most space tourists won’t get the same space experience as Garriott; space tour companies are currently focusing on offering sub-orbital flights—a spaceflight that reaches 62 miles above sea level and doesn’t make a full orbit around the earth—before orbital space flights are feasible on a wider scale. Before your flight, you’ll get an intensive three- to four-day training to prepare you for your outer space adventure.

Virgin Galactic is currently offering sub-orbital flights for the astronomical (heh) price of $200,000, and Space Adventures offers flights from $102,000—what a deal. In comparison, Garriott’s 10-day space jaunt cost him $30 million.

Satisfying the Celestial Itch

So maybe my space travel dreams are still light years away. For now, I’ll satisfy my cosmic nerdom with some low-budget, outer space-themed endeavors: stargazing and watching my favorite space films—Apollo 13, Contact and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Oh yeah, bring on the cheese. Green cheese. From the moon. Wow, I am a geek.

What are your thoughts on space travel? Do you think “space tourism” is only a reality for the insanely wealthy few, or could it pose a viable new frontier in the travel industry? Would you sign up for a spaceflight?

In the meantime, I’ll start counting my pennies now; see you in 40 years Virgin Galactic.

With the Nantucket tourist rush of Labor Day quieting down, Nantucket Island Resorts is offering incredible shoulder-season hotel deals, and restaurant credits for your fall vacation:

The Wauwinet, Nantucket’s luxury Relais & Châteaux property, offers a “Too Good to Be True” package for two, starting at $290 from Sun. to Thurs. through Oct. 23. Guests also receive a $50 dinner credit at the hotel's restaurant, Topper’s, or Brand Point Grill at the White Elephant Hotel. www.wauwinet.com

The White Elephant Hotel offers rates starting at $245 a night through Oct. 23. From Oct. 26-Dec. 3 rates start at $135. Guests also receive a $50 dinner credit at Brand Point Grill or Topper's. www.whiteelephant.com

Jared Coffin House offers the “Seaing is Believing” package with rates starting at $124 per night. The offer is good Sun. to Thurs. through Oct. 6; then weekdays and weekends from Oct. 7-Dec. 31. The $50 dinner credit for either Topper's or Brand Point Grill is only available until Nov. 26. Guests at Jared Coffin House all get 25 percent off on their third night's stay. www.jaredcoffinhouse.com

The Cottages at the Boat Basin also offers a “Seaing is Believing” package, with rates from $143. Offer good Sun. to Thurs. through Oct. 6, then weekdays and weekends from Oct. 7-Nov. 1, subject to availability. The $50 dinner credit for either Topper's or Brand Point Grill is only available until Nov. 26. www.thecottagesnantucket.com

To book, visit Nantucketislandresorts.com/packages or call 800-ISLANDS and mention “Fall Days and Bonus Stays” at check-in to receive your credit. All restaurant credits require a two-night minimum stay.

Here’s a cool deal to snag this winter: Get a free night of lodging during the busiest holidays of the year—Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day and Easter Sunday—for the 2008/2009 season at any RockResort property, as well as participating Vail Resorts properties.

The Holidays on Us package features a free fifth night of lodging when you buy four consecutive nights, for a savings of 20 percent over the holidays. The deal is good at a variety of properties, including Snake River Lodge & Spa in Jackson Hole and Hotel Jerome in Aspen. It’s even good at The Landings, RockResort’s beach resort in St. Lucia for those who prefer sand over snow.

Rates for RockResort lodgings start at $359 per person, per night; rates at other participating resorts start at $218. Packages must be booked before Oct. 15, 2008. Call 800-239-9290 or go to www.holidaysonus.com for more information.

Aching to live the kind of swank life of celebrities? Head to the Maxim Bungalows at Cofresi Beach on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. Newly opened in May 2008, the resort features 108 plush bungalows, a 24-hour private concierge service, spa treatments, private beach club, and a fashionable restaurant and bar (including a poolside menu with your order delivered right to your lounge chair). If you really want to play in style, pay an additional fee to go out on The Independence, a 54-foot private yacht.

Choose a weekend escape package for the ladies (at $299 per person per night), featuring a welcome cocktail, special breakfast buffet and choice of spa treatment. Or pick a couples’ three-night escape (for $999 per couple), which includes a $150 gift certificate for services at the spa and a choice of bungalow (studio, double or king). Just don’t bring the kids—the minimum age of stay is 16 years old.