Space Camp
Craving some heavenly hedonism and out-of-this-world views? For a long weekend and half a grand you can unleash your inner Rocket Man at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center's Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. This Jetsonian institution gets you lost in aerospace with any number of genuine astronaut-training contraptions.

You can blast yourself 160-plus feet into the weightless zone, or strap yourself into the Multi-Axis Trainer from the early Mercury Program, which will spin you on three axes simultaneously—kind of like being thrown into a blender. Simulated missions will seat you squarely behind the control panels or inside the capsule. After a dinner of astronaut food (Tang included?), the exploration continues; you can scan the skies from a rooftop telescope or catch an IMAX space-exploration flick, then hunker down at your Space Habitat sleep station.

The celestially seasoned can re-up for five-day Advanced Space Academy, which includes astronaut scuba training and virtual reality Mars Rover racing, plus a six-hour "Shuttle mission." Three-day Space Camps ($500) are offered October 22–24, 1999; the Advanced Space Academy ($875) runs October 10–15 and October 24–29, 1999; fees include all meals. Kids' and kid/parents' programs are held regularly throughout the year. Contact 800-637-7223 or www.spacecamp.com. —Heidi Utz

Name That Island
If your vacation dreams involve a double-wide hammock, a jug of rum punch, and a swath of sandy shore to call your own, the U.S. Virgin Islands have a deal for you. From now until January 15, 2000, The Virgin Islands Challenge is sponsoring a contest to name a Caribbean islet. The prize? The island itself. Come up with a creative appellation, a sentence's explanation, and a $10 registration fee, and you could be playing Robinson Crusoe on your very own U.S. Virgin Island. And since it's only .351 acres, you may be marooned, but you'll never be lost.

Currently dubbed Fish Cay, the prize island sits off Pillsbury Sound in Christmas Cove, between St. Thomas and St. John. Yachters frequently drop anchor at its idyllic white-sand beach, and snorkelers explore its coral-, sponge-, and fish-laden waters. Win the place and you're likely to have Zenaida doves raiding your birdfeeder and chameleons turning colors to match your sea grape, acacia, and buttonwood trees.

Contestants can enter online at www.amcup.vi. Finalists are selected monthly, and each receives a four-day vacation package for two to the U.S.V.I., along with the opportunity to vie for the top prize. After the final judging on January 30, the grand-prize winner will be packing the fins, while the first runners-up will fly to Auckland, New Zealand, for the America's Cup. For details, call 340-776-4800. —H. U.

Asia on Sale: Hot Tickets to the Far East
There's never been a better time to head for Asia: As the "Asian flu" continues to weaken Pacific Rim economies, it's a great time to polish your bartering skills. With currencies devalued and hotels half-empty in many destinations, everyone's eager to deal.

Bali is an especially good bet. Small hotels and beach cottages run $20–$30 a night, and for as little as $150 you can wangle a suite at the five-star Bali Cliff Resort. Check www.indo.com, where many deals are posted.

As for getting to Bali or anywhere else in Asia, start with Cathay Pacific's Internet All Asia Pass (800-233-2742; www.cathay-usa.com). For $999 you can fly from New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles to Hong Kong, then spend 31 days flying to any or all of the 15 cities on Cathay Pacific's routes, including Denpasar (Bali). Cheap tickets can also be had through consolidators: Try www.1travel.com for information on consolidator flights, or Chisholm Travel (800-631-2824; www.chisholmair.net), a consolidator that works with all the major carriers. An example of a typical deal is their New York–to–Hong Kong round-trip fare of $740 (plus tax) on Korean Air in November 1999.

Asia also offers some particularly good air/hotel packages, which often are cheaper than buying even discounted airfare separately. Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia are good bets, but even Hong Kong and Japan provide relatively inexpensive packages. For example, $1,414 per person will get you a round-trip flight from Los Angeles, four nights' lodging in Hong Kong, three nights' lodging in Beijing, and airport transfers. These deals are available through United, Northwest, and Singapore Airlines, or through companies like Asia Pacific Travel (800-262-6420), Pacific Delight Tours (800-221-7179), and EastQuest (800-638-3449). —Everett Potter