TRAVEL Q&A Planning for Niagara Falls Q A friend and I are planning to visit Niagara Falls in August. How many days should we budget for the trip? If we fly out, is there more to see in that area? If we drive out, would you have a suggested route?

A The first question -- how many days to budget for the trip -- depends on what you hope to accomplish. You can absorb the grandeur of the natural wonder in a day or less, but surely you wouldn't travel so far for so little time. The obligatory Maid of the Mist boat tour, which provides a close encounter with the falls, lasts 30 minutes (embark from either Canada or the United States). You should also walk the less than quarter-mile span of the Rainbow Bridge across the Niagara River for the opposite perspective (provided you have a passport, passport card or Enhanced Driver's License). Both sides offer many attractions, including an Imax theater on the Ontario side that houses an exhibit of barrels that have carried daredevils over the falls, and the Cave of the Winds on the New York side, which takes you deep into Niagara Gorge and onto a deck 20 feet from the gushing waters.

You can continue the water theme (without the thunderous splashes) by biking or hiking the Erie Canal Heritage Trail or taking a two-hour cruise on the waterway, which was dug to connect the Niagara and Hudson rivers. To explore more options on the New York side, go to www.niagara-usa.com; for the Ontario side, go to www.niagarafallstourism.com.

I think the options justify flying. But the drive -- nearly 1,000 miles one-way from the Twin Cities -- would swing you by great stops in their own right: Chicago, Cleveland and the southern shoreline of Lake Erie.

Answers to travelers' questions appear in Travel and at startribune.com/escapeartists weekly; send your question by e-mail to travel@startribune.com.

KERRI WESTENBERG

WEB WATCH

Gambling on luxury OffandAway.com is a new auction website for travelers who want to gamble on winning a luxe hotel experience for about the price of a standard room. And it's dangerously addictive. You fork over money for the opportunity to bid on suites at luxe properties in spots like New York, Napa Valley or Las Vegas. Whoever wins the auction must book the room within 24 hours. Winners clearly get a deal, but winning isn't easy. Recent auctions included two nights in a junior suite at the Kitano in New York City for $71 and two nights in the Author's Suite at the Alexis Hotel in Seattle for $127. Buyer, beware: When the auction timer drops to zero -- or even close to zero -- 30 seconds more is added every time someone bids. With bids costing $1, your money (and time) could go quickly.

LOS ANGELES TIMES

BOOK BRIEF

Going Green in Wisconsin "Green Travel Guide to Southern Wisconsin: Environmentally & Socially Responsible Travel" by Pat Dillon and Lynne Diebel (University of Wisconsin Press, $19.95) features descriptions of sustainable businesses, natural attractions, restaurants and accommodations. They define green travel as "locally owned lodging" where the proprietors intentionally try to reduce their environmental impact. The authors also highlight locally owned eateries that serve local, sustainably grown food, and ways of getting around on bicycle, foot or by public transportation.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

SIDEROADS

Bastille Days Milwaukee's Cathedral Square Park will be filled with French culture and cuisine during the 29th annual Bastille Days July 8-11. Four stages of live entertainment will feature performances by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Lisa Haley and the Zydekats, Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons and others. The Festival also features performance art, strolling street musicians, chefs' demonstrations and a 5K run/2-mile walk, all set against a backdrop of a 43-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower (1-414-271-1416; www.bastilledays festival.com).

COLLEEN A. COLES

NEXT WEEK IN TRAVEL

Joyeux Fourth of July: Celebrating America's most patriotic holiday in France, fireworks and all.