Southern California brillo and Si Francis also a fulI-scale exact-m- epoch which gaveriseto and gem collector. And a Drake now witness thean- every-detail neplicao soç of Most seemingly ifeless descrt nual migration of sun and Independence Hall at moments of American his- bunsts anew into joyous vi- ls ~ Callingsurf lovers. Knott's Berry Farm in tory. And the skyvard- tality each spring, as mi- Whr lecnyu Buena Park. thrusting tips of the sleek, lions of acres of blossoms Whee else can yousilvery rockets and tower- pay homage to the life-giv- It ail cornes together in Sou thern California find three of the world's Southenn California is a ing skyscnapers point the ing rains. )outhern California. A works a special magic ail most famous castles? land of history, old and in way to te future. I"t- - 9 every-detailtaireplica of golden past, a great pre- sent and the promise of a glorious future. It's a land of superlatives. Adjectives like "biggest," "best" and "most famous" abound. And it's all here, 365 days a year, say residents. its own. Sleek rockets pierce the heavens above missions built the year of this nation's birth. Ultra- modern freeways skirt the gold fields which ushered in a new era in American history. Beaches once trod by the like of Juan Ca- There's William Randolph Hearst's opulent San Simeon to the North. Death Valley Scotty's palatial desert dwelling is to the east. You'll find the Fantasyland Castle in the world famous amusement park, Disneyland. There's the making. The adobe walls of Spanish missions and rock carvings of Indi- ans, vanished a thousand years earlier, reflect the ancient heritage. Tumble- down walls and rusty nails bear witness to the Great Gold Rush of '49, an Miles of pleasant beaches lure vacationers from every nation in the world, and set the stage for some of the world's finest surfing and surf fishing. Endless mountain ranges lure sportsman, hiker and camera buff-as well as the weekend prospector beaches, cities, rolling farmland; it's all there. There are beach resorts, golf resorts, ski resorts, and desert resorts. But best of all, there's the glorious sunshine which makes it all acces- sible throughout the year. Whether it's across the prov- ince or around the world, thousands of Ontario con- sumers will take travel vaca- tions this summer. Most will leave the details to a travel agent and most will get what they paid for. But every season the travel plans of a few consumers are upset by travel sellers who fail to pro- vide the services they prom- ise. If you plan to travel this summer you should protect your interests by choosing a travel agent with care and understanding your rights as a travel buyer. How are you protected? The Ontario government protects your interests as a traveller through the Travel Industry Act. The Act re- quires travel sellers in the province to register with the government and makes therm accountable for the truth of theiradvertising. It also holds them responsible for deliver- ing the travel services they sell and for the money you have paid. If you pay for travel services you don't receive and are unable to get a refund you may also be re- imbursed through the Act in some cases. Registered travel agents AU travel agents in On- tario must register with the ministry of consumer and commercial relations. If they don't they are liable to pros- Useful Packing Tips When packing, remem- ber that you want to be able to take out and put in individual items without disturbing the others. So, interfold each piece of gar- ment with the others, roll up lingerie items and oth- ers of the same nature and place them in sections. This will prevent the gar- ments from creasing and also make removing and replacing them more con- venient. Take along a "medical travel kit," including such items as a first aid booklet, assorted bandages, an an- tiseptic, cotton, scîssors, tweezers, thermometer, flat toilet paper, sunburn lotion, aspirin, pills for motion sickness, and pare- goric for diarrhea. ecution. Branch offices must registerseparately,and agents may do business using only the name and location shown on the registration certifi- cate. As well the agent must operate from a business of- fice open to the public dur- ing normal business hours - not from a private residence. As part of the registration process the agent must post a bond and participate in a "compensation fund". The fund provides money to re- imburse you for travel ser- vices you have paid for and not received if you have de- manded a refund unsuccess- fully. Why use a registered agent? The fund is available only to those people who have dealt with a travel agent or wholesaler registered with the ministry. If you deal with an unregistered agent you may not make a claim against the fund if the ser- vices you pay for are not provided. Remember that travel agents in business out- side Ontario cannot register with the ministry. Therefore your funds are not protect- ed if you deal with an agent based outside the province. You can easily tell wheth- er or not an agent is regis- tered because the certificate of registration must be prom- inently displayed in the agent's business office. If you don't see it, ask, where it is. And if you are in doubt as to whether or not an agent is genuinely registered contact central registration at tne Ministry of Consum- er and Commercial Rela- tions, 555 Yonge Street, Tor- onto, Ontario M7A 2H6. Making travel arrangements A good travel agent is the key to a successful trip. Be- cause the agent makes your travel and accommodation arrangements and looks after many details, his or her re- liability is extremely impor- tant. Remember that the compensation fund will re- imburse you only for travel services you do not receive - it does not compensate you for poor quality. Ask people you trust such as friends and associates to make suggestions and recom- mendations. They'll be able to tell you what sort of ser- vice they have had in the past. If you're not sure, shop around and talk to a few different agents. Find out what each has to offer and use the one you feel most comfortable with. You may want to see if the agent belongs to an industry as- sociation. In Ontario these may be the OTIC (Ontario Travel Industry Conference) the CITC (Canadian Institute of Travel Counsellors) or ACTA Canada (Alliance of Canadian Travel Associa- tions). Once you have chosen an agency, make sure it is reg- vWO~A v ZWA4V&£ tt( for roup, Clarter ( 1kidiiduals No Booking Fees It Costs No Extra At-Home Service 655-4389 9rookli istered. If not, the agency is operating illegally and should be reported to the travel in- dustry branch of the minis- try of consumer and com- mercial relations. When you deal with a travel agent be specific. Tell the agent what you have in mind and what you want to spend. Be sure you have a receipt for any deposits you pay and find out whefher or not they are refundable eith- er in whole or in part. When you book, find out about the terms and conditions of can- cellation charges, the sched- ule of payments you'll have to make, communications expenses and insurance ar- rangements. Know the facts The ministry of consumer and commercial relations provides a free booklet call- ed "Protecting your travel dollars". In it you'll find in- formation on the Travel In- dustry Act and details on the compensation fund along with general tips on making travel arrangements. The booklet is available from the ministry's Consumer In- formation Centre at 555 Yonge Street, Toronto, On- tario M7A 2H6. By combining the protec- tion of The Travel Industry Act with some common sense precautions you can ensure that your holidays are enjoyable and worry- free. OREGON'S ROCK-STREWN SOUTHERN COAST NEXTTO THE BANK OF MONTREAL DONALD TRAVEL EST. 1958 IT COSTS NO MORE!• ALL YOUR TRAVEL NEEDS 668-8867 S CONSUMER BEAT Travel Agent the Key to a Successful Trip PACKAGE HOLIDAYS aia 74S inceS.Suh saa5909 1