The financial crisis has an upside for travelers: The U.S. dollar has strengthened against most world currencies amid falling oil prices and the worldwide credit crisis. The greenback is now worth $1.10 Canadian, the most since May 2007. It will cost you $1.36 for a euro, compared to $1.60 earlier this year. Lunch at a pub in London priced at 10 British pounds, $20 last year, is now $17.60. Mexico's peso plunged to a record low of 11.7 per dollar, the biggest decline since January 1999.

Pay in advance if you think the dollar will eventually weaken again. If you think it will strengthen even more, as some economists do, avoid paying too far ahead for anything priced in a foreign currency. For current exchange rates, see www.oanda.com.

— Seattle Times

MAUI

SEE NATIVE PLANTS, RARE FOREST BIRDS ALONG THE HOSMER GROVE TRAIL

Hosmer Grove Trail in the misty cloud belt of Haleakala, on Maui, is a half-mile loop through a non-native, coniferous forest and native alpine shrubland. The trail makes for an easy Sunday family outing and an excellent place for observing native plants and rare native forest birds.

The grove, planted by Ralph Hosmer 100 years ago, is home to native honeycreepers like the scarlet 'i'iwi and lime-green 'amakihi; these birds and others are drawn to the area by the nectar produced by the yellow flowers of mamane shrubs. The birds may be seen and heard any time of day but are especially vocal early morning.

To reach the trailhead, make the first left above Haleakala park entrance station and go to the Hosmer Grove campground parking area.

OUTER SPACE

TEXAN PONIES UP $30 MILLION FOR 10-DAY TRIP THAT'S OUT OF THIS WORLD

Space tourist Richard Garriott has arrived safely at the International Space Station for a 10-day vacation in orbit.

A Russian Soyuz spacecraft, which docked with the space station Tuesday, carried Garriott, along with NASA astronaut Michael Fincke and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Lonchakov.

Garriott, a Texan who made a fortune in the video game industry, is the sixth private citizen to buy a ticket to the space station from the Russian government, for which he paid an estimated $30 million. Frequent-flier miles not accepted.