One would think that the crossword composers are far too busy plying their trade than ever to think about vacations, but all you other puzzle solvers out there are probably as aware as I am that as a group they definitely have their favorite vacation spots.  These favorites turn up time and again in puzzle after puzzle, and looking over the list of most frequently used vacation locations it seems fairly obvious that collectively as a group cluemeisters have decided to spare no expense when it comes to their recreational needs.  The job of crossword designer is obviously a very lucrative one.  Now, what better way to relax than in every puzzle maker's absolute favorite...the

SPA...We have been treated to more clues for this little word than any I can remember.  Everything from "Bath or Evian" to "Baden Baden" to "Hot Springs, for one" have been used to indicate SPA resorts worldwide.  Then, too, we've seen "vacation choice", "fashionable resort", "vacation spot", and just plain "resort" to define the word.  Also, there have been "hot tub", "toning salon" and even "spot for three men in a tub" as clues.  Not too long ago the New York Times claimed that a SPA is "where some losers hang out," which apparently leads to a weight-loss spa, but shouldn't that also be a clue for casino?   Take any of the above high-lighted words to a different link on the subject.

From this point on we'll forget about generalizations (such as spa) and pin down the specific resorts and vacation spots which are used most often by the cluemeisters.

PARIS...We're all pretty familiar with "City of Light", "place where Eiffel built his tower" and "home of the Louvre"..or "..Place Vendome" or "..the Tuilleries gardens" or "..Notre Dame cathedral", you name it.  As in columns past, all you need to do is give a mouse click to either the picture of the high-lighted word (PARIS in this instance) to take you on an internet journey to other sites with more information about our subject.That will also be true for all of the vacation favorites which follow.  Just remember to click your "back" button to return to this page after you've explored those other sites.
 

ROME or ROMA...Here again we have a popular vacation city which has turned up in many a puzzle over the years.  It might be the "Eternal City" or "city on the Tiber" or "city of seven hills" or the "home of the Vatican" (a bit of a hedge since Vatican City is now an independent enclave within Rome).  I once saw it referred to as "pasta paradise", a clue which might be contested by every other Italian town or city.  As for ROMA, that's the "Italian name for their capital city".

AGRA...For years we were accustomed to seeing something like "Taj Mahal site" or "Taj Mahal location" or simply "Taj's location", but that obviously came to be too easy a clue and we then began to see "city on the Jumna" or "Jumna river city" to identify AGRA.  Since nobody wants to give up such an eminently useable crossword, we are now being told that it is not the palace and not the river we need to know about, but rather that it is an "Uttar Pradish city". Having now identified the Indian state where AGRA is located, there doesn't seem to be anywhere further to go with these clues.  At least if they want to use TAJin their puzzle they are pretty much restricted to "_ _ _ Mahal" as the clue.

ALAMO..."Remember the _ _ _ _ _"?!?  Along with the Texas Tourist Bureau our crossword puzzle composers are not likely to let us forget it.  It nearly seems that since 1836 they have been reminding us that it is a "Texas shrine", a "Texas mission", and a "Texas landmark".  Added to that we have "Bowie's nemesis", a "place to remember" and a "memorable name".  Not wanting to slight anyone, they have also told us it is a "San Antonio mission" and a "San Antonio landmark".
 
 

 ASPEN...This "popular ski resort" is also often clued as the "Colorado ski resort" and then, just for variation, we might also be told it is a "trembling tree". Click on the picture to see what Main Street, Aspen, looks like right now through a Livecam direct from Colorado.
 
 

BAJA...Judging by how often this one appears in some puzzle or another, we'll have to conclude that our clue writers really like to get away from it all once in awhile.  Anyone who ventures on a trip down this peninsula is in for a rugged ride.  Most often we see it simply as "_ _ _ _ California", but it is also a "California peninsula" and a "Mexicali locale".
 
 
 
 

ERIN and EIRE...We don't see much of Ireland in crosswords, but there seems to be no end to ERIN and EIRE in the puzzle makers' lexicon.  ERIN seems to have more of a literary connotation with clues such as "Emerald isle", "shamrock land", "land of Yeats", "Thomas Moore's land" and finally, "Ireland, poetically".  For EIRE the references are a bit more on the nose with clues like "Dublin site", "Republic since 1948", "Hibernia" and just plain "Ireland".A click on the colorful map of Ireland here will take you to Paddy Waldron's page about all things Irish, with its numerous links to all kinds of information about the "Emerald Isle".  And if you are really feeling Irish, you may be interested in taking the Irish Trivia quiz called "So you think you're Irish?"  Just click on this high-lighted title to take you to the 25 question multiple choice quiz.

IONA...This "island close to Mull" (or "island near Mull", depending on whether you are working the New York Times puzzle or the Los Angeles Times puzzle) is that "western Scottish island" "where 48 Scottish kings are buried".  It's an island as rich in history as it is in crossword clues, and if you think our recreation-minded cluemeisters are going to have to rough it on BAJA, wait until they get to IONA.  Acapulco it is not.
 
 

OSLO...Even more popular than IONA with the crossword vacationers is "Christiana" or "Christiana, today" as the "capital of Norway" is more accurately referred to since Christiana was its original name.  It might also be clued as a "European capital" or a "cold capital" due to its far North location.  This livecam photo taken on February 28 at about 3 p.m. gives us some idea why it might be clued as the "cold capital".  Since it is a livecam setup, let's all come back and click on the picture in May to give us some idea of what it looks like with the snow melted.  An ever inventive New York Times tells us OSLO is "where the Storting sits", a reference to the Norwegian Parliament which governs from this capital city.
 
 

PISA...We're told it is the "tower town" or maybe even the "tilting tower town", and of course they are referring to the famous Italian destination, PISA, which is so often the subject of tourists' photos, many of which appear on the Internet.  The photo here is the best example I could find.
 
 
 
 

SRI...Like "_ _ _ Mahal", this one depends on a single clue, no matter in whose puzzle it may appear..."_ _ _ Lanka".  At least I can't imagine or remember any other clue for the first three letters of this Indian Ocean island once called Ceylon.  All of which has in no way detracted from its frequent use in crosswords.  Think for a moment how often you've filled in SRI for "_ _ _ Lanka," and then take the link to see where it is and what's it's all about.
 
 
 

TAOS...According to the cluemeisters it is often described as a "western art center" and a "New Mexico resort," but this charming town near Santa Fe is also a winter ski destination and its ancient Pueblo is the ancestral home of a tribe of Native Americans.  Click on both the high-lighted word and the photo for more information about the town.
 
 
 
 
 

Finally, we can't close out this column without offering our intrepid crossword composers a trip to Hawaii.  Especially since OAHU, MAUI, KAUAIand HILOare only a few of their frequently used words from that wonderful vacation spot.  Since I covered Hawaii thoroughly in a column some time ago, just click your mouse on any one of the four mentioned locations above to go directly to my Hawaii column and read all about it.
 

Anything else you want to know about crosswords?  You should be able to learn about it through one or another of Ray Hamel's crossword puzzle links.  If you haven't looked into his link page recently, I think you might be in for a big surprise.  He's rearranged the page to list daily, weekly and monthly internet puzzle links up front followed by the dozens (or is it now hundreds) of other crossword links.

If you are into online crosswords, and have a Java-powered browser, try Timothy Parker's Universal Crossword.  Juse click on the logo below.

Copyright 1999 C. Schnebel
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