Magazine reader survey rates top travel cities

New York — San Francisco has taken top honors in the annual “Readers Choice Awards” from Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

The city by the bay came in first on the list of top 10 U.S. cities.

Sydney, Australia, was No. 1 among Asia/Pacific cities; Florence, Italy, beat out the competition in Europe; Cape Town, South Africa, was rated the best African/Middle Eastern city; Vancouver Island in Canada headed the list of top 10 North America islands; Bermuda was named best Caribbean/Atlantic island, and Victoria, British Columbia, came in first among “Americas” cities.

Complete poll results are in the November Traveler. The poll is based on results of a mail-in survey sent to a random sample of the magazine’s subscribers.

Book outlines best of Lewis & Clark sites

Hoboken, N.J. — Overwhelmed by all things Lewis and Clark? If you’re trying to sort out what’s worth doing and what’s just hype, check out “Lewis & Clark for Dummies.”

Among the book’s features is a list of the 10 best places to visit on the Lewis and Clark historic trail. The list includes the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, Ind., where Lewis hooked up with William Clark; Fort Mandan, in North Dakota, where Lewis and Clark met Sacagawea; and the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in Oregon.

The book is $19.95.

Smithsonian journeys cover the gamut

Washington — Sure, the Smithsonian Institution sponsors educational tours to historic sites like Little Bighorn, Shiloh and Gettysburg.

But the nation’s premier repository of American history also runs tours to places like Las Vegas and Tanglewood, as well as trips abroad to China, Costa Rica and many other countries.

Trips range from four to 14 days. Prices vary depending on location and length of stay, but many excursions are between $1,500 and $2,500, excluding airfare. Call (877) 338-8687 or visit www.smithsonianjourneys

.org for details.