News, Tips & Bargains : A New Look for Royal Pavilion

Brighton’s Royal Pavilion, an Eastern palace re-created in the middle of an 18th-Century garden in a popular English resort town, has been painstakingly restored, to the tune of $15 million.

The 19th-Century fantasy--Indian on the outside and Chinese on the inside--has been called one of Europe’s most exotic palaces, luring about 340,000 visitors annually to gaze upon its unabashed luxury, magnificent decorations and furnishings.

The Pavilion was the pride and joy of George, Prince of Wales, who adored Brighton. It was his idea to convert the villa he had built there into an Eastern palace, hiring architect John Nash to bring about the transformation from 1815 to 1822.

“You either love it or hate it, but you will not forget it,” said Heather Jackson, an enthusiastic devotee of the palace, which was sold by Queen Victoria to the people of Brighton in 1850. The palace was damaged by fire in 1975 and the hurricane of 1987. But thanks to the skill of the restoration team, visitors can once more imagine a 70-piece orchestra playing selections from Handel, and George in his striking bass voice leading guests in a rendition of the then-popular tune “Life’s a Bumper.”

Today, the Pavilion and the completely restored garden--one of only two 18th-Century gardens in Britain available to the public, according to a spokeswoman--are open daily. A new guidebook is due out this spring. An hour by train from London, Brighton is a popular destination for day-trippers and is home to the Brighton International Festival every May.

Two Options in Alaska

If you’ve always wanted to see Alaska, why not really spend some time there? Alaska State Parks is looking for volunteers to work this summer as campground hosts, ranger assistants and on trail crews, among other jobs. Catalogues and applications are available from the Volunteer Coordinator, Alaska State Parks, 3601 C St., Suite 1200, Anchorage, Alaska 99503; tel. (907) 762-2612.

For those who’d rather sit a spell, the Iditarod Trail Committee is auctioning off 67 rides with the pros over the first seven miles of this year’s Iditarod Dogsled Race, which starts March 4. Minimum bid for riding shotgun from Anchorage to Tudor Crossing with last year’s champ, Martin Buser; former winners Rick Swenson, Rick Mackey, Jeff King and Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the race, is $2,500; to mush with the lesser-known drivers, $500. Bid deadline for the fund-raiser is Feb. 1. Call the Iditarod Musher’s Auction, (800) 434-8276 for details.

Hey, Dude! It’s Time to Make Plans

The 1995 editions of two dude ranching vacation guides are now available. The Colorado Dude & Guest Ranch Assn.’s directory includes information on year-round activities, rates, features and locations of 40 ranches. To obtain a free copy, contact the association at P.O. Box 300, Tabernash, Colo. 80478; tel. (303) 724-3653.

The 18-page Dude Rancher magazine describes 110 ranches in 11 states and Canada and includes “The Dude’s Guide to Picking the Perfect Ranch.” It is available for $5 from the Dude Ranchers’ Assn., P.O. Box 471, LaPorte, Colo. 80535; tel. (303) 223-8440.

Both guides contain the same warning: Book as soon as you can. Many ranches begin taking reservations a year in advance.