What's New in the West: May 2010

▪ Find advice on flying with pets or scoring low airfares at the improved Department of Transportation Web site airconsumer.ost.dot.gov [2].

▪ At the first Lego-themed water park, raft from a four-story Lego tower or float on a lazy river. Opens in June at Legoland in Carlsbad, Calif. $10 plus entry. legoland.com [3].

▪ Pocket-size iGo Charge Anywhere plugs in to charge two phones or other devices. Unplugged, it’s a portable battery pack. $50. igo.com [4].

▪ This is the Year of the Dinosaur at Salt Lake City’s Utah Museum of Natural History. Dig up a buried fossil or view an interactive theater show. umnh.utah.edu [5].

▪ Book the John Steinbeck Package at the Monterey Hotel in Monterey, Calif., and receive a copy of Cannery Row and two tickets to the National Steinbeck Center. From $129 for AAA members. montereyhotel.com [6].

▪ Plunge 107 stories as fast as 40 mph at the new SkyJump Las Vegas atop the Strato-sphere Hotel & Casino. From $100. stratospherehotel.com [7].

▪ After a long-awaited redo, the Idaho State Capitol in Boise is now open for tours. View the grand rotunda, the house and senate wings, and a gilt statue of George Washington astride a horse. capitolcommission.idaho.gov [8].

▪ Life-size robotic dinosaurs, including an intimidating Giganotosaurus, threaten from an “ancient” rain forest at the Oregon Zoo’s Prehistoric Predators exhibit, opening May 22 in Portland. $3.50 plus zoo entry. oregonzoo.org [9].

▪ River Dance Lodge in Kooskia, Idaho, offers all-inclusive packages for both outdoor adventurers and hammock huggers. Four days and three nights from $645 per person. riverdancelodge.com [10].

This article was first published in May 2010. Some facts may have aged gracelessly. Please call ahead to verify information.