August travel deals: trail rides, Vegas attractions, Hawaii’s Kona Coast

Play it cool in Northern Arizona’s Coconino National Forest. That’s where you’ll find the Mormon Lake Lodge, tucked into a dense grove of ponderosa pines. The 300-acre retreat is offering trail ride getaway packages Sunday through Thursday nights through Oct. 15. Options include the “Sunrise Mountain Saddle Up” for two for $198. It includes an overnight stay in an Elk View cabin, early morning 90-minute guided horseback riding, plus wrangler breakfasts. Late risers might choose the “Dinner Bell Afternoon Ride” package for $229. Couples get accommodations, late-afternoon 90-minute guided horseback rides, plus dinner at the Lodge Steakhouse. Add a second night in a cabin for $98. Learn more and book online at www.mormonlakelodge.com/mormonlake-trail-rides or phone (928) 354-2227.

Hilton Waikoloa Village on the sunny Kohala Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island is extending an all-inclusive deal for Union-Tribune Travel Deals readers. Book this week (Aug. 4-11) for stays Sept. 6 through Dec. 19. Rates start at $179 per person, based on double occupancy, and require a minimum stay of three consecutive nights. Along with accommodations, you’ll get daily breakfasts and dinners (including luau dining), plus unlimited beer, house wine and cocktails through your stay. (The deal does not include lunch or room service.) The $45 daily resort fee is waived with this package, and self-parking for one car is included — but you’ll pay a mandatory 18 percent “gratuity fee” on actual daily dining and beverages. The resort includes three pools and a lagoon beach, a prime spot for snorkeling, plus guests can participate in cultural classes such as lei making, hula dancing and ukulele playing, as well as daily fitness classes. The 62-acre oceanfront resort has a full-service spa and two championship golf courses. Learn more and book online by Aug. 11 at www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com/2019fallinclusivesd. Cancellation, without penalty, is allowed up to 14 days before arrival.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is offering travelers a free two-night stay in Abu Dhabi when their flight has a stopover in that city. Travelers can choose from among about two dozen hotels across Abu Dhabi, including the 5-star Jumeirah at Etihad Towers and the Ritz Carlton Grand Canal. The freebie is valid for all flights to and from Etihad destinations via Abu Dhabi — think the Maldives, Seychelles, India or Nepal. Book online selecting a multi-city flight and you’ll be directed to the Stopover booking page. Once your booking is confirmed, you’ll have the option of choosing your hotel package. A bonus: Use your Etihad boarding pass to get discounts at various attractions, restaurants, spas and retailers around the city. The Stopover promotion is valid for travel booked before March 1 for travel through March 31, 2020. Go to www.etihad.com or book through your travel agent.

Frontier Airlines is inviting kids 14 and younger to fly free on nonstop domestic round trips with a paying passenger. No surprise, there’s lots of small print: Tickets must be purchased before 9 p.m. (Pacific time) on Sept. 15 for travel through March 11. To get the freebie, membership in the airline’s Discount Den is required; there’s a $59.99 annual fee — but membership includes perks for up to six flying on the same reservation, so you’ll need only one membership. Adult and child tickets must be purchased on the same reservation, at least 14 days in advance, and are allowed only on specific days of the week: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from Aug. 13 through Nov. 13 — and Tuesdays and Wednesdays from Nov. 14 through March 11. The deal is blacked out Aug. 29 through Sept. 4, Nov. 21 through Dec. 2, Dec. 19 through Jan. 7, Jan. 16-21 and Feb. 13 through March 2. San Diego/Denver and San Diego/Raleigh flights are excluded from the offer. Know before you book that Frontier’s fares only include one small personal item; checked bag fees start at $30 each way. Advance seat selection will add at least $5 per person to your tab. Learn more and book at www.flyfrontier.com/kidsflyfree.

Through Sept. 30, visitors who ride the Las Vegas Monorail ($5 for a single ride) can show their fare receipt to get $10 off admission on the High Roller Observation Wheel (regular prices start at $22), the FLY LINQ Zipline (prices start at $25) and the Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck at Paris Las Vegas, where regular tickets start at $18. (Yes, one monorail receipt wins $10 off all three attractions.) FLY LINQ, the only zipline on the Vegas Strip, features 10 side-by-side lines capable of simultaneously launching riders, seated or superhero style, at speeds up to 35 MPH. The High Roller, at 550 feet high, with 28 climate-controlled cabins, is the tallest observation wheel in the world. The Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck is 46 stories up in a half-scale replica of the famous Paris landmark. Another discount option: Show a ticket from any of the three attractions and get a 24-hour unlimited-ride Monorail pass for $10 (regular price, $13). The monorail has seven stops along a 3.9-mile stretch of the Strip.

DaRosa is a freelance travel writer. Find more of her articles at www.AlisonDaRosa.com. Prices quoted here are subject to change. Restrictions and blackout dates may apply, and all deals are subject to availability.