WARMING UP -----AAA MIDWEST TRAVELER ---SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2005 ---------------------------PAGE 2

In Oaxaca City, the Hotel Hacienda Los Laureles welcomes guests to their secluded, luxurious getaway in the hills outside the city. A temezcal (steam bath) and pool complement the expansive courtyard. The cozy rooms and warm hospitality of the owners combine to make an unforgettable experience.
Those who enjoy being in the middle of the action will appreciate the Casa Oaxaca, a fine hostelry with six large rooms also arranged around a courtyard. The library provides a relaxing spot for reading or checking e-mail. The small pool is perfect for a dip. The restaurant, featuring the creations of Chef Alejandro Ruiz, should not be missed. The chef uses many local ingredients and bases his recipes on those that he learned when he cooked at his mother's side.
Oaxaca boasts the Rufino Tamayo Museum with a fine collection of pre-Columbian artifacts. The Day of the Dead in November and Noche de Rabanos (Night of the Radishes) in December are perfect times to experience the festivities of the region. Held Dec. 23, Noche de Rabanos features huge exhibits of figures-in scenes of the birth of Jesus or those expressing the culture of Oaxacans-that are carved from radishes.

NEARBY RETREATS
No need to despair if faraway lands aren't in your future. Several options abound in the Kansas and Missouri area.
In Kansas City, Kan., the Chateau Avalon (701 Village West Parkway) offers an interesting concept of themed rooms, including South Pacific, rainforest, Caribbean and safari themes.
Overbrook, Kan., is the setting for Fieldstone Bed-and-Breakfast (7049 East 149th), a large working farm that grows apples, pears and other edibles. Owners Ken and Nancy Krause also welcome guests into their French style inn to warm up in the Jacuzzi or simply sit in front of the fireplace in the master suite, the library and the living rooms. They are perfect places to curl up with a book and a glass of wine.
On Sept. 5, the inn plans to host Fieldstone Celebration, an event reminiscent of country living during the early 1900s. For more information, contact Fieldstone B&B.
The inn contains fixtures from old hotels and is decorated in the style of fancy European hostelries. The owners' warm welcome and hospitality will make you want to stay for the duration of the winter.
A real Western cowboy theme on a huge ranch is at another bed-and-breakfast in Lawrence, Kan. Jack and Mary Cronemeyer own the Circle S Ranch and Country Inn (3325 Circle S Lane), which has herds of stock and plenty of wildlife roaming the grounds.
The ample rooms all have a Western flair in the decor but all are quite different. The grand Claret room is known as the honeymoon suite because of it king-sized bed, fireplace and two-person Jacuzzi.
Of course, there is a large gathering area downstairs in front of the massive fireplace. Jack built this place himself. The outside resembles a bam, but the inside exudes a feeling of warmth and rustic elegance. Saddle up and head out to this toasty place to enjoy a soak in the hot tub in the silo.
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