New Ways to Vegas and Back to Nature

From a vacation in the fullness of nature to a jaunt to the gaming tables of Las Vegas, travel caters to various human urges. This month, two new developments permit two very different groups of Americans to vacation inexpensively in their own country.

Of considerable significance is the start-up of Las Vegas-based National Airlines, telephone (888) 757-JETS, owned by a group of well-heeled casino-hotels.

The airline has announced some highly attractive round-trip fares to the gaming capital: $288 from Chicago and $308 from New York/JFK. For an additional $40 to $80, the Chicago and New York fares take you on to San Francisco or Los Angeles.

National’s L.A.-to-Vegas fare is $78, and for $284 more, it becomes a round trip to New York.

Every flight involves a stopover in Las Vegas for as many days as you would care to spend at the casinos. Service begins Monday.

This week also marks the opening of the U.S. mainland’s first truly ecological resort, where you can stay this summer in rooms renting for as little as $80 a night. That modest sum will bring you lodging in the Refuge, a surprisingly comfortable resort complex on an immense former farm along the Ocklawaha River near Ocala, Fla.

The Refuge was begun two years ago by the Pew Trust to show how people could enjoy leisure while learning about the natural world. It is managed by Stanley Selengut, a creator of environmentally sensitive resorts.

To supplement the Refuge’s 23 upscale lodges, Selengut is building 60 budget-priced ones. Pending their completion, he is offering a rate of $80 a night per lodge until October. The usual rates are $100 and $125. They include full breakfast for two, but each lodge can house several people.

Activities include biking, hiking, horseback riding, birding and kayaking. The resort also offers a craft center, a performing arts center, a swimming pool and a restaurant with regional specialties.

The Refuge is 72 miles northwest of Orlando International Airport. Tel. (800) 392-9004.