Lake Powell, which straddles Utah and Arizona,...

Lake Powell, which straddles Utah and Arizona, is offering discounts on houseboat rentals in October. Starting Tuesday or Oct. 15, depending on the site, there are 25% discounts. From Nov. 1 to March 31, 1997, there are 40% discounts. For example, a 44-foot houseboat sleeping 10, which rents for $1,637 in the summer (plus taxes and fuel), goes for $1,228 in October and $982 from Nov. 1. Reservations and information: (800) 528-6154.

Free for the Asking

Travel safety tips tailored to each country can be obtained via fax from the U.S. State Department by calling the Bureau of Consular Affairs, (202) 647-3000.. You must call on the same telephone line on which you wish to receive the fax and it must be a touch-tone phone. Follow automated instructions to request “information on a specific country.” A recent two-page fax on France and Monaco, for example, reported that larceny is increasingly common; terrorism has occurred but has not targeted Americans; and medical care is widely available. It also gave phones and addresses of the U.S. Embassy and four consular offices.

This Week’s Holidays

Banking and government offices will be closed or services curtailed in the following countries and their dependencies this week because of national and religious holidays:

Monday: Australia, Botswana, India, Sa~o Tome

Tuesday: Botswana, China, Cyprus, Macau, Nigeria, Rwanda, San Marino, Myanmar

Wednesday: China, Guinea, India, Nigeria, St. Lucia

Thursday: Germany, Honduras, Korea

Friday: Lesotho, Vanuatu

Saturday: Israel, Macau, Portugal

Sunday: Egypt

Source: J.P. Morgan