Travel Tidbits: Salta, Argentina; the Queen of Sheba, and frequent-flyer miles

For a fee of $40, and using alternate routes and partner airlines, the website www.awardplanner.com will help you figure out how to get you there and back using your frequent-flyer miles when the airlines say no seats are available. You can call 800/333-5937 to enroll at $99.95 per year. — CLAUDIA REED, Las Vegas, NV

 Ethiopian legends make Axum the capital during the reign of the Queen of Sheba in the 10th century B.C. Axum’s stelae — granite monoliths dating from pre-Christian times — are the big attraction. I was particularly taken with the Great Stele, which was the largest monolith in the world (108 feet) but now lies broken. Take a flashlight when visiting tombs both here and at King Kaleb’s Palace. — NELL Q. McCOMBS, Ventura, CA

 Plaza 9 de Julio is the hub of the town of Salta, Argentina. In 2005 we were fortunate to be there in August when the lapachos trees were a riot of breathtaking beauty, full of pink flowers. Salta Cathedral is the most prominent feature of the plaza and not to be missed. Built in the 19th century, it appeared to have been newly painted and decorated. It was lovely in the evening; the carefully placed lighting gave the graceful lines of its elegant architecture a fairy-tale quality. — ARLENE J. GOODHEAD, La Jolla, CA