TRAVEL BEAT : NEW DIGS FOR BEARS.

Byline: Carol Bidwell

The great white bears of the Arctic will make a big splash this weekend at the new 2.2-acre Polar Bear Plunge, the San Diego Zoo's newest exhibit, which opens Saturday. Castor and Bonnie, two zoo favorites, will revel in their new digs along with a pair of orphaned polar bear cubs from Manitoba, Canada - Chinook and Shakari - who each already weigh more than 300 pounds and stand over 6 feet tall.

The new exhibit, which features a 130,000-gallon pool chilled to a maximum of 65 degrees, includes a two-level indoor underwater viewing window that lets visitors meet polar bears face-to-snout through 5-inch-thick bearproof acrylic. The bears can also romp through 5,500 square feet of re-created tundra. (During off-hours, the bears can snooze in a five-bedroom arctic cave, complete with sun room and salt water pool.

The zoo, off Park Drive in Balboa Park, is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Admission is $15 adults, $6 children age 3-11. Information: [phone].

Crafty affair

A crafts fair featuring more than 400 artisans, food booths and entertainment on seven stages will stretch along seven blocks of Main Street in downtown Ventura on July 4. The free event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A children's Pushem-Pullem Parade begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs down Main Street from Hemlock Street to Chestnut Street. Information: [phone].

Aye, laddie!

The San Diego Scottish Highland Games run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in Rancho Santa Fe Park in San Marcos. Events include a gathering of the clans, competitions in athletics, bagpiping, drumming and Highland dancing, sheepdog trials, food and music. The park is three miles south of San Marcos, off Rancho Santa Fe Road at La Costa Meadows Drive. Admission is $9 for a one-day pass or $15 for a two-day pass. Information: [phone].

Wet 'n' wild

Raging Waters theme park in San Dimas, 111 Raging Waters Drive, is now open daily for the summer. In July and August, the park is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekend. Weekend operation resumes Sept. 21 through the close of the season Oct. 20. Admission prices are based on visitors' heights: Those taller than 48 inches pay $19.99, those 42 to 48 inches tall pay $11.99, and those under 42 inches are admitted free. Parking is $5 with shuttle buses to the park. Information: [phone].