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Talk About Travel; Celebrity run-ins while traveling, timesharing, Death Valley…

Byline: The Flight Crew

The Post's Travel Section Flight Crew will take your comments, questions, suspicions, warnings, gripes, sad tales and happy endings springing from the world of... the world. Of course, the Flight Crew will be happy to answer your travel questions. About the best thing about this forum, we insist, is that it lets travelers exchange information with other travelers who've been there, done that or otherwise have insights, ideas and information to share. Different members of the Crew will rotate through the captain's chair every week, but the one constant is you, our valued passengers.

We know you have a choice in online travel forums, and speaking for the entire Flight Crew, we want to thank you for flying with us.

You may also browse an archive of previous live travel discussions.

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John Deiner: Hey, gang, and welcome to this week's sojourn with the Travel section Flight Crew. Onboard this week are editor KC Summers and staffers Gary Lee (fresh back from a trip to London), Anne McDonough and Our Fare Lady, Carol Sottili.

Also on hand is Gayle Keck, co-author of that fascinating look at the use of credit cards overseas that ran on Sunday. If you have any questions, give Gayle a shout-out.

A couple of tasks this week: If you have any (short!!) tales on your use of consolidators, Carol would love to hear them. But only share if you've used a consolidator within the past two years or so.

Second, and this one is for all the marbles: Tell us about your funniest/saddest/whatever Brush With Greatness. You know, those odd little run-ins with celebrities we all have from time to time on vacation. (I'll begin: I'm still mad at Jim Nabors for knocking over my cup of nickels in Vegas about a decade ago.) Whomever entertains us the most receives a big ol' beach towel from Destin, Fla. (the wooden box it comes in is actually even cooler) and a disposable camera. Keep 'em short and sweet, folks.

And awayyyy we go.

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Washington, DC: Hi--just called Capital One and, with much trouble, talked to someone about their charges for overseas purchases. They contradicted the statement by Diana Don, quoted in the Travel Section. They said there IS a 1 percent add-on for overseas purchases, but it's not listed separately--it's included in the charge in such a way that it's not obvious, but it IS there.

I'm glad--means I don't need to add to my beloved USAA cards, with the best customer service in the universe and only the 1 percent charge required by MC and VISA. Also, their travel rewards in the optional Eagle Points program seem more generous than those I noticed for Capital One.

The Flight Crew: This is Gayle Keck, co-author of the credit card story. Often regular customer service people are not up to date with the information on fees for overseas usage. It's best to ask to speak with a supervisor if you get conflicting or confused information. I checked the info on Capital One with two sources there whose job it is to provide information to the media. Sounds like you're getting an old answer from the customer service rep; that's how they used to handle overseas charges. FYI, my personal experience was that they didn't add any fees or other charges to my overseas transactions. But believe me, I'll double-check before every overseas trip, because these things change.

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Washington, D.C.: John, no question, just a commmnet. Loved your story on Death Valley: Made the summer here seem positively cool by comparison. Thanks for making my day.

John Deiner: Hey, thanks D.C. And ya know what, it IS positively cool by comparison!

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Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: This question is for John Deiner. I just finished your story and now I want to go. My gf and I are heading out to Vegas next week, but I was wondering if we need to book a room in advnace for death Valley or if we can just show up.

John Deiner: Definitely book in advance, DC. The manager of the hotel there told me last week that they get walk-ins almost every day--and they have to turn most of them away because there's no room at the inn. So definitely give the place a call and make sure they have a room for you.

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Long Beach, Calif: Nobody lives in Death Valley. Try Indio or Thermal (which is about what you'd expect), California in August. You can have a tremendous thunderstorm driven by desert monsoons followed by 120 degree heat. You actually feel like the wicked witch of the west in The Wizard of Oz. Melting is truly an option...

John Deiner: Sounds appealing, LB. Actually, most of the park personnel live within the confines of Death Valley--and everyone I talked to absolutely adores it. Go figger.

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To those trying to fly with pets: A follow up from last week's chat. Someone wrote in complaining that it costs $100 on most major airlines to fly an animal in a carrier in the cabin. Just FYI, AirTran at last glance only charges $50 each way and Independence Air, $35 each way.

John Deiner: Good stuff. Thanks for the update.

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Washington, DC: Hi, a correction regarding last week's question on Belize. The FF Coppola Blancaneaux Lodge is not in a lush jungle setting, it is in the remote Pine Ridge Reservation. The pines have been reduced to stumps by a beetle, so the landscape is rather scarred and bleak. The landscaping on the property is tropical. We just spent four days there, then at the Turtle Inn in Placencia. The rain forest is a good 40 minute drive from Blancaneaux. Also, for the traveler who wondered about taking all ages to Belize, we saw several families with small children who were ill prepared for the challenges. One child balked at snorkeling, so his mom had to stay on the remote island national park with him until the boat returned to the resort 6 hours later. That snorkeling trip was over $100 per person. Another family paid for a trip to the sacred caves, only to have the two kids freak out in the dark. Blancaneaux has stone stairs to everywhere, and no swimming except the river, with difficult entry and exit from rocks. There is a hot tub, but frankly, the air temperature was too hot to make it inviting. We had a great time with our teenagers, but the more remote locations and long hot day trips (Mayan ruins)over dirt roads seemed to be a challenge to those with young children. We would recommend Maho Bay on St. John in the U.S. Virgins for such families.

KC Summers: Thanks for the update, Wash -- didn't realize Blancaneaux's setting was that bleak. Glad you liked it though. Re taking small children, I saw quite a few families with younger kids in Belize -- I think it's just a matter of knowing your kids best and what they're capable of. Talked with one mother, for example, in the middle of a three-week trip whose 2-year-old had happily kayaked with them, ridden horses, swum, etc. But there is definitely an adventure component to a lot of activities, so those looking for a placid beach-type experience shouldn't apply.

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East Coast Driving: My college student son will be driving from Boston to the North Carolina shore the last week end in August (give or take a day or so). On the map, this looks easy, but I have been reading this chat long enough to know that this will be difficult, at best. Since I have never done this trip, so am not able to advise him. I have seen that the flight crew and clicksters have offered driving help before, thus any help will be much appreciated, including best route and what hours or even days to attempt the hardest parts of the corridor, or what hours to avoid if at all possible. A hinterlandian such as myself can't begin to guess at what you all know, and will be grateful for any suggestions.

John Deiner: Yo, ECD. You didn't say what days he's traveling to NC, but here's (I think) some good news: The last week in August can be particularly light in regard to travel to popular vacation destinations. Kids are back in school or about to be, so many folks just stay put. As always, the later or earlier he drives is best, though that's a bear of a drive anyway you look at it. Is he doing the whole drive in one fell swoop? To actually get to the NC coast, any day other than Saturday or Sunday would be best, for that's when all the week-long renters show up.

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Washington, D.C.: Planning a trip to India and Hong Kong in November, wondered if you've got advice on a good iten. for 2 weeks in India (North or South better for a first-time visit?;) Plus, which airlines are best to Asia (Air India, Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific all seem to have decent tickets.)

Anne McDonough: Lucky! I've only been to the north--loved it--and am dying to explore the south, particularly Kerala. So I can only speak to my experience: With two weeks, you could explore the Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra (for the Taj) and Jaipur (have a car and driver from either Delhi or Agra to Jaipur and you can sneak in a trip to the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary and Fatephur Sikri en route). Or, actually, I'd suggest Delhi, Agra and Varanasi-exploring that city is truly a spectacular experience. I flew BA from Dulles to Delhi via London, nice easy trip; if you want a HK stop in there, I'd think Cathay Pacific might be the best bet.

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Ballston, Va.: On our way to CA for our wedding last year, my husband noticed a "celebrity" in first class: Evander Holyfield! (I only noticed his gorgeous Gucci luggage; I had no idea who he was but figured he must have been someone important to have such a nice bag.) The flight attendant admitted to me that she kept walking by him, trying to catch a glimpse of his ear. All I could see was him bopping away to the music on his iPod.

John Deiner: Funny, Ballston! The first thing I wondered about was the state of his ear. And if he was wearing an Ipod I guess he's okay.

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Washington DC: Travel Gurus-

I am taking a long Labor day holiday and visiting my favorite city London solo. However after the recent terror attacks in London my folks are nervous(freaked) that I'm going alone and riding the tubes. It doesn't help that every media outlet shows stories of Londoners afraid to use the Tube, not going into London, etc. Was wondering if you or someone you know has been to London since the bombings and what the vibe was?; As a 30 yr old single gal, I've traveled solo to London before, but not in such troubled times. Thanks.

Gary Lee: I just got back from a week in London. I took the Tube 23 times, the big red busses three times and even a hop on hop off bus. There is a mood of tension in the air, for sure. There's a lot of security in the streets and public places, helicopters flying over tec.

But there are also still all the cool things that makes the city so fab.

I would say unless you really get freaked out by urbam tension, go!

One idea is to do some of the stuff out of the hub dub like Kew Gardens.

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Washington, D.C.: several years ago we ran into michael keaton in a restaurant in ny city. it was right in the middle of his "serious" acting phase. my husband noted we were really big fans, but liked his comedies, like nightshift and mr mom, better. he looked at us like he wanted to punch us, but then just turned away and said yeah thanks.

John Deiner: Sweet story, D.C. Maybe he was still in his moody "Batman" mode as well.

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Stevensville, Md: Greetings! We just recently returned from San Francisco. Our return flight was to say the least, special. We left San Francsco about 1 hour late due to a warning light malfunction. This was repaired and we did not fall out of the sky. After receiveing assurances that we would make our connecting flight in Phoenix, we landed with 15 minutes before the next flight. We proceeded directly to the next gate and were the last to board. We just went to the end of the line and got on board as if we had been waitng for boarding with the masses. As we went to the back of the plane, our assigned seats were already occupied. The flight attendants found us two separate seats that happened to be vacant, and promised drinks and sandwiches that never came. The people that were in our seats somehow had boarding passes for same seats. Since we had already checked in and the airline knew we were in the system and where we were, how could they even think of giving away our seats? Will spouting off to the airline do anything worthwhile? We do not fly very often. We fly for pleasure once every other year. Thanks for your time!

Carol Sottili: When you go to a restaurant and the service is lousy, you have a better chance of getting free dessert if you complain while you're there. Flying is not quite the same, but your chances of getting some sort of compensation are better if you complain effectively while you're going through the experience. For example, when I took a cross-country United flight where the seat was broken and the headphones didn't work, I complained - nicely and politely, but firmly - to the flight attendant. They couldn't move me because there were no other seats, but the head flight attendant then gave me 2,500 extra frequent flier miles for my trouble. He came right to my seat and filled out the form and gave it to me. If you get no response from the onboard flight crew, next stop should be the customer care counter at the airport as soon as you leave the plane. In your case, I'd write a letter to the airline explaining what happened - there is a chance you'll get a voucher that can be applied to a future trip, but you won't get any cash. As for how this can happen, I can't answer that - there was obviously some sort of computer malfunction. If there are any airline reps out there who can explain, please do!

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Native New Jerseyan: Hey, Anne, loved the article about traveling to all the weddings, especially since I'm from River Edge, NJ!; Was the ceremony at St. Peter's?; And what's the hot reception site in Bergen County these days?;

Anne McDonough: Thanks, River Edge! That one was so much fun to write. The trip to Rvier Edge alas was merely for the wedding shower for the cousin who got married out in South Bend, Indiana, so I'm not sure about the hot reception sites ;)

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Del Ray, Va.: We were in Anaheim for a meeting and took the one free afternoon to go up to Beverly Hills and shop on Rodeo Drive. We were hoping to spot some celebrities, and did get a small glimpse of Winona Ryder as she unvieled her "Star" on the Hollywood walk of fame. We had just pulled out of our parking spot in our minivan when we realized that Cher was getting out of her limo right next to us. We all noticed at the same time and starting shouting to each other "it's Cher!" We sortof followed her limo for a few minutes to see if she would get back in, and when she didn't reappear we left.

She did not dissapoint - she had on lizard boots, cool jeans and a unique jacket.

John Deiner: Cher???? That's an A-list sighting there, Del Ray.

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Olney, Md.: My mother and I were staying at the St. Regis Grand in Rome (part of a swank tour) in May 2002. We were tired from all the site seeing, and not hungry enough for one more 4 course dinner, so we decided to have a light evening meal at the lobby bar. In walked an "older" woman in the most BEAUTIFUL black cocktail suit I had ever seen! All I could do was stare! She was 100 percent elegant, really breath-taking. It was the actress, Anne Bancroft, in town making a movie. She was with a half dozen people who were supposed to entertain her, but she seemed as tired as we felt.

John Deiner: Great story, Olney, and lovingly shared.

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Bronx, NY: a quick qustion about the story on death valley (I sweat reading that thing). are cars okay in that sort of heat?; i mean, i'm not going to get stranded, am i?;

John Deiner: Hey, Bronx. No, you should be fine. Roads are great throughout the park (well, the paved ones at least). We didn't see anyone broken down.

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Dulles, Va.: My most interesting brush with "greatness" was on a flight from Chicago to LA. I was with my family on the first leg of our trip to Australia and we were sitting across from Tom Sizemore who starred in "Saving Private Ryan". Highlights from the eventful flight included Mr. Sizemore smoking in the bathroom, shaving in his seat, hitting on my mother and trying to pick a fight with my father (even saying "want to take this outside?" at 39,000 feet...) He was escorted off the plane by the LAPD.

John Deiner: A happy ending! He's a bad sort, isn't he? But what a story he gave you. Thanks for sharing.

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Washington DC: Planning a trip to Jamaica, wanted to hear from the experts about what are the distinguishing features of Montego Bay, Kingston, and Ocho Rios?; We are more interested in pristine beaches and fun nightlife, not golf or ritzy accommodations. Recommendation?;

Gary Lee: For what you want, you can bypass Kingston. (There is stuff nightlife there but if you've never been it's too much hassle.)

Ocho Rios or Negril probably have the best nightlife but the beaches aren't what I'd call pristine. The beaches in Mo'Bay are great but the nightlife is not all that. Ya pays ya money and...

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timeshare question: I have a chance to get a two week timeshare at Whistler, winter months (floating weeks) for 2500 bucks. it looks beautiful from the photos and this is from a friend - sight unseen.

grab it (due to the Olympics coming up in 5 years) or not?; I honestly don't know how often I would go to Whistler (not 2x a year for sure). the timeshare network is extensive however - RCI.

any advice or even websites to research would be super, thanks.

Carol Sottili: I'm not a big timeshare fan, although I know there are plenty of people who swear by them. I think it's difficult to switch destinations, especially popular ones, unless you plan very far ahead. And they're almost impossible to resell, which is why resale prices are so low. Whistler is beautiful - great skiing and hiking - but it's very far from Washington and not all that convenient to get to. Go to www.whistlerblackcomb.com for more info on the area.

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Washington, DC: I happened to be in Death Valley at the same time as you and was surprised by the number of people around. I was also surprised at how quickly you can run low on gas and not have any place nearby to fill up. We went into the Valley with a half tank and had a harrowing last few miles back into Nevada to a town with a gas station. Do you know if it is common for folks to run out of gas out there?;

John Deiner: Yow. Scary story there, D.C. I know there are a few gas stations in the park, so I'd be surprised if there are a rampant number of cars running around gas-free. But it's a creepier scenario, nonetheless. I kept wondering what I'd do if I was ever stuck out there, and the answer was never pleasant.

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Cleveland Park, Washington, D.C. "brush with greatness": After our original flight got cancelled and we spent the night at BWI, we finally checked into Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas some 18 hours after we were supposed to be there. We sit down to lunch, probably looking sleepy and smelling not too fresh, and my friend looks up and yells "Holy sh--! It's Don King!" The entire restaurant looked up, and it truly was him.

John Deiner: I'd bet you knew who it was the moment you saw the hair. Mandalay is a real celeb hotbed, too.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi, I will fly from Newark International Airport. Could you tell me how do I get to the airport from the Amtrak's stop at EWR, and how long it will take?; Thanks.

Anne McDonough: Newark has two stops: the airport and Newark Penn Station. From DC, the airport is the first stop (make sure your Amtrak stops at the airport, not all do!).

From there, here are the instructions, per the Airtrain Web site:

"How to transfer to AirTrain at Newark Liberty International Airport Train Station

When you exit the Amtrak train at Newark Liberty International Airport Train Station, follow the signs to AirTrain. You will go up one level, pass through the fare gates and go down one level onto the AirTrain platform. It takes approximately 5 minutes to get from the Amtrak train platforms to AirTrain.

You will need your Amtrak ticket to transfer through the fare gates. Go to Cost & Tickets for more information.

Buying a ticket

Purchasing your ticket to Newark Liberty International Airport Train Station is easy. B top by any one of the conveniently located Amtrak QuikTrak machines and purchase your ticket there. You will receive one ticket, which will include the Amtrak fare and the AirTrain fee.

AirTrain takes you between the airline terminals, central parking areas, rental car facilities and hotel courtesy vehicles. All travel within the airport is free. To see a complete AirTrain system map and learn more about each individual station, visit Around Newark Liberty."

For more info, check out the airport's official site (http://www.panynj.gov/aviation/ewrframe.HTM) and the Airtrain site: http://www.airtrainnewark.com/airtrainnewark/index.html

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Columbia, Md.: I've seen the ads for the new American Express travel card---you preload it and you can use it at ATMs in additon to using it like a charge card---and thought it might be a good alternative to all the confusion with the credit cards you discussed in the Sunday paper. What's your opinion? I'm going to Europe soon and am a little paranoid abbout using my ATM card and carrying lots of cash to pay for things I would normally charge to my credit card.

The Flight Crew: Gayle Keck: Amex has a "travelers check" card that costs $14.95, and has the same protections as travelers checks. There are some restrictions to the amount you can loat onto a single card and the amount you can spend. Using it at an ATM costs $2.50 and it costs $5 to reload it. But, Amex says on their website there are no fees to make purchases. You've got to decide if that's a good product for you. Personally, I'd stick to my no-fee credit card for as many purchases as possible (making sure to pay in local currency) and use my ATM card for pocket cash.

Here's the link to info on the Amex travelers check card:

http://www10.americanexpress.com/sif/cda/page/0,1641,21298,00.asp

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Washington, D.C.: A friend who lives in Baltimore has some money but only a little leave. She's looking to do some 3-day weekends in Virginia, visiting vineyards and staying at BnBs. Any suggestions? She is an avid gardener.

KC Summers: Hi Wash. Loudoun County is perfect for this sort of thing -- there are lots of charming B&Bs surrounded by wineries, antiques shops, horse-riding trails and gorgeous countryside. The development out there is a little scary, but they haven't entirely ruined it yet. The Web site visitloudoun.org has a good B&B finder. One terrific option: Buckskin Manor in Purcellville, but there are tons of others.

Charlottesville is another great destination in Va., with all of the above, plus the added draws of Thomas Jefferson's amazing house on the hill, Monticello, and of course the University of Va., just about the prettiest college campus ever. Plus the town's Downtown Mall has great shopping and frequent music festivals. Info: charlottesvilletourism.org or virginia.org.

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Rockville, Md.: Any thoughts on travel to Vieques? I have a conference in Puerto Rico in February and was considering taking a couple nights on Vieques immediately before my meetings. I guess I most curious whether 2 nights/2.5 days is long enough to make the somewhat hassled travel worthwhile. Also, do you have any thoughts on Bravo Beach Hotel (my most likely lodgings). Thanks!

Gary Lee: Do it. It's got a rustic laid back charm to it and the beaches are pretty nice. Not at all fancy so skip it if you like over the top luxury.

I don't know the Bravo Beach. Does anyone out there?

I staying El Tamarindo and can recommend it, if it's still there.

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Washington, DC: I went to NYC this weekend and used your article on hotels to find a room at the Ramada Inn East (an Apple Core Hotel). I want to strongly recommend people not stay there. The hotel staff were incredibly rude and the room was not clean --including blood in the bathroom!;!; A tip: At TKTS there is a line for musicals (actually two lines) and a line for "plays" (dramas). The play line is much shorter (though served by fewer service windows). If you don't want to see a musical be sure to get in the shorter line.

Anne McDonough: Yikes. That sounds, well, just gross. I hope you reported it to the staff so that they could do something about it, and I'm sorry to hear that your experience with them wasn't so great. I didn't have a similar experience when checking out the hotel for the article: The staff was extremely courteous and the room I saw was spotless. Thanks for the TKTS tip-and I hope your next trip to NYC is more enjoyable!

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Washington, DC: Hey flight crew - what's a good airfare to Honolulu?; Follow-up--what's a good airfare to Honolulu if you're traveling around Thanksgiving?; And is one of the area's airports gonna offer better fares?;

Carol Sottili: If you need to travel on the dates right around Thanksgiving, you're probably going to pay more. Old supply-demand thing - everyone wants to fly on the same days. Overall, a great fare to Honolulu is $600 or so round trip, but usually the only way you can get this is to book two separate legs. One flight from here to LA or San Francisco, and then from there to Honolulu. Look at discounters to LA (Southwest, for example, from BWI or Independence Air from Dulles) - if the discounters are having a sale, you may be able to get the same fare on the regular carriers. Hawaiian Air has good deals from LA to Honolulu, and Aloha Air flies from San Diego, Sacramento, Orange County, etc.

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United Arab Emirates: I read in your online paper today that the article on Death Valley said the following: quote Within 30 minutes, the pass has been rendered useless. It has fried in the midday sun, its edges charred, its text blackened beyond recognition. unquote

Pleaaaasse...has this "reporter" ever been to a hot clime? I grew up in the part of California allegedy described, and have spent 13 years in the Middle East. Let me tell you, paper does not "char" or "blacken" in left in a hot car in the sun.

What is it with reporters who think they have to overly embellish and make things up in order to get ahead in their profession? Do you really think no one out here has experienced the things you write about?

John Deiner: Pleasssse, indeed. That's an insulting insinuation, and the questions you pose equally ridiculous.

Yes, the paper from the machine blackened in the sun. And yes, there truly is a park ranger named Vicki Wolfe who commented on it.

At The Washington Post, travel stories are journalism. Just like all Post reporters, we attribute our facts and do not make things up. Period.

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Arlington, Va.: To follow up on the Holyfield sighting:

Friends of ours were on their honeymoon in Maui and staying at the Grand Wailea. While at the pool one day, they noticed someone who looked familiar - and quickly realized it was Mike Tyson!

John Deiner: Wow. Them's are fightin' words. Or at least a fightin' story.

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Destination Germany: You guys seem to have all the answers so I'm hoping you'll have one for me. I'm planning to go to Germany to rendezvous with my husband who is currently 'visiting' Iraq. The problem is that I have no idea when he might get leave or how much notice we'll get in order to line things up. So I'm wondering a few things:

1. Can you recommend websites where I can search for last minute deals to get me from here to there?; I've been searching fares from Baltimore to Frankfurt (looking in November just to try and get an idea of prices) and they are all over the place.

2. Knowing that the possibility exists that I may have to change travel dates because of my husband's orders, is it better to purchase a full price ticket, fully refundable or whatever it goes by, in order to minimize potential change fees?;

3. It looks like we'll have about 14 days to tour. If we spend a day or two in Frankfurt (that will be our meeting point), is it reasonable to include Munich, Salzburg, and Garmish without overextending ourselves?;

Ok, maybe that's more than a few things but I figured you would be the folks in the know. Hope you can help.

Gary Lee: Well, I can rry with some of the answers. I CAN'T answer definitively about the full fare ticket, but my hunch is yes, go for that or risk losing your money.

It's not easy to find international flights at a good fare at the last minute. But I would travel SmarterTravel, Expedia, and Orbitz and Hotwire for starters.

As for your itinerary, I think the Munich Salzburg Garmish idea is great. I would spent most of the time in Munich, which is fabulous. Minimize your time in Franfurt, which is not fabulous.

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Maryland reader: Hi Flight Crew --

The new "Your Vacation in Lights" feature sounds fun. Are there any limitations on how recent the vacation described should be?; Thanks.

KC Summers: Hi, Md. Yes, we're having lots of fun reading all the submissions. I know contest judges always say this, but it was really, really hard picking yesterday's winner out of so many great entries. We were on the floor with some of them (in a good way). I just wish we could run the feature every week. As for timing, ideally the trips should have been taken within the past year, since things change so rapidly and we like to be as current as possible.

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Herndon, Va: I'm planning a week-long trip to Lake Tahoe next summer to do fishing, hiking, biking at the lake with my family, including 2 teenage boys, by trading my timeshare week in S. Carolina for a resort in S. Lake Tahoe. I'm looking at adding a few days before or after the week to include side trips to either San Francisco or Yosemite. What would make the most sense airline-wise and driving-wise; fly into SF and drive, or fly into Reno and drive?; It seems like flying into SF would be cheaper, and easier to use my United mileage, but the driving might be longer. Flying into Reno appears to make more sense if Yosemite is the side trip vs SF. Also, any recommendations on lodging near Yosemite, they don't need to be in the park?;

The Flight Crew: If you want to fly in and out of the same airport, another one to consider is Sacramento, particularly if you decide to visit San Francisco.

The United mileage program lets you do "open jaw" flights - flying into one city and returning from another, so that's something else to consider if you're using miles.

If you're a white-knuckle flyer, the Reno landing can be a little intense, what with mountains and air currents.

Book waaaay in advance for lodging if you're considering Yosemite - but also know that day-of cancellations often become available if you want to roll the dice.

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Laurel, Md.: Re Bronx's question about cars in Death Valley:

Be aware that in that general area many small car's air conditioning is not really up to keeping your interior to a reasonable temperature. Even when you're not in DV, 105 is common in Las Vegas summers and Laughlin is even hotter.

When you're walking around in the Southwest when it's 105 "dry heat" doesn't feel as hot as DC does at 95; but some smaller cars AC can't cool more than 15-20 degrees. And 115 is HOT no matter how dry. Rent at least a mid-size.

John Deiner: Thanks, Laurel. Can't completely agree--we got our car pretty cold, but maybe it's just because anything under 100 felt good that day. Great info, though--thanks for chiming in.

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I almost knocked Margaret Thatcher on her can: I was in the viewer's box in the House of Lords and they recessed to vote. I had only a back view of her head and didn't know she was there until she turned to gather her things and I saw her profile. wow!; I thought.

My friend was waiting outside, and security chose to let me out as they were coming back in. the foyer area was a little dark and we came inches from both going sprawling. excuse me's all around and when I got outside I called my Mom to tell her I nearly made the international news.

later, a tour guide, when I told him my story (still star struck) said "you should have put your shoulder into it".

(actually I admire her, but that comment was so typically British)

KC Summers: We're laughing here.

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Brush with Greatness: Back when "L.A.LAw" was on the air, my dad and I were in a Dulles mobile lounge, on our way to pick up my mom. My dad suddenly noticed a short guy and a pretty woman sitting across the way from us, and he kind of pointed and said, just so the guy could hear, "Michael Tucker!;" Mr. Tucker smiled and nodded, maybe grateful that my dad hadn't swarmed him. Ms. Jill Eikenberry didn't even notice the exchange.

John Deiner: Anything to break up the monotony of those mobile lounges would be a blessing to me. Whatever happened to Michael Tucker anyhow?

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Denver, Colo: 2 years ago flying from NYC to London on Virgin Atlantic we noticed a bunch of guys from MTV's show "Jacka$$". The flight attendants told us they drank a lot and then passed out for the rest of the flight. Once at Heathrow it was nice to see they were like the rest of us - picking up and shlepping their own bags out of the airport.

John Deiner: Those guys are crazy. Surprised they didn't jump outta the flight in mid-takeoff.

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Oakton, Va.: There was the time I was traveling home with my boss from LA. We arrived at the main terminal at Dulles, where my boss asked me whether I knew I had stuck my butt in Meredith Baxter Birney's face on the very crowded mobile lounge. I did laugh later when I saw her and her assistant. The assistant was weighed down with baggage and she had nothing but a big straw hat covering her face.

KC Summers: Meredith Baxter Birney! What has she done for us lately? Actually, I don't think she's a Birney anymore, is she?

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Alexandria, Va.: My brush with (semi-) greatness. Huey Lewis. OK, I know you may stop reading right now, but yes, Huey Lewis. I was on summer vacation with my family in upstate New York in a historic area where everything is within walking distance. He (along with The News) was playing an outdoor amphitheatre. At the back of the amphitheatre is a loading area and a little porch where all the "talent" load their stuff in. That night I was wandering back to our hotel - so impressed with myself because I'd been allowed to walk back alone(!) after spending the evening with other 15-yr-olds I'd met at the day camp. Huey Lewis and his bus were out behind the amphitheatre getting ready to head out. I walked right past them and he shouted at me and asked if I wanted a beer! Hey, being 15, this was a big deal (even though I was too nervous to take the beer). I got a sweet concert t-shirt out of it though, and obviously I'm still laughing about it 13 years later.

John Deiner: Stop reading at the words "Huey Lewis." NEVER. He was actually, er, popular in his day. Thanks for the flashback, Al.

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Starstruck: I flew America West out to LA to be on Jeopardy several years ago. While waiting to check in I saw Lou Ferrigno, the Incredible Hulk, schlepping his own bags from the baggage counter. He looked very friendly.

John Deiner: If the Incredible Hulk can't schlep his own bags, then nobody can. Just don't make him mad.

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Brush with Greatness: When i was in college in Massachusetts and living in Indiana, I usually flew back and forth, and at that time the connection was in Cleveland. On one particular trip, the plane that was intended to take us on the second leg of our journey had mechanical problems. I was flying sutdent standby, but one of my fellow passengers was wearing a huge fur coat and an even larger diamond ring, and was surely traveling first class. He graciously talked to his fellow passengers while we all discussed our odds of getting on the plane and on to our destination. He was definitely of the Norman Vincent Peale school of optimism, I thought at the time. I still have my ticket wallet for that flight these many years later, autographed by Liberace.

John Deiner: Man, you guys have had some awesome brushes. Liberace?? Wonderful stuff.

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For Edinburgh, Late October: Hello Crew,

I was unable to make the chat last week and later discovered that somebody needed information on fun things to do in and around Edinburgh. I lived there for a couple years and thought I might pitch in some advice, if it's not too late.

For cheap, friendly lodging, BnBs are the way to go. There's a slew of them south of the city center facing Arthur's Seat, that are about 20 minutes walk from the High Street (Royal Mile). I highly recommend looking into them, as an alternative to hotel chains. Breakfast, of course, is included and the proprietors offer great local information.

For things to do that don't involve museums: I highly recommend taking a walk around Arthur's Seat to Duddingston Village, a gorgeous little town just a mile from the city center that is home to Edinburgh's oldest pub, the Sheep's Heid. The walk is stunning and it's hard to believe the city is right behind you.

If you're up for castles and want to venture beyond Edinburgh itself, I vote for a visit to Doune Castle, which lies to the north and west, near Stirling, and is accessible by bus. Although it's a ruin, most of it is still standing, and you can walk through a majority of the building. Also, some of "Monty Python and the Holygrail" was filmed there, although you'd never know it, except for a pair of coconut halves lying on the counter in the gift shop. You can also pick up a bus in St. Andrews Square and make a trip to Rosslyn Chapel, which is a beautiful 15th century structure featured in the DaVinci Code. Although it's currently being restored, it's really worth the trip for historical interest beyond the fiction of Dan Brown.

For more information on cool stuff to do visit: http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/ . It's how I planned all the tours I gave to visitors. Shhh. .. don't tell.

KC Summers: Great stuff, FELO, it's never too late. We'll all keep this info to ourselves, right guys?

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Re: Holyfield: The best part about the sighting was about an hour after we got off the plane. We waited for my sister's flight to get in, then the three of us went to the rental car shuttle. On the shuttle I heard these four twentysomethings talking about how it would be so great if they saw a celebrity during their L.A. trip. Not a second later, one of them screamed, "Oh my God!; It's Evander Holyfield!;" He was waiting on the curb outside the airport for someone to pick him up (no limo?;). Their excitement over this was quite entertaining.

John Deiner: Thanks for the epilogue.

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Washington DC: is there such a thing as "culture shock"?; how often does it hit and what are the symptoms?; I literally just returned from an extended stay in Latin America and as soon as I hit the airport with all the gringos, I began having adverse reactions to leaving. Now I'm home, I'm depressed and all I've done is daydream about going back. I find myself comparing everything between the two countries. I've travelled all over the world and this has happened once before when I was a child. But now I'm an adult and I'm moping about like a sullen teenager. has this happened to anyone else?; how does one get over this?;

Gary Lee: Of course there is culture shock. After four years or so living in Soviet Russia friends of mine would accuse my casual conversation of sounding like a plenary speech of the communist party.

One thing you can do to ease your way in is to create your own mini Latin America here. Go to cultural activities sponsored by folks from wherever you were. Don't overdo it or you'll never really get used to being home. And remember that when you immerse yourself in a place, you're supposed to change. So some what you're going through is expected.

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Washington, D.C.: last week, a person asked about australia. i would just like to remind that traveller that at a minimum, 2 weeks is required just to see melbourne and sydney. from what i hear, canberra can be skipped. other places i'd go to, if i had, say, a month, would be a wine country tour in adelaide, a visit to ularu and alice springs or up along the east coast to surfer's paradise, brisbane and the great barrier reef.

John Deiner: Thanks,D.C. Always good to get as much feedback we can on a particular locale. And as we all know, that's a big ol' continent.

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Raleigh, NC: I'm planning to travel to NYC sometime in the mid Novemer timeframe and I'm wondering whether the city will be decked out for Christmas (tree in Rockfeller center, etc.) in mid November. Yes, I know it's early, but I'm trying to take advantage of some of the current airfares and they only extend until mid November. Thanks for your response!;

Anne McDonough: Though some people, sadly, use Halloween as the beginning of the months-long holiday season, Thanksgiving really kicks it off in New York. The Rockefeller tree lighting will be Nov. 30 this year, so while the tree will be there from, I believe (don't quote me on this one) from November 11 onwards, it won't be lit up. The department store windows generally start right before Thanksgiving as well.

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Washington, DC: I love the budget airlines: Jet Blue (for the west coast), Spirit (for Mexico and the Caribbean), Independence and Southwest (for other US destinations). Not because the level of service is great (though sometimes it is), but becuase they are INEXPENSIVE.

I would love to travel to Europe more but the airfares seem SO high - especially hard to justify for a long weekend getaway. My travels tends to be 2-4 days long.

I've heard rumblings about a budget trans-atlantic airline. Do you think this will really happen anytime soon?; If I can just get to Stansted for $300, there will be many connections I could make on the countless European budget airlines that fly out of there.

Don't you think there is a huge market for a budget airline (or many budget airlines) that fly to Europe?;

Carol Sottili: An outfit called MaxJet Airlines was supposed to start discount service between BWI and Stansted this fall, but the price of jet fuel has forced them to delay the start until spring at the earliest. From New York, there are a few charter/budget carriers - Eurofly to Bologna, Italy, for example.

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Farragut Square, Washington, D.C.: Twenty years ago I was on a beach in East Hampton with my mother and younger sister (we were both in our early mid-twenties at the time). My mother was debating whether to go in the water and decided to ask a father who was dipping his baby son in the waves: "You look like an honest person, tell me, is the water cold?" "Well, if I'm to be honest," he replied, "it is a little cold, but quite invigorating."

My sister and I were dying on the blanket, as my mother was completely unaware that she had just been quizzing Paul McCartney, whom no one else on the beach had had the nerve to approach!

John Deiner: Your mom quizzed a Beatle? And all you could do is sit on the beach and watch. For shame.

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Another Mike Tyson story: While I was in Los Angeles visiting with a friend, we went out to eat at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles in Hollywood. After we sat down, I noticed a guy staring at us and waving. My friend and I looked and realized it was Mike Tyson with his entourage. They seemed to want us to join them, but we declined. He is definitely shorter and smaller in person than I had imagined.

John Deiner: That guy gets around, doesn't he?

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Fairfax, Va.: Timshare Answer: Go for it! I own 2 weeks at 2 different properties with RCI's main competitor. $2,500 is a steal, especially if those are Canadian $. I cannot speak for RCI's property exchange system, but I have always been able to book my desired destination, unlike the hassle of trying to use frequent flier miles. I even got 2 consecutive weeks in New Zealand a few years ago. If you want to stay someplace decent with homey accomodations (partial or full kitchen, laundry facilities, hot tub, 2 or more bedrooms), and you can take a full 7 consecutive days off, then a timeshare is the way to go. Why not ask RCI for some references and spend a few minutes chatting with some of their long-time customers?

Carol Sottili: Like I said, some people swear by them.

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Cubeville: Your excellent article on Slovenia has energized us. We thought of basing our trip in Zagreb and taking the train to Ljubljana, then back to Z and on to Trieste and Venice. Is this doable?; Should we get a travel agent to help with the details, and if so, whom do you recommend?; Thanx for your help

KC Summers: I don't know, why don't you ask the New York Times since THAT'S WHO RAN THE ARTICLE?! But in the spirit of ecumenism, I'll try to post a link to our story on Ljubljana from a couple of years ago. Equally ispirational I'm sure.

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Toronto, Canada: A question about money and travel: what's the best way to access money in a US account in China?; I'll be mostly in Beijing for the next six months with some travelling in other areas (urban and rural). Should I should rely on a credit card?; Travelers cheques?; A wad of renminbi?;

Thanks in advance,

(I just moved from Washington DC to Canada but still read the Post every day - the local edition!;)

Anne McDonough: I always have a few travelers cheques with me for China just in case, though the past three trips I relied almost exclusively on ATMs, though I found the further west I went the fewer ATMs there were (it certainly could have changed, but I couldn't find one in Urumqi, for example). Beijing's got plenty of them.

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Michael Tucker: His last appearance was on Law and Order, playing Quentin in episode "Publish and Perish" which aired April 20, 2005. Gotta love imdb.com.

John Deiner: Now I can sleep tonite. I'm glad he's still around. Thanks!

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Boston, Mass.: My family and I spent Easter a few years ago in Florence with my sister who was studying there for the year. She took us to an Easter service at the American church, and midway through the service, my dad elbowed me and said, psst, is that??? I confirmed, as I passed him coming back down the aisle, that sitting a few rows behind us was the lovely David Hyde Pierce (Niles, from Frasier). We didn't bother him, but overheard him speaking with the minister at the close of the service - the pastor said "I love your work", and Mr. Pierce responded and said "Thanks, I liked yours too." Just seemed like such a nice (and normal) person. Also repeatedly ran into Ted Danson (visiting his daughter) in obscure out of the way restaurants on another trip to visit the sister in Florence. Maybe I should visit her more often to rack up the celebrity sightings!!!

Anne McDonough: I like David Hyde Pierce's response. What a class act.

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a 1-2 C-list celebrity punch!;: Doing a girlfriends weekend in NYC, we decided to stop into a Korean nail shop on Madison Ave. for a mani/pedi. As I got to the top step and opened the door, I was certain I recognized the perfectly coiffed head in front of me and said to my friend (after closing the door) "That's Ivana Trump!;". She said "no, that's a drag queen, and why would Ivana Trump come to a dumpy nail salon like this?;".

Well, I was right--it was indeed Ivana trump seated at the nail station right next to mine while chatting with Emiril Lagasse on her left!; BAM!;

John Deiner: BAM! is right. I guess Ivana does sorta have a "drag queen" thing going on. Thanks for the laugh.

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Arlington, Va.: For Gayle and all overseas travelers: Another great source for low-fee credit cards is your credit union. Many do not have all those add on fees, and the annual fees and rates are often lower than bank cards. And remember to call the credit union to let them know you will be traveling overseas so your purchases will not be blocked by the new automated fraud prevention programs.

The Flight Crew: Gayle Keck: You're right! Some credit unions do have good low-fee deals. Mine doesn't add fees, but does pass on Visa's 1% for currency exchange. I use that card as a back-up to my no-fee Capital One card.

It's always a good idea to alert any credit card issuer (credit union, MBNA, Chase, Citi, etc.) when you are going overseas. It's a good opportunity to check on the overseas fee situation, too.

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Bethesda, Md.: Hey Travel Crew! My brushes with greatness, I have so many! Let's see I'll pick a couple of my favorites. My cousin and I nearly ran over Gwenyth Paltrow (pre Apple) when we were driving in Manhattan one day. She walked right out in front of us even though we had a green light. My cousin gave her the finger and I mouthed "I'm sorry" to her, she just laughed and waved.

Michael Jordan holds a golf tournament in Greenville, NC every year. Being the home of East Carolina University there are a number of bars around town which leads to many, many, many drunken celebrities. Damon Wayans nearly took out my friend and I as we were walking down the sidewalk he was so drunk and we never saw Michael Jordan without a least one blonde connected to his hip.

KC Summers: Gee, I'd like the Gwyneth story better if she'd apologized for jaywalking instead of laughing it off. Thanks for these little glimpses of reality.

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Washington, DC: Back in 1998 I was 16, on a flight from Dallas to NYC for a summer away from home, and all teary at the airport. I was a bit suprised by the hoards of screaming teenage girls, but I didn't think too much of it through my nervousness. Walking through first class back to my seat I noticed these five youngish guys and a few very very large bodyguards who were a bit leering, but whatever. It was only later I discovered they were the members of N'SYNC - I had no clue who they were at the time. Some of my friends were VERY upset with me!;

Anne McDonough: Consider yourself lucky.

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Allentown, Pa.: I'm a huge Food Network fan, so when I spotted a big man with a red ponytail and orange clogs in the Union Square Greenmarket in NYC the day before Thanksgiving a couple years ago, I knew right away it was "Molto" Mario Battali. I freaked out in excitement introduced myself and told him I loved his restaurants. No one else seemed to notice him. He ended up giving me advice on what kitchen knives to buy. Sweet guy.

John Deiner: Another encounter of the foodie kind.

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Del Ray, Va.: Visiting my parents in Pembroke Pines Florida one year for Christmas, my brother and I recognized Vanilla Ice at Christmas day mass at St. Bernadette's church in Cooper City. Ice Ice Baby!

KC Summers: These posts are really taking us back... Thanks.

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Hartford, Conn.: Re: brush with "greatness": I was waiting to catch a flight from LAX to JFK when I saw O.J. Simpson in the lounge (this was before the "incident" that led to the "Trial of the Century" for that decade). I approached him for an autograph for my then-boyfriend, and just as he took my pen and paper, the intercom announced that they were boarding for 1st class. He told me to follow him and he would give it to me on the plane, and I explained that I was only traveling coach (I was pretty young at the time - now I would have just marched on!). He was very friendly, said it would be fine, and gave me the autograph on the plane. I went to my seat with the impression that he was a very friendly, down-to-earth guy. However, a few years later....

An exciting/unsettling experience to be sure, depending on your opinion of the verdict!

John Deiner: We'll just let this one hang out there.

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My Very Own Brush with Greatness: Not quite a vacation story, but entertaining nonetheless. I was interning a few years ago here in DC (while I was in college before I moved here permanently). My internship was in one of the K Street buildings, and one day I took an afternoon break and went outside. It was late summer and quite hot, so I was wearing a short skirt (very intern-like!;). As I left the building, a man opened the door for me and surveyed me up and down ... It was a little gross, and I blushed and said thank you while I rushed out.

I walked across the street for a soda, and then I realized who had opened the door for me and check me out. I went back to my office and asked my supervisor, who confirmed that he had consulting offices in our building.

It was Newt Gingrich. I never did run into him again, thankfully.

KC Summers: Chilling little glimpses ... thanks!

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Westminster, Md.: As I arrived at Heathrow for a few weeks in London around November 1999, I noticed waiting press and fans cordoned off in the arrivals area. There were signs saying something about "spanking the Yank" and a discernable buzz of excitement in the air. When I asked who was expected, a young woman replied, "Lennox Lewis." Not a boxing fan, that meant nothing to me, so I had to ask who he was. I think Lewis had just returned from defeating Tyson or maybe Evander Holyfeld -- or some other American boxer, at any time. Anyway, I waited around with the crowd. Soon Lennox Lewis arrived, to a flurry of flashbulbs. With an older lady (who appeared to be his mother) on his arm, he made his way somewhat shyly through the crowd, shaking hands in a path headed my way. He paused a second at me but, still somewhat bewildered by the fuss, I didn't extend my hand. The awkward moment lasted only a second and he moved on to more eager fans. Afterwards I felt bad for dissing Lennox Lewis, but as an American abroad, I guess I didn't appreciate the jubilation about "spanking the Yank."

John Deiner: Gee, whiz. You guys have had a lot of dealings with boxers, haven't you?

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washingtonpost.com: Your Vacation in Lights , (July 31, 2005)

KC Summers: Here's a link to our new Vacation in Lights feature.

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Pittsburgh, Pa.: My brush with celebrity greatness: In the late 1980s, I happened upon the grand opening of a new sports bar while in Pittsburgh on business. (Now my hometown.) One of the celebrities was a young Sports Illustrated swimsuit model named Rachel Hunter (later to be Mrs. Rod Stewart.) I had my photo taken with Rachel (dressed in more than a swimsuit, I should add) and used to keep it on my desk at work as a joke. One day a client saw it and asked if that was my fiancee. I never had the heart to tell her the story behind the photo as she was just so sincere in her question to me!

John Deiner: There ya go. Not too many of these tales have included the elusive celebrity photo.

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Charlottesville, Va: Posted this awhile back but got no reply. I'm trying to decide between Hong Kong or Singapore for a 2006 trip. Your thoughts about: best time of year to go.ie: best weather,least tourists etc. In country costs of one vs.the other. Thx

Anne McDonough: Hm. Both are great, both can be rather expensive. Skip summer for both of them if possible. My vote would be to head to Hong Kong in the fall.

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Washington, DC: I was visiting NYC with my sister when we got lost in Greenwich Village. She stopped a woman to ask for directions. She took off her sunglasses and it turned out to be Susan Sarandon with her daughter Ava. My sister just said "Oh my god, you're Susan Sarandon!;" She was very nice trying to help with directions. I was definitely starstruck.

John Deiner: Nice stuff, D.C. YOu have to work hard not to avoid celebs in Manhattan sometimes . . . one of my faves was chasing after Dick Clark's limo on New Year's Eve many moons ago. Never did catch up to him.

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San Francisco, Calif.: I have 4 exciting plane stories: 1. shared a redeye from SFO to Indianapolis from 11am to 5am with Super Bowl ringed Bubba Paris - we chatted about business for hours and he bragged that he backed music phenom MC Hammer early on!

2. on a shuttle from LAX to SFO, a high-heeled woman in a white pant-suit was walked to her gate with a small tote by her chaffeur - the lovely Ms. Suzanne Somers

3. at the smoothie line at DCA at 5am one morning, I recognized a familiar face at the time, Special Master Kenneth Feinberg of the 9/11 families fund - he was very friendly and chatted up the smoothie makers about being up so early!

4. finally, and this is the best one, i met a tall blonde on a United flight from Chicago to SFO, in first class upgrade seat, after someone was in 3c, i moved to 6d - was welcomed to the plane by a smart, savvy woman - and after 6 hours of chatting continuously - who is now my wife! we had Rhapsody in Blue played at our wedding, and she framed our boarding pass for our 1st (paper) anniversary! this Sept 17 will be the 10 year celebration of that flight!!

KC Summers: What a great story! No. 4, I mean. Not that the others aren't fun too, but love this romantic story and happy ending. One more reason to upgrade!

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Philadelphia, Pa.: What are the rules for how long a plane can sit at the gate or on the runway before passengers get some kind of compsenation, or can ask to be switched to another flight?; I've been on several flights recently where my plane was kept at the gate for two hours (never more) for some kind of technical problem and then waited another hour or two on the runway for takeoff.

Flying out on British Airways from Heathrow on Saturday, our plane was delayed 3 hours ... and not because of the weather. It was a faulty PA system. Is there some time point where the airline is expected to switch planes?; Why can't they let passengers wait in the lounge if they know there is a technical problem on the plane that must be fixed before take off?; People were getting stir ctazy on what was already going to be a 7-1/2 hour flight.

Carol Sottili: International carriers out of London or any other foreign city wouldn't be subject to our rules. Plus we have no rules when it comes to waits at the gate or on the tarmac. Before 9/11, there was a strong movement to create a passenger bill of rights for air travel, but that went by the boards.

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Timesharer: I have two timeshare weeks and can tell you it is worth the money, especially if you have kids. One weeks worth of hotels could cost you $1000 every year. For $2,500 you are getting villa vacations with bedrooms for life. The mistake people make with Timeshares are thinking that they are real estate investments...they are not, they are pre-paid vacations. Resale is very bad on them, they are only of value if you use them.

I have never had a problem trading out of mine to get to Florida, Hilton Head, Vail and Maui.

Carol Sottili: Another positive report.

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Chicago, Ill : this is for Stevensville, MD I had the same thing happen to me on an ATA flight from Reagan to Chicago and had my boarding pass yanked from my hand by a gate attendant and was told I was being "bumped" out of the seat right in front of the flight attendants and was going to be relegated to the back of the plane when there was already an empty seat right next to the seat double booked. The flight crew made no attempt to remedy except to say take the vacant seat and ATA was less than obliging in an e-mail exchange (which is the only way they will communicate) and said "apologize for inconvenience". I was less than pleased with the whole situation.

Carol Sottili: Thanks for sharing.

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Arlington, Va.: I'm also fresh back from a trip (Vietnam). Thinking I'd save money, I used a consolidator to buy airfare tickets, which amounted to $1100 including visa fees. Comparatively, a backpacker pair in Vietnam had used Orbitz to buy tickets, amounting to $1400 (visa fees were not included). The difference between the two prices isn't significant when I factor in the flexibility of changing flights on your itinerary. It's more convenient (possible) to change flights with a travelocity/orbitz-bought ticket. However, with a consolidator-bought ticket, airlines would not consider any flight changes (The ticket agent told me that this was due to the airline not knowing the price I paid to the consolidator for the ticket). Next time around, I'm going to take the non-consolidator route for airfare.

Switching to another topic: did Dulles always charge $3 to use the luggage carts? I was spoiled by international airports offering carts for free, so I was floored by the charge of $3 to save your back from carrying heavy items.

Carol Sottili: I don't believe Dulles charges when you arrive from an international flight, but does charge in domestic terminal. But I could be wrong.

Could you send your contact info to sottilic@washpost.com? I'd like to talk more about the consolidator experience.

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Arlington, Va.: I have the opportunity to go with some relatives on a week long Chamber of Commerce sponsored trip to China at a fairly good price. I am trying to decide whether it is worth it to go on a trip like this since the itinerary is strictly scheduled - they say you can't opt out of any of the scheduled activities - and they seem to be steering people towards "tours" of factory stores, herbal remedy centers and the like where the goal seems to be to get Americans to spend money. I've read bad things about Chinese tour operators and this one does seem to do a lot of the bad practices common to the industry. This does bothers me, but on the other hand I could go to China which is a place I've never been before - the itinerary is pretty standard - Beijing, Great Wall, Shanghai, Suzhou - for relatively cheap 1299 including airfare from LA for a week. Could the factory tours,business contact meetings, and task master tour guides actually be interesting in a bizarre way or should I just save my extra vacation for a longer vacation at some point? I have been wanting to do the Trans-Sib for a long time.

Anne McDonough: $1300 is cheap for a week with airfare and all that sort of stuff, but it's still a massive hunk of change, and wouldn't you rather put that money towards a trip of your own choosing? I'm never one to dissuade someone from a trip to China, but I'd say, hold off, plan the trip yourself and don't get trapped into visiting factory after factory after factory.

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Washington, DC: In 2002 I was an exchange student in Ghana. While wandering around Accra with a friend one afternoon I noticed a man who looked astonishingly like Kevin Spacey. We stared at him for a while, but didn't think much of it. The next day we heard that Bill Clinton was in town for the launch of an anti-poverty program. We went to the hotel where he would be speaking and talked our way into the reception. There in the front of the room were Clinton, Kevin Spacey, and Chris Rock. Definitely not what I expected when I moved to Africa.

John Deiner: Good one, D.C. Just where you least expected it, right?

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Grand Canyon AZ: Hasn't UAE ever gotten a receipt on thermal paper?; The print is rendered by heating the paper, not by ink. You heat the entire piece of paper, it all goes black.

John Deiner: Aha! Thanks, Grand Canyon, for coming to the rescue. I guess UAE has been receipt-free in the hot climes.

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dc: I appreciate how you ask a question each week to try and get assorted comments on a common topic, but can I just say that I'm really not enjoying this week's?; There's almost no travel advice going on today and 3 out of 4 questions are simply who you saw somewhere. Yawn. Maybe I'll come back next week.

John Deiner: Hey, DC. To each his own, I guess. I'm surprised by the number of responses myself, and I promise that next week, we'll concentrate more on answering questions. Now wake up.

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Air quality: Hi all - it's been frequently written about, the polluted air in several Italian cities. (W/ such scary blurbs as "a day walking around is equivalent to smoking x cigarettes") So...please, enlighten us, what's the real deal?;

Gary Lee: I have not seen the comparisons you're talking about but as a former environment reporter who used to write a lot about air quality, I can offer these thought: the air quality in most of the major cities of Itality is bad, worse than you'd find in most any US city. Even though Italians are in general heavy smokers, that's not what makes the air quality bad in the streets. The problem in most cases is that there are too many cars and the pollution controls on them are not terribly strigent and not always adhered to. Since it's an auto emissions problem, I would personally try to bring the point home more by saying that walking around for a day in XX is like putting your head next tro an auto exhaust pipe for XX minutes.

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Other Travel Writers: I have a question about the biz side of your work. Who do you consider to be your competition in travel writing?; Is it other travel sections in major newspapers?; Travel magazines?; Are there any travel writers whom you particularly love?;

KC Summers: I don't think of travel mags as our competition since their lead times don't allow them to compete with us in terms of breaking news. One of our great strengths is that we can react very quickly to world events that affect travelers. Also, they've got it all over us as far as reproduction, paper quality, etc -- no way our photography can look as good. Just two different animals. As for newspapers, between our consumer focus and emphasis on original, offbeat storytelling we're not really like most newspaper travel sections, so it's hard to compare.

Re favorite travel writers, just speaking for myself here, but I love Bill Bryson, Redmond O'Hanlon, Paul Theroux. Also love fiction writers with a strong sense of place, like John Burdett, whose "Bangkok 8" and "Bangkok Tattoo" evoke the spirit of that city like nobody else.

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washingtonpost.com: Slovenia , (June 16, 2002)

KC Summers: Our Ljubljana and environs story. Thanks Kim.

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Arlington, Va.: Not so much a question but a vent: what the heck is wrong with Travelocity these days? I tried to access my trip via my ID # online but couldn't get through, so I called the customer service number, waited on hold for over 30 minutes, and then gave up. I like the ease in making reservations, but their customer service is the PITS. I don't plan on using them in the future, and was wondering if you've heard similar complaints from others (or is it just me). Thanks.

Carol Sottili: Had another complaint about Travelocity today. I don't think that necessarily means anything, but I'm surprised because it has a new heavily touted guarantee policy that is supposed to ease problems.

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Reno or SF?: For the person wondering what airport to fly into for Lake Tahoe/Yosemite, I recommend Reno. I got a super-cheap flight there a few years ago. The airport is much more pleasant than dealing with the big, busy airports in the Bay Area, and of course it's right next to Lake Tahoe (you get a fabulous view taking off/landing). The best part is that Yosemite is a short and beautiful drive away, and if you come from the Reno side, you take the less-crowded entrance (can't remember the name right now, but it takes you to Tuolomne Meadows). Much more pleasant, I would think, than using the more popular entrance. You'd still want to go into Yosemite Valley, but you'd have a less stressful and crowded introduction to the park.

Anne McDonough: Thanks, hope that poster's still on.

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Raleigh NC: I don't know how "great" this brush with greatness is, but last fall, I was flying home from a two week work trip to Nanjing/Shanghai, China. I was completely unable to sleep any part of the flight between Tokyo and Minneapolis, due to the lovely woman sitting next to me, who kept lifting the arm between our seats, and using me for her personal snuggle-pillow. So, when I got on my connector back to home (then Lincoln NE), I was tired, cranky, suffering a touch of Chairman Mao's Revenge, and generally not good company.

THEN down the aisle comes this really tall, muscularly built man...BIG. I'm thinking "not next to me, not next to me, I NEED SLEEP!;!;!;" So of course, who is he next to?; He sits down, moves up the arm between seats, and says hello, and looks incredibly familiar for some reason. I at this point no longer have a filter between my brain and mouth, so I blurt out, "You're someone I should know. Who are you?;" He just laughed and introduced himself as Irv Cross. I sputtered a bit, and said, "Irv Cross...the football guy, the one that I used to watch on Sundays when I started following the Niners in the 80's?; That Irv Cross?;?;?;" He assured me he was, and let me know that he was shocked I knew anything about football (I'm a 5-foot, 95 pound girl). We spend the flight talking about sports, and the work he's been doing with trying to develop a sports-as-social-history museum piece. He's a charming, humble man, who was generally surprised and charmed at the "little girl" who, as he put it, still remembered who he was.

Carol Sottili: How nice! This gives me a chance to tell my story. Seventeen years ago, I had just moved to Washington, leaving my great job as a reporter at the San Diego Union to follow my husband as he started a new job here. I was unemployed and miserable. I flew up to visit my mother in New York and who should sit next to me but Ben Bradlee himself. Took me about 20 minutes to get up the nerve to approach him, but he was very kind, giving me hints on how to apply at the Post, etc. I followed his advice, got some copy editing experience at another newspaper and then was hired here at the Post. What a lucky coincidence!

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Charlotte, NC: My brush with greatness occurred in London, in the Knightsbridge area not too far from Harrod's. I was wandering along (trying to stay awake as long as possible, given my jet-lagged state) when a guy with a camera came jumping out from behind some object just in front of me. Given my state, I had no idea what was going on until I noticed that the couple walking toward me from the other direction was Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe. So, there you have it--a brush with celebrities and a tabloid photographer all at once.

Anne McDonough: Was this before or after their romance hit the stands?

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Dillwyn, Va: For last week's traveler going to Australia. I was there in June 04 and the inspectors at SYD had no idea what a TSA lock was. I use plastic wire ties and keep extra ones in the outside pocket of my bag. Also,if your flying out of LAX on Qantas,they had 2 terminals. Check to see where to check in.

Anne McDonough: Thanks for the info

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John Deiner: Wow. We laughed, we cried, we spent an exhausting hour together.

Thanks for hanging around, gang, and, as always, for all your great contributions to the chat.

Wish I could have posted all of your "brushes with greatness," but who knew there'd be so many? Hard to choose a fave, but the one featuring Liberace had a certain something that we all got a kick out of. So, if you had run-in with Liberace on a plane and told us about it in the past 60 minutes, send your name/address to travel@washpost.com and we'll get your towel, your box and your disposable camera in the mail.

On Sunday, look for our stories on London, Wisconsin and Beijing, plus Tom Sietsema's Postcard. Have a great week.

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