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Talk About Travel; Surprise trip hits, biking Hamptons, New Zealand tours

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 -- but 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.

Did you have travel plans to the Gulf coast? Check out our

Katrina Q&A

for an update.

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John Deiner: Welcome aboard this week's journey with the Travel section Flight Crew. I'm your captain this week, with a great gang trolling the aisle, including Gary Lee, Steve Hendrix, Anne McDonough, Andrea Sachs and --- of course -- Our Fare Lady, Carol Sottili.

Going to throw this question out, though I'm not sure what we'll reel in, if anything. I'm wondering what your favorite "surprise hit" was on a trip--you know, those things you dread and turn out to be wonderful. Squirrel World in North Dakota? That Motel 6 in Newark? That dingy little cafe that happened to be the only thing open near your Paris Hotel? Be short and sweet, but mostly be short.

Winner gets two flat things we can mail you in an envelope: a nifty faux-leather document holder and a little even-fauxer-leather-bound notepad. They're from boring travel-industry organizations, but oh-so-functional nonetheless.

And away we go....

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Alexandria, Va.: Can you please tell me whether a $675 round trip to Honolulu for spring break would be a good price on average? I checked using sidestep. I'm trying to book early, but wanted to see if I should wait...

Thanks a bunch Flight Crew! Jen

Carol Sottili: That's not bad. The cheapest you ever get is about $550 or so. Another way to try to book is to break it into two flights - here to Los Angeles or San Francisco, and then from LA or SF to Honolulu.

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Dogs of Maine: What is the story behind that determined-looking puppy on the cover of yesterday's section?

Anne McDonough: Wasn't that a cutie? I'm not always much for animal photos but that one was adorable. I wasn't the photog so can't tell you what really was motivating that pooch but I imagine the laidback life of Monhegan Island was calling.

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Cell phones in New Zealand: Dear Flight Crew,

My Mom asked me to help her figure out how to get her a cell phone in New Zealand. I know she could rent one, but that can be expensive. My question is this. I know my cell phone works all over the world, but I suspect hers does not. We have a cell phone from the UK that I would be happy to give her to use. How can I find out if the UK and New Zealand are on the same frequency. Also - have any of you had experience buying a SIM card once you are in a foreign country so that she can pay for minutes in NZ through a NZ provider using our British phone (ie take out our SIM card and pop in hers and then she would have a NZ number to use while she was there). Any advice you can offer would be appreciated. Thanks so much.

Steve Hendrix: Your mom (or you, more likely) should just call her cell phone carrier and ask what her plan allows. Some deals have the international service embedded, some need to be activated, some are ruinously expensive. (My brother in law was visiting me in Guatemala, blithely chatting away, and then got home to a $500 bill).

Call. The company should be able to give you definitive answers.

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Washington, D.C.: Could I trouble you for some thoughts on South America

trips? Here's the situation:

You have 10 days in early Jan. You will be flying into

either Sao Paolo or Buenos Aires. Where do you go?

1. Buenos Aires and Uruguay (Punta del Esta, maybe

Montevideo)

2. Northeastern Brazil beaches--Recife, Natal, Fortaleza,

Jericoacoara (any combination)

3. Rio and day trips from there (Ouro Preto, Paraty, etc)

4. Somewhere else?

I know these are all wildly different, and honestly I think

I'd be happy doing any of them. I'm just trying to get

opinions of people who may have gone and also to see

how they all stack up in terms of expense...

Thanks!

Gary Lee: These are all excellent choices. I am glad to hear you say that you'd be happy with any of them. I am a fan of all of South America, but my particular favorite in that region is Brazil.

I'd do Rio for a funky urban experience -- and people watching -- for around three days. Then I'd head up to the Northeast. Besides Refice and Natal, Salvador is a real gem in that area.

With that combination, you have city life, beaches, and exotic culture all rolled into one trip.

Anyone else have thoughts for this lucky soul planning a trip to Latin America?

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Washington, DC: Hi Flight Crew! My brothers and I are trying to plan a trip to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday and we are thinking the Outer Banks might be what we want to do. What's the best way to go about planning a week there and looking for rental housing for a week(probably shooting for early June)? Any recommendations for a location there that will have a good variety of things to do? (we will have a wide range of ages - 2 60ish people, 3 late 20s, 4 early 20s and one small child).

Thanks!

John Deiner: Hey, DC. Love the Outer Banks, I do. Best time to start planning is in January or so, when the largest selection of houses are still available. (Early June is still a few weeks from the beginning of the busy season, though, so you shouldn't have any problem finding something in your size or price range.)Check with www.outerbanks.org for a list of realtors,many of which have great search engines that spit out a whole list of possibilities.

I love the Duck area -- tons of stuff to do and less busy, plus it's centrally located if you want to do things at the far north of the Banks or down in the Nags Head area.

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Washington, D.C. -- need help TODAY please!!!: I hope you can answer this on today's chat. I had reservations for travel to LA on Independence Air for the second week of November. Got a call this morning that they are discontinuing the flight as of end of Sept. They are offering me either a full refund or travel to S.F. on the same dates, for the same price (they will apparently cease the San Diego flights, too).

The only reason I was going to LA is that I caught their $69 each way sale. I have a couple of questions I'm hoping you can answer in time for me to tell them today whether I want to take them up on their S.F. replacement offer: (1) is Flyi likely to be functioning in Nov? If they go bankrupt, am I going to lose my money? Saw your CoGo item on the gas price impact, btw. 2) Is SF in early November just too cold? If I go, I'd like to drive up the coast, or maybe to Napa (or maybe both). Is it going to be too rainy/cold for me to enjoy it??

Hope you can help -- THANKS!!!!

Carol Sottili: I don't like the way that sounds. I certainly hope Independence Air will be flying in November, as the airline has spearheaded lower prices out of Dulles, but as I said last week, it's only a matter of time before an airline will go under. Whether it will be Fly I or US Airways or Delta or ???? or a combination, no one knows. AS for San Francisco, I think you'd have fun there in November. I have fun there no matter what time of year it is. I don't know about driving to Napa then, but the city itself will be fine. Go to www.weather.com for historical averages.

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SE, Asia: Heading to Malaysia/Singapore in a few weeks and I have concerns. As a Western woman traveling in a predominantly Muslim country, how should I dress? I'll be predominantly in KL, but can I dress as I would for summer in DC? Thanks,

Gary Lee: There is such a mix of cultures in Malaysia and Singapore that you're likely to be fine dressing as you would in the DC area. The one caveat is that I'd probably advise against very short skirts or low necklines. They might make you stand out too much. Otherwise, I've seen women in both places wearing pants, dresses, etc.

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Northern Virginia newcomer: Hi,

I'm new to the area and the East in general, and I thought I'd check out the coast and the Chesapeake now that Labor Day has passed. I like doing stuff outdoors, and was thinking about maybe taking a ferry to Tangier Island or driving to Assateague, bringing my sleeping bag, and spending a night under the stars. Is this legal here (I used to do it a lot in Oregon)? Are the bugs really bad this time of year? Which island is better, Tangier or Asseteague?

Steve Hendrix: Both are lovely, especially in fall, but they are different. Asseteague is easier to get to but is, paradoxically, wilder than Tangier, which is settled. But it's settled with an old and disappearing watermen's culture that makes for a pretty still enviroment. Asseteague is a National Seashore that mostly unbuilt except for roads and campgrounds.

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Fairfax, Va.: Hi,

I'm planning on taking one of the cheap Chinatown buses up to NYC in a few weeks and was wondering if there was any public transportation from the city to the Hudson River Valley about 90 mi north. I wanted to see the Estates there in Hyde Park. Do you know of any conveyance to and from those two points? Thanks a bunch in advance.

Anne McDonough: Hey Fairfax, coming up is a TQA Andrea did on exploring the Hudson Valley region estates. As far as getting from NYC up there, the column mentions NY Waterway if you'd like to go by boat, or you could follow some of these directions from the historic h.v. site: http://www.hudsonvalley.org/ web/plan-trai.html For the cheap buses, you'd want to get off at one of the stops in the West 30s, not Chinatown, so you'd be close to Penn Station (for Amtrak) or the Hudson River (for NY Waterway), or just a few stops from Grand Central (Metro North trains). Check out www.ivymedia.com for the bus times, tickets, etc. The Vaderbilt Mansion, for example, is a Hyde Park mansion that's accessible both by Metro North and Amtrak (from the nps.gov site: The Metro-North Commuter Railroad and Amtrak both stop in Poughkeepsie, about 5 miles south of the park.). From there you'd cab it.

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washingtonpost.com: TQA re: Hudson Valley , (July 24, 2005)

Anne McDonough: Thanks, Kim!

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Arlington, Va.: I'd like to go to Malta in early November. Any idea how the weather would be? Any recommendations on hotel/packages? I like to book hotel and flights ahead when I travel, but otherwise just play it be ear. Thanks!

John Deiner: Hey, Arl. Malta is a pretty temperate locale, though it can be scorching in summertime. My guess is that you'd have pleasant weather in the Med that time of year. As far as packages go, I had great luck with Academic Tours (www.academictours.com) in New York City, which specializes in Malta. If you can, go with a better quality hotel, as there's a big difference in three stars vs. five stars.

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Fairfax, Va.: Getting ready to book a vacation through Apple Vacations. I've got a choice between USAirways and American for my flights. The American flights are little more expensive and go through Miami on the way back, but I'm a little apprehensive of USAir. Since they're merging with America West, have things stabalized? Or should I go ahead and book the American flight and deal with customs in Miami?

Carol Sottili: You don't say when you're going, but I wouldn't hesitate to book US Airways any time in the not-so-distant future. American has problems too. Let's face it, just about every legacy airline has trouble.

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Baltimore, seeking week-long Paris apartment for 6: Hi, we are going to Paris for about 5 days next April for mom-in-law's special birthday. It will be 6 adults (3 couples) ranging from mid-70s to early 40s. Looking for a 3 bedroom apt, not too far from city center, or perhaps in Montmartre neighborhood. We see lots of gorgeous places on line that are not too outrageously priced with glowing testimonitals. Can we believe these--is there a site like Trip Advisor that rates overseas short-term apts, too? Also, do you or clicksters have experience in Paris with agencies that arrange for clean, functional, and reasonably priced apts.? Many thanks!

Gary Lee: As a home owner in Paris, this is something I know a bit about.

If you check out ricksteves.com, here is a section where travelers have offered their rants and raves on all sorts of "alternative lodging," including Paris rental apartments.

Also, one site we have used where the prices seem pretty reasonable is www.parisnet.net.

Bon chance...

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Alexandria,Va: Biggest surprise hit: On a Scandanavian vacation this summer, we stopped in Helsinki twice. The first day we were there, I wasn't so impressed. The second time we stopped in however, our ferry landed in the main port. We happened upon a crepe shop set up in the market there. The BEST crepe of my life awaited me there. Perfectly thin crepe just oozing with rich european chocolate. I ate two and went home happy.

John Deiner: Mmmmmmmmmmmm. Crepes. Thanks for startin' us off, Al.

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Fortaleza, Brazil: I was about to buy online two one-way tickets for Ontario-BWI for Oct. 4 when I noticed that Southwest upped the fare about 50% overnight ($99 plus tax to $147 plus tax). Obviously a sale ended. Would it be worthwhile to wait for another sale soon or would it be risking losing even the $147 price?

If I can make a plug for the country in which I now reside (Brazil) as a vacation destination, I note that in November, United will start having two daily non-stop flights from Dulles to Sao Paulo, Varig will add a second daily non-stop from New York to Sao Paulo and TAM will begin flying from New York to SP.

Carol Sottili: Thanks for the Brazil info.

AS for Southwest, the airline offers frequent sales, but there's no telling whether it will have another one before you have to buy. And its sales often require that you purchase 14 days in advance. So I'd probably take the plunge.

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Denver, Colo: Our surprise hit happened this past 4th of July in Custer, SD. We decided to roadtrip there for the 4th last minute, and all of the park campgrounds were booked. I found a private campground on a local website and booked us a teepee to camp in. We weren't sure what to expect but we are converts. You don't have to set up a tent, they are so tall you can stand up in them, and there is plenty of room. Plus, that was our first trip to that area and we just loved it - can't wait to go back and explore some more!

John Deiner: Custer's a cool place, isn't it, Denver? That campground sounds like a real find.

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Cell phones aboad:: My daughter purchased a phone for her year in England. We took it to Sweden this summer and located a Vodaphone (sp?) store. The clerk popped out the English SIM card, dropped in a Swedish one and we were on our way in less than 10 minutes with prepaid time.

Steve Hendrix: Love it when that works.

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Reston, Va.: Spas Anyone? My husband and I are considering our first trip to a spa for a relaxing Thanksgiving. An awesome hiking program is a priority, but we'd also like to come back rested and ready for a stressful year. Any thoughts on Red Mountain or Green Valley in St. George or Rancho La Puerta in Tecate? Thanks!!

Anne McDonough: Coming up is a link to KC's story from last January about Red Mountain, and there's a side bar that goes into detail about 7 other adventure spas, including Green Valley and Rancho La Puerta.

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Alexandria, Va.: Posting early-

Wanted to give an update for anyone still worried about a London vacation. I traveled over the Labor Day weekend and had a wonderful time. The tubes have all returned to normal, there aren't any armed police around the tube stations and there still were lots of people in the pubs on a Sunday night.

On another note, I'd also like to recommend the little town of Rye in East Sussex for a day trip or weekend. It is the quinticential 17th century British town, cobblestone streets, a parish church with a commanding view from the bell tower, creaky old pubs and of course tourist shoppes. The best part is it's most British tourists as most Americans haven't heard about it. The countryside is probably the prettiest in England IMHO.

Gary Lee: We're delighted -- and not at all surprised -- to hear that the city has snapped back into gear.

Thanks for that tip, too; sounds like some place we'd love to check out.

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washingtonpost.com: Not Your Mother's Spa , (Jan. 9, 2005)

Anne McDonough: Thanks, Kim! Here, for the spa-bound.

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Bowie, Md.: Hi Crew....interesting situation about parking at DCA...tried to get into the economy lot on Sat 9/3 which was full and got a coupon that would give me the discounted rate regardless where I parked. So far, so good. Then, when returning on 9/7 and tried to exit Lot A...a supervisor had to be called to come to the booth and authorize my coupon. When I said something, I was told, that I could pay $75 or wait to pay $45. I ended up waiting 15 minutes sitting in the car, at the booth, until the supervisor arrived. While I waited, I called the phone number posted on the booth and was told, yes, for each person a supervisor had to come and authorize the coupon. Is this the ultimate in absurdity???

John Deiner: Hey, Bowie.

Let me answer your question thus: Yes.

So unlike D.C. to have an extra layer of red tape, isn't it? Thanks for sharing!

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Rocvkille, Md: I have a question about changing a reservation on an overseas flight. My daughter is studying abroad for the semester and had planned on her return flight being from Rome to London to Boston. She would like to change and would like to land in the Washington area instead. I know there is a $100 change fee, but the ticket agent who confirmed her seat moved her to a different fare class (a little higher) without asking me if that was okay or if I would like to book another flight. When I looked online and noticed the change, I called the airline. The ticket agent informed me that since there were no seats available in the class in which she is currently booked, they had moved her up and I would have to pay the difference in class fare as well. What do you think about that?

Carol Sottili: That's why you have to check those online confirmations as soon as you get them. You usually have 24 hours to change things, but once that window passes, they say, "Hey, we sent you the confirmation - you should have read it." That happened to me recently, and it wound up costing $200. If you did contact the airline within 24 hours, and they wouldn't help, ask to talk to a supervisor.

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Columbia, SC: For the person worried about Independence Air - if you purchased the ticket on your credit card, if they go under before your flight, you can get a full refund on your card since the services weren't delivered. I had tickets on Air South, a short-lived airline based in SC a few years ago, and when they went under, I got all my money refunded from my card. I wouldn't use a debit card, though - I'm not sure what the policy would be then.

Carol Sottili: As long as it's within 90 days, that would work. But then you'd still not have cheap tickets to your destination.

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New York, NY: I would like to travel to Australia and New Zealand and am considering an escorted tour package since I will be a a single female traveller (and am lazy). What would you consider as must-sees, particularly in New Zealand? I saw a highlight package tour for 11-days - do you think this is long enough?

Andrea Sachs: If the 11 days are for New Zealand only--then yes. For both, no. Eleven days in Australia is not nearly enough, and then tack on NZ--oh, you need a good lifetime. However, if you are just looking for the highlights then . .. for Australia: Sydney (zoo, outlying beaches, harbor bridge walk, Opera tour, shopping); Great Barrier Reef (snorkel or dive); Melbourne (theater, shopping, eating--though it does feel a bit like Boston, with better accents); Phillip Island for the penguins; and the Great Ocean Road coastal drive, including the 12 Apostles, trekking the Outback. New Zealand is less running around (but lots of hiking and driving. Among the sights: Wellington and the entire South Island (especially Queenstown, for the tram, Xtreme sports).

My advice: Don't try to cover too much terrain.

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Follow up from last week-St. Louis: Hi Flight Crew,

I'm the one who in wrote last week about St. Louis fares the week after Thanksgiving. I ended up getting a $168 fare from BWI on Southwest! Just sharing the joy of a cheap fare...woo-hoo!

Carol Sottili: You can save money from BWI when Southwest is having a sale. But if you live in Virginia, like I do, you better pick your flight times carefully.

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Washington, DC: My husband and I were scheduled to fly South African

Airways in August on the new Dulles-Jo'burg route. We correctly understood that no visa was required. However, I was denied boarding. U.S. Citizens are required to have "at least one

blank visa page for the purpose of endorsement." I have two blank pages in my passport. I had no totally blank pages in "Visas" but two in "Amendments and Endorsements," the pages at the back of the passport. We were admittedly not aware of this blank page requirement but even if we had been, I probably would have (erroneously) thought that the two empty pages in the "Amendments and Endorsements" section (emphasis on "Endorsements") were adequate.

The instructions from the South African Embassy read:

"Foreigners intending to visit South Africa are

hereby informed that their passports must have at least one

blank visa page for the purpose of endorsement. The

blank page needed for endorsement purposes excludes

pages in a passport reserved for observations and

amendments."

I had two pages where "endorsements" were permissible. In fact, the U.S. and Indian governments have utilized some of those extra pages as such (including an arrival stamp at Dulles Airport from January). As a side note, ground staff at South African Airways told me my passport might be invalid because of that Dulles stamp. (The U.S. Passport Agency didn't have a problem with it though.)

I suggested to the South African Embassy that for the websites of the embassies and consular sections in the United States it they more explicitly note this requirement and to track the language of the U.S. Passport. As of our departure, only the U.S. Dept. of State's website gives instructions in terms of the U.S. passport.

South African Airways informed us that on average one or two people per flight are denied boarding because of this issue. Indeed, it happened to the woman in line behind me. Ultimately, she was permitted to board because she was going on to Lesotho and not going through immigration at JNB. On the prior flight from IAD, a gentleman was denied boarding. Everyone we spoke to by phone at SAA knew our problem before we even finished our sentence - it's that common. (The issue was never mentioned to us in our calls to SAA before the flight).

I am six months pregnant and this was my last international flight for a while. It was very disappointing to be sent to the Passport Office for more pages in my passport (fully packed, ready to go, had taken a $60 cab ride to Dulles, and got sent on another ride to the Passport Office while our plane departed) and be delayed for two full days waiting for the next flight out of Dulles. We had to cancel our hotel reservations and car rental for the first two days in South Africa. There was an evening flight the day of our departure from JFK but South African Airways refused to let us get on that flight, until we worked our way up the chain (we had restricted but not inexpensive tickets). By that point it was too late. The managing ground staff of SAA was extremely rude and unhelpful. (The Passport Office was quite pleasant and efficient.)

I do appreciate that it is the passengers' responsibility to know the immigration requirements. However, in light of how common this problem is, it might not hurt for South African Airways to spread the word. We searched everywhere on their website for this requirement and it was nowhere to be found (we suggested they add in this info and SAA indicated they thought this was a good suggestion). Another factor for us was that we didn't have a travel agent - we bought our tickets electronically. I did a Google search, however, and most travel agents simply advise to have one blank page in your passport. I'm not sure that advice would have been sufficient for me to realize that the blank pages I did have would not have been adequate. I think a lot of people, upon learning there is no visa requirement, might assume they are set.

In any event, I hope I can spread the word because I

would hate to see this happen to a couple of

Honeymooners on their way to a pre-paid Singita stay.

On another note, our flights were all on time (once we were allowed on). The coach seats on the lower deck were the least comfortable I have ever experienced on an international flight (but I had read about this issue before hand). I would recommend begging and pleading for the coach seats on the upper deck.

Carol Sottili: Anyone heading to South AFrica should read this......

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Bethesda, Md.: I would like to take my two young sons (ages 2 and 6) to see Niagara Falls. The older one saw it on TV and wants to go. Do you think they would enjoy it? Do you have any ideas for what else we could do on the way there or back? My friends have mentioned the Canadian wineries but that, of course, won't work. Any family resorts, beautiful parks, etc close by or along the way? Thanks so much.

John Deiner: Hey, Beth. First, your sons will definitely love it...it's so amazing, and there are a lot of family-friendly activities to see/do. In fact, our main story in Sunday's section is covering that exact ground -- look for it this weekend.

as far as the things to do on the way up there or back, I'll throw it out to the Clicksters. Any ideas, gang?

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19th and K, Washington, D.C.: Best surprise hit of a trip? In the midst of three and a half weeks in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, staying in a small town called Alamosa, Colo., in the middle of nowhere. Only dinner option was a place that was named, and could be described as, "Chuck Wagon," complete with covered wagon inside.

Next morning, all were starving, and wandered "downtown" and stumbled onto a little breakfast cafe. There, we had the best pancakes any of us had ever had, made with a grain called quinoa that we'd never heard of (this was over ten years ago, who ate health food grains then unless you lived in California?!) but that made them delicious.

Found the stuff back home on the East Coast and have been making great pancakes with it ever since.

John Deiner: Good stuff, 19th. Sounds like a neat little adventure there, with a happy pancaked ending. Thanks for your two cents.

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Portland Maine: My boyfriend is going out to Salt Lake City in October for work. He has asked me to go along and I am debating. Can you or the readers give me some ideas on what to do while out there. Thanks as always.

Steve Hendrix: It's a beautiful place, just a little hard to get a drink sometimes. The city is jammed between a wall of Wasatch Mountains and this really giant (you might even say great) lake of brackish water. (Wouldn't Lake of Brackish Water City be a better name for the place?). The city itself has the usual range of good restaurants, and you can drive south a bit to Provo, or up and over to Park City and some of the other ski and resort areas. Great scenery everywhere. Oddly enough, the state government is completely dominated by the Seventh Day Adventist Churh. Or am I confused?

Readers? Any specific tips for Portland?

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New York: Hello crew!

Per your advice, we checked out Eurail and their prices are pretty steep! And, it's confusing as there seem to be several sites claiming to be "official" - we're not sure who to buy from. I was told by an acquaintance that it'd be really cheap ($25?!) to fly between Spain and Italy. (I doubt it.)

I know this is very much a personal preference question, but if you had 3 weeks, how would you spread it over the Mediterranean? I've spent a lot of time in Greece, so I'm looking for something in Portugal/Spain/Italy - but I just can't decide whether to concentrate on one country, or to spread it between two countries....??? The original thought was Portugal but it started to look like a waste not to do Spain, too, given the time we have. We're flexible, could do up to 4 weeks. Thanks!

Gary Lee: We should all have such choices!

There's a lot that you could so in the Mediterranean in 3-4 weeks. Since you know Greece already, I would suggest dividing your time between Portugal and Spain.

For example, basing yourself in Lisbon and taking trips out to the beach coastal areas would make for a nice start.

From there, you could head up to Spain. I'd start in the Sevilla area and take a week or so to visit that charming city and surrounding Andalucia, including Granada, Corduba, etc.

Barcelona would seem to be a great final stop.

Anyone have thoughts on that part of the world?

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Washington DC: Hi All, Quick question: I'm leaving on Sunday for 3 weeks traveling around Scotland and Belgium with only my backpack and travel guides (a 40th birthday present to myself). I've not made any hostel or hotel arrangements, prefering to make them as I go, wherever I go. Some friends think I'm nuts and that I'll be scrambling for a place to sleep all the time. I think I'll be fine. Your opinion(s)? Thanks!

Carol Sottili: Because students are back in school and it's not the high season, I think you'll be fine. Make sure you have a very good hostel/hotel guide, so you'll know your choices. Anyone out there have a great guide they want to recommend?

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Washington, DC: The best "surprise" for me was during a trip to Madrid in February of this year. I'm Chinese-American, yet didn't make it to any Chinese New Year festivities here in town through a variety of unforeseen circumstances. I was a little bummed not to be able to celebrate the new year, but oh well.

Then I went to Madrid, which is, of course, a wonderful city in and of itself. While randomly shopping in a store for gifts for States-side friends, I met a very charming Asian young man (raised in Paris, then moved to Madrid) who spoke didn't speak Chinese or English. Thankfully, I took both Spanish and French in college, so we were able to converse relatively well, and he advised me that there was going to be a Chinese New Year celebration in Plaza Mayor just a few hours later!

It was the most wonderful experience. I got to experience a Chinese New Year celebration -- in both Chinese and Spanish! The entire experience got me to thinking what a wonderful, multicultural world we live in, and to appreciate the rich diversity of the world.

John Deiner: Sweet story D.C.--glad you got to catch up to a celebration.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: I'm currently trying to plan a trip to go skiing in Banff the week after Christmas. Right now, airfares are running over $600. Should I wait and see if they go down? (they can't possibly go up anymore, could they?)

Carol Sottili: That sounds really high. But it may stay that way because the week after Christmas is the most expensive ski week of the season (and the conditions are often not great). If you need to go that week, you may have to pay up.

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East Haddam, Conn: How can I email Brigid Schulte to thank her for the Monhegan Island article in the travel section yesterday?

The artist on the front page is my youngest daughter. The piece made my day and the week too.

Anne McDonough: What a coincidence! We love all feedback (well, we love to good letters, we, shall we say, appreciate the critiques, which is best sent to travel@washpost.com. We'll send it on to Brigid. Thanks!

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Arlington, Va.: What are the prices for passports? I hear they are going up shortly.

Andrea Sachs: For first-timers: $97

For renewal: $67

These are for adults. Kid prices are less. We have not heard that prices are going up (but what isn't these days??). I am awaiting a call back from the State Department, but if they don't get back to me before 2, then check the Way to Go section Sept. 25. We will have info on passport applications.

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Washington, DC: Quick question - do I need to get any shots to go to Jamaica? I've heard mixed answers about Hep A among others.

Gary Lee: You don't "need" to have any shots for Jamaica. I've been several times and had no shots and survived without problem. However, for precautionary reasons, you may want to check on the jamaica consular page at http://state.gov, the state department's site, to see whether they recommend any shots for that region.

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Annandale, Va.: For the New Yorker considering Australia/New Zealand. I spent 1 week in Mlebourne and 1 week in Sydney and neither one was enough. I'm going back in April for another week in Sydney to see all of the things I missed the first time, plus a week in Adelaide and a couple of days on Kangaroo Island. 11-days will give you a taste which will, hopefully, make you want to go back.

Andrea Sachs: Thanks for the advice. I agree--you need oodles of time to really see it.

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Wanted to say thanks...: to Brigid Schulte (I know she works for a different part of the Post, but hoped you could pass this along) for her story on

Maine's Monhegan Island yesterday. I have been interested in Maine since I read about it as a kid, and one of these days am finally going to get there! In addition, I'm just a year out of school and have gotten a ton of great travel tips from you guys I know I'll be using for years to come. So, thanks!

Anne McDonough: Consider it passed along ;)

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Alexandria, Va.: Best surprise hit? A whale watching trip off the Isle of Mull in Scotland. The people were incredible, we saw a ton of fabulous animals, and we got to tour the Isle of Muck for about an hour. The tiniest island with some incredible ruins and the greatest name. We went because I had no desire to ride my bike again and it turned out to be the highlight of the trip.

John Deiner: Hey, even seeing ONE whale makes a trip for me...glad you got a glimpse of a ton o' the animals. Thanks for sharing.

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Re: Niagara Falls: Just came back, and would highly recommend:

fly into Buffalo, quite cheap on Southwest, an only an hours drive if that much wonderful Butterfly Conservatory that was amazing for adults, so little kids should love it even more stay on the Canadian side, it really is so much nicer only 40 minutes away is a lovely village called Niagara on the Lake, just wonderful to visit They may still be having fireworks at night at the falls. You can get a great view from some of the hotels as well

John Deiner: Great stuff, there. Thanks for the followup.

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Silver Spring, Md: I loved your Hamptons bike tour written up several weeks ago. Is it possible to set an itinery for an october trip- 2 of the ferries stop running in October. We are taking a short honeymoon and this sounds great. After October 15. Thank you- I love the travel section!

Andrea Sachs: You could definitely do a variation of it. I don't remember off the top of my head: Which of the two ferries stop?

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Ballston, Va.: My favorite surprise and one I'll likely never beat: we got married in CA last year and had to make a couple of trips out west. We were on a strict budget and didn't have much money, but the trips were non-negotiable. I was dreading the booking of six tickets (three trips for two), knowing the chunk it would take out of our wedding budget, when I happened to be browsing around for airfares one afternoon...I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw roundtrip fares on Delta for $129! One stop in Atlanta, taxes and fees included! I quickly booked the trips and within 4 hours, the fare was gone...I still don't know how it happened, but I sure was grateful!

John Deiner: Wow...that's a deal. Just goes to show: When you see a good fare that seems too good to be true, it probably is, so hop on it.

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Denver, Colo.: For New Zealand: Last time we were there we bought a NZ SIM card for our tri-band GSM phone at one of the local Vodafone outlets. There's one at the airport in Auckland or around town. Vodafone uses one GSM frequency and I believe Telstra another so your phone probly supports one or both. Tell Mom to have a great time! We love NZ!

Steve Hendrix: There ya go. Acronyms and everything.

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Re: NZ Cell Phone: Maybe this helps: I rented a car from Apex last year in New Zealand when I was traveling across the country (alone). It was about $5-6 more per day with additional cost for calls made. It was a breeze, and the people at Apex were very friendly. I made the reservation over the internet, and everything went well.

Steve Hendrix: and another mo-BILE phone option.

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Great Falls, Va.: Hi, will be travelling to Puno, Peru in early October. Does the Flight Crew or any readers have any comments or suggestions, must-sees for that area? Thanks!

Gary Lee: The must-see site in that area is Lake Titicaca. Puttering around it would make for a glorious experience. Various companies offer day trips to the floating islands and other outposts on the lake. They'll pick you up at your hotel, take you out on the lake and get you back in the evening. You can arrange this from there.

If you have time, hop over to Cococabana in Bolivia, about an hour's drive from Puno. It's a pretty town with a wonder of a a cathedral and the best views of and excursions around the lake.

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Old Town, Va.: Hi Flight Crew!

Wanted to see if anyone else out there plans trips during Thanksgiving or Christmas to purposely avoid the demanding family/relatives and the commercialized holiday gift-giving ordeal? My husband and I are newly married and dreading having to balance my side's two households with his family's so we're looking to escape it all with a trip by ourselves...

Which brings me to...Any ideas for a low to moderate priced 4 or 5 day vacation (must involve a flight, in order for us to justify this!)?...We like beaches, wineries, maybe even skiing?

Thanks!!

John Deiner: Hey, Old Town. Here's my suggestion, because I just returned from there and I dug it: San Diego. Can't really ski there, but there a badrillion activities, many of which you don't have to spend much money on, plus a wide range of hotels, many near the coast.

And what a great way to avoid the Christmas family blues . . . by avoiding them!

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Person going to the Falls: You may want to take the kids up to Toronto. There is a great zoo there as well as the CN Tower and other interesting things. It is only an hour by car (if the border is moving). On the US side if you drive up there is the Finger Lakes which have a ton of parks and the Little League Hall of Fame in Williamsport and the Corning Glass Factory all on 15.

John Deiner: Great stuff. Thanks for the suggestions.

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Re: Niagara Falls: As a native of Buffalo, I have a few ideas for the woman with the young kids, although not sure what time of year she was contemplating. In Niagara Falls, ONT, there is Marineland - sea world/amusement park; and outside of Buffalo, in the suburbs, is Six Flags Darien Lake. Also, about 35 miles south of Rochester (depending on what driving route you take), is Letchworth State Park - frequently known as "Grand Canyon of the East" because of the amazing canyon and waterfalls. Especially beautiful in Fall. As a child, I went for day trips and picnics with my family and I was always amazed by it.

John Deiner: The flood of Niagara suggestions continues, folks.

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seventh time a charm?: I've asked this question several times before and never got a response, but maybe you could throw it out to the peanuts. A pal and I are going on a round the world trip to celebrate our 40th birthdays--we're taking four months, starting in Oz/NZ, up through Papua NG, Indonesia, SE Asia, India and China. We want to keep things as flexible as possible and would like ideas on booking an airfare that allows us to do that. We've tried an online booking site that popped out a fare of $6000-$7000, but I'm sure it can be done more cheaply than that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Carol Sottili: Have you tried a travel agent that works with consolidators? It's difficult to book around-the-world tickets online. Try www.airtreks.com, www.sta-travel.com, www.airbrokers.com, but you'll be better off talking to someone at those companies.

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Glover Park, Washington, D.C.: Thinking to go to Panama sometime Jan-Mar. Has anyone done trips focusing on birding there? If so, where? Am considering trip with Ancon Expeditions that includes Darien.

Steve Hendrix: Nobody present knows Ancon personally, GPWDC, but we're high on Panama generally. If you go, make time for a day trip to Barro Colorado Island, home of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. It's not just a worldclass research facility (I once did a profile of the place for International Wildlife magazine and called it Club-Med for Biologists) its a really cool place you go to. With monkeys. Howler monkeys. And stick bugs. (www.stri.org)

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N.Falls: There is lots of family frienly things to do. First off if you do this when it is warm enough the Cave of the winds allows you to go under the mist of the bridal veil falls. Truly cool everyone loves it. The Maid of the mist seems to be a required atttraction but is a waste of money.

Also take a picnic over to teh park on goat island it is pretty andlots of space to run around. Another active idea is to hike the whirlpool falls area. there is a cool natural eternal flame to be seem right at the end of the trail. Really neat and a great way to teach the kids about geology. If you are into amusement parks Fantasy island is a nice park for kids and really focused on them. If the kids are a bit older and like a good scare Nightmeres on Clifton hill is scary and year round haunted house. (skip the others near there they are not worth it.)

Also this time of the year you can either hit a Bisons or Bills game.

Have fun

A native Buffalonian

John Deiner: Hey, native, great stuff here. Man, that Cave of the Winds is incredible -- and I always wondered which one of those haunted houses was worth the money. Thanks for solving that mystery.

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Backpacking Tip: For the first time backpacker, GO FOR IT! I did a backpack trip in Norther Europe a few years ago (at 25) and everyone said the same thing. Just be prepared that some places may close with the students back in school. I ran into that in Oslo. When I got there late at night a big sign at the information booth said "No Rooms in Oslo." I took a gamble and went to the major youth hostel anyway. I figured I could look pathetic, and they had to at least have a floor. In the end, someone didn't show for a reservation, and I got the last bed in Oslo.

My overall experience on that and several trips since then are that the guides are good starting place, but nothing beats talking to your fellow travelers. Strike up conversations on trains and at museums and such. You'll find the best places that way.

Carol Sottili: I agree, although I wouldn't recommend it during high season. My daughter did this trip last summer, and she was glad to have reservations in London and Madrid.

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Laurel, Md.: If going skiing in Banff around Christmas, don't forget that the daylight lasts from about 10am-2pm. Yes, there are lighted slopes, but also many that close mid-afternoon.

Carol Sottili: Good point.

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Erie, Pa.: Our best surprise was on on first visit to Washington, DC- almost 20 years ago- with four children in tow. Everything downtown was free! No one told me that fun fact before we visited.

John Deiner: Boy, that would be a great discovery, wouldn't it?? And it's still free, Erie, so come on back. We miss you.

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Mediterranean in 3 weeks: For the chatter wanting to know where in the Med to go for 3 weeks, I think you could easily spend all three weeks in either Italy or Spain, as both countries have such varied regions, customs, and terrain. I would say 10-14 days in Portugal would probably be enough for me. You could easily do one week in Portugal (in Porto and Lisbon), then spend the remainder of the time touring the various areas of Spain--I would recommend Barcelona, the Basque Country, and the south with it's North African influences. So much to see!

Gary Lee: Thanks. I like the idea of combining Lisbon and Porto. In Spain, keep in mind that the Basque country is lovely but it's in the northern part of the country.

Andulucia, Barcelona, etc, are all more southern and therefore would not require too much zooming around.

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Re: American vs. USAir: I would try to avoid Miami Airport as much as I can. About a month ago we were coming from Jamaica and it was a total chaos. The immigration lines were very long with no clear instructions on who needs to go where. Then luggages were all over the place since people had to wait so long at immigration luggages were being taken and put on the floor (maybe 300-400 of them). Our lugggage belt changed twice making about 80-100 people jump over suitcases to get to the next one. Once we got our suitcases, there was no clear instructions on where to drop them. I hardly made my plane (with 2 hour connection time in between) and my suitcase did not. At national they had only one rep to handle all the missing suitcases, and we were there for about another hour to get a ticket from a robot-like AA customer agent who did not care at all. Go with USAir, at least they still have smiling people who welcome you to the plane - for the first time in years I did not see one person welcoming us to any of the 4 AA planes during this trip and I am a frequent traveler.

Carol Sottili: Yup, Miami can be chaotic. But bad things can happen in Charlotte too - we missed our US Airways connection from Jamaica, and had to sit in the airport in Charlotte for five hours.

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re: Malta: I went to Malta last September (a year ago this week, actually!), and I had a great time. Some recommendations:

Get off of Malta and go to Gozo. It's quieter and smaller. I stayed in Xlendi, which is really nice, but only has one real hotel. I actually met a guy on the bus on my way to Xlendi who had an apartment he rented me for 15 lira a night, and I stayed for three nights, so that was a great deal. But I liked Gozo much more than Malta, it's slower and has more natural stuff to do.

If you want to see the Hypogeum (and you do), you have to make reservations. I didn't realize this, and when I did, it was too late. They sell out several weeks in advance, so it's worth it to do it sooner rather than later. The other megalithic temples are also very interesting, and very worth a day trip.

It might too cold for the beach, though, but if it's not, don't stay in Bubbigga on Malta, because what they have is not so much a beach as it is a cement slab. The best beach on Malta is in Mehalia (I'm probably not spelling things right, but you should be able to figure things out).

The buses are pretty reliable, and pretty cheap, great way to get around. It's a really small country, and people are pretty friendly and helpful. Don't expect to see a lot of Americans, but do expect to see lots and lots of British, Dutch and Germans.

John Deiner: Great stuff -- and you're so right about Gozo. Ya gotta get there.

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Washington D.C.: Are there any buses that run to the Atlantic City casinos on the weekends that leave from D.C.?

Anne McDonough: Greyhound has weekend service for about $33 one way(www.greyhound.com). Gold Line/Gray Line (800-862-1400, www.graylinedc.com) is about the same price but I believe they give you casino coupons as well, and that's the roundtrip price if you go and come back on the same day.

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Surprise hit: The Corn Palace in South Dakota. When we planned this as a stop on our road trip from Chicago to the Rapid City area (there's not much else to stop for between Minnesota and Wall Drug in Wall, SD), I thought, "how corny!" (please forgive my bad joke). But actually it was pretty cool, with murals all made out of different colors of corn. It changes every year, so there's always something new to see when you pass through Mitchell, SD.

John Deiner: If you hadn't said "how corny," I would have. Dang. Beat me to the punchline.

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Re: Quinoa: Would the quinoa pancake-making chatter post a recipe for these pancakes?

Thanks!

John Deiner: A challenge! You out there pancake person?

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Washington, DC: On September 2 I bought a ticket to Dakar on Royal Air Maroc through Orbitz. Because electronic tickets were not available I was required to pay an additional $30 for 2nd day fedex shipping of my tickets (for some reason Orbitz doesn't allow your tickets to take the slow route). I purchased the ticket with a debit card. I received the ticket in the mail last week, and later checked my bank account. The amount for the shipping of the ticket had been removed, but the far more substantial amount of ticket had not, and was not listed in my pending charges. I know that Orbitz is the intermediary here, and its Royal Air Maroc that needs to charge me. Does this usually take more than 1 week? I'd hate to show up at the airport and be told me ticket (which says 'paid' on it), had not in fact been paid for. I leave in November.

Carol Sottili: I would get on the horn and call Royal Air Maroc to make sure all is right - phone number is (800) 344 6726.

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Alexandria, Va.: Best surprise; wrong turn in the Rockies. Driving through Colorado on the way to California, we turned onto what we thought was the route we had selected through the mountains. After the next turn failed to materialize, we eventually realized we were on some smaller road that was not on our map. It was headed west, though, so we decided to keep going rather than turn back. Most beautiful scenery of the trip.

John Deiner: And you lived to tell the tale...bet you got nice pictures to boot. Thanks for sharing.

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Burke, Va.: The best travel surprise ever came in a little village in Scotland called Plockton. We has reservations at an in there only because it was on the way to Skye. So we were unprepared for a little park with palm trees(!) on the edge of the water. Add to this the squat lobsters we were served for dinner. They are sort of like crawfish, but the sweetest meat ever!

John Deiner: Sigh. Now we're all hungry here. Thanks, Burke.

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Washington, D.C.: Can yo suggest an alternative way to travel to Nantucket for an October wedding other than flying to the island from WDC? I dont like flying in small planes. I am thinking of into Providence on Southwest but how would I get to the ferry in Hyannis other than rental car? Any other ideas or options?

Andrea Sachs: Not all of the planes are teeny-tiny. You could fly into LaGuardia and catch a 34-passenger Colgan Air plane. Otherwise, you will have to take a bus. Bonanza goes from NYC or Providence; you can also catch a bus from Logan airport in Boston. Check out Peter Pan or P&B.

Also, since it's a wedding, perhaps you could car pool?

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Washington, DC: My best surprise hit ended up being the destination itself ... St. Thomas, USVI. Original plan to soak up culture and brush up on Spanish in the Dominican Republic was derailed by discomfort with the Haitian coup in early 2004. Thought St. Thomas would be too American, too "touristy" to be truly satisfying. But it was the only caribbean island destination that fit our budget and time constraints at the last minute. Ended up having a ball ... once ou get past the duty free area in Charlotte Amalie, there's plenty of wonderful, distinct music, food, culture and people. Only spent 1 day at St. John -- the touted non-commercial, non-touristy USVI -- and couldn't wait to get back to St. Thomas.

Now a quick question. What's a must-see or must-do site that my friend and I (African American culture vultures and some-time nature freaks) should check out during a short birthday vacation in Belize this weekend (Thurs-Mon)? We're thinking one day trip to a Caye (Ambergris or Caulker) one day trip to the rainforest, and the rest of the time hanging out in Belize City (we're staying there). Thanks!

John Deiner: Nice stuff, DC. As far as Belize goes . . . clicksters?

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Andrea Sachs: Oops, sorry forgot to say: For Nantucket, take a bus to the ferry terminal in Hyannis. (Yes, it would be nice if the bus could drive on water, but alas, no.)

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Falls Church, Va.: Hey Crew! I'm curious to know if any cruise companies do themed cruises for gay men? I've always loved to wear costumes and if it were mostly gays that would be even better.

thanks

Gary Lee: As you may be aware, RSVP and Atlantis are both companies that do gay (and lesbian) cruises. Although I haven't been on one, I suspect there would be occasions on either line for costumes. Check out the travel section of www.outandabout.com for other theme cruises that cater to gay men.

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Front Royal, Va.: I have noticed an interesting phenomenon several times recently, and would like your thoughts. It used to be that once an aircraft left the gate it went straight to the taxiway. Now I often see them load more bags after pushing back. When I asked, I was told it was in the interest of customer service to reduce the number of delayed bags. What I suspect, however, is that once the plane leaves the gate that is considered to be the departure time for calculating on-time statistics, so loading bags away from the gate helps them stay on time. What do you think?

Carol Sottili: I'm not much of a conspiracy-theory person, but this one is very interesting. Wouldn't surprise me.

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Washington, DC: Two surprise hits on the same trip to England: the first was when my boyfriend and I had been out walking ALL DAY LONG when we went to Covent Garden to try to find Drury Lane (his college is Drury University, which has a Drury Lane through it). I was sort of cranky. We stumbled upon a hidden, small garden (Drury Lane Gardens, of all places!) with benches and low-hanging trees. There was a small playground a few feet away, with several children playing. It was such a lovely, quintessentially English garden- a nice respite from the sightseeing. And it was made even lovelier and more surprising when my boyfriend proposed to me in the gardens!

Second hit: in Birmingham for a wedding. City is very gritty. We went to Cadbury World, the theme park for the Cadbury chocolate line. It has an outlet for chocolate too and we came home with 20 pounds of candy!

Anne McDonough: The first story reminds me of Notting Hill-does your husband say whoopsie daisy and look like Hugh Grant? Sounds like a perfect proposal!

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Re Atlantic City: Just a quick followup on the Atlantic City question:

Unable to afford a hotel in AC proper, I booked a room in Absecon, NJ. How far away is that? If I decide to catch the bus (and forego renting a car), would it be difficult and/or pricey to make my way to the casinos by cab?

John Deiner: Here's my best guess: Yes. It'll be expensive. I believe it's at least five or six miles off the Boardwalk, and nothing is cheap in AC, including cabs. Does anyone out there know if there are buses that go out there and bring folks in?

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Australia/NZ follow up : Thanks for answering my question re: New Zealand and Australia highlights. Would you know of any good tour companies that specialize in tours there? Thanks!

Steve Hendrix: I had good luck with Newman's South Pacific tours (a big company) in New Zealand. Andrea says good things about packages offered by Qantas Vacations. Costco (a great company) offers packages in those waters, I believe.

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Richmond, Va.: Thank you for taking our questions! In your opinion, where on a cruise ship is the best place to get a cabin?

Also, where in Nassau are the best places (beaches) to take small children?

Gary Lee: Unfortunately, can't answer the cabin question. However, I'd recommend the aquarium at the Atlantis resort for the kids.

If that like sealife, they will love it.

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Trip Surprise: We were camping in Rocky Mountain National Park on our cross-country drive, and were tired of cooking over a fire. We were also feeling pretty grimy because we hadn't realized til we got there that RMNP does NOT have shower facilities.

We headed out to eat and found a place called The Barn at Elkhorn Stables. They weren't kidding. The restaurant was above the barn. They were just getting the restaurant up and running -- after steak dinners, my husband taught the Eastern European student who was serving how to complete a credit card slip.

While my kids (10 & 11 at the time) played with the ranch dogs and shot pool, the proprietor offered my husband and I the (FREE) use of their staff showers. Words cannot express how great that shower felt!

The owner was extremely gracious, we had a toally unexpected and wonderful evening, and three years later, we still talk about that evening fondly.

On that trip, we also got a picture of our kids at Gene Weingarten's favorite place, Battle Mountain, NV, and stopped for lunch at the picnic area in Donner Pass (can't beleive I didn't get a picture of that sign!).

John Deiner: Whattahoot. Wonder how that place is doing now (the restaurant, not Donner Pass). Thanks for the submission.

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St. Paul, Minn.: The Fruit and Spice Park in Homestead, Florida was a welcome and unexpected stop on a trip several years ago to the Everglades. (This was before one of the hurricanes hit and did quite a bit of damage. I don't know what it's like now.) For a nominal fee you could be guided around the grounds and the guide would pick fruits off trees for you to taste. Very unusual mix of vegetation. A great spot!

John Deiner: Sounds cool, St. Paul. Always looking for something off the beaten path in a well-trod area.

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Chicago, Ill.: This is a stupid question, but do babies need their own passport or can they be added in the parent's passport?

Anne McDonough: Come on, silly, there are no stupid questions! There are special rules for applying for a passport for minors under 14, which do include infants. Some passport photo places aren't equipped to photograph infants, so don't leave this for the last minute. Here's the official link: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html

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Downtown, Washington, D.C.: Re: Monhegan Island

Brigid Schulte's article was really good, but one thing that could have been mentioned was the ferry ride to get there, which can be quite turbulent. I took the ferry from Boothbay Harbor a few years back, on a really clear day, and still was reaching for the dramamine. And it's a fairly long trip, at least from Boothbay, if I remember correctly.

Anne McDonough: Thanks, downtown.

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Fairfax, VA: For Portland, Maine, re: Salt Lake:

Maybe I'm a little biased because I served as a missionary on Temple Square for the LDS Church, but I do recommend Temple Square, the point from which all of Salt Lake emanates and one of the top tourist attractions in the U.S. (even more than the nat'l parks, believe it or not). You get a good history of Utah at least. The Tabernacle is still closed, however. In light of recent events along the Gulf Coast, the Humanitarian Center gives you free tours of how people are helped (and you can ask about recent Katrina aid and how you can contribute). There are shuttles that leave from Temple Square up until some time in the fall, so ask at the West Gate booth of Temple Square if you're there. For non-Churchy things, I love Park City, even off season. This time last year, when I finished my mission, my mom & I went there and I -loved- all the galleries & shopping. For natural history, there's this place called Thanksgiving Point not too far off. Hope this helps.

Steve Hendrix: Thanks for the insider tips.

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Anonymous: My sisters, dad and I trudged through the winding streets of Nha Trang on a typically hot, humid day with each person carrying around 4 liters of water bottles. We decided to take a side tour to visit the Nha Trang Cathedral. On our way back to the hotel, my dad spotted a familiar site - a church that he had gone to when he was a young boy. The last time he was at this church was over 40 years ago. We went through the church gates to investigate, and within an hour, my dad was reunited with his childhood friends that he hadn't seen since the Vietnam war.

John Deiner: And we got us a winner. What a nice story. Send your name/address to travel@washpost.com and we'll get your assortment of flat stuff out to you pronto.

As for the rest of you: Thank you! Great job, as always, helping your fellow traveler. Stay tuned this weekend for our reports on Niagara Falls, England and Malibu, Calif.

Till next week . . .

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