Jane Wooldridge is the Miami Herald's award-winning travel editor and a genuine travel fanatic. Between her business and personal lives, she has visited much of the U.S., Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia, with a few out-of-the way stops such as Mali, Tunisia and Mongolia. A veteran of lodgings ranging from five stars to under the stars, she frequently travels alone; her husband and stepsons tag along when schedules permit.In London, it's dining that can do in your budget. Dodge the best restaurants, and you should be fine.
With gas prices headed toward $4 -- and in some neighborhoods, already there -- you'll want to keep an eye out for hotels offering gas promotions.
Packing light pays. American Airlines has joined other major U.S. carriers in charging a fee for checking a second bag on domestic flights -- something that used to be free. Charges range from $25-$50 for the second bag, depending on the airline.
After a million-plus miles in the air, 70-odd countries and countless visits to a cold hometown for the holidays, the packing wisdom I've learned comes down to this: It's all about shoes.
If you're heading to Theme Park Central this year, get ready to dance, splash and play tug-of-war with a Bengal tiger. But don't expect it to come cheap.
AQUATICA
Waterslides, wave pools, meandering rivers and cooling fountains -- and dolphins? Dolphins and other creatures are the newest twist on Central Florida water parks, found at Aquatica, which opened in March.
BUSCH GARDENS
Who knew that tigers like to swim? That orangutans can paint? Or that there really is a theme park area with rides just for 'tweeners?
UNIVERSAL
Krusty the Clown is opening a new ride at his namesake theme park, Krustyland, and the Simpsons are first to take the ride. Little do they know that Sideshow Bob -- pushed over the emotional edge by being shot from a cannon and nailed by cream pies -- has escaped from jail, stolen Scratchy's character suit and is loose in the park. His goal: Destroy it all.
DISNEY
You knew a Toy Story ride had to be coming. When it opens late this month, the toys will take over Andy's new Midway Games Play Set, and chaos will reign in the form of Toy Story Mania! -- a 3-D ride through the carnival. Cars are armed with spring-action shooters that let the riders rack up the points as they ''hurl'' pies, ''toss'' rings and ''launch'' eggs -- all virtual, of course. An animatronic Mr. Potato Head plays barker.
Editor's note: Myanmar -- also known as Burma -- was recently devasted by a massive cyclone. This 2002 story by Miami Herald Travel Editor Jane Wooldridge offers a glimpse into this isolated country.
We've been stuffed with fresh blueberry pancakes and perfectly-crisped bacon, tempted with salads and pork in barbecue sauce and home-baked focaccia, sated with all the steamed lobster and corn-on-the-cob we can manage in a single sitting.
SAILING CRUISES: The Victory Chimes is one of a dozen members of the association. Its classic sailing ships homeport in Penobscot Bay in Rockland and Camden. (These classic tall ships are not related to the now-closed Windjammer Barefoot Cruises based in Miami.) Cruises typically last three to six nights and cost about $125-$150 per person per day. Many offer specialty cruises centering on families, yoga and wellness, wine tasting. The Victory Chimes' (www.victorychimes.com) four-night cruise June...
ON A BUDGET
If you're going to Europe this year, travel off-season. That was the lesson from my recent trip to Italy and England. Even at a time when the dollar has hit new lows against the euro -- it's now trading at $1.53 per euro -- prices are manageable if you travel out of season, eat modestly and resist the urge to splurge too often.
These 108 acres are home to a soaring marbled basilica, the bones of the apostle Peter, Greek statues and Egyptian mummies and what undeniably is the world's greatest mural. For the world's billion Catholics, The Holy See is also home to the leader of their faith.
TIBET
Scene from last summer: A flutter of crimson crowds the square as dozens of young Buddhist monks sweep from their classes to their daily outdoor debate practice at the Sera Monastery. The low murmur swells to a roar as they offer their arguments, underscoring points with a clap of hands or a stomped foot. Occasionally one breaks from his rhetorical intensity into a giddy smile, and you wish you could understand the Tibetan words.
The Qinghai-Tibet train linking China with Lhasa via Golmud opened in July 2006. Trips originate in the tourist-draw cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Chengdu and Guangzhou.
ROOF OF THE WORLD
Editor's note: This story was reported in July 2007, before the recent protests in Lhasa. A mob pushes through the main entrance to the West Railway Station, clamoring to shove bags and gear onto the X-ray conveyor. The LCD display board registers trains and tracks incomprehensible when matched against a ticket whose only English is ''Beijing-Lasa.'' A massive neon sign promising INFORMATION beckons, where a woman speaks enough English to direct me to the waiting room. More than two days will pass...
DREAM ON A DIME SERIES
Too good to be true. The brochure promised an October week's vacation in Ireland for two for about $900. For this we would get a clean room with private bath in a wide choice of lodgings for six nights, a hearty cooked breakfast each day, and a rental car.
Whether you're a school kid, a parent or a slightly crazed college student, Spring Break is an annual reminder that the year is hurtling past.
After a million-plus miles in the air, 70-odd countries and countless visits to a cold hometown for the holidays, the packing wisdom I've learned comes down to this: It's all about shoes.
BY JANE WOOLDRIDGE jwooldridge@MiamiHerald.com
Generous spirits, friendly helpfulness and, yes, confusion, are common experiences for visitors to China, and they're sure to greet travelers who come here next year for the Summer Olympics, which begin on the auspicious date of 8-08-08.
OLYMPIC TICKETS The first phase of sales ended June 30, with 4.9 million requests for 2.7 million seats. The remaining tickets go on sale in October. A total of about 7 million are being offered.
Jane Wooldridge first visited China in 1985; she has returned several times since, most recently in June 2007. 1985 The plane from Hong Kong to Beijing is half full; most passengers are Chinese or Western diplomats. While individual travel to China is now allowed, getting the visa has taken hours of quiet waiting and endless smiles in a Hong Kong office.
China's warp-speed growth and economic promise have led many observers to tap it as the next world superpower; certainly the Beijing Olympics are designed to heighten its image. But in the future its path is likely to be less than smooth, says Laurence Brahm, American lawyer, political economist, consultant, filmmaker, newspaper columnist and entrepreneur.
HIGHLIGHTS
If this is your first -- or likely your only -- visit to China, try to get beyond the capital. The U.S. information agency is China National Tourist Office, 350 Fifth Ave., Suite 6413, New York, NY 10118; 888-760-8218; www.cnto.org.
Shanghai isn't a visitors city in the classic sense. No Forbidden City or Great Wall or Temple of Heaven here. But if you want to see contemporary Chinese culture in action, to see China in transition, there's no place more vibrant or telling than Shanghai.
ORGANIZED TOURS China is one of the world's great travel values. High-quality group tours including airfare from the West Coast and visits in Beijing, Shanghai and Xian can cost as little as $1,700 per person. Some reputable tour companies include:
For decades, Hong Kong was Asia's glitziest city. Though Tokyo and Shanghai now vie for the title, Hong Kong retains a sense of drama that's unmatched. The peaks of its main island frame sleek towers jutting from an exquisite harbor that's rimmed by enough neon to give Vegas a run.
THE ABACOS
On a Friday afternoon, the ferry from Marsh Harbour to Hope Town is packed with families from the Carolinas, North and South. Some have come to this one-time British Loyalist stronghold for generations.
