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. 
Say the word ''barge,'' and your companion's eyes may narrow in a suspicious glare normally reserved for the temporarily insane. Why would you spend good money to spend a week on a barge?
The day's swelter dissipates in twilight as a makeshift bar appears in the cobbled colonial plaza. Locals sidle up for a cup of espresso -- a cozy version of the café scene a few feet away, where out-of-towners sip daquiris and snack on gourmet pizza.
Travel is more than my work; it's my passion. And though this is my last issue as travel editor -- I've been named business editor here at The Miami Herald -- don't think you've heard the last of my wanderings.
Snarling gusts kept the ship from docking at Turks & Caicos. Only later did I realize that had we moored as planned, I would have hit my 100th country.
1996, IRIAN JAYA The slim valley is misted in, too wet for the planned hike into the gorge below. Instead, we visit the villages dotting the grassy hillside around this mission town.
Favorites are as much about timing, perspective and company as pure quality, and some of the ''best'' places I've visited don't always rack up as favorites. The following is a highly personal list of places I've loved. Because favorites shift with the mood, these appear in no particular order.
London Bangkok New York Unexpected pleasures Milwaukee Torres del Paines National Park, Chile Custer State Park, S.D. Puglia, Italy
Snarling gusts kept the ship from docking at Turks & Caicos. Only later did I realize that had we moored as planned, I would have hit my 100th country.
Getting married? Win a just-launched contest, and you could tie the knot in the Bahamas -- for free.
Will travel insurance cover you if you lose your job? Dan McGinnity, vice president of Travel Guard, a major travel insurance company, and communications co-chair of the U.S. Travel Industry Association, says it depends on your policy.
Celebrity's new ship, Solstice, is as simple, and as sophisticated, as walking barefoot in the park. Literally. One of the hallmarks of the first in Celebrity's new series of ships is a broad carpet of genuine grass, developed over a half-dozen years to withstand the salt and wind that go with sea voyages. And while it may seem like a gimmick -- will vacationers able to pay premium prices this year really hang out in the grass? -- the Lawn Club, as it's been dubbed, is a tangible symbol of the kind...
MSC cruises' 2,500-passenger Orchestra is a handsome ship, finely finished with marble and rich woods, and programmed with quality entertainment and lively night-time activities. Unfortunately, its recent U.S. inaugural struck a note so sour that many first-time MSC passengers said they wouldn't sail the line again.
Borneo or Mount Sinai Hospital? An unfortunate choice -- but an easy decision. So instead of spending a recent Monday morning as I'd planned, stuffing my suitcase with zip-off hiking pants and leech socks, I snoozed restlessly on a sofa in Mount Sinai's Abess Waiting Room. Soon, a surgeon I'd never met -- The Husband had made the choice -- would deliver the news that would determine much about our future.
Houston ranks as the nation's fifth largest art scene, according to a recent study.
Flying this holiday season? Here's what you need to know: Many airlines charge for each checked bag. Check with yours to find out about fees.
Home to one of the world's oldest parliaments, Iceland recently has hit the news because of its banking crisis. Economy aside, this island nation is a netherworld of contrasts: fire, flowers, and yes, ice. No wonder Jules Verne used it as a backdrop for Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Haunted houses, spooky shows and scary rides are just part of the fun at Universal Studios' 18th annual Halloween Horror Nights.
If you're planning to fly on American from Miami Interntional Airport, take note: You'll no longer be stuck in that cramped line at checkpoint D. As part of ongoing construction, the checkpoints for C and D have been combined at the old entrance to C in a open space that's brighter, friendlier and faster.
GETTING THERE The drive from Rome takes about five hours; gas and rental car for six days cost a total of about $525. Alternatively, you can fly to Bari or Brindisi. The train services most major towns in the region.
Travelers -- even Italians -- may tell you that the heel of the Italian boot is remote and unhospitable. But at heart, what this sloping rural landscape is really about is food, gloriously delicious, just-out-of-the-fields-and-sea food, and the people who produce it.
The Crown Princess wasn't my first choice of ships, based purely on its large size (almost 3,100 passengers.) That said, the experience exceeded expectations of nearly everyone in our group. In October, the ship comes to Port Everglades for fall/winter Caribbean cruises. Our review:
COUNTY CORK, Ireland -- The bounty of a morning's chopping, kneading and steaming have been cleared from the round table that serves as a buffet: soups (cannelini and chorizo, and a brothy vegetable), a hearty chicken pie, zuchinni served al dente, greens with walnuts, poached fish, crusty breads, local artisanal cheeses. Students, a few guests and family -- there's always a table for whatever family is around -- clear plates from the porch of the old farmhouse.
The downtown River Arts District is lined with antique shops, funky boutiques, gourmet restaurants and art galleries.
Golf is a waste of time. Yes, yes, I've just committed blasphemy against Tiger and Rocco and this seaside patch of grass that is very birthplace of that sacred sport.
Packing light is the way to go
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.
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
It's well past midnight, but the sun is still gleaming just behind jagged peaks, washing the sky with a rosy shimmer. A waterfall gushes from a rocky cleft beneath the downy hood of a glacier. Light glints off the ice floes like sequins scattered on the calm water before us.
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