The Travel Channel
Whether you travel like Paul Bowles or Lady Di, the travel Channel Online
is certain to satiate your needs. To begin, the site, an extension of the
Cable TV channel, is a pleasure to look at. Sweep through organized, clean
pages with beautiful pictures (that are easy on the bandwidth) or rest a
while in one of the sites many flavorful sections. The travel Channel has
it all; vacation ideas and recommendations, online chat forums, photo galleries,
hot topics and of course links to other esteemed travel-related sites.
I checked the site at the peak of Mardi Gras, and the special focus on the
New Orleans festival ranked as an exceptional treat. First, the Travel Channel
makes use of all the latest Netscape tricks - and it offers a choice: Frames
or No Frames. As one who believes Frames are akin to the Anti-Christ, I
was pleased with the option. Outstanding. And the info wrapped up in those
pages could easily stand on it's own as a respectable Web site. It's fat
with details about Mardi Gras history, customs, recipes and travel tips.
Plenty of photos, and again, wonderful design.
The site offers TWO chat options, in case you wanna exchange woes about
a bumpy cruise or get insight on your future travel plans from someone who's
already been there. The first chat area is set up as a traditional BBS (bulletin
board) in which users post messages to a "topic board" and other
users post messages to the same board to reply. It's very much like a Usenet
thing. But the travel channel also offers a Frames based Web chat, in real
time. Very much like an IRC thing, for those who want more of an immediate
dialog. (Warning: It's not terribly fast.) The posting board seemed considerably
more active than the Frames chat, but again, it's always nice to have choices.
The photo gallery is by far the most exceptional and entertaining aspect
of the site though. Not only do we get to look at stunning photographs from
around the world, broken into categories - Asia, Western Europe, Africa,
but the photographs are submitted by viewers of the Travel Channel and visitors
to the Web site. Tres Cool!
Overall The travel Channel should amuse, entertain, and at times, enlighten
with advise and interesting articles. It's a definite must for anyone who
considers themselves a "traveler."-SK
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Alaska's
Kenai Peninsula Resources
A man sits in a small room in Alaska. Having heard the Web is where it's
at, and possessing a little techno-smartness, he decides the way to make
his Alaskan fortune is to start a local business directory and charge business
$15/month to be listed. Three months later few businesses have signed up
and in desperation he pleads with them on his Web site, even trying to enlist
the community for help. All to no avail, the Web has just not caught on
with businesses in southern Alaska. So he sits at his computer, hoping the
phone will ring. I hope it will too.-BB
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American
Borders Index
Travelogues are like voyages themselves: they can be brilliant, witty adventures
into unknown places or they can be hell, and the difference is often made
by the quality of your traveling companions. I'm pleased to report that
Carla King, author of GNN's serial "American Borders," has created
a distinct travelogue of North America, as original as it is well-written.
Making her way around the continent on a Russian motorcycle, she reflects
on the foreignness of our country and writes up a storm. Lots of photos
spice up the tales, but there are virtually no links, even within the text
itself.-TG
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ANZA Travel
I'm a sucker for unusual travel. That's why I like places like ANZA: instead
of the silly and overdone tedium of Dickens' London and New York Theater
tours, they offer The Vintage Car Club of New Zealand Anniversary Tour and
"The Soccer Holiday of a Lifetime." You won't find those at your
travel agent's! The tone of the writing is relaxed, in the budget travel
style, but note: these trips ain't cheap. Still, visiting the site makes
me feel that Oceania is accessible - even if I can't afford it.-TG
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Backpacker
Guide
The Backpacker Guide is not about to replace the traditional travel guide,
but if you're planning to travel Great Britain, New Zealand, or Australia
on a shoe-string budget, this site will be an indispensable supplement to
it. No paper guide can give you up-to-the-minute information on your destination,
and what traditional guide would give you a list of cyber-cafes where you
can take time out from your travels to sate your net addiction. The information
is not so in-depth, and several links did not function, but there are a
lot of tips and facts that you would be unlikely to find elsewhere.-BB
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Boat To
Bolivia
With a title like "Boat to Bolivia," I expected swashbuckling
adventure - or, at least., adventurous writing. Sad to say, Tracy Morris
is no adventurer, and her writing is about as thrilling as your cousin's
slide show. ("This is me in front of the house this is me in back of
the house"). She relates the story of two middle-class Brits making
their way around the Americas, eventually to (you guessed it!) Bolivia.
Expect a slow server and scanned postcards for graphics. The spelling and
grammar are good, though.-TG
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European
Rail Travel Index
It is very sad to look at this site and reflect upon the sorry state of
American railroads. If you are going to Europe, however, rail is the only
way to travel, and this site will tell you everything you need to know to
make your trip trouble free. It is an amazing resource, packed full of detailed,
factual information about the European rail network, Eurail passes, rates,
trip planning, and much more. Particularly noteworthy is the detailed information
about differences in railroads and eurail pass coverage from country to
country. Essential reading for anyone Europe bound.-BB
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Healthy Flying
Flight discomfort is caused by more than just a fear of the plane crashing
into the mountains and leaving your remains a charred, indistinguishable
heap. Former flight attendant Diana Fairechild has documented why flying
is uncomfortable in her book, Jet Smart, much of which is available in "quick
tip" form via her Web page. There's a neat bit of animation on the
first page, but the focus here is on the content - be sure to read about
the "Full utilization of air," and how pilots can change the amount
of air passengers breathe. Scaaaary.-TG
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Mirage Resorts
Las Vegas is a singularly American place: In a terrain where there's nothing
of interest, attractions are invented and packaged. The Mirage Hotel is
a perfect epitome of this, in that (fake) European food is served by a (fake)
volcano while watching (real) tigers in their (fake) environment. And it's
all available for downloading! Get the Mirage experience through pictures,
sound bites, and QuickTime video clips - or buy t-shirts and plush tigers
via their Web site! You'll never have to leave the house. And isn't that
what you want in a vacation?-TG
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Preview Vacations
Boy, this site is pretty: pretty like a stuffed peacock. There are over
500 colorful pages here, including destination information, photos, multimedia
stuff, and "real-time transaction capabilities." But when you
get down to the meat of things - booking vacations - you're stuck with the
usual, boring, pedestrian vacation standbys. ("Would you like the $100-per-night
room in Paris or London?") There are lots of clever forms and games
to noodle with as well. Fill out the survey: doing so enters you in a monthly
drawing for $1,000 worth of credit toward a Preview vacation.-TG
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