“'The Travel Book,' Lonely Planet's comprehensive guide opens door to the world - Oregonian” plus 1 more

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'The Travel Book,' Lonely Planet's comprehensive guide opens door to the world - Oregonian Posted: 06 Oct 2010 02:58 AM PDT Want to get to know the world? Take a tour with Lonely Planet's updated version of The Travel Book. It's not as good as visiting all 229 countries yourself, but it's a whole lot easier. And more practical for most travelers. Lonely Planet's world staff of outstanding writers, photographers and, begrudgingly, editors (just kidding!!!), has done it again. The Travel Book is fully updated and renewed. First released in 2004, the colossal book is a journey to every country on Earth (Antarctica, too), in stunning color photographs, informative and descriptive text. The latest 448-page version ships at 8 pounds. The cover price is $50. Each country gets a two-page spread. Isolated to the side is the capital, population, size and language. Might as well make this easy to find. The country information includes a general synopsis, best time to visit, things to see and do, some real insider information and random/interesting facts. Each country gets a small map, too. For Afghanistan, the book explains that the best time to visit is more dependent on the political weather than how sunny it is outside. The book has mostly new information (well, not entirely new, since most capitals are still the same), and the 817 images are different than the previous version. The problem with owning this book is that it will make you want to own more, such as the Europe/Africa/Asia books and the U.S.A. book, Lonely Planet products that I wrote about previously. But hey, you can't own too many of these glorious books. -- Terry Richard This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

Family Vacation Guide to Williamsburg, Virginia - Associated Content Posted: 05 Oct 2010 06:48 AM PDT Busch Gardens is the only amusement and water park in the Greater Williamsburg Area. The park features rides, up-close tours, animal encounters and live concerts. Busch Gardens appeals to  visitors from 2 to 92, making it a great choice when traveling with children of multiple ages or grandparents. The park features "KID-Siderate" areas designed with toddlers in mind. Look for the logo on the park map to find attractions and rest areas developed for children under age nine. The Sesame Street Forest of Fun section of the park is always my daughter's favorite place to play and get splashed from the stage during the live Elmo shows. Classic amusement park rides have been down-sized to give children less than four feet tall the opportunity to ride. Don't forget to take your camera and snap some photos of your little ones hugging costumed characters from the Sesame Street television series. A playground and picnic area offers a spacious gathering area to give feet both young and old a chance to rest. The Elmo 4D interactive shows fill up quickly, so check the schedule upon entering the children's area and plan to line up at least ten minutes before the desired show time. Weekdays and mornings are less crowded and offer the best opportunity to explore the park without wasting a lot of time standing in line. Adult admission tickets cost $64 each and children ages three to nine are charged $54 to enter the park. There is not charge for toddlers age two and younger to visit Busch Gardens with a paying adult. Lunch Break with Elmo Eat lunch with Elmo and his friends at the all-you-can-eat buffet. No need to wait in long concession stand lines or sit on hard park benches attempting to balance a plastic plate between your knees. Pull up a chair and dine on childhood favorites like chicken tenders, hot dogs and macaroni and cheese while watching for costumed characters to make an appearance. Reservations can be made online and must be completed at least a day in advance of a planned visit. The cost for the meal is $20 for adults and $17 for children age three to nine years of age. There is no charge for children age two and younger accompanied by a paying adult. Animal Exhibits Children age four and younger might be ready for a nap after lunch and may need to head back to the hotel for a siesta. If you would like to spend more time at Busch Gardens exploring the animal exhibits, you may want to consider either bringing or renting a stroller. Five separate animal areas dot the landscape at the park. Jack Hanna's Wild Preserve offers a close-up view of endangered species from around the world. Lorikeet Glen is an enclosed aviary with attention seeking birds flying around in search of nectar. You can purchase little cups of nectar for less than $1 to feed to the singing and whistling feathered friends. If your child startles easily or is not comfortable around animals, the aviary might not be a positive experience for them. Visit the Eagle Ridge exhibit and marvel at the wing span and grace of the American Bald eagle. Discover what life in a wolf pack is all about at the Wolf Valley exhibit. Watch the Gray Wolf play and run inside a habitat designed to resemble dense forests where wolves run free in North America. Do you have a budding cowboy or cowgirl in your midst? Take a few minutes to visit Highland Stables before exiting the park. Lift the little ones up to pet the stocky Clydesdale horses which have become the beloved symbol of the Busch Bottling company. Dinner Time This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

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