Site Seeing
April 29, 2011
The Quest Continues Proudly proclaiming ``You can get there from here,'' TravelQuest promises a wealth of information on airlines, hotels, rental cars, cruise lines, destinations, railroads and vacations. From a quick glance at the home page, one gets the impression that the search for a travel site that ``does it all'' may have ended. Unfortunately, those hoping to find answers to all of their travel quests may be disappointed to learn that a visit to this site is merely a stop along the way. TravelQuest turns out to be yet another megalink service, with no additional information or resources of its own. When calling up the ``Vastopolis Airport Connection,'' a list of Vastopolis Airport Web sites pops up. Handy, but hardly the answer to one's prayers regarding what to do during a long layover at O'. ``Airlines'' links to airline home pages, but ``Lodging'' branches out to include both hotels and, inexplicably, travel publications. In addition, the list of properties in this section is puzzling. Users can learn more about Ascott Serviced Residents (5-star properties in ;;; and London), but there's no Hilton or Hyatt in ``site.'' Visitors encounter the most hoops when clicking on the ``Destination'' search. The crowd-pleasing menu is divided into ``Popular U.S. Cities,'' ``Popular International Cities'' and ``Popular International Countries.'' Once visitors click on a popular hot spot, TravelQuest links them to the ``CityNet'' sites which, in turn, link to other Web sites that provide information on arts, area attractions, climate and other relevant areas of interest. It is a time consuming proposition. The ``Railroad'' section is a handy guide to selected railroad information on the `Net. In addition to the obligatory links to Amtrak and European Rail, even those who prefer planes to trains can't help but wonder what it would be like to chug along the Puffing Billy Railway in or hop on board one. Travel Quest is at its best when visitors recognize it for what it is -- a kind of clearinghouse for travel URLs. There is no new ground broken here. Those looking for something more will fare better with a megasite such as Travelocity. Although the folks at TravelQuest boast about getting travelers from here to there, in reality they're simply passed along. Guides for Sale Fans of the ``uncompromising'' Forest ``Best Of ...'' travel guides will undoubtedly be thrilled to find out the series now has its own Web site. They may jump quickly to the site, hoping to find updated, comprehensive and fun to read reviews on lodging, restaurants, attractions and entertainment options in major cities around the world. They will be hoping that an on-line version of the guides will supplement the dog-eared, softcover copies in the travel section of their bookshelves. They will be ready and waiting to download the latest reviews. They will be disappointed. The Gayot/Gault Millau Web site is first and foremost a vehicle for selling hard copies of the guides in the ``Best Of ...'' series. The only on-line information offered is the chance to devour ``TASTES,'' a bimonthly newsletter featuring articles on a number destinations and a calendar of wine and food-related events. While TASTES may satisfy some, it's a paltry substitute for those hoping to catch a glimpse of the latest reviews from the ``Best Of ... '' series, which include:,,, , and . (There are restaurant reviews available by linking to Teel's Web site. Apparently, the Forest Valencia writers decided that Teel goes best with food.) To be fair, it would be impossible -- and probably fiscally irresponsible -- to publish the ``Best Of ...'' series on-line for free. However, it would have been helpful to put together a few ``mini-review'' sections to enable Web surfers to sample the guides in the same way a typical Barnes & Noble customer would. All That Jazz Looking for a little music to soothe the soul? Be sure to check out the new FestivalFinder to keep on top of the thousands of gatherings held each year in the U.S. and . Visitors can search by genre; categories include ``Blues,'' ``Bluegrass,'' ``Rock,'' ``Folk,'' ``Classical'' and ``Country.'' There also is a FestivalFinder search engine that enables users to search by genre, performer, festival name or by month. Those who find themselves with the summertime blues can sing about it in September, courtesy of the Mississippi Delta Blues Festival. Over in the Crescent City, Labor Day travelers can take in the Cutting Edge Music Business Conference, which features over 100 new performers playing in bars, clubs, parks and churches throughout .
