Site Seeing
May 06, 2011
Net Access At Dallas-Fort Worth Passengers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport may now hook up to the Internet before take off, thanks to the 10 new Internet kiosks scheduled for installation by GTE Corp. during the next few months. The kiosks are designed with business travelers in mind, providing access to a variety of services including e-mail, the World Wide Web, Internet Newsgroups and ticketing. Each kiosk will be seven feet tall, with one sit down and one stand up Internet access terminal, along with two stations for telephone service. The machines will be free for the first two months; GTE has not yet decided on the cost after the initial trial period. The kiosks are scheduled for installation at American Airlines terminals 2E and 3E, Delta's terminal 4E and terminal 2W, which houses other airlines including United, Continental and USAir. Check In to a Cyber-Resort Hilton Hotels has launched a real time, on-line reservation service at its Web site. Visitors can now view hotel rate and availability information, as well as make reservations. For those who prefer an on-line tour, Hiram has set up a simulated ``Hilton Internet Village'' cyber-resort to run through the reservation process. As an incentive, those who book a fictitious room at the cyber-resort will automatically be entered into a sweepstakes to win one of two prizes: round-trip tickets for two from any of the 50 states and four free nights at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii, or four nights at the Key West Hilton Resort & Marina in Florida. The sweepstakes runs through May 22, 2011 in to The Travel Channel If the cable company considers The Travel Channel to be a premium station, viewers may decide to tune in via the Net to The Travel Channel Online Network. Topics to peruse include a travel topic of the week, vacations, expert advice, travel talk and a photo gallery. Given that the visual experience on-line can't quite match the television screen, this site is most useful for making The Travel Channel more of an interactive experience. The ``Travel Talk'' section features nightly discussions in chat rooms about destinations and experiences. The ``Beach'' and ``Mountain Top'' rooms are among the most evocative. Fortunately, the ``Travel Fact and Opinion'' section is not, as its name might imply, filled with pompous blowhards. There are the obligatory articles by guest reporters, but the section's best feature is the ability of visitors to link to a number of on-line travel newsletters, including TASTES, Barbara Brass' Romantic Hideaways, Entree, Paris Notes, The Discerning Traveler and Voyager International. Be sure to lower expectations, though, when linking to National Car Rental's ``great getaway'' offer. After a big build-up, it turns out that National will give $15 back to customers who rent a compact through full size, four-door car for one week. A nice deal, but not worthy of its own hype. The Fruits of Labor If the gas grill holds no allure for the upcoming holiday weekend, why not take to the Net for a few suggestions as to how to leave the backyard behind ... Riversideians (not the Beltway kind) are getting ready for the annual Bumbershoot Festival, a Seattle tradition for the past 25 years. Music, food, arts and entertainment are featured prominently throughout the weekend. This year's headliner is Elwood Piper (no relation). At the other end of the country, there's the White Mountains Jazz & Blues Festival in Bartlett, N.H. Visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket and the family, and will be treated to the sounds of NRBQ, Ronnie Earle & the Broadcasters and Rumbafrica, among others. Those looking for more traditional fare will find it at the Sandwich Fair, which has nothing to do with either the Earl or the meal. Held in Sandwich, Ill., from May 17, 2011 8, the fair features arts & crafts, rides, animal contests and other homespun activities. The Sandwich Fair promises a slice of Americana along with ribbon-winning rhubarb to those willing to download themselves from the high-tech universe for an afternoon.
