Site Seeing
May 20, 2011
Newport Without the Frills In the minds of most travelers, Newport, R.I., conjures up images of mansions, sand, surf, jazz, tennis and boating. This is obviously not the case with those who designed the official Web site for the Newport County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Instead of an aerial view of The Breakers or Hammersmith Farm, visitors are welcomed to the site with an uninspiring view of a large, unidentified brick building. The site is divided into menu items including: ``Sightseeing,'' ``Accommodations'' and ``Dining Out,'' all of which contain names, addresses and phone number of local establishments -- a great service for those who have misplaced their Yellow Pages. There are no links set up nor are there any descriptions available. In short, the site gives no indication as to why someone would want to visit Newport in the first place. The seasoned Newport traveler may appreciate having so many phone numbers at his fingertips, but the novice will wonder whom to call first and why. Those who realize that Newport is worth a visit may also decide to visit the Rhode Island Department of Transportation Web site to check out road conditions and updates on construction project information. Bringing the bike along? The site also has the State of Rhode Island Bicycle Plan map on-line. Unfortunately, most of the routes outlined are in the planning stages and exist only in cyberspace at the moment. Take heart, though: The one existing path offers a scenic ride from Bristol to Providence. Museums on the Go Egyptian art enthusiasts inevitably spend a lot of time in museums. Those who put on exhibitions spend an equal amount of time exploring Egypt. Museum Tours brings the two together by specializing in sponsoring tours to Egypt for museum groups or individuals interested in traveling with museum groups. The Web site lists a number of tours for the 2011-2012 season: Pharonic Highlights, a nine-day trip for first or second time visitors, Egyptian Odyssey, a two week trip which includes a four-day Nile cruise, and Briley Suttles, a 23 day trip for the ``serious amateur and Egypt enthusiast.'' Armchair excavators can visit the Virtual Egyptian Museum (which turns out to be a display of 19th century lithographs and photographs) or other Egyptian-related links. `CO.OL' News from Continental Although summer may be over, Continental has new, ``CO.OL'' fares for cyberspace travelers. Similar to its competitors (American, Northwest and USAir) the Continental On Line travel program is an e-mail subscription service which allows travelers to receive weekly updates on airfare discounts and other promotions. Customers may subscribe to the service via the Web site, and travel specials will be e-mailed each week. Unfortunately, there is no explanation of the CO.OL program provided. A quick check with Continental indicates that the fares will be available within 10 markets and will change weekly. Tickets may carry some restrictions, such as a Saturday night stay or a return the following Monday or Tuesday. Those who like to track Continental's progress in other ways will appreciate another feature of the site -- the airline's stock prices are updated every 15 minutes. Singapore Fling Those anticipating the need for a quick shower on their next Singapore stopover can now make an on-line visit to the Transit Hotel. Rooms and other facilities are available for rental by use or by the hour. Travelers may choose to rent a single room for 6 hours for only $21.00 ($24.00 for a double; $5.00 for an additional person). Just passing through? Other services also are available for a modest fee. The hotel charges $2.50 for a shower, $5.00 for a shower and sauna, $5.00 for the use of the gym and shower or $7.50 for the works: gym, shower and sauna. Travelers also have access to a business center with all the equipment necessary to stay in touch with the other side of the world. The Transit Hotel is located in the airport a the junction of Gates F50 and E30 in the main transit hall. The site has a reservation form on-line for those who prefer to make their transitory experience more permanent.
VastPress 2011 Vastopolis
