For your planning purposes, consider "The Charleston, Savannah & Coastal Islands Book" by Cecily McMillan (Berkshire House, 3rd edition, 1999) and "Touring the Coastal South Carolina Backroads" by Nancy Rhyne (John Blair, 1992). Also, check out the official South Carolina tourism site.

The McMillan book has a section on camping, and you also can look at the Wildernet South Carolina Camping Guide.

There's also a Coastal Guide site with links to nine South Carolina coastal communities.

You can locate dive shops in South Carolina -- and elsewhere in the U.S. -- through Charternet.com. Such shops will have information on local diving destinations and conditions. Another resource is "Shipwrecks, Pirates & Privateers: Sunken Treasures of the Upper South Carolina Coast, 1521-1865" by Edward L. Spence (Sandlapper Publishing, 1996).

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What are some sources for planning a vacation on Prince Edward Island, and how much does it cost to cross the new bridge from New Brunswick?

The bridge opened in 1997 -- this will be the fourth summer that getting to Prince Edward Island will not require a three-hour ferry ride for motorists coming from New Brunswick. The drive on the two-lane bridge takes about 12 minutes.

The span is called the Confederation Bridge, and it stretches about nine miles from Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick, to Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island. You don't pay a toll on the way in, but leaving the island there's a round-trip toll of $36.25 Canadian -- about U.S.$24.28. Credit cards are accepted.

While the bridge is good news for the road-weary, the jury is still out on whether easier access is affecting the island's atmosphere. Part of the island's charm, of course, was its isolation, and critics of the bridge fear that in time some of that charm will be lost as the bridge increases tourism and commerce.

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Nothing quite stirs the blood like a parade of tall ships -- vessels such as the Bounty, the Mary Rose, the Sir Francis Drake and the Unicorn. This huge party-under-sail will visit eight U.S. ports over two months this summer.

Starting in late May, tall ships from more than 60 nations will take part in Operation Sail 2000. The first stop will be San Juan, Puerto Rico, on May 25-29, then the fleet will continue north to Miami, June 7-10, and up the East Coast to Norfolk, Va., June 16-20; Baltimore, June 23-29; Philadelphia, June 23-29; New York, July 3-9; New London, Conn., July 12-15; and finally to Portland, Maine, July 28-31.

Each port plans dozens of related events. Expect to see beaucoup music, dancing and fireworks -- all framed by soaring masts and sails. OpSail's biggest bang will be in New York, where it arrives in time for the 224th Independence Day observance. Organizers expect the ship's week there to attract more than 40,000 spectator vessels to New York Harbor and help draw about four million people into the city.

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The Alaskan cruise season runs from mid-May into September, and you have a good
chance of seeing whales at any time during that period, especially humpback and
killer whales, also known as orcas.

In her authoritative book, "Alaska's Inside Passage Traveler" (Windham Bay Press,
1998), Ellen Searby notes that humpbacks "tend to congregate in May and June near
Juneau, Auke Bay and near the south end of Douglas Island. You can usually see
them July through September in Lower Stephens Passage. Orcas are less predictable
in southeast Alaska -- you may find them anywhere, especially if there are salmon
runs or groups of seals nearby."

An outstanding primer to looking for whales is "The Whale Watcher's Guide:
Whale-Watching Trips in North America," by Patricia Corrigan (NorthWord Press,
1999). It includes a month-by-month guide to where whales can be spotted. In
June, for instance, you can find fin whales, humpbacks, minke whales and orcas in
Alaskan waters.

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The Czech Republic's capital city continues to be one of the hottest spots for tourists and expatriates alike. Tens of thousands of young foreigners, many American, reside in the city. Lodging gets tight from spring to fall, so it's advisable to arrange for a place to stay before you arrive, if at all possible. Start at the Czech Tourism Pages, a sleek official site with hundreds of links. A good personal site is Czeching out Prague, providing one woman's travelogue and mini-guide.

Czech Center New York is produced by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote the country; its phone number is (212) 288-0830. The site has a section of links to tours and tour operators.

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Foreign correspondents often turn to local universities once they're in an area; check with the English language department, the student employment office or a department that pertains to the topic you're researching. A logical starting point is the American University in Cairo.

If an informal guide would suffice, note that Cairo is one of those places where travelers who aren't part of a tour group are often approached by people who want to help, either as full-time guides or in exchange for a little baksheesh -- gratuity.

If you're comfortable with the idea of an on-the-spot interview, this can be a good way to contribute to the local economy without a middleman taking a cut. Also, you're face to face with the person and can gauge for yourself his fluency in English and familiarity with the subjects you're interested in. But agree to the price beforehand, and write it down to make sure there is no misunderstanding.

Another tactic is to approach someone who already has a personal guide and ask where they found him. At some tourist sites, such as the pyramids or Luxor, freelance guides may make themselves available as well.

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Head straight to the ShawGuides Directory to Art & Craft Workshops, where you can find dozens of workshops in France and a fine search engine that lets you sort for focus, ability level, location and date.

The directory and other art-related information also can be found at the Artist's Magazine site.

A search for intermediate painting workshops in France in June turned up 31 matches, including California's Artists Workshop Tours Agency, which is offering a two-week program in Provence, and Paris' En Plein Air, which is offering a "Monet's Garden" program in late May, a "Paris Keepsake" program in June and "A Taste of France" in September.

The Educated Traveler newsletter has a specialty-travel search engine, too, which turned up a seven-day painting workshop in France this month aboard the luxury riverboat Caprice.

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Rail lines cut through Colorado like rich veins of ore, and several tourist trains also can be found in the other Four Corners states -- Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. Besides Amtrak, narrow-gauge railways meander through the mountains on extremely scenic routes.

For starters, the Grand Canyon Railway runs daily from Williams, Ariz., to the Grand Canyon's South Rim, a 65-mile trip that can be made in one day as a round trip or with a stay at the South Rim. On the day trips, riders spend three-and-a-half hours at the canyon's edge. Contact Grand Canyon Railway in Flagstaff, phone (800) 843-8724.

In southwest Colorado, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Rail Road makes daily round trips between the two towns in its name. Contact the railroad HQ in Durango, Colo., at (303) 247-2733. The train has open-sided cars, as well as parlor cars and coach cars. You can make the round trip by train, or take a faster bus connection in one direction.

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The observance you're referring to is called Nyepi. The next one is April 4 -- and you'll no doubt have a memorable time. I once stumbled onto Nyepi in Ubud, tipped that something was about to happen by the bamboo cannons going off constantly in the days before the actual holiday. The night before, there was a big parade with local teenagers spitting fire, plus feasts and other processions.

Most visitors take this interruption in stride, but if you think you can't handle it, it's easy enough to take a side trip to one of the other islands for a few days. Travelers may want to avoid the holiday, though, if their itinerary calls for them to go through the airport in Denpasar that day.

The Bali Update newsletter earlier this year ran this notice: "The Ngurah Rai International Airport will be closed during the celebration of the Bali Hindu New Year 'Nyepi' which falls this year on April 4. According to a circular letter from the governor of Bali, in strict conformance with observance of Bali's day of silence, airlines will not be allowed to pick up or disembark domestic or international passengers on that date.

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Many Web sites and guidebooks examine
cruises and cruise ships, but one of the
best places to start is Fielding's
Cruisefinder, which describes the
cruise lines and directs you to those
operating in certain regions, including
the Greek islands and
Turkey.

There you'll find more than two dozen
ships operated by more than a dozen
cruise lines that ply those waters.
Links take you to each ship's itinerary,
details on number of cabins and other
statistics and tips on value for money.

The site also has a Crowsnest forum,
in which readers can share information
on ships and itineraries.

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Don't expect to find any cheapo fares during the Olympics period, Sept. 15-Oct. 1, but there are a couple of times each year when discounting occurs, driving down fares from the East Coast from the $1,500-$1,800 neighborhood to the $1,200-$1,300 range.

The sweetest deals depart from West Coast cities, though, so if you can get to one using a frequent-flier award or Greyhound, you'll be set.

Last fall, for instance, Qantas promoted Millennium Madness fares between L.A./San Francisco and Sydney for $799. (Trips had to booked by Nov. 30 for travel from April 17 to June 14.) According to Swain Australia Tours, a similar rate is kicking around now for departures after April 17 -- $799 plus taxes from L.A. From the East Coast, you're looking at $1,200 or so, plus taxes. To get that fare you must book by March 15.

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Your complaint is valid -- any savvy traveler prefers a nonstop to a trip with connecting flights -- but I doubt the airline is going to be too sympathetic. If you get no satisfaction dealing with a reservations agent, write to the airline's customer relations department (get the customer relations manager's name and address by calling the toll-free reservations number), briefly state your complaint and ask for a refund.

Possibly the airline will offer you a coupon to appease you, but I wouldn't get my hopes up about the refund.

Arguably the airline has switched what it promised to provide you, but there's fine print on the ticket -- which few ever read, or even could read in the case of an e-ticket -- that says, "Carrier may ... alter or omit stopping places shown on the ticket in case of necessity."

You can also state your intent to complain to the Department of Transportation, which collects such complaints but isn't going to go to bat for you. Send written complaints to Aviation Consumer Protection Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, C-75, 400 Seventh St. SW, Room 4107, Washington, DC, 20590.

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The San Sebastian Street Fiesta runs in Old San Juan for four days each January, always including the third weekend. In 2001, the dates are Jan. 18-21. It's a festival of music processions, graphic arts, handicraft exhibits and traditional Puerto Rican foods. You can get information on the festival by calling the municipal government office at (787) 721-1476. Be prepared to speak Spanish.

Puerto Rico is rich with such fiestas, and you can find a month-by-month, town-by-town listing of them in a guidebook called "Adventure Guide to Puerto Rico" by Harry S. Pariser.

Among sites that also have festival and other visitor information are Welcome to Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican Tourism Company. The company also can be reached at (800) 866-7827 or (305) 445-9112.

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Yes -- with a little digging you should be able to find travel agencies or tour companies that specialize in a destination for nationals or immigrants who want to return to the old country for a visit or longer stay. I don't know of any ImmigrantTravel.com site, but there are several ways to go about finding agencies to help you.

Sometimes the companies are large, well-established and cater to the general public. Other times they are small and devoted to a tiny niche market. For instance, Chinatowns around the country often have neighborhood travel agencies whose business focuses on Chinese-Americans who return occasionally to Hong Kong or China or Taiwan or elsewhere in Asia.

There's usually no special fare for immigrants, mind you, but agents with expatriate or immigrant customers know how to find the best deals and consolidator fares for their clientele.

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Turkish
Airlines, the government-supported airline, dominates the
skies, but there are smaller companies, too, including Istanbul
Airlines. Plan your itinerary well, because not all cities have
daily service, and on a weeklong visit you don't want to get
stuck having to wait a day or two just because of flight
schedules. You can see the cities served by Turkish Airlines
at its City
Info page.

(The airline's site had another interesting feature: The company
is selling six A310-203 passenger aircraft and two Boeing
727-200F cargo planes. Get 'em while they last.)

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As an arts and cultural capital -- as well as the state capital -- Santa Fe has more lodging and dining choices than most cities its size (about 60,000 people). It has 4,500 hotel rooms, including those in moderate- and budget-priced chains such as Motel 6 and Super 8. Depending on timing, you may be able to find a place for $40 to $70 per night.

The Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau has a well-designed site with tons of lodging and dining information. You can order a free 124-page visitors guide at the Web site or by calling (800) 777-2489.

A company called Santa Fe Alternative Accommodations, phone (800) 995-2272, offers lodging in homes and casitas -- adobe vacation cottages with more local ambience than a motel. Rates for some properties start at $75 per night, with discounting for longer stays.

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If it makes you feel any better, thousands of other people will, like you, glance at the calendar over the next few weeks and realize that they meant to plan a Mardi Gras trip. The weak-willed will put it off until another year, but many others, in full Mardi Gras spirit, will charge ahead.

Go for it.

Even the city's dives jack up their prices in the two weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday, and of course they're booked up nearly a year in advance. The key to keeping your housing costs down is teaming up with others. This doesn't necessarily mean sleeping five to a hotel room.

Many residents of New Orleans cash in on the holiday by staying with relatives and renting their homes to outsiders. I once phoned a New Orleans office and asked an acquaintance if she knew anyone renting his or her space. She put the phone aside and I heard her holler: "Soo-zahn, Soo-zahn, are you doin' the Mardi Gras theeng thees year wit' your house?" Soo-zahn, scenting green, didn't miss a beat, and I ended up in a great townhouse complete with garden and Mardi Gras cake.

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In any country, visitors are subject to the local laws and practices, of course, and sometimes you get the raw deal. Warnings about driving in Mexico appear in the State Department's consular information sheet on Mexico, but no mention is made of shakedowns.

I posed your question to "Mexico Mike" Nelson, a Mexican guidebook author who's covered more road miles there than anyone I know and who publishes a newsletter, "Latin America Travel & Business Report." His response:

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