all-inclusives: ResortCompete.com

DES MOINES, Iowa — The folks who run CruiseCompete.com have launched a new Web site for travelers interested in all-inclusive vacations: ResortCompete.com.

The site lists deals from more than 630 resorts around the world. Consumers fill out an online form indicating their preferences for dates, location, number of adults and children in their group, and how many rooms they want, and the query is answered by resorts and travel agents with deals meeting the criteria.

Consumers also choose their price range - value, premium (moderate) or luxury - and pick from various amenities, including beachfront, casinos, kids’ clubs, wireless Internet access, and eco-tourism activities. You can also browse listings by location, and special deals are advertised as well - for example, five nights at the Ritz-Carlton Jamaica for $854 per person, double occupancy. Well over 100 resorts in the Caribbean are listed, along with nearly 200 for Mexico. Other listings include the Mediterranean, South Africa, the South Pacific, and a few much closer to home, like Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tenn.

All-inclusive resorts typically are located in get-away-from-it-all settings, often with private beaches or mountaintop views. One price covers accommodations, food, drink and entertainment, from nightlife to sports, but you can do as many or as few activities each day as you choose.

Adult-only resorts are ideal for couples seeking romantic getaways, while other resorts cater to families, often with programs designed with different age groups in mind, from young children to tweens and teens. All-inclusives are also popular destinations for group gatherings, from reunions to destination weddings to corporate retreats. ResortCompete.com allows you to specify, among other things, whether you want an adult-only resort, a resort that offers kids’ activities, or a quote for a group. Check it out at http://www.resortcompete.com.

Disney creates Google

Earth map of Disney World

BURBANK — Tourists overwhelmed by the mind-boggling size of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., will now be able to plan their tour with the help of a 3D Google Earth map created by The Walt Disney Co.

The map of the four theme parks and 22 hotels at Disney World shows souvenir shacks, merry-go-round horses and even benches for resting.

Google Earth, an interactive 3D mapping program, allows users to create travelogues by embedding photos, videos and commentary about locations they highlight.

Disney called its entry the largest corporate initiative on Google Earth.

About 100,000 shots from eight photographers went into 1,500 three-dimensional images of a variety of structures at Disney World, the company said.

Disney’s Google Earth entry also contains links to blogs and YouTube videos and information on everything from the minimum rider height for certain attractions to menus at different restaurants.

Nearly nine in 10 park guests plan their vacations online, Disney said.

“Guests and travel planners can now explore our world with just a few clicks of a mouse, and they can book vacations while being immersed in what the destination has to offer,” resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo said in a statement.

Visit http://www.disneyworld.com/3dparks for more information.

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New travel guides out on zoos, left-wing landmarks, literary destinations, road trips

NEW YORK (AP) — Several new themed travel guides are out to suit different tastes and help you create niche itineraries. One is on the country’s best zoos, another on left-wing landmarks, a third on literary destinations, and lastly, from Fodor’s, an all-purpose guide to the U.S.

“America’s Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans and Families,” by Allen W. Nyhuis and Jon Wassner, starts with a surprising statistic: Zoos attract more visitors annually than all U.S. spectator sports combined, but relatively few animal-lovers visit zoos when they travel. Some surveys suggest that less than 10 percent of tourists visit zoos on vacation. The book sets out to change the perception that all zoos are just like your hometown zoo. The book describes 60 zoos, emphasizing unique exhibits, rare animals, and interactive activities. The book is published by The Intrepid Traveler and sells for $15.95.

“Progressive Nation” is described on its cover as “a travel guide with 400-plus inspiring landmarks and left turns.” The book by Jerome Pohlen, a Green Party candidate for Congress in Illinois, lists sites like the spot where the Montgomery bus boycott was launched in Alabama; the church in Brunswick, Maine, where Harriet Beecher Stowe was inspired to write “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”; the Dayton, Tenn., courthouse where the Scopes Monkey Trial took place; the Wounded Knee massacre site in South Dakota; Matewan, W.Va., where a legendary battle over unionized labor took place in the early 20th century; and the historic site in Martinez, Calif., that commemorates conservationist John Muir. The book, $18.95 from Chicago Review Press, includes sites in every state and Washington, D.C.

“Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West,” by Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon, lists author houses and museums; festivals and tours; literary lodgings, bars and cafes; and places where “the pages of literature come to life.” Those include Charles Dickens’ London, Victor Hugo’s Paris, Franz Kafka’s Prague, Louisa May Alcott’s Concord, Mass., and John Steinbeck’s Monterey and Salinas, Calif. The book, published by the National Geographic Society, lists more than 500 literary locales in all and sells for $25.

Finally, for travelers with broad interests, Fodor’s has just published “Essential USA: Spectacular Cities, Natural Wonders and Great American Road Trips” ($21.95). The book includes classic road trip itineraries like Route 66 and the Pacific Coast Highway, where to stay and eat for all budgets, “best bet” tours and attractions in dozens of locales, best places to slow down (Maine coast, Western Montana, California desert, North Carolina’s Outer Banks and the Florida Keys), and best destinations for foodies (New Orleans, New York, San Francisco and Texas Hill Country).

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New York, L.A., Miami are most-visited U.S. cities by overseas travelers

WASHINGTON (AP) — New York got a record-setting 7.6 million foreign visitors last year, making it the U.S. city most visited by travelers from overseas, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.

Following New York on the list of top U.S. destinations for foreigners were Los Angeles (2.7 million); Miami (2.3 million); San Francisco (2.3 million); Orlando (2.1 million); Las Vegas (1.7 million); Honolulu (1.6 million); and Washington (1.2 million), the Commerce Department said.

Miami jumped two spots in becoming the third most-visited destination, showing a 19 percent increase in 2007. Las Vegas and Honolulu traded positions as Honolulu registered a decline, mainly due to a drop in Japanese travel to the U.S. More than 75 percent of Honolulu’s visitors are from Japan.

Among states, New York State was first, followed by California with 5.2 million foreign visitors, and Florida, with 4.7 million foreign visitors.

The Commerce Department said spending by international travelers added $122 billion to the domestic economy.

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History, culture, seafood, scenery in Nova Scotia

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — If you can’t afford a trip to Europe this summer but you’re looking for a place outside the U.S. to sample history and culture, charming villages and beautiful scenery, consider a visit to Nova Scotia in Canada’s Atlantic Maritime provinces.

In the province’s Cape Breton area, you can hear Gaelic music at pubs like the Red Shoe or see step-dancing at the Normaway Inn. For French Acadian culture, visit the Grand Pre National Historic Site, which tells the story of how Nova Scotia’s Acadians were evicted by the British in the 18th century. The deportation was immortalized in Longfellow’s “Evangeline” poem, and many of those Acadians ended up in Louisiana. The Festival Acadian de Clare features Cajun and bluegrass concerts, fireworks, boat parades, a lumberjack competition and other events. The festival kicks off July 26 and ends with a noise-making tradition called “tintamarre” on National Acadian Day, Aug. 15.

A new attraction in Nova Scotia this year is the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, overlooking the Bay of Fundy. The Joggins Fossil Centre features the world’s largest collection of 300-million-year old fossils. Other attractions in the province include the One Life Surf School in Lawrence, near Halifax, which specializes in teaching women to surf; tidal bore rafting on the Roller Coaster Rapids of the Shubenacadie River, and eight wineries, including Domaine De Grand Pre, which offers tours and tastings.

Military buffs will be interested in encampments and displays at the Fortress of Louisbourg, July 25-27, complete with fireworks, parades, chowder cook-offs, street dances, concerts and quilt displays. A must for foodies is a visit to Digby for the town’s unforgettable scallops, but there are plenty of other ways to sample local seafood, including Lobsterpalooza, a series of feasts and other activities through July 1.

In addition to country inns, hotels and B&Bs, Nova Scotia also offers some unusual accommodations, such as the Lighthouse on Cape d’Or, with four bedrooms in a lightkeeper’s house overlooking the Bay of Fundy, and Five Islands Resort, where a group of friends or family can have a whole island to themselves with a main house and four cabins.

Six airlines fly to Halifax, Nova Scotia (Air Canada, American, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United) from the East Coast, and United offers service from Chicago. Or drive to Maine and take The Cat, a high-speed catamaran, from Portland or Bar Harbor. Details at http://www.novascotia.com.

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Miami cab drivers to assess surcharge due to high gas prices

MIAMI (AP) — South Florida taxicab drivers have the green light to add a surcharge to make up for rising fuel prices.

Miami-Dade County commissioners unanimously approved a measure allowing cab drivers to begin assessing the surcharges as a way to offset the rising price of fuel, according to the Miami Herald.

If the price of gas averages $3.50 per gallon, riders will pay an additional $1 on top of the meter fee. If gas prices are at $4, the surcharge will add $1.50 to the cab fare. An extra $3 will be added if gas prices stretch to $5.50.

The fee was scheduled to take effect beginning June 13. A notice will be displayed on cab windows.

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Ford’s Theatre on track to reopen in February

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ford’s Theatre, where John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln on April 14, 1865, is on track to reopened in February for the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth.

The museum in the lower level of the theater will include touch-screen displays where people can look at Civil War dispatches, speech drafts and other documents. The museum will revolve around Lincoln’s time in Washington, from his arrival to the Ford’s Theatre visit.

The nonprofit Ford’s Theatre Society says it is on track to raise the $50 million for the renovations and to build a learning center that will open at a later date.

The learning center, across the street from the theater, will hold classroom space and exhibits depicting the events after Lincoln’s assassination; the search for Booth, and a broader look at Lincoln’s legacy.

The society produces the shows at the theater and works closely with the National Park Service, which owns the theater and the Petersen House across the street, where Lincoln died the morning after the shooting.

More details at http://www.fordstheatre.org/.

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Top places to celebrate July Fourth

NEW YORK (AP) — Plenty of Americans will enjoy a lazy summer day on July Fourth at the beach or a backyard barbecue. But if you prefer an urban setting for your holiday celebration, here are eight cities recommended by ProfessionalTravelGuide.com as the best places for fireworks and other festivities.

New York City hosts a massive fireworks display on the East River. The FDR Drive, a highway along the water, is closed to cars so pedestrians can get a riverfront view of the show.

In Washington, a parade takes place during the day along Constitution Avenue, and at night, folks gather on the National Mall to watch the fireworks.

In Las Vegas, casinos host their own fireworks displays, along with concerts and other events and festivities.

Boston is known for its annual concert, the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, held on the banks of the Charles River, with fireworks after.

Philadelphia’s celebration includes a Latin Fiesta on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, July 3, 2-8:30 p.m.; a Philly Pops concert the evening of July 3 at Independence Hall, which this year will include the real-life wedding of two actors who play Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross at historic reenactments; a July 4 afternoon parade on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, followed by a concert and fireworks; and another round of fireworks July 5.

In Missouri, the Fair Saint Louis/Celebrate St. Louis Fourth of July event is one of the largest in the Midwest. The backdrop for the city’s fireworks couldn’t be finer: the Mississippi River and the famed Gateway Arch. The event kicks off five weekends of entertainment, including a July 25 concert by The Black Crowes and an Aug. 1 appearance by Boyz II Men.

The Mississippi is also at the center of New Orleans’ Independence Day, with its Go 4th on the River celebration in which dueling barges shoot off fireworks on the water while visitors watch from the Riverwalk Marketplace and other vantage points.

Houston expects 100,000 people at Eleanor Tinsley Park along the Buffalo Bayou to watch the fireworks and listen to several hours of live entertainment.

The ProfessionalTravelGuide.com Web site has details about each destination and recommendations for places to stay at http://www.professionaltravelguide.com/Fourth-Fireworks.

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Mount Rainier National Park celebrates toilet

ASHFORD, Wash. (AP) — Mount Rainier National Park is celebrating the installation of a $70,000 ecologically correct toilet at Cougar Rock Campground.

The toilet was donated by Groundwork Mishima, a group that promotes volunteerism at Mount Fuji, which has a “sister mountain” relationship with the park. The toilet was installed with the help of students from the Japanese Volunteers-in-Parks Association.

The toilet uses cedar chips and natural composting to operate with little water or odor.

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Carnival plans weekly sailings from Baltimore in ’09

BALTIMORE (AP) — Carnival Cruise Lines plans to begin weekly sailings from Baltimore in September 2009.

Carnival announced that the 2,124-passenger Carnival Pride will offer seven-day trips to destinations such as the Turks and Caicos islands, the Bahamas and Florida, through August 2011.

State ports officials say the addition will boost the number of cruises departing Baltimore from 38 in 2009 to 80 in 2010.

Carnival ran cruises from Baltimore in 2004 and 2005, but moved the ship to meet demand elsewhere. The company says it added to its fleet and will be able to return to Baltimore.

Baltimore will be the northernmost port where Carnival, the world’s largest cruise line, offers year-round cruises. Carnival expects to serve 115,000 passengers each year through Baltimore.