HopStop site helps you navigate public transit
Figuring out how to use public transportation in an unfamiliar city can be confusing. For a head start, go to HopStop.com, www.hopstop.com, which has a set of tools to help you find your way from A to B via bus, train, subway, walking or taxi.
The site covers New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington D.C. Pick a city, enter your departure point, destination, preferred mode of transportation and whether you mind walking part of the way. Hit "Directions" and you'll get a detailed set of practical directions anyone could follow.
If there is a rotating camera icon on the map near your destination, click on it to view a 360-degree panorama of the street scene you'll see when you emerge from the subway or bus.
You can also compare how much it will cost on public transport with how much a taxi would cost, and how long each would take. This site also offers suggested tours of an area, such as Greenwich Village.
The only problem I had with this engaging site is that it does not recognize many landmark institutions, such as the New York Main Public Library or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You have to know the address or intersection street names to find them.
Still, this is an enormously useful site, especially if you are new to a city and its public transportation system. Hopstop.com has also just introduced handy small-screen versions for PDA's and mobile phones
If this is your year to take a driving tour of Europe, the best site for driving directions is www.Viamichelin.com, www.Viamichelin.com. Here you'll find the best route as recommended by the famous Michelin Guide folks.
As a test, I requested driving directions from Bruges to Brussels in Belgium, and got detailed directions complete with maps of the route and of both cities. There is a minute by minute log of how much time it will take, where to turn, what the road signs will look like, how many kilometers each leg will take and even notes on traffic, including where the speed cameras are located.
In this case, I found that the trip from Brussels to Bruges would take one hour and 13 minutes, would be 100 kilometers long and cost 9.18 euros in gas, or "petrol" as it says on the site.
In print
"Hawaii: The Big Island Adventure Guide" by Bryan Fryklund and Jen Reeder, is published by Hunter Publishing at $18.99. The Big Island of Hawaii is the perfect destination for adventure travelers who can scale volcanoes, walk fields of ancient petroglyphs or swim with dolphins, all in the same day if they like.
The authors are long-time residents and know the island intimately. They suggest off-the-beaten-track adventures, such as riding a horse through paniolo country -- old time Hawaii cowboy terrain, learning to surf or exploring the island's many spectacular waterfalls. They even tell you where you can learn the hula.
The history and culture of old Hawaii is woven through their tips and suggestions.