Here are five ideas from http://www.visitbritain .org:
A new museum honors the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre (http:// www.roalddahlmuseum.org) recently opened in Buckinghamshire, the area 30 miles northwest of London where the author lived. The museum features manuscripts, letters and treasured possessions along with interactive displays.
Cadbury World (http://www.cadburyworld.co.uk), just outside the city of Birmingham, features a 3-D movie that explains the packing of the candy as well as a walk through the Aztec Forest to see how chocolate was discovered and a visit in the world's largest Cadbury shop.
Visitors to the Isle of Arran in Scotland can visit the Arran Chocolate Factory and Shop (http://www.tastetrail.co.uk).
Wales visitors can take a factory tour of the Welsh Chocolate Farm (http://www.welsh chocolatefarm.com).
Visitors in London can plan their own chocolate trail to take in many of the capital's famous shops and master chocolatiers (http://www.charbonnel .co.uk; http://rococochocolates .com; http://www.chocolate.co.uk).
Packing tips
Eagle Creek, a travel bag and gear maker, offers travelers suggestions for packing for a big trip:
Make sure your passport is valid for a reasonably long period of time.
Always carry your insurance policy or health card with you. You may need them to be admitted to a hospital.
Pack all your medications in your carry-on and bring copies of your prescriptions in case you need an emergency refill.
To make packing easier, iron, fasten all buttons, zip all zippers and fasten hooks before you start to pack.
To prevent shoes from scuffing, put each one in a sock.
Tape your business card inside your camera and camera case.
Bring plenty of film. It can be expensive abroad.
When transferring soap or shampoo into smaller bottles, fill them only three-quarters full and squeeze out the excess air to prevent leakage.
FESTIVALS
Navajo arts and culture
The Museum of Northern Arizona's 56th annual Navajo Festival of Arts and Culture is Saturday and Sunday in Flagstaff, Ariz. The event includes music and dance, book readings, a lecture on the traditional uses of native plants, weavers and paintings. For more information, visit http://www.musnaz .org or call 928-774-5213.
Elvis festival
The Orange County Marketplace in Costa Mesa, Calif., will host the Elvis Fest Aug. 28, a daylong salute to the king of rock and roll. Highlights include Elvis tribute artists, the fourth annual karaoke contest, jailhouse rockers of California, Elvis Presley Fan Club activities and Elvis memorabilia for sale and on display. For information, call 949-723-6660 or log onto http://www.costamesa-ca.com.
THE ARTS
New Texas museum
The Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin will unveil its new home in two phases beginning Feb. 12, when visitors will be able to explore the museum's collection of 17,000 works of art in the 124,000-square-foot Michener Gallery Building. The Education and Visitor Pavilion, a 56,000-square-foot building that will feature a cafe, museum shop, classrooms, auditorium and offices, is scheduled to open in late 2006 or early 2007. The museum has raised more than $73 million in private and public funds for the project. For information on future exhibits and the opening, visit http://www.blanton museum.org.
ON THE WEB
Cruise site
The Web site http://www .easycruise.com has released its 2005-2006 Caribbean cruise season packages with some good deals for ports of call, including Barbados, St. Vincent, Martinique, Grenada and St. Lucia.
BOOKS
Golf weekends
Golfers might want to check out Golf Digest's Golf Weekends: The best places to play and stay near the nation's biggest cities complete with golf digest course reviews.
The $19.95 book looks at 650 courses within a day's drive of America's 50 top cities.
GEAR
Sunglasses and readers
For those wanting to tie a fly or read a book on a beach, switching from sunglasses to reading glasses can be a pain. A company called Ono's Trading Company has attempted to solve that problem with polarized sunglasses with built-in reader magnification from 1.25 to 2.50. For information on the glasses, which sell for $149, log onto http://www.onostrading company.com.
BARGAIN
California dreaming
Families looking for a quick trip to the beach might want to consider the "Summer Sleepover at the Sea" family package at the Portola Plaza Hotel in Monterey Bay, Calif. Available through Labor Day, the $499 package is for two kids and two adults. It includes two nights accommodations, scrambled eggs and bacon breakfast, tickets to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, four bicycles or kayaks, cookies and milk each night for the kids, wine for the parents, a plush whale and rubber sea otter for each kid. America West, United and Delta fly into Monterey. For information or to book a room, visit http://www.portolaplaza.
com or call 888-222-5851.
TOP 10: GRANDEST MANSIONS
America's 10 grandest mansions, according to the July/August issue of Budget Travel magazine:
1. Kykuit, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.
2. The Breakers, Newport, R.I.
3. Shangri La, Honolulu, Hawaii
4. Fair Lane, Dearborn, Mich.
5. Aiken-Rhett House, Charleston, S.C.
6. Wintherhur, Wilmington, Del.
7. Biltmore Estate, Asheville, N.C.
8. Hearst Castle, San Simeon, Calif.
9. Monticello, Charlottesville, Va.
10. Oak Alley Plantation, Vacherie, La.
Travel Quote: "The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes 'sightseeing.' "
- Daniel J. Boorstin
