MESSAGE CENTER
Sunday, June 27, 2004; Page P05
Girrrls Gone Wild
WHAT A fine writer Steve Hendrix is ["A Walk in the Park," June 20]. His article is the most charming thing I have read in a long time, and charm is something I don't expect to find in The Post. Hendrix captured the girls, and an adult's fond impatience, exactly.
Katherine Nyce
Arlington
HENDRIX SHOULD have checked with Trailsend Tours (406-387-5763, www.trailsendtours.com) before he went on his father-daughter trip in Montana. We discovered them on a recent trip to Glacier Park. A small local firm, they specialize in out-of-the-ordinary adventures and, we found, are willing to customize trips. We chose a wonderful tour that emphasized Native American culture, another through Glacier Park and yet another to see a buffalo herd (close up!). They also offer helicopter flights and stays at working ranches.
Deborah Lee
Arlington
THOUGHT YOU might be interested to know that Amtrak makes two stops by and in the park: one directly at West Glacier and one at the Isaac Walton Inn in Essex, on the south edge of the park.
Carl and Lorraine Melton
Manassas
WHAT A great story! I hope that Isabel and Dillon look back on this trip, as they grow up, as an exceptional adventure.
Glacier is one of my favorite spots in the United States. We traveled there on June 11 by Amtrak Empire Builder. We went to Kalispell, the county seat, were married by a minister who received his degree over the Internet (legal in Montana) and spent the rest of the day in the park. We reboarded the Empire Builder in time for some of the train's 75th-anniversary celebration and returned to our original starting point. We're just sorry that we don't have more time to visit the park again this year.
Sam Ketterman
Timonium, Md.
Rebanking Miles
I AM GLAD that my client contacted you about the ridiculous policy of British Airways in not rebanking miles once ticketed [Coming and Going, June 20]. I spent a lot of time on the phone with BA, and they tried all kinds of schemes. It got more ridiculous as we went on, and I advised buying the less expensive round trip on Air Canada -- which, by the way, I found for her.
It is important to credit travel agents for the good work we do for our clients. There are a lot of "easy" travel plans that the public thinks they can handle themselves, but when something goes wrong, we are the ones with the ability to find alternatives to solve the problem.
A few travel agencies, like our company, notify clients if their fares have gone down and get them credit for future travel on the airlines or refunds of the difference. Neither the Internet nor the airline will ever call you to give back money.
Lois Silberberg
WorldTravelServices
Chevy Chase
Drive, They Said ENCOURAGE YOUR readers to go to Chaco Canyon [Travel Q&A, June 20]. Yes, the ride is slow and bumpy, but well worth it. As we were driving back out, we stopped and spoke to a couple, mid-thirties, who were riding a Harley into the canyon. They were standing at the side of the road and we were concerned that they might need help. They laughed and said they were only giving their posteriors a rest from the pounding of the rough gravel road. I figure if they could handle it, anyone riding in a car at a reasonable speed would be fine.
Vicki Thompson-Jones
Columbia
THE READER who planned the trip to Chaco Canyon for one year and then abandoned it after 100 yards could not have failed to understand that the 25-mile access road is frequently rutted and very muddy, particularly after a rainstorm, and that you need to check road conditions immediately prior to travel. The drive is slow-going, but is well worth the experience of viewing the mesa architecture and climbing the trail to view the ruins from above. For a less daunting experience, your readers should experience Mesa Verde National Park.
Bruce Birchman
Potomac
Label Your Stuff
I WORK in the Dulles Airport Lost & Found office. If there is one thing I would recommend to the traveling public, it is to please put your name and address on your bags, cameras, cell phones, etc. It is unbelievable the number of items we receive in Lost & Found that have absolutely no identification. Our office will contact the owner for any item turned over to us that has identification. Return is at the owner's expense, but at least items with identification can be returned.
Edward L. Conley
Washington Dulles
International Airport
Dulles, Va.
Write us: Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. Fax: 202-912-3609. E-mail: travel@ washpost.com.
© 2004 The Washington Post Company
|
|

|