BBC Experience
Our first trip today isn't that little... we're off to England to visit one of that country's newest tourist attractions. For 75 years people have traveled the world through the radio, and later the television service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Now, the BBC is inviting the world to come to London where it's just cut the ribbon on a new interactive visitor center called the BBC Experience. Martin Stott was among the first to take in this new exhibit at historic Broadcasting House in London's West End.
The BBC Experience is open daily -- admission for adults is just under $10 -- if you want to take the kids, plan to pay about $6.75 each.
For more information, call 0870 6030304.
Q&A I -- Travel with Kids
Rudy talks with listeners about traveling with children.
Moscow
Until recently Moscow wasn't much of a tourist destination largely because the government wasn't very interested in having you there. But these days it's a different story as the city's leaders go out of their way to entice you and your currency to drop by for a visit. Peter Laufer recently returned from a whirlwind tour of Moscow, a city where he once worked as a journalist. He found it much changed and not always for the better.
Banana Museum
On his way out of town for a convention one year, Ken Bannister stuck a roll of banana stickers in his suitcase. He figured he'd hand them out with his card so folks would remember him and his photography business. But as it turned out, what people remembered best was that Bannister liked bananas and they began sending him all sorts of banana things. Now, Bannister is the curator of the Banana Museum in Altadena, California where Harriet Baskas dropped by for a visit.
Web Site for the INT. BANANA CLUB MUSEUM: http://www.banana-club.com
All Banana Club members enter FREE. Everyone needs to make an appointment in advance by calling Ken Bannister at 626-798-2272. Membership is just $10.00 for life in the U.S. and $15.00 outside the U.S.
Deal of the Week
Chilly in the northeast? Temps dipping in the midwest? If so, you've got five more weeks to escape to the Caribbean before prices go sky high. Luxury hotels there normally charge between five and $900 a night. But I've found a few bargains.
Consider the Ritz-Carlton at the tip of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. $400-a-night rooms are more than 50 per cent off between December 1st and the 20th. On the 12th, a new Ritz-Carlton opens oceanfront near San Juan, Puerto Rico, with a European spa and fancy casino. Through January 4th, stay on Friday and Saturday for two-forty a night -- 160 bucks lower than usual.
The rich and famous like Cap Jaluca, a Moorish-style beach resort on the island of Anguilla. Until December 15th, snare a room there for $380 a night, 100 bucks off the high season rate.
Caribbean luxury on sale before Christmas -- that's my Deal of the Week.
Q&A II-- General Questions
That trip with a roll of banana stickers changed Ken Bannister's life. Has a trip ever changed yours? Did you ever pack up and move because you went someplace and you simply had to stay. Did you meet someone on a trip who altered the course of your life? I want you to call me and share your story about the transforming power of travel. My number is 1-888-SAVTRAV. Leave your name, a number where I can reach you and of course a little bit about your story. Call 1-888-S-A-V-T-R-A-V and tell me how travel has changed your life.
Rudy mentions:
Parker Company, 800-280-2811 rents villas in Tuscany.
Toscana Ambria in Italia, apartment listing costs $3, can order from Travel Books 800-220-2665.
Fat Traveler
Is it just me or are they making airline seatbelts shorter than they used to? It seems that just about everything inside today's airplanes is getting smaller except for the passengers! Larry Josephson is a frequent but frazzled flyer who says he's tired of getting on planes that make him feel like a sardine... albeit a rather large one. He says his experiences have given him a better idea.
Next Week on the Savvy Traveler
We'll hear about the graying of the youth hostel:
"The bug doesn't go away when you come back from your first trip to Europe. And you come back and get a job. At some point you still want to do it again"
We experience one of the flies in the travel ointment, the delay -- trapped by the season's first blizzard in Denver;
We'll take your calls about trips that changed your life and visit a new museum that celebrates buildings that touch the sky. Those stories and more in next week's journey with the Savvy Traveler.
If you want your very own copy of The Savvy Traveler, order an audio cassette. It's easy. Just call 303-823-8000. The price is $15. As Rudy says, it's a steal.
