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Ellen Creager

Navigating the world -- by the book

Last updated Sunday, April 29, 2012 - 7:00am

Yes, it makes your suitcase heavier. Yes, it takes up more space.

But all the travel e-books and mobile app guides in the world put together are still less handy than a sturdy little guidebook you can hold in your hand.

Among the various brands -- Frommer's, Fodor's, Lonely Planet, Moon, DK, Rick Steves and more -- there are likely enough volumes to pave China.

Many of them publish in e-book form, too, spinning travel advice through the digital realm.

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Plan a trip to the Olympic Training Centers

Ellen Creager Detroit Free Press

Last updated Sunday, March 25, 2012 - 7:42am

CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- Kara Patterson holds a long, heavy javelin above her head. She waits. She moves it next to her ear and runs. In one smooth motion, it flies from her hand in an elegant arc, landing way down the field as it plunges its point into the grass.

Her coach watches from a folding chair on the sidelines. "Better," he says.

Then the 2008 Olympian throws the javelin again. And again. And again.

She's trying to make the 2012 Olympics.

Features, 2012 Summer Olympics, Travel Read more Comments

Agawa Canyon Snow Train back on track

Ellen Creager Detroit Free Press

Last updated Sunday, March 4, 2012 - 8:35am

AGAWA CANYON, Ontario, Canada -- There are no animals, no birds, not one moving creature, except for a man on a lake who raises his hand as we pass. It is overcast. Sky the color of cotton wool muffles the harsh rocky landscape; the snow and hills blend into a black-and-white panorama dotted with the drab loden of the pines. Snow falls in fits and starts. It is already more than 2 feet deep. Let spring come somewhere else; winter has settled here, as always.

Last year, the Agawa Canyon Snow Train did not run. This year, it has $11 million worth of new equipment, upgraded coaches and splendid new burgundy paint. It has a warm dining car with good service and hearty food. It is running each Saturday through March 10.

The question is: Does anyone have the patience to ride the Snow Train anymore?

Features, Trains, Travel Read more Comments

Some travel websites to surf

Ellen Creager Detroit Free Press

Last updated Sunday, January 1, 2012 - 8:30am

A few cool travel websites:

www.drive-alive.co.uk/fuel_prices_europe.html

Before you plan a driving trip in Europe, get a feel for how much fuel will cost. This site posts regular updates on prices for gasoline and diesel in European countries and the United Kingdom.

www.cruisetimetables.com

Check which ports are visited by which ships, and on what dates. You can search by port of call or departure port. If you really want to stop at a certain spot, this tells you which cruise

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