CLICK & DOUBLE CLICK: INTERNET HELPS SURFERS EXPLORE WORLD IN REAL OR CYBER TRAVELS

It's that time of year when we begin thinking of trips to the seashore, the mountains or Disney World. Whether you can really get away or daydream from home, the Internet can help you with your travels.

Joni: We can start at my favorite place, Disney. We're planning a trip this summer. Even if I didn't have kids, Disney would be my favorite place.

www.disney.com

Peggy: Disney really is the master at marketing. If you have a high-speed Internet connection, you will see little bouncing balls.

Joni: These bouncing balls don't show up on my computer at home. I think it's interesting that they can program Web sites to match our connection.

Peggy: Once the balls have bounced across the screen, you can find lots of help in planning a Disney vacation. Just pick your destination.

Joni: You can even order your tickets online. Disney will help pick your hotel after you choose the amenities that are most important to you.

Peggy: You can also learn about special events in the parks. For example, the Mulan Parade debuts June 19. You can make reservations and learn about vacation packages online.

Joni: You can't find everything online. I've been reading the unofficial guides to help me plan. They tell you what parks are busiest on what days.

Peggy: For those looking for a different destination, try The Lonely Planet.

www.lonelyplanet.com

Joni: They publish guidebooks for independent travelers and claim to offer "pull-no-punches" advice. They target destinations across the world, even Antarctica.

Peggy: Zoom in on the world map to find out what's happening. You can look at the Optic Nerve, a photo exhibit from several countries. They also give tips on cameras and vacation photos.

Joni: This is kind of cool. It's called Thorn Tree. Travelers can give advice or get advice -- know how or no way.

Peggy: They also have a whole section on health and travel, including planning and how to stay healthy on your trip.

Joni: It covers topics like immunizations and early warning signs for health care disasters.

Peggy: They also have lots of links to lots of other travel sites. Wondering if an adventure vacation is for you? Read the journals of other adventurers at the new Land's End Website.

beyond.landsend.com

Joni: A recent survey said half of U.S. adults took adventure vacations in the last five years. I would call any vacation with kids an adventure.

Peggy: Visitors can log on to read real-time adventure journals. You can join the crew retracing Leif Ericson's historic voyage from Greenland to the New World, or take a virtual hike with an arctic explorer.

Joni: You can also go on a mission to tag Beluga whales. Or if you are interested in a more historical trip, the History Channel has a site geared to travelers. They encourage you to put some history into your trip. This site would really interest my husband who gets a big thrill out of standing in vacant Civil War battlefields. I don't get it.

www.historytravel.com

Peggy: The nation has been divided into six regions. You can find historic hotels, historic tours, and they provide travel tips. You can also find historic travel tips by state. Let's see what they have for Missouri. Well, these are travel links, but not what I'd call historic.

Joni: They have advice for traveling with kids. They suggest inexpensive or disposable camera. We did that the last time we went to Disney World. All Rebecca's photos were people's ankles and knees.

Peggy: They suggest on a heritage trip everyone should keep a journal of writings or drawings. They also advise that kids can endure just an hour at "hands-off, quiet-now, don't-wander-off" places. Kids are also fierce materialists. Make an agreement on souvenirs before you leave.

Joni: A good plan, obviously written by someone with children. One of the features on the site now is exploring the Big Muddy, historic sites along the Mississippi River from Minnesota to New Orleans. You could use their suggestions to map out your own trip.

Peggy: For more exotic locations, try National Geographic's Web site

www.nationalgeographic.com

You can read about places National Geographic has found in the Traveler section. You can then follow their links.

Joni: From here we jumped off to a quirky site called Roadside America.

www.roadsideamerica.com

And featured on the front page was our very own Metropolis, Ill., which is celebrating 60 years of Superman. Superman Days is scheduled June 11 through June 14.

Peggy: This is the online guide to offbeat attractions. You can also read tips and take a look at visitor snapshots. And you can look at the sites of the week, including Dinosaur World in Arkansas, the World's Largest Bug in Rhode Island and a chimp farm in Florida.

Joni: If you don't think you can make time for a real vacation, take a cybertrip. You can travel from your desk at EarthCam. It's the most comprehensive site for locating live video cameras on the Internet.

www.earthcam.com

Peggy: I love these video cameras. You can browse by category or by geographic territory. You can watch a live shot from the CNN newsroom, a view of Boardwalk, a German beer festival, a London circus, or even a camera at Red Lobster. See what or who is for dinner.

Joni: We can visit Switzerland, Aspen or Lake Tahoe. You get the picture.

Peggy: Here's a view of the Gettysburg battlefield, Joni. Maybe your husband can visit his battlefields online from now on.

Joni: I'm not sure that would suffice, but I could offer. I'm sure most of the big tourist sites also have their own web addresses. What's your favorite travel site? E-mail us at click@semissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

~Peggy Scott and Joni Adams are members of the Southeast Missourian online staff.