Donna from Texas

We have never been to the Islands and are considering Honolulu for our 25th wedding anniversary in October. Our interests are in historic and natural sites, gardens, hikes etc. We are not interested in night life or high-dollar shopping. We would like to stay about 5 - 7 days somewhere we can cook at least a few of our own meals...a condo, perhaps? I'm looking for 1) suggestions about where to stay, 2) information about how to get around (should we rent a car) and 3) things we shouldn't miss.

Thanks for the help!

I'm planning ahead for an October 2017 25th wedding anniversary trip to the UK (it will be our first trip), and could use a little advice. My husband and I are planning on splitting the costs of part of the trip (lodging and car rental) with my brother, who climbs boulders and wants to stay around Sheffield for the climbing. My questions are as follows:

Is coming over in October going to be a problem, weather-wise? I'm not sure how Autumn in Sheffield compares to Autumn in south Texas. :)

Should we rent a car, or can we get around using the rail system and other forms of public transportation? Obviously driving on the "other" side of the roads will be something of a challenge for us, but we would like to visit London, Bath, Stonehenge, etc. and don't want to be too limited about getting there.

As you can see by my questions, I have very little knowledge about the area, and would be grateful for any advice. Thank you!

We just got back from six days at Walt Disney World. We have always stayed at a Disney resort, largely because of the Extra Magic Hours benefit. This time, we were somewhat taken aback that apparently Disney has chosen to close some rides when the park closes to the general public, even on Extra Magic Hours nights. Splash Mountain, of all things, was closed on the night that Magic Kingdom had Extra Magic Hours. Universe of Energy was closed on the night that EPCOT had Extra Magic Hours. I could understand Universe of Energy, maybe, but Splash Mountain?? If the perks of Extra Magic Hours are going to be reduced, then it seems that people may start opting out of staying on Disney property in favor of less expensive properties. Does anyone know what's behind this?

I love Disney World, but have never been to DisneyQuest. We are headed over there in mid-September, and have park hopper tickets with the "water park and more" option which, I understand, gets us into DisneyQuest. Is it worth it to burn a day on our passes to visit DisneyQuest?

My grandchildren have been home schooled for a number of years, but they are getting to the age where they seem to need a little more structure. I'm hoping we can find a curriculum that will offer an online skills test that will tell us where they are, grade-wise, in various subjects, then we'll know where to start with the learning materials. We're looking for an online-based curriculum with related printed materials. There is so much information "out there" that we are a bit overwhelmed, and are hoping someone has some good suggestions. Thanks!

My husband and I will be visiting Disney World the last week of October. If we find we have the time, we thought we might like to visit a beach that isn't more than a two or three hour drive away. We are an older couple, not interested in the "beach scene" or in crowds. We have been to a couple of beaches on the Gulf side of Florida and found them to be quite attractive. Any recommendations?

I'm visiting England in a few years, and I hope to have two weeks to spend there. I know I will likely spend several days in London (Tower, Westminster, Buckingham Palace, anything else?), I'd like to see Stonehenge and Bath also. I'm open for suggestions for other sites to visit...castles, gardens, villages. I guess I'm looking for Agatha Christie, Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte's England. I know there is so very much to see that I'm a bit overwhelmed.

I'm considering coming in early September...weather advice would be welcome also. Thank you!

My husband and I are thinking of coming to England in 2017 for our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. We were wondering if it would be more practical to rent a car and a cottage near the center of the country and explore during a series of day trips or to join a tour. My concern is finding a tour that actually encompasses all the sites I'd like to visit. Opinions?

My husband and I are taking our tenth trip to Disney World at the end of October and staying at Pop Century resort for the first time. We are not going to have children with us this trip, don't care about being close to a pool, and will be driving our own vehicle to and from the parks, so don't need to be close to a bus stop. What we're looking for is the quietest building in the resort (and we do understand that since this is a Value resort, there will be lots of families with children). Any suggestions? Thanks!

Can anyone give me an idea of the approximate cost of a complete engine overhaul on my 1992 Toyota Tercel 1.5L 4cyl? Preferably in the south central area around San Antonio/Austin.

Thanks!

My Ford E-150 van has developed an A/C problem. The air blows cold through the A/C vents until the engine reaches a certain RPM, at which time it blows through the defroster vents. It switches back to A/C vents when the van slows down. I'm told this is a vacuum system problem, and that replacing the A/C check valve might fix it. I have the new valve, but am not sure exactly where the old valve is located under the hood. Any guidance would be helpful.

Thanks!

Does anyone know where to locate the vacuum canister on a 2004 Ford E-150 van?

Thanks!

About 25 years ago, there was a fantastic bakery on Broadway in Alamo Heights. It was in the shopping center next door to what is now the HEB Central Market. That bakery made the most delicious petit fours! Does anyone remember this bakery? And, if so, is it still in business and to where did it move?

Thanks!

OK, I'm fairly good with computers, but the wireless internet thing has me a little confused. (Be kind...I'm a 53-year-old self-taught computer granny!)

I want something I can plug into my laptop computer that will allow me to hit all the "free wireless internet" hot spots I see advertised in my travels. I think there is something that can be plugged into my laptop's USB port that will do the trick, but I have no idea what to look for, nor which brand is the best. I don't want to do anything fancy, just check my e-mails and do some light web surfing.

Any assistance would be vastly appreciated.

I've tried everything I know how to try, even deleting my previous avatar and building a new one. When I go to Yahoo Answers help section...there's my avatar! But not on Answers itself. I just get the "gray grin". Help!

I'm in the early planning stages for a trip to the UK. I want to see historic sites, natural beauties and literary sites. I am not interested in clubs, but I would like to see Harrods and Marks & Spencer while in London.

Which are the best castles/gardens to see?

If you had to choose two or three of the great churches, which would you choose?

What do you consider the most beautiful part of the UK?

Would you recommend a tour guide to a first time visitor?

Any ideas/suggestions would be very helpful!

I've been using Adobe PhotoDeluxe 2.0 for years and really love it, but sometimes it hangs up when I open other programs on my computer. I've tried running it in different modes (Win 98, etc.) but it's still hanging.

I'm sure there are new and wonderful programs out there that are comparable to PhotoDeluxe that don't cost a fortune. I'd love to hear some opinions on these from folks who use them.

Thanks!

I was just browsing through the "Add/Remove Programs" section in my Control Panel, and I noticed several programs that look like they are doing the same thing:

Quicktime

iTunes

MusicMatch Jukebox

MusicMatch for Windows Media Player

Viewpoint Media Player

Realplayer Basic

In the interest of saving space, I'd like to dump some of these programs if they are basically redundant.

Any advice?

"If you care...forward this to 10 friends".

"If you love God, forward this..."

"If you forward this in 10 minutes, your fortunes will dramatically change..."

"If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, forward this..."

"If you support our troops, forward this..."

"Let Congress know you support (or don't support) this by forwarding this..."

"Forward this to 10 friends, and make sure you send it back to me!!"

Who else is just sick of these e-mails?? They are a form of emotional blackmail, in my humble opinion. The inference is that if you DON'T forward these e-mails, you are a godless, friendless Commie who would just as soon defect to Russia as kiss your mama.

I propose a worldwide protest against forwarded e-mails! Stand up for yourselves as caring, compassionate individuals who are too intelligent to succumb to implied blackmail.

DON'T BE AFRAID!!! JUST HIT "DELETE"!!!

What say you??

I can't seem to get a simple answer anywhere on the internet, so I'll try you good folks. Someone will surely know.

My grandson loves Legos! He has a decent set, but wants more with the windows, doors, people, etc. He gets really excited about the themed sets he sees in the store, but these are always little tiny Lego blocks that my husband ends up gluing together, and then they get broken, lost and ultimately, thrown away.

The set my grandson really enjoys playing with has pieces that are (the smallest) about 1 1/4 inch square and about 3/4 inch thick. They go up in size from there.

I've also seen Lego people advertised, but do they also come in different sizes?

I need guidance here, and thanks very much for any help.