TRAVEL Q&A Seeking quiet spot in the sun Q Could you offer some ideas for Christmas holiday packages? My husband and I plan to go with our young adult daughters, one of whom is mentally disabled. We get a little nervous taking her to places outside the United States for safety and health reasons. We're looking for a resort setting with restaurants, golf, fun shops and opportunities for suntanning. We're not into the nightlife; usually after dinner we like to watch movies. I thought the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) would be nice.

A I went to a pro, Renata Faeth of AAA Minneapolis Travel Agency, for advice.

Faeth likes the USVI, though she warns that availability may be limited and airfares and resort stays can cost more than nearby destinations. "I often find all-inclusive five-star resorts in the Dominican Republic to be less expensive than a three-star in St. Thomas," she said. She has had luck with the Westin in St. John, the Ritz-Carlton in St. Thomas and the Palms in Pelican Cove in St. Croix.

She calls Hawaii "one of our American jewels," with "an abundance of sea life, land and water sports and, of course, breathtaking beauty." Kauai is an especially low-key island. Don't let the distance intimidate you, Faeth said. It is just four hours from Los Angeles, and it can take longer to get to some Caribbean islands with the two plane changes some require.

Faeth is also a fan of Sanibel Island, near Fort Myers, Fla., and California. "San Diego is a lovely city with plenty of sightseeing possibilities," she said, but warns that the average temperature in December is 66.

I'd add to her enticing list one destination: Phoenix. I went a few years back and stayed at a resort that fits your requirements perfectly (and others in the area could, too). The Arizona Biltmore has eight swimming pools and access to stellar golf courses.

Answers to travel questions appear weekly in Travel and at startribune.com/escapeartists; send your question by e-mail to travel@startribune.com.

KERRI WESTENBERG

WEB WATCH Bashing airline fees Are you mad as hell about airline fees? Now there's a website where you can vent about hidden fees. It's called, appropriately enough, Madashellabouthiddenfees.com. Launched by the Consumer Travel Alliance, the Business Travel Coalition and the American Society of Travel Agents, the site offers a forum for frustrated travelers. In a survey conducted by the groups during the two weeks before Labor Day, 66 percent of 1,396 respondents said they had been surprised at the airport by fees for services such as checking bags, requesting a seat assignment or flying standby. Nearly all -- 99 percent -- think that airlines should be required to disclose all fees in advance. Those travelers could get their way. The Transportation Department is considering new rules that would require disclosure of baggage fees and more transparent fare advertising.

WASHINGTON POST

AIRLINE UPDATE

Tasty onboard dishes Continental, one of the last airlines to eighty-six free inflight meals, has released its for-purchase menu, available beginning Oct. 12. Selections sound surprisingly tasty. Among the choices: grilled chicken spinach salad, Angus cheeseburger, sausage-egg-cheese sandwich and -- we'll take two of these -- chocolate-covered cheesecake on a stick. Prices range from $1.50 for Pringles to $8.25 for the chix spinach salad. The airline will offer the menus in economy class on select domestic, Canada and Latin America flights. Passengers on longer trips still score free meals.

WASHINGTON POST

SIDEROADS

Art among the leaves In southern Wisconsin, art lovers can watch artists at work Friday through next Sunday during the Fall Art Tour, a self-guided tour of studios in Baraboo, Mineral Point, Spring Green and Dodgeville. Dozens of artists will be busy creating and selling paintings, glasswork, weavings, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, furniture and more. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Maps are available at participating studios and online. For a brochure, call the Cornerstone Gallery Baraboo at 1-608-356-7805 (www.fallarttour.com).

COLLEEN A. COLES