England's hidden highway

Q: We have about 10 days after a conference at Oxford and would like to do a self-drive through the central part of England. Any ideas?

A:Central England – particularly Shropshire and Herefordshire where you will be – is often referred to in guide books as 'the heart of England'. To make it easy to explore for visitors and motorists, a designated route called 'The Hidden Highway' traces a 280-kilometre path from Oxford, the Cotswolds and Ross-on-Wye in the southern portion, west along the Welsh border up to Chester, Derbyshire and back along the coastline in Lincolnshire. The route also suggests numerous 'links and loops' off the route to places like Stratford-on-Avon and Shakespeare country; to Nottingham, Sherwood Forest and Robin Hood country; to Coventry and Rugby with Warwick Castle, Lady Godiva, Rugby School and rugby ball. A 32-page booklet is available on the Hidden Highway.

Call the British Tourist Authority at (888) VISIT-UK or log on to the Web at www.herefordshire-shropshire.org.uk.

Casinos, beach, and New Orleans

Q: We're heading to Biloxi, Mississippi primarily for the casinos, night life and beach life. What else should we do while there?

A:Biloxi occupies a prime spot on 26 miles of bleached-white, Gulf of Mexico beach, so there is also superlative deep-sea fishing, boating and water sport recreation. Twenty-five championship golf courses in the gulf coast area offer green fees at lower costs than better known resort destinations. The city of New Orleans is only an hour's drive away, so a visit to the 'Big Easy' is a particular treat. The most charming reasons to be in Biloxi, however, are for its southern hospitality; seafood; Creole and Cajun cuisine; and its ante-bellum memories, plantation estates and Confederate history. A few hours away, Beauvoir, the home of Jefferson Davis, gives you a little of everything.

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