A: Lifting the screen time rules is probably a good idea, although I would recommend selecting the entertainment carefully. Don't load up a movie that could get your kids too excited (for my firstborn, that was "Finding Nemo"). Interactive, non-electronic games are also a great distraction on long flights. But the most overlooked item is food. They will not feed you or your kids enough on the plane. Bring plenty of healthy snacks for the children. On a 24-hour flight, they can eat several times their body weight.
- Christopher Elliott
Q: What time of year is best for a visit to Panama City? Anything we can't miss?
A: The best time to visit is during the dry season, from mid-December to mid-April. If you must travel during wet season, don't worry too much: The rain comes and goes in short spurts.
Be sure to wander around Casco Antiguo, the old quarter filled with plazas, churches, museums, cafes and shops selling Pintao hats. For nature, check out a national park, such as SoberanÃa or Chagres, or the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center. The city is also home to Panama Viejo, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as well as - but of course - the Panama Canal. Several companies offer partial and full transit tours of the canal.
- Andrea Sachs
Q: I need to schedule a one-night stay in Middleburg, Virginia, during late September. Any thoughts on places in or near there? The Red Fox Inn is one we have not tried.
A: The Ashby Inn in nearby Paris, Virginia, is very nice; I have never stayed at the Red Fox Inn, but have eaten at the restaurant many times; I'm guessing the Inn is equally charming.
- Nicole Arthur
Q: Can anyone recommend some nice, not too physically strenuous day trips around Boston? We will have a car and a toddler.
A: There tons of relaxing options: Concord and Lexington; Walden Pond; Rockport; Cape Cod and the National Seashore, Marblehead; Old Sturbridge Village; and Salem (the non-spooky version), to name a few.
- A.S.
Q: There was another recent report about a dispute over a "service" dog that became a physical fight. (No information on what service the dog performed.) When people bring service animals onto the plane, do the passengers pay a fee? Or is the dog like a free carry-on item? Would some of these issues be reduced if passengers had to buy a seat for their animal? Maybe there could be an exemption for actual, certified seeing-eye dogs etc., but "Muffy makes be feel better" wouldn't cut it.
A: I'm so glad you asked me about this. Recently the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) asked for public comments on amending its regulations about service animals on flights. I think something needs to change. I'm just not sure what.
- C.E.
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