Patricia and Dan Hunter of Huntington Beach,...

Patricia and Dan Hunter of Huntington Beach, who are planning to visit China, ask: “Is the side trip from Shanghai to Soochow worth the extra time?” Affirmative. If you’re in a hurry, catch the morning express to Soochow, return in the afternoon. Still, that would be a shame. Simply too much to see. Spend one night (at least); two would be better. Travelers go to Soochow to see its gardens/buy silk direct from the factories. Before Mao came to power, Soochow was a haven for the wealthy. (While a fortunate few lived extravagantly, the masses suffered.)

“Ah, but now,” a local told me, “the birds sing and all under heaven is bright.”

Perhaps, but avoid summer when it’s gray, hot, sticky. Best time is autumn. Like Venice, Soochow boasts its own Grand Canal. In turn, other canals pour into the waters of this one main channel. Scattered across Soochow are dozens of temples, pavilions, gardens. Gardens whose names are pure poetry: the Garden of Harmony, the Garden of the Pavilion of Waves, the Garden of the End of Spring, Linger Here Garden. These and others. Perhaps 100 more. Soochow’s very soul exists in its gardens. Streets lined with leafy plane trees. Seven centuries ago, Marco Polo marveled over the beauty of the gardens. Cherry trees, elms, magnolias, willows, roses, acacias, jasmine. Lakes and miniature hills. And bridges--dozens of bridges. In addition, Soochow boasts the oldest pagoda in China, and there’s the Temple of the Five Hundred Gods, the Laughing Buddha.

Although less than 65 miles from the frenetic world of Shanghai, Soochow is a lifetime removed from that stressful city. Visitors go to Soochow to retrace the footsteps of mandarins as well as those of Marco Polo. They cross arching bridges and sip tea in pavilions of grace and beauty.

En route from Shanghai, train passengers study scenes that could have been lifted from the pages of a Pearl S. Buck novel, scenes nearly as old as China herself. Beyond the windows, peasants work rice paddies--stooped, weeding, tending water buffalo, sowing seed, waiting for the harvest and then, after this, repeating the process all over again. Soochow is a page from a storybook that inspires writers to wax poetically and other mortals to stand in awe of its beauty.

Hotels in Soochow:

--The Bamboo is the newest and best. Two persons, $53/$60.

--The Grand Hotel, $38/$50.

--The Suzhou, $33/$43.

--The Nan Lin, $32/$38.

Train time to Soochow is 1 hour, 10 minutes. By bus, three hours.

Everything’s Coming Up Wildflowers: With nature’s most impressive display of wildflowers in years, a number of Palm Springs resorts/hotels are offering discounted rooms (midweek) during the viewing. Prime wildflower season is expected to continue through mid-April. “Palm Springs in Bloom” is the theme of a promotion by the Palm Springs Visitor Information Center. A handy brochure, which includes a map, list of viewing areas and names of participating hotels/resorts, is available from the Palm Springs Visitor Information Center, 401 Pavilion Way, Palm Springs 92262, or by calling (800) 34-SPRINGS. Meanwhile, weekly field trips with a desert naturalist are scheduled Fridays and Saturdays during the season. Call (619) 325-7186.

Hotels joining the midweek discount program include the Bermuda Palms Inn (800-869-1132), Best Western Royal Sun (800-338-1188), Casa de Camero (619-320-1678), Casa Cody Inn (800-231-2639), Courtyard by Marriott (800-321-2211), Dunes Hotel (800-322-8789), Golden Palm Villa (800-833-5675), Holiday Inn Palm Mountain Resort (800-622-9451), Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs (800-233-1234), La Mancha Villas (800-647-7482), Las Brisas Hotel (800-346-5714), Orchid Tree Inn (800-733-3435), Palm Canyon Inn (619-320-7767), Palm Springs Hilton (800-522-6900), Palm Springs Riviera Resort & Racquet Club (800-444-8311), Quality Inn Palm Springs (800-472-4339), Racquet Club Resort (800-367-0946), Ramada Hotel Resort (800-245-6904), Spa Hotel & Mineral Springs (800-854-1279), Treehouse Too (619-322-9431), the Vagabond Inn (619-325-7211), Wyndham Palm Springs (800-872-4335).

Arizona Hideaway: Julia Hansen of Pomona asks for the name of a reasonable resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. Over the years, I’ve gotten good feedback from readers who have vacationed at George and Joan Duffy’s Shangrila Resort near Camelback Mountain. A peaceful setting. Friendly proprietors. And loads of privacy. Only 10 units (all with kitchens). Prepare your own meals or choose a restaurant nearby. El Chorro’s (popular with locals as well as tourists) is nearby as is Mancuso’s (Italian fare). For moderately priced meals, try The Quilted Cat and The Other Place (Southwestern decor, a relaxing atmosphere). Shangrila Resort features a swimming pool, plenty of privacy, desert walks. Only a mile or so from the upscale Mountain Shadows and Camelback Inn. A good choice for the vacationer who prefers solace to action.

Shangrila Resort, 6237 N. 59th Place, Scottsdale, Ariz. 85253, (602) 948-5930. Rates: $60/$75 per couple. The Duffys also have a two-bedroom unit for $110 that accommodates four persons.

New England: Dick Bender of North Hollywood writes: “Four of us plan on visiting New England this fall. What are the prettiest areas?” Bender also asks for background on reasonable inns. Believe it or not, now is the time to book tours/inns for New England’s fall spectacle. For general information, write to New England, U.S.A., 529 Main St., Suite 105, Boston, Mass. 02129. This organization represents all of the states of New England, mails free maps/brochures. Another source: Yankee Holidays, 435 Newbury St., Suite 214, Danvers, Mass. 01923, (800) 225-2550. Yankee Holidays is the preeminent tour operator in New England. Its president, Bob de Paolo, cautions that some fall tours are already booked full. By waiting you could be disappointed. If you’re traveling independently, my suggestion is to book accommodations in one inn and stay put. Use it as a base for day trips rather than traveling inn-to-inn during the busy foliage season. Saves time that would otherwise be wasted packing/unpacking. In addition, it leaves extra hours for leaf-peeping.

While nearly all of New England is picture-perfect, I personally favor Vermont. Particularly Woodstock in central Vermont, Weston and New Fane in the south. You’ll find more to do in Woodstock than in many other New England villages. (Dine at the Prince & Pauper, a snug restaurant off Elm Street; or try Bentley’s, dead center of town.) Lots of shops, galleries, a handsome village green.

Ask your travel agent for brochures/tour prices for the various states of New England.

Potpourri: Send a self-addressed envelope with 52 cents postage for copies of a “Non-Skiers Guide” (information on sledding, snowmobile tours, ice skating, etc.) to Sno-Park Program, Department of Parks & Recreation, P.O. Box 946892, Sacramento 94692-0001 . . . . Central Reservations Service of Miami operates a 24-hour hot line for Florida hotels: (800) 950-0232 . . . . A summer Spanish-language program for high school students is planned by the Center for Bilingual Studies, P.O. Box 1860, Los Angeles 90078, (213) 851-3403.

Reader Recommendations

California--Janet Evans Emery, Anaheim Hills: “Foxes at Sutter Creek, 77 Maine St., Sutter Creek 95685. A completely remodeled Victorian home with spacious, spotlessly clean rooms. Breakfast/morning newspaper. Rates: $90/$130 double.”

South Carolina--Morrie and Elsie Hammond, Santa Ana: “Chestnut Hill Restaurant, 9914-A N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach. Lake view. Outstanding service. Reasonable prices.”

France--Mrs. Carolyn D. Clark, Yorba Linda: “The Paris Connection, 301 N. Pine Island Road, Suite 106, Ft. Lauderdale 33324, is an absolutely top-notch reservation service for apartments in Paris.”