Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Travel News
The atmosphere in the Plaza de Toros, hot in the afternoon sun, crackled like popcorn, leaving visitors wondering just how long the crowd, growing larger by the minute, would sit patiently and wait. But as late arrivals searched for the last free seats, their concerns melted away.
Bargain hunters from around the world flock to Manhattan's Chinatown for legally sold bags, jewelry and other accessories. But hidden around the city are goods labeled "Prada" or "Louis Vuitton" or some other luxury brand — counterfeits sold for a pittance.
Q: A cousin is having her wedding in Napa Valley in September. I reside on the East Coast and may or may not be able to attend with family pressuring hard that I attend. What should I do? • Q: Should I fold bills when I tip housekeeping, or lay them out flat?
A midsize duffel designed to stash everything you might need for a couple of nights away from your bed and the rest of your stuff.
My face flushed cherry red, and my sweat-soaked sundress clung to my body. I stood, elated, on a wooden platform at the summit of Mount Warning, a jagged peak in the Gondwana rain forest.
A gruesome photo gallery of men and women impaled by arrows, augers and pipes is gone from the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum in Hollywood.
A passenger successfully reserved a seat row to himself and his wife at the annoyance of others on a return flight to California only to pay the price in karma the entire flight.
A soft-sided carry-on bag that collapses down to 4 inches deep from 8 inches for stowing in its own plastic bag to go in a closet or under a bed when you're back from the road.
The remains of a Tudor warship that sank more than 400 years ago are displayed along with thousands of its artifacts for the first time at a new British museum.
Q: How close can I put my beach blanket to someone else's? Last year we went to a popular beach on the East Coast and when the beachgoers next to us returned from swimming they were clearly not happy to see us.
Snap together the black plastic cross-sections and you have a sturdy, stable stand that hooks onto the tray table, holding your iPad at a slight tilt for easier typing and viewing.
After a big easy sweep across a flat-water pool on the upper Hudson River, Allison Buckley made sure she chose a better channel through the oncoming rapids than the previous canoe, which hung up on a submerged rock.
The Muppets are getting a new home in a Queens museum with a permanent exhibit the city hopes will persuade more tourists to venture beyond Manhattan.
What are the top things that come up in terms of hotel etiquette? "How do I deal with other guests doing something that is bothering me?" is, by far, the most common type of question.
A free app that saves notes, photos, videos, to-do lists, audio, books, music and more to notebooks that multiple users can share and collaborate on.
As howling winds tore through the eastern Sierra, Dan Gillespie and his wife, Carol, trudged along a narrow gravel path, their eyes alternating between photos they carried and the contours of a cove guarded by granite walls.
I recently heard about a conference that I'd like to attend. The conference takes place in a city that's either a short flight or a long drive from where I live. I could go alone and fly, but a colleague I particularly can't stand would be shut out. What should I do?
A pillowcase with a hood fastened in the middle. Insert a standard-size pillow into the case. The hood easily shifts on the pillow in any way you prefer, so there's room to maneuver.
With Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby" opening just before summer, there's no better time to celebrate the spirit of the Roaring ‘20s. From speakeasies to grande dame hotels, the members and editors of VirtualTourist.com have chosen the "Top 5 Places to relive the 1920s."
Q: A few hotels and restaurants greet or end a meal with a small complimentary glass of the local specialty liqueur (e.g., limoncello, strawberry wine). Is it better to accept it but not drink it or to refuse?
A durable iPad case with a built-in stand and a Bluetooth 3.0 wireless, multicolor back-lit keyboard. The keyboard has a responsive, easy-click touch, and the keys are all in the right place for a touch typist.
As parents we all struggle to get our children to understand that money doesn't grow on trees. We want them to be responsible, work hard and learn to save a few bucks. But these lessons are among the most difficult to teach.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs issued a notice Wednesday saying Mount Fuji was recommended for World Heritage status by the International Council on Monuments and Sites, a body affiliated with UNESCO.
Q: I'm going to New York City soon on a business trip. I've never been there before. What do I need to know about hailing cabs? Do you really yell, "Taxi!" or whistle, or have I just seen too many movies?
An easily transported collapsible plastic bowl to accommodate pets when traveling. These save a lot of space, dishwasher safe and are durable without the strong plastic smell.
Love the lush and lovely Napa Valley but hate how expensive it can be? You're not the first. In the late 19th century, writer Robert Louis Stevenson moved his honeymoon to the rustic but free setting of an abandoned mining camp when the $10-a-week going rate for Calistoga hotels proved too much for his slender purse.
Concert promoter Live Nation announced Wednesday that a landmark Los Angeles music venue where Bob Marley, Johnny Cash and Frank Sinatra performed will close its doors this fall.
A 16th-century Amati violoncello displayed in the National Music Museum has long been nicknamed "The King," but the ghost of a legendary rock 'n' roller has arrived in South Dakota to reclaim his regal moniker.
Q: The first time I flew with a child in tow, I tried to analyze why a child (mine, normally well-behaved) would do something so out of character as to kick someone else's seat?
ECBC Poseidon Messenger K7202 bag
Las Vegas is trying to beat its reputation as a shut-in. MGM Resorts International announced Thursday that it will sink $100 million into building a park and public promenade outside of its New York-New York and Monte Carlo casinos.
Q: I recently completed a trip from Pittsburgh to Honolulu with my 13-year-old daughter. She uses a wheelchair; we travel often; and fellow travelers can be quite rude. Would it be too much trouble to publish this list of helpful actions? A: Done!
A small-in-size, big-in-sound portable speaker made by Divoom. Standing 2 3/4 inches high, this one's a beaut.
Marine Lt. Leonard Isaaks Jr. was killed Feb. 20, 1945, during the battle for the Japanese island Iwo Jima. All you really need to know about his death is contained in the painstakingly printed letter found on his body.
Some never-before-seen artifacts from the minutes and hours after President John F. Kennedy's assassination went on display Friday, along with an extensive collection of photographs of the young president's family.
The Exploratorium, San Francisco's interactive science and activities museum, is set to open Wednesday at its new $300 million digs along the bay with more space and new exhibits, including a rain chamber that will allow people to experience past storms.
Q: What do you think of people using translation apps when they're in a foreign country and don't speak the language? If the waiter comes over to take your order in a nice restaurant, isn't it rude to just show him your phone and not even attempt to speak?
The collapsible aluminum legs, joined by shock cords, unfold easily to make the stool a seat or table. The stool is so tiny that it could easily go into a backpack or hang on a belt.
This is the only country that gives you a bath before they send you home. The Blue Lagoon, open year-round, rain or shine, envelops thousands of tourists from all over the world in its misty embrace.
When Whitney Houston died last year, one of the first pieces of audio memorabilia that swarmed the Internet was the isolated vocal track from her 1985 recording of "How Will I Know." Trust us, it will simultaneously give you chills and make you cry.
Ever dream of a round-the-world vacation? One luxury-travel company has a trip leaving from Orlando this fall that features a sacred citadel, Indian palaces, ancient mummies and more.
What it is: A wheeled bag with compartments for an umbrella, backup power for devices, a portable speaker, socks, underwear, electrical cords, magazines, a water bottle. The toiletries compartment is removable (Velcro), and the bag even has a laundry chute.
Q: What do you suggest should be done when an airplane boards passengers seated in the back of the plane first, and those passengers put their carry-on bags in overhead storage in the front?
Q: I'm not out of line in expecting a phone call to the front desk of a three-story, midpriced chain hotel to be answered, right? What if I had an emergency?
Folding headphones that you can design on the Internet. As travel phones they work well because the earpieces are hinged to fold up toward the headset. They withstood all the jostling I could bring to bear.
When last seen — cinematically, that is — this pleasant town on the Sonoma County coast had been engulfed in Hitchcockian horror. Birds, birds everywhere. Crows, gulls and sparrows. Angry birds, and not of the smartphone species.
Q: What is the etiquette for using a laptop while dining alone in a restaurant? A: First, we need to talk about what kind of restaurant where it's appropriate to use a laptop at all.
Aluminum walking poles made by Black Diamond, one of the nation's leading makers of outdoor and adventure gear. The poles are constructed as three-section foldable shafts.
If you're a baseball fan looking to add a new pastime to your vacation itinerary, consider setting a goal to visit all 30 of Major League Baseball stadiums. All you really need is a love of baseball and a passion for exploring new places.
With Sydney consistently ranked among the most expensive cities in the world, overseas tourists on a budget might find themselves sweating even more than usual under the blistering Aussie sun. But no worries, cash-strapped travelers: There are plenty of fabulous things to do for free.
Q: Shouldn't people be ready for the security checkpoint? • Q: What do you do if you're staying in the same hotel as a celebrity and there are annoying teenage fans and photographers everywhere?
Waterproof skin appliqués that a parent can stick on a child and then personalize with a marker included with each kit. Putting a phone number on the tat makes it easier to reunite a lost child with his or her parents.
Q: Is it rude to ask for the entire can of soda during beverage service on a flight? • Q: What should you do if the people in the hotel room next to you are talking well into the wee hours?
The backup bag is thin and light enough that it doesn't consume precious space in your primary bag. It swells to 19 by 13 by 10 inches, so you can use it as a carry-on or as a second checked bag.
Q: What do I do if the person sitting next to me on a plane has horrible foot odor? • Q: Could you please tell people that it's not OK to whistle along with the background music being played in, say, a rental-car shuttle?
A very hard, very tough rubber-lined plastic case in which you can store a cellphone, a camera or other small valuables that you don't want to lose or crush, especially when roughing it or jamming things into your luggage.
These museum-goers didn't just leave their coats at the coat check. They handed over their shirts, trousers and underwear. Everything, in fact, except their shoes and socks.
Q: What do you do if you have a chatty child and you have to fly with him? My son is very verbal (he's 4) and isn't afraid to start a conversation with anyone.
Packable flashlights and power backups are travelers' staples, but not hand warmers. Combining all three into one device makes this a winner for anyone traveling in cold-weather climes or who simply wants something to ward off a chill.
A half-century later, Jose Rafa Malem remembers the balmy breezes blowing through the bar's arching porticos, the grain of the tall wood stools, the whiff of Pedro Domecq brandy on his father's breath.
Q: What is the proper thing to do when your seatmate is so large that you lose your own space? • Q: Is it possible to get a partial-day or hourly rate at a hotel without looking like one is there for unsavory purposes?
A huge silk blanket, silk pillowcase and adjustable silk eyeshades. It all squeezes into a silk bag the size of a submarine sandwich — an easy fit for a carry-on.
Q: My mother was seated next to a couple flying with a baby. The baby cried the entire five-hour flight. What, if anything, could my mother have done in this situation?
A day-pack-size backpack that looks like you could beat with a sledgehammer and not damage; just don't do that with any equipment inside.
Las Vegas is getting ready for the Year of the Snake. The casino capital celebrates Chinese New Year — also known as Lunar New Year — in a big way, with feasts, exhibits, performances and other events at outdoor festivals and at casino-resorts like Bellagio and The Venetian.
Is there such a thing as antiques-store etiquette? Every time I go in an antiques store, I feel sort of intimidated. I’m going to visit a friend in New Hope, Pa., soon and want to go to lots of antiques stores there.
A weatherproof leather bag with leather croc trim exterior. It holds one camera body, one flash and lenses. A little less than 4 pounds, it is 14 inches long, 7 inches wide and 8 inches tall.
A winner for the heavy packer or souvenir collector tired of unhappy surprises at the check-in counter. Carry this device and there's no more embarrassing digging through your suitcases at the counter to redistribute weight among your bags.
I love staying in vacation rentals, but I’m often surprised at how little information about the house or apartment is provided by the owner. We’ve stayed in several apartments in Europe where the appliances were completely inexplicable to us, and no directions were anywhere to be found.
Majestic Realty, owner of the Silverton, has proposed an $800 million to $900 million stadium and events center called UNLV Now that would be built adjacent to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus.
We recently went to England and stayed at a number of B&Bs that offered “full English” breakfasts included with the price of the room. The owners were all good cooks, but we are not big breakfast eaters in general and really would have preferred something much simpler.
A Bluetooth — that is, wireless — speaker that plays audio from a phone, MP3 player or computer.
Medellin is still a city that puts its visitors on guard, you wouldn't know it from my traveling companion's choice of footwear.
Busy, congested, stressful. This is how the world's first subway system was depicted by London newspapers in 1863. It's a situation that would be familiar to nail-biting passengers of the present as the Tube turned 150 years old Wednesday.
Q: What do you do when you're in another country and one of the local citizens wants to talk American politics with you? Q: Is it OK to ask my colleague to bring stuff back for me?
A slick microfiber handbag with a front zip pocket plus three larger zip compartments, the middle one of which unzips, reverses out and re-zips to create a plush microsuede pillow for catnaps on the go.
Q: A young girl on a flight I took recently had blinking headphones. This was an overnight flight, and she never took them off. Her mother never said a word to her. That would be considered a no-no, right?
About the size of a footstool, this portable gas grill folds up into a carrying case weighing less than 9 pounds when loaded. The workmanship and the quality of the metals lets you know you didn't waste your money.
Myanmar, Marseille, New Zealand and Gettysburg are all on the travel radar for 2013 thanks to new tours, events and anniversaries. But the best pitch for travel in the new year might just be coming from Ireland.
A massive winter storm is disrupting travel plans for tens of thousands of fliers trying to get home after Christmas. But there are some things they can do to improve their odds of getting home quickly.
Q: Is there something intrinsically rude or weird about dining at restaurants that do not feature the local cuisine of the country you're visiting? • Q: Do you think little kids should have their own suitcases, or should parents handle all the luggage?
La Fresh All Natural Biodegradable Insect Repellent Towelettes are travel wipes that contain peppermint, sesame, olive, castor and wheat germ oils and vitamin E. The best part: no DEET.
"This is your own home now," announces our host, welcoming us to Thengal Manor. And we wish it was, this gracious residence of one of India's great tea dynasties, which has opened the family villa, with its idyllic gardens and an impeccable staff of 15, to overnight visitors.
For more than 20 years, state park officials in Massachusetts have encouraged locals to get off the couch Jan. 1 and take a hike — nothing too strenuous, but a healthy way to start the new year. Last year a group called America's State Parks expanded the effort.
Q: I fly very infrequently, but I can't sleep on a plane. To me it's like trying to sleep in a folding chair in the middle of a bus station. Instead, I like to read, but notice that I am usually the only one with my light on. Sometimes other passengers give me a discouraging look. How do I handle this?
A luxuriously styled carry-on that collapses to half its size for storage, whether at home or on the road in, say, a Swiss hotel room where excess space is considered an oversight.
The colonial-era house of worship known in Bolivia as the "Sistine Chapel of the Andes" was filled with flowers over the weekend for those celebrating two weddings and seven baptisms on the wind-swept mountain plateau.
Q: I'd like your thoughts on a conversation I overheard on a plane. Is it rude to ask a stranger how much they paid for something? • Q: If you stay in a hotel or take a cruise where housekeeping leaves towel animals for you, are you supposed to use the towels or not?
High-end travel speakers (a woofer, two tweeters), an FM radio and an alarm clock that fold into an upright position like a retro travel alarm — an attractive one — with a clamshell case.
Now, after a 3 million pound ($4.8 million) makeover, Charles Dickens' London home has been restored to bring the writer's world to life. The house reopens next week, and its director says it aims to look "as if Dickens had just stepped out."
Q: I went to a new exhibition at a science museum while visiting my family. What really bothered me is that there were plenty of adults in line to do the activity themselves. Shouldn't adults act like adults and let the kids go instead? • Q: Can I bring a snow globe on a plane?
Packable ballet flats that fold in half and slide into a coordinating pouch that's compact enough to tuck inside a handbag or other small carry-on. As a more versatile, slightly hardier upgrade from flip-flops, these earn their place in the bags of busy women on the road.
A 19-by-14-inch travel pillow with a hypoallergenic fiber-filled cover surrounding an inflatable core, plus a pillowcase.
I like to knit when I have free time. Can I take my knitting on a plane, or will the Transportation Security Administration have an issue with knitting needles?
I had the window seat on a recent flight. There were two very tall men seated in the center and aisle seats. The guy in the center seat was taking up the whole armrest between us and stretching his right leg into the space under the seat in front of me.
Scottevest has made its name in producing travel clothing that in some cases can negate the need for a carry-on airline bag. This is a good addition to the lineup, though more for its clever gadget storage than for toting bulky baggage.
Q: Do you have any tips to make crowded airports less hellish? I have a number of flights coming up, including one on the day before Thanksgiving, and I loathe crowds.
A carry-on size, shoulder-hoisted cylindrical bag around which you wrap a zippered garment bag. It's designed to get formal clothing to your destination wrinkle-free.
My family and I recently went on a “ghost tour” in a city we were visiting in October. There was one guy in the tour group who made it very clear that he thought all of the stories were bunk. He was constantly laughing and rolling his eyes and saying, “People really believe this stuff?”
Screw a pocket-size camera or camcorder (maximum weight: a little more than a pound) onto one end of the XShot, then tilt the camera to just the right angle and lock the XShot in place.
At first glance Hanoi is a hornet's nest of motorbikes swarming Vietnam's capital city. But look beyond the sea of roaring engines and beeping horns and a land of old-world Asian charm awaits, with wide tree-lined streets shading old French colonial-style villas.
Tokyo is known for being densely populated and crowded. Living space is at a premium; hotel rooms are small or expensive or both. Enter the capsule hotel, where a tubelike pod barely bigger than a coffin offers a bed for the night at low cost.
Q: My friends and I are going to Dublin together in December. We'll be eating out and going to pubs a lot. Should we all chip in an equal amount at the beginning of the trip and have one person carry that cash and pay every bill out of it?
As grills go, this is all-inclusive. It's big enough to grill nine steaks or as many as 15 burgers. It's great for football tailgating, especially when traveling to an away game.
The world's longest commercial flight — Singapore to Newark, N.J. — is being canceled. Singapore Airlines announced Wednesday that it will end its nonstop flight between Singapore and Newark, a distance of about 9,500 miles.
Q: Are kids allowed on tours of microbreweries? Do you have any tips for taking a baby on a tour like this? • Q: I want to take my girlfriend to a Broadway show. Should I book tickets in advance, or go to that discount day-of-show ticket booth in Times Square?
Rubbery reusable ties that are meant as all-purpose fasteners but are superb for travel. The fasteners are lightweight, take little space and are brightly colored so they are easy to find.
I have a group of friends -- six in total -- and we haven't seen each other in a long time. One of them proposed going away for a long weekend to a resort in the Caribbean. We booked three rooms. However, we forgot to think about our vacation priorities. What can we do about the partier?
It's a full-size folding bike that pivots at the seat. Made by Cambridge, Mass.-based Montague Co., a company that produces folding bicycles exclusively. After years of making mountain bikes, this is Montague's first stab at a road bike.
From its famed giant stone statues to finding a good, affordable hotel, Easter Island is full of mysteries. There are ancient questions, like how the statues were transported and why the island lost its trees.
Bourbon fan Tim Allen started his day of sightseeing by sipping whiskeys crafted at a Jim Beam distillery. Where else are pre-lunch nips more commonplace than in Kentucky bourbon country?
Devastating spring freezes and a historic drought have stripped some charm from rustic fall destinations, leaving some corn too short to create mazes, orchards virtually devoid of apples and fall colors muted.
Q: Why do some restaurants have table service but require you to pay a cashier instead of paying your server? Q: What's the appropriate response to "So, when is your baby due?" when not pregnant?
A waterproof MP3 player that, rather than through ear buds, transmits audio via bone conduction.
There are two kinds of travelers: the type who plan things and the type who have vague notions. My wife is A; I am B. I knew, for example, that I wanted to go to France. She read four guidebooks on the subject.
Q: Is it tacky to order from a restaurant or pizza shop if your hotel has room service? Will they deliver to your room, or do you have to go to the lobby?
Made of fabric created from recycled plastic bottles and natural bamboo, the Armpocket is a "hands-free carrying system," according to the manufacturer.
What it is: A generously sized day pack that rolls up into about the size of a healthy croissant. Made of heavy-duty nylon, it won't tear easily. Fully deployed, it's 18 inches long, 14 inches wide and 8 inches deep.
Question: As the weather gets cooler and the leaves start to turn, we get a lot of tourists in rural Vermont, where I live.
I was in a hotel in another city because I had a job interview there early the next morning. The hotel’s fire alarm went off in the middle of the night.
A combination headlamp and lantern, with five LED lights. The lights range from 5 to 130 lumens.
FROM the fringes of New York to the heart of steamy Singapore, nature is everywhere you're not looking in some of Earth's most notoriously crowded big cities. From river walks to mountain peaks and everything in between, outdoor adventure is often just a few stops on the train — or a short drive — away from the maddening crowds.
A purse and wallet that emphasize security and organization. The compact purse (measuring 10 by 7 by 2 inches) has four exterior pockets with zipper or magnet closures, and four interior pockets plus credit card and pen slots.
Q: What do you think of the new Carnival policy that prohibits passengers from saving lounge chairs at the pools? Q: What exactly IS turndown service?
Q: If you stay at a hotel that offers a "Manager's Reception" or "Lobby Happy Hour," are you supposed to stay and socialize, or can you just grab a glass of wine or whatever and head back to your room?
A sleek travel iron with a handle that folds down for easy packing. It also has a 120/240-volt switch for travel abroad.
Q: My husband and I are going to New York City and want to see a couple of Broadway shows. The only seats available are in the second row, aisle or way in the back. Is getting pulled onstage something to worry about?
Let's say it upfront: Both the pillow/comforter and travel case are pricey pieces of travel gear, and oh so worth it. If you travel frequently with none of the comforts of home, these are for you.
Capt. Barry King is wrapping up his "welcome aboard" speech in the galley of the schooner Mary Day when he gets around to the question everyone has regarding the trip's itinerary.
It was nothing like this 3,000 years ago. An Israeli attraction meant to immerse tourists in an authentic, ancient biblical experience has outfitted its donkeys with wireless routers.
Vail Resorts Inc. is adding another feature to its EpicMix application. EpicMix uses radio-frequency identification tags embedded on lift passes to let skiers and snowboarders track their vertical feet and which lifts they've ridden on the mountain.
Q: My friend did a really scary bungee jump-type ride at an amusement park, and he asked me to take a video — then let out a few choice expletives during filming. Can you ask people to watch their language?
A sleek, portable luggage scale that you can pop into your carry-on and use before you enter the check-in line at the airport,preventing those last-minute repacking episodes at the counter that hold up an already impatient line of fellow travelers.
On Bourbon Street, stout men in narrow-brimmed hats strummed loud music from bars on opposite sides of the street, battling for the attention of passers-by. Neatly dressed touts fanned out from strip clubs, urging men to step within, smiling with well-oiled cheer.
Best known for its budget flat-pack furniture, Scandinavian retailer Ikea is planning to launch a chain of budget hotels in Europe. The property division of Inter Ikea — the company that owns the Ikea intellectual property rights — is planning hotels in 100 locations across Europe.
Q: In the business-class car on Amtrak trains, there are two electrical outlets near the window seat. What do you do if you sit in the aisle seat but the person in the window seat is asleep and using both outlets?
An adjustable belt with a highly stretchable pouch and a quick-release plastic buckle. Adjust the belt to your waist, tuck in whatever small items you want to take along and zip it closed.
The capital of China is quickly becoming one of the priciest — and fastest-changing — cities in the world, driven by several decades of breakneck economic growth.
Q: What are the guidelines for using spray-on sunscreen in public? Obviously, it would be best to apply it in private, but sometimes that's not practical. I see people doing this all the time at amusement parks, the beach, etc. -- sometimes pretty close to others.
A backpack with an inflatable bladder that fits in the small of the back, protecting the spine and the gear inside. You can pack a lot of weight in this thing, making it heavy to lift. But once you hoist it onto your back, it doesn't just feel OK, it feels comfortable.
Rank all the world's meat products in order of prestige, and bologna would occupy the spot between canned sausage and pre-sliced Shop 'N Save ham, which is to say, in the company of the maligned and ridiculed.
A miniature LED flashlight, smaller than a tea bag in area, that is charged by turning a small crank.
The closest acceptable distance to sit next to strangers at a crowded beach is 3 feet, according to 27 percent of our 1,400 respondents. Twenty-six percent say you need to leave at least 6 feet between blankets.
Q: I can't stand kids kicking my seat on planes. Can I tell the child's parent before the flight takes off that they need to make sure their kid doesn't kick my seat? Q: If I only have $20 bills and the hotel doorman hails a taxi for me, can I tell him I'm sorry but I'll tip him when I return?
A soft carrying case that hides a power strip for your car, boat or RV. Charge as many as three hand-held gadgets while you drive.
Q: The gate agent made an announcement that you had to remove any lithium batteries from your bag if you were going to check it. Is this some new rule? Q: With my 7-year-old daughter, can we get in the one-item security line (even if they're both really mine)?
Organic bedbug killer/repellent made from essential oils, including cinnamon, lemongrass, clove and mint. In other words, it's not poison.
The Rodin Museum, a little jewel box of a building surrounded by formal gardens and showcasing the French artist's monumental sculptures, had by most accounts lost a certain "je ne sais quoi" in the 83 years since it was built.
Q: When you board an airplane and there are empty seats in first class, can you take your stuff and move to one after they close the cabin door?
A GPS device about 3 inches long and an inch wide that you can track via computer or smartphone. Attach the device to a dog, a suitcase, a bike, a car, a marathoner, a child, a husband, a wife — whatever you want to track.
In the small 13th-century town of Saschiz, life has all but stood still. It's a world away, in the heart of Transylvania. A tranquil haven that Prince Charles calls "‘the jewel in Romania's crown," with rural scenes that look like pages from "Grimms' Fairy Tales."
It was a Trial of the Century dubbed "The Monkey Trial" — it involved a new Tennessee law prohibiting the teaching of evolution in public schools and an unassuming high school science teacher, John Scopes, who went on trial in July 1925 in the hill town of eastern Tennessee for violating it.
Getting sick or hurt while on summer vacation is unfortunate enough. Don't add insult to injury by neglecting a few health-related details that could save you money in the event you need medical treatment.
Q: On a JetBlue flight, the guy next to me didn't have headphones. When he saw me winding up the cord on my own headphones, he asked if he could borrow them. Isn't that a little personal? • Q: When splitting a cab with a couple and you're solo, who gets shotgun?
Reading glasses with tiny LED lights in the frames. Flip a switch under each battery, and the glasses become miniature flashlights aimed wherever you look.
The sprawling French chateau was built by Cecil's great-grandfather George Washington Vanderbilt in the 1880s and today is the centerpiece of a larger concern that has 950 employees — around 1,800 during peak season.
Q: What if your concierge gives you a restaurant recommendation and it turns out to be awful? Do you have any advice to prevent this from happening again?
If you have played carry-on roulette lately, you know the traditional 22-by-14-by-9-inch bag often has to be turned sideways to get the overhead-compartment door to close. That means there's room for fewer bags. Not the case with this bag.
A twig snaps and brush rustles in woods on the Gettysburg battlefield. My horse does not flinch. It's nothing more than a small animal scurrying away. But on a hot summer day nearly 150 years earlier, it could have been the enemy.
Q: I was told that you cannot request gate-to-gate cart transportation in advance? I've had a couple of experiences where the airlines have not helped at all. Also, I now use a cane. Will the TSA allow it on board?
A round bar of cinnamon and clove shampoo from Lush that can be kept in a travel tin. It's hard not to overstate the case: This stuff is great. You may never use a liquid shampoo again.
When Graceland opened to the public 30 years ago this month, nobody knew if it would be a success. Nearly 18 million visitors later, the house where Elvis Presley once lived is a money-making business that's helped transform the city of Memphis into a top destination for music lovers.
Cable TV mogul and philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest announced a $40 million challenge grant Tuesday for a planned American Revolution museum in Philadelphia's historic district.
Q: I have a lot of business travel coming up and am concerned about hotel breakfasts while on a gluten-free diet. What should I do?
A GPS device in a watch for golfers. It enables players to determine their distance to the hole and the shape of the green and to keep score, all in a watch with a touch-screen face that looks sporty and is relatively easy to use.
Hundreds of historic U.S. post offices nationwide face uncertain futures as the U.S. Postal Service downsizes, so preservationists on Wednesday added these American institutions to the list of the country's most endangered historic places.
Q: My 78-year-old dad is taking a flight by himself for the first time in many years. I was thinking of requesting one of those carts to take him between the gates. Is that OK, or do you have to have a doctor's note or be in a wheelchair or something?
Bliss in a box for parents traveling in the car with little ones for hours. Two hourlong DVDs with classic tales; a 13-song CD; and a booklet filled with mazes, matching games and coloring activities.
It was a dank, rain-sodden Raymond Chandler kind of morning, as if some omnipotent auteur rang the studio and ordered a classic film noir sky. Only a sap would be out on a day like this, searching for the seedy, serrated soul of L.A. noir.
Gdansk offers a chance for visitors to take in scenes of sea, ships and spires set in a magnificently reconstructed Old Town while contemplating the ups and downs of European history, including the famous shipyard strike led by Lech Walesa.
Q: Shouldn't bystanders shoo birds away if observing them going after someone else's unattended food?
For those who don't want to wear a fanny pack that screams tourist, this is a smaller, stylish alternative for carrying keys, phone, MP3 player, cash, cards and, yes, a passport.
Audio tour enhances visit to statue • Half Dome's summit open to hikers • Nation's capital sets visitor record
If you're staying at someone's beach house but they're not there, should you still send them a hostess gift? Can you leave one on, say, the kitchen table?
A line of adventure and business pants from Clothing Arts of North Woodmere, N.Y., that are pickpocket-proof. You'll feel so emboldened, you'll want to wander through a crowd of grabby street urchins.
The Excel, which comes in nine colors, including some that won't threaten masculinity, holds about 65 sprays if filled to the max.
A few weeks ago I posted a question from a reader who saw another passenger on her flight use the call button three times for nonemergency reasons. Here are some thoughts from a Delta Air Lines flight attendant with 34 years' experience.
What is it: A small travel bag that defies anyone to be disorganized. It's perfect for toiletries, medication or other small items that become a nuisance in primary luggage.
Was I doing something wrong by declining an upgrade at a rental-car agency? • If you rent a beach house and find food in the kitchen cabinets, can you eat it?
The guy next to me on my flight last night was playing Tetris on his iPhone. He was wearing headphones, which was great, but sometimes (when he lost, I assume) he’d slam his hand down on the tray table or swear.
WASHINGTON » In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Japanese gift of cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C., two major art museums have joined forces for a "Japan Spring" trifecta.
To most of the world, the name Titanic means tragedy, spiced with romance, sacrifice and luxury. But in Belfast, where it was built, the doomed ship is a triumph of industry, enterprise and engineering.
Who gets wetter, someone walking in the rain or running? Is it really possible to hang from a cliff by your fingers until help arrives like they do in the movies? And is Superman the only one who is faster than a speeding bullet?
ABOARD AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 9454 » Eric Mueller's vacation started when his plane filled with smoke.
Photographer Annie Leibovitz says she has come back from some dark days and revived her creativity with a new project now on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum that marks a departure from her popular celebrity portraits.
Disposable plastic water bottles in shops, vending machines, hotels and grocery stores at Grand Canyon National Park will disappear early next year under a plan by park officials to ban the sale of them.
Museum-goers are taking in the sounds, smell and feel of ancient life and landscapes at a new $100 million building in Salt Lake City. The Natural History Museum of Utah engages the senses, allowing visitors to mingle inside exhibits, touch artifacts, get a whiff of desert plants or rotting flesh and hear the soft warbling of birds.
The newly opened Gospel Trail winds for 39 miles, heading south from Nazareth, across gentle green hills, through Jewish and Arab towns and down to Capernaum, the fishing town where Jesus is said to have established his home base.
Museums and historic sites, the world's largest menorah and a trendy new Tribeca restaurant inspired by an old-school Catskills resort: They're all part of Jewish New York, with a heritage that stretches back 400 years and a vital contemporary community that's reinterpreting old traditions for the 21st century.
My first trip to Korea was brief, but long enough to get a taste of Seoul. Now that Hawaiian Airlines flies to Seoul and you can connect through Korean Airlines to other parts of Asia, Seoul is an alternative to flying through Narita.
Long known for its sea, sand and sun, Tunisia has a new claim to fame, as the birthplace of the Arab Spring. Popular demonstrations toppled the tiny North African nation's longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January, inspiring a wave of pro-democracy protests that has swept the Arab world, from Morocco to Bahrain.
There are certain signs of fall in the town of Estes Park: the chill of morning frost, the reds and yellows of autumn leaves, and the thousands of elk that visit. The elk come looking for romance; the tourists come looking for elk.
Out of the ashes of 9/11 has risen a vibrant neighborhood packed with new restaurants and hotels, places to live and spots to shop, along with many ways to pay respects to an area some worried would never come back.
Japanese gardens are about inspiring and soothing the soul. And you don't have to be a gardening expert or Zen Buddhist to appreciate all they have to offer — the beauty, the tranquility, even the Zen.
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. » Click, thump, riiiiing! That's the sound of something you often hear about but rarely see: a carousel rider going for the brass ring.
With my umbrella at the ready, I stepped onto the streets of Seattle for the first time. Sunshine greeted me with nary a cloud in sight. Beyond the modern skyline, Puget Sound glittered beneath the Olympic Mountains, and I even caught a glimpse of evanescent Mount Rainier.
Mike Richardson and Climb Aloha's 11 instructors, known as Team Climb Aloha, are leading the effort to ensure safe rock climbing in Hawaii.
Canoes glide serenely across the water, creating ripples that blur the reflection of craggy peaks capped with early-summer snow. The only sounds: wind in the spruce, bird cries and occasional laughter.
FORT PIERCE, Fla. » The biggest attraction at the Navy SEALs’ national museum isn’t memorialized in any artifact or mentioned in any display. But that doesn’t keep visitors from asking.
With 586,412 square miles of land, it is hard to know where to start when visiting Alaska. Anchorage is a solid first choice. It is Alaska's most populous city and thus has the lion's share of metropolitan attractions, many of which are located downtown and easily reached by foot.
Bargain hunters from around the world flock to Manhattan's Chinatown for legally sold bags, jewelry and other accessories. But hidden around the city are goods labeled "Prada" or "Louis Vuitton" or some other luxury brand — counterfeits sold for a pittance.
Q: A cousin is having her wedding in Napa Valley in September. I reside on the East Coast and may or may not be able to attend with family pressuring hard that I attend. What should I do? • Q: Should I fold bills when I tip housekeeping, or lay them out flat?
A midsize duffel designed to stash everything you might need for a couple of nights away from your bed and the rest of your stuff.
My face flushed cherry red, and my sweat-soaked sundress clung to my body. I stood, elated, on a wooden platform at the summit of Mount Warning, a jagged peak in the Gondwana rain forest.
A gruesome photo gallery of men and women impaled by arrows, augers and pipes is gone from the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum in Hollywood.
A passenger successfully reserved a seat row to himself and his wife at the annoyance of others on a return flight to California only to pay the price in karma the entire flight.
A soft-sided carry-on bag that collapses down to 4 inches deep from 8 inches for stowing in its own plastic bag to go in a closet or under a bed when you're back from the road.
The remains of a Tudor warship that sank more than 400 years ago are displayed along with thousands of its artifacts for the first time at a new British museum.
Q: How close can I put my beach blanket to someone else's? Last year we went to a popular beach on the East Coast and when the beachgoers next to us returned from swimming they were clearly not happy to see us.
Snap together the black plastic cross-sections and you have a sturdy, stable stand that hooks onto the tray table, holding your iPad at a slight tilt for easier typing and viewing.
After a big easy sweep across a flat-water pool on the upper Hudson River, Allison Buckley made sure she chose a better channel through the oncoming rapids than the previous canoe, which hung up on a submerged rock.
The Muppets are getting a new home in a Queens museum with a permanent exhibit the city hopes will persuade more tourists to venture beyond Manhattan.
What are the top things that come up in terms of hotel etiquette? "How do I deal with other guests doing something that is bothering me?" is, by far, the most common type of question.
A free app that saves notes, photos, videos, to-do lists, audio, books, music and more to notebooks that multiple users can share and collaborate on.
As howling winds tore through the eastern Sierra, Dan Gillespie and his wife, Carol, trudged along a narrow gravel path, their eyes alternating between photos they carried and the contours of a cove guarded by granite walls.
I recently heard about a conference that I'd like to attend. The conference takes place in a city that's either a short flight or a long drive from where I live. I could go alone and fly, but a colleague I particularly can't stand would be shut out. What should I do?
A pillowcase with a hood fastened in the middle. Insert a standard-size pillow into the case. The hood easily shifts on the pillow in any way you prefer, so there's room to maneuver.
With Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby" opening just before summer, there's no better time to celebrate the spirit of the Roaring ‘20s. From speakeasies to grande dame hotels, the members and editors of VirtualTourist.com have chosen the "Top 5 Places to relive the 1920s."
Q: A few hotels and restaurants greet or end a meal with a small complimentary glass of the local specialty liqueur (e.g., limoncello, strawberry wine). Is it better to accept it but not drink it or to refuse?
A durable iPad case with a built-in stand and a Bluetooth 3.0 wireless, multicolor back-lit keyboard. The keyboard has a responsive, easy-click touch, and the keys are all in the right place for a touch typist.
As parents we all struggle to get our children to understand that money doesn't grow on trees. We want them to be responsible, work hard and learn to save a few bucks. But these lessons are among the most difficult to teach.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs issued a notice Wednesday saying Mount Fuji was recommended for World Heritage status by the International Council on Monuments and Sites, a body affiliated with UNESCO.
Q: I'm going to New York City soon on a business trip. I've never been there before. What do I need to know about hailing cabs? Do you really yell, "Taxi!" or whistle, or have I just seen too many movies?
An easily transported collapsible plastic bowl to accommodate pets when traveling. These save a lot of space, dishwasher safe and are durable without the strong plastic smell.
Love the lush and lovely Napa Valley but hate how expensive it can be? You're not the first. In the late 19th century, writer Robert Louis Stevenson moved his honeymoon to the rustic but free setting of an abandoned mining camp when the $10-a-week going rate for Calistoga hotels proved too much for his slender purse.
Concert promoter Live Nation announced Wednesday that a landmark Los Angeles music venue where Bob Marley, Johnny Cash and Frank Sinatra performed will close its doors this fall.
A 16th-century Amati violoncello displayed in the National Music Museum has long been nicknamed "The King," but the ghost of a legendary rock 'n' roller has arrived in South Dakota to reclaim his regal moniker.
Q: The first time I flew with a child in tow, I tried to analyze why a child (mine, normally well-behaved) would do something so out of character as to kick someone else's seat?
ECBC Poseidon Messenger K7202 bag
» What it is: A lean and mean messenger bag with amazing water resistance despite the attractive look of fabric.
Las Vegas is trying to beat its reputation as a shut-in. MGM Resorts International announced Thursday that it will sink $100 million into building a park and public promenade outside of its New York-New York and Monte Carlo casinos.
Q: I recently completed a trip from Pittsburgh to Honolulu with my 13-year-old daughter. She uses a wheelchair; we travel often; and fellow travelers can be quite rude. Would it be too much trouble to publish this list of helpful actions? A: Done!
A small-in-size, big-in-sound portable speaker made by Divoom. Standing 2 3/4 inches high, this one's a beaut.
Marine Lt. Leonard Isaaks Jr. was killed Feb. 20, 1945, during the battle for the Japanese island Iwo Jima. All you really need to know about his death is contained in the painstakingly printed letter found on his body.
Some never-before-seen artifacts from the minutes and hours after President John F. Kennedy's assassination went on display Friday, along with an extensive collection of photographs of the young president's family.
The Exploratorium, San Francisco's interactive science and activities museum, is set to open Wednesday at its new $300 million digs along the bay with more space and new exhibits, including a rain chamber that will allow people to experience past storms.
Q: What do you think of people using translation apps when they're in a foreign country and don't speak the language? If the waiter comes over to take your order in a nice restaurant, isn't it rude to just show him your phone and not even attempt to speak?
The collapsible aluminum legs, joined by shock cords, unfold easily to make the stool a seat or table. The stool is so tiny that it could easily go into a backpack or hang on a belt.
This is the only country that gives you a bath before they send you home. The Blue Lagoon, open year-round, rain or shine, envelops thousands of tourists from all over the world in its misty embrace.
When Whitney Houston died last year, one of the first pieces of audio memorabilia that swarmed the Internet was the isolated vocal track from her 1985 recording of "How Will I Know." Trust us, it will simultaneously give you chills and make you cry.
Ever dream of a round-the-world vacation? One luxury-travel company has a trip leaving from Orlando this fall that features a sacred citadel, Indian palaces, ancient mummies and more.
What it is: A wheeled bag with compartments for an umbrella, backup power for devices, a portable speaker, socks, underwear, electrical cords, magazines, a water bottle. The toiletries compartment is removable (Velcro), and the bag even has a laundry chute.
Q: What do you suggest should be done when an airplane boards passengers seated in the back of the plane first, and those passengers put their carry-on bags in overhead storage in the front?
Q: I'm not out of line in expecting a phone call to the front desk of a three-story, midpriced chain hotel to be answered, right? What if I had an emergency?
Folding headphones that you can design on the Internet. As travel phones they work well because the earpieces are hinged to fold up toward the headset. They withstood all the jostling I could bring to bear.
When last seen — cinematically, that is — this pleasant town on the Sonoma County coast had been engulfed in Hitchcockian horror. Birds, birds everywhere. Crows, gulls and sparrows. Angry birds, and not of the smartphone species.
Q: What is the etiquette for using a laptop while dining alone in a restaurant? A: First, we need to talk about what kind of restaurant where it's appropriate to use a laptop at all.
Aluminum walking poles made by Black Diamond, one of the nation's leading makers of outdoor and adventure gear. The poles are constructed as three-section foldable shafts.
If you're a baseball fan looking to add a new pastime to your vacation itinerary, consider setting a goal to visit all 30 of Major League Baseball stadiums. All you really need is a love of baseball and a passion for exploring new places.
With Sydney consistently ranked among the most expensive cities in the world, overseas tourists on a budget might find themselves sweating even more than usual under the blistering Aussie sun. But no worries, cash-strapped travelers: There are plenty of fabulous things to do for free.
Q: Shouldn't people be ready for the security checkpoint? • Q: What do you do if you're staying in the same hotel as a celebrity and there are annoying teenage fans and photographers everywhere?
Waterproof skin appliqués that a parent can stick on a child and then personalize with a marker included with each kit. Putting a phone number on the tat makes it easier to reunite a lost child with his or her parents.
Q: Is it rude to ask for the entire can of soda during beverage service on a flight? • Q: What should you do if the people in the hotel room next to you are talking well into the wee hours?
The backup bag is thin and light enough that it doesn't consume precious space in your primary bag. It swells to 19 by 13 by 10 inches, so you can use it as a carry-on or as a second checked bag.
Q: What do I do if the person sitting next to me on a plane has horrible foot odor? • Q: Could you please tell people that it's not OK to whistle along with the background music being played in, say, a rental-car shuttle?
A very hard, very tough rubber-lined plastic case in which you can store a cellphone, a camera or other small valuables that you don't want to lose or crush, especially when roughing it or jamming things into your luggage.
These museum-goers didn't just leave their coats at the coat check. They handed over their shirts, trousers and underwear. Everything, in fact, except their shoes and socks.
Q: What do you do if you have a chatty child and you have to fly with him? My son is very verbal (he's 4) and isn't afraid to start a conversation with anyone.
Packable flashlights and power backups are travelers' staples, but not hand warmers. Combining all three into one device makes this a winner for anyone traveling in cold-weather climes or who simply wants something to ward off a chill.
A half-century later, Jose Rafa Malem remembers the balmy breezes blowing through the bar's arching porticos, the grain of the tall wood stools, the whiff of Pedro Domecq brandy on his father's breath.
Q: What is the proper thing to do when your seatmate is so large that you lose your own space? • Q: Is it possible to get a partial-day or hourly rate at a hotel without looking like one is there for unsavory purposes?
A huge silk blanket, silk pillowcase and adjustable silk eyeshades. It all squeezes into a silk bag the size of a submarine sandwich — an easy fit for a carry-on.
Q: My mother was seated next to a couple flying with a baby. The baby cried the entire five-hour flight. What, if anything, could my mother have done in this situation?
A day-pack-size backpack that looks like you could beat with a sledgehammer and not damage; just don't do that with any equipment inside.
Las Vegas is getting ready for the Year of the Snake. The casino capital celebrates Chinese New Year — also known as Lunar New Year — in a big way, with feasts, exhibits, performances and other events at outdoor festivals and at casino-resorts like Bellagio and The Venetian.
Is there such a thing as antiques-store etiquette? Every time I go in an antiques store, I feel sort of intimidated. I’m going to visit a friend in New Hope, Pa., soon and want to go to lots of antiques stores there.
A weatherproof leather bag with leather croc trim exterior. It holds one camera body, one flash and lenses. A little less than 4 pounds, it is 14 inches long, 7 inches wide and 8 inches tall.
A winner for the heavy packer or souvenir collector tired of unhappy surprises at the check-in counter. Carry this device and there's no more embarrassing digging through your suitcases at the counter to redistribute weight among your bags.
I love staying in vacation rentals, but I’m often surprised at how little information about the house or apartment is provided by the owner. We’ve stayed in several apartments in Europe where the appliances were completely inexplicable to us, and no directions were anywhere to be found.
Majestic Realty, owner of the Silverton, has proposed an $800 million to $900 million stadium and events center called UNLV Now that would be built adjacent to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus.
We recently went to England and stayed at a number of B&Bs that offered “full English” breakfasts included with the price of the room. The owners were all good cooks, but we are not big breakfast eaters in general and really would have preferred something much simpler.
A Bluetooth — that is, wireless — speaker that plays audio from a phone, MP3 player or computer.
Medellin is still a city that puts its visitors on guard, you wouldn't know it from my traveling companion's choice of footwear.
Busy, congested, stressful. This is how the world's first subway system was depicted by London newspapers in 1863. It's a situation that would be familiar to nail-biting passengers of the present as the Tube turned 150 years old Wednesday.
Q: What do you do when you're in another country and one of the local citizens wants to talk American politics with you? Q: Is it OK to ask my colleague to bring stuff back for me?
A slick microfiber handbag with a front zip pocket plus three larger zip compartments, the middle one of which unzips, reverses out and re-zips to create a plush microsuede pillow for catnaps on the go.
Q: A young girl on a flight I took recently had blinking headphones. This was an overnight flight, and she never took them off. Her mother never said a word to her. That would be considered a no-no, right?
About the size of a footstool, this portable gas grill folds up into a carrying case weighing less than 9 pounds when loaded. The workmanship and the quality of the metals lets you know you didn't waste your money.
Myanmar, Marseille, New Zealand and Gettysburg are all on the travel radar for 2013 thanks to new tours, events and anniversaries. But the best pitch for travel in the new year might just be coming from Ireland.
A massive winter storm is disrupting travel plans for tens of thousands of fliers trying to get home after Christmas. But there are some things they can do to improve their odds of getting home quickly.
Q: Is there something intrinsically rude or weird about dining at restaurants that do not feature the local cuisine of the country you're visiting? • Q: Do you think little kids should have their own suitcases, or should parents handle all the luggage?
La Fresh All Natural Biodegradable Insect Repellent Towelettes are travel wipes that contain peppermint, sesame, olive, castor and wheat germ oils and vitamin E. The best part: no DEET.
"This is your own home now," announces our host, welcoming us to Thengal Manor. And we wish it was, this gracious residence of one of India's great tea dynasties, which has opened the family villa, with its idyllic gardens and an impeccable staff of 15, to overnight visitors.
For more than 20 years, state park officials in Massachusetts have encouraged locals to get off the couch Jan. 1 and take a hike — nothing too strenuous, but a healthy way to start the new year. Last year a group called America's State Parks expanded the effort.
Q: I fly very infrequently, but I can't sleep on a plane. To me it's like trying to sleep in a folding chair in the middle of a bus station. Instead, I like to read, but notice that I am usually the only one with my light on. Sometimes other passengers give me a discouraging look. How do I handle this?
A luxuriously styled carry-on that collapses to half its size for storage, whether at home or on the road in, say, a Swiss hotel room where excess space is considered an oversight.
The colonial-era house of worship known in Bolivia as the "Sistine Chapel of the Andes" was filled with flowers over the weekend for those celebrating two weddings and seven baptisms on the wind-swept mountain plateau.
Q: I'd like your thoughts on a conversation I overheard on a plane. Is it rude to ask a stranger how much they paid for something? • Q: If you stay in a hotel or take a cruise where housekeeping leaves towel animals for you, are you supposed to use the towels or not?
High-end travel speakers (a woofer, two tweeters), an FM radio and an alarm clock that fold into an upright position like a retro travel alarm — an attractive one — with a clamshell case.
Now, after a 3 million pound ($4.8 million) makeover, Charles Dickens' London home has been restored to bring the writer's world to life. The house reopens next week, and its director says it aims to look "as if Dickens had just stepped out."
Q: I went to a new exhibition at a science museum while visiting my family. What really bothered me is that there were plenty of adults in line to do the activity themselves. Shouldn't adults act like adults and let the kids go instead? • Q: Can I bring a snow globe on a plane?
Packable ballet flats that fold in half and slide into a coordinating pouch that's compact enough to tuck inside a handbag or other small carry-on. As a more versatile, slightly hardier upgrade from flip-flops, these earn their place in the bags of busy women on the road.
A 19-by-14-inch travel pillow with a hypoallergenic fiber-filled cover surrounding an inflatable core, plus a pillowcase.
I like to knit when I have free time. Can I take my knitting on a plane, or will the Transportation Security Administration have an issue with knitting needles?
I had the window seat on a recent flight. There were two very tall men seated in the center and aisle seats. The guy in the center seat was taking up the whole armrest between us and stretching his right leg into the space under the seat in front of me.
Scottevest has made its name in producing travel clothing that in some cases can negate the need for a carry-on airline bag. This is a good addition to the lineup, though more for its clever gadget storage than for toting bulky baggage.
Q: Do you have any tips to make crowded airports less hellish? I have a number of flights coming up, including one on the day before Thanksgiving, and I loathe crowds.
A carry-on size, shoulder-hoisted cylindrical bag around which you wrap a zippered garment bag. It's designed to get formal clothing to your destination wrinkle-free.
My family and I recently went on a “ghost tour” in a city we were visiting in October. There was one guy in the tour group who made it very clear that he thought all of the stories were bunk. He was constantly laughing and rolling his eyes and saying, “People really believe this stuff?”
Screw a pocket-size camera or camcorder (maximum weight: a little more than a pound) onto one end of the XShot, then tilt the camera to just the right angle and lock the XShot in place.
At first glance Hanoi is a hornet's nest of motorbikes swarming Vietnam's capital city. But look beyond the sea of roaring engines and beeping horns and a land of old-world Asian charm awaits, with wide tree-lined streets shading old French colonial-style villas.
Tokyo is known for being densely populated and crowded. Living space is at a premium; hotel rooms are small or expensive or both. Enter the capsule hotel, where a tubelike pod barely bigger than a coffin offers a bed for the night at low cost.
Q: My friends and I are going to Dublin together in December. We'll be eating out and going to pubs a lot. Should we all chip in an equal amount at the beginning of the trip and have one person carry that cash and pay every bill out of it?
As grills go, this is all-inclusive. It's big enough to grill nine steaks or as many as 15 burgers. It's great for football tailgating, especially when traveling to an away game.
The world's longest commercial flight — Singapore to Newark, N.J. — is being canceled. Singapore Airlines announced Wednesday that it will end its nonstop flight between Singapore and Newark, a distance of about 9,500 miles.
Q: Are kids allowed on tours of microbreweries? Do you have any tips for taking a baby on a tour like this? • Q: I want to take my girlfriend to a Broadway show. Should I book tickets in advance, or go to that discount day-of-show ticket booth in Times Square?
Rubbery reusable ties that are meant as all-purpose fasteners but are superb for travel. The fasteners are lightweight, take little space and are brightly colored so they are easy to find.
I have a group of friends -- six in total -- and we haven't seen each other in a long time. One of them proposed going away for a long weekend to a resort in the Caribbean. We booked three rooms. However, we forgot to think about our vacation priorities. What can we do about the partier?
It's a full-size folding bike that pivots at the seat. Made by Cambridge, Mass.-based Montague Co., a company that produces folding bicycles exclusively. After years of making mountain bikes, this is Montague's first stab at a road bike.
From its famed giant stone statues to finding a good, affordable hotel, Easter Island is full of mysteries. There are ancient questions, like how the statues were transported and why the island lost its trees.
Bourbon fan Tim Allen started his day of sightseeing by sipping whiskeys crafted at a Jim Beam distillery. Where else are pre-lunch nips more commonplace than in Kentucky bourbon country?
Devastating spring freezes and a historic drought have stripped some charm from rustic fall destinations, leaving some corn too short to create mazes, orchards virtually devoid of apples and fall colors muted.
Q: Why do some restaurants have table service but require you to pay a cashier instead of paying your server? Q: What's the appropriate response to "So, when is your baby due?" when not pregnant?
A waterproof MP3 player that, rather than through ear buds, transmits audio via bone conduction.
There are two kinds of travelers: the type who plan things and the type who have vague notions. My wife is A; I am B. I knew, for example, that I wanted to go to France. She read four guidebooks on the subject.
Q: Is it tacky to order from a restaurant or pizza shop if your hotel has room service? Will they deliver to your room, or do you have to go to the lobby?
Made of fabric created from recycled plastic bottles and natural bamboo, the Armpocket is a "hands-free carrying system," according to the manufacturer.
What it is: A generously sized day pack that rolls up into about the size of a healthy croissant. Made of heavy-duty nylon, it won't tear easily. Fully deployed, it's 18 inches long, 14 inches wide and 8 inches deep.
Question: As the weather gets cooler and the leaves start to turn, we get a lot of tourists in rural Vermont, where I live.
I was in a hotel in another city because I had a job interview there early the next morning. The hotel’s fire alarm went off in the middle of the night.
A combination headlamp and lantern, with five LED lights. The lights range from 5 to 130 lumens.
FROM the fringes of New York to the heart of steamy Singapore, nature is everywhere you're not looking in some of Earth's most notoriously crowded big cities. From river walks to mountain peaks and everything in between, outdoor adventure is often just a few stops on the train — or a short drive — away from the maddening crowds.
A purse and wallet that emphasize security and organization. The compact purse (measuring 10 by 7 by 2 inches) has four exterior pockets with zipper or magnet closures, and four interior pockets plus credit card and pen slots.
Q: What do you think of the new Carnival policy that prohibits passengers from saving lounge chairs at the pools? Q: What exactly IS turndown service?
Q: If you stay at a hotel that offers a "Manager's Reception" or "Lobby Happy Hour," are you supposed to stay and socialize, or can you just grab a glass of wine or whatever and head back to your room?
A sleek travel iron with a handle that folds down for easy packing. It also has a 120/240-volt switch for travel abroad.
Q: My husband and I are going to New York City and want to see a couple of Broadway shows. The only seats available are in the second row, aisle or way in the back. Is getting pulled onstage something to worry about?
Let's say it upfront: Both the pillow/comforter and travel case are pricey pieces of travel gear, and oh so worth it. If you travel frequently with none of the comforts of home, these are for you.
Capt. Barry King is wrapping up his "welcome aboard" speech in the galley of the schooner Mary Day when he gets around to the question everyone has regarding the trip's itinerary.
It was nothing like this 3,000 years ago. An Israeli attraction meant to immerse tourists in an authentic, ancient biblical experience has outfitted its donkeys with wireless routers.
Vail Resorts Inc. is adding another feature to its EpicMix application. EpicMix uses radio-frequency identification tags embedded on lift passes to let skiers and snowboarders track their vertical feet and which lifts they've ridden on the mountain.
Q: My friend did a really scary bungee jump-type ride at an amusement park, and he asked me to take a video — then let out a few choice expletives during filming. Can you ask people to watch their language?
A sleek, portable luggage scale that you can pop into your carry-on and use before you enter the check-in line at the airport,preventing those last-minute repacking episodes at the counter that hold up an already impatient line of fellow travelers.
On Bourbon Street, stout men in narrow-brimmed hats strummed loud music from bars on opposite sides of the street, battling for the attention of passers-by. Neatly dressed touts fanned out from strip clubs, urging men to step within, smiling with well-oiled cheer.
Best known for its budget flat-pack furniture, Scandinavian retailer Ikea is planning to launch a chain of budget hotels in Europe. The property division of Inter Ikea — the company that owns the Ikea intellectual property rights — is planning hotels in 100 locations across Europe.
Q: In the business-class car on Amtrak trains, there are two electrical outlets near the window seat. What do you do if you sit in the aisle seat but the person in the window seat is asleep and using both outlets?
An adjustable belt with a highly stretchable pouch and a quick-release plastic buckle. Adjust the belt to your waist, tuck in whatever small items you want to take along and zip it closed.
The capital of China is quickly becoming one of the priciest — and fastest-changing — cities in the world, driven by several decades of breakneck economic growth.
Q: What are the guidelines for using spray-on sunscreen in public? Obviously, it would be best to apply it in private, but sometimes that's not practical. I see people doing this all the time at amusement parks, the beach, etc. -- sometimes pretty close to others.
A backpack with an inflatable bladder that fits in the small of the back, protecting the spine and the gear inside. You can pack a lot of weight in this thing, making it heavy to lift. But once you hoist it onto your back, it doesn't just feel OK, it feels comfortable.
Rank all the world's meat products in order of prestige, and bologna would occupy the spot between canned sausage and pre-sliced Shop 'N Save ham, which is to say, in the company of the maligned and ridiculed.
A miniature LED flashlight, smaller than a tea bag in area, that is charged by turning a small crank.
The closest acceptable distance to sit next to strangers at a crowded beach is 3 feet, according to 27 percent of our 1,400 respondents. Twenty-six percent say you need to leave at least 6 feet between blankets.
Q: I can't stand kids kicking my seat on planes. Can I tell the child's parent before the flight takes off that they need to make sure their kid doesn't kick my seat? Q: If I only have $20 bills and the hotel doorman hails a taxi for me, can I tell him I'm sorry but I'll tip him when I return?
A soft carrying case that hides a power strip for your car, boat or RV. Charge as many as three hand-held gadgets while you drive.
Q: The gate agent made an announcement that you had to remove any lithium batteries from your bag if you were going to check it. Is this some new rule? Q: With my 7-year-old daughter, can we get in the one-item security line (even if they're both really mine)?
Organic bedbug killer/repellent made from essential oils, including cinnamon, lemongrass, clove and mint. In other words, it's not poison.
The Rodin Museum, a little jewel box of a building surrounded by formal gardens and showcasing the French artist's monumental sculptures, had by most accounts lost a certain "je ne sais quoi" in the 83 years since it was built.
Q: When you board an airplane and there are empty seats in first class, can you take your stuff and move to one after they close the cabin door?
A GPS device about 3 inches long and an inch wide that you can track via computer or smartphone. Attach the device to a dog, a suitcase, a bike, a car, a marathoner, a child, a husband, a wife — whatever you want to track.
In the small 13th-century town of Saschiz, life has all but stood still. It's a world away, in the heart of Transylvania. A tranquil haven that Prince Charles calls "‘the jewel in Romania's crown," with rural scenes that look like pages from "Grimms' Fairy Tales."
It was a Trial of the Century dubbed "The Monkey Trial" — it involved a new Tennessee law prohibiting the teaching of evolution in public schools and an unassuming high school science teacher, John Scopes, who went on trial in July 1925 in the hill town of eastern Tennessee for violating it.
Getting sick or hurt while on summer vacation is unfortunate enough. Don't add insult to injury by neglecting a few health-related details that could save you money in the event you need medical treatment.
Q: On a JetBlue flight, the guy next to me didn't have headphones. When he saw me winding up the cord on my own headphones, he asked if he could borrow them. Isn't that a little personal? • Q: When splitting a cab with a couple and you're solo, who gets shotgun?
Reading glasses with tiny LED lights in the frames. Flip a switch under each battery, and the glasses become miniature flashlights aimed wherever you look.
The sprawling French chateau was built by Cecil's great-grandfather George Washington Vanderbilt in the 1880s and today is the centerpiece of a larger concern that has 950 employees — around 1,800 during peak season.
Q: What if your concierge gives you a restaurant recommendation and it turns out to be awful? Do you have any advice to prevent this from happening again?
If you have played carry-on roulette lately, you know the traditional 22-by-14-by-9-inch bag often has to be turned sideways to get the overhead-compartment door to close. That means there's room for fewer bags. Not the case with this bag.
A twig snaps and brush rustles in woods on the Gettysburg battlefield. My horse does not flinch. It's nothing more than a small animal scurrying away. But on a hot summer day nearly 150 years earlier, it could have been the enemy.
Q: I was told that you cannot request gate-to-gate cart transportation in advance? I've had a couple of experiences where the airlines have not helped at all. Also, I now use a cane. Will the TSA allow it on board?
A round bar of cinnamon and clove shampoo from Lush that can be kept in a travel tin. It's hard not to overstate the case: This stuff is great. You may never use a liquid shampoo again.
When Graceland opened to the public 30 years ago this month, nobody knew if it would be a success. Nearly 18 million visitors later, the house where Elvis Presley once lived is a money-making business that's helped transform the city of Memphis into a top destination for music lovers.
Cable TV mogul and philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest announced a $40 million challenge grant Tuesday for a planned American Revolution museum in Philadelphia's historic district.
Q: I have a lot of business travel coming up and am concerned about hotel breakfasts while on a gluten-free diet. What should I do?
A GPS device in a watch for golfers. It enables players to determine their distance to the hole and the shape of the green and to keep score, all in a watch with a touch-screen face that looks sporty and is relatively easy to use.
Hundreds of historic U.S. post offices nationwide face uncertain futures as the U.S. Postal Service downsizes, so preservationists on Wednesday added these American institutions to the list of the country's most endangered historic places.
Q: My 78-year-old dad is taking a flight by himself for the first time in many years. I was thinking of requesting one of those carts to take him between the gates. Is that OK, or do you have to have a doctor's note or be in a wheelchair or something?
Bliss in a box for parents traveling in the car with little ones for hours. Two hourlong DVDs with classic tales; a 13-song CD; and a booklet filled with mazes, matching games and coloring activities.
It was a dank, rain-sodden Raymond Chandler kind of morning, as if some omnipotent auteur rang the studio and ordered a classic film noir sky. Only a sap would be out on a day like this, searching for the seedy, serrated soul of L.A. noir.
Gdansk offers a chance for visitors to take in scenes of sea, ships and spires set in a magnificently reconstructed Old Town while contemplating the ups and downs of European history, including the famous shipyard strike led by Lech Walesa.
Q: Shouldn't bystanders shoo birds away if observing them going after someone else's unattended food?
For those who don't want to wear a fanny pack that screams tourist, this is a smaller, stylish alternative for carrying keys, phone, MP3 player, cash, cards and, yes, a passport.
Audio tour enhances visit to statue • Half Dome's summit open to hikers • Nation's capital sets visitor record
If you're staying at someone's beach house but they're not there, should you still send them a hostess gift? Can you leave one on, say, the kitchen table?
A line of adventure and business pants from Clothing Arts of North Woodmere, N.Y., that are pickpocket-proof. You'll feel so emboldened, you'll want to wander through a crowd of grabby street urchins.
The Excel, which comes in nine colors, including some that won't threaten masculinity, holds about 65 sprays if filled to the max.
A few weeks ago I posted a question from a reader who saw another passenger on her flight use the call button three times for nonemergency reasons. Here are some thoughts from a Delta Air Lines flight attendant with 34 years' experience.
What is it: A small travel bag that defies anyone to be disorganized. It's perfect for toiletries, medication or other small items that become a nuisance in primary luggage.
Was I doing something wrong by declining an upgrade at a rental-car agency? • If you rent a beach house and find food in the kitchen cabinets, can you eat it?
The guy next to me on my flight last night was playing Tetris on his iPhone. He was wearing headphones, which was great, but sometimes (when he lost, I assume) he’d slam his hand down on the tray table or swear.
WASHINGTON » In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Japanese gift of cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C., two major art museums have joined forces for a "Japan Spring" trifecta.
To most of the world, the name Titanic means tragedy, spiced with romance, sacrifice and luxury. But in Belfast, where it was built, the doomed ship is a triumph of industry, enterprise and engineering.
Who gets wetter, someone walking in the rain or running? Is it really possible to hang from a cliff by your fingers until help arrives like they do in the movies? And is Superman the only one who is faster than a speeding bullet?
ABOARD AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 9454 » Eric Mueller's vacation started when his plane filled with smoke.
Photographer Annie Leibovitz says she has come back from some dark days and revived her creativity with a new project now on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum that marks a departure from her popular celebrity portraits.
Disposable plastic water bottles in shops, vending machines, hotels and grocery stores at Grand Canyon National Park will disappear early next year under a plan by park officials to ban the sale of them.
Museum-goers are taking in the sounds, smell and feel of ancient life and landscapes at a new $100 million building in Salt Lake City. The Natural History Museum of Utah engages the senses, allowing visitors to mingle inside exhibits, touch artifacts, get a whiff of desert plants or rotting flesh and hear the soft warbling of birds.
The newly opened Gospel Trail winds for 39 miles, heading south from Nazareth, across gentle green hills, through Jewish and Arab towns and down to Capernaum, the fishing town where Jesus is said to have established his home base.
Museums and historic sites, the world's largest menorah and a trendy new Tribeca restaurant inspired by an old-school Catskills resort: They're all part of Jewish New York, with a heritage that stretches back 400 years and a vital contemporary community that's reinterpreting old traditions for the 21st century.
My first trip to Korea was brief, but long enough to get a taste of Seoul. Now that Hawaiian Airlines flies to Seoul and you can connect through Korean Airlines to other parts of Asia, Seoul is an alternative to flying through Narita.
Long known for its sea, sand and sun, Tunisia has a new claim to fame, as the birthplace of the Arab Spring. Popular demonstrations toppled the tiny North African nation's longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January, inspiring a wave of pro-democracy protests that has swept the Arab world, from Morocco to Bahrain.
There are certain signs of fall in the town of Estes Park: the chill of morning frost, the reds and yellows of autumn leaves, and the thousands of elk that visit. The elk come looking for romance; the tourists come looking for elk.
Out of the ashes of 9/11 has risen a vibrant neighborhood packed with new restaurants and hotels, places to live and spots to shop, along with many ways to pay respects to an area some worried would never come back.
Japanese gardens are about inspiring and soothing the soul. And you don't have to be a gardening expert or Zen Buddhist to appreciate all they have to offer — the beauty, the tranquility, even the Zen.
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. » Click, thump, riiiiing! That's the sound of something you often hear about but rarely see: a carousel rider going for the brass ring.
With my umbrella at the ready, I stepped onto the streets of Seattle for the first time. Sunshine greeted me with nary a cloud in sight. Beyond the modern skyline, Puget Sound glittered beneath the Olympic Mountains, and I even caught a glimpse of evanescent Mount Rainier.
Mike Richardson and Climb Aloha's 11 instructors, known as Team Climb Aloha, are leading the effort to ensure safe rock climbing in Hawaii.
Canoes glide serenely across the water, creating ripples that blur the reflection of craggy peaks capped with early-summer snow. The only sounds: wind in the spruce, bird cries and occasional laughter.
FORT PIERCE, Fla. » The biggest attraction at the Navy SEALs’ national museum isn’t memorialized in any artifact or mentioned in any display. But that doesn’t keep visitors from asking.
With 586,412 square miles of land, it is hard to know where to start when visiting Alaska. Anchorage is a solid first choice. It is Alaska's most populous city and thus has the lion's share of metropolitan attractions, many of which are located downtown and easily reached by foot.
‘Soul Sessions’ feat. Taimane
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The Print Replica of the newspaper is a page-by-page replica of the day's printed newspaper - including all stories, sections, photos and ads - not including advertiser preprints - in PDF like form. It can be viewed on your computer's web browser, iPad, iPhone and some e-Readers.
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