All aboard for a memory-making holiday train excursion
Children’s book author Chris Van Allsburg said “The Polar Express,” his classic holiday story, “began with the idea of a train standing alone in the woods. I asked myself, ‘What if a boy gets on that train? Where does he go?’ ” In the story, the boy boards the train...
Airbnb looking for 100 of the best home chefs for a trip
NEW YORK — Airbnb is launching a global search for 100 top home cooks and treating them to a trip to Italy to learn how to refine their recipes with teachers including David Chang and his mom. The lucky chosen will travel to the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo,...
Travel tip: Prepare your vehicle for winter snow and cold
Like it or not, it’s time to prepare for winter driving. The folks at AAA East Central offer these tips to prep your vehicle for cold and snow: • Have your battery tested if it is more than three years old, to ensure it is strong enough to endure cold...
Flying this Thanksgiving? Expect record crowds at airports
Record throngs of travelers are expected to jam into airports over the Thanksgiving break and airlines are adding hundreds of flights a day in response. The Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday that it expects to screen more than 26.8 million passengers and airline crew members between Nov. 22 and Dec....
FlixBus, with Pittsburgh line to D.C., Ohio, hopes to ‘make the bus cool again’
A German bus company that connects Pittsburgh to Columbus and Washington, D.C., hopes to make “the bus cool again” and offer lower fares than its competitors. FlixBus offers trips from Pittsburgh to the nation’s capital and Columbus starting at $9.99 on its fleet of bright green buses. Megabus fares for...
Ride on Amtrak’s Zephyr reveals hidden Rocky Mountain vistas
“Welcome to Moooooon River,” the conductor announced as our train curved into a canyon running parallel to the Colorado River. I quickly realized what he meant; as we rode alongside the Colorado River, our train was mooned by countless whitewater rafters — athletic young men, families of four and retired...
Travel tip: Thanksgiving Day parades abound across the U.S.
All you Thanksgiving Day parade lovers, this could be the year to get out of your jammies, turn off the TV and see the spectacle in person. Here are five great turkey day parades around the country: • Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, New York City — while 44 million watch at...
Study: Water onboard most U.S. airlines is unsafe, refrain from washing hands
Do you opt drink coffee or hot tea while flying the friendly skies? Well, you might want to reconsider that. According to a recent study highlighted by People.com, many of the U.S.’s top airlines are not providing safe drinking water. The 2019 Airline Water Study, which was conducted by DietDetective.com...
Travel site lauds Laurel Highlands as ’emerging destination’Video
It comes as no surprise to the agency promoting the region, but the Laurel Highlands’ recent TravelLemming.com award nonetheless is a thrill, say Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau staff members. The corner of the state including Westmoreland, Somerset and Fayette counties is among the top 30 vote-getters (coming in at 27)...
Travel tip: AAA warns against using vehicle technology en route
A study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety says that using in-vehicle infotainment and navigation systems while en route could be a potentially dangerous distraction — especially comparing drivers ages 55-75 to those ages 21-36. That’s because it takes the older group longer to do tasks involving voice commands...
Staycation: Plenty of year-round activities at OhiopyleVideo
Ohiopyle State Park is home to a plethora of outdoor activities any time of the year. Pennsylvania’s largest state park, it attracts millions of visitors annually and is centered around the tiny town of Ohiopyle in Fayette County, which had a population of 57 people in 2018, according to census...
The secret to great travel photos? Practice makes perfect
The path to better photography is the same as a musician’s route to Carnegie Hall: practice, practice, practice. But these tips, hacks, ideas and tactics will get you there faster. They’ve been collected from photo staffers at the Los Angeles Times and several teachers over the years. Yet there are...
Got a Starbucks holiday cup? Alaska Airlines lets you board early
Think you’re special just because you grabbed one of Starbucks’ new holiday cups? Well, to Alaska Airlines you are. The company kicked the fever pitch for the cups up a notch by announcing their passengers with one of the coveted cups in their hands will get priority boarding on all...
The Number Two Tavern is world’s first poo-powered pubVideo
It may look like a traditional Yorkshire pub but it’s flush with new technology. The Number Two Tavern in Leeds, England, is a pop-up demonstration of a cutting-edge energy production using power created by anaerobic digestion, according to Yorkshire Water. The process converts sewage into biogas that can generate heat...
Korean Air merges safety talk with music video starring SuperM, BoAVideo
An airline’s new safety video might end up being a musical smash hit. Korean Air partnered with K-pop stars SuperM and BoA to produce a sleek music video to be featured on flights starting Monday, reports Billboard. The video combines SuperM’s song “Let’s Go Everywhere” with futuristic air travel visuals...
Glacier National Park latest adventure for father, son
Editor’s Note: The latest national park trip of Robert and Scott Szypulski took them to Glacier National Park. (The pair have also chronicled their past visits to Zion and Yosemite.) Ever since a relatively safe encounter (40 yards away, 40 years ago) with a blond grizzly bear in Yellowstone National...
Travel tip: Philadelphia museum has special Veterans Day programs
Philadelphia, a city steeped in American history, plays host to a number of sites honoring those who have served. The city’s Museum of the American Revolution will mark Veterans Day by offering free admission Nov. 9-11 to active and retired military personnel and Blue Star families. The museum also will...
Cruise ship passengers should prepare for illness, injury at sea
Royal Caribbean’s gargantuan Oasis of the Seas boasts four outdoor pools and an 82-foot zip line. It made quite a splash shortly after its 2014 refurbishment when it added the first Tiffany & Co. boutique at sea. But in January 2019, the cruise ship, which bills itself one of the...
Travel tip: To drive abroad, Americans need international permit
The number of Americans traveling abroad is on the rise, according to a survey by AAA, which says the number of Americans wanting to drive during their international travels also is growing. In that case, travelers should look into obtaining an International Driving Permit, AAA says. Many countries do not...
Lawsuit: Flight attendant caught pilots livestreaming bathroom in cockpit during flight from Pittsburgh
A Southwest Airlines flight attendant said she witnessed two pilots streaming live voyeur-camera footage from the airplane’s bathroom into the cockpit, according to a lawsuit filed Friday. The attendant, Renee Steinaker, alleged she discovered the sneaky surveillance during a 2017 flight from Pittsburgh to Phoenix, according to Arizona Central. The...
America’s scariest haunted house requires doctor’s note, 40-page waiver, safe wordVideo
This is no neighborhood fundraiser haunted house. In fact, you’ll be paid $20,000 if you make it through. No one has. Russ McKamey runs the scariest fright house in the country and it’ll cost you just a bag of dog food (McKamey has five dogs) to enter, reports WFLA.com. The...
Travel tip: In New Orleans, Halloween parties rival Mardi Gras
For a good time in New Orleans, Halloween is second only to Mardi Gras. Long known for its voodoo, vampire and occult undercurrents, the Big Easy offers all kinds of devilish fun leading up to Oct. 31. Here are a few ways the city celebrates: • Voodoo Music + Arts...
Cherry Springs State Park among top 10 best stargazing spots in world
Are you looking for a better view of the stars and other celestial bodies? A nearby place might be worth a visit. Cherry Springs State Park made the list as one of the top ten best places in the world for stargazing. The park, located in north-central Pennsylvania just outside...
Pack of handsome wild dogs debuts at Bronx Zoo
A pack of handsome brothers is getting settled at New York’s Bronx Zoo. The foxlike wild dogs — called dholes (dohlz) — were born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in 2016. The trio, named Roan, Apollo and Kito, have brownish-red coats dappled with white markings, and bushy tails....
Travel tip: Witches gathering for festival at Poconos resort
If the approach of All Hallows Eve has you itching to delve deeper into the dark arts, consider a trip to the Pocono Witches Festival. Set for Oct. 18-20 at the Split Rock Resort in Carbon County, the event promises exploration into witchcraft traditions, tarot, ghost hunting, seances, fortune-telling, santeria...
