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...
For a picture-perfect vacation, try some photo experimentation
Smile: It’s a family photo! Consider these ideas for capturing the memories while adding photographic interest to your family vacation: People pictures It’s true. Every picture tells a story. In the months and years ahead, you’ll be glad you nudged the kids or grandparents to succumb to “one more photo.”...
Empire State Building shows off new $165 million observatory
NEW YORK — The observatory atop the Empire State Building has a dizzying new look with floor-to-ceiling, 360-degree windows 102 floors above New York City. The remodeled observatory opens to the public Saturday. It was unveiled to the media Thursday. More than 4 million annual visitors will get a bird’s-eye...
Good Grief: Owners of Charlie Brown song sue DollywoodVideo
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The copyright owners of the “Charlie Brown Christmas” theme song have sued Dollywood in federal court for copyright infringement. News outlets report the complaint says the East Tennessee theme park named for country star Dolly Parton has used the song without permission in live Christmas performances since...
Delta all-women crew flew 120 girls to NASA to encourage female aviatorsVideo
Something you don’t see everyday: the entire crew and passengers on a flight’s manifest were the same gender — female. That’s exactly what happened Sunday, when Delta celebrated Girls in Aviation Day. Part of its fifth annual Women Inspiring our Next Generation (WING) Flight, the flight took 120 girls ages...
McDonald’s offers McWedding packages for McCouplesVideo
Talk about lovin’ it! Couples looking for a quick hitch — not to mention a quick bite to eat — might consider saying their “I Dos” under the golden arches. That’s right, McDonald’s has wedding packages for the hungry bride and groom. And it will set you back only about...
Travel tip: Try a wellness travel trip to avoid vacation burnout
Ever felt like you needed a vacation to recover from your vacation? Maybe you should try wellness travel next time. Travel planners say it’s one of the fastest growing areas of tourism. Wellness travel boosts mental and physical well-being through destinations and activities that promote “re-energizing, rejuvenating and finding balance,”...
Major hotels make move to bulk-size toiletries in guest rooms
Like many frequent travelers, Caroline Eubanks has accumulated dozens of tiny plastic bottles filled with shampoo, conditioner, lotion and shower gel. She has so many toiletries from hotels — ranging from high-end brands to generic — she isn’t sure what to do with all of them. “When I didn’t stay...
Country music a trove of uniquely American lore and history
Country music is a uniquely American art form, with its roots in the fiddle from European immigrants and the African banjo all the way through its explosion as a commercial art form that has reflected the social, economic and cultural changes within our country. Ken Burns took on the gargantuan...
Video: Baggage handlers fight under plane at San Antonio airport as passengers and crew watchVideo
Passengers and crew on a flight from San Antonio headed to Las Vegas were in for a surprise Thursday afternoon when they witnessed an apparent fight between baggage handlers who were slugging one another underneath a neighboring plane parked at the terminal. According to the crew member who sent the...
It’s a vegan world after all, at least at Disney parks
ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s a vegan world after all, at least at Disney’s U.S. theme parks. Disney said Tuesday that plant-based meals would be available at all of its restaurants and quick-meal hubs at Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California. The company says on its blog...
Philadelphia museum hosts Ruth Bader Ginsburg exhibit
Fans of the “Notorious RBG” might like to take a trip to the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia to view the first-ever exhibition on the woman more commonly known as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg,”...
Hop aboard a Pennsylvania scenic railway for fall foliage tour
When you take a fall foliage car trip, the driver necessarily misses out on some of the colorful vistas. You can eliminate that problem by letting someone else steer — hop aboard one of these Pennsylvania scenic railways. These old-fashioned trains and trolleys operate during the fall. Some have special...
