Let the buyer beware when booking a vacation rental property
With staged photos and flowery language, the vacation rental descriptions you find online often promise everything you could possibly want. But the rentals don’t always deliver. If you’ve ever booked a rental house or apartment online, you probably know what I mean. Wide-angle lenses make a condo appear roomier than...
Transportation Security Administration releases video of ‘most unusual finds’Video
Transportation Security Administration officials may think they’ve seen everything. But there are some creative passengers out there keeping them on their toes. Some may try to sneak liquids in containers over the mandated 3.4-ounce minimum on board. More than a few seem to “forget” about that loaded firearm in their...
Amsterdam’s ban of red-light district tours irks sex workers
The sex trade in the Netherlands draws participants and gawkers from around the globe. But the Dutch capital is now cracking down on guided tours to respect sex workers and ease congestion in the red-light district. The first limits began Monday night with a ban on tours from 7 p.m.,...
Travel tip: Park your pooch at Conneaut Lake Bark Park
Daytime dog boarding will be available beginning April 1 at Conneaut Lake Bark Park near Conneaut Lake, Crawford County. Travelers visiting Conneaut Lake Park or other area tourist attractions can park their pooches from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at the 68-acre facility. While staying at the air-conditioned Dog...
Enjoy D.C. cherry blossoms without big crowds at these 6 spots
There’s a reason the Tidal Basin is the epicenter of Washington, D.C.’s cherry blossom madness: The nearly 4,000 trees there, mostly of the Yoshino variety, create a shimmering, pink-cloud effect that’s quite nice — if you don’t mind the 999 people angling to get close to each one. Those who...
Disney bans smoking, vaping at Orlando, California parks
ORLANDO, Fla. — Disney is banning smoking and vaping inside its theme parks starting May 1, the company announced Thursday. The smoking areas are disappearing inside Walt Disney World and Disneyland theme parks, including the water parks and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, according to a Disney blog...
Washington’s cherry blossoms will be in ‘peak bloom’ on April 1
April Fool’s Day will be the peak date to enjoy the Yoshino Cherry blossoms that line the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. The peak bloom date is when 70 percent of the blossoms are open, and it’s tough to predict more than 10 days in advance when that peak will...
Florida theme parks debuting new attractions this week
ORLANDO, Fla. — Some Florida theme parks will be debuting new attractions this week. SeaWorld Orlando on Wednesday is opening a Sesame Street land, while down the interstate, Legoland Florida in Winter Haven is debuting an area based on “The Lego Movie” and its sequel. Both additions to central Florida’s...
DNA testing kits lead to interest in custom genealogy tours
Are DNA kits giving way to a new travel trend? Traveling to discover heritage or ancestry is definitely not a new thing, but companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry.com, which provide DNA testing and results that make it easy for people to trace their backgrounds, are inspiring more people to...
Annual Elvis Festival draws fans to Nashville for music and more
Put on your blue suede shoes and head south for the third annual Nashville Elvis Festival at the historic Franklin Theatre March 28-31. The event will feature celebrity appearances, live music, an Elvis movie screening and 26 of the best Elvis tribute artists from all over the world, promoters say,...
Cruise ship passengers hauled off ailing ship by helicopter
HELSINKI — A cruise ship with engine problems sent a mayday call off Norway’s western coast on Saturday, then began evacuating its 1,300 passengers and crew amid stormy seas and heavy winds in a high-risk helicopter rescue operation. The Norwegian newspaper VG said the Viking Sky cruise ship ran into...
Get a 3-story home in Italy for only $66
Do you have dreams of packing it all up and getting away to a romantic setting in Italy? Have we got a house for you. And, it would only cost you $66. That’s if you are lucky enough to win it. A British couple, Jim and Lea Abbott, are raffling...
Vintage travel trailer resorts provide cozy, kitschy comfort
“You’ll know yours by the shine,” said Shady Dell Vintage Trailer Court manager Brad Hardy. He was escorting me to my home for the night, a 1955 Airstream. Even though it was built during the Eisenhower era, its polished aluminum exterior gleamed like it had rolled off the factory floor...
Travel tip: Gettysburg programs to highlight heroes, cyclorama
These special educational programs are scheduled on March 23 at Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Adams County: • Encounters With History: The Union Army at Gettysburg, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.: Learn how the lives of several Union officers prior to the war may have led to their heroic actions on...
Don a costume and hit the slopes for special Pa. spring ski events
Spring is on the horizon, but the fun is not over yet at ski resorts across Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association says it’s a great time to hit the slopes — or the lodge — for a weekend staycation, a spring break vacation or a special event. SkiPA notes...
Maple craving? Here’s where to satisfy that sweet tooth
There’s no sweeter way of getting back to nature than by tapping a maple tree. In Pennsylvania, this is the busiest time of year for the dozens of maple farms that together produced 142,000 gallons of maple syrup during the 2018 maple sugaring season, which runs from February through early...
They’re all good boys (and girls) at Manhattan’s Museum of the Dog
Sure, there are lessons to be learned at the Museum of the Dog: About the symbolism of dogs in art history, and the ways that artists humanize them, and their role as a worker and companion. But if you are a Dog Person — and if you’re here, you’re probably...
Laurel Highlands 2019 guide has new magazine format
The Laurel Highlands 2019 Destination Guide is a new size and a new style. Produced by the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau, this year’s annual tourism publication for Westmoreland, Fayette and Somerset counties has arrived with smaller dimensions than past versions and with a shift in presentation from a directory-style resource...
New SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western opens in Somerset
A new SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western has opened its doors near the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset, Somerset County. Located at 165 Waterworks Road, the hotel features 57 guest rooms, each with either a king or two queen beds, a large flat-screen television, microwave and mini-fridge. The SureStay Plus...
SeaWorld removes foam bowls, plates from parks
ORLANDO, Fla. — SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is removing products made of polystyrene foam from its 12 parks. Officials at the Florida-based theme park company said Tuesday the removal of bowls, plates and trays made of the material will prevent an estimated 14 million pieces of polystyrene foam products from...
Partiers in New Orleans will face cold Mardi Gras
NEW ORLEANS — Layers. That seemed to be the key to surviving a cold Fat Tuesday in New Orleans. Temperatures in the New Orleans area were in the 30s and 40s Tuesday morning as thousands of people lined the streets to watch parades and catch beads and throws. People along...
Travel tip: Plan your 2019 vacation with the ‘Happy Traveler’ guide
Vacation planning can be a little easier with the 2019 “Happy Traveler” guide from the Pennsylvania Tourism Office. The annual guide lists fun-filled attractions, historic haunts and outdoor sites across Pennsylvania to help visitors plan their vacation bucket lists. In a section titled “Joy Rides,” the guide explores the state’s...
Study: More sharks bite people in Hawaii, but risk is minuscule
HONOLULU — The rate of shark bites in Hawaii has been increasing slightly in recent years, but the risk remains extremely low — roughly 5-in-1 million — according to new research. Recently published research that looked at 55 years of global data showed shark bites around the world are highly...
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attraction coming to Disney parksVideo
LOS ANGELES — The world of Star Wars is coming from a galaxy far, far away to become the largest single-themed land created in a Disney park. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is an adventure through the grungy planet Batuu where guests can build their own droids and lightsabers, interact with...
Florida’s Clearwater Beach tops list of 2019’s best beaches
Boy, we all sure could use some warm thoughts this time of year. To the rescue comes travel site TripAdvisor with its 2019 list of the 25 best beaches in the United States. For a second year in a row, Clearwater Beach in Florida lands at the top spot. To...
