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National Geographic names Philadelphia to its '25 Best Trips in 2020' list
PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia is officially one of 2020's must-see places, according to National Geographic, which puts it alongside destinations in such countries as China, Hungary, and Egypt.
National Geographic recently released its "25 Best Trips in 2020," putting Philly about a third of the way into the list, just after Zakouma National ...Read more
It's a beautiful day in Mr. Rogers' neighborhood: the town of Latrobe, Pa.
LATROBE, Pa. -- "Welcome to Mr. Rogers' real neighborhood," says Mary Lou Townsend as she opens the door to the Latrobe Area Historical Society on a warm fall Friday afternoon.
The building, formerly a synagogue, sits on a tree-lined street in the small town with a population of about 8,000, about an hour outside Pittsburgh. Just a few blocks ...Read more
San Antonio's Day of the Dead celebration is a lively one
SAN ANTONIO -- As I made my way past the steps leading down to the river level of the Paseo del Rio and headed toward La Villita, I found myself surrounded by an army of black-clad figures, faces painted a luminous white, giving them a skull-like appearance. It might have been a scene from "The Walking Dead."
It wasn't the "Walking Dead," ...Read more
Tall tales in Lompoc: Where history meets the sea
LOMPOC, Calif. -- I thought I'd seen everything.
Then I discovered a remarkable collection of the world's oldest pictorial art hiding out in Lompoc, a modest hamlet perched on the wave-dashed coast of California, north of Santa Barbara.
Murals are what I mean, 36 huge paintings on the walls in the Old Town district, an art whose origins reach ...Read more
Legoland to close popular Star Wars attraction in January
SAN DIEGO -- Just as the Death Star exploded into stardust in the movie "Return of the Jedi," the popular Star Wars attraction at Legoland California will also soon evaporate.
Jan. 6 is the last day visitors at the Carlsbad theme park will be able to tour Star Wars Miniland, an extensive outdoor collection of more than 2,000 Lego brick models ...Read more
Living it up at L.A. Live
L.A. Live has replaced Hollywood Boulevard as the bejeweled bellybutton of Los Angeles.
What's your pleasure? High-stakes basketball? Red-carpet concerts? Stunning views? This downtown destination has them all. Maybe I'm biased, but I'd say it rivals New York's Times Square for things to do, places to go, celebrities to see.
Jack Nicholson is ...Read more
5 great reasons beyond football to visit Madison, Wis.
MADISON, Wis. -- It's tough being a football fanatic in a state besotted with basketball. While I love roundball at my alma mater, the University of Kentucky, my real passion began as a kid watching the Texas Longhorns and Dallas Cowboys slug it out on the gridiron.
Recently, my friend Rebecca, a University of Wisconsin graduate and fellow ...Read more
Exploring Cincinnati's culinary scene
I need to get my Cincinnati fix on a regular basis -- say at least once or twice a year. Usually, one of the visits is devoted to exploring the Queen City's cultural attractions (it has more than you might think) and the other to checking out favorite restaurants (again, more than you might imagine.)
This time the trip was mainly for the ...Read more
Chicago hotels are riding the wave of Warhol-mania
CHICAGO -- Andy Warhol predicted everyone would be famous for 15 minutes, but it's doubtful that even the prescient pop artist could have foreseen the ripple effects of the Art Institute's current exhibition.
"Andy Warhol -- From A to B and Back Again" set in motion a flurry of whimsical hotel packages, along with spawning restaurant dishes and...Read more
How to eat your way through Appleton, a Wisconsin city full of sweet surprises
APPLETON, Wis. -- Don't expect apples to be jumping out at you in Appleton. I found one on a recent trip, and it was a doozy. But others like it might be gone by the time you get here. We'll circle back to my singular apple, but first consider that this city, hugging the Fox River, was named for someone named Appleton -- not because it was once ...Read more
Splashy KAOS club at Las Vegas resort is shutting down
What's going to happen to that towering nude Damien Hirst sculpture now that the KAOS club at Palms Casino Resort has shut down? The 60-foot-tall headless "Devil With Bowl" (2014) will continue to reign over the pool area at the Las Vegas resort, even though the splashy KAOS has vanished.
Parent company Red Rock Resorts Inc. pulled the plug on ...Read more
Southern California by train
We've all heard the expression "Nothing is sure but death and taxes." To that, I'll add: for non-Californians, driving in Southern California is sure to be a harrowing experience. With its spiderweb of freeways and drivers who appear to be in qualifying heats for the Indy 500, even the stoutest of us can turn into cringing, white-knuckled ...Read more
For views of the Rockies you can't see any other way, ride Amtrak's Zephyr
"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 couples.
"Moon River" was just one of ...Read more
Stay hip to booming Austin, Texas, where there's something new every year
As I cleaned my plate of ropa vieja -- eggs plus brisket plus roasted salsa equals no duh -- my friend Albert thanked his out-of-town visitors for inviting him to brunch at our newly opened hotel, the Carpenter, instead of one of our regular old haunts.
"I only check out new places when y'all come to town," he said. "It's gotten too hard to ...Read more
Rafting the Colorado through the Grand Canyon
August 15, 1869: The red sandstone cliffs rose more than 2,000 feet on either side, shutting out the sun for most of the day, while before us the mighty river, lashed to a foam, rushed on with indescribable power.
-- John Wesley Powell, first person to explore the full length of the Grand Canyon's Colorado River
Exactly 150 years after Powell ...Read more
Finding peace along Oregon's wild coast
The twilight was deepening to periwinkle and a mist thickening off the Pacific as I pulled onto the one-block waterfront in Bandon, Ore. Lonely Planet had recommended a budget guesthouse across the street from the beach in the town.
It was late January, the offseason, and I hadn't bothered to call ahead, sure there would be an available room. ...Read more
Much more than a tropical paradise: This new travel guide will 'decolonize' the way you look at Hawaii
HONOLULU -- Two thousand miles from the continental United States sits a chain of islands known for their tropical climes, natural beauty and geographical diversity. From mountains and active volcanoes to gorgeous postcard-perfect beaches, visiting Hawaii continues to be one of the most popular trips for U.S. travelers every year.
But for most ...Read more
Miami is the sexiest city in the world, and this travel website tells us why
It's nothing new for Miami to land on one of these lists, but admit it, when a travel website names The Magic City the sexiest city in the world, you want them to show their work.
Well, in ranking Miami No. 1 in a study that posted last week, the site Big 7 Travel says it took into account these factors:
-- Statistics for the cities having the...Read more
An Appalachian Eden for apples thrives in North Carolina's Henderson County
When Eve risked plucking that first apple, it didn't turn out so well. But when farmers in Henderson County, N.C., risked their livelihood on apples, they created a veritable Eden.
It was a calculated risk, based on intimate knowledge of the land developed over generations of working family farms. With its mountainous terrain, warm days and ...Read more
8 underrated fall destinations around the world
Planning a fall getaway? While New England states such as Maine and Vermont may come to mind first, thanks to their stunning foliage, apple orchards and pumpkin patches, there are plenty of places that make for a stellar visit in the fall months. Whether you're looking for fall foliage, Oktoberfest celebrations or simply an affordable trip, we'...Read more
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