Around the World from Creators Syndicate

A Big Texas Experience! for 10/05/2007

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Of course it's BIG; it's TEXAS!

It seems only natural that the Lone Star State — the state that claims to have the biggest and best of everything — stages the nation's largest and arguably most famous state fair.

Since 1886, the State Fair of Texas has made its annual three-week appearance in September and October at Dallas' historic Fair Park, a 227-acre spread of lan ...

Updated: Fri Oct 05, 2007

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Take Time for Haunted History for 10/12/2007

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Timed to celebrate Halloween or at any other time of the year, you'll find that ghost tours are an entirely entertaining and fabulous way to connect with any destination's history.

You'll meet many personalities — in spirit only, of course — who made a difference — for good or bad — in the locales where they lived, worked, gallivanted and died. And the tour guides ...

Updated: Fri Oct 12, 2007

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Mexico's Lively Day of the Dead for 10/19/2007

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

While children north of the border dress up for trick-or-treating on Halloween, Mexicans prepare for a two-day holy observance: Day of the Dead.

All Saints' Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls' Day on Nov. 2 are fiestas to welcome back the souls of recently departed loved ones. They're both sacred and satirical.

On All Saints' Day, children's souls are supposed to return to visit their fa ...

Updated: Fri Oct 19, 2007

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The Impending End of Frequent Flier Programs for 10/26/2007

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Used to be that the airlines courted customer loyalty.

That's why American Airlines invented the frequent flier program back in the day. Other airlines followed suit and tried to best each other with the benefits their various programs offered.

But those good old days are gone.

If you take into consideration the constant cutbacks on service and amenities and the increasing ...

Updated: Fri Oct 26, 2007

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Family Reunion on Broadway for 11/02/2007

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Eleanor Marshall, family matriarch, was coming up to her 70th birthday, and the clan decided to celebrate the special occasion with a reunion.

"Long ago, before she had a family, Mom was a Broadway hoofer — you know, a showgirl. So my sisters and I got to thinking it would be a lot of fun to bring her back to Broadway, along with the rest of the family, to revisit her past,&qu ...

Updated: Fri Nov 02, 2007

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Disney Ventures Into the Real World for 11/09/2007

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800

For decades, Disney has successfully entertained visitors to its theme parks with rides, exhibits and events that suggested the visitors were venturing to faraway places and exploring exotic cultures — all within the comfortably safe confines of Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

Two years ago, the company launched Adventures by Disney, a travel program that arranges tours to select ...

Updated: Fri Nov 09, 2007

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Holiday Travel: Walk Off the Excess Baggage for 11/16/2007

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Are you planning to travel to see your family or friends during this year's holiday season?

You probably will want to go prepared with excess baggage for your return home. For the gifts you receive and other seasonal acquisitions, you can bring along an empty suitcase in which you can pack your new material goods — toys, bulky sweaters and such. That's a good strategy, but make sur ...

Updated: Fri Nov 16, 2007

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Winter Travel: In Search of Northern Lights for 11/23/2007

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800

If holiday observances and the coming of the new year instill in you a longing to connect with the mysteries of the universe and wonders of nature, put seeing the northern lights on your must-do winter travel list.

Otherwise known as the aurora borealis, the northern lights occur when solar wind particles collide with air molecules in the Earth's atmosphere, which causes their energy to ...

Updated: Fri Nov 23, 2007

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Do You Really Want To Drive in Maine? for 11/30/2007

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Before you motor off to your holiday destination, take a look at the National Motorists Association's list of places where you're likely to encounter overly aggressive traffic enforcement.

Most often that means places where cops lurk beyond curves in the road, waiting to give you tickets for speeding. Locals know where they're stationed, but tourists don't. Use NMA's list to plan an itin ...

Updated: Fri Nov 30, 2007

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Essential Travel Diversions and Comforts for 12/07/2007

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800

If you're taking off to visit loved ones this holiday season or to sneak a few days of rest and reveling at a beach or ski resort or to take in some museums and theater, you'd best prepare yourself to endure quite a stressful journey while you're getting to wherever you're going.

You can count on delayed and canceled flights, fewer aircraft crowded with more passengers, inferior in-fligh ...

Updated: Fri Dec 07, 2007

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Pack for Travel Success for 12/14/2007

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Heed my advice: How you pack can make or break your trip.

This is especially true during the holiday season, when most travelers are carrying too much stuff in carry-on and checked luggage.

If you're smart, you'll go lean. Minimize clothing, accessories and other essentials to the point where everything you're taking with you fits neatly into a wheeled carry-on bag. Bringing carry ...

Updated: Fri Dec 14, 2007

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Looking to Loch Ness for 12/21/2007

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800

With "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" splashing onto big screens across the country come Christmas Day, a lot of kids will want to visit Scotland. Consider this film the beginning of their travel dreams.

"The Water Horse" is the story of a very engaging computer-generated creature — sort of an impish and basically friendly green Barney with horns, who has i ...

Updated: Fri Dec 21, 2007

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Let's Celebrate Belfast's Positive Changes for 12/28/2007

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800

In a decade that has been marred by travel advisories, it's very nice and reassuring to note that things can change for the better.

When the Belfast Agreement, that long-negotiated truce, first brought peace and political stability to Northern Ireland in 1998, you wouldn't have thought to take a vacation in Belfast. Thirty years of violence between Catholics and Protestants had left the ...

Updated: Fri Dec 28, 2007

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A Snowmobile Safari in Minnesota for 01/04/2008

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

A flurry of large wet snowflakes makes visibility a bit of a problem, but the trail's markers glow in our snowmobiles' headlights.

The storm's no biggie, but it heightens our sense of adventure, and by the time we reach Hungry Jack Lodge (our overnight stopping spot), we're spouting tales of the great blizzard of '07 — as we snuggle into leather armchairs around the fireplace, sipp ...

Updated: Fri Jan 04, 2008

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Fort Worth's Worthy Museum Collection for 01/11/2008

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

The Metroplex, an area encompassing Dallas, Fort Worth, TX and several smaller communities, presents such an extraordinarily rich selection of attractions, tourists may have difficulty deciding what to schedule into their itineraries.

Among the musts is Fort Worth's cultural district, where you'll find six world- class museums within walking distance of each other.

For anyone iden ...

Updated: Fri Jan 11, 2008

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Choose Adventure Travel in 2008 for 01/18/2008

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

This year's Adventures in Travel Expo debuted in New York City on Jan. 12-13, and it will also make appearances in Chicago on Jan. 26-27, Long Beach, Calif. on Feb. 9-10 and Washington, D.C. on March 29-30.

This show is its own adventure. In addition to gathering leading adventure travel tour operators and experts under one roof, it presents diversions such as folkloric music, dance troo ...

Updated: Fri Jan 18, 2008

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Book Your Hotel for its Bedding Options for 01/25/2008

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

One of the things that can turn travel into a nightmare is lack of sleep — and the problem can begin before you even leave home.

Anxiety about getting everything done in preparation for your absence, and the rush to pack everything you anticipate you'll need while you're away, often causes sleepless nights before flight.

And, that's just the beginning. At the airport, alread ...

Updated: Fri Jan 25, 2008

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Camping Out at Presidential Suites for 02/01/2008

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

You'll notice that even with all the insider news and gossip we hear from the campaign trail, there's little or no mention of hotels. That's undoubtedly because security is tight and nobody wants to announce where they're staying.

Rest assured, however, that candidates — even the losers — book the best accommodations in town. Presidential suites are preferred — for spac ...

Updated: Fri Feb 01, 2008

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Model Travel at Legoland for 02/08/2008

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

For kids of all ages who are fascinated by model constructions of anything, Legoland — the theme park that grew out of building blocks — is paradise. Here, you can see the most fascinating places and things in the world perfectly miniaturized, down to the last detail, in 1:20 scale, with everything constructed from those little plastic LEGO bricks — rectangular and other shape ...

Updated: Fri Feb 08, 2008

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Feet First For Travel for 02/15/2008

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Nothing disrupts vacation activities like first-day foot blisters.

Whether you're planning to scale the heights of Mt. Rainier or stroll the Louvre, make sure your travel shoes fit perfectly and provide sufficient foot support.

Before buying shoes for travel, get a podiatrist, physical trainer or qualified shoes sales professional — there's one on staff at most athletic shoe ...

Updated: Fri Feb 15, 2008

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