Travel

Tourists explore an abandoned Chinese ‘ghost village’ engulfed by nature

This is Houtouwan – “Back Bay” in Mandarin – an abandoned fishing village engulfed by nature on the far eastern…

July 14, 2018

Tracing Nelson Mandela’s footsteps 100 years after his birth

Visitors can follow in Mandela’s footsteps from the villages where he was born and raised, to the Soweto township where…

July 13, 2018

Travel

Show tells backstory of icons like Rushmore, Lady Liberty

You’ll hear the inside story on these icons and others from Geoffrey Baer, host of the PBS television series “10…

July 11, 2018

Travel

Feminists, animal rights groups reshape Pamplona bull fest

It’s not a full-blown identity crisis yet, but the festival in northern Spain popularized by American novelist Ernest Hemingway and…

July 9, 2018

The Travel Troubleshooter

Why are you tuning out preflight safety announcements?

Apparently, I am not alone. If you saw photos of the depressurized cabin on Southwest Airlines Flight 1380, which suffered…

July 8, 2018

Travel

In Idaho, Plan B turns into a rewarding journey

My husband and I came up with the spur-of-the-moment itinerary on a road-trip out west last September. We’d planned on…

July 8, 2018

Travel

Surprising Montana: See glaciers before they vanish, discover Chinese history in Butte

Wrong on all counts. The Going-to-the-Sun Road is fully open as of early July but when my husband and I…

July 7, 2018

Travel

Europe’s sunny weather makes for wet summer in Iceland

People walk on Nautholsvik, an artificial beach in temperatures of 50 Fahrenheit in Reykjavik, Iceland. The people of Reykjavik do…

July 6, 2018

Travel

Hawaii bans sale of sunscreens with coral-harming chemicals

Hawaii Gov. David Ige applauds after signing legislation in Honolulu on Tuesday, July 3, 2018, banning the sale of sunscreens…

July 3, 2018

Travel

Leaving technology behind on vacation in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Sharon Zimmerman passes through the cow pasture at Iron Stone Acres on her way to the property’s swimming pond. Local…

July 2, 2018

The Travel Troubleshooter

Got a complaint about the travel industry? Take it to the top

When I started advocating for consumers more than 20 years ago, executive email addresses often were dead ends. Managers would…

July 1, 2018

Travel

Russia’s Winter Olympic city turns into a World Cup playground

On the Black Sea, Sochi is Russia’s summertime playground and looks more like Southern California or Miami Beach than Siberia.…

July 1, 2018

Travel

In a Pennsylvania forest, on the trail of synchronous fireflies

Pennsylvania festival attracts people from around the world

June 30, 2018

Travel

Oregon officials criticized for pesticides killing pines

Environmentalists argued that the various groups involved in the project didn’t abide by instructions on the chosen herbicide from the…

June 29, 2018

Travel

Utah national parks seeing increase in search and rescues

Most of the search and rescues from last year involved male hikers in their 20s, according to statistics from the…

June 29, 2018

Travel

Delta bans pit bulls as service dogs, sparks backlash

Delta Air Lines The company says it’s no longer allowing passengers to fly with “pit bull type” dogs as service…

June 27, 2018

Local News

Photo: After Clean Commute Week rolls out, smoke cancels events

Officer Ron Wysocki with the Durango Police Department escorts cyclists down Main Avenue on Monday during the Paul Wilbert Memorial…

June 26, 2018

The Travel Troubleshooter

Critics question influence of airline perks on Congress

That’s because airlines allow members of Congress and their staff to book fully refundable fares at about the same rate…

June 24, 2018

Travel

Atomic New Mexico: Exploring the origins of America’s radioactive history

Stimson wrote in a letter that the land was being acquired by the U.S. government for “military purposes.” But school…

June 24, 2018

An American in Spain

From high up in a Spanish soccer stadium, I looked at the city I love

It’s not love at first site, granted, but a growing love that makes you feel connected. It’s not like Barcelona…

June 23, 2018

Travel

Germany turns former coal mines into vast lakeside resorts

Meuro, the brown-black mine that once dominated the landscape, providing jobs to thousands of workers who toiled in clouds of…

June 22, 2018

Travel

Dig it: Archaeologists scour Woodstock ’69 concert field

Perhaps they would find an old peace symbol? Or a strand of hippie beads? Or Jimi Hendrix’s guitar pick? The…

June 21, 2018

Local News

Clean Commute Week celebrates fewer cars on the road

A challenge to walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation

June 20, 2018

Travel

Airlines ask U.S. not to put migrant children on flights

American Airlines aircrafts are seen at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Grapevine, Texas. American Airlines says it asked the Trump…

June 20, 2018

Travel

Alexa, send up breakfast: Amazon launches Echo for hotels

Amazon has launched a version of Alexa for hotels that lets guests order room service through the voice assistant, ask…

June 19, 2018

The Travel Troubleshooter

Questioning the conventional wisdom about summer travel

The conventional wisdom surrounding summer travel includes false narratives about who’s taking a vacation, how they’re getting there, how much…

June 18, 2018

Travel

Wellness travel: It’s more than just staying fit on the road

more travelers, well-being is the goal of the journey

June 17, 2018

Travel

The ancient sport of falconry takes off with tourists around U.S.

The ancient sport of using birds of prey to hunt wild animals has existed for at least 4,000 years. Experiences…

June 17, 2018

Travel

Lake Tahoe clarity sinks to all-time low in 2017

Experts say the 9.5-foot decline was most likely due to a convergence of drought, record precipitation and warm temperatures. The…

June 14, 2018

Travel

Yosemite’s haven for giant sequoias ready for visitors

Mariposa Grove, a 4-acre habitat of the towering reddish-brown trees, will open Friday after being closed for three years, said…

June 14, 2018