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...
Flexibility is key to traveling while kids are in school
One of the best tips you’ll ever find for affordable travel to exotic destinations is to have a flexible schedule. You’ll find cheaper flights and hotels during shoulder seasons (travel periods between peak and off-peak seasons), plus you won’t have to face the crowds and long lines. Unfortunately, if your...
Staycation destination: Pittsburgh to West Newton on the Great Allegheny PassageVideo
A trip on the Great Allegheny Passage is a tour through Pennsylvania history. From its terminus in downtown Pittsburgh, the biking and walking trail follows rivers and railways through industrial hubs, tiny coal towns and peaceful forests. The GAP connects Pittsburgh with Cumberland, Md., spanning 148 miles. It was completed...
List of ‘best’ Frank Lloyd Wright homes in 37 states includes Fallingwater
Fallingwater in Fayette County is among the Frank Lloyd Wright homes featured in a new “best of” list compiled by the home improvement website HomeAdvisor. The famous Wright home, visited by thousands every year, appears on a list and a map that shows the geographic reach of Wright’s work and...
Paris tests new bubble-shaped water taxi
Paris is testing out a new form of travel: an eco-friendly bubble-shaped taxi that zips along the water up and down the Seine River. Organizers are holding test runs this week on the white, oval-shaped electric hydrofoil boats that resemble tiny space shuttles gliding past Paris monuments. They can fit...
Travel tip: Chainsaw carvers will have Cook Forest buzzing
Unleash your inner lumberjack Sept. 12-15 at the Chainsaw Carvers’ Round-Up. The Cook Forest Sawmill Center for the Arts will be buzzing (literally) with the sound of 16 carvers transforming logs into surprisingly detailed works of art. Live carving will be featured each day, along with auctions of the newly...
Las Vegas is getting a millennial makeover
Of all the ways to burn through cash in Las Vegas, zip lining 12 stories above the throngs at the outdoor mall known as LINQ Promenade may be the most thrilling. Next to hunting down zombies in a virtual reality game, seeing Lady Gaga in concert or hanging out at...
A region in Italy will pay you $27,000 to live there
Finding cheap housing is one thing, but there’s a region of Italy that will pay you to live there. Molise, a mostly mountainous region of southern Italy, has been having issues with keeping residents around. According to the Italian National Institute of Statistics, more than 9,000 people have left since...
Travel tip: AAA statistics say running red lights a common habit
Are you really in such a hurry? The latest AAA Foundation Traffic Safety Culture Index says about a third of drivers surveyed said they blew through a red light in the past 30 days. Recent data shows that more than two people are killed every day in the U.S. by...
At some airports, your face is your ID. Is your privacy at risk?
Every day in airports across America, travelers confront facial recognition technology. It probably saves time. Federal officials say it’s making us safer. And for the millions whose mobile phones already recognize faces, this would seem nothing new. But how does old-fashioned privacy square with all these head shots and database...
Travel tip: Bean soup festival celebrates humble-but-hearty dish
There’s a festival for just about everything, including the humble-but-hearty bowl of bean soup. The 128th McClure Bean Soup Festival and Fair is set for Sept. 8-14 in the Snyder County community of about 900. The festival has its roots in an 1883 gathering of local Civil War veterans, who...
Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, ‘The Waltons’ legacy lives on
Deep in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, miles from any multi-lane highway (or any straight road, for that matter), through dense forests of Virginia pine and over trickling streams, I heard a familiar voice. “Illi-noa? Why that’s a ways away from he-uh, suh.” The woman at the front...
‘Jelly brains’ emerge in Pennsylvania lakeVideo
Gooey blobs are living in a Monroe County lake. Visitors to Skytop Lodge near Canadensis just might catch a glimpse of these melon-sized bryozoans, or jelly brains, reports WNEP-TV. The colony of moss animals is harmless and indicators of healthy water. They were intriguing to guests on guided nature walks...
Traveling with pets: No-deal Brexit would make it far harder
All across Europe, families and couples on vacation are seamlessly crossing borders with their beloved dog, cat or even ferret, thanks to the European Union Pet Passport scheme. Now, as a no-deal Brexit looms as a possibility for Britain, free pet travel is under threat. If the U.K. leaves the...
Travel tip: Use common sense to avoid the ‘ugly American’ label
Want to blend in with the locals while traveling abroad? Here are a few tips for avoiding the dreaded “ugly American” stereotype: • Leave the athletic wear, sneakers, fanny packs, white socks and sandals at home. • Learn a few essential phrases in the language of the country you’re visiting....
