Western Pa. gets a shout-out on ‘SNL’s’ Weekend Update
Don’t expect a bump in tourism from this late-night skit featuring Western Pennsylvania Saturday night. Saturday Night Live’s satirical news segment Weekend Update featured a Spring Break travel segment that took a comical wrong turn. Host Michael Che welcomed guest commentator Carrie Krum, played by Aidy Bryant, to present some...
Westmoreland County Visitors Center grand opening planned
The new Westmoreland County Visitors Center will hold a grand opening April 29 at its New Stanton site. Westmoreland County officials will join representatives of the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau at 10 a.m. as the center opens at 814 Route 119, in the plaza with Stanton Daily Grind coffee shop...
Pa. closing scenic but dangerous Glen Onoko Falls hiking trail
One of the most popular trails in Pennsylvania has become too dangerous to hike. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is closing the main Glen Onoko Falls trail in Jim Thorpe starting May 1, reports the Associated Press. View this post on Instagram #glenonokofalls #dangerzone #hiking A post shared by William Canning...
’World’s Largest Duck’ coming to Erie this summer
The World’s Largest Duck is reportedly coming to Northwestern Pennsylvania. Erie News Now reported that the 61-foot tall duck, known as “Mama Duck,” will be part of the festivities at Erie’s annual Tall Ships Festival, taking place from August 22-25. Festival organizers announced Tuesday that “Mama Duck” will be joined...
An art critic mourns the cultural tragedy of Notre Dame
In October 1793, anti-royalist citizens of Paris stormed the cathedral of Notre Dame, grabbing ropes and pulling down stone sculptures from the monumental facade. The mob mistook the royally garbed biblical kings of Judah for ancestors of the French monarchy, and they had had enough. The Catholic Church held the...
Make the most of the National Mall with these visitors’ tips
Millions of visitors to Washington, D.C., descend on the National Mall every year, touring the U.S. Capitol, posing for photos in front of the memorials and picnicking on the Washington Monument grounds. With so many people jostling for space in the strip of green running between the Capitol and the...
Travel tip: Easter Bunny Train will roll on Lancaster County tracks
If you can’t find the bunny trail, catch the Easter Bunny from April 19-21 on Strasburg Rail Road’s popular Easter Bunny Train. The steam train departs the station in Ronks for a 45-minute ride through the scenic Lancaster County countryside with the long-eared conductor aboard. The special Easter train rides...
Cedar Point offering deluxe ticket to ride often — it’ll cost you about $1,000
Waiting is the hardest part. Especially at amusement parks on hot summer days, where people can wait for more than an hour for a minutes-long ride on a popular roller coaster. Cedar Point, the huge amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, is offering roller coaster enthusiasts the chance to skip the...
Travel tip: Rough Guides offering tailor-made adventure trip service
British travel information service Rough Guides is best known for guides aimed at backpackers and adventurers who want cheap travel and don’t mind roughing it (obviously) in hostels and other budget digs. Now, recognizing that older travelers — while still up for adventure — tend to prefer cushier accommodations, Rough...
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...
