New Orleans back in Travel + Leisure top 10 cities for first time since Katrina

New Orleans back in Travel + Leisure top 10 cities

NEW YORK – New Orleans is back in Travel + Leisure magazine’s top 10 cities list for the first time since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city and its tourism industry in August 2005.
New Orleans took the No. 7 spot in the category of top cities in … Read more »»».

Passport fees increasing July 13 from $100 to $135 for first-time adult applicants

Passport fees going up July 13
WASHINGTON – Passport fees are increasing as of July 13.

The fee for first-time adult passport applications is increasing $35, from $100 to $135, according to the U.S. Department of State.
For minors under age 16, fees will increase from $85 to $105.
For passport cards, fees will increase from $45 to $55 …. Read the original article  : Passport fees increasing July 13 from $100 to $135 for first-time adult applicants.

Summary Box: Review of travel websites uncovers new tools for finding flight deals

Summary Box: Review of websites for flight deals

EASE OF USE: Travel-focused search engines including Kayak, Bing Travel and TripAdvisor check multiple sites at once as you search for the best airline fares.
NEW REALITIES: Fees for checking luggage are now common and can add up. Kayak and TripAdvisor both let you include such fees in comparing … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Summary Box: Review of travel websites uncovers new tools for finding flight deals.

8 traveling tips from a mom who tackled 5 countries in 16 days with 4 kids

16 days, 5 countries, 4 kids and 8 lessons learned

PARIS – It was a family vacation that required more preparation and planning than any other trip my husband and I had ever taken: 16 days, five countries, and four kids, ages 22, 19, 13 and 8.
The six of us visited Luxembourg, France, Germany, Austria and … Read : 8 traveling tips from a mom who tackled 5 countries in 16 days with 4 kids.

More than two-thirds of CFOs say they can’t resist checking in with the office during vacation

CFOs can’t help but check in while on vacation

OUT OF THE OFFICE?: More than two-thirds of chief financial officers can’t resist checking in with the office at least once or twice a week during their vacation, according to a new survey. That’s down from about three-quarters who couldn’t entirely disconnect five years ago.
About 1,400 CFOs … Read more »»».

More than 240 artifacts recovered from Titanic’s wreckage coming to Indiana State Museum

200-plus Titanic items coming to Indiana museum

INDIANAPOLIS – More than 240 artifacts recovered from Titanic’s wreckage will be included in an exhibit opening at the Indiana State Museum this fall.
Museum officials announced Tuesday that “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” will open Sept. 25 and remain on display through January.
Visitors will receive a boarding pass representing an …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : More than 240 artifacts recovered from Titanic’s wreckage coming to Indiana State Museum.

New Hampshire maple farmer’s lifetime collection forms foundation of new museum

NH man’s maple collection makes up bulk of museum

BETHLEHEM, N.H. – To know Charlie Stewart was to know his maple collection.
Old sap buckets and yokes, sugar molds, spouts, yards of tubing, tin syrup containers – he had it all. Along with old postcards and bottle memorabilia, the longtime Sugar Hill syrup farmer gathered hundreds of … Read more >>.

Maharashtra Tourism Getting A Boost

MUMBAI, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- The Maharashtra government will carry out an exclusive promotion for the famous Pandharpur Padayatra. This will be done as a part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the formation of Maharashtra. The pilgrimage is famous and more than a million devotees attend the ceremony in July each year. The Maharashtra Economic Development … Original source on Gaea Times at : Maharashtra Tourism Getting A Boost.

Girl’s rave death raises questions whether such parties are getting too big to handle

Teenager’s death puts focus on LA’s rave parties

LOS ANGELES – More than 180,000 people packed into the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum over two days for a rave party that featured spectacular light shows, pulsating techno music on stages the size of small buildings – and a lot of bad drug trips.
The suspected overdose death of … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Girl’s rave death raises questions whether such parties are getting too big to handle.

New art museum opens on Mackinac Island showcasing historic collection, contemporary works

New Mackinac Art Museum opens ahead of schedule

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. – The new Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum has opened on Mackinac Island.
The museum at the island’s Indian Dormitory opened weeks ahead of schedule Friday in time for the Independence Day weekend. It will showcase historic pieces as well as the work of … Read more >>.

Feds warn Pacific Crest Trail hikers they could face arrest if they enter US improperly

Feds warn Pacific Crest Trail hikers about border

MAZAMA, Wash. – The U.S. Border Patrol is warning hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail they could face arrest, jail and a $5,000 fine if they cross the U.S.-Canadian border improperly.
The Wenatchee World reports that the agency sent a letter last month urging the Pacific Crest Trail Association … Original source on Gaea Times at : Feds warn Pacific Crest Trail hikers they could face arrest if they enter US improperly.

Audit: Fishery cops misspent federal fine money paid by fishermen on cars, boats, travel

Audit: Fishery cops misspent fines on cars, boats

BOSTON – An audit has found that federal fishery police misspent millions of dollars in fines collected from fishermen on cars, boats and travel.
The federal audit was commissioned earlier this year after the U.S. Commerce Department’s inspector general found mismanagement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s law [..] Read the original article: here.

Los Angeles police say they warned organizers about potential for trouble at weekend rave

LA police say they issued warning of rave danger

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles police say they expressed concerns about the potential for unruly crowds and drug abuse at a weekend rave where scores of people were injured and a teenage girl is believed to have died from an overdose.
Deputy Chief Pat Gannon said Thursday that … Read : Los Angeles police say they warned organizers about potential for trouble at weekend rave.

Maggots in overhead bin force flight to return to Atlanta gate; came from spoiled meat

Maggots force plane back to gate in Atlanta

ATLANTA – Maggots falling from an overhead bin from a spoiled container of meat forced a US Airways flight to return to the gate so the bin could be cleaned.
Passenger Donna Adamo said she noticed a couple of flies on the Monday flight when she got to her … Read more »»».

Groups in Ohio hope to raise $6 million to bring back 100-year-old amusement park carousel

Plans announced to bring back old Ohio carousel

CLEVELAND – History and preservation groups say a century-old carousel that outlived an Ohio amusement park will go round again if they can come up with the money.
Cleveland’s Western Reserve Historical Society and two other groups on Wednesday announced an effort to raise $6 million to restore and … Read more : Groups in Ohio hope to raise $6 million to bring back 100-year-old amusement park carousel.

California State Fair aims to draw bigger crowds with lower prices, earlier start date

CA State Fair looks to reverse lower attendance

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California State Fair organizers are hoping that reduced prices and an earlier start date will draw bigger crowds after a decade of flagging attendance.
Paid attendance at the fair has been down 46 percent since 2001, when the state fair brought in nearly 850,000 people, organizers …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : California State Fair aims to draw bigger crowds with lower prices, earlier start date.

Attendance at NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art exceeds 5 million for first time since 2001

Yearly attendence tops 5M at NYC’s Met museum

NEW YORK – The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a popular place. Really popular.
Museum officials said Wednesday that 5.24 million people visited the museum in the fiscal year ending June 30. It’s the first time since 2001 that attendance has topped the 5 million mark.
The figure covers visitors … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Attendance at NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art exceeds 5 million for first time since 2001.

Cedar Point says new flume ride popular after delayed start, waits in line up to 1 hour

Cedar Point water ride gets rolling
SANDUSKY, Ohio – Cedar Point says its new water ride is making a splash following a delayed opening so its boats could undergo more work.

Spokesman Robin Innes says Shoot the Rapids has the makings of a popular attraction at the amusement park in Sandusky. Innes said Wednesday that people who [..] Read the original article: here.

Md. ski resort adds zip line for summertime; guided tours 50 feet above the ground

Md. ski resort adds zip line for treetop tours

MCHENRY, Md. – Maryland’s only ski resort has a new attraction for summertime visitors.
The Flying Squirrel Canopy Tour at the Wisp Resort in McHenry is a zip line that carries riders over treetops up to 50 feet above the ground.
A spokeswoman said Wednesday the $39 tour is … Read : Md. ski resort adds zip line for summertime; guided tours 50 feet above the ground.

At town meeting, Obama says soldiers need to be able to “decompress” more before redeployment

Obama favors more rest time between combat tours
RACINE, Wis. – President Barack Obama says hard-pressed American troops need more time in between combat tours to “decompress.”
At a town meeting Wednesday in Wisconsin, he said recent efforts to boost the size of the Marine Corps are paying off in longer deployment intervals. But he …. Read the original article  : here.