The Weirdest Things Passengers Tried to Carry Onto Airplanes in 2016
Posted on 12/22/2016, 12:00 AM
The Transportation Security Administration has released its annual list of the strangest items officers encountered at the nation's airports this year. As you might expect, nearly all the objects in the top 10 are weapons or at least weapon-adjacent. They include a bright pink Hello Kitty firearm, a bullet-adorned gas mask, and a scary-looking knife/whip combo called a "five-bladed flogger" ...
Innovative Wheeled Luggage You Push Instead of Pull
Posted on 12/21/2016, 12:00 AM
Having cornered the market on fancy baby buggies, Bugaboo has turned its attention to wheeled luggage. The Dutch company's new creation, the Boxer, is a four-wheeled trolley onto which a combination of suitcases can be clicked for convenient toting around airports and hotel lobbies. But that's not the innovative part. Because the trolley tilts in a way that distributes the luggage's weight ...
Mississippi River Towns Plan Events for Annual Bald Eagle Migration
Posted on 12/20/2016, 12:00 AM
Spotting a bald eagle along the Mississippi River—what could possibly be more all-American than that? Maybe eating a triple cheeseburger while attending a NASCAR race with the ghost of John Wayne would qualify. But an eagle is more majestic, don't you think? The best months for catching sight of the iconic birds alongside the Upper Mississippi are January and February, when they migrate south...
Brighter, More Colorful Lighting System Now in Place at Niagara Falls
Posted on 12/17/2016, 12:00 AM
A new lighting system at Niagara Falls should make for brighter, more colorful nighttime displays than was previously possible at the beloved brink on the U.S.-Canada border. In the first significant upgrade to Niagara lighting in 20 years, more than 1,400 LED luminaires have been installed along the shoreline on the Canadian side to illuminate the American and Horseshoe Falls. The new system...
Priceline Adds Road Trip Deal Map Tool
Posted on 12/16/2016, 1:30 PM
Until now, if you were on a road trip and you wanted to scout nearby hotel deals where you could crash, you had to figure out the name of the nearest town so you could plug it into an app. Priceline has moved ahead a step—it's a wonder it took until 2016. Now, when you open the Priceline app, you can tell it you're "On a Road Trip," and it will sense your location and allow you to enter an...
Zippier Wi-Fi Coming to Your Next Hotel
Posted on 12/15/2016, 3:30 PM
Though you might not see much difference in the bedroom decor from a Marriott Hotel in one city to another one city over, each is likely to have a different owner. That's because the major hotel chains are actually franchises. Why should you, the consumer, care? Because with so many chefs in the "lodgings soup", needed changes can come more slowly to franchised operations than non-franchised ...
Homesick Hotline Plays Iconic U.S. Sounds for Americans Abroad
Posted on 12/15/2016, 12:00 AM
If you're an American on an extended vacation overseas—or if you're planning a permanent relocation in response to the outcome of last month's presidential election—World Nomads has set up a service to cheer you up whenever homesickness strikes. Simply call the travel insurance company's Homesick Hotline at 1-844-IMissUS (+001 844 464-7787; international rates apply), and you can listen to r...
Will He or Won't He? Trump Has Not Withdrawn His Threat to Forbid Travel to Cuba
Posted on 12/14/2016, 5:30 PM
American cruise lines are preparing to enter the Cuban market with force, but will politics quash the budding potential for new jobs, new revenue, and new explorations?...
More Vegas Casinos End Free Parking
Posted on 12/14/2016, 12:00 AM
Following a precedent set earlier this year by MGM Resorts, numerous Las Vegas casinos will soon begin charging fees for valet and self-parking at their properties. Beginning later this month, you'll have to pay to park at resorts owned by Caesars Entertainment, including Linq, Harrah's, Bally's, Flamingo, Caesars Palace, the Cromwell, Paris, and Planet Hollywood—all of the company's propert...
2016's "Most Interesting Webcams" Announced
Posted on 12/13/2016, 12:00 AM
If you're looking for vacation inspiration, a way to explore the world without leaving your home, or simply a way to waste an hour or 12, EarthCam, a company specializing in webcam services and technology, has released its list of the 25 Most Interesting Webcams of 2016. The list was chosen by a panel of judges led by, of all people, comedian Paul Reubens—better known as Pee-wee Herman. No w...
