Travel

LOS ANGELES – In various incarnations, Venice has been called the Coney Island of the Pacific, ghetto by the sea, and – in a new movie about a group of trailblazing skateboarders – Dogtown. The movie, "Lords of Dogtown," tells the true story of local teens whose daring moves revolutionized skateboarding in the 1970s.

GROVELAND, Calif. – Along with Yellowstone and Grand Canyon, Yosemite is one of my favorite national parks. Unfortunately, more than 3 million annual visitors share my sentiments.

NEW ORLEANS – It's a city of hot times and cold cocktails, known in the 1800s as the Great Southern Babylon and now as an annual gathering spot for women willing to bare their breasts at Mardi Gras. But now New Orleans is cultivating a new reputation – as a destination for families. Sure, the city has casinos, more bars than you can shake a swizzle stick at, and strip joints where signs boast "Bottomless topless tabletop dancing." But it also has a highly regarded zoo, aquarium and children's museum; a theme park with enough rides to keep you dizzy for a week, and one of the nation's largest city parks, with an antique carousel and a miniature train exhibit.

BANFF, Alberta – "Any ball striking an elk may be replayed with no penalty." This unusual local rule is a good indication that you're playing somewhere special when you visit the Stanley Thompson 18 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course, considered one of the most picturesque courses in the world.

NEW ORLEANS – Start with hundreds of antique liquor bottles. Add Art Deco cocktail shakers, vintage swizzle sticks and Tiki cups. Mix well. Serve inside an 1823 French Quarter town house. The result: The Museum of the American Cocktail.