Travel

Las Vegas lore is rife with myths and legends – which shouldn't come as a surprise, since the place is built on fantasy along with, some would argue, false promise. Perhaps chief among erroneously held beliefs about Vegas is that gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel was the progenitor of the modern-day Strip when he built the Flamingo, which opened Dec. 26, 1946.

Wallace is known historically for silver mining, railroads and … well, its former red-light district. While Wallace doesn't hide its bawdy past, today its reputation is growing as a great place to ride a bike. The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, a 73-mile asphalt path in North Idaho's Silver Valley, runs through the town's front yard.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Fans of roller coasters that launch like rockets, gravity-smashing spin rides and water park splashes are in for a treat this year. After a few years of belt-tightening, theme and amusement park owners have spent big bucks improving their attractions following their best year since the 2001 terrorist attacks slowed the $10.8 billion industry's momentum. "The purse strings have been loosened a bit, and that is an indication that the parks are anticipating folks to come and maybe spend their money more freely despite the price of gas," said Arthur Levine, theme park guide for the Web site About.Com.

Whitefish, Mont., has come a long way since the swampy lakeside turf officially became a city 100 years ago. As it celebrates the century mark this summer, its leaders reminisce on the best the Northern Rockies community has offered over the years. It's hard to deny the stunning beauty of Whitefish Lake, surrounded by snowcapped, forested peaks and laden with wildlife: moose, bald eagles, bears and deer.

Roy Blount Jr. is a man who loves to talk. And one of his favorite places to talk about – and in – is New Orleans. "People there are loose and unpretentious and tend to enjoy talking," Blount says of the Big Easy, which he calculates he has visited 42 times in his 63 years.

News about U.S. plans to require passports for people returning to or entering the United States from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean has set off a firestorm of protest. Critics complain that the requirement would complicate their lives. What many forget is that travel among Western Hemisphere countries even now is not without its complications.

Picture this for a dreamy vacation: You fly to one of 35 destinations in the United States. or abroad. You are met at the airport and driven to your home on a beach or in the mountains or in a city.

HONG KONG – Here's the deal: When folks fly from the United States to this side of the world (or back the other way), it's not unusual for them to stop in Hong Kong to change planes. Usually, that means a few hours in Hong Kong International Airport – which, as anyone who has been there will tell you, isn't such a bad deal. Great dim sum, for one thing. But what if you don't take the next plane out? What if you say to yourself: "Hey, as long as I'm here, how about doing 24 hours in Hong Kong?" So for those people who might not want to waste a chance to enjoy one of the globe's more fascinating cities, that's what we're going to do: a 24-Hour Hong Kong Experience.

If you're visiting Oregon with kids this summer, dig up some clams on the coast, hear a sea lion roar in the caves between Florence and Yachats, or raft the rapids on the Upper Clackamas River. The "Travel Oregon Kids Guide" lists these and many other activities, including sandboarding down a hill near Florence; learning about pioneer history at Fort Clatsop; or just splashing around in the fountain at Salmon Street Springs in Portland.

One of the world's richest fossil sites is the Burgess Shale area near Lake Louise in Alberta. Discovered in 1909 in Yoho National Park, 20 minutes south of Lake Louise, the site features exceptionally well-preserved fossils of 120 marine species.

A new poll suggests that vacations and leisure travel are increasingly important to Americans, with more advance planning, longer vacations and less focus on work. Sixty-two percent of those surveyed said they like to spend their leisure time doing things that are fun and pleasurable, up 10 points from 2002, according to the annual Roper Reports/NOP World summer travel outlook study.

WASHINGTON – While our wedding was one wonderful day, our honeymoon was an incredible 28 days spent traveling around the world. We asked ourselves when else we could justify a month off from work, while our families wondered if we'd still be married after four straight weeks together in nine time zones.

TULUM, Mexico – I was never someone who dreamed of a big wedding – or any wedding, for that matter. My motto: Give me the honeymoon and spare me the frothy, white dress. So when my husband proposed, I said yes – on the condition that we spend an afternoon with a judge and just a few close friends, then run off for a week at the beach. He wanted something a little more formal.

Spectacular scenery and local traditions – from native plants to village healers – are the hallmarks of destination spas recommended by two magazines. Spa magazine's May/June issue lists the five best new spas:

Southwest has introduced a new program with low Internet fares called Ding. The downloaded program alerts travelers to time-sensitive deals, which are the Blue Light Specials of airfares. Ding fares appear once or twice a day on average, even on weekends, and are available for purchase only on the same day and often for just a few hours.

Washington State Highway 14 is less traveled than Oregon's Interstate 84. Both follow the Columbia River as it flows from eastern dry sagebrush through lush forests to the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan region. To be fair, I-84 does have some spectacular waterfalls and four – albeit often rutted – lanes, which help speed traffic.