Travelwise

Smart spending: How to save at the slopes

Skiers and snowboarders can finally rejoice over the season’s chill, but the long-delayed snowfall won’t make it any easier to traverse the steep cost of winter sports.

California

Romantic wine country getaways for two

If you want to be spontaneous, here are some last minute Valentine’s Day suggestions.

Arizona

Winter enchantment: a grand time to see the Grand Canyon and Sedona

The fog shifted, and the canyon slowly revealed itself: First it was just a few feet, then a few peaks, and then everything — peaks, plateaus, crevices, complete with ravens and a condor swooping into the canyon not far from us — came into s

Mexico

Tequila: It’s not just a drink, it’s a place

The popularity of the tequila has spawned a tourism boom in the farm country where it is made.

Cruises

Two Caribbeans:

Small ships can take passengers to islands where big ships can’t go and avoid the crowds at larger ports.

Luxury cruises

How prices, services compare to mainstream cruises

The basic fare for a cruise on a luxury ship usually includes some things that cost extra on mainstream cruises, such as alcoholic beverages, gratuities and some shore excursions.

Voyages to Antiquity

Voyages to Antiquity

Passengers get authoritative presentations followed by visits to the remains of ancient civilizations. Sorry, there’s no waterslide.

Whales, manatees, white pelicans, sandhill cranes

Florida winters are prime time for wildlife viewing

This is the season I wait all year to enjoy — and not just for the cooler, dryer weather that makes it a joy to hike, bike and kayak.

Ohio

At guitar camp, serious workshops for would-be musicians

Bob Doherty, NBC Universal’s vice president of broadcast operations, still goes to camp at 56.

Costa Rica

The slothful joys of the Caribbean coast

The Caribbean coast of Costa Rica is known for reggae music, Jamaican food and an edgy vibe that occasionally spills over into violence.

South Africa

Johannesburg experiencing an arts renaissance

Since apartheid ended in 1994, downtown has become a place for the arts, where business, residential and entertainment mix along with the races.

Cruise fleet’s growth slowed by the economy

Celebrity, Disney, Oceania and Carnival will launch new ships in 2012 that will sail all or part of the time from Florida.

Travelwise

New airline fee rules are a partial victory for travelers

The cost of a ticket on a particular flight will be clearer when — and if — the rules take effect at the end of the month, but the airlines are still fighting them.

Austria

In Salzburg, ‘Sound of Music’ gains on Mozart

In Mozart’s hometown, where the Julie Andrews movie was filmed, few Austrians have ever seen the ‘The Sound of Music.’

Winter travel

Lighting Niagara Falls has long, colorful history

You can’t take a boat ride into the roar and spray of Niagara Falls in the winter, but this time of year offers a different spectacle: Nighttime illumination of the falls in a changing array of colors — red, white, blue, purple, orange, amber and green.

Flagler’s Florida

Florida was shaped by one man’s passion for tourism

This month marks the 100th anniversary of the completion of the railway that connected the Keys to the rest of the state

Dreams of winter

Some people seek out the cold and icy beauty of certain destinations

Alaska

In winter, Anchorage’s unique character shines

Summer may be tourist season, but winter brings the celebrations that define Anchorage.

Travelwise

Smart travelers can still play it safe in Mexico

The country is a jigsaw puzzle of safe and unsafe places. Here’s advice on where to visit and where to avoid.