New penguin attraction to open at SeaWorld May 24

Construction crews work on Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, scheduled to open at SeaWorld Orlando on May 24.

Jason Collier / SeaWorld Orlando

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On The Web | Sea World Orlando

Miami Herald Staff

SeaWorld Orlando’s chilling new attraction, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, will open May 24, the park announced Tuesday.

Empire of the Penguin, which SeaWorld says will be the coldest theme park attraction in the world, will be both a ride and an encounter with penguins in their habitat, where the temperature must be kept in the low 30s.

The attraction will be an extension of a practice by SeaWorld Orlando and its sister park, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, to combine thrills with a wildlife encounter. SeaWorld’s newest roller coaster, Manta, winds through aquariums, while at Busch Gardens, the Cheetah Hunt roller coaster loops around a large, grassy enclosure that is the home of about a dozen cheetahs.

Read more Just In! | Travel News stories from the Miami Herald

American Queen Steamboat Co.

River cruise line adds a second vessel to sail Pacific Northwest

The American Queen Steamboat Co., which launched steamboat cruises on the Mississippi River last spring, has bought a second riverboat that will sail the rivers of the Pacific Northwest starting in April 2014. The company, named for its Mississippi River paddle wheeler, announced Tuesday it had purchased the former Empress of the North and will rename it the American Empress.
Gear + Gadgets

Got your backpack

Always improving its lines of luggage for the adventurous, Eagle Creek has fine-tuned its new Afar Backpack to be all business and a pleasure. About the dimensions of a standard wheel-aboard bag (12.5 inches by 20.5 inches by 8.5 inches deep), the Afar weighs in at a mere 1 pound, 11 ounces. It is equipped with a slew of great features: well-padded contoured shoulder straps, a tuck away padded hip belt, adjustable sternum straps, external compression straps and a sturdy top grab handle. A padded breathable mesh back panel makes for comfy cushioning. The back panel cleverly incorporates a zippered padded compartment for a laptop (up to 17 inches) that doesn’t broadcast your precious cargo to would-be thieves. The spacious main zippered compartment is blessedly unstructured, three roomy external mesh pouches are great for jackets, water bottles, snacks and maps, and a very well-designed zippered front organizer pocket has pouches and elastic slots for a cell phone, camera, sunglasses, pens and other essentials. Double-lock zippers, hidden slip pockets for documents, and reflective accents for nighttime visibility are smart security elements. Available in a dreamy slate blue, sunny ochre and basic black.
Viking Cruises

Company known for river trips announces ocean ship

Viking Cruises, a company known for offering river cruises, on Friday announced that it was launching a new cruise line for ocean-going trips.

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