Mermaids & manatees: Florida state parks celebrate 75 years

THE CARIBBEAN

Low prices for high season in the islands

SPRING SKIING

Utah's ski resorts spring into the sports spotlight

In addition to great powder snow and a long winter, Utah's ski industry is blessed by the lingering buzz of...

NEW ORLEANS

Mardi Gras beckons beyond Bourbon Street

Here's the skinny on making Fat Tuesday a memorable experience.

COLORADO

Ease those skiing aches in the hot springs

Is there anything better than a steamy, mineral-rich soak after a day of skiing? In Colorado, it's easy to ...

When in New Orleans, eat like the locals do

The Crescent City is known as much for its cuisine as its carousing. It's easy to pay too much for both. Mi...

FAMILY TRAVEL

Take the whole gang on a Valentine's Day retreat

CRUISE LINES

Luxury cruise lines tout `value' and ritz

Ultra-luxury cruise operator Silversea touts `value' and ritz as it debuts its newest ship

South Florida ports host a winter armada of cruise ships

It's bonanza time for South Floridians looking for a cruise this winter. From weekends in the Caribbean to ...

THE CARIBBEAN

It's a buyer's market for cruise passengers

The sun and sand can wait -- it's shopping that reigns as the No. 1 one activity for cruise passengers tour...

Shopping beyond St. Thomas and St. Maarten

While St. Thomas and St. Maarten/St. Martin possess the greatest concentration of duty-free shops, if they'...

SHORE EXCURSIONS

Let's abandon ship and get out there

From zipping around on an ATV in Mexico to zip lining through the treetops in Honduras, shore excursions ca...

CRUISE SHIPS

Silversea's newest ship's a true classic

All decked out in an art deco design, the Silver Spirit channels the traditional ocean liners of yesteryear.

CRUISE NOTES

Celebration will move ship from Lauderdale to Palm Beach

Celebration Cruise Line, whose one ship, the 500-cabin Bahamas Celebration, has sailed between Port Evergla...

Museum of art lights up downtown Tampa

The $32.8 million Tampa Museum of Art, which opened to the public Feb. 6, rises on the historic banks of th...

Mermaids & manatees: Florida state parks celebrate 75 years

Florida events through Feb. 28

Feb. 18 and 21: Dinner and Music at The Spirit of the Woods Café, Hillsborough River State Park, Thonotosas...

Florida events through Feb. 14

Feb. 6: King of the Wing, Homosassa. At Homosassa Riverside Resort. 352-746-9028; www.citruskingofthewing.com.

Florida town struggles to find its identity in famous author's shadow

Two decades ago, Eatonville used its link to Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston to get noticed by...

Florida events through Jan. 31

Jan. 28-31: Food and Wine Festival, Key West. 305-292-1622; www.keywestfoodandwinefestival.com.

Aaaar! Pirates invade Tampa in massive street fest

Dave Pagano started his life as a pirate a few years back wearing a white linen shirt with puffy sleeves an...

FAMILY TRAVEL

Take the whole gang on a Valentine's Day retreat

TAKING THE KIDS

Adventures, culture -- and a great deal of fun

We are sitting cross-legged in the water, 60 feet underground in a Mexican cave surrounded by some of the m...

FAMILY TRAVEL

Blast out of a rut with an active adventure

Don't let colder weather chill your family's spirit of exploration. Stoke the flame with plans for unusual ...

FAMILY TRAVEL

'Eco-tents' offer comfort, savings in the Virgin Islands

My family's not a big fan of camping, but if what's called ''camping'' in the U.S. Virgin Islands is roughi...

PENNSYLVANIA

Old battlefield getting new attractions

The National Parks Service and tourism promoters have been upgrading Gettysburg in advance of the famous ba...

TAKING THE KIDS

Exploring slavery -- where freedom rang

Colonial Williamsburg remembers the African- American experience during the colonies' Revolutionary Period.

CruiseCompete offers advice on baby-friendly cruises

NEW ORLEANS

Mardi Gras beckons beyond Bourbon Street

Here's the skinny on making Fat Tuesday a memorable experience.

When in New Orleans, eat like the locals do

The Crescent City is known as much for its cuisine as its carousing. It's easy to pay too much for both. Mi...

NEW YORK

For real Chinese, make it Queens for a day

GRAND BAHAMA

Freeport's new bird in the hand is the bush

It's 8 a.m. and I am obviously the first visitor of the day to the Lucayan National Park trails that plumb ...

MEXICO CITY

A floating fiesta on the canals of Xochimilco

The canals are all that remain of a lake, once the agricultural hub of the Aztec settlement of Tenochtitlan.

MEXICO CITY

Try the bus for economical exploration

Turibus has two routes: One covering the historic center and another with stops at the shopping malls and m...

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Jump up and wine down for Trini Carnival

You're invited to the Caribbean's biggest party next month.

THE CARIBBEAN

Low prices for high season in the islands

GRAND BAHAMA

Freeport's new bird in the hand is the bush

It's 8 a.m. and I am obviously the first visitor of the day to the Lucayan National Park trails that plumb ...

JAMAICA

Close encounters of the best kind

Kathi Cooke unhinged the gate to her house in Montego Bay and opened her arms. I strode into her embrace an...

What's new in Nassau, Paradise Island

Not to be outdone by sibling rival Freeport, Nassau and Paradise Island have been gearing up with resort ex...

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Jump up and wine down for Trini Carnival

You're invited to the Caribbean's biggest party next month.

FAMILY TRAVEL

'Eco-tents' offer comfort, savings in the Virgin Islands

My family's not a big fan of camping, but if what's called ''camping'' in the U.S. Virgin Islands is roughi...

BAR SCENE: PROVIDENCIALES

Drinking it all in -- in the Turks and Caicos Islands

There's nothing I hate worse than a super blue drink. It's unnatural. It's off-putting, and it usually tast...

BUDGET TRAVEL

Rooms for under $100 -- in San Francisico?

The Good Hotel is a good hotel. Its rooms are small and spare but contemporary-cool, and they have everythi...

Ski.com names its 'most affordable' resorts

Keystone, near Denver, with lots of lodging and flight options and moderately priced condos. Ski.com specia...

BUDGET TRAVEL

A glorious day in Venice on a modest $40

For centuries, Venice has captivated travelers with an array of romantic images: gondola rides through glis...

ICELAND

Iceland's economic meltdown opens door for tourists

The collapse of Iceland's bank industry has brought on a full-blown recession, and airfares and hotel rates...

BUDGET TRAVEL

Going to the Big Apple can be a really big deal

When you hear the term budget travel, we know what you think: cheap hotels, C-list attractions and meal por...

Travel tips: Save money on car rentals

Travelers have been seeing sales on airfares and hotel rooms, but the same can't be said of car rentals, wh...

BUDGET TRAVEL

Gloomy outlook has its bright spots

A famous radio announcer used to start his broadcasts by shouting, here's good news tonight!'' In these day...

SPRING SKIING

Utah's ski resorts spring into the sports spotlight

In addition to great powder snow and a long winter, Utah's ski industry is blessed by the lingering buzz of...

COLORADO

Ease those skiing aches in the hot springs

Is there anything better than a steamy, mineral-rich soak after a day of skiing? In Colorado, it's easy to ...

THE LUXURIOUS LIFE

Two sides of Aspen

When my mom asked what I was packing for my trip to Aspen, I gave her the typical rundown: Sweaters, jeans,...

Skiing with the champs at Steamboat Springs

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. -- With the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver only a week away, my visit here...

Sun Valley, Idaho: History, celebrities and skiing

It seems everyone who spends time around Sun Valley has stories to tell of celebrity encounters.They stood ...

North Carolina's mountain of winter wonders

Situated near three ski resorts, it's no wonder this western North Carolina town is a popular winter destin...

Ahhh, make time to slip into one of these perfect après ski cocktails

MEXICO

Calakmul: Into the Kingdom of the Serpent's Head

Eight hours and a dozen centuries from the modern pleasure palaces of Cancun, a mighty power rose and fell,...

TAKING THE KIDS

Adventures, culture -- and a great deal of fun

We are sitting cross-legged in the water, 60 feet underground in a Mexican cave surrounded by some of the m...

QUERETARO

Past conflict and violence make for a colorful present

MEXICO CITY

Try the bus for economical exploration

Turibus has two routes: One covering the historic center and another with stops at the shopping malls and m...

MEXICO CITY

A floating fiesta on the canals of Xochimilco

The canals are all that remain of a lake, once the agricultural hub of the Aztec settlement of Tenochtitlan.

MEXICO

Planners had small ambitions for Huatulco

HUATULCO, Mexico -- Like Baby Bear's porridge, Huatulco (pronounced Wa-tool-co) is a ''just right'' resort ...

MEXICO

Swaying in the arms of an ancient civilization

Just south of bustling Cancun lies the serenity of the Maya's turtle- friendly Tulum.