Jamaica: Caribbean Yoga Conference

A twist on the beach

South Carolina

Aw, shucks

The travel troubleshooter

Maybe I should have taken a picture

National should have been able to provide you with time-stamped photos of your car after your rental, showing the damage, along with a repair bill. I reviewed your correspondence with the company, and I can see the problem: You were asking for a time-stamped photo of the car before you rented it that might prove your theory that you didn’t cause the damage.

Hawaii

Creativity’s in the air

Travel briefs

Fodor’s has looked into its crystal ball and seen … the gotta-go destinations of 2012.

Colorado

Let it snow

In Baltimore: Nevermore

Poe fans call an end to ‘Toaster’ tradition

Edgar Allan Poe fans waited long past a midnight dreary, but it appears annual visits to the writer’s grave in Baltimore by a mysterious figure called the “Poe Toaster” shall occur nevermore.

Earthquake damage

History buff puts up $7.5 million for Washington Monument repairs

A billionaire history buff has stepped forward to make a $7.5 million matching gift that’s needed to start repairing cracks near the top of the Washington Monument caused by last summer’s East Coast earthquake.

Baltimore

Edgar Allen Poe fans: Last vigil for mystery man

Is the “Poe Toaster” nevermore?

The travel troubleshooter

Extra fee drives up vacation’s cost

Dollar should have told you about the additional driver fee up front, so you could have made an informed decision about your rental.

Kansas

A critter’s eye view

Travel briefs

SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, sister parks, are offering a free Preschool Pass for Florida residents age 5 and younger. The pass is good for unlimited admission at both parks through Dec. 31, with no blackout dates.

Washington, D.C.

A new impression

Gear + Gadgets

Hearing aide

Faders look like high-tech stereo earbuds for listening to music. But their job is to reduce sound, not amplify it. Unlike typical plastic or moldable foam earplugs, which just muffle sound by plugging your ear canal, these hi-fidelity metal earplugs filter out sound by 12 decibels evenly across the frequency spectrum, so you still get the full crisp range of sound — only toned down. Faders come with three sizes of interchangeable silicone fittings to get just the right fit. The two “buds” are connected by a woven cord, so you can leave them hanging around your neck between sets. Now, you don’t need to choose between enduring deafening noise levels at, say, a rock concert, and looking like a dork with those endemic squishy orange earplugs.

Mexico

Pop on in

Travel briefs

Nassau’s long-awaited $12 million straw market opened last month following 10 years at a temporary site. The new facility, which can accommodated 500 vendors, will be operated by the Bahamas government.

Hong Kong: 40th Hong Kong Arts Festival

Wow!

Gear + Gadgets

Creature comforts

Talk about multi-tasking. Blankid Buddy is a children’s backpack, blanket, pillow, and, oh yes, stuffed-animal companion. Think of a stuffed panda, monkey or ladybug (OK, so it’s an insect, but a cute one) without the stuffing, add a zipper and back straps shaped like the creature’s arms and legs, and junior has a roomy backpack for hauling his stuff around. The whole thing converts into a cuddly plush blanket. The Blankid Buddy also functions as a travel pillow, and makes a cuddly buddy. A water-repellant removable inner bag holds all the contents intact when you want to convert the backpack into a blanket, and an external pocket keeps small treasures handy. Might appeal to the kid in some of us adults, too.

Austria: Winter Youth Olympic Games

Going downhill

Orlando: ‘The Serious Art of Make-Believe’

How do they do that?