Adventure travel

Also see sites under ''Student Travel.'' Many are good for adult adventure travelers, too.

//donsplace.adventurecollection.com : Advice and tales from veteran adventure writer Don George

www.vagabonding.net : Dedicated to long-term travelers

Student/budget travel

Many of these recommendations come from SmarterTravel, www.SmarterTravel.com . Though some are just for students, others are helpful to any budget traveler:

www.bootsnall.com : Cheap tickets, lodging and adventures for independent travelers

//studenttravel.about.com : Advice

Triporati.com

Triporati.com is loaded with travel inspiration and trip recommendations from expert travel writers willing to share the best of their favorite global playgrounds.

What's hot: Not sure where you want to go on your next global adventure? Plug in as many as 10 of your favorite travel interests, say kids' museums and safaris, your home airport, time of year for travel and average hotel budget and watch a Google map pop up with trip recommendations. If that's too much work, just browse the 20 most popular trips, or click on the suggestions for eco-tourism, family travel, adventure trips or just plain hanging out on the world's best beaches.

What's not: Many of the links lead off the site. Some users might like this because those links add depth, but those who are looking for one-stop shopping might be turned off.

Cars.com Compares Back-to-School Minivans

Get excited, kids! It’s that time of the year when the wistful adventures of summer abruptly end, and students find themselves back in the agony of social studies and algebra. What better way to commemorate that transition than to take a look at the vehicles that will potentially transport the country’s pupils to their institutions of learning? Cars.com reviewers Mike Hanley, Kelsey Mays and Joe Wiesenfelder look at three back-to-school minivans, the Chrysler Town & Country, Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.

Family travel five: Getaways cater to the kids

Kids rule! More resorts and destinations are going out of their way to offer children and their parents adventures and unforgettable experiences. Here's a sampling:

1. Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas.

This large seaside resort is a wonderland for kids of all ages. Begin the day swimming with dolphins or interacting with sea lions at Dolphin Cay. Later, slip and slide through the water park, float through the mile-long series of canals, rapids and tunnels aboard an inner tube, or lounge at the beach or one of 11 pools. Don't miss the newly opened Atlantis Kids Adventure Center. Make time for a culinary adventure, making pottery or creating your own Atlantis pal. Ask about the Kids Stay and Play Free promotion and the Lego Fantasy Camps planned for this summer.