FOXNews.com: Top five attractions in Zurich

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Top five attractions in Zurich Sep 30th 2012, 11:00 Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland, offers a wealth of culture, pleasure and fun — especially with the snow-topped Alps on the horizon. Here are five sites to explore if you're planning to visit Zurich: Altstadt Altstadt (Old Town) is a medieval section of town with cobblestone streets and alleys. A winding stroll through this neighborhood will allow you to take in gorgeous architecture, including Fraumunster church. Inside the choir of this church's abbey, you can enjoy the colors of artist Marc Chagall's famous stained glass windows—rich and bold. Lindenhof square boasts an over-sized chess set, and Bahnhofstrasse is a street renowned for its shopping. Altstadt is also home to several important museums: the Museum Rietberg, the Swiss National Museum and the Kunsthaus Zürich. Rietberg Museum Located in a villa that's almost two centuries old, the Rietberg Museum is one of the greatest attractions in the city. The Rietberg Museum collects wonderful artifacts from Asia, Africa, Oceania and South America, and has an exhibit honoring many of Africa's unsung heroes. At the museum, you can see how the people of the ancient Yoruba city of Ife (located in present day Nigeria) produced works of terracotta, cast metal and stone. The museum also holds Cham sculptures from Vietnam. Hindu, Buddhist and Jain sculptures and bronzes from all over India are on display, too. Chinese Garden The Chinese city of Kunming gave this small garden to the city of Zurich as a symbol of friendship and gratitude. As you pass under the decorated main portal to the garden, you feel almost as if you are transported to a new city entirely. A low wall surrounds the rectangular garden, blocking out external distractions, allowing you to focus on the pond, island pavilion and water palace in tranquility. The garden is an expression of the "Three Friends of Winter," which are pine, bamboo and plum — three plants that can brave the cold season. Le Corbusier Not far from the Chinese Garden, you can find Le Corbusier house. Le Corbusier, whose full name was Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, was a pioneer of modern architecture and Switzerland's most celebrated 20th century architect. This unconventional house made of steel and glass was his last completed building. It contains a museum that showcases his work. Le Corbusier house is only open for a brief period during the summer. Lakeside Promenade Lakeside Promenade is a park by Lake Zurich that attracts tourists and locals. It's the sort of marriage between the urban and natural that makes one realize how special Zurich is. In the summer, the park is a popular spot for skaters, sunbathers, vendors and street artists.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »

FOXNews.com: Cozy up to the best hotel fireplaces

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Cozy up to the best hotel fireplaces Sep 29th 2012, 10:00 Published September 29, 2012 Oyster Gone are the days of summer. And while we look back with nostalgia (it's easy to forget how brutal the heat was once it's gone, right?), our friends at Oyster are already looking forward to fall: Pumpkin bread, hot apple cider, a good book…and the best way to round out this autumnal trifecta is with a crackling fire, of course. It's time to get cozy: Warm up with a peak at their favorite hotel fireplaces across the country. Click on the slideshow above. Related Stories Top 10 ranches worldwide Top Budget Travel Destinations for 2012

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »

FOXNews.com: Navy opens new destroyer docked in NY for tours

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Navy opens new destroyer docked in NY for tours Sep 28th 2012, 20:03 Published September 28, 2012 Associated Press The Michael Murphy, the last of the U.S. Navy's original run of Arleigh Burke destroyers, heads down the Kennebec River off of Phippsburg, Maine, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012.AP The Navy has scheduled several days of public tours of a new destroyer that will be commissioned in New York next week in honor of a hero SEAL from Long Island. The USS Michael Murphy is named for the Medal of Honor recipient who was killed in a firefight in Afghanistan in June 2005. Murphy's family will attend the formal commissioning on Oct. 6 in Manhattan. It arrives in New York City on Friday. The public can tour it on Staten Island on Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. It moves to Pier 88 in Manhattan and will be open Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as Oct. 8. People should wear comfortable closed-toed shoes and limit items carried aboard. A government-issued photo ID is required for everyone over 18. Related Stories 8 October festivals not to miss Why check and schlepp when you can ship instead? International tourism spending in US on the rise

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »

FOXNews.com: Taking the kids--back in time to Conner Prairie

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Taking the kids--back in time to Conner Prairie Sep 28th 2012, 14:19 The ragged red cloth hanging from the door handle was the signal that we'd be safe, but we weren't sure who to trust. We sent just one from our group -- there were a dozen of us hidden in the trees -- to the door of the yellow-and-green house. "A friend of a friend sent us," she whispered when a middle-aged Quaker woman with a kind face answered. "You're safe here," she said, quickly ushering us inside, warning us to be quiet and giving us cornbread. We were hungry, tired and frightened -- especially as those who hunted us fired shots outside. "We do not believe God would want anyone to be slaves," the woman said. "We are members of the society of friends," her sister added. "You can count on friends to help you." Welcome to a stop on the Underground Railroad. Historians estimate that anywhere from 20,000 to 200,000 slaves started their journey to freedom from the South during the first half of the 19th century, helped along the way by abolitionists, runaway slaves, freed blacks and Quakers. See link for more on the Underground Railroad. "They go home and look in their schoolbooks and can relate to this part of history." - Tourist Keisha Wright, Fort Myers, Fla. It would have taken runaway slaves three or more years to reach freedom and a new life; less than half would make it. Here at Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, the terrific living history museum outside Indianapolis, a Smithsonian affiliate that focuses on 19th-century Indiana, the journey takes us 90 minutes, starting with our escape from an owner who plans to sell us "back South." Fall is a terrific time to visit a living history museum like Conner Prairie, whether kids are going to work in the garden, helping to cook, do laundry or play 19th-century games in 1836 Prairietown, joining Hoosier volunteers defending their state from confederate raiders in 1863 or learning the language of the Lenape, the Native Americans who lived in Indiana from 1795 to 1820. I love the way Conner Prairie melds hands-on activities with costumed interpreters with 21st-century technology to engage kids. (They can figure out how to defend their town from confederate raiders using interactive maps or "meet" those who lived through that era via giant video screens. "You get to do so much more than just look at stuff," said 11-year-old Emilia Grunden. "Definitely not boring!" "It's great the way the kids can interact with the interpreters," added Keisha Wright, here with her two kids from Fort Myers, Fla. "They go home and look in their schoolbooks and can relate to this part of history." This place is affordable too ($14 for adults and $9 for kids 2 to 12) -- not much more than a movie!  On three October weekends, a hayride will bring you face to face with the Headless Horseman. And once you've recovered your wits, you can join in the Halloween fun with a punkin'-a-pult -- a pumpkin-flinging catapult -- spooky karaoke, a scarecrow competition, lessons in ghost hunting and more. The museum has just gotten a $2.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop new interactive science experiences into exhibits that will serve as a model for museums around the country. But the Follow the North Star experience of traveling the Underground Railroad (escaped slaves literally would get their directions from the North Star) is one of the most powerful I've ever encountered at any museum, starting with when we're sized up by those who might want to buy us, treated like animals at auction, unable to help our children or to prevent family members from being separated. "You are dumber than my hogs," one potential owner says. "Keep your eyes down," commands another. "Don't you know your place!" Museum officials don't recommend this program for kids under 12 and it is offered just a few weekends a year in November and April. I got a preview recently when I was in town to speak at the Society of American Travel Writers convention. I'd recommend it as a terrific learning tool for any family with tweens and teens. "The experience makes you really get it," explains 14-year-old Jackson Burns, who is one of the costumed interpreters we meet along our journey -- he plays a gun-wielding slave hunter. "It's different than reading about this in a textbook." That's an understatement. The back-story: We're slaves in 1836 Indiana about to be sold "back South." After we escape, we encounter another escaped slave who is risking his freedom and life to return in the hopes of freeing his wife and son. "It hurts that my son is growing up not knowing his daddy," he tells us, explaining that before he escaped, he and his family worked on plantations 15 miles apart and could only see each other on the occasional weekend. We meet farm women who reluctantly help us. "You've got a right to freedom but not here!" they say, as their teenage daughters show us the road toward Roberts Settlement, a free black community about 15 miles away. A distraught carpenter attempts to capture us for the $500 bounty on each of our heads, complaining that we slaves ruined his life. "How can I compete when you work for free?" he yells at us. "I've had it with your kind! When my wife got sick, I couldn't afford a doctor. It's your fault she died!" We escape a second time when he goes to find rope to tie us up. There are many obvious lessons for today's world, where people are bullied, mistreated imprisoned and worse because of the color of their skin, their religious beliefs or sexual orientation, suggests Michelle Evans, who developed the program. Evans notes that the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati uses the Underground Railroad as a lens through which to explore a range of freedom issues. At the end, we learn what would have likely happened to our group; some would have died crossing a river, some would have been recaptured. One would have disappeared never to be heard from again. I'm told I would have made it to freedom in Michigan. "Is it worth the risk?" they ask us. "Only you can decide. Only you know." Eileen Ogintz is a syndicated columnist and writes about family travel on her Taking the Kids blog. Follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, where Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »

FOXNews.com: New York City to get 'world's largest' Ferris wheel

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

New York City to get 'world's largest' Ferris wheel Sep 27th 2012, 18:11 NEW YORK –  The Big Apple is getting another "biggest": the world's tallest Ferris wheel, part of an ambitious plan to draw New Yorkers and tourists alike to the city's so-called "forgotten borough." The 625-foot-tall, $230 million New York Wheel is to grace a spot in Staten Island overlooking the Statue of Liberty and the downtown Manhattan skyline, offering a singular view as it sweeps higher than other big wheels like the Singapore Flyer, the London Eye, and a "High Roller" planned for Las Vegas. Designed to carry 1,440 passengers at a time, it's expected to draw 4.5 million people a year to a setting that also would include a 100-shop outlet mall and a 200-room hotel. It will be "an attraction unlike any other in New York City -- in fact, it will be, we think, unlike any other on the planet," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said as he unveiled the plans against the backdrop of New York Harbor. While the privately financed project faces various reviews, officials hope to have the wheel turning by the end of 2015. The wheel would put Staten Island on the map of superlatives in a place where "biggest" is almost an expectation -- home to the nation's biggest city population, busiest mass-transit system, even the biggest Applebee's restaurant. The attraction stands to change the profile of the least populous and most remote of the city's five boroughs, a sometime municipal underdog that has taken insults from New Jersey and was once known for having the world's largest ... landfill. "It's going to be a real icon. The Ferris wheel will be Staten Island's Eiffel Tower," Sen. Charles Schumer enthused. As a visible addition to the skyline around the harbor, the wheel "gives Staten Island an identity beyond its role as a suburban community," while letting it tap into the stream of tourist money in a city that drew 50.9 million visitors last year, said Mitchell Moss, a New York University urban policy professor. The project is expected to bring $500 million in private investment and 1,100 permanent jobs to the borough's St. George waterfront, and the developers will pay the city $2.5 million a year in rent for the land. Staten Island isn't entirely off the tourist map. Its free ferry is the city's third-largest tourist attraction, carrying an estimated 2 million visitors a year alongside millions of residents, city officials say. But the city has long struggled to entice tourists off the boat and into Staten Island. Much-touted Staten Island sightseeing bus tours fizzled within a year in 2009 for lack of ridership. Australian tourists Leah Field and Adam Lica, for example, were riding the ferry Thursday for its views of the Statue of Liberty. They thought they might have lunch on the Staten Island side but weren't planning to explore further. "We weren't sure what there is to do there," explained Lica, 32, of Melbourne. But were there a giant Ferris wheel, the couple likely would go ride it, he said. But Henriette Repmann, a German university student, said she wouldn't bother. "You don't have to have the biggest Ferris wheel in the world to get a good view of New York," Repmann, 20, of Leipzig, said Thursday as she visited the Empire State Building. Largely a bedroom community for other parts of the city, Staten Island boasts about 470,000 residents and a minor league ballpark, cultural sites and quirky attractions, from locations in the video for Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach" to the Staten Island Zoo, home to New York's answer to Pennsylvania's prognosticating groundhog. The Staten Island rodent bears the dubious distinction of having once bitten Bloomberg. But Staten Island, the only one of the city's five boroughs not accessible by subway, tends to get overshadowed by its bigger neighbors, so much so that some have at times suggested it secede from the city. And residents often bristle at an image shaped by such television shows as "Mob Wives" and "Big Ang" -- and by a former New Jersey beach town mayor who portrayed Staten Islanders in a blog post as heavy on hairspray and light on class. (The ex-mayor, Ken Pringle of Belmar, visited Staten Island in 2008 to make amends.) Resident Miatta Bryant also thinks the wheel might bring the borough more respect. "People always say Staten Island is so boring," the 26-year-old certified nursing assistant said. The Ferris wheel, state Assemblyman Matthew Titone hopes, will show the world a different Staten Island than the one they see on TV. "They will see our cultural institutions and will see that we are not idiots," he said. "Shirtless, musclebound idiots."

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »

FOXNews.com: Amusement parks with spooktacular Halloween makeovers

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Amusement parks with spooktacular Halloween makeovers Sep 28th 2012, 12:00 Halloween isn't just for the neighborhood trick or treaters' anymore. Fans of the spooky holiday are celebrating All Hallows Eve in incredible new and entertaining ways. According to the National Retail Federation about 72 percent of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween this year- up from 68 percent last year and the most in NRF'S 10-year survey history. To gear up for this year's most terrifying night Amusement parks across the country are getting ghoulish makeovers. Pete Trabucco, amusement park expert and author of America's Top Roller Coasters and Amusement Parks says, "amusement parks fulfill the needs of thrill seekers so adding in the Halloween theme is a natural expansion for those who are seeking to be scared and get their adrenaline flowing." Adding to the thrills of their roller coasters and main attractions, these parks are hosting scare-tastic events all throughout October. Here are some frightful parks you should check out this Halloween season. Six Flags Great Adventure's Fright Fest, Jackson, New Jersey Harrowing heights, racing speeds and downright dreadful loopty-loops make some of Six Flags' most famous roller coasters scary enough, but throw in a few dead zombies and blood-sucking vampires, and even the bravest of amusement park pros will scream in horror. Six Flags is celebrating their 21st annual Fright Fest this year, giving their guests 30 Halloween themed shows and attractions. Promising family-friendly thrills by day and frightful events by night, Six Flags delivers something for everyone. Kids can take a spin around the Trick-or-Treat trail and enjoy live shows like Professor Slithers' creepy critters, but when nighttime falls and the park turns dark there's no telling what scary creatures might jump out at you. The popular theme park is not only extending its Fright Fest run to 6 weeks but is also adding  brand-new frightful shows and three new Terror trails that send guests through demented forests, a voodoo island and even the mind of an evil lunatic. Price: General admission $62.99 (Additional fee for terror trails) Screams Park, Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas In a theme park completely dedicated to Halloween, attendees will scream through a variety of hair-raising haunted houses. Be prepared to be scared as you creep through haunted tours of the Castle of Darkness, an Arcane Asylum, a ghoulish graveyard, a 3D Pirates ship and what's a Halloween theme park without evil clowns chasing you down in Unkel Koy's Klown Maze. For a small additional fee, take a walk down the Frozen with Fear terror trail where frozen fiends await your arrival at every corner. Packed with more fun and frightening activities visitors can also sit down for tarot card readings or enjoy some chilling sounds at the Scary-Oke tavern. Price: General admission $24.99 Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, Universal City, California As one of the pioneers behind the horror genre, Universal studios knows its monsters. This year Universal joins forces with some of today's biggest and most terrifying pop-culture icons. You may feel safe watching the AMC's television series "The Walking Dead" from the comfort of your living room, but Universal is bringing the blood-sucking zombies to life in one of their brand-new haunted houses. Putting visitors in the footsteps of the show's characters you will have to try to survive the zombie apocalypse if you want to make it out of the haunted maze alive. "You gotta have great killer haunted houses, that's the spine and backbone of the event," senior vice president of entertainment for Universal Orlando, Jim Timon told FoxNews.com. There's nothing funny about Universals collaboration with Las Vegas' comedy duo Penn & Teller. The famous illusionists are bringing their own kind of Haunted house experience taking visitors through a 3D tour of 'Sin City' after a nuclear explosion. "We worked a lot with the Universal people. They are the pros at this. They are so good at making it scary, sexy and jacked up," Penn Jillette, the Penn of Penn & Teller told FoxNews.com. Price: Separately ticketed event; single night ticket $88.99 (see all ticket and vacation package options online) Nights of Horror at Luna Park, Coney Island, New York Luna Park, Coney Island's first amusement park since the 1940s, holds its 3rd annual Nights of Horror this fall. This special Halloween event combines all the fun and thrill of the park's favorite rides with the fright and terrors of a Halloween. Stop by the scarecrow themed maze, Cudie Farm (C-U-DIE Farm) where ghostly scarecrows and farmhands follow you through the creepy path hoping you don't make it out alive. If you're up for more scares visit their creepy clown themed maze where you'll see that the carnies have all gone mad and the Coney Island carnival is taken over by evil clowns. Once you've braved the haunted mazes, take a spin on the 11Halloween-themed rides that are open for some extra frightful fun. Price: General Admission $30.00 Kings Island Halloween Haunt, Mason, Ohio 500 creepy creatures and 12 spine-chilling haunted attractions make this park a must-see horror experience in the mid-west. This year Kings Island is adding new nightmarish attractions like Madame Fatale's Cavern of Terror maze, an eerie punk rock show called Blood Drums and two fear zones where gruesome ghouls and monsters come for you at any given moment. 20 of the parks most terrifying roller coasters and adrenaline pumping rides will also be open to scare and terrorize visitors. Price: General Admission $ 31.99 for Fridays and $31.99 for Saturdays "Being scared is a part of being alive, it's not a celebration of death or sickness it's to celebrate life and the vibrancy that you are able to feel these things without any repercussions," Penn & Teller's Jillette told FoxNews.com.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »

FOXNews.com: Win your wife's weight in beer at the North American Wife Carrying Championship

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Win your wife's weight in beer at the North American Wife Carrying Championship Sep 27th 2012, 16:26 This is better than couples therapy.   Next month is the annual North American Wife Carrying Championship in Newry, Maine.  Yes, not only is this a real event, it's an international sport and part of the World Alternative Games.  The objective of the event is to carry your wife through the mud and muck faster than anyone else. The winners get a cash prize and the wife's weight in beer.  What could be better? The origin of the sport was apparently inspired by the Finnish wife-carrying tradition and a 19th century character named Herkko Rosvo-Rankainen, who--as folklore has it --chose people for his marauding band of thieves based on how well they could carry wives away as they plundered the villages.   Lucky, the modern day version includes only willing participants, and the women don't even have to be married. To compete teams must be comprised of a man and a woman, 21 years or older. Women are welcome to carry the men, but that usually doesn't work out well so much. Competitors typically use what's called the Estonian method, in which the wife wraps her legs around the husband's head while the she hangs down his back. It makes for some nice "together" time, especially for those who aren't married. Couples compete two at a time on a 278-yard alpine course complete with wooden hurdles, beer barrels, sand traps, and the "widow maker" water hazard until the top two fastest times have been determined for the finals. Winners also automatically qualify for the 2013 event.  Set to take place on Oct. 6, it just may worth the trip to Maine. For complete information, visit www.sundayriver.com.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »

FOXNews.com: Alabama cities offering ghostly tours in October

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Alabama cities offering ghostly tours in October Sep 27th 2012, 13:22 MONTGOMERY, Ala. –  Several Alabama cities are planning ghostly events during the month of October. The state Tourism Department says Athens will hold its annual Historic Haunts Walk each Tuesday night in October. Demopolis has its Tombigbee Haints and Haunts tours on Oct. 26-27. Florence is planning its 10th annual Haunted History at the Shoals Ghost Walk nightly from Oct. 19-31. Huntsville will conduct ghost walking tours on Friday and Saturday nights in October and the Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll on Oct. 14. Montgomery has tours in a haunted hearse all month. Mobile is offering ghostly trolley tours of historic districts at 7 p.m. each night, and Selma is scheduling its Haunted History Tours Oct. 19-20. Alabama's first territorial capital, Old St. Stephens, is offering ghost stories during tours each Saturday in October. Here is more information to help plan your visit: Black Belt Ghost Trail Black Belt Region – Self guided, year-round Visit Alabama's Black Belt Region to tour the popular ghost trail. The self-guided tour will take you to dozens of sites in three counties (Dallas, Perry, Wilcox) to include restaurants, hotels, cemeteries, and homes. A brochure provides a map and the haunted history of each stop on the tour. The trail also includes a site for visitors to view videos detailing the ghost stories. www.youtube.com/user/AlabamasGhostTrail. For brochures and more information: www.alabamasfrontporches.com 334.636.5506 or 334.636.0120   Huntsville Ghost Walking Tour – Fridays/Saturdays in October Visitors have three tours to choose from and they run simultaneous. Participants will hear stories of Huntsville's haunted past while walking along the Old Town Historic District. The Haunted Downtown Historic District offers a one hour trolley tour through Huntsville's haunted past. Another option is the Twickenham Historic District. Reservations should be made in advance by purchasing tickets at Harrison Brothers Hardware Store at 124 South Side Square. Adult tickets are $12 and children 10 and under can ride for $10. Seating is limited. All tours begin promptly at 6 p.m. The walking tours take place on Friday nights as well as Saturday nights. Trolley tours will only be offered on Saturday nights. Tickets for the walking tours are $8 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under. Call 256.509.3940 or visit www.huntsvilleghostwalk.com for more information. Montgomery Haunted Hearse Tours — October 1-31 Tour operators offer you to 'take a ride in a renovated hearse if you dare." The hearse can accommodate a maximum of six guests per trip. The tour will go by Hank Williams grave in the Oakwood Cemetery Annex as well as by numerous other sites in Montgomery with "haunted" histories.  Tours begin on the hour - 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. each night.  Pickup will be at the Alley in downtown Montgomery.  Guides will share stories with the guests. Reservations can be made by calling 334.514.4457. Cost is $15 per person. Athens 7th Annual "Historic Haunts Walk" — October 4, 12, 14, 19 This annual Historic Haunts Walk begins at the Houston Library and includes tales of paranormal activity at 12 local structures. Hear about the college student who fell to her death and is said to still wander the halls at Athens University. Each walk is approximately 90 minutes and begins at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $5. For more information contact Limestone County Tourism 256.232.5411 or Jeanette@visitathensal.com. Selma 33rd Annual Alabama Tale Tellin' Festival— October 14 & 15 This year's event will feature a tribute to renowned storyteller and the festival's founder, Kathryn Tucker Windham who died this year. Hear ghost stories and tell your own story at the Swapping Grounds. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 students and $5 for children 12 and under. For more information call 1.800.457.3562 or taletellin@yahoo.com, www.taletellin.selmaalabama.com. Huntsville Cemetery Stroll— October 16 Some 60 costumed interpreters tell the story of those buried in the Maple Hill Cemetery. 256.533.5723 Selma "Haunted History Tour" — October 21-22 Two centuries of area history will come back to haunt visitors during the return of the Haunted History Tours of Selma and Dallas County. Friday's event at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park features a rare moonlit, guided tour to the town's most haunted locations. Paranormal investigators will also demonstrate the art of ghost hunting. Saturday features two venues in Selma's historic district – Sturdivant Hall and Old Live Oak cemetery. Hear stories of resident ghosts and walk along the cemetery for a living history tour. Tickets for each event are $15 -ages 12 and up only, please. Packages with the haunted St. James Hotel are also offered this year. Contact the Selma-Dallas County Tourism Office for more information – advanced tickets are recommended. Call 334.875.7241 or 1.800.45.SELMA. www.selmaalabama.com. Florence Haunted History of the Shoals Ghost Walk— October 21-31 Participates will stroll the downtown Florence historic district with local tour guide and author Debra Johnston Glass. Participants will be entertained with stories steeped in legend, folklore and truth. The tours cover a one mile area and last approximately one-and-a-half hours. They begin at 7:30 p.m. at the W.C. Handy statue in Wilson Park. Tickets: $10 adults, $8 for children12 and under. Contact Debra Glass, 256.757.7506, www.discovertheshoals.com. Fort Payne Storytellin' Campfire Talk: Spooks in the Valley— October 22 This free storytellin'event takes place at DeSoto State Park at the large pavilion across from the nature center. Hear stories as you sit around the campfire. 5-6 p.m. www.epic.jsu.edu, 256.782.5697. Thomasville Ghost Walk & Fall Festival— October 23 The Thomasville Arts Council acts out some of the famous ghost stories from the books of renowned storyteller Kathryn Tucker Windham. Hear the haunted history of Thomasville at stops along the way. The festival includes a street dance, motorcycle poker ride, car show and the Haunted Hille Hotel haunted house. For more information: Thomasville Chamber of Commerce 334.636.1542. Gadsden Ghost Watch – October 25 Come and hear Mike Goodson share ghost stories of the area on Tuesday Oct. 25 from 6-8 p.m..  Bring your friends and family along with your chair and a blanket – to keep warm or to hide under. The watch will be held at 4th and Broad Streets in historic downtown Gadsden and there is no charge.  For more information, call 256.547.8696 or check it out on facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=153397651414261. Beatrice Ghost Stories at Rikard's Mill— October 28-29 Enjoy a pumpkin toss, pumpkin painting and relay race before gathering around a bonfire to listen to spine-chilling ghost stories from the area. The Haunted Swamp Trail will be open for those brave enough to wander its scary path. Food vendors will also be on site. 6:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. each evening, admission $5 per person. Contact the Monroe County Heritage Museum at 251.575.7433 or mchm@frontiernet.net for more information. Demopolis Tombigbee Haints and Haunts— October 28-29 Hear ghost stories, the coffin maker's tale and more on this land and river tour. Local story tellers will share folklore and facts about the Tombigbee River and Demopolis' early inhabitants. The tour takes passengers form the City Landing to the Riverside C emetery and passengers will return to the City Landing via a hayride that winds thru the street of historic Demopolis. Tours start at 7, 8, 9 and 10 p.m. and are $15. Seating is limited for each tour. Call 334.289.9644 or 334.289.0270 for more information. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »

FOXNews.com: Attendants tiff causes United flight to return

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Attendants tiff causes United flight to return Sep 27th 2012, 13:53 Published September 27, 2012 Associated Press MORRISVILLE, N.C. –  An airport official says a squabble between two flight attendants forced a United Airlines flight bound for Chicago to return to Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Airport spokeswoman Mindy Hamlin says Flight 1214 left Raleigh at 6 a.m. Wednesday. She says a call from the pilot to the tower at 6:40 a.m. suggested there had been an assault onboard, but it turned out to be a tiff between flight attendants. Raleigh-Durham police determined that no blows were exchanged and no one was arrested. United spokeswoman Christen David says the two employees were removed and the flight re-staffed. David said the Chicago-based airline is conducting an internal review and that the argument was not physical. Some passengers were placed on other flights, and David said United would compensate passengers for their inconvenience.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »

FOXNews.com: 8 October festivals not to miss

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

8 October festivals not to miss Sep 27th 2012, 13:27 Whether you are looking to celebrate the falling leaves or Oktoberfest, here are eight fall festivals from coast-to-coast that you shouldn't miss.  Stone Mountain Park's Annual Pumpkin Festival Atlanta Now in its tenth year, this family-friendly festival features a kids trick or treat scavenger hunt, a pie eating contest and the Pumpkinpalooza game show. You can also pick your very own pumpkin to take home. Dates:  Sept. 28 - Oct. 28 (Friday - Sunday) Hours: Saturday 10:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. (lasershow at 8 p.m.), Friday and Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Admission: Daily Adventure Pass- Adult: $28, Child: $22 Leavenworth Oktoberfest Leavenworth, Wash. Leavenworth is modeled after a Bavarian village, which makes Oktoberfest a particularly fun time to visit. The town's three-weekend long celebration is the place to go for German beer, cuisine and entertainment.   Dates: Oct. 5-20 (Friday and Saturday) Hours: Friday 6pm-midnight, Saturday noon-midnight Admission: $10 (Fridays), $20 (Saturdays), Children under 12 are free North Carolina Seafood Festival Morehead City, N.C. North Carolina's second largest festival is free and offers a weekend filled with seafood-themed fun. You can win an "I flung a flounder" t-shirt in the flounder fling or check out the Southern Outer Banks Boat and Outdoor Expo. While you are there, enjoy delicious food from one of 60 vendors, and don't miss the annual blessing of Carteret County's fleet of commercial fishing vessels on Sunday at 10 a.m. Dates: Oct. 5-7 Hours: Noon to 11 p.m. (Friday), 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Saturday), 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Sunday)   Admission: Free Fantasy Fest Key West, Fla. This is one where you don't want to bring the kids. Key West's annual Fantasy Fest is a 10-day costume party with events like the Headdress Ball and a homemade bikini contest. On the second Saturday of the festival, check out Captain Morgan's Fantasy Fest Parade feel like you are in New Orleans circa Mardi Gras. Dates: Oct. 19-28 Hours: Vary. Check out the schedule of events here  Admission: Varies based on event National Shrimp Festival Gulf Shore, Ala. The Alabama Gulf Coast Area Chamber of Commerce's National Shrimp Festival is full of music, fine art, arts and craft vendors and, of course, shrimp. Country music star Phil Vassar headline's this year's festival. Don't miss the free tasting tent featuring wild caught Alabama shrimp. Dates: Oct. 11-14 Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Thursday – Saturday), 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Sunday) Admission: Free   Foothills Fall Festival Maryville, Tenn. The Foothills Fall Festival is part arts and crafts festival and part music festival. Located in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains, the festival showcases nearly 100 art vendors and includes an adventure land section for the young and young-at-heart. Train is headlining this year's music portion. Dates: Oct. 12-14 Hours: ArtWay- noon – 6 p.m. (Friday and Sunday), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Saturday), click here for the concert schedule  Admission: Three-day general admission: $60, Children 10 & under: free with adult Carter Mountain Orchard's Apple Harvest Celebration Charlottesville, Va. Carter Mountain Orchard's weekend celebrations put everything you love about the fall in one place. Take a hayride, sample wine, sip on apple cider, munch on apple cider donuts and apple pie and go apple picking- all in one day. Dates: Every weekend in October Hours: 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Saturdays and Sundays) Admission: Free to get into the festival, prices for individual activities vary Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival Santa Barbara, Calif. This one-day festival coincides with lobster season, so you are sure to get the freshest local seafood. You can also tour the Spirit of Dana Point ship, take part in the Sea Shanty Sing-a-long and visit UCSB Marine Science Institute's mobile reef touch tank. Come hungry so you can enjoy everything from gumbo to fish tacos. Date: Oct. 13 Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: Free

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »

FOXNews.com: 5 major rental car companies agree on recall plan

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

5 major rental car companies agree on recall plan Sep 27th 2012, 13:18 ALBANY, N.Y. –  Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Barbara Boxer of California say five major rental car companies have agreed to stop leasing and selling vehicles under safety recalls. The senators say the agreement involving Enterprise, Hertz, Avis, Dollar Thrifty and National will pave the way for legislation covering the industry. The bill is expected to be voted on during the upcoming lame duck session. The announcement is being made in Washington with relatives of two women from California who died in a car fire in a vehicle that the senators say was under a safety recall. The companies represent more than 90 percent of the rental car industry. Consumer groups call it a major improvement in auto safety because rental car agencies are the biggest buyers of new cars.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »

FOXNews.com: How to protect your air miles amid a merger

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

How to protect your air miles amid a merger Sep 27th 2012, 12:00 Holding on to your coveted air miles can be hard at anytime, but what about during a merger?  You booked your ticket online, but made a mistake.  Can you make a change without being charged?  We answer these and other nagging questions about air travel. Where Will My US Air Miles Go If There's a Merger? Q: After all of the news articles this year about a possible merger between US Airways and American Airlines, I am concerned about the fate of my US Air Dividend Miles. I would love to continue earning or purchasing additional miles but am not sure if I should do that or not. Without hearing about any clear conclusion one way or the other if a merger will actually take place, does it behoove us to keep acquiring miles with US Air? I would hate to have a high mileage balance only to find out that the airline alliance where they are destined to go is one whose airline partners I don't fly based on their routes or personal preference. What are your thoughts? A: I think that an American/US Airways merger is all but inevitable. Your US Air miles will be combined with whatever you might have in the American Aadvantage program. But US Airways is a member of the Star Alliance global airline network, and American is a member of the OneWorld network. Chances are good that your combined miles and alliance status will be transferred to OneWorld, since the combined airline will be under the American Airlines brand. Oops! I Doubled Booked. Now What? Q: I was trying to book a flight online, got to the very end and then it booted me out to the main page. So I did not know if it booked the flight or not. There was no confirmation page or anything. So I did it again and it worked. Now hours later I get the email conformation and there are two of them for the same flight. I need help. How to fix this? A: Not to worry. You now have 24 hours to change your mind or cancel a flight, even after purchase,thanks to new D.O.T. rules. Just call the airline and cancel the duplicate reservation. Will My Carry On Be Gate Checked For Free? Q: I haven't flown in more than a year so I'm not sure of the current policy on carry-on luggage. If I fly on a smaller regional jet,  I know that the overhead bin will be too small for a "standard" carry-on piece of luggage. In the past I recall they would "gate check" the luggage and there would not be any fee.  Is there a written policy now or is it subject to airline discretion? A: You're correct that regional jet overhead bins are too small to accommodate some carry on bags, even if they conform to the airline's published size and weight limits. But as long as your bag conforms, you should be able to gate check your bag for free. On United Airlines, for example, the maximum combined linear measurement (length + width + height) of carry-on bags must not exceed 14 inches x 9 inches x 22 inches (23 x 35 x 56 cm) or 45 linear inches (114 cm). You can find carry on limits for your airline by doing a web search for airline + carry on size. Have a question about travel or airfares? Send your questions to questions@airfarewatchdog.com and we may answer them in this column. George Hobica is a syndicated travel journalist and founder of the low-airfare listing site Airfarewatchdog.com.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »

FOXNews.com: Las Vegas' first hotel casino gets a makeover

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Las Vegas' first hotel casino gets a makeover Sep 26th 2012, 19:38 The next time you decide to roll the dice at a craps table in Las Vegas, it might be worth your while to do it at the hotel and casino that started it all: The Golden Gate. Amidst the ever-growing hotel and casino metropolis, the historic location just finished up its first renovation in 50 years. The $15 million renovation of the city's oldest hotel includes new suites complete with oversized beds, high-definition flat-screen televisions and vintage touches that harken back to the days of its famous guests, such as "Rat Pack"-era performers Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. There is also a brand-new high-limit gaming room, and an updated casino floor. The building's exterior was also restored to its original facade, but with some new contemporary lighting "The Golden Gate is an intimate, boutique Las Vegas hotel that's always represented that Las Vegas spirit, from the entrepreneurialism its earliest owners to just the party spirit of all of the people that came here to play through the decades," said Mark Brandenburg, co-owner of the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino. The hotel, located in the downtown area of Sin City, opened its doors in 1906 as the first of its kind in Vegas. Back then, rooms went for $1 and the hotel became well-known for its 50-cent shrimp cocktail appetizers. The Golden Gate will also showcase historic Vegas artifacts that include slot machines and the city's first ever telephone. There's also the hotel's famous shrimp cocktails, a dish that has been served up more than 25 million times. But above all else, a trip through the Golden Gate doors gives you a glimpse into Vegas's past. "We've been hear through the Roaring (1920s)," said Brandenburg. "Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. drank here and played here." Sinatra and Davis aren't walking through those doors, but it looks like a Las Vegas original is finally roaring again. Pete Griffin is part of the Junior Reporter program at Fox News. Get more information on the program here.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »

FOXNews.com: 6 simple questions that will save you money on vacation

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

6 simple questions that will save you money on vacation Sep 26th 2012, 18:00 The right question can get you a free upgrade, cheaper airfare, or a lower rate on a hotel. Here, the simple phrases travel experts use to score a deal. When it comes to saving money on travel, we all know to check discount sites, follow our favorite airlines on social media, and monitor our frequent flier points. But did you know that you can save big bucks just by opening your mouth? It turns out that some honest-to-goodness human-to-human interaction can help you win discounts on hotel, cruise, and flight bookings. We asked four travel experts--Matt Kempes of NomadicMatt.com; George Hobica, founder of AirfareWatchdog.com; Jaime Freedman of TravelZoo.com; and Clem Bason, president of Hotwire.com--for simple questions every traveler should be asking to save money. Their answers, er, questions, are below. Is there an upgrade available? Though it may not be in our nature as Americans to haggle or barter for a deal, never feel too shy to request upgrades at airports and hotels. "Just ask all the time," says Clem Bason, president of Hotwire.com. "Ninety-eight percent of people simply don't ask. The worst answer you'll get back is no." Jaime Freedman of TravelZoo.com says, "I've seen instances where at the very last second they had business class available, so they offered it as an up-sell incredibly inexpensively." George Hobica, founder of AirfareWatchdog.com, notes that airlines would rather up-sell you a seat in business or first class at a fraction of the cost than be forced to give away those expensive seats for free to members of loyalty programs. US Airways, for example, runs a last-minute program called GoUpgrades; beginning 24 hours before your flight, unsold first-class seats can be purchased for between $50 and $500 depending on the length of the flight. When it comes to hotels, the same policy applies: Ask and you (may) receive. "Always say what you're celebrating," says Freedman. "Drop that it's your honeymoon, your birthday. You just never know what kind of little special things a hotel has in store." If you have kids, she says, ask about a suite upgrade. And if you're a member of a hotel chain's loyalty program, Bason recommends asking for waived fees, free parking, kids' meals, breakfast, or Wi-If. Has the price changed for my seat/room? "Most people don't realize that there's a pretty good chance that a hotel booking is going to go down in price between the time you book it and the time you arrive," says AirfareWatchdog's George Hobica. Hotel rooms and airline seats fluctuate in price, so once you've booked, it (literally) pays to check the price for a ticket or room every day until your vacation. If you see that the price has gone down, call the airline or hotel directly to see what they can do for you. In many cases, you may be able to cancel your reservation and rebook at a lower price. According to a 2011 post by Hobica on AirfareWatchdog.com, airlines like JetBlue, Southwest, and Alaska Airlines may offer you a travel voucher for the difference in price. Others, depending on policy, might simply allow you to cancel your flight and rebook at the lower rate. But buyer beware: Change fees can apply to rebooked flights, so be sure your discount is worth it. Are you running any local deals? Being savvy with social media can obviously pay off when traveling. Restaurants, spas, and museums may use local deal sites--like Groupon or LivingSocial--to offer discounts on admission or services. It's always a good bet to sign up in advance for such websites to begin tracking where deals are occurring in your vacation destination. "Go where the deal is," says Freedman. "More and more companies are starting [to offer local deals] as the competition increases." Don't know where to start? Ask your friendly neighborhood concierge, says Bason. This especially applies at resort hotels, he says, where the concierge is likely to have or know about promotions and specials that might not be otherwise advertised. The added benefit is that you get to experience your destination like a local. "When [deals] are sourced locally, it means you're going to places that aren't designed for tourists," says Freedman, and are consequently less expensive. Hey, why should locals have all the fun? What's the resident rate? What you don't know about booking a cruise can cost you. One hidden savings gem: the resident rate. You may be able to cruise for less if you're willing to depart from a port in your own state. And with ports of departure now in over a dozen states, you have a better chance than ever before of being able to leave from your home state. If you live reasonably near a cruise port, ask your agent about the rate for in-state residents, which Freedman says cruises offer at a deep discount to increase sales. "It's wonderful when you can cruise from home. Basically you're going on a Caribbean vacation with no airfare." Freedman notes that while discounts for residents can vary, in-staters may be able to save up to 25 percent on a cruise. In addition, when it comes to cruises, negotiate with your travel agent when you cruise, says Hobica. Agents are offered incentives from the cruise line and can pass that along to you. Don't be afraid to ask for perks like shipboard credits, which will help you save you on amenities. Is there a tourism card available? Matt Kempes of NomadicMatt.com suggests always asking at the tourism office about a city pass. Popular destinations like Paris, London, and New York offer passes that include admission to high-profile attractions. Some even include free public transportation or allow you to skip notoriously long lines at tourist hotspots. New York City offers several varieties of passes that allow you to tailor your experience. The CityPass ($89 for adults, $64 for children) gets you admission to six main attractions including the Empire State Building Observatory, the American Museum of Natural History, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. You save 46 percent on combined admission--that's $76 per adult! Where are you going tonight? Ok, that question may sound a little creepy. But don't let that stop you from asking tourism board or visitor center staffers for their own personal recommendations--not where they send tourists, but where they go themselves. They'll know where to find the best off-the-beaten-path venues and cultural events, says Freedman, as well as which ones are running deals. When it comes to sustenance, chances are they won't point you in the direction of expensive tourist traps. As Kempes says, "You're not going to find New Yorkers eating in Times Square." Eating at local restaurants or buying at markets the locals use will save you a huge mark-up and give you a more authentic taste of the area.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »

FOXNews.com: Asian Airline offers baby-free 'quiet zone'

FOXNews.com FOX News Network - We Report. You Decide. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Asian Airline offers baby-free 'quiet zone' Sep 26th 2012, 12:45 An airline that serves Southeast Asia is adding a free perk for travelers who want to make sure that their long-haul flight doesn't include the sound of crying children. Starting on Friday, AsiaAirlines is introducing seating in a baby-free 'quiet zone' that will keep passengers under the age of 12 away from other passengers.  Here's how it works.  According the airline's website, the carrier will reserve the first seven economy class rows "exclusively for guests age 12 and above," at no additional fee.  The only cost will be if the seat has more legroom, which the airline already charges for. Families with children under 12 will be relegated to the back of the plane. While the perk ensures the segregation of crying children, it doesn't control the noise of the adults who like to talk loudly on their phone or crank up the music on their headphones.   So will a plan like this work in the U.S.? Probably not says George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com. "Logistically, it's a nightmare for an airline to allocate certain seats for certain people," Hobica told NBC's Overhead Bin. "The last time they had to do this was back when there were smoking and non-smoking sections. Even if you were just one row away from the smoking section, you still got the smoke and you'll still hear the screams ... if a child has strong lungs." Also some have noted that airlines might even face lawsuits from angry parents.  "It's already hard enough for families to find seating together," says one blogger at the Cranky Flier.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

Read more »