Ready, set, travel: The holiday rush to the airports and highways is underway
It’s beginning to look a lot like a hectic holiday travel season, but it might go relatively smoothly if the weather cooperates. Travel over Christmas and New Year’s tends to spread out over many days, so the peaks in the U.S. are likely to be lower than they were during...
Forgoing traditional Christmas celebrations to travel is becoming more common
Melinda Cody of Allegheny Township has implemented a Christmas strike, and she’s never been happier. For decades, Cody — a wife and mother of two adult children — prepped, baked, cooked, decorated, shopped, organized and wrapped gifts, providing a traditional Christmas experience for her family with all the expected holiday...
Daycation Destination: Indiana, Pa., is ‘Christmas Tree Capital of the World’
It’s the birthplace of a famous Hollywood star and a major holiday destination dubbed the “Christmas Tree Capital of the World.” Take a Daycation Destination trip to Indiana, Pa., set amid the rural, scenic foothills of the Allegheny Mountains in Indiana County, about an hour east of Pittsburgh. It’s home...
15 interesting and underrated European museums
For every world-famous European museum like the Louvre or Prado, there’s one that flies under the radar. The following collection is made up of both quirky and unusual museums and those that are home to world-class collections but just aren’t as well known as they should be. Bottle Peter’s Museum,...
Grizzly bear mother, cubs is highlight of Penn Township man’s trek out West
(Editor’s Note: Penn Township resident Robert Szypulski and his son, Scott Szypulski, of Oakland, share their latest trips to the western United States. They are regular visitors to our nation’s national parks.) Autumn is a perfect time to hike or drive through western mountains and national parks. Cooler temps and...
If you haven’t started your Thanksgiving trip, you’re not alone. The busiest days are still to come
The late crush of holiday travelers is picking up steam, with about 2.7 million people expected to board flights on Wednesday and millions more planning to drive to Thanksgiving celebrations. Airline officials say they are confident that they can avoid the kind of massive disruptions that have marred past holiday...
Giving thanks isn’t just a holiday tradition. It’s part of how humans evolved
NEW YORK — It’s the season of giving thanks — and it turns out humans have been doing it for a long, long time. As more researchers dig into the science of gratitude, they’ve found the feeling likely played a key role in helping our ancestors band together and survive....
Record crowds are expected to take to the air and roads for Thanksgiving
DALLAS — Despite inflation and memories of past holiday travel meltdowns, millions of people are expected to hit airports and highways in record numbers over the Thanksgiving break. The busiest days to fly will be Tuesday and Wednesday as well as the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The Transportation Security Administration expects...
Planning and patience required when traveling with children over the holidays
Traveling with small children can be stressful. Traveling with small children during the hectic holidays can add another layer of stress. Thankfully, local experts have tips for surviving holiday travel with young ones. “You have to have patience,” said Joe Weigler, who owns Pittsburgh-based Shadyside Travel. “You have to go...
Driving or flying before feasting? Here are some tips for Thanksgiving travelers
CONCORD, N.H. — Getting a big holiday meal on the table can be stressful for the cook (see “The Bear,” Season two, Episode six.) But for guests, just getting to the table also can be difficult, and there’s no Butterball hotline for harried travelers. The number of people traveling 50...
Millennial Money: These Airbnb horror stories can teach you what to watch for
Many frequent travelers carry tales of delayed flights and disappointing hotel rooms. Yet Airbnb “horror stories” are a genre all their own. Videos with the tag #AirbnbHorrorStory have more than 63 million views on TikTok, featuring guests venting about unclean properties and last-minute cancellations leaving them stranded. The website Airbnbhell...
History and mystery merge at former West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville
Explore a Gothic-style fortress, prehistoric burial ground and more with a daycation trip to Moundsville, W.Va. Sitting about 70 miles south of Pittsburgh, Moundsville is tucked along the Ohio River in Marshall County. First settled in 1771 by James and Samuel Tomlinson of England and originally known as Grave Creek,...
Right turn on red? With pedestrian deaths rising, U.S. cities are considering bans
CHICAGO — Sophee Langerman was on her way to a bicycle safety rally in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood in June when a car turning right rolled through a red light and slammed into her bike, which she was walking off the curb and into the crosswalk. The car was moving slowly...
Tens of thousands of Las Vegas hotel workers at 18 casinos could go on strike this month
LAS VEGAS — Tens of thousands of Las Vegas hotel workers set a deadline Thursday for a sweeping strike, threatening major disruptions to the city’s economic backbone that could coincide with the Strip’s inaugural Formula 1 races later this month. The Culinary Workers Union said about 35,000 members whose contracts...
Why travelers expecting sticker shock could see sweet relief instead
Dining out is more expensive than ever. The cost of gas is rising again. And the price of travel — including airfare and hotels — has kept pace. Right? Not exactly. Airfare costs declined by 13% between September 2022 and September 2023, according to September 2023 Consumer Price Index data...
Exploring Colorado’s Grand Mesa, the largest flat-top mountain in the world
MESA COUNTY, Colo. — Spencer Christensen is conflicted when he talks about Colorado’s Grand Mesa. “As a person who likes the Grand Mesa for personal reasons, I want it to be kept secret,” he said. “But as a business owner who has the Grand Mesa Lodge, it’s just the opposite....
United Airlines rolling out plan that lets passengers in economy class with window seats board first
United Airlines says that it will start boarding passengers in economy class with window seats first starting next week, a move that will speed up boarding times for flights. The airline said in an internal memo that it will implement the plan on Oct. 26. The plan, known as WILMA,...
Major airlines suspend flights to Israel after massive attack by Hamas ignites heavy fighting
NEW YORK — Major airlines have suspended flights to Israel after the nation declared war following a massive attack by Hamas. American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines suspended service as the U.S. State Department issued travel advisories for the region citing potential for terrorism and civil unrest. American...
Chicago woman, 104, skydives from plane, aiming for record as the world’s oldest skydiver
OTTAWA, Ill. — A 104-year-old Chicago woman is hoping to be certified as the oldest person to ever skydive after making a tandem jump Sunday and landing 13,500 feet (4,100 meters) later at a northern Illinois airport. “Age is just a number,” Dorothy Hoffner told a cheering crowd moments after...
Fall foliage: There are plenty of Western Pennsylvania options for the season’s splendor
Fall brings pumpkin spice everything, a “Gilmore Girls” binge or two, knit beanie caps and, of course, an abundance of photos of the one thing Pennsylvania is never short of — fall foliage. A fall foliage prediction map created by Smoky Mountains, a promotional site for the Smoky Mountains region,...
Disney pouring $60B into theme parks, cruises over the next 10 years
The Walt Disney Co. is planning to invest approximately $60 billion into its theme parks and cruise lines over the next decade, as the company looks to continue growing one of its more successful business segments. The company said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday that the planned investment is...
Spirit Airlines to add daily flights between Pittsburgh and Miami
Pittsburghers will soon have another travel option to get to South Florida. Spirit Airlines said Monday that it will begin new nonstop service between Pittsburgh International Airport and Miami International Airport on Nov. 15 The low-cost carrier will offer daily flights leaving Pittsburgh at 11:29 a.m. and arriving in Miami...
An equipment outage holds up United flights, but the airline and FAA say they’re resuming
United Airlines departures have resumed after being halted nationwide for a brief time Tuesday because of a technology outage. Federal officials said that United crews had been unable to contact airline dispatchers through normal means. “United asked the FAA to pause the airline’s departures nationwide,” the Federal Aviation Administration said...
Squeezing in one last summer trip over Labor Day weekend? Expect crowded airports and full flights
DALLAS — By some measures, air travelers have enjoyed a less stressful summer than last year, but canceled flights remain elevated as airlines face their last big test of the prime vacation season: Labor Day weekend. The Federal Aviation Administration predicts that this will be the third busiest holiday weekend...
Canada issues U.S. travel advisory warning LGBTQ+ community about laws that may affect them
TORONTO — Canada this week updated its travel advisory to the U.S., warning members of the LGBTQ+ community that some American states have enacted laws that may affect them. The country’s Global Affairs department did not specify which states, but is advising travelers to check the local laws for their...
