Just how much would the 12 days of Christmas cost us today? PNC has calculated the total cost of the gifts in this original Christmas song--from the partridge in a pear tree to hiring 12 drummers--and has a fun online video explaining how they got the [...] 
Still haven't booked your holiday travel? According to BestFares.com CEO Tom Parsons, "through January 4, 2010, travelers can buy tickets for the 48 contiguous
states and Canada at the last minute without necessarily paying more." Many airlines waved their advance purchase requirements, including American, United, Delta, Northwest,' [...] 
Dochodo is not your typical zoo. According to Inhabitat, "JDS Architects have created an incredible plan for a zoo located on the South Korean island of Dochodo. The island could... be a 'case
study to define a tourist region based on sustainable development only,
where natures and structures'" [...] 
The UK is giving us one more reason to love their iconic phone booths. One booth in Westbury-sub-Mendip in Somerset has been turned into the world's smallest library, shelving some 100 books. Villagers in the town can "check out" a book any time they want, [...] 
Where to dine in Paris--the city of chocolate, baguettes, and fromage--if
you have a strict diet? Check out EuroCheapo's guide to Paris for
vegetarians, vegans, and travelers with dietary restrictions, such as
lactose intolerance or wheat-free diets. [EuroCheapo]
Fancy a ski getaway this winter? The New York Times has a round up of America's top ten ski resorts, with tips on how to save money on hotels, plane tickets, and where to find lift tickets for under $50. [New York Times]
Are you going to Europe in January? If your name is Michael, Sarah, Christopher, Jennifer, Matthew, Lauren, Joshua, or Amanda, you could stay in a hostel for free. A&O Hotels & Hostels is giving away free rooms (up to a week) in Berlin, Dresden, Duesseldorf, [...] 
This year, inspired by our ever-popular "I Heart My City"
series on Intelligent Travel, we're reveling in the holiday season by
asking our readers to share their favorite ways to celebrate in their
cities. Today's city-lover is travel writer Anne-Sophie Redisch, who gives us a glimpse of [...] 
Tired of the same old evergreen Christmas tree? BrilliantTrips.com has a neat photo gallery of unique Christmas trees around the world, like this one on O'Connell Street in Dublin, Ireland. [BrilliantTrips]
This year, inspired by our ever-popular "I Heart My City"
series on Intelligent Travel, we're reveling in the holiday season by
asking our readers to share their favorite ways to celebrate in their
cities. Today's city-lover is Brendan McGuigan, who gives us a glimpse of Calgary.
Through December 30, Omni Hotels is offering 50 percent off your second night's stay. During the "Spirits and Sprinkles" offer, Omni Hotels across the country (like Omni San Antonio at the Colonnade, which features a gingerbread Alamo, above) will also serve festive cocktails, like [...] 
This year, inspired by our ever-popular "I Heart My City"
series on Intelligent Travel, we're reveling in the holiday season by
asking our readers to share their favorite ways to celebrate in their
cities. Today's city-lover is Aysegul Surenkok, who shows us what Christmas is like in Istanbul.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Tamiami Trail Bridge Project will begin at 1:30 p.m. today at Everglades National Park. The project will include a bridge and other road modifications that will allow more water to flow into the park. [NPS]
The Thomas Edison National Historical Park in New Jersey has just renovated the laboratory complex. Check out the heavy machine shop (above), his drafting room, the music room, or the new phonograph room. The halls of Glenmont--the Victorian home that Edison shared with his second [...] 
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore offers candlelight tours on December 5 from 6-9 p.m. The park is known as being the birthplace of the Star-Spangled Banner. [NationalParksTraveler]
Sometimes, a greasy cheeseburger is the last thing I want to eat before sitting on a six-hour flight. But according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, several airports offer an array of healthy choices for travelers. In the 2009 Airport Food Review (a [...] 
Hello city-lovers! Ashley Biggers writes to us from the Southwest, where she's an associate editor at New Mexico Magazine, to tell us why she loves her hometown of Albuquerque.
Even if you want to take home jars full of Aunt Fanny's homemade cranberry sauce for leftovers after Thanksgiving, TSA says to leave the cranberry sauce behind, as the "3-1-1" rules (3 ounces of liquid in a one-quart bag for one person) still apply during [...] 
Headed to the Berkshires this Thanksgiving weekend? Before you go, check out Berkfordable.com, which lists heaps of affordable (or free!) things to do in this Massachusetts getaway, from free wine tastings to free museums for the kids. [Berkfordable]
MailOnSunday.co.uk has a great roundup of the world's "ugliest" buildings, like this television tower in Prague (above), or the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre in Baltimore. [MailOnSunday.co.uk]
Have you always wanted to see the famous Christmastime Macy's window displays? A new exhibit at the National Museum of American History features the art and business of commercial holiday displays, according to USA Today. The exhibit also details the history of the creation of Macy's' [...] 
Yahoo! and the Times Square Alliance have teamed up to offer free Wi-Fi
in New York's now pedestrian-only area. For the next year (and
hopefully after that), just log on to m.yahoo.com to access the free internet. [Gadling]
Legos and World Heritage Sites are probably two of my favorite things, so when I found that someone has combined the two, it made my day. Eco-site Environmental Graffiti has an awesome photo gallery of these great Lego creations, like the Red Square, above. [...] 
'Tis the season of giving, and Google is giving away free Wi-Fi to travelers during the holidays. Through January 15, airport Wi-Fi will be available for free in 47 airports, like Seattle-Tacoma, Milwaukee, Baltimore-Washington, and Houston. Check out www.freeholidaywifi.com for the full list of' [...] 
Tired of peeling off the stickers of the fruit you just bought? The FDA is in the final stages of approving technology that uses a low-energy carbon dioxide laser beam to label fruit. The laser, which is currently being used in New Zealand and Australia, is [...] 
In celebration of Veteran's Day, the National Park Service will offer free entry for all to any of its parks. Said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, "The Department of the Interior
is honored to offer this fee free day to thank our nation's service men
and women." [...] 
Advocates in L.A. is lobbying to change some city streets to "ciclovias," or bike-only streets, on Sundays. cicLAvia member and director Green L.A. Institute Jonathan Parfrey told the L.A. Times, "This city is so park poor, and so car dependent.... Air
pollution is awful and childhood obesity" [...] 
We've all done it--used our luggage as a seat while waiting in endless lines at the airport. But Dutch designer Erik De Nijs took that action to a whole new level when he created Suited Case, a collection of suitcases that can be fitted together to' [...] 
The hills are alive, with the sound of... Google? Google recently opened its offices in Zurich, Switzerland, and certainly knew how to integrate Swiss culture into the office, as evident by these meeting rooms--in the form of ski gondolas--above. [FastCompany]
National Geographic Magazine's International Photo Contest has just ended, and there are some great submissions, like this one taken in Shanghai.
A South Korea court has ruled that cab drivers can continue to have
televisions on their dashboards, despite the obvious risk of getting
into an accident. The BBC reports, "The ruling comes after a taxi
driver challenged a $507 (£311) fine imposed by the local authorities
in the capital, Seoul." [...] 
National Geographic Magazine's International Photo Contest has just ended, and there are some great submissions, like this one taken in Bangkok.
For the past month, 10 slabs of the Berlin Wall have been installed outside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). According to thelocal.de,
"The 2.6-tonne slabs have been made available to artists, who have been
given free rein to make their own statements on" [...] 
National Geographic Magazine's International Photo Contest has just ended, and there are some great submissions, like this one taken in India's Ganges River.
Last week, National Geographic Traveler assistant editor Janelle Nanos got to chat with legendary actor and World War II enthusiast Tom Hanks, who has "perhaps done more than anyone in Hollywood today to help tell the stories of the war with the film Saving Private" [...] 
For the first time, tickets to the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be awarded by online lottery system. Fill out the application between November 4 at 12:01 a.m. EST and
November 6 at 11:59 p.m. EST for a chance to win one of 10,000 [...] 
Going to the World Series this year? Whether you're a Phillies or Yankees fans (I'm just upset my hometown Nationals forgot how to play ball this year), here are some tips on traveling in both cities.
Looking for a Thanksgiving getaway? Aspen, Colorado's Hotel Jerome is offering a "120th Anniversary Celebration" package between November 25-29. For $1,889 (half the usual price--and the year the hotel opened), guests get: four-night's accommodation for two in a junior suite, lift tickets for two days, [...] 
If you find yourself around D.C. this Halloween weekend, look out for some sweet-looking traffic cones. Street artist diabetik has been installing Candy Cones all around the city. Has anyone in your hometown done anything eye-catching for Halloween? [Laughing Squid]
Budapest's Museum of Fine Arts just opened "From Botticelli to Titian: Masterpieces of Two Centuries of Italian Painting," on display through February 14, 2010. The large-scale exhibit, which will feature some 130 Renaissance paintings borrowed from 50 museums (like the Met, the Louvre, and [...] 
JetBlue has partnered with car-rental company Hertz to offer a great contest. Here's the deal: enter your information on the Jet & Drive Giveaway homepage everyday through January 31, 2010. Each day, JetBlue will give away a $100 Hertz gift card, or a $2500 Hertz [...] 
Never seen snow before? Check out Colorado's "Snow at First Sight" competition, which offers the winner--a "snow virgin"--a three-month, all-expenses-paid trip to Colorado, complete with skiiing, snowboarding, dogsledding, snowmobiling, and any other snow-related sport you can imagine. To enter, submit a short video explaining why [...] 
Rotterdam's new city hall will be the greenest building in the Netherlands, thanks to designer Rem Koolhaas. The building's modular design will require fewer resources to build, and is easy to add to if the structure ever needs to expand. [FastCompany]
