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Orchard Road in Singapore gets its name from the plantations that lined it throughout the 19th century. Nowadays, it's a singular shopping destination, with 22 malls and six department stores.

For the seasoned traveler, few things are as gratifying as when someone notices an object you bought during your journeys, be it from Paris, Tokyo or São Paulo. The thrill isn’t just in the nod to a jet-setting lifestyle — it’s also in the chance to reminisce about a past adventure.

Slideshow: 10 of the world’s top shopping streets

No matter which type of shopper you are, perusing a country’s wares is an essential part of traveling — not just because of what you might buy, but also because of the experience you’ll have while doing it: discovering a store, falling in love with something fantastic, interacting with a salesperson and walking out with a treasure.

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Yuri Gripas / Reuters

American chain Five Guys excels at made-to-order burgers with fresh beef on a squishy bun, and hand-cut French fries.

Fast food may conjure up those ubiquitous Golden Arches, but the concept has come a long way from frozen burgers and limp fries. The best fast-food chains around the world are getting serious about quality, offering up bowls of slow-simmered pork ramen, freshly baked baguette sandwiches, and sustainably caught fish for the masses.

Slideshow: See where to find the best fast-food chains

For travelers looking to eat like the locals, fast-food chains represent a convenient, often inexpensive taste of how everyday residents in far-flung cities like to eat. Some menus are more traditional than others: Teremok in Russia serves cooked-to-order blini with classic Russian toppings like caviar or smoked salmon; while Goli Vada Pav No. 1 in India adds modern twists like cheddar cheese to vada pav, the fried potato patty sandwich that’s an Indian street food staple.

Many chains have long-standing histories in their home country: “We’ve been around since 1951, so it’s like we’re a part of the fabric of the province,” says Josée Vaillancourt of the Canadian rotisserie chicken chain St. Hubert. “If people want to live the Quebec way, they have to try our chicken.”

German seafood chain Nordsee began as a commercial fishing enterprise way back in 1896 and now sells a rotating selection of sustainable seafood. Spokesman Michael Scheibe says a visit to the chain allows travelers to share both history and “the German love for seasonal products.”

Keep in mind that etiquette may be different than what you’re used to at American homegrown fast-food chains. At Nordsee, for example, it’s common for strangers to ask to share a table, while Saudi Arabian fried chicken chain Al Baik provides separate seating areas for women with families and single men. Some of the chains are less “fast food” and more “date-night” in atmosphere; sit-down Italian franchise Rossopomodoro, for example, features wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas and local wines.

Granted, fast-food chains aren’t exactly hidden gems. A steak at Brazilian chain Giraffas will probably not replicate the experience of an authentic churrascaria; a bowl of ramen at Ippudo may not match the thrill of discovering an underground noodle shop in Tokyo. But they have their own quirky appeal and dish out a quick fix of local culture and cuisine.

More from Travel + Leisure

• World’s top fast-food restaurants
• A-List: World’s top travel agents
• See Travel + Leisure's slideshows
• See Travel + Leisure's blog

Lucy Pemoni / AP

The USS Missouri, or "Mighty Mo," served in World War II, the Korean War and the Gulf War and is now anchored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

In our current rapidly changing academic environment, today's studies quickly become yesterday's test results. Students learn the material, test on it and move to the next subject matter. In this quick-paced mode, U.S. history rarely makes an impression on children, but it's one of the most important lessons each one should know. After all, as the old adage goes, if we don't know our history, we're bound to repeat it.

To more fully educate kids -- and make sure it sticks with them -- consider taking them to one of these top historical sites where they not only can learn history, but they also can experience it through interactive exhibits, firsthand accounts and thought-provoking audio-visuals.

1. Washington, D.C.

Our nation's capital, Washington, D.C., is the prime location for learning about our national government and how it functions. At the U.S. Capitol, children can see how our senators and congressmen craft bills that are voted into law, or visit the U.S. Supreme Court, where visitors may watch the justices hear and vote on cases with national implications.

However, this district also is a treasure trove of American history. At the National Archives and Records Administration, visitors can see the original documents that formed the basis for the American government: the Charters of Freedom, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence.

The Smithsonian Institution alone covers more topics than you can digest in a single visit: American history, American Indian history, air and space, arts and industries. The material is so vast it fills 19 museums and galleries, as well as the National Zoological Park.

Then there are the memorials and monuments that commemorate many of our great leaders, along with the many men and women that gave their lives in service to our country. Many of these attractions are located along the National Mall, although several more are spread throughout the city. And, of course, there's the White House, where the president lives and conducts business.

Of special note: Although not based in U.S. history, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum should be included on every family's itinerary. At this museum, kids will get a deeper understanding of the persecution and murder of the Jewish people in Europe before and during World War II.

Recommended Hotel: Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center.

2. Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg, Va.

See where the United States of America got its start at Jamestown, America's first permanent English colony, settled in 1607. At the Jamestown Settlement museum, you can see how these earliest residents developed their community with such re-created settings as a Powhatan Indian village, 1607 English ships and a 1610 colonial fort.

Nearby at the Yorktown Victory Center, families can see where the British surrendered to American and French forces to effectively end the Revolutionary War, which set the stage for the official formation of the United States of America. This museum showcases life during these times through an open-air exhibit walkway and many indoor exhibition galleries.

In neighboring Colonial Williamsburg, visitors can explore a re-created 18th-century town complete with original buildings, homes, shops and public buildings encompassing more than 300 acres. Not only can you see how daily life during this era was conducted, but you also can learn the stories behind the political movement that led to the fight for independence from England.

Recommended Hotel: Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg.

3. Philadelphia

Like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia is home to numerous historic sites and attractions that played a role in American history. For instance, there is Carpenters' Hall, the meeting place of the First Continental Congress, or Independence Hall, where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were brought to life. Then there is Pennsylvania Hospital, the country's first hospital, which was co-founded by Benjamin Franklin. The Liberty Bell Center is home to the iconic symbol of freedom for America. And who doesn't want to see the U.S. Mint, where pocket change and commemorative coins are made?

A great starting point is the Independence Visitor Center, where you can get a comprehensive overview of the city's culture and history. To aid you in navigating the city's attractions, consider the AudioWalk and Tour, a 74-minute narrated walking tour of the city's historic sites and parts of Society Hill.

Recommended Hotel: Loews Philadelphia Hotel.

4. Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii

On Dec. 7, 1941, America experienced a horrific attack on home soil when Japan bombed the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. More than 3,500 Americans were killed or wounded, with 350 aircraft destroyed or damaged. All eight battleships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were sunk or badly damaged. The next day, Congress declared war on Japan, and three days later, on December 11th, Congress declared war on Germany. The United States was now involved in World War II.

Located on the island of Oahu, the Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum and Visitor Center is part of the Pacific Historic Parks, although the USS Arizona is managed by the National Park Service. The memorial is constructed over the remains of the sunken battleship, which is also the final resting place for much of its crewmen killed during the attack. Visitors can tour the site by purchasing tickets at the visitor center, where they also can see a 23-minute film documenting the attack. In addition, an audio tour is available to guide you through the visitor center and surrounding area.

Seeing this site and hearing the survivors' first-person accounts of this life-altering event are something both children and adults should experience.

Recommended Hotel: Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa.

5. Manhattan Project, in Tennessee

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, it became clear that the United States had to enter World War II. As such the "Manhattan Project" was initiated, which consisted of three cities that would produce the world's first atomic weapons. Unlike its counterparts -- Los Alamos, N.M., and Hanford, Wash. -- Oak Ridge, Tenn., was built specifically for this project. Carved out of 59,000 acres of rural farmland in 1942, this city rapidly grew to a population of 75,000 people in less than three years -- all without anyone knowing of its existence.

In Oak Ridge, three main buildings -- K-25, X-10 and Y-12 -- housed the majority of the work that produced plutonium 239 and uranium 235 for the atomic bombs. Today, visitors can see some of these facilities as part of the free bus tour offered by the American Museum of Science and Energy. In fact, at AMSE, visitors can get an in-depth look at Oak Ridge's history at the museum's exhibit "Oak Ridge: World War II's 'Secret City.'" It's amazing to see not only what was accomplished in this new town, but also the great lengths everyone involved took to ensure its secrecy.

Of special note: Take the kids to nearby Clinton, the site of the first integrated high school in the country. At the Green McAdoo Cultural Center, they can see how these turbulent events unfolded in a small Southern town, and learn how the community refused to give in to outsiders who insisted on creating havoc wherever they could.

Also a short drive away, families can stop at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris. This living history museum features pioneer, frontier and early artifacts of mountain life in the southern Appalachians. While the museum is stocked with a number of items, the focus actually is on the people who carved a way of life for themselves out of some very harsh conditions.

Recommended Hotel: Wilderness at the Smokies Resort.

6. Gettysburg, Penn.

Touted as a turning point, the Battle of Gettysburg resulted in 51,000 casualties -- the war's bloodiest battle -- as the Union squashed General Robert E. Lee's second invasion of the North. At the Gettysburg National Military Park, you can examine this conflict from start to finish, beginning at the National Park Service Museum and Visitor Center. Here you will find interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations and relics of the battle, as well as more extensive information in the Resource Room and the Museum Bookstore.

To further explore the park, you can embark upon a tour of the battlefield with a licensed battlefield guide or take a guided bus tour. You also can discover the battlefield at your own pace. In addition, there are year-round Ranger programs to aid visitors in learning about the people and events of Gettysburg. In fact, there are several geared specifically for children, including the Junior Ranger program, where kids complete three activities in order to become official Junior Rangers.

Of special note: A related site worth visiting is Shiloh National Military Park in Shiloh, Tenn. The site of "Bloody Shiloh," Shiloh National Military Park commemorates the April 1862 battle that resulted in more than 23,000 casualties.

Recommended Hotel: Wyndham Gettysburg.

7. Plimoth Plantation, in Massachusetts

At Plimoth Plantation, families can travel back in time to when Native Americans and the Pilgrims cohabitated. The bicultural museum offers an interactive learning experience, utilizing interpreters, exhibits and programs to teach about the Wampanoag people and explore issues that have affected their community throughout the ages. Plimoth holds children's programs, including week-long summer clubs and overnight 17th Century Sleepovers. Kids typically have the choice to have a Pilgrim or a Wampanoag experience.

Together, families can tour the Mayflower II, stroll around a Pilgrim village from the 1600s, view rare breeds at the barn or make period crafts. Similar to Williamsburg, staff at Plimoth are dressed in period pieces, making history more fun for children. The historical experience doesn't end at lunchtime. At Patuxet Cafe, families sit down to sample foods that resemble a traditional Thanksgiving Day meal, signifying the meeting of two the cultures. For picky eaters, the restaurant also serves American favorites, like cheeseburgers and fries. Plimoth offers an entire day to become immersed in another world and to appreciate the struggles of each community as they joined together to survive in the New World.

Recommended Hotel: Hyannis Harbor Hotel.

8. Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, in Southeast

In the 1830s, the Cherokee Indian people were forced from their homelands throughout the southeastern United States and relocated to reservations in Oklahoma. Hundreds of Cherokee died during this mandatory march west, and thousands more died due to the consequences of this move, earning this event the name "Trail of Tears." The routes taken to evacuate and relocate the Cherokee have been collectively documented and commemorated by the National Park Service in the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.

The trail encompasses nine states -- Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee -- and includes homes, sites, cultural centers and state parks with historical significance to the Trail of Tears. Because it is so widespread, visitors have the opportunity to learn about this momentous event in American history without necessarily making stops at every site.

Recommended Hotel: Staybridge Suites Chattanooga Downtown.

9. Space Center Houston

The official visitor center for Johnson Space Center, Space Center Houston delves into man's foray into space, examining the evolution and advancement of both the equipment and technology necessary to send a man to the moon and beyond. Visitors also can see firsthand what goes into being an astronaut, from training to completing a mission.

In addition, families can take part in a NASA tram tour, where they get to journey through the Johnson Space Center, with such highlights as the Historic Mission Control Center, the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility and the current Mission Control Center. Because the space center is working year-round, you may even get to see astronauts training for an upcoming mission.

Especially for children, the Kids Space Place invites kids to experience life as an astronaut via interactive exhibits and themed areas that showcase the various aspects of space, as well as the manned space flight program.

Recommended Hotel: Houston Regency Houston.

10. Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site, in Atlanta

The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that was instrumental in obtaining equal civil rights for all residents of the United States, regardless of skin color. To learn more about this historic figure in American history, a visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site is essential. Located in downtown Atlanta, the site is comprised of several facilities, including the Visitor Center, Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, The King Center and the Birth Home. There are several exhibits that document the life and career of Martin Luther King Jr. as well as the progression of the Civil Rights Movement. Especially geared for children, the "Children of Courage" interactive exhibit in the Visitor Center examines the story about the children of the Civil Rights Movement.

To assist you in making the most of your visit, the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site Web site features three itineraries that range from 30 minutes to three hours.

Recommended Hotel: Four Seasons Atlanta.

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Abdelhak Senna / AFP/Getty Images

Any meander in Marrakesh should start in the famous square of Djema El Fna, with its storytellers, snake charmers, henna artists and smoky ad hoc kitchens.

As any traveler worth their soles knows, to walk around a city is to experience its true essence. “Your brain functions quite differently when you walk,” says Scott Bricker, director of America Walks, a national nonprofit dedicated to promoting the health benefits of putting one foot in front of the other. “It’s good for your health, both physical and mental, and good for your fellow man, because you engage with the community you’re walking among.”

Slideshow: See the world's top walking cities

Pretty much any city can be experienced on foot, as the hordes of multilingual tour groups thronging the European capitals will attest. But what is it exactly that makes a city perfect for strolling? Is it a certain sort of pedestrian-friendly urban design? The streetscapes themselves, with their distinctive architecture and attractions? The climate? The warmth and vibrancy of the residents? Or is it perhaps something more ephemeral?

Of course, there are obvious peripatetic pleasures that most good walking cities have in common. A sense of history, gorgeous buildings and must-see landmarks (or views) all make for an experience better savored on foot. There’s also a specific kind of commerce that helps make a cityscape charming to explore by walking — like the ubiquitous sidewalk cafés without which cities like Paris, Vienna and Venice would be lesser versions of themselves.

Sometimes, though, it’s the less tangible things that make walking through the world’s urban centers uniquely fascinating. Like the smells of baking pan quotidien that emanate from countless boulangeries in early morning Paris, or the way the light glitters and reflects off of Tokyo’s glass skyscrapers. Or simply the childlike joy many of us feel when set loose in a strange, labyrinthine streetscape that promises adventure and the chance to get wonderfully lost. (Buon giorno, Venice!)

More and more cities these days seem to be inviting pedestrian exploration. Metropolises that have traditionally seemed daunting to walkers are reinventing themselves as strolling cities par excellence — for example, Cape Town (now luring visitors with new waterfront walking routes) and Hong Kong (with its leafy urban walking trails). Even Los Angeles and Atlanta — “two cities renowned for car culture,” as Bricker notes — are revitalizing their downtown areas to encourage walking.

From the High Line to Harajuku, we’ve found the world’s best urban environments in which to lose yourself for a few hours (or days), complete with iconic routes to explore.

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Courtesy Holiday World

Thrill seekers who don't mind getting wet are in luck. On Friday, Holiday World in Santa Claus, Ind., unveiled Mammoth, the world's longest water coaster.

When it comes to attracting customers, the attractions business is often likened to an arms race in which competing parks do battle over who has the biggest, fastest and wildest rides.

These days, you could say it’s being fought with water cannons as parks invest in new water rides that promise faster speeds, steeper drops and more intense thrills.

Case in point: the new Mammoth “water coaster” opened Friday at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Ind. Located in the park’s Splashin’ Safari area, the ride features seven hills, multiple twists and turns and a length of 1,763 feet, making it the longest water coaster in the world.

“It’s bigger than big,” said spokesperson Paula Werne of the 69-foot-high, $9-million ride. “We thought Wildebeest [the park’s existing water coaster] was huge but Mammoth takes it up a whole other notch.”

Other parks are also unveiling new water rides this summer, a trend that observers say speaks to both the competitive nature of the business and consumers’ expectations.

“If you’re not keeping up with the latest and greatest, you’re going to have trouble getting the kind of attendance you need to be successful,” said David Sangree, president of Hotel & Leisure Advisors LLC. “And with prices as high as $30 to $50 a day, you have some pretty high expectations.”

“The perception of water parks and water rides is making a shift,” said Brad Goodbody, marketing manager for ProSlide Technology Inc., the company that created Mammoth. “Previously, they were seen as theme parks’ poor cousins but now you have rides that will get people to come back month after month.”

If that sounds appealing, here are three new rides that’ll be making a splash this summer:

Courtesy Holiday World

Riders of Mammoth, the world's longest water coaster at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Ind., could experience feelings of weightlessness during the ride.

Mammoth
Like Wildebeest and a handful of other water coasters, Mammoth uses the same linear induction motor (LIM) technology — basically a series of magnets — that newer roller coasters use to propel passengers uphill. Seated in six-person circular rafts, riders may find themselves facing forward, sideways or backwards and may even experience the weightless feeling known as “air time” as they crest each hill.

“There’s nothing like seeing your friends and family members getting soaked, getting scared and screaming and laughing,” said Werne.

Mile High Flyer
Visitors to Water World in Denver will also be able to notch a water coaster experience this summer, albeit on a slightly smaller scale than at Splashin’ Safari. Set to open in mid-June, the LIM-powered Mile High Flyer will feature five hills, four-person rafts and speeds of 15 to 20 mph. In a novel twist, the park is incorporating sound effects, including the familiar click-click-click of a traditional coaster lift hill.

King Cobra
Take your typical tube slide, outfit it in red, white and black scales, and have it end in the gaping maw of one of the scariest species of snake on the planet and you have King Cobra, the newest addition to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Jackson, N.J.

Once in the belly of the beast, riders race down side-by-side tubes, hitting speeds of up to 32 mph, before plunging down a 25-foot, 50-degree slope that resembles a cobra’s extended hood and fanged jaws.

“It’s not a new technology,” said spokesperson Kristin Siebeneicher. “It’s a way to evolve the classic thrill of a waterslide.”

Alas, you’ll have to wait a little longer to experience it. The ride is expected to open in early July.

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Rob Lovitt is a longtime travel writer who still believes the journey is as important as the destination. Follow him at Twitter.

Tom Frankenburg, a 22-year-old student in England, had the perfect vacation planned: a trip for him and his girlfriend to Malta.

But then she broke up with him.

He tried to sell his vacation on eBay but learned he couldn't. He wanted his $1,600 trip to be enjoyed by a deserving pair, so he posted a video on YouTube offering to give it away for free.

"I genuinely want to get rid of this holiday and after a lot of thought, I thought this would be the best way to do it," he writes on his YouTube page. "It's going to be an interesting experience, something I'll remember forever and I think it's going to be fun.

He wants to personally choose the deserving two and is sorting through nominations for the trip. He plans a video to announce the winner in June. "I've seen some of the responses, and they're really kind of heartwarming stories, and they make you realize actually that my situation isn't that bad," he tells TODAY's Dara Brown.

According to Frankenburg's YouTube page, the vacation is scheduled for July 3-10 and includes direct flights between Malta and East Midlands Airport, a stay at the Hotel Fortina in Malta, and a car rental. 

What do you think about Frankenburg's actions? Tell us about it on Facebook. 

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The Plaza

This Mother's Day, consider treating mom to an Eloise Tea at The Palm Court, The Plaza, in New York.

Tea time provides a rare opportunity to combine something kids love (sweets!) with something moms demand (good manners!). Treat mom to a tea party this Mother’s Day at one of these delightful locales.

Eloise Tea and Simply Charming Tea at The Plaza – New York, N.Y.
“Skibble” off to The Plaza for a tea named for the hotel’s precocious fictional guest, Eloise. The menu includes such “mahvelous” items as kid-friendly finger sandwiches, mini chocolate cupcakes, Eloise shortbread cookies, and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Guests can sip cold pink lemonade or hot peppermint tea. (Daily. $30 children, $50 adults.) Afterwards, be sure to stop by the pink, pink, pink Eloise Boutique to watch Eloise movie clips, take in park views and purchase all things Eloise.

If you’re worried your little darling doesn’t have the table manners to attend such a fancy affair, sign up for a Simply Charming Tea. Lisa Taylor Richey, creator of Manners To Go, teaches children and their adult companions tea-specific etiquette such as how to properly pour tea as well as everyday manners like how and why to make eye contact. (Offered quarterly. $150 for etiquette instruction, tea for one child and one adult, an Eloise keepsake and "The Golden Rules of Etiquette at The Plaza" book).

The Peninsula Chicago

Afternoon Tea at The Lobby with Peter Bear, the mascot of The Peninsula Chicago.

Afternoon Tea at The Lobby, The Peninsula Chicago – Chicago
Well-behaved girls and boys dine on ham-and-cheese finger sandwiches, mini burgers, crisped rice treats and Jell-O squares while sipping tea or hot chocolate at The Lobby. Peter Bear, the mascot of The Peninsula Chicago, stops by to greet young guests tableside. Adults are served more sophisticated fare, like salmon with dill cream cheese and roasted vegetable with hummus. (Daily. $18 children, $25 with souvenir teddy bear. $42 adults or $50 with glass of Champagne.) 

Madeline’s Tea at Bemelmans Bar, The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel - New York, N.Y.
Inspired by the petite main character of the famous French book series, the Madeline Tea takes place in Bemelmans Bar, which is lined with murals painted by the author and illustrator himself, Ludwig Bemelmans. In addition to standard tea-time finger sandwiches, guests can choose from such buffet options as Teeny burgers and fries, Pipito’s crudités and dips, and an Eiffel Tower hot fudge sundae with a cherry on top. (Saturdays. $50 adults, $25 children.)

Nursery Tea at Crown & Crumpet Tea Salon - San Francisco
Decorated with an eclectic mix of playful flowered prints, this tea shop has a bright, modern feel different from many old-school tea houses. Children are presented with their own mini three-tiered stand stacked with small sandwiches, a house-made crumpet, and miniature sweet treats ($15). Tiny tea goers can wash down their nibbles with a pot of apple juice, hot chocolate or fruit tea served with heart-shaped sugar cubes. Adults can choose a similar tea-time menu ($28) or order quiches, salads and full-sized sandwiches from the lunch menu ($10-16). To ensure children are on their best behavior, you can order a princess-themed craft to keep young hands busy ($5).

Story Time Tea with Mrs. B at The Grill at Morrison House – Alexandria, Va.
Children are treated to a pot of hot chocolate and finger sandwiches, scones with jam, and bite-sized desserts at The Grill at Kimpton’s Morrison House. Grown-ups enjoy such dishes as curried chicken salad sandwiches, crab salad profiteroles, a sliver tray of sweets and organic teas. A Mother’s Day Tea on May 19 will include corsages and boutonnieres for “dress-up” and children will make cards and poems for their moms. (Monthly. $28 children, $38 adults.)

Manners instructor Rebecca Czarniecki (a.k.a. Mrs. B) hosts these Story Time Teas. Czarniecki recites a story or poem, oversees a craft project and visits with each table to give etiquette tips. She says, “Tea provides an environment where you can teach children and adults a variety of manners – how to hold silverware, use correct body language, and send thank-you notes to follow up after the event. And who doesn’t love a cup of tea?”   

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Woods Pierce

Staunton, Va. is blessed with the backdrop of the Shenandoah Valley and the main artery of Beverley Street, whose brick buildings amount to one of the highest concentrations of showy late-19th-century architecture in any U.S. town.

Driving across America, it’s all too easy to lose your mooring amid the commercial thicket of the same old fast-food outlets and big-box stores.  

Slideshow: See the greatest Main Streets in the U.S.A.

But push on a mile or two beyond the interstate exit, and you may discover a town that’s anchored by a distinctive Main Street — one with grand architecture, eclectic small businesses and community-oriented features such as a park or theater. Often it thrives thanks to locals who have made a conscientious effort to fight the general decline of Main Street.

The work of such activists and preservationists is acknowledged each year by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Great American Main Streets Awards and by the American Planning Association’s Great Places in America: Streets. We scoured their recent designations to select the most vibrant, distinctive downtowns worth the trip.

You’ll find these great Main Streets across the U.S., from mining towns such as Silver City, N.M., to stately, red-brick Staunton, Va. Yet our list does skew east of the Mississippi, favoring towns that were established before the age of the automobile — and so display the DNA of a pedestrian and bike-friendly environment.

Not that a walkable layout can guarantee a thriving Main Street. Take York, Penn., where the 1978 shuttering of the last of four downtown department stores triggered a period of decay. The turnaround was slow going, as landowners aided by various programs renovated nearly every Victorian and Classical Revival façade. Now, on the first Friday of each month, local businesses stay open late, with special events and discounts.

Port Townsend, Wash., went through its own reinvention. Expecting a shipping boom, 19th-century residents built out the town in high Victorian style — only to find themselves on the wrong side of Puget Sound when the railroads connected to Seattle. It’s been reborn as an arts center around the main drag, Water Street.  

Second chances are just as American as a homespun Main Street, and with the recent economic downturn have come do-it-yourselfers seeing opportunity in cheap abandoned storefronts and converting them into bakeries or boutiques.

So it’s well worth driving a extra few miles to see what Main Street lies ahead.

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Submitted by Terrie Santamaria / UGC

The Parthenon in Athens at sunrise

Our readers get around. This week's photo gallery features stunning images from tranquil shores, chilly locales and manmade monuments, both ancient and modern. 

Scroll through this impressive set of images and vote for your favorite at the bottom. 

Submitted by Jim Perkins / UGC

Arches National Park, Utah

Submitted by Patrick Sheridan / UGC

The Little Sur River in California meets the Pacific Ocean

Submitted by Kaitlin Schubert / UGC

A red uakari monkey, Iquitos, Peru

Submitted by Terrie Santamaria / UGC

Oia church bells, Santorini, Greece

Submitted by Carolina Sanchez / UGC

Los Roques, Venezuela

Submitted by Jim Perkins / UGC

Bison, Yellowstone National Park

Submitted by Jim Perkins / UGC

Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.

Submitted by Megan Starr / UGC

The Three Crosses, Vilnius, Lithuania

Submitted by Natalie Masuraknight / UGC

Early morning in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands

Submitted by Natalie Masuraknight / UGC

A canal in Bruges, Belgium

Submitted by Laralyn Lamont / UGC

Osprey, Snake River, Idaho

Submitted by Michael Iannone / UGC

A backlit moss-covered tree, Olympic National Park, Wash.

Submitted by Greg Hollingsworth / UGC

Along the Rio Grande, N.M.

Submitted by Timothy Gray / UGC

Collared lizard, Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Lawton, Okla.

Submitted by Len Brown / UGC

Rincon, Puerto Rico

Submitted by Sheila Broderick / UGC

From Newcastle, Northern Island, a view of the Irish Sea and Mourne Mountains

Submitted by Rich Briggs / UGC

A morning view from Dead Horse Point, Utah

Submitted by Alison Arouth / UGC

A view from Narragansett, R.I.

Submitted by Sarabeth Abrams / UGC

Koi pond in Kauai, Hawaii

If you have photos you'd like to share, submit them for a chance to be featured in the weekly gallery.

Also, be sure to check out previous It's a Snap posts and galleries.

Federico Gambarini / AFP - Getty Images

Take mom to the zoo to celebrate Mother's Day. (But don't forget to buy some flowers.)

Mothers everywhere will be lavished with love, cards, flowers and, perhaps, breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day on Sunday.  On their special day, moms are also being offered free admission and activities at zoos, gardens, golf courses and other attractions around the country. Some offers are free; at others, mom gets in free if you buy one admission ticket. Here are a few for you and your mom to consider.

Take mom to the zoo 
On Mother’s Day, moms can see the cute zoo babies and all the other animals for free at many zoos around the country, including the Milwaukee County Zoo, the Minnesota Zoo near the Mall of America, and at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, where Grammy Award-winner Irma Thomas will headline a day of fun and music.

Active moms
Moms accompanying a paying guest will get to golf for free on Mother’s Day at the Wolfdancer Golf Club at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa in Lost Pines, Texas, and at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wis.

In Bretton Woods, N.H., moms can take a free zip-line tour on Mother’s Day at the Bretton Woods Canopy Tour at the Omni Mount Washington Mount Washington Resort with the FOGO (fly one, get one) program.

And, as it has for more than 20 years, the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park in Cañon City, Colo., will be letting moms in for free on Mother’s Day. (No accompanying ticket purchase required.) The park is home to one of the world’s highest suspension bridges, at 956 feet high, and spans a quarter mile across the canyon.

Slideshow: Happy Mother's Day

It takes a village – and some gardens
On Mother’s Day, moms get in free at Old Sturbridge Village, in Sturbridge, Mass., where there will be a “moms vs. kids” tug-of-war and special guests ranging from actors portraying an 1830s midwife to members of the Maternal Association, who will discuss the joys and challenges of raising children in the 19th century.

In Ashville, N.C., moms get in free with the purchase of a youth or adult ticket at the Biltmore Estate. In addition to being the largest private home in America (250 rooms; be glad you don’t have to clean them), the Biltmore has elaborate gardens and grounds designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

“Edith Vanderbilt, Biltmore’s original mom, was a great mom and hostess who entertained many families over the decades,” said LeeAnn Donnelly, spokeswoman for the Biltmore Estate. “We celebrate moms today keeping her flare for hospitality in mind.”

Hershey Gardens, the 23-acre botanical garden in Hershey, Penn., is celebrating its 75th anniversary and is offering free general admission to moms on May 13. So is the nearby Hershey Story, The Museum on Chocolate Avenue.

And for families who want to begin celebrating Mother’s Day weekend early, keep in mind that National Public Gardens Day takes place this year on Friday, May 11, and offers free admission to moms – and anyone who downloads a coupon – at dozens of public gardens around the country.

Of course, after all that golfing, zip-lining and walking through gardens, a relaxing session at a spa might be in order. Throughout Mother’s Day weekend, street teams will be roaming 15 U.S. cities (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Buffalo, San Francisco, Miami, Washington, D.C., Kansas City,  Detroit, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Milwaukee and Cleveland) handing out SpaFinder.com gift cards worth $100, along with tote bags filled with flowers, coupons and other goodies.

Why would attractions, golf courses and spas want to shower all this (free) love on moms? “Because getting you in the doors now can pay long-term dividends for them if you become a repeat visitor or recommend the attraction to your friends and family,” said Andrew Schrage, co-owner of Money Crashers Personal Finance.

Doesn’t “nothing in life is truly free” sound like something a wise mom would tell you?

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Find more by Harriet Baskas on StuckatTheAirport.com and follow her on Twitter. 

Kate Appleton

Originally built in 1922, Jane's Carousel has 48 glass-eyed horses, with ornate saddles and gold-leaf detailing, that are housed in a pavilion in N.Y.'s Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Brooklyn’s waterfront has long been famous for its skyline view, but now there’s a new way to enjoy it: from the saddle of an ornately carved horse at Jane’s Carousel. Built in 1922, the restored carousel spins within a modern glass shed below the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.

Slideshow: See where America's best carousels are

It took exceptional devotion to complete the 27-year restoration of Jane’s Carousel, but most of us can easily relate to the nostalgic appeal of a merry-go-round: the sound of the organ, the whimsical wooden animals pumping up and down, the lights reflected in the mirrors. And while carousels aren’t likely to be the reason you travel, they’re often placed somewhere iconic (Boston Common) or beautiful (Santa Monica pier), where you’d be drawn naturally. The ride is an added, affordable delight.

“The carousel was the first form of mechanical recreation and the original root of modern amusements,” says Bette Largent, president of the National Carousel Association. The earliest carousels date back to around A.D. 500, though you’d hardly recognize them: rather than lit-up spectacles, these were baskets hand-spun around a central pole. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that carousels as we know them came into existence.

Today, roughly 400 merry-go-rounds are in operation across America, whether in city parks or at kid-friendly attractions such as zoos. Michigan’s Grand Rapids Museum finds its own way to incorporate the wild: its carousel is housed in a glass building that juts over a river. With a little imagination, you’ll feel as if you’re about ready to gallop through the water.

If you want more of a tangible rush — as far as carousels go — swing by Cedar Downs Racing Derby in Sandusky, Ohio, where the mechanical horses reach speeds of up to 15 miles per hour and move back and forth as they vie for first place.

So what is in store for the future of carousels? Well, according to Largent, it’s a nod to the past. “The latest trend is a return of the wooden carousel,” says Largent. “We may indeed have as many woodcarvers today as during the height of the industry in the early 1900s.”

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Slideshow: The Golden Gate Bridge

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San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge turns 75 this month. Look back at the history of the bridge in our slideshow.

Launch slideshow

What is 1.7 miles long, is painted a fetching shade of international orange and turns 75 this month?

California’s Golden Gate Bridge, of course.

Referred to by the San Francisco Chronicle as a “$35 million steel harp” when it first opened to automobile traffic on May 28, 1937, the Golden Gate is one of the world’s most well-known suspension bridges and is a classic “must-do” experience for visitors to San Francisco.

“It’s a giant piece of Art Deco architecture, an engineering marvel and an international icon that has a lot of meaning and memories for a lot of people in a lot of different ways,” said David Shaw, director of communications for the Golden Gate National Parks Conservatory, a nonprofit group.

On Tuesday, in preparation for a year-long Golden Gate Bridge anniversary celebration, a new 3,500 square-foot Bridge Pavilion opens to the public.

Located in the southeast plaza on the San Francisco side of the bridge, the pavilion houses interpretive exhibits about bridge-related history, engineering and innovations and will serve as a welcome center for a wide variety of bridge-related activities.

Also opening Tuesday is the renovated historic Round House, which will be the staging area for new 45- and 60-minute daily public tours of the bridge (including the first night-time bridge tours), and the site of a photo booth that uses “green screen” technology to provide backdrops of bridge locations, such as the top of the tower, that are inaccessible to the public. “It will allow visitors to get photos of themselves on the bridge on those days when the bridge pulls its disappearing act and hides in the fog,” said Shaw.

The year-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge officially kicks off May 27 with a full day of events throughout San Francisco. Events include displays of bridge-related memorabilia and educational exhibits, a display with at least one car from each year from 1937 to the present, a parade of historic boats, music and dance performances and art installations. The day will end with a grand fireworks display. 

“For the 50th anniversary of the bridge, in 1987, they closed the bridge to automobiles and opened it just to pedestrians. Thousands more people than they imagined showed up,” said Shaw. “Homeland Security is now much tighter, so we won’t be doing a bridge walk. But the bridge sidewalks will be open and the bridge will also be open to automobiles and bicycles.”

Visitors who can’t make it to San Francisco for the Memorial Day weekend event can still join the party. Seventy-five tributes to the Golden Gate Bridge are planned, consisting of a series of public arts, cultural and history events, and are being presented by Bay Area museums, cultural centers, arts organizations and children’s groups throughout the year.

“It’s said that the East Coast has the Statue of Liberty and the West Coast has the Golden Gate Bridge,” said Shaw. “And while the Statue of Liberty has a clear message, the message of the bridge is a bit more personal: It’s the gateway to San Francisco and to the Pacific, but everyone attaches their own meaning to it.”

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Theodora Sutcliffe / TravelsWithANineYearOld.com

Theodora Sutcliffe's son, Zac, prepares to gobble up some ice cream during their round-the-world travels. Kids are often willing to try unusual flavors packed in ice cream.

At home, American kids often balk at any dish beyond chicken nuggets and PB&J, only to surprise parents by diving mouth-first into exotic cuisine while traveling. Surrounded by new sights, sounds, smells and tastes, children’s ideas of “normal” are challenged and they are often more willing to try new foods on the road.

With limited options, children are sometimes willing to eat a new dish out of sheer hunger. Other times, they see local kids gobbling up escargot or sushi, and therefore take a bite, too. Or they get so swept up in the thrill of eating something outlandish, they chomp right into a fried cricket and then giggle with delight when Mom and Dad recoil.

Theodora Sutcliffe, author of TravelswithaNineYearOld.com, has been on a round-the-world tour with her now 11-year-old son, Zac, for more than two years. During their travels, Sutcliffe says, Zac has sampled such unusual eats as camel, dragonflies, grubs, snake, raw oysters, foie gras, eel and, “lots of different types of innardy things.”

Not all children would be as adventurous as Zac, of course. Sutcliffe suggests parents open the door to adventurous eating in a foreign locale by starting with the sweet stuff. She recommends loading up on unusual fruits at the local market or heading to the gelato shop to taste crazy flavors.

Fun-looking and colorful foods also appeal to traveling children. Keryn Means, who blogs at WalkingOnTravels.com, says, “On a trip to Kyoto last spring, my then 20-month-old son sat with us at a sushi bar watching the conveyor belt go round and round. Suddenly he perked up and pointed at a plate. It was a roll filled with nothing but salmon roe (large fish eggs). We shrugged and grabbed the plate for him. He demolished it in no time, making happy sounds and even saying ‘yummy, yummy’ as he let each salty bubble burst in his mouth.”

Keryn Means / WalkingOnTravels.com

Keryn Means' 20-month-old son gobbled up salmon roe while on a trip to Kyoto, Japan, last spring.

Family doctor turned childhood feeding specialist Dr. Katja Rowell advises parents to model tasting something new in front of children. Sharlene Earnshaw, mom of 5-year-old twins and editor-in-chief of the family travel site Trekaroo.com, did just that when traveling through the Sonoran Desert. “I decided to order cactus to accompany my entree," she says. "My kids were worried that I would have a tongue full of thorns, but once the waiter brought out my meal and my children saw it looked like squash, they were eager to try cactus for themselves.”

Tara Kennedy-Kline, a blogger and family coach at MultilevelMom.com, has had great success getting her boys (ages 11 and 13) to taste new foods on vacation by holding crazy food-eating contests. Whichever family member eats the most outrageous item at each meal earns bragging rights and a few bucks to spend on souvenirs.

Kennedy-Kline has encouraged her sons to further expand their gastronomic horizons by creating wacky food reports. They take photos of the unfamiliar foods tasted during their travels and paste them to a poster board to share with classmates after returning home. Their mom says this has been particularly effective, “because they are so excited about grossing out their friends.”

Whatever you do, Rowell says parents should avoid a food stand-off, which could take away from the fun of vacation. It is tempting to insist children take at least one bite of new foods, but she warns this may have the opposite effect. “Abundant research shows that pressuring kids to try new foods backfires,” she says. This is especially true of extremely picky eaters. These children, Rowell says, tend to be, “stubborn, cautious and don’t like to be told what to do.”

For more tips for getting picky eaters to try new foods on the go or at home, check out Rowell’s site TheFeedingDoctor.com.

How do you get your kids to try new foods? Tell us about it on Facebook.

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Kenlie Tiggeman, who made headlines last year after being told by a Southwest Airlines gate agent that she was "too fat to fly," is suing the airline after it happened again.

Tiggeman, a New Orleans woman who once weighed more than 400 pounds and blogs about her successful quest to lose weight, says her biggest gripe is with the inconsistency of the airline’s “Customer of Size” policy.

“The problem I have with Southwest is not that they may want me to purchase two seats. It’s that sometimes they want that, and other times they don’t,” Tiggeman wrote Thursday in her blog.

After the first incident last spring, in which Tiggeman said a Southwest ticket agent told her in front of a gate full of passengers that she couldn't fly unless she purchased a second seat, an airline representative contacted her to apologize. She accepted the apology and agreed to fly on Southwest again, traveling on two more occasions — in a single seat — without any problems.

But in November 2011, she took another Southwest flight and was once again told that she was “too fat to fly,” Tiggeman said. Frustrated, she decided to take action.

“Paying double because a gate agent may or may not have something against overweight people is not realistic…nor should it be necessary.”

Tiggeman, 31, notes that she has never had issues like this with any other airline. She says her legal action is not about money — she is not seeking damages — in the suit she filed April 20 on her own in the Civil District Court for the Parish of Lafourche in Louisiana. She simply wants the carrier to clarify its policy.

"As a consumer, I may not have been born with the innate right to fly, but as a consumer who is willing to pay, I do have a right to understand the rules clearly at the point of purchase," Tiggeman said.

"[Right now], it’s left to interpretation. So if they can take the guess work out of it then everyone will be better off moving forward and that’s what I’m trying to accomplish."

When contacted for comment, Southwest Airlines said its rules covering “Customers of Size” are clearly spelled out online.

“Our policy and FAQ is pasted on our website and communicated to customers, when applicable. It's a [part] of our contract of carriage,” said spokeswoman Brandy King.

The airline advises that passengers who “encroach upon any part of the neighboring seat(s)” must book an additional seat. The armrest is considered the definitive boundary between seats.

But Tiggeman insists she can sit in any seat on the plane with the armrests down. She wanted to demonstrate this to the gate agents during one of the incidents, she says, but was turned down.

Fliers who do not reserve a second seat but are deemed to fall under Southwest’s policy may be asked to purchase the additional space before departure, although the airline acknowledges that delivering such news can be embarrassing and says it tries to do so gently.

“It's difficult to deliver or receive a sensitive message, particularly in a setting like an airport, where it’s tough to speak privately. Because discussions about size are sensitive, we've cautioned our Employees to use discretion,” Southwest says on its website.

Tiggeman has received plenty of support on her blog, including comments calling her brave and strong.

“You are absolutely correct that their policies need to be consistent and enforced consistently,” a poster named Erin wrote.

But there were also critical comments.

“Nobody deserves to be embarrassed at the gates. However, I also understand the airline’s perspective. Making clear-cut guidelines is absolutely not as simple as you think it is. The policy could not be based on weight, because people carry [it] so differently,” a commenter named Laura wrote.

Tiggeman says she no longer flies Southwest.

Do you agree with Tiggeman's decision? Tell us about it on Facebook.

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Matt Stroshane / Disney

Ooh La La on the Disney Fantasy is inspired by an elegant French boudoir adorned with velvet-tufted walls, Victorian furniture and Louis XIV-style chaise lounges. For adult guests only, the lounge is part of Europa, a nighttime entertainment district that celebrates European travel.

A Disney Cruise can trigger thoughts of in-your-face cartoon characters and a shipload of screaming kids.

Yes, Mickey Mouse and the gang are on hand to pose for photos and there is no shortage of children on these ships. But those seeking adult-focused fun and kid-free spaces will not be disappointed by a Disney Cruise. I recently sailed solo on a media preview sailing of the company’s new ship, Fantasy. Sailing sans children allowed me to explore the grown-up side of this family-focused cruise line.

Davina Chojnowski of Boston found the spa to be a romantic place to spend time with her husband on their honeymoon. “I'm pretty sure we had a spa treatment every day,” she said. After side-by-side spa treatments, couples can nibble strawberries and sip some bubbly on a private verandah with a hot tub and double lounge chair in one of two spa villas.

Kent Phillips / Disney

The Disney Fantasy includes Satellite Falls, a circular splash pool with benches and a rain curtain, exclusively for adult guests.

Dive into calm pools
There are two splashy spots on Fantasy where adults can escape the boisterous family fun of the ship’s main pools. Grab a cocktail at the swim-up Cove Bar and cool off in one of three freshwater pools that make up the Quiet Cove Pool. Satellite Falls is a water-lover’s heaven with a circular splash pool and a cascading rain curtain.

Dine like royalty
In addition to three elaborately themed main dining restaurants and casual poolside fare provided in the price of a Disney Cruise, there are two adult-only restaurants aboard Fantasy. French-inspired Remy is the most lavish. Dinner starts with a Champagne cocktail made tableside, followed by up to nine small courses ($75) with optional wine pairings ($99).

In addition to dinner and brunch ($20), adults can enjoy a high tea ($15) at Palo, an upscale restaurant specializing in Northern Italian cuisine. Bring fancy garb and a big appetite to enjoy these swanky venues.

Drink and dance the night away
The ship’s nighttime district, Europa, provides a virtual journey through Europe with a lively Italian piazza, an Irish pub with plenty of TVs on which to watch the latest game, and a London dance club. The Skyline bar features changing scenes of European skylines, complete with miniature animated cars and people. As a Francophile, my favorite is Ooh La La, a femininely French bar inspired by a jewelry box with lush furniture and a Champagne-bubble chandelier.

Act like a kid again
Christine Hardenberger, owner of Magical Mouse Plans Travel, said that although Disney is widely known as a family-centric brand, about 30 percent of Disney vacations booked though her agency are for adults traveling without children.

Matt Stroshane / Disney

Those aboard the Disney Fantasy watch "Buccaneer Blast!" – a fireworks show choreographed to music featuring songs from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.

Despite more than 70,000-square-feet of space on Fantasy dedicated to those 18 and older, many adults embark on a Disney Cruise because they want to experience the joy of reconnecting to their inner child. Vacationers want to chuck their to-do lists and business suits in favor of a spin down the AquaDuck waterslide or dancing at an all-ages pirate deck party complete with fireworks.

Explore the Caribbean
After sister ship Dream began its shorter, three- to five-day itineraries last year, Fantasy was designed to keep cruisers busy during weeklong sailings, said Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Fantasy’s Caribbean itineraries alternate between an Eastern route (with visits to St. Maarten and St. Thomas) and a Western route (stopping at Grand Cayman, Costa Maya and Cozumel). All include a stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, which features Serenity Bay, an adult-only slice of beach paradise.

Get the Disney Experience
Ozer Balli, Disney’s vice president of hotel operations, believes adult cruisers sailing without children choose Disney Cruise Line because “the brand offers a trust factor and a quality level that never disappoints.”

Kimberly Button, a former Disney Cruise Line employee and author of the Disney Activity Guide app, is planning a Disney Cruise vacation this year. “There's just something special," she says, "something that you really cannot even explain or put your finger on but you know that it's there, that you find on Disney and no other cruise line.”

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Submitted by Chris Carr / UGC

Outrigger canoe off Kona, Hawaii

Our readers get around. This week's photo gallery features stunning settings from seasides, mountainsides and manmade monuments, to photogenic wildlife.

Scroll through this impressive set of images and vote for your favorite at the bottom. 

Submitted by Audrianna Sibiski / UGC

Inside the Colosseum, Rome

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An elk in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo.

Submitted by Anna Tymczak Rzemieniuk / UGC

Along the Klondike Highway, Yukon Territory, Canada

Submitted by Robert Orff / UGC

Sunset on Miramar Beach, Fla.

Submitted by Jim Perkins / UGC

North Dakota in autumn

Submitted by Jim Perkins / UGC

Monument Valley, Utah

Submitted by Adriana Soldevila Smith / UGC

San Antonio, Texas

Submitted by Tom Gubala / UGC

Cape buffalo in Tanzania

Submitted by Pravin Patel / UGC

Lions resting in Tanzania.

Submitted by Pravin Patel / UGC

Elephants in Tanzania.

Submitted by Tom Maurer / UGC

Sunrise over Shenandoah National Park, Va.

Submitted by Fred Kaplan / UGC

Key West, Fla., at sunset

Submitted by Jennifer Daigle / UGC

Morning on the Bayou De Zaire in Madisonville, La.

Submitted by Tresha Chi / UGC

Mount Atna, Italy

Submitted by Brian Bumby / UGC

The Solfar Sun Voyager sculpture on the harbor at Rekjavik, Iceland, under the midnight sun

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Soldiers guarding Amalienborg Slot, home of Queen Margrethe II, in Copenhagen, Denmark

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Sunrise at Stonehenge, near Salisbury, England

If you have photos you'd like to share, submit them for a chance to be featured in the weekly gallery.

Also, be sure to check out previous It's a Snap posts and galleries.

Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP

After a few days in Disney World, you may find yourself in need of a good brew.

At Walt Disney World, a beer geek can get pretty thirsty. I came to that realization this past week when I was there with my family. We had no car and no easy way to get off of Disney property to check out the burgeoning craft beer scene in Orlando. We were trapped in the Disney bubble.

While it’s a bastion of family entertainment, the house of the mouse is a veritable desert when it comes to craft beer. There are many stands that sell beer throughout the Disney parks, but these are dominated by industrial light lagers. Sure, you can get Newcastle and cans of Guinness Draught in the England section of Epcot, but if you’re craving a hop bomb or a craft brew gushing with malty goodness, you’re out of luck. Well, almost out of luck.

There’s an oasis in the desert that is the Disney beer scene: Nestled in the bosom of Disney’s Boardwalk hotel is the Big River Brewing Company, an honest-to-goodness brew pub, complete with a 10-barrel brewing rig and, depending on the season, five or more very good craft beers on tap. The brew pub has been at the Boardwalk since 1997, when Disney approached Big River’s parent company, Gordon Biersch, about creating a brewery in the park.

Jim Galligan

Kent Waugh, Big River brewer, poses with his serving vessels.

I caught up with Kent Waugh, Big River’s brewer. He’s a one-man band at the restaurant, in charge of all of the brewing, equipment cleaning, and management.  It’s a lot of work, but it’s a labor of love.

Story: 3 best vacation beers I've ever had

When I arrived, Kent was cooking a batch of Rocket Red, a red ale that won a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2011. The place smelled like heaven to my craft beer-starved senses.

Kent mills his own grains and brews all the beers on site, then transfers them to one of six fermentation tanks. Once fermentation is complete, Kent transfers the beers to tanks he calls “serving vessels” because the beer flows directly from them to the taps in the restaurant. It doesn’t get any fresher than that.

I sampled all the beers Big River had on tap, and they were all good – it was like a cool drink of water for a man dying of thirst.

I ordered a sampler, starting with Big River’s biggest seller, Southern Flyer Light Lager, a craftier version of what the big boys brew. It was refreshing and smooth, with a nice hint of caramel down the middle of the flavor. Next up was Gadzooks Pilsner, a crisp take on a Czech pilsner that had a very nice Saaz hop kick on the back end. That was followed by the award-winning Rocket Red Ale, a caramel treat chock full of crystal malts that are chased by a Cascade hop finish. I had no idea how much I was craving hops until I sipped it.

I didn’t have high hopes for the next beer in the sampler, the Magnolia Brown Ale, because I’m not a fan of brown ales, but this one won me over with its rich malt character and sweet finish. Maybe it was my craft beer withdrawal, but this is a beer I’d happily order again.

The final beer in the sampler was a seasonal offering, a Maibock with a huge and sweet malt body and a slightly boozy finish. It was wonderful, and I wound up ordering a full glass of the stuff, as did my wife.

The one beer I didn’t get to try that first go-round was Steamboat Pale Ale, which along with the Rocket Red is a favorite amongst beer geeks. Kent told me that they had lost the last batch, but a fresh tankful would be on tap the next day.

I stopped by to give it a whirl, and I wasn’t disappointed. It had a lush malt backbone that served as a springboard for a heady kick of citrus and pine hops. This was the exact flavor I had been missing in Disney, and my spine tingled with pleasure as I quickly drank it down.

We had dinner at Big River on a Thursday night, and the restaurant was packed. We came back again the next night; me for the beer, and my wife for the food, which she declared to be the best she’d had at Disney. It’s mostly simple bar fare, but after eating very average meals at very expensive prices in the parks, it was nice to have a well-made, affordable meal.

If you’re a beer geek headed to Disney World, you have to put Big River Brewing Company on your list of destinations. Kent is there on weekdays from the time the place opens until late afternoon, and loves to sit down and talk beer. Be sure to ask him about his brewery days out in Colorado in the mid-90s; he was in the center of a pretty amazing scene.

And wait a few days into your trip before checking the place out – you’ll want to give your thirst for good beer the chance to build up a bit. When it comes to craft brews, absence makes the heart grow fonder!

UPDATE: Gerard from Road Trips for Beer just clued me in to an iPhone app called Beers and Ears which shows where you can find great craft beers hidden away at various restaurants and bars within the Disney bubble. I wish I had this when I was down there, especially considering that it's free. If you have an iPhone and plans to visit Disney, you should definitely check it out. Happy hunting!

Jim Galligan is co-founder of the Beer and Whiskey Brothers blog, where he and his brother Don cover the ever-evolving world of craft beer and distilled spirits.

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After a day at the beach, you wander back to your villa and, right on cue, a personal chef stops by to grill lobster tails — and does the dishes afterward. That’s the kind of above-and-beyond service to expect at Secret Bay, a stylish newcomer on the Caribbean island of Dominica.

Slideshow: See all the top 2012 hotels

You know the markers of a lousy hotel (poor service, snooze-inducing design, mediocre food), so what makes a hotel one of the best — not just recommendable, but groundbreaking? For our seventh annual It List, Travel + Leisure editors traveled the globe to test out new and renovated hotels. The results are in, and our favorite 50 hotels showcase the best the hotel industry has to offer this year.

Consider Tierra Patagonia, a spectacular resort that rises from a glacier-scape on the edge of Torres del Paine National Park. Rooms are stocked with local comforts (handwoven throws, armchairs upholstered in light Patagonian wool), but it’s the only-possible-here activities that you’ll be talking about for months after your stay, such as fording the Baguales River on horseback or shearing sheep by hand with the help of gauchos.

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In Italy’s untrammeled Basilicata region, director Francis Ford Coppola opened his fifth stunning hotel project: Palazzo Margherita. With only nine guest rooms, it feels much like your own private estate — one that happens to be owned by a Hollywood mogul, with hand-painted frescoed ceilings, glass chandeliers and a hidden inner courtyard.

Courtesy of Petit St. Vincent Resort

Petit St. Vincent Resort, set on a private island, offers 22 stone-walled, thatched-roof cottages along a beach, with a waterside restaurant.

Closer to home, we love the Washington School House in Park City, Utah, for its French and Swedish antiques and easy access to the ski slopes, and Florida’s St. Regis Bal Harbour — part of a $700 million development on Miami Beach — for its Jean-Georges Vongerichten poolside grill and eye-catching entrance hall.

You can enjoy a different kind of water view from the Conrad New York, a Zen-inspired respite in the Financial District that overlooks the Hudson River. Further north, New York’s of-the-moment neighborhood Chelsea finally has a trendy hotel to call its own, thanks to the opening of the steel-and-glass Hotel Americano near the High Line. The modern hotel reveals irreverent details Johnny Cash might appreciate (harmonicas in the mini-bar, denim bathrobes in the restrooms).

Whatever your definition of a great hotel, you’re sure to find it in Travel+Leisure’s 2012 It List.

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• LaGuardia, LAX named America's worst airports 

The major American airport that delivers the most seamless experience isn’t on any coast. It wins over fliers with shopping and dining options, the ease of check-in and security, and the friendliness typical of its city hub.

Slideshow: See where the best and worst airports are

So breathe a sigh of relief if you’ve booked a flight through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport; Travel + Leisure readers have crowned it America’s best airport.

In our first-ever airport survey, we asked readers to rate America’s 22 major airports in seven categories: flight delays; design; amenities; food and drink; check-in and security; service; and transportation and location. The best-scoring airports have tackled these issues head-on, refurbishing terminals and adding amenities that make the worst airports look evermore outdated by comparison.

Case in point: Travel + Leisure readers affirmed that if you’re looking to avoid the worst flying experiences in the United States, bypass airports in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, which are hobbled by outdated infrastructure, overcrowding, chronic delays and demoralized staff.

You’d also be wise to time your flight as early in the day as possible and seek out alternate airports or regional airports when possible. Baltimore (BWI), for instance, ranked much higher than Washington Dulles airport, with Travel + Leisure readers considering it the best airport for on-time departures. Another highly rated airport, Charlotte (CLT), got high marks for everything from Wi-Fi access to its convenient location.

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Travel + Leisure readers penalized certain airports for locations that appear chosen without the advice of urban planners. Availability of public transportation could help offset a bad location; San Francisco, for instance, was acknowledged for the transit options. And if it was easy to grab a taxi, or the terminals had large and easy-to-read flight boards, that airport got points as well.

When it came time to complain, readers went beyond the issues of check-in process and baggage handling to single out the lack of play facilities for children at many airports as well as lackluster spa facilities. Travel can be stressful enough, and based on reader responses, there’s a demand for more drop-in airport spas where you can get a quick neck, back or foot massage while waiting out that flight delay.

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Kathie Lee is freshly back from her trip to Israel, and she called it the best trip of her life, even though there was a little bit of … roughing it. In the bathroom department.

"No toi-tois?" gasped Hoda. "What did you do?"

"I pee-peed like a pilgrim," confirmed KLG.

There are facilities all over Israel, obviously, but Kathie Lee was traveling to remote locations, more desolate areas that lacked plumbing, makeup mirrors and shapewear outlets.

"If somebody would have said the greatest trip of your life would be no toilets, no drying your hair, hummus at lunch, no makeup and no Spanx, I would have said, that's hell," she said.

Despite all that, Hoda noted that she's still glowing. Just like a kid freshly back from one of those summer camps where there are no Spanx.

Julieanne Smolinski is a TODAY.com contributor. She keeps emergency hummus in her purse.

More: Hoda gets hammered, KLG tours the Holy Land
Who's more honest: Kathie Lee or Hoda?

Timing is everything when it comes to getting the best airfare. This applies to when you decide to travel — and when you buy. In the past, prices might drop as the departure date approached in order to fill seats. But higher fuel prices and fuller planes mean that now you’re less likely to score a last-minute deal. But don’t fret. Here’s what you can do to find a good deal on airfare.

1. Know how far in advance to book
While there’s no exact science, you can make informed choices by looking at the booking timeframes from the past year during which travelers paid the lowest airfares on average. Domestic flights have been cheapest on average about six weeks in advance of the flight, according to Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), which supplies data based on historic trends of actual purchases. But six weeks isn’t a hard and fast rule. Begin searching three to four months in advance for U.S. travel and book if a good value crops up. For European travel, the booking window that yielded the lowest prices last year, on average, was 21 to 22 weeks, while for the Caribbean, 11 to 12 weeks yielded the lowest fares, on average, in winter last year, according to a recent report in the New York Times using data from ARC.

Related: America's Best and Worst Airports  

2. Consider shoulder season travel to popular destinations
To save money on a trip to Europe, consider flying in late August or early September when prices tend to drop. For the Caribbean, consider early December or after mid-April when prices are generally lower.

3. Don’t limit your searches to certain times of the week
George Hobica of Airfarewatchdog.com says that while many airlines have advertised sales on Tuesday and Wednesday, the best fares are unadvertised and can pop up at any hour of the week. If you only search certain days, you may miss out on some great deals. One strategy is to sign up for fare alerts from sites like Airfarewatchdog to find out about the lowest fares from your home city. New DOT rules now allow you to cancel your flight for a full refund within 24 hours, so if you book and something better pops up shortly after – you can rebook with no penalty.

4. Follow your favorite airlines on Twitter and Facebook
Airlines often post time-sensitive airfare deals on their social media sites. Those who follow them will be the first to know about these deals that can come and go quickly.

5. Fly on less popular days and times
Fly on Tuesdays, Wednesday, or Saturdays for lower fares. And keep in mind that early morning flights and overnight flights can often offer the lowest rates.

6. Use online tools
Fly.com has a fare calendar that allows you to see the lowest fares for flights from your city taking off in the next 90 days. It can also show the cheapest day to fly your select route in a given timeframe. Bing.com/travel will calculate whether the flight you’re booking is likely to go up or down in price with a handy “buy now” or “buy later” recommendation.

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Courtesy Inkling

New digital travel guides, unveiled Tuesday by Frommer's, allow travelers to bookmark pages, make journal entires and explore hotels, restaurants and other items of interest by clicking on internal and external links.

Tired of flipping through the pages of that dog-eared guidebook? The folks at Frommer’s suggest you tap, click or flick instead.

On Tuesday, the longtime guidebook publisher unveiled a new line of digital travel guides that take advantage of the touchscreen capabilities of the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Based on the company’s Day by Day print series, the initial launch covers seven destinations and is designed to serve as a combination pre-trip planner, daily guide and post-trip journal and photo album.

“There are many, many different ways of interacting with the content,” said Ensley Eikenburg, associate publisher. “It can take you from thinking about a destination to giving you real, on-the-ground information to providing a place to store the memories of your trip.”

Unlike the company’s traditional guidebooks, the series takes an itinerary-based approach — one or two days in Los Angeles, one or two weeks in Spain, etc. — and augments it with interactive maps, slideshows of destination highlights and even five-day weather forecasts.

You can also bookmark pages, make journal entries and tap on approximately 1,000 links, both internal and external, to explore hotels, restaurants and other items of interest. And for those who have both an iPad and an iPhone (or iPod touch), the purchase price ($9.99–$14.99) includes access to the guide on both devices.

“The iPad is great for hanging out in your hotel room and planning your day,” said Eikenburg, “but when you’re out exploring, you can whip out your phone and follow your itinerary.”

Impressive features aside, the Day by Day series is not the first interactive, tablet-friendly travel guide out there. In 2010, Lonely Planet unveiled five iPad-based guides; today, the company offers more than 150 iPad-compatible titles, including destination guides, translation apps and travel-related games. 

Related: Travel by touch screen takes off

Together, the competing products are indicative of how well suited tablets are to travel. “People want to be dynamic when they travel,” said Jeff Orr, group director, consumer research, for ABI Research. “Not just in plotting their course but also in interacting with what’s around them. And with the on-screen real estate, you can display a lot more information than you can on a smartphone.”

They’re not, however, without their caveats, says Orr: “The catch today is that media tablets are not truly mobile devices; they tend to be used in and around the home.”

As evidence, he said consumers opt for devices capable of Wi-Fi connectivity much more than those with 3G and 4G capabilities. In fact, Orr said, in 2011, 73 percent of tablets shipped were Wi-Fi exclusive, up from 60 percent in 2010. Wi-Fi devices are generally less expensive, of course, but the numbers also suggest that people are willing to forgo Internet access during their daily rounds. 

Either way, “You can’t assume users are always going to be in a 3G or 4G or always-on [Wi-Fi] environment,” he told msnbc.com.

Fortunately, Frommer’s and Inkling, the company’s platform developer, have addressed that issue by making much of the Day by Day content available offline, meaning travelers can still access most of its features without Internet access. That’s not a problem for those with iPhones, although as anyone who has fired up an iPhone overseas will attest, roaming charges can add up blazingly fast.

Which, of course, raises the contrarian point: You can flip through that old, printed travel guide anytime, anywhere and for however long you want and you’ll never get dinged for it.

Available through iTunes and the Inkling website, current Day by Day guides cover Alaska, California, Costa Rica, France, Great Britain, Japan and Spain.

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Rob Lovitt is a longtime travel writer who still believes the journey is as important as the destination. Follow him at Twitter.

Courtesy of Charleston Place Hotel

Charleston Place in Charleston, S.C., is home to 442 elegant rooms furnished with Chippendale-style furnishings and flat-screen TVs.

The Brown is a Kentucky institution: the Georgian Revival–style hotel in Louisville wows guests with marble flooring, ornate ceilings, feather beds — and the Hot Brown, a decadent, open-faced turkey sandwich. Even more impressive, the rates start as low as $129.

Slideshow: See the hotels and where they're at

This irresistible combination of character and value makes The Brown one of America’s top affordable city hotels, as selected among high-scoring properties in Travel + Leisure's annual World’s Best reader survey. All these favorite hotels offer room rates between $90 and $250 a night — meaning there’s bound to be a hotel that’s right for you.

That’s especially good news considering that finding a good deal may get a little tougher for travelers in 2012. Business data firm TravelClick predicts that, after a long slump in hotel prices, rates will rise almost 4 percent in 2012, thanks to increased demand as the economy recovers.

At least there’s no need to compromise on quality. The Waldorf Astoria Orlando, for instance, has outposts of celebrated dining venues from the flagship property in New York. Not to mention two pools and a spa with 21 treatment rooms. But at $159 a night, its rate is less than half that in Manhattan — and you get a free shuttle to Disney World. Besides, visiting a city that’s not on the West Coast or in the Northeast practically guarantees that other costs, such as dining and entertainment, will be more affordable, too.

Top affordable hotels such as the Waldorf Astoria Orlando also defy the conventional wisdom that you should look to a city’s outlying neighborhoods for a good deal. In Santa Fe, N.M., the pueblo-style Inn of Anasazi wins over guests with its tasteful, luxurious décor — handwoven rugs, paintings by acclaimed local artists, kiva-shaped gas fireplaces, and four-poster beds — placed in the heart of the action.

Although plenty of celebrities have been spotted checking into the fashionable Inn of Anasazi, you don’t need to star in a hit movie to be able to afford its nightly rates.

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Picasa / Courtesy Michael Lanza

Michael Lanza, his wife, Penny Beach, and their children Alex, left, and Nate overlook Lower Yellowstone Falls in Yellowstone National Park, which they skied to in Jan. 2011.

When it comes to global warming, many of us scan the headlines, turn off extra lights and mentally scold the big corporate polluters. We think of climate change as a nebulous threat, one that lurks in the future.

Outdoors writer and adventurer Michael Lanza believes otherwise.

Lanza is the author of "Before They're Gone: A Family's Year-Long Quest to Explore America's Most Endangered National Parks" (Beacon, $24.95).

Also the Northwest editor of Backpacker Magazine and creator of TheBigOutside.com, Lanza conceived of the book after three decades of exploring and reporting on nature.

Slideshow: America's national parks

Nearly 400 national parks can be found all across America, and feature breathtaking vistas, rock formations millions of years old, and more.

Launch slideshow

Video: America's most-visited monuments

Through reviewing research, interviewing dozens of scientists, and witnessing changes himself, he believes climate change could wreak havoc on the places he loves not generations down the road, but in his own children’s lifetime.

So with 7-year-old Alex, 9-year-old Nate and his wife, Penny Beach, as his constant trail companions, Lanza set out to backpack, ski and kayak through 11 national parks. Over a year’s time, they hiked 135 miles in eight parks, sea kayaked and canoed about 65 miles in the Everglades and Glacier Bay, and cross-country skied about 15 miles in Yellowstone.

“We think of climate change as being a century from now; it’s comfortable to think of it that way,” Lanza said. “But much of the fallout is already underway.”

In his book, he includes scientific data that document warmer winters, drier summers, melting ice, rising sea levels and diseased plant life -- clear signs, scientists say, pointing to climate change.

One stark example is in Glacier National Park, where 150 glaciers in 1850 have dwindled to 27 today. By 2020, they are largely predicted to be gone, according to scientists such as Dan Fagre, who has studied glaciers for two decades and runs the Glacier Field Station of the U.S. Geological Survey Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center on the outskirts of Glacier National Park.

“At Glacier National Park, the changes (due to climate change) include shrinking glaciers and smaller snowpacks that are melting earlier in the spring,” Fagre told TODAY.com via e-mail. “Michael Lanza has chronicled many of these impacts from a first-hand perspective with his family, adding a personal element to the results of our research on climate change and national parks."

Courtesy Michael Lanza

Nate and Alex in a narrow slot canyon at Capitol Reef National Park in Utah.

Lanza documents how climate change is already resulting in diseased forests and glacier loss in Alaska’s Glacier Bay and Washington’s Mount Rainier National Park; droughts that have dried up streams and springs in the Grand Canyon; damage to trees, fish and small mammals in Yellowstone; and rising seas that threaten the Florida Everglades.

Though much of the research portends significant changes for our parks, sprinkled throughout are Alex’s and Nate’s colorful observations, optimistic outlooks and a love of nature that can only come from having parents who have shared it with them.

These are not wimpy kids. In the Grand Canyon, they hiked 10 miles along the flat Tonto Trail, capping off the four-day, 29-mile-backpacking trip with a grueling 8-mile, 4,000-foot climb up the South Kaibab Trail, all the while clutching their stuffed dolphin and panda.

It was in this park that Lanza experienced his scariest moment of the year-long adventure: guiding his daughter Alex over a snowy, foot-wide ledge above a drop-off of hundreds of feet:

“So I smile and wink at Alex and tell her to ‘take small steps and go slow.’ She nods and winks back -- we have an understanding. We shuffle forward. With my free hand, I clutch scrawny plants tenuously rooted to cracks in the crumbly cliff face. A minute crawls past like an epoch…”

Luckily, dad and daughter make it safely around the icy ledge. But it’s this -- and encounters with bears and alligators as well as tender parent-child moments -- that make it an informative, heartwarming and, at times, heart-stopping read.

Lanza, who says he likes to consider himself an optimist, allows that this would be a much different book without his kids enlivening the pages.

“If I had just done the trips with my wife and the climate change back story, the issue might be more depressing,” he said. “But this is about a family’s wonderful experiences in these incomparable places.

“You realize that yes, our parks will not be the same – they are changing irreversibly and that should be a lesson to us to go visit now and reduce our energy consumption each day. But they are still magical places and will continue to be magical in many ways.”

Many scientists in the book are similarly realistic and somewhat hopeful about the future of the nation’s parks.

Leonard Pearlstine, landscape ecologist with Everglades National Park, acknowledges that while the most immediate and visible impacts to the park will be from rising sea levels -- the first casualties predicted to be sea turtle rookeries on vulnerable beaches -- restoration efforts could prove helpful.

“Successful restoration of freshwater flows to the southern and coastal Everglades is a primary management goal of the park,” Pearlstine told TODAY.com. “And it’s more important than ever for maintaining resilient ecosystems in the face of changing climate.”

Colleen McBrinn, a freelance writer in Portland, Ore., strives to maintain an active lifestyle of outdoor sports and travel with two wee ones in tow.

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I have a long, transcontinental flight coming up. I dread being cramped in a coach seat, but I can't afford first class. What are my chances of getting bumped up for free?

They're actually better now than ever. To cut costs, some U.S. airlines have been offering fewer flights in recent years, and coach can be overbooked. If a carrier bumps passengers, it's frequently required to provide either a substitute flight or a refund or both, per government regulations. The airline may not want to bump people if first-class seats are available.

Read the original story on Budget Travel 

So how do carriers select the lucky few who get ferried to first class? It's all about the miles. Computers track frequent-flier and program miles and upgrade passengers automatically, based on who has earned the most. About 95 percent of those in first class on domestic flights last year were upgraded or used frequent-flier miles (sometimes with an additional fee), according to Joel Widzer, author of "The Penny Pincher's Passport to Luxury Travel."

But you need a lot of miles to qualify: Delta requires you to fly at least 25,000 a year to qualify for its entry-level Silver Medallion level. On the other hand, you can sometimes find upgrade certificates for sale online, courtesy of frequent fliers who can't use them before their expiration date. For instance, some United/Continental vouchers on eBay start with bids as low as $1.

But even if you don't travel often, simply being a member of the airline's frequent-flier program helps your chances. It indicates some level of brand loyalty. Having an airline-sponsored credit card in your name helps, too, though those may come with hefty annual fees.

Does dressing up so that you look like you'd belong in first class improve your chances of getting upgraded?

Looking polished helps, but not as much as it once did. There's one outfit that seems to work better than even the finest couture: a military uniform. In the past few years, it's not unusual to see a first-class passenger give up his or her seat for military personnel.

Any other tips for flights?

Remember that gate agents deal with a lot of demanding, obnoxious passengers, and offering a few kind words and a smile goes a long way. John E. DiScala, founder of travel-advice site johnnyjet.com, reveals that chocolate helps him get upgraded -- or at least moved to a better coach seat-about half the time. DiScala says he brings one-pound chocolate bars for the gate agents and flight crew, who have discretion on seating after the cabin door closes.

Some people swear by the sob- or celebration-story strategy. Personally, I wouldn't go this route unless you really are a newlywed, on your way to a funeral, etc. Karma, you know.

Showing up late might work, but it's risky. A man sitting next to me once in business class on Air New Zealand was huffing and puffing -- he confessed to being intentionally late for every international flight, because then they rush you on the plane and into any available seat. Of course, the downside is you'll be turned away if the flight is already full.

One big  upgrade advantage is flying solo. Airlines try to put families together, and they may need your coach seat to do that. Chances are there's only one empty seat in first or business class.

Finally, before you book the flight, you may want to consider trading in your frequent-flier miles for an upgrade, though the numbers may be steep: On Delta, it takes 10,000 miles for an upgrade on domestic round-trip tickets and 30,000 miles for flights from the U.S. to Europe -- but that's not applicable on certain discount fares. That said, there are more opportunities now than ever to earn frequent-flier miles, not only by traveling but also through credit cards, hotel stays, car rentals, and online shopping sites.

"When you consider that one can earn three points per $1 spent on a credit card, 10,000 miles seems less daunting," Widzer points out.

A friend of mine ended up getting upgraded to a suite at a hotel in Vegas. She's not a high roller, so how did she land that freebie?

Just as with airlines, brand loyalty really helps. If you're visiting a chain hotel, sign up for its frequent-traveler program.

Also, according to Widzer, you're more likely to get upgraded if you book directly with the property, on the hotel's website or by phone, rather than with a third party, such as hotels.com. "Booking direct is by far the biggest thing you can do to get an upgrade," Widzer advises. If you see a lower price online, call the hotel and ask them to match it.

Unlike with the airlines, however, you are most likely to get a hotel upgrade if you travel during a low-occupancy time, such as weekends at business-oriented hotels. When vacant suites are available, the hotel may bump you up, hoping to impress you and gain future business. You also may have better luck at a new property that's angling to create good word of mouth.

The time of day matters, too. It helps to check in later, once the hotel has a better handle on its occupancy for the night. If you arrive at 8 p.m. and their suites still aren't full, they may upgrade you for free or for very little, since few new guests are likely to come and pay for them.

Another strategy DiScala says has worked for him: Befriend the bellman. "I visited Vegas at a not-busy time once and tipped the bellman well," he says, "so he gave me a free upgrade." The same tactic may work with the concierge.

What about rental cars? Is it true you're most likely to get upgraded if you book the cheapest car at first?

Yes, and here's why: The cheapest rental cars tend to sell out first, leaving the company no choice but to upgrade you. That said, the check-in clerk may try to sell you an upgrade for a discounted fee. Say no. If they don't have the car you reserved, they usually give you a better model at no extra charge. Arrive early in the day, before most people return their cars, for the best shot.

Loyalty also counts. Join a car-rental company's membership program, and you may get special offers for upgrades. You should also search online for coupons. The site carrentalupgrade.com is worth bookmarking, in particular. Some car-rental firms also run their own promotions for upgrades through organizations such as AARP and AAA. And always remember to ask: Politely requesting an upgrade is often the best, easiest bet.

Readers' best upgrade strategies

What's it take to get out of the cheap seats? We asked BT readers to share their favorite upgrade strategies.

Volunteer to get bumped: My flight from JFK to Amsterdam was over-booked and someone was in my seat. He was adamant: He wouldn't move. I was so embarrassed by his behavior that I told the flight attendant if I could catch my plane from Amsterdam to Glasgow I'd be OK getting bumped. After 15 minutes she said "follow me" and turned up a flight of stairs. I had never even seen first class before!
— Cyndi Armstrong, South St. Paul, Minn.

Speak in Romance language: My hubby and I got upgraded to business class to Ireland for our honeymoon. We just mentioned the purpose of the trip during check-in and the flight attendant did it, no questions asked. Another time, we got upgraded to a suite at a Crowne Plaza because we mentioned we were there for Valentine's Day. It was a nice surprise, since we'd scored the hotel on Priceline for a song.
— Caroline Dover Wilson, Greer, S.C.

Rent at the end of the week: Most compact and midsize cars are rented out early in the week to business travelers, so if you try to rent closer to the weekend, you have a good chance of getting upgraded because they are out of "business" cars by then.
— Megan Cushman Dezendegui, Miami

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