The Buffalo News : Life

ST. LOUIS — The shimmering Gateway Arch on the banks of the Mississippi River is St. Louis’ calling card. But the iconic monument set off from the rest of the city is, well, set off from the rest of the city. (Updated: 11/08/09 8:29 AM )

DALLAS — Airlines are cutting money-losing flights during the current travel slump, and that can cause headaches for passengers who bought tickets on those trips. (Updated: 11/08/09 8:29 AM )

There’s a story about a grizzled foreign correspondent in Asia who once was taken to task over a taxi fare on an expense report. He defended it as routine, but the accountants pointed out that he’d been reporting from an aircraft carrier at sea on the day in question. Without missing a beat, the correspondent growled, “Well, do you know how big those things are?” (Updated: 11/01/09 8:01 AM )

New York’s Amish Trail is on the rise. With a grant from Explore New York, local municipal support, and a host of enthusiastic entrepreneurs, a bona fide movement to make the New York trail a tourism destination is under way. (Updated: 11/01/09 6:45 AM )

Q: My wife and I are planning a safari in Africa for 2010. What is the best time of year to go to Kenya and Tanzania to maximize the chance to see a wide variety of animals while at the same time having the best chance for a moderate climate and minimal rain? (Updated: 11/01/09 6:45 AM )

Screeeeech! (Updated: 11/01/09 6:45 AM )

VIENNA –Sachertorte. Magnificent palaces. Splendid museums. When Phillip Kalantirsky had his fill of Vienna the Opulent, he stayed on for a taste of Vienna Noir –in a walking tour built around the cult film “The Third Man.” (Updated: 10/25/09 7:27 AM )

In today’s strange economy, you shouldn’t be surprised to hear that the question readers ask me most frequently is, “What’s happening with travel this fall and winter?” Although nobody can tell for sure, an update is probably in order. (Updated: 10/25/09 7:27 AM )

In 1947, two Bedouin shepherds searching for a stray goat stumbled upon 2,000-year-old parchment scrolls in a desert cave, unintentionally making the greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th century. (Updated: 10/25/09 7:27 AM )

A muddy stoop and a bunch of chickens outside a makeshift hospital in Cancun, Mexico, was enough to convince Amanda Klimak of the value of travel insurance. It was the early 1990s, and Klimak, who had been dancing the night away, slipped and tore a ligament in her knee. (Updated: 10/25/09 7:27 AM )

Thomas Wheeler waded into London in the ’90s. (Updated: 10/25/09 7:27 AM )

• In honor of the U. S. Virgin Islands’ first American quarter, the department of tourism is offering 25-cent rooms through its Cent-sational Promotion. Deal includes 25-cent rates at nearly 10 hotels, $25 dining credit per person, $25 activities credit per person and commemorative coin set. To qualify, you must book an air and land package by Nov. 2 at Bookit. com and travel by Nov. 15. Three-night maximum stay. For example, three nights at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort& Spa on St. Thomas starts at $565 per couple, including round-trip air from Buffalo Niagara International Airport and taxes. By comparison, rooms at the Wyndham start at $127 a night. Additional properties include the luxury Marriott Frenchman’s Reef&Morning Star Beach Resort on St. Thomas. To book: (888) 782-9722, www.bookit.com . For info on the U. S. Virgin Islands: www.usvitourism.vi . • With CruiseWest, book a 2010 Alaskan cruise by Nov. 20 and save hundreds. With an early deposit of 20 percent, passengers save $250 each on Alaska’s Inside Passage or Gold Rush Inside Passage and $150 each on Glacier Bay Highlights or Glaciers of Prince William Sound. In addition, pay in full by Nov. 20 and receive $600 or $1,000 off per cabin, depending on the trip. For example, the seven-night Alaska’s Inside Passage costs $3,699 per person double after the $500 discount. Price includes taxes, gratuities, zodiac launches, one excursion per port and more.Info: (888) 851-8133, www.cruisewest.com . • With Southwest Vacations, book a four-night (or longer) ski package to Salt Lake City and receive a free night and ski day. For example, round-trip air from Buffalo Niagara International, four nights at the Crystal Inn Hotel&Suites and a four-day Ski Salt Lake Super Pass starts at $664 per person double, including taxes. Depart Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. Book by Dec. 15 for travel Nov. 17-April 18. Five-day advance purchase required. Pass is good at Alta, Solitude, Brighton and Snowbird. Blackout dates apply. By comparison, a four-day pass retails for $248, air is from $317 and the hotel starts at $93 a night.Info: (800) 423-5683, www.southwestvacations.com . • Book 28 days in advance and save 25 percent on more than 170 Radisson Blu Hotels and Resorts properties in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. For example, the Radisson Blu in Dresden, Germany, starts at $102 a night double, including breakfast and taxes; rate is typically from $131. Other discounted rates include the Radisson Blu in Johannesburg, from $214 (vs. $285). Discount is valid on a one night’s stay through January.Info: 800-333-3333, www.radissonblu.com/great-offers . • EasyCruise is offering a 20 percent early-booking discount for three-and four-night Greece and Turkey cruises from April through October. Early booking prices are valid until Dec. 31. Information: 866-335-4975, www.easyCruise.com . Deals sell out quickly and are not guaranteed to be available. Restrictions sometimes apply. (Updated: 10/25/09 7:27 AM )

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Hanging around in Cambridge has its drawbacks. You may stub your toe or splinter a heel on the uneven sidewalks. You may discover that John Harvard smells funny. You may be arrested for obstreperousness inside your own lodging (see Gates, Henry Louis Jr.). And if you spend enough time among these big, old buildings and bright, young students, you may begin to feel old, or undereducated, or both. (Updated: 10/18/09 6:42 AM )

Ahh! Ohh! I’m face down on a massage table looking through glass at fish swimming in the lagoon, as the Polynesian masseuse caresses me with bags of seaweed and creams made from ground pearls and deep-sea water. (Updated: 10/18/09 6:42 AM )

NEW YORK CITY—There’s no place like it; the sights, the sounds, the stores. I’ve had the opportunity to visit New York City twice in the past couple of years. Since I went with “the girls,” close friends and my daughter, naturally shopping was high on our agendas. Our only complaint was that there were so many stores and so little time. (Updated: 10/18/09 6:42 AM )