Derby Museum lets fans soak in Run for Roses

Within the shadows of venerable Churchill Downs, the world’s most famous horse race never ends. Nor does the pageantry of the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby Museum, situated just off Gate 1 at Churchill, offers a treasure trove of Derby memories for horse racing aficionados and people making their maiden trip to a track. The [...]

Bike tours: See new places through pedal power

Don Wilson describes himself as an “old guy,” but every spring he hops on his bike to pedal 200 miles in four days through the heart of French Louisiana on a trip called Cycle Zydeco. Wilson, 65, chats with other riders while rolling through Cajun and Creole country. Organizers offer local music, dancing and food [...]

Looking for unusual vacation spots? Sleep with King Tut

If you’re looking for an unusual place to stay while on vacation in the U.S., how about sleeping at a schoolhouse or sharing a bedroom with King Tut? Travel Web site TripAdvisor has compiled a list of 10 of the top quirkiest U.S. accommodations according to its editors and travelers. “Quirky appears to be ‘in’ [...]

When renting vacation homes, ask lots of questions

With three adult children, Teri Hurley made sure to book a house with three bedrooms for her family’s Thanksgiving vacation in New York’s Catskill Mountains. She was stunned — and angry — when she discovered that the third bedroom of the rental property was down a narrow, steep set of stairs under a kitchen trapdoor, [...]

Air travelers to see tougher security before beach

For those who haven’t flown in a while, be prepared to be scanned, swabbed or thoroughly patted down. Maybe all three. Many spring break travelers are about to have their first encounter with airport security measures stepped up after Christmas, when a man was accused of trying to blow up a U.S. jetliner using explosives [...]

Save on Rail Europe round-trip tickets, from $257

The Real Deal: Discounted round-trip tickets in Leisure Select class on the Eurostar route (18 departures daily between London, Paris, and Brussels) start at $257 per person—plus between $10 and $18 in fees. Leisure Select class is more spacious than economy class, with reclining seats and more legroom; you also get complimentary newspapers and a [...]

Park Service predicts peak for Washington cherry blossoms

Those famous pink and white flowers in Washington are expected to bloom on schedule on trees around the nation’s capital as soon as the end of March, the National Park Service predicted Thursday. Horticulturalist Rob DeFeo, who keeps a close eye on the city’s cherry blossom trees for the park service, said they likely will [...]