Travel Features - AP

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Every day before heading to Little Rock Central High School in the fall of 1957, nine black students gathered at Daisy and L.C. Bates's home to prepare for the angry mob they faced as they integrated the all-white school.

ELKINS PARK, Pa. - Did you hear the one about the rabbi and the architect?

ST. JEAN, St. Barthelemy - Wheels up at the island of St. Maarten and we skim across the waters of the French West Indies to St. Barthelemy — a tiny Caribbean jewel for Francophiles, foodies and fashionistas.

ABOARD AMTRAK AUTO TRAIN 52 TO WASHINGTON - All aboard on this train doesn't mean just people. It means minivans, cars and motorcycles, too.

WASHINGTON - The number of Americans traveling away from home for Thanksgiving will be up only slightly this year from 2008, according to a report from the AAA auto club.

ROATAN, Honduras - "The president's been arrested already this morning," hotel owner Jeff Kuken told my wife and me one Sunday morning in late June.

NEW YORK - This season's Christmas tree displays include trees made from feathers at a historic home in Indianapolis, a thank-you tree in Boston sent from Nova Scotia, and the Obamas' first National Christmas Tree ceremony in Washington.

NEW YORK - Jeremiah Miller calls the time Barack Obama spent in New York "the lost years," because that period from 1981 to 1985 is not as well-known as his roots in Hawaii or his recent years in Chicago. To fill in the gap, Miller offers a tour of Upper Manhattan called "Obama's New York."

NEW YORK - Whether you're looking for a gift for an armchair traveler or a frequent flyer, you can't go wrong with a book.

NEW YORK - What makes a good holiday gift for a traveler?

PIERRE, S.D. - Legalized gambling began in Deadwood on Nov. 1, 1989, when an actor portraying Wild Bill Hickok, accompanied by a woman portraying Calamity Jane, shot a revolver into the air.

CHICAGO - From Greektown to Chinatown, from the Polish Triangle to Pakistani restaurants on Devon Avenue, Chicago has a wealth of diverse ethnic neighborhoods to explore.

JAIPUR, India - I needed an escape, a vacation that would shake me out of my routine, and leave me with more than souvenirs and digital photos. So when the yoga center in New York where I'm learning to meditate organized a two-week yoga trip to India, I decided to go.

NORLINA, N.C. - That old adage "No rest for the weary" could have been coined with Mark and Barbara Van Art in mind.

ST. LOUIS - There's a widely held belief that blues music was born in the Mississippi Delta, traveled up river to places like Memphis and then north to Chicago.

NEW YORK - Winter is a traditionally slow season for vacation home rentals. But if you're a would-be renter, you can score terrific bargains on offseason rentals and enjoy a different type of getaway, sipping hot chocolate in front of a cozy fireplace instead of running around to see the sights.

NEW YORK - Travelers have been able to score decent deals on hotel rooms and airfares over the last year. But car rental prices have increased dramatically despite the weak economy.

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.

Happy first birthday, world traveler.

ROTORUA, New Zealand - As I tumbled down the mountainside in a gigantic beach ball filled with water, feeling somewhat like I was in a washing machine, it occurred to me that there had to be a better way to experience New Zealand.

NEW YORK - In November, I'll be quitting my job and heading out on one of the last true adventures left on earth: Driving around the world.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Wade Johnson has plopped down in plenty of hotels, but the business consultant ranks his stays at 21c Museum Hotel in downtown Louisville as a one-of-a-kind experience.

NEW YORK - Last spring thousands of travelers canceled trips to Mexico after a swine flu outbreak there emptied beaches and resorts.

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Savannah was founded in 1733 and was one of America's first planned cities, with a series of squares and parks that can still be enjoyed today.

ATLANTA - Curtis Richardson hops around the front parlor of the 140-year-old house, animatedly recounting the enchanting tales of Brer Rabbit and Brer Wolf.

HOPE, Ark. - The Bill Clinton First Home Museum will soon be a part of the National Park system, a designation that will give the modest structure on a busy street more visibility as a tourist destination.

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."

NEW ORLEANS - There's an old story in New Orleans about a society matron who heard about a friend's death. Grief-stricken but practical, the matron immediately wondered if the waiter at Antoine's whom her friend had relied on for years was up for grabs, or if someone had already claimed him.