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 With Europe in the midst of a major financial crisis, will U.S. travelers heading across the pond find incredible deals? Yes, possibly in a few countries. Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain—the worst hit countries should—have some deals. USA Today reports: ...travel agents are seeing potential bargains in these countries in everything from airfares, hotels and restaurants, to in-country transportation and visits to key tourist sites.The agents also regard these four nations as potentially cheaper to visit this summer than three other top tourist European destinations: Britain, France and Italy. But while you might find great rates on hotels in these countries, you probably won't score bargain prices on flights to get you there. Airfares are on the rise and this trend is expected to continue through the summer.
 This is a good day for air travelers. According to the SFGate: Airline passengers gain new rights this week including the ability to hold a reservation without payment — or cancel one with a full refund — within 24 hours of making the reservation, as long as it’s made at least a week before the departure date. Some airlines were doing this voluntarily but now it’s a requirement. It’s one of several new regulations the U.S. Department of Transportation announced in April 2011 that take effect today.
 The Best Western Plus Wakulla Inn isn't close to any typical Florida attractions--no amusement parks with thrill rides, no beaches lined with colorful umbrellas, no sparkling shopping malls with ritzy stores. It seems to sit in the middle of nowhere--and that's what makes it so appealing. It's located in a place where you can connect with a wilder, more natural Florida.
The hotel is actually in the middle of northern Florida's pristine Forgotten Coast, about 30 minutes outside Tallahassee. It's in an area where the vegetation grows thick, Spanish moss hangs from the trees, and alligators hang out in the marshy rivers. The main draw to this area is Wakulla Springs State Park, the world's largest fresh water springs. Over 600,000 gallons of 70-degree water a minute flow through the three acre pool a minute. On a guided boat tour, you can explore the springs and take in the wildlife, including manatee, alligators, and all sorts of birds. Back at the hotel you can enjoy clean, comfortable rooms and an outdoor swimming pool. Hot breakfast is included with the room.
My kids' spring break is just around the corner. We're planning a road trip through Washington state, visiting an aunt and uncle on Puget Sound and my son's best friend who recently moved to Seattle. We hope to check out the Museum of Flight and get at least one sunny day on the beach. If you're still looking for something to do with your kids over Spring Break, here are three ideas:  Naples, Fl. This luxurious beach resort, two hours west of Miami, sits on the Gulf of Mexico. It's ritzy and glitzy and known as a vacation spot for wealthy Midwesterners. The waterfront is lined with over-the-top mansions and beach-goers wear fine linen cover ups and flip-flops studded with gems. This is the perfect spot if you want to laze on the beach all day while your kids splash around and build sand castles. The sand is soft and sugary and the pale green waters as warm as a bathtub. The Strand, the main drag, is loaded with shops and restaurants; we liked Bella Mia Amore for thin-crust blistery pizza and off the main drag Inka's Kitchen for outstanding Peruvian cuisine. Bed down at the Best Western Naples Inn & Suites, surrounded by a jungle of palm trees, ferns, and hibiscus. Skinny pathways wind through the vegetation and lead to the two pretty swimming pools and hot tubs. Plus, kids have a blast hitting around balls at the miniature golf course.  Hannibal, Mo.In this small port town 120 miles north of St. Louis, you can step back in time and explore the life of great American Mark Twin. At the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum, you'll learn that Twain moved here when he was 4-years-old. His childhood and the town and the river it sits on served as inspiration for both Huck Finn and the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. You'll also want explore the caves that are mentioned in many of Twain's books, hop aboard the Mark Twin Mississippi Riverboat, and play a round of miniature golf at Sawyer's Creek fun park. (For more things to do, go to visithannibal.com) Hungry? The tower of onion rings and a frosty mug of homemade root beer at the Mark Twain Dinette across from museum will fill you up. Also, fried chicken, juicy burgers, and spicy chili. The Best Western Plus On the River sites in the heart of town and you can walk to all the museums and restaurants. At the end of the day, kids will enjoy jumping into the swimming pool.  Santa Monica, Calif.If you're looking for some Southern California sun, this beachy town makes a great homebase. It's close to all the attractions from Disneyland to Hollywood. But there's also plenty to do right here. Head for the Santa Monica Pier where you can ride the Ferris wheel and eat corn dogs (look for the original Hot Dog on a Stick). Or you just might want to park yourself on the white, sandy beach. Need a place to stay? The Best Western Plus Gateway Hotel Santa Monica offers great value and clean, comfortable rooms in a town where you can easily find hotel rooms for $1000 a night.
Our family finished 2011 with a week in Majorca, a mountainous, rugged island just an hour's flight from Madrid. On foot and by car, we explored this place known for its medieval villages, olive trees, and shockingly beautiful landscape. With our two kids, ages 7 and 8, we hiked to the top of Massanella, the island's highest peak; dined at an extraordinary tapas restaurant in mountain village of Deia; and stood in awe as we gazed up at La Palma's massive 800-year-old Gothic cathedral. "How long did it take to build it, Mommy," my son asked. "Oh, only 400 years." Here are some photos from our trip.
I bought this pair of shoes at a boutique in Paris's trendy Marais district 15 years ago. They're now tattered and torn, but I still love their cherry-red color and the wavy strap across the top. Even now when I wear this old pair of shoes people say, "Wow! Those are so cute!" At the time, I'd never heard of Campers, a shoe brand based in Mallorca, Spain. But after buying this pair I fell in love with the brand that produced comfortable, stylish, and sometimes even quirky shoes. They've become known for their "Twins" line of mismatched shoes. One pair might have half a broken heart pictured on the top, while another would featured the other half of the heart. I have some Campers boots with one zipping straight up to the top, while the other has a funky zipper that spirals around the boot.  I've always wondered whether their was an outlet store in Mallorca and on our recent trip to this Spanish island I was able to find out....  Hooray! Yes! There is a Camper factory outlet! It's in the industrial town of Inca in the center of the island ( directions). The outlets like a mega-size Campers store, as usually the brand has tiny little stores in malls and downtown centers. There were hundreds of shoes and dozens in my size and all discounted. If you bought two, which I did, you got 20 percent off.  I was quite excited about my new shoes!  Yay! Campers! (Okay....I realize this is getting a bit lame....)  We weren't able to find a pair of Campers for my daughter at the main outlet. She's a bit picky. So we scoped out the island's second outlet at Festivalpark in Marratxi, which is close to Inca. There she found a cute gray pair with a little heal and bows.
 On our way from London to Mallorca, we had a three-hour layover at Madrid's Barajas International Airport. The building is covered in a glistening sea of undulating steel held into the air by colorfully painted supporting struts. It's absolutely spectacular. Even better, the place is filled with little cafes serving tapas, sangria, and frosty bottles of Mahou Negra. 
 After lunch at Brick Lane, we explore East London. This area was once known as London's poorest and dreariest, but now tech start-ups and media companies and artists and chefs are taking advantage of the low rents and moving into warehouse and factory spaces that have been abandoned for decades. Art galleries, restaurants and boutiques are popping up, and there's a thriving night life scene. A few places to check out: Spitalfields Market: This covered market is a very cool place to shop and filled with independent retailers. Columbia Road Flower Market: On Sunday the street is transformed into oasis of foliage and flowers. Everything from bedding plants to 10 foot banana trees are up for grabs. Rochelle Canteen: Housed in a former bike shed, this place is lunch only. Fresh, delicious British fare: boiled ham with parsley sauce, spinach soup with poached egg, and lamps toungue, turnips, and bacon.
 Brick Lane is indeed paved in bricks, and the street gets its name from the area's former brick and tile manufacturers that supplied building materials to the city center. But this long, narrow alley is better known as an immigrant street. French Huguenots, Eastern European Jews, South Asians, and most notably Bangladeshis have all settled here. In fact, Brick Lane is lined with dozens of little curry houses, their windows all covered in big signs with messages reading: "Best Indian restaurants." And then their are men standing at the doors inviting passersby to come in for lunch. "Best Indian food!" they all say. It's hard to know who to believe, so we turn to National Geographic Traveler for a recommendation. Bengal Village is where we end up for a late lunch. The inside of clean, modern, white-table-cloth restaurants smells of cumin and turmeric. The chicken curry is sweet and spicy and our kids quickly slurp up their mango lassies.
While London's beloved red phone booths have been disappearing since the 1990s due to the rise of the mobile phone, you can still spot some around the city. We found one in front of the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington.  These iconic telephone boxes as they call them in Britain were first designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and introduced to the streets in 1926. By the end of the 1930s, there were some 20,000 booths throughout the UK. Today, only 2,000 remain and they're all protected heritage sites. British Telecom has a program that allows people to adopt a phone booth and pay for its upkeep. People rarely use the phones these days but they certainly make great photo opps!
 Growing up, I went to Hawaii to visit my grandfather every Christmas. He was an artist and used the money from selling his work to pay for the entire family to spend the holidays in the tropics. My parents always lugged all the gifts in a big suitcase. All the wrapped presents from the cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends were put on the plane.
Yes, I guess it was nice to have a big pile of gifts to unwrap on Christmas morning, but really? What were they thinking? What a hassle?
We didn't bring presents on our trip to Europe this holiday. We opened everything before we left. We actually staggered it out over a week, opening something every day.
We did pack Santa gifts—a small cheap digital camera—for each child because we knew it would be expensive to do the shopping in London. But besides those two little boxes, our bags were gift free.
 I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to throw a holiday caroling party two days before we were scheduled to leave for London. It started with my daughter telling me that she wanted to sing holiday carols. I invited a few of her school friends, and then a couple neighbors. The party grew to some 40 people. No problem. We'd just get a honey-baked ham and some rolls.
The party was great—but our house was a mess the next day. The floor was covered in crumbs and mulled wine stains. Dishes were piled high next to the sink. I spent all of Saturday washing wine glasses when I should have been packing.
And then there were two other holiday parties to attend the next night...Let's just say I was scrambling on Sunday morning to pack for our two-and-a-half-week trip.
At noon my phone rang. The cab was outside. What else should I stuff in the bag? Oh, tooth brushes.
My husband called out, "Did you get the camera?"
I grabbed the camera and zipped up the suitcases. We were ready. We were walking out the door.
And then my 8-year-old daughter asked, "Mommy, do you have the passports?"
I didn't have them!
 Over Thanksgiving we took a red eye with our kids. Crazy? You might think so, but actually the six-hour trek between San Francisco and Charleston, S.C. went smoother than I ever imagined. We arrived at our cousins’ front doorstep early Thanksgiving morning we were relatively rested—at least there weren’t any meltdowns at the dinner table. (And we saved about $1,200 by taking the red eye.)
Here’s what we did: Put kids to bed at home before the flight. Our plane took off at 11 p.m. We didn’t need to leave for the airport until 9 p.m ., so I put my kids, ages 7 and 8, to bed at home at 6:30 p.m. My 7-year-old son fell asleep immediately and got in a good two-hour powernap. My 8-year-old daughter only got about an hour, but every little bit counts. Pack pillows and blankets. I stuffed our carry-ons with two snuggly blankets and my daughter brought her favorite Pillow Pet. These came in handy at the airport, where my kids set up beds on a row of chairs and got in another hour of sleep. Sleep on the plane. Unfortunately, our flight wasn’t nonstop. We had a four-hour trip to Chicago and then another two hours to Charleston. The kids slept on both flights. We stuck them in window seats so they’d have a place to rest their heads. I took half a sleeping pill (ask your doctor) to make sure I got some rest as well. By the time we arrived in Chicago, my son had slept about eight hours, not the full 10 hours that he really needs, but not bad for a red eye. My daughter only slept about six or seven hours. Photo: uptill1.com
 I'm at the stage where I'm wondering why I ever thought traveling to South Carolina for Thanksgiving was a good idea. My friends are all talking about staying at home and relaxing and our family is gearing up for a red eye flight the night before Thanksgiving. What was I thinking? A nonstop red eye with two young children? Well, actually, when I was making the reservations it made a lot of sense because the red eye cost half as much as the flights leaving at more reasonable times. No matter, we're traveling over Thanksgiving and once our bags are packed and we're in our car headed for the airport I'll be thrilled that we're going to see family who we love and enjoy. Here are a few things that I'm doing to make sure our travels are smooth: Reserving airport parking. Over the summer, we arrived at our favorite parking garage near the airport to learn that all the cheap spots were taken. We were stuck paying for premium parking, something we don't need because our car is a beater. It's wise to reserve ahead during peak travel times. Checking in online. It's so much easier to check in 24 hours in advance online. We're traveling with carry-ons only so we won't even have to face the madness at the ticket counter. Also, by checking in online, you can make sure that you have seat assignments and pay for any checked bags. Leaving presents unwrapped. We'll be traveling with presents for the cousins--and these will be unwrapped as recommended by airport security. Photo: theairlineguys.blogspot.com
 Are you a member of Best Western Rewards? There's still time to take advantage of the fall promotion. You'll earn double rewards after two separate stays. Even better, you'll get triple points if you stay at the different types of Best Western branded hotels (Best Western, Plus, or Premier). This offer is good through November 12. Get all the details.
 The good news is that yes, you can take a pumpkin pie, well actually any pie, through airport security. The bad news is that you can't take any of these items through according to the Transportation Security Administration: * Creamy dips and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.) * Gift baskets with food items (salsa, jams and salad dressings) * Gravy * Jams * Jellies * Maple syrup * Oils and vinegars * Salad dressing * Salsa * Sauces * Soups * Wine, liquor and beer
 From the sparkling sands and crystal clear blue waters of Fort Walton, Fl., (pictured), to a small little forested island off the coast of Washington state, these destinations are sure to offer families fun and adventure in 2012. Here's a rundown of my top 12 family destinations for 2012. Please add your suggestions in the comments. 1) Bainbridge, Wash.
A short 35 minute ferry ride from Seattle, Bainbridge Island offers family the beauty and culture of the Pacific Northwest in a quiet waterfront setting. Nestled among forested hills and quiet harbors, the BEST WESTERN PLUS Bainbridge Island Suites is tucked in the Washington State wilderness, but is still convenient to many free local attractions, including walking along the beautiful Bloedel Reserve or biking through one of the surrounding state parks. 2) Bloomington, Minn.
Home to the Mall of America, Bloomington is the ideal destination during stormy winter months when it can be most difficult to find ways to keep kids entertained. Escape the rain and snow with a trip to Nickelodeon Universe, the country’s largest indoor amusement park. Budget-savvy families can take advantage of online coupon sites, like Groupon and Living Social, to maximize retail and local attraction deals. For free entertainment, BEST WESTERN PLUS Bloomington Hotel offers two indoor pools and a water playland for guests of all ages. 3) Clayton, N.M.
As the first town on the Santa Fe Trail, Clayton has a variety of free outdoor recreational and learning activities. See more than 500 real dinosaur tracks and fossils along the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail and get a rare chance to walk inside an actual volcano crater at Capulin Volcano National Park. The BEST WESTERN Kokopelli Lodge offers guests Southwestern hospitality with easy access to outdoor adventures, including hiking, swimming, fishing, golf, archery and tennis. 4) Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
Forgo the crowds and cost of Miami and find beach solace in family- and budget-friendly Fort Walton Beach. With sparkling sands and crystal blue water, Fort Walton Beach visitors can break from fun in the sun with visits to the Air Force Armament Museum and Indian Temple Mound Museum to see more than 6,000 ancient Native American artifacts. Located along the beachfront, the BEST WESTERN Fort Walton Beachfront hotel is centrally located near seasonal festivals, snorkeling and playing in the sand. 5) Fredericksburg, Va.
Cross off visiting America’s most historic monuments from the family bucket list with a trip to Fredericksburg, located just an hour outside of Washington, D.C. Take the family on a spooky historical journey with a Ghosts of Fredericksburg walk and visit Ferry Farm, George Washington’s boyhood home, which offers dozens of seasonal activities. The BEST WESTERN Fredericksburg hotel is located near fun family activities like canoeing down the Rappahannock River or taking a horse-drawn carriage tour of historic sites. 6) Helena, Mont.
Take a nostalgic trip to Helena’s famous Parrot Candy Store, featuring more than 130 mouthwatering types of candy and an old fashioned soda shop for a price reminiscent of the “good ol’ days.” Or give kids a hands-on science lesson at Exploration Works, which offers free admission on select days. The BEST WESTERN PREMIER Helena Great Northern Hotel is also steps away from the world-famous Great Northern Carousel. 7) Houston, Texas
They say everything is bigger in Texas, but the cost of some of Houston’s best attractions is anything but. From the Downtown Landry’s Aquarium to the Space Center Houston, where visitors can watch astronauts and engineers in training, Houston is the ideal setting for families looking to have big fun without a big price tag. Located in the heart of downtown and within walking distance to more than a dozen kid-centric attractions, BEST WESTERN PLUS Downtown Suites is the perfect hotel for budget-conscious families seeking to discover everything that Houston has to offer. 8) Manchester, N.H.
The largest city in New Hampshire, Manchester is a bustling urban center in quiet New England. Children under 18-years-old can experience fine art by Pablo Picasso and Georgia O’Keefe for free at the famed Currier Museum of Art or enjoy tractor and pony rides at Charmingfare Farm. Close to the White Mountain Region ski area and Hampton Beach, The BEST WESTERN PLUS Executive Court Inn & Conference Center is a picturesque and affordable New England winter or summer getaway for the entire family. 9) Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Beloved by thousands of visitors and inhabitants alike for the unparalleled variety of its climate and landscape, the Okanagan Valley has something for everyone. For a special wildlife-viewing experience Vaseux Lake Provincial Park, hit the ski trails at Silver Star, Big White, or Apex, or step back into the Okangan’s history on the fully restored S.S. Sicamous Steam Paddlewheeeler. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint in style, visit the BEST WESTERN PLUS Kelowna Hotel & Suites, Okanagan Valley’s award-winning “green” hotel. 10) Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
The birthplace of French America, Quebec is one of the world's most beautiful cities with the district of Old Quebec City recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Treasure. Home to the world’s largest winter carnival each February, the Quebec Winter Carnival, where a $13 (CAD) ticket buys access to all 17 days of the event. Quebec also hosts the Quebec City Summer Festival in July.BEST WESTERN Hotel L'Aristocrate is less than 15 minutes from the celebrated Battlefields Park, which hosts the winter carnival and summer festival each year. 11) Salt Lake City, Utah
With its gorgeous setting between the Wasatch Mountains and Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake City is a prime destination for outdoorsy families looking for affordable skiing, hiking and biking. Take a break from the outdoor adventures and visit the new, state–of-the-art Utah Museum of Natural History opening in late 2011. BEST WESTERN PLUS Cotton Tree Inn is close to the Lagoon Amusement Park and the Energy Solutions Arena with kid-friendly concerts and fairs. 12) San Simeon, Calif.
Home to the famed Hearst Castle, San Simeon offers beauty and tranquility along California’s stunning Central Coast. As you wind your way down scenic Highway 1, take the chance to watch elephant seals at Piedras Blancas. Located just three miles from Hearst Castle, the BEST WESTERN PLUS Cavalier Oceanfront Resort is San Simeon's only oceanfront hotel and is a short drive to neighboring Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo.
 Forget the Hurricane, an obnoxious, overrated concoction responsible for a lot of New Orleans' drunken madness. Instead try a Pimm's Cup, a fizzy, citrusy and all-around refreshing cocktail that's available in just about every NOLA bar.
The key ingredient is Pimm's No. 1, a gin-based English appertif containing quinine and a secret mixture of herbs (supposedly only six people know the recipe). Next something bubbly such as Ginger ale, 7-Up or sparkling lemonade. And then a slice of cucumber and sometimes strawberry and mint.
A farmers son named James Pimm first produced Pimm's No. 1 back in 1823. Pimm owned an oyster bar in London and he served the drink as an aid to digestion. Somehow the drink made it's way to New Orleans in the 1840s.
The bartenders at the historic Napoleon House make the best Pimm's Cup around. Grab a stool at the bar or gather around a table in the patio out back and order up this NOLA favorite.
 I visited New Orleans with two foodies. These are the sort of women who can talk for hours about micro greens, meat brines, and pie crust recipes for hours.
On our first day we had lunch in the French Quarter at the touristy Acme Oyster House. The food was quickly declared salty and overpriced. We switched our focus to those places where locals eat and took a close look at the recommendations from a friend who lived in New Orleans for years. Over the next three days I ate some of the best food I've ever tasted in my life.
Here's where we ate:
Sylvain: Pan-fried pork shoulder comes with creamy grits. Buttermilk-fried chicken breast is accompanied by homemade pickles. Crispy duck confit is served with black-eyed peas. This is down-home food made with the best ingredients and served in a historic carriage house lit only by flickering candles. You might not expect to find a place like this in the French Quarter but it's right there on a quiet stretch of Chartres Street.
Lilette: This tiny restaurant tucked inside a former 1880s corner drugstore has the casual elegance of a French bistro with white tablecloths and black-and-white tiled floors. You could easily go here in nice jeans but you'll feel more comfortable if you dress up a little. Chef John Harris has earned all sorts of awards and glowing magazine reviews for his French-Italian menu. We sampled many dishes but our favorite was a delicate hearts of palm salad and a rich toasts piled with wild mushrooms and drizzled with white truffle oil.
Le Petit Grocerie: The food here's a little fussy. Exquisite little bites, beautifully assembled and displayed, on big white plates. But everything we tasted at brunch was delicious and flavorful. The fried green tomatoes, creamy burrata cheese, and country ham made for a brilliant combination. The buttery grits topped with sauteed shrimp and shitaki mushrooms melted in your mouth.
Cochon: Among locals and food snobs, this large, airy Warehouse District restaurant is the hottest spot in New Orleans. It's bustling and busy and downright noisy, and the food is great. As the name suggests, the menu focuses on pork and Chef Link gives it a local twist by mixing in Cajun flavors. Try the smoked ham hock served with red beans and the pork ribs accompanied by tangle watermelon pickles. And be sure to order the mushroom salad tossed with leafy herbs and deep-fried beef jerky (photo above). Yes, we were hesitant to order it but it ended up being the most delicious and unusual thing we ate on our entire trip.
What are your favorite local spots in New Orleans?
 The beauty of the Best Western Plus St. Charles is its quiet location away from the drunken madness of the beloved yet touristy French quarter. On a leafy avenue lined with century-old mansions, this hotel sits in the Garden District. Yards overflow with camellia bushes, ginger blooms, and jasmine vines, and streets move through tunnels of crepe myrtles and oaks.
You can easily walk to Magazine Street lined with antique stores, vintage boutiques, coffee houses, and divey restaurants dishing up jambalaya and grits. Be sure to stop by Tee-Eva's for crawfish pie and pralines. You'll also want to step inside Lili Vintage where a well-edited selection of cocktail dresses dating back to the 1930s hang on the racks.
Lafayette Cemetery is about a 10 minutes walk from the hotel. It's small but packed with over 1,000 family tombs, many of them above-ground and some dating back as far as 1833. The most famous cemetery residents are fictional. Anne Rice’s vampire Lestat has a fake tomb here. Consider joining a guide and taking a Save Our Cemeteries Tour.
Want to head downtown? Easy. Hop on the charming street car that takes you right downtown. You'll want the St. Charles Line and bring along $1.25 to pay your way.
And after you've explored the city you'll certainly want to return to your room, which is guaranteed to be clean and tidy. In the morning, a hot breakfast with fresh waffles and fruit is included in the price of your room.
Move over vampires...here come the witches!
 Just in time for Halloween here are three destinations where you can find your inner witch.
1) Salem, Mass.--This 400-year-old town is best known for the 1692 witch trials where women accused of practicing black magic were tragically hanged. The Salem Witch Museum is the main attraction. In a former church, watch a spooky performance where life-size figures, lighting, and narration re-create the trials of many years past. You can also catch a reenactment of a trial at the Witch Dungeon and the Witch's Cottage. For a bite to eat try the roast beef sandwich or French onion soup at the Witch's Brew Cafe. 2) New York, N.Y.--No rich witch history in the Big Apple, but you can get your fix on Broadway by catching a performance of "Wicked." The Emmy Award-winning musical is based on a book telling the story of what was going on in Oz before Dorothy arrived. Also, stop by the Fat Witch Bakery in Chelsea where you'll find wickedly delicious brownies. The Java Witch with cappuccino chips is a favorite. 3) New Orleans--Steamy streets and Gothic buildings have long made this city the setting for scary tales. Learn about its history of voodoo and witchcraft on a walking tour guided by a practicing witch, and step inside Esoterica, selling witchcraft supplies. Cap off a night on the town at Marie Laveau's Voodoo Lounge, a tiny spot named after New Orleans famous voodoo witch whose crypt in New Orleans is supposedly the second most visited grave in the U.S. after Elvis's.
 Scary movies and haunted houses—they're overrated. At least that's how you'll probably feel when you're lost in the middle of a gigantic corn maze. It's the ultimate Halloween thrill. These labyrinths cut into fields of corn are cropping up all over the country and there's probably one within driving distance of your home. To find one near you log onto the Corn Maize Directory or The Maize.
 Good news for traveling families: Today, the TSA announced that it's relaxing rules for screening children. The organization is beginning to pilot programs that don't require children under 12 to take off their shoes or endure thorough pat-downs, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano shared before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. "There will always be some unpredictability built into the system, and there will always be random checks even for groups that we are looking at differently such as children under the age of 12. But I think the travelling public will begin to see some of these changes really in the coming months," Napolitano said. Last year the TSA made headlines when a father videotaped his 3-year-old daughter screaming and kicking as she was inspected by officials at the airport in Chattanooga, Tenn. Months later a man tweeted a photo (above) of TSA officials feeling a baby's diaper at Kansas City International Airport. After the incidents, the TSA said that it would consider changing its policies around children.
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