IndyStar.com: Travel
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San Francisco's Angel Island captures immigrants' experience
I am distressed that we Chinese are in this wooden building . . .. / I should regret my taking the risks of coming in the first place. Carved on the walls at the Immigration Station on Angel Island are hundreds of poems like this one, etched into the...
Storm King Art Center
Where the center is: Mountainville, N.Y. (www.stormking .org). When I went: Early September. Why I chose this destination: I’d always heard what a great place it is for the sculpture and the setting and the way the art is arranged. How I got...
Just got back from Acadia National Park
When we went there: Late August through early September. The weather was perfect. We went there because: My husband and I travel to at least one national park each year. He has family in Camden, Maine, which is about 70 miles from Acadia National...
Cemeteries' hidden treasures
Graveyards have many stories to tell Even if you don’t believe in ghosts, walking through a graveyard can be a little spooky — especially in autumn as the trees lose their leaves, flowers wither away and light fades in the late afternoon....
Titanic cruise
A trans-Atlantic cruise is being offered in 2012 to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. The Titanic Memorial Cruise will depart, as the original ship did, on April 8, from Southampton, England, and arrive at the spot in the...
'King of Pop' tour covers childhood highlights in NW Indiana
GARY, Ind. — Before there was the sprawling Neverland ranch in California, before he became a superstar with the best-selling album of all time (“Thriller”), a tiny house in the industrial city of Gary was home for Michael...
Haunted business is boo-ming
The towering stone walls of the Gothic prison are scary enough in the daytime. Some say it looks like Dracula’s castle. Now add a crisp, moonlit evening, and mix in 50 demons and devils breaking out of rusted cells and it becomes the perfect...
Craft brewery tours lure visitors to Wisconsin
MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin lost its unofficial beer capital designation when large brewers moved away decades ago, but the state’s reputation remains strong among beer-lovers, as brewpubs and microbreweries have taken the reins — with...
Experts share their techniques for getting a little sleep in flight
The image is so familiar that you can see it in your dreams, if you were capable of dreaming: an airplane full of passengers in fitful sleep, their cheeks pressed against the windows, heads bobbing like yo-yos on limp strings and eyes masquerading...
The suite life
JFK slept here. So did Prince Charles. Representatives of the Big Four presumably stayed awake as they worked on the United Nations Charter in 1945. A lot of history has been made in the penthouse at San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel, built in the...
'Lost' in D.C.
Washington, D.C., is anticipating a flurry of visits from fans of Dan Brown’s new thriller, “The Lost Symbol.” Fans of “The Da Vinci Code” novelist can visit www.washington.org/lost symbol for help in exploring places...
Did you know?
Eight of the U.S.’s top chainsaw carvers are in St. Croix, Ind., today to show off their skills. Their works will be auctioned off at 4 p.m. The competition/demonstration is the highlight of the annual Bear Hollow Fall Fest, just off Old State...
Trip to Thailand villages raises ethical questions.
You can see almost anything in the world if you pay enough. So I was startled when a respected trekking company in northern Thailand refused my request to travel to a village of a tribe called the Padaung. “PLEASE DO NOT SUPPORT THIS VIOLATION...
Just got back from . . . Abuja, Nigeria
Dates there: Aug. 2-9. Reason for choosing this destination: To present a paper at the Women in Africa and the African Diaspora international conference on my personal observations (as a Red Cross worker) of the impact of the Nigerian Civil War on...
See who won our annual photo contest
Representing ages from 17 to 70, the amateur winners of the ninth annual Star Travel Photo Contest proved that talent is a matter of taste, not tenure. A total of 429 entries were received for this year’s competition, with the majority...
More travelers sailing away
Looking for a little adventure, some great entertainment and gourmet food? Cruises are gaining steam. Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) estimates 13.2 million travelers took cruises in 2008, an increase from 12.56 million in 2007. The...
Rising Sun's charm melds community of artists, rural life
RISING SUN, Ind. — In the minute or two it takes to drive through downtown Rising Sun, you see all the requisites of small-town life: Main Street? Check. Absence of stoplights? Check. An abundance of flowers, wooden fences, tiny shops and all...
50 road trips not to miss
National Geographic Traveler is featuring 50 “Drives of a Lifetime” on its Web site at http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/drives. A sampling: Cherohala Skyway, a 42-mile byway that connects highways 165 in Tennessee and 143 in North...
Work on the farm to visit Europe inexpensively
SANTA EULALIA DEL MONTE, Spain — Backpackers pining for European adventure have discovered life on the farm, shoveling manure, feeding pigs and making butter as a recession-beating way to sate their wanderlust. World Wide Opportunities on...
Natural beauty highlights visit to Alaska
Check out these 50 reasons why Alaska is a great destination As Alaska celebrates its 50th year of statehood, the time is golden to visit the wondrous area that’s as untamed as ever. Cruising is an ideal way to take in the breathtaking...
Famed New Orleans hotel bounces back in style 4 years after Katrina
NEW ORLEANS — The massive lobby, with its ornate trim, glittering Italian crystal chandeliers and mosaic floors, looks much as it did when Louisiana’s Kingfish, Gov. Huey P. Long, last strolled through in the 1930s. Some say he carried a...
Just got back from . . . Marrakech, Morocco
I wanted to go there because: Morocco is known for great gardens, which I’ve heard about for years. How I got there: As part of a private tour. Where I stayed: Sofitel, with a great view of cell towers disguised as palm trees. Most interesting...
Road Trip: Hocking Hills
Where: Logan, Ohio. How far, how long: 225 miles, 31/2 hours via I-70 east and U.S. 33 south. Info: (800) 462-5464, www.1800Hocking.com. Why: Baby boomers are getting their need for a soft adventure fix satisfied with outdoor thrills in the Hocking...
Say bon voyage to cumbersome luggage
NEW YORK — Travelers have no interest in lugging their luggage anymore. They don’t have to, according to experts. A combination of consumer demand, design modifications and innovative materials has allowed manufacturers to switch gears to...
Road Trip: Kentucky Horse Park
Where: 4089 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, Ky. How far, how long: 185 miles, three hours. Getting there: From Indianapolis, take I-74 east to Cincinnati, then I-75 south to Lexington to Exit 120. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m....
Calling all hot shots
Hit us with your best shot. The Star’s ninth annual travel photo contest is open for entries. Send us your best photographs — electronically only — by 5 p.m. Aug. 10. Our panel of judges will consider originality, composition,...
Saving money, saving Earth
Vacation resorts see green efforts as good water, energy investments There’s a lot about Clay’s Park Resort that appeals to Janet Durtschi, including its ongoing effort to get “greener.” She and her husband, Donald, have...
Shanghai transforming itself from gritty to glittery for upscale travelers
SHANGHAI — Global travel may be ailing, but China’s biggest city is pursuing luxury travelers with a vengeance, bent on restoring its reputation as the Paris of the Orient. As Shanghai spruces up for next year’s six-month World...
Road Trip: Mansfield, Ohio
How far, how long:240 miles, 3 3/4 hours, via I-70 east and I-71 north to Exit 169. Information:(800) 642-8282, www.mansfieldtourism.com. Why:Mansfield is going back in time to entice summer travelers to visit the city that claims to be “The...
Volunteers travel hundreds of miles to ride in annual bison roundup
ANTELOPE ISLAND, Utah — “How do you move a 2,000-pound bison?” a rider on a horse next to me asked. The punch line: “You don’t.” Buffalo don’t herd easily. If pushed too fast, they lower their heads and...
