New Vegas museum highlights mob bosses, tommy guns
In one room, a ghastly photo wall of bloody, uncensored images showcases the mob’s greatest hits. In another, visitors are taught to load a revolver. And for when a gun just won’t do, an oddball collection of household items — a shovel, a hammer, a baseball bat and an icepick — show the creative side [...]
Tourists turned away as Machu Picchu limit reached
Hundreds of unticketed tourists have been turned away from Machu Picchu this week as Peru’s famed Inca ruins reached capacity. Angry tourists blocked a bridge for two hours Monday in the town of Aguas Calientes at the entrance to the ruins. That impeded buses that ferry visitors to the hilltop archaeological site. Juan Julio Garcia [...]
Airline performance better for third year: report
Two budget and one smaller airline company took the top three rankings for overall performance last year, according to research released on Monday. AirTran led the pack in the newest annual Airline Quality Rating report, switching places with last year’s leader Hawaiian. JetBlue remained at third while Alaska jumped to fourth from eleventh in the [...]
Las Vegas embraces mob roots with new attractions
LAS VEGAS – Speakeasies, bootleggers, gun-wielding crime bosses and tough-guy accents pay homage to Las Vegas’ mob roots in a pair of new attractions showcasing Sin City’s criminal history. An interactive attraction featuring gangster memorabilia and commentary from film mobsters James Caan, Mickey Rourke and Frank Vincent opens Wednesday on the Las Vegas Strip. And [...]
Hawaii eyes gay ceremonies after civil unions pass
HONOLULU – For years, the Rev. Fay Hovey has held romantic ceremonies on the sand for gay partners who want to pledge their love in Hawaii. The couples take photos and memories with them, but they lack a legal and binding recognition of their relationship. That will change when same-sex civil unions soon become law [...]
How African-Americans can travel on a budget
I’m always surprised to run across someone who has never ventured outside the U.S., the borders of their own state or worse, the five-mile radius of their neighborhood. There are several theories as to why Black Americans don’t travel as much as their White counterparts but sitting comfortably on theories simply turns them into excuses. [...]
Southwest Airlines to revamp loyalty program
DALLAS – Southwest Airlines is revamping its frequent-flier program with changes designed to nudge customers into buying higher-priced tickets by letting them earn bonus flights faster. Southwest says passengers will be able to redeem points for any flight without blackout dates. Southwest credit card holders will be able to redeem points for international flights on [...]
Cuban-Americans haul goods home on holiday visits
HAVANA – In Cuba, Santa’s sleigh is a Boeing 737. Thousands of Cuban-Americans are heading to Havana this holiday season carrying everything from electronics and medicine to clothing and toiletries to help relatives back home supplement monthly salaries averaging about $20. Not only are Cuban-Americans visiting the island in far greater numbers since President Barack [...]
Vegas hotel gives off a “death ray”
And here you thought bedbugs were the biggest source of anxiety for hotel guests. Yes, guests at Vdara hotel in Las Vegas now have something else to worry about: being burned alive by the glare of the building’s “death ray.” What the heck’s a “death ray,” you ask? Well, first off, it’s not as deadly [...]
Stonehenge II in the Texas Hill Country
HUNT, Texas – The narrow road, lush greenery and low gray skies reminded Michelle Rechka of home. She traced a sharp curve of Farm Road 1340 through a dip where it crosses the Guadalupe River and followed the road up the river bank to reveal a broad pasture marked with a strange but for her, [...]
