From overseas adventures to weekend getaways, you’ll find travel inspiration here, including the hottest destinations at home and around the world.
Memories with Mickey
Reggie was beside himself. At the helm of the souped-up speedboat, he could barely contain his glee — or stay in his seat — as we zigzagged through the labyrinthine course, dangerously...
History flies high
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio — If you thought the Marines had cornered the market on history and tradition, it’s time to reboot.
South Pacific adventure
NUKUBATI ISLAND, Fiji — Stationed in the Pacific and looking for adventure? It doesn’t get much better than Fiji, situated about 3,000 miles from both Hawaii and Guam with affordable...
Gaylord ICE! exhibit lights up holiday for D.C. visitors
If you’re in the nation’s capital this holiday season, and seeing the National Christmas Tree isn’t enough to get your sleigh bells jingling, the corporate elves at...
Head above the clouds
As deployments go, Army Col. Timothy Kopra’s recent stint was a bit farther from his home base than most.
Fields of history
We’d been touring the park all day, piling in and out of the SUV, listening to the recorded driving tour and debating maneuver warfare tactics. But the shadows had begun to fall in Spotsylvania...
Airman’s bracelet lost in World War II returned
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Jack Harold Glenn was a World War II bomber navigator who was killed during a firefight as he flew a mission over Germany in 1944, his body coming to rest in a field in a...
Living memorial
Autumn is busy season for the Honor Flight Network, a nonprofit that brings World War II vets to Washington, D.C., for a day to visit the World War II Memorial. The monument’s granite basin can...
Hit the trails
Looking to add some meaning and direction to your next road trip? Then pick an interest and follow the trail.
The eclectic armada
According to a brochure from a local business association, “Without stopping, it takes approximately 15 minutes to walk the San Diego Embarcadero from the Maritime Museum to Seaport...
Air and space museum opens in Germany
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany — One of Claude Dornier’s planes — the 1925 Dornier Merkur — set seven world records in its first year. Another that could land on water was used by...
A bumper crop of travel deals blooms in summer’s heat
The economy may be in a dog-days-of-summer slump, but many travelers are getting a break this season, thanks to a refreshing flurry of deals that cut across the travel spectrum.
Historic German plane offers tourist flights
BRUSSELS — In the 1930s, “Auntie Ju” was considered the pinnacle of airliners — comfortable, reliable, even beautiful, despite its strange corrugated aluminum skin.
The road more traveled
So there I was, at the stroke of midnight, driving down a darkened street in South Boston looking for a place to park the damn thing. There were plenty of shady characters lurking at that hour, lots...
Statue of Liberty crown to re-open July 4
NEW YORK — Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the crown of the Statue of Liberty will re-open July 4 for the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Power to the people’s park
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK — Does Congress “know” what’s going on over here?
Fear of hotel crime rises during recession
Mary Catherine Tubbs was an experienced hotel manager, but that didn’t save her from becoming a crime victim at a hotel 10 years ago.
No country for old men
Three miles into the trip and the tires on my Pathfinder were struggling with the brutal Mojave Desert terrain. They spun out in the loose sand, and my teeth rattled as I drove over pebbles.
Make your money travel
Now’s the time for military families to take that dream vacation for a couple of weeks — or even a long weekend — without breaking the bank.
‘Pershing’s Own’ preps for inauguration
If temperatures drop too low on Inauguration Day, for members of the U.S. Army Band — “Pershing’s Own” — no worries. “Antifreeze” was written just for that.
National Infantry Museum to open in Georgia
The infantry is an often-overlooked but integral component of a wartime victory. Now, those who fight on the front lines are being honored with their own museum, slated to open in part March 19 in...
War in the round
Call it an antique version of a virtual reality game: A painted canvas measuring 377 feet around and 42 feet high that depicts, in painstaking detail, the bloody Battle of Gettysburg, complete with...
Pajama-clad pilot took on Japanese at Pearl Harbor
The Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor is remembered for inflicting devastation on the U.S. fleet. But carrier-based Japanese warplanes also struck three Hawaii airfields that belonged to the Army...
Pearl Harbor admiral remains controversial
Husband E. Kimmel, the top naval officer in Hawaii when the Japanese attacked Dec. 7, 1941, remains a controversial figure in naval history. Some blame him for America’s humiliating defeat that...
Pilot mastered air-to-air, air-to-ground combat
First Lieutenant James L. “Mac” McWhorter shoved the throttle of his P-47 Thunderbolt forward and climbed into a sky full of German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters.
Nett served in 3 wars, earned Medal of Honor
When retired Col. Robert B. Nett, 86, died Oct. 19 in Columbus, Ga., after a short illness, America lost a hero who received an infantry lieutenant’s commission in 1942, was awarded the Medal...
Submarine tender Proteus had a remarkably long life
The submarine tender Proteus served with diesel subs in the Pacific during World War II, tended nuclear submarines in the 1960s and 1970s, and finished its service as a berthing ship in the 1990s,...
Pilot missed ace status, but heroic exploits were many
Retired Col. John A. Carey spent more than 30 years in uniform and toted up an extraordinary list of achievements. He was “Air Force blue through and through,” according to a family...
Long, brilliant career set John Hines apart
John Leonard Hines soldiered from 1891 until 1932. He served in China, Cuba, France, Mexico and the Philippines before reaching the top Army job of chief of staff. Few soldiers have equaled his...
Neckerchief part of at-sea wear years before U.S. use
The neckerchief worn around the neck and tied at the front has been a familiar item of sailor attire almost since the Navy’s beginning. Today, sailors in grade E-6 and below wear the...
Early prop tanker had to play catch-up to fuel faster jets
Both planes competing to become the Air Force’s next air refueling tanker use turbofan engines. Early in the Cold War, the Air Force’s KC-97 Stratofreighter tankers were pulled through...
Infantryman, scholar, hero
When Bernard William Rogers, 87, died Oct. 27 in Falls Church, Va., the Army lost a leader and hero who did it all. Rogers was a Rhodes Scholar, received the Distinguished Service Cross for...
Corpsman youngest sailor to be awarded MoH in WWII
Robert E. Bush was just 18 years old when he was put to the test during the battle for Okinawa. Sailors today might regard Bush as a symbol for every corpsman who ever mustered courage in a tight...
Vet: ‘We weren’t scared. We were doing our job’
VICKSBURG, Miss. — Walter Carpenter’s travels during his 30-year Army career included places etched in the annals of history during and after World War II.
Vet receives Bronze Star after 63 years
TEXARKANA, Ark. — After 63 years, former Army Cpl. J.D. Elliott of Texarkana, who served in Europe during World War II, has received his Bronze Star.
French town honors last soldier killed in WWI
NANCY, France — One minute before the guns fell silent on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, World War I took its last American victim.
Lost letter sheds light on WWII experience
WABASHA, Minn. — For years, Johanna Arnoldy wondered about her brother’s wartime service. But she could never get any answers.
Shoemaker led aircraft carrier Franklin through kamikaze attack
James Marshall Shoemaker, the first commanding officer of the aircraft carrier Franklin, led the ship in hard combat in the Pacific. By the time Shoemaker relinquished command in late 1944, the...
MoH recipient became successful Army lawyer
Asa Bird Gardiner received the Medal of Honor for heroism as an infantry officer at Gettysburg in 1863, and later served as an Army judge advocate in high-profile court cases.
P-47N was ‘ultimate’ version of World War II Thunderbolt
Expecting an Allied invasion of Japan, U.S. air experts decided in 1944 to improve the famous World War II fighter, the P-47 Thunderbolt. The plane they created, the P-47N, was the...
Army officer rank insignia evolved into 20th century
Today’s Army officers wear insignia of rank on their uniforms. The American version of this time-honored military practice began with Gen. George Washington in 1780 and evolved as the Army...
Pilot survived Pearl Harbor to earn numerous awards
A leader recognized for his service as well as his battle heroics, Richard Henry Carmichael survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and a Japanese prisoner of war camp and went on to become an Air Force...
National treasure hunt
Military history abounds across the country — if you know where to look. From Gen. Patton’s Cadillac to the flag that flew over Iwo Jima in Joe Rosenthal’s iconic photograph, we...
Army’s Coast Artillery guarded nation’s shores
Before aircraft and missiles defended the U.S. against attack, the chief weapon guarding America’s Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts was the Army’s Coast Artillery branch. Coast Artillery...
Behemoth bomber served as flying lab
In its time, it was the largest American aircraft ever built. On the eve of World War II, many an aviation enthusiast saw pictures of it in popular magazines and fantasized about becoming its pilot.
The Call of the Wild
There is perhaps no better way to build comradery and teamwork than to receive a collective physical beating. Just ask the members of “The Devil’s Rejects,” a four-person team of...
Unorthodox XP-55 fighter failed to fulfill its promise
Last year, workers at the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum finished restoring the only surviving Curtiss XP-55 Ascender. While it was being tested during World War II, the experimental fighter...
Together to the top
LEADVILLE, Colo. — Five hundred feet to go. The squad-size group of veterans has been backpacking for about five hours, pushing up steep slopes and scrambling over boulder heaps here in the...
Zoom with a view
ROCKWOOD, Colo. — Transcending fear is part of the fun at Tall Timber Soaring Tree Top Adventures. That, and unleashing your inner Tarzan.
What’s in your pack?
You already know the basics. Everyone carries water, matches and MREs in their rucksacks. But what about the less obvious — but just as important — items that soldiers, sailors, Marines...
A salute to women in uniform
This country is indebted to women who break molds, chase lofty dreams and answer the call to service.
Hot trends on the slopes
We asked editors of Ski and Powder magazines to pinpoint trends in skiing. Their forecasts:
Creativity helps these veterans work through pain
ST. LOUIS — The few fast-food jobs former Spc. Randy Johnson took after his medical discharge from the Army usually ended when he didn’t show for his shift.
New military-only resort opens on Virginia coast
The military is adding Virginia’s oceanfront to destinations like Hawaii and Florida where service members and their families can get some affordable rest and relaxation.
Tales from the Whiskey Trail
We spent a week this spring traveling the “American Whiskey Trail,” visiting seven of the 16 operating distilleries and historical sites that make up the trail.
President, soldier, distiller
MOUNT VERNON, Va. — He led troops into battle against tax-evading whiskey makers, but President Washington was no enemy of the bottle.
Whiskey fast facts
Think you know everything there is about American whiskey? Read on and really amaze your buddies with your stunning command of booze news.
A spirited adventure
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Once upon a time, this was the wild, wild West. That was more than 200 years ago, of course, long before airports and interstates, long before Kentucky and Tennessee became...
But seriously, folks...
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Soon after Jan Donahue’s husband deployed to Iraq for nearly two years with the Minnesota National Guard, one of her neighbors tied a yellow ribbon around a tree in the...
Eyeball- eating airmen!
The survival docudrama genre has become a crowded field in recent years, with popular TV shows such as Discovery Channel’s “Survivorman” and “Man vs. Wild” imparting...
A Colonial road trip
Nothing will feed your inner American historian like a visit to Virginia’s Colonial Williamsburg and the nearby “historic triangle,” towns of Yorktown and Jamestown. Here, within...
Headed for the border? Take your passport
American service members planning a quick trip across the border to Tijuana, a vacation to Canada or even a Caribbean cruise had better pay attention to new, tougher requirements for identification...
Better than a theme park
The greater Orlando, Fla., area is well known for the obvious: sprawling strip malls, chain eateries and, of course, enormous theme parks promising fun and adventure. But at some point, you may get...
Travel headlines from USAToday.com
Virgin America gets tentative approval to launch U.S. service By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY Virgin America was tentatively cleared to fly TODAY by the Department of Transportation, a move that paves the way for the start-up carrier to begin service possibly as soon as this spring.
James Beard nominations call out culinary world's best By Jerry Shriver, USA TODAY Culinary professionals from more than a dozen cities were among the nominees in top categories for the 17th James Beard Foundation awards announced Monday. The traditionally strong dining scenes of...
No passport? You can still visit Mexico by car By Olga R. Rodriguez, Associated Press Writer So you want to go to Mexico, but you don't have a passport? There are still options, at least for one more year.
Tribe set to open Grand Canyon Skywalk Visitors who have marveled at the Grand Canyon's vistas will now have a dizzying new option: a glass-bottom observation deck allowing them to gaze into the chasm beneath their feet.
Delta CEO: Give my bonus away By Marilyn Adams, USA TODAY Turning his back on a potentially lucrative payday, Delta Air Lines CEO Gerald Grinstein said Monday that he is refusing any stock, stock options or cash when the carrier emerges from bankruptcy.
Officials confirm N.Y. mineral water spa diluted The famed "natural mineral water" baths at Saratoga Spa State Park have been diluted with regular tap water for the past two decades, state officials confirmed Monday. The park's baths attract about...
A380s touch down on two U.S. runways By Laura Bly, USA TODAY The latest jetliner to claim the title of world's biggest passenger aircraft completed its maiden voyage to the United States on Monday, flying on football field-length wings and a prayer that the...
Airline passenger awakens beside corpse A first-class passenger on a flight from New Delhi to London awoke to find the corpse of a woman who had died in the economy cabin being placed in a seat next to him, British Airways said Monday.
Passport surge pushes workers into overtime By Mimi Hall, USA TODAY Government workers in Portsmouth, N.H., are taking on overnight shifts, working extra hours and setting up desks in "every nook and cranny" of the National Passport Center, director Tyrone Shelton...
Pittsburgh once again 'glass city' with exhibitions, conference By Ron Todt, Associated Press Writer It was called the Iron City and then the Steel City, but for a century Pittsburgh and the rest of western Pennsylvania were famed for another material known more for beauty than strength: glass.
Airport Check-in: Hong Kong picks a brew, RDU accomodates more carry-ons By Roger Yu, USA TODAY Heineken International this month opened its first branded "Heineken Bar" in Terminal 2 of Hong Kong International. The Dutch brewer says it plans more bars at yet-to-be-named major international...
Thousands still stuck after Friday storm By Fredreka Schouten, USA TODAY Thousands of weary travelers faced a third day waiting to reach their destinations Sunday as US Airways struggled to recover from the ice and snow storm that paralyzed airports in the Northeast. The...
Ski industry goes green to fight warming By Tom Gardner, Associated Press The ski industry is going green to help offset the pollution that feeds global warming a phenomenon that challenges the resorts' very existence with the threat of later snowfalls and earlier snow...
Storm strands people on planes at JFK Hundreds of passengers were stranded for hours overnight on airliners that couldn't take off from John F. Kennedy International Airport because of the ice and snow storm that pummeled the Northeast....
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