Memorial Day travel in Arizona is projected to dip slightly this year, according to AAA Arizona. This weekend, which serves as the unofficial kickoff to the summer travel season, more than 701,000 Arizonans will head out of town, representing a 0.4 percent drop from last year. AAA attributes the drop to a pullback in air travel. But auto travel will help bolster numbers. ?Memorial Day travel is a mixed bag this year,? said Amy Moreno, director of travel services for AAA Travel. ?A decline?

History and hipness are beautifully blended at The Birchwood Inn on St. Petersburg?s popular Beach Drive NE. Chuck and Dr. Kathy Reilly Prather bought the former Grayl?s Hotel two years ago for $1.85 million cash. Tampa-based Ed Taylor Construction began gutting the three-story, 19,0000-square-foot building in January 2012. Two floors have been added to the original 1924 structure, creating spectacular over-the-tree-tops views of the North Straub Park bayfront. The Prather?s opened the?

The game itself is moving to the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis this year, although Military Bowl officials are quick with a caveat: It's still the Washington region's bowl. But will that be true in the following years? The bowl has a contract with the Naval Academy only for 2013, according to Steve Beck, executive director of the D.C. Bowl Committee. The Military Bowl will have to position itself for negotiations with conferences for the next bowl cycle, which runs from 2014 to?

From sponge diving in Tarpon Springs to cigar smoking in Ybor City, the Golf Channel?s Matt Ginella recently brought his Runways to Fairways segment viewers to Tampa Bay. He played at courses across the region and specifically highlighted TPC Tampa Bay, Old Memorial Golf Course, Cheval Golf and Country Club and Innisbrook?s Copperhead Course. He played golf at TPC Tampa Bay with Tampa?s Antonio Tarver, a boxing champion. Ginella also visited Cigar City Brewing and the Pinellas County beaches. Tampa?

Editors Note: This story was updated May 20 to include more details about the Alaska Airlines protest. Last year, protesters lined the block around the Seattle Art Museum when Amazon held its annual shareholders meeting there. This year, things may be a bit more subdued. When Amazon shareholders and executives meet Thursday, the investors will vote whether to reappoint the nine board members and will decide on a shareholder initiative that asks Amazon to be more transparent in reporting its political?

Brett Heising started BrettApproved to build an accessiblity-focused review, rating and booking site for people with disabilities to travel confidently around the world. Heising, who uses a wheelchair, is raising awareness about the challenges disabled travelers face by launching the site. BrettApproved.com was one of the big winners Friday night at Seed Spot?s inaugural demo day, when he pitched his company to the 660 in attendance at Phoenix Symphony Hall. Heising?s company won the $6,600?

After 123 days being grounded and then repaired to ensure its battery systems do not catch fire, Boeing 787 Dreamliners are about to once again make commercial flight in the United States. A United Airlines 787 will fly from Houston to Chicago Monday morning carrying more than 250 passengers including the CEO's of United and Boeing.Given the massive amount negative publicity, including video ...

Never known for its reputation for speedy service, Amtrak is finally getting on the fast track in at least one regard. On Thursday, ?America?s Railroad? announced it was upgrading its Wi-Fi service to take advantage of 4G cellular technology.?This upgrade is delivering the improved speeds and connectivity required to maintain a competitive edge,? said Deborah Stone-Wulf, Amtrak?s chief of sales di...

It?s been a long time since scofflaw drinkers were forced to resort to bathtub gin. But after whipping up a batch of diluted grain alcohol flavored with juniper berry concentrate for about 40 curious students at a Moonshine University class in Louisville this winter, Colin Blake celebrated the end of Prohibition. ?Happy Repeal Day, everybody!? he said.Whether its products are called moonshine or a...

An 18th-century manor in the South of France has transformed into a luxurious 15-room hotel.

A weekly capsule of travel news curated by our writers and editors.

Where to eat, drink and shop when you?re in town for the Venice Biennale.

For guests who like to spend the night in a place marbled with local flavor, these seven properties, from Maine to California, can accommodate.

Each spring, a former professional cyclist leads riders on trips to sample the area?s main attractions: food and wine.

Kotor, a historic city on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro, is more steeped in authentic flavor than you?re likely to encounter in neighboring Croatia.

Among the annual rites Americans undertake in spring, we'd like to suggest one more: Visit national parks.

The recently authenticated Hartley violin will be on exhibit before going to auction. .

Here's 10Best's Top 10 list of the greatest American racetracks worth traveling to see.

Renew your passport, hop a flight, pick a flavor, and treat yourself!

Five new developments along the most popular stretch in one of the USA's favorite cities.

Although the Strip does have a lock on gourmet restaurants, the rest of Las Vegas is hardly a desert.

This Travel Alert supersedes the Travel Alert for Egypt dated March 29, 2013, and has been updated to include information about a knife attack on a private U.S. citizen near the Embassy on May 9. This Travel Alert expires on August 15, 2013.

This Travel Warning updates U.S. citizens on the current security situation in Cote d'Ivoire, replacing the Travel Warning of November 16, 2012.

Rave Run 5K, Heart Walk, Restoration Run, Kansas City Triathlon

Redesigned Subaru Forester aces tough new crash test

FMCSA declares Autobuses Zacatecanos' drivers and vehicles pose an imminent hazard to public safety.

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all travel to the Central African Republic (CAR) and recommends that those who remain in CAR depart immediately by taking advantage of existing commercial flights. U.S. citizens who have decided to stay in CAR despite this warning should review their personal security situation and seriously consider departing.

But these resorts can help you squeeze every last flake from the snow season.

This spring, Englishman David Sharp was left to die on Everest. Why did no one come to his aid? Read our investigative report to find out.

In late 2004, a team attempted the north pillar of Cerro Murrallon, one of Patagonia's great unsolved rock climbing mysteries.Pata

Two Kiwis make a bid for Aconcagua's treacherous and seldom climbed South Face - a route notorious for decimating even the best of climbers.

In 2004, Sue Knott and Karen McNeill became the first women to successfully climb Cassin Ridge. We find out how they did it in brutal conditions.

Although known as the poor man's Himalayas, Peru offers many other, smaller, infrequently climbed peaks worth bagging.

Whether by leaps and bounds, stops and starts, or tiny incremental changes that over time add up to something big – technology and innovation are what keeps the travel industry moving forward. Each year, PhoCusWright weighs in on what we think are the year's most important technology trends. Read on for a sneak peak at three of the trends that made this year's top 10 list. For the complete list, purchase the report. Data, Anywhere: To consumers, the future involves the ability to access desired digital information regardless of device. To travel companies, this same future is a development and support nightmare. Businesses once had little to worry about in terms of client-facing applications – just choose between Java Script, Java and Flash with CSS. But in the wake of the proliferation of various mobile devices – the iPad, iPhone and the many devices running Android or Windows 8 – interfacing with clients has become much more difficult. The good news:...

Travel industry research authority PhoCusWright today unveiled the theme for its signature event, PhoCusWright Conference, to be held November 19-21, 2013 in Hollywood/Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA. The conference annually attracts over 1,400 senior executives, media and investors from 35+ countries worldwide to advance travel, tourism and hospitality. A potent force is gaining strength across the global travel industry, bringing with it a groundswell of consumer expectations that threaten to undermine the unprepared. Sellers of sameness beware: one-size never fit all, and the days of the generic are done for. A rising legion of travelers now demands to be recognized – one by one. "Cult of Context" adheres to a simple truth: success with many requires serving the wants of the one. Travelers have no tolerance for so-so search results and "personalized" deals that aren't so personal. As the Cult takes hold,...

Consumer spending may be on the rise, but when it comes to leisure travel, many Americans are still feeling frugal. According to a new PhoCusWright report, overall leisure travel incidence remained flat in the past year, and many of the U.S. adults who did manage to vacation took fewer and shorter trips. But while the average traveler may still not be feeling confident enough to splurge, there are signs that some vacationers are tentatively loosening the purse strings. According to PhoCusWright's U.S. Consumer Travel Report Fifth Edition, six in ten U.S. adults traveled for leisure in 2012, roughly even with the previous year. Travelers on average took 2.8 leisure trips, down slightly, and some travelers economized by shortening medium-length trips (4-6 nights) into quick weekend getaways. Not surprisingly, taking fewer and shorter trips also meant that travelers spent less – average annual travel spend dropped roughly $230 year over year. "Fewer trips may create the...

The Middle East travel industry is regaining momentum following the wave of protests and revolutions that swept the region in late 2011. After growing just 3% in 2011, the Middle East travel market jumped 12% in 2012 and will sustain double-digit growth through 2014, according to a new PhoCusWright report. Online bookings will nearly double between 2011 and 2014, when the region's online leisure/unmanaged business travel market will approach US$16 billion. "Efforts among Middle East governments and investors to boost inbound travel – coupled with a predominantly young and increasingly tech-savvy population – are driving substantial travel industry growth," said Mona Faraj, research analyst, Middle East. "While challenges to online booking adoption remain, including strong loyalty to traditional travel agents and discomfort with online payments in some parts of the region, online travel bookings are set for impressive growth over the next two years." The United Arab...

Japan's dominance as Asia Pacific's largest travel market has come to an end, marking a major milestone for the region as an emerging China assumes the top spot. Following over a decade of economic stagnation, Japan's recovery from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami has been sluggish, and the country's overall travel market growth will slow to 2% by 2015, according to a new PhoCusWright report. Yet Japan's online leisure/unmanaged business travel market, by far APAC's largest, will sustain double-digit growth through 2014. "Japan's travel industry has endured numerous challenges to growth for some time now, but the country's substantial online travel market should not be written off," said Douglas Quinby, senior director, research. "In fact, by 2015, the value of Japan's online travel gross bookings will still be more than double that of China." Air is Japan's fastest-growing travel segment, as the emergence of several low-cost airline carriers (LCCs), some backed by local...

Mobile travel bookings may have started out as a footnote on the balance sheet, but smartphones and tablets are on track to capture nearly one in five online travel dollars by 2014. According to a new report, PhoCusWright's U.S. Mobile Travel Report: Market Sizing and Consumer Trends, U.S. mobile leisure/unmanaged business travel bookings will more than triple from 2012 to 2014, when mobile bookings will reach US$25.8 billion. While using a mobile phone to purchase travel products is not yet mainstream, the share of travelers who have done so is growing. In 2012, three in ten mobile web users booked/purchased travel products such as hotel rooms or flights via their mobile phone, up from 26% in 2011. By comparison, more than eight in ten mobile web users viewed maps/directions via a mobile phone, while over half researched travel destinations or products. "Everyone knows mobile activity is booming, but it's hard for companies to know where they stand when growth rates are so...