The Queen Mary Now a Historical Hotel

The Queen Mary ship, a former ocean liner, has become a member of the Historical Hotels of America. The liner operated from 1936 to 1967, and is now a dockside attraction and historical hotel in Long Beach, California.

To become a member of the Historical Hotels of America, a hotel must be at least 50 years old and listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or recognized locally as having historic significance.

She is a grand old ship and if you haven't had the pleasure of an overnight stay on her, you should consider it. The hotel has 314 guest rooms, which includes 9 suites. All rooms include modern amenities, such as iPod clock radios and flat-panel televisions.

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Best Places for Fall Foliage in the U.S.

Summer is winding down once again, the days are getting shorter, and the nights a little colder. In most areas of the country, leaves start turning in mid September; however the first two weeks of October is typically the peak for viewing foliage at its best, when leaves are their most brilliant. However, the amount of rain fall in a year also determines when leaves change and are their most intense.

These are some of the most beautiful places for fall foliage in the country.

Massachusetts features some of the best places for fall foliage; Cape Cod, the Berkshires, and the Mohawk trail are also some of the most popular. Visit a small historic village, small seaside town or beautiful rolling countryside.

Vermont enjoys a longer foliage season than most places, which runs from early September through late October. Vermont features some of New England’s most scenic golf courses, and also offers many fall festivals.

New Hampshire has 14 officially designated scenic drives covering over 900 miles. Drive over one of the states’ 50 covered bridges, or enjoy fall activities such as fall fairs or llama trekking.

Wisconsin offers prime fall color from mid-September through mid-October, and a variety of fall activities such as several fall festivals, corn mazes, resort destinations and beautiful fall drives along the Lake Michigan shoreline or through Kettle Moraine State forest.

Michigan offers many opportunities to view changing scenery and colors. Tahquamenon Falls, one of the largest water falls west of the Mississippi, or Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore are just a few. There are also a lot of farmers markets and U-pick fruit and vegetable stands throughout the state in the fall.

10 Helpful Tips for Packing Light

With practically every airline charging fees for checked bags these days, many travelers are trying to find ways to avoid checking bags all together.

Packing light has many advantages besides just avoiding airline fees. For example, you don't have to stand around for an hour waiting for your bags to show up on the baggage carrousel upon arrival at your destination and there's no chance that your bags will be lost or damaged en route. It's also easier to get through busy airports and train stations with fewer and smaller bags, and it makes it simple to take public transportation, rather than relying on high cost taxis and limos.

Here are some tips and suggestions for packing light, and fitting all your travel luxuries into one easy, carry-on bag.

1. Make a Packing List base on items and clothing that you know you'll need on your trip and stick to it! Try to avoid bringing items that you think you might need.

2. Wear layered clothing when you travel, that stretches and breathes giving you more room in your bag.

3. Pack wrinkle-free clothing as much as possible.

4. Rolling your clothes instead of laying them flat in the bag will provide more space.

5. Select one or two color scheme. Sometimes it's a good idea to add a few items with dark patterns, such as plaids as they help hide wrinkles, stains and dirt.

6. Reversible clothing, especially tops, are great choices since they effectively double your clothing choices.

7. Pack clothing that will dry quickly as you may need to wash some items during your trip.

8. Consider using a dual-purpose bag (suitcase/backpack combined) if you're going to be doing a lot of walking.

9. To simplify things for yourself, consider buying toiletries such as shampoo and toothpaste during your trip.

10. Make sure to follow the TSA 3-1-1 Liquid Rules;

Any liquid or gel packed in your carry-on bag must fit in a container that is a maximum of 3 ounces.

1 Quart: Containers carrying your liquids and gels must be packed in a clear, plastic bag that is no larger than 1 quart and has to be able to close completely.

1 Person: Every person is allowed to bring one clear, quart-size bag of properly sized containers noted above. Many stores have increase their supply of toiletries that meet the TSA guidelines.

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Chocolate Dream Park Opens December 16

The World Chocolate Wonderland opens in Shanghai December 16 through February 19. This is the second location for the Chocolate Wonderland.

It first opened in Beijing in 2010. It will be located on the 3rd floor of Himalayan Center in Pudong District and consists of four areas: World Chocolate Pavilion, Dream Park Theme Pavilion, Pavilion of Chocolate Life and Square of Chocolate and Happiness. Visitors can browse the famous architectural complex, made entirely of chocolate, in Pudong District and Puxi District following the Huangpu River made of chocolate. There will be many chocolate art works referring to Old Shanghai in early 20 century that will be exhibited.