CHICAGO (AP) ― In a city famous for its deep-dish pizza tourists wouldn’t know that the locals more often eat a thinner-crust, tavern-style pie topped with homemade Italian sausage and cut into squares, not slices ― unless they went on a pizza tour. Chicago is one of a handful of cities across the country, like Boston, Milwaukee and New York, with companies that offer tours of the local pizza scene. Chicago Pizza Tours owner Jonathan Porter takes his customers on a bus ride around the city that

Sept. 19, 2014

Most of us spend nearly the whole day with some sort of technology ― in front of a computer, an app on our cellphones, watching the TV to unwind ― and that might be why our minds and bodies crave time outdoors so badly that we find ourselves edgy, depressed, agitated. Just generally out of sorts. When you feel nature calling, answer it.The natural beauty of Norway is stunning, with stunning views everywhere you look. (This is a bonus for the less-than-professional photographers among us, who wil

Sept. 19, 2014

Busan, Korea’s second-largest city, nestled on the fascinating southern coast, has various attractions that beckon tourists all year round. They range from beautiful beaches and fresh local seafood to ultraconvenient mega shopping centers. But if you happen to be a big fan of movies, fine art or computer games, or just want to explore the city’s charms on a crisp, sunny day, fall is the best time to visit Busan. Here are the reasons why: Busan International Film Festival In Busan, the arrival of

Sept. 18, 2014

We sat among strangers, stuffed into wet suits and squeezed into a van headed toward a beach. No one was quite sure what to expect when we arrived.The website had used words like “climb,” “scramble,” “swim” and “jump.” It added: “A hair-raising and spine-tingling journey of exploration.”We were going coasteering.Never heard of coasteering? Neither had we until I started digging around the Internet as I planned our family’s summer vacation in Scotland. My husband, two boys and I would tour castle

Sept. 12, 2014

HERKIMER, New York ― In 1825, travelers navigated 83 locks. I crossed one.They traversed nearly 640 kilometers. I went 11.They saw the whole thing from mule-pulled barges. I was on the Lil’ Diamond II.We all saw no sign of a mule named Sal, but we still got to ride on the Erie Canal.Today, the Erie Canal is open for navigation from May 1 to Nov. 15. You can kayak through its locks, bicycle its shores, fish or visit the small towns along its meandering route. You can even rent a canal boat and sk

Sept. 12, 2014

JANGSU, North Jeolla Province ― This year’s Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving Day, falls in the second week of September, the earliest in 38 years. Chuseok, one of the major traditional Korean holidays, celebrates the fall harvest and abundance on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. The moon is said to look fuller on Chuseok than on any other day.But the early Chuseok this year has advanced the harvesttime and delivery start for products and gifts by two weeks to a month. Chuseok

Sept. 5, 2014

Though the hot peppers of Korea may not be as famous as the habanero of Mexico or bhut jolokia of northeast India, one local variety hangs high above the rest. When served on the stem at restaurants, to be dipped in doenjang sauce, customers are warned that it’s a Cheongyang pepper. Often, these warnings come with a touch of affection and pride in these sometimes green, sometimes red firebrands, called “gochu” in Korean.After many scorching encounters with these peppers in restaurants across the

Sept. 5, 2014

DENVER ― Meet my friends Joanna, Jo and Brenton, and Beth. They really helped me out on my recent trip to Denver.Joanna lent me her car. Jo gave up his room and crashed in Brenton’s room so I would have a place to sleep. Beth invited me for a lovely dinner.Thing is, I didn’t know any of them before my recent trip here.These trusting souls are part of the sharing economy, also called collaborative consumption or peer-to-peer sharing, which may be the hottest trend in travel since the birth of fre

Sept. 5, 2014

With easy access to multiple national forests and recreation areas, an extensive Basque community with food and cultural offerings and an impressive urban green space, the city of Boise, Idaho, has a surprising number of experiences to offer the high-energy traveler. And with direct flights from cities such as Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles and Denver, it’s easier to get to than many people might realize. It’s also particularly affordable, allowing you to make the most of your vacation dollars.Ac

Sept. 5, 2014

The Grand Hilton Seoul is presenting fall accommodation packages available from Sept. 6 to Nov. 30. The “Autumn in Hilton I” package includes a one-night stay at a deluxe room and breakfast for two. The “Autumn in Hilton II and III” packages, which target couples, include a one-night stay at an executive room, tickets to N Seoul Tower on Mount Namsan and a heart-shaped love lock which couples can lock onto a metal fence as proof of their love. Two cups of coffee and a slice of cake included in t

Sept. 2, 2014

For a taste of the golden age of train travel, when passengers enjoyed a relaxing meal and beautiful scenery on their way from Point A to Point B, hop on board a train operated by West Virginia Mountain Rail Adventures.With locations in Durbin and Elkins, the company offers five different trains and routes from April to December. I rode two of them, the Durbin Rocket and the Mountain Explorer Dinner Train.The first time I tried to find Durbin, I drove right through it. The town smells distinctly

Aug. 29, 2014

Tourists to British Columbia’s most-visited sites ― Stanley Park in Vancouver and the Parliament Buildings in Victoria ― are bound to notice carved poles with stylized creatures, one on top of the other, planted in the lawns. More totem poles, as the objects are called, can be viewed at the Royal BC Museum or the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. But to see them as they deserve to be seen ― in their natural environment ― requires a trip to Alert Bay.Situated on Cormorant Island off the northern tip

Aug. 29, 2014