Perhaps the most amazing aspect of travel is its ability to reach down inside us and change the very bedrock of our thinking.

Approached with an open mind and an open heart, travel not only helps us better understand ourselves and others, it can also explode the myths and prejudices we grew up with—preconceived notions we might not even know exist.

Take the case of a friend of mine who was raised in Rhodesia (now the very sad country of Zimbabwe).

When she was growing up in the 1960s and ’70s, she thought it completely natural that 8 million black people lived, literally, at the beck and call of 100,000 white people.

Los Angeles and San Francisco may generally get the headlines when it comes to travel, but California’s third city, San Diego, is a hidden gem.

Granted, when most people think of San Diego, they do have a vague idea of what the city might hold - especially the world-class zoo.

But there are plenty of other great activities in the city that calls itself ‘America’s Finest’.

So take a gander at these ideas for great things to do in San Diego that you won’t find in the brochures.

“No Hope” for Children Trapped Under Rubble in China

Boeing 777 Crash Still an Enigma

Influx of Flights and Low Fares from US to Heathrow

New Regulations Allow China-Taiwan Flights

Ridership on Amtrak Hits Record Highs

Flying standby is a common enough practice, but what do you need to know about it?

How can you make sure that you actually get on a flight, as opposed to just ’standing by’ for one?

And which days are good days for flying standby, and which should be avoided?

Knowing the facts may make the difference between an un-ending layover and a short one.

So find out what you need to know about flying standby, after the jump …

There’s lots of stuff in the news, most of it not good—surcharges are going up, fees are going up, aging airplanes. But right now it’s all about the ongoing tragedy in Myanmar, where the death toll may be up as high as 100,000 and disaster relief is being stymied by the government.

One of the people I know who is at the forefront of the relief effort is Richard Walden, from Operation USA (www.opusa.org). Like many other relief agencies, they have staff in Bangkok that is waiting for visas that haven’t come yet.

The Burmese have said they don’t want a lot of foreign relief workers in the country. That’s typical [of Burma], but the relief workers who go there would be able to get their electrical grid back up, get supplies into the country. Getting it distributed is another problem.

With the summer months approaching, it can get more difficult to secure a campground in one of the United States’ national parks.

Plus, you’ve already camped in Yosemite, hiked the trails of Yellowstone and admired the Rocky Mountain National Park from its peaks.

Before you announce that America has no natural wonders left to discover, check out these lesser-known National Park Service or U.S. Forest Service designated lands that will help you rediscover America’s beauty—from the mountains to the prairies.