With tourist traffic increasing dramatically to the Arctic and Antarctic, is it time to say “bye, polar?”

Or can tourism be a boost to the farthest reaches of the planet?

According to Virtuous Traveler Leslie Garrett, the answer in this International Polar Year seems to depend on a light touch…

It seems that suddenly, the polar bear and the penguin have become the poster animals for reducing climate change. And as any Hollywood star will tell you, with increased fame comes increased scrutiny. This has certainly been the case for the homes of these two creatures.

While the Polar Regions have largely been the frontier of explorers and extreme adventure seekers, these days it’s as …

The official Transportation Department statistics are in and it’s official: 2006 was a pretty bad year to be an air traveler. Delays are up again this year, and again, Hawaiian Airlines had the best on-time record, followed by Frontier and Southwest. You can find the detailed statistics on delays at http://BTS.gov.

Mishandled bags are up by one million bags for the year, a jump of over 30%. Again, Hawaiian leads the pack with the fewest lost bags, with JetBlue right behind. The bottom rankings are all held by regional carriers like Atlantic Southeast, Comair, and American Eagle. And if you don’t like complaining, or at least flying on airlines that get a lot of complaints, avoid United, which led the …

As many of you know, Earth Day — a day dedicated to the appreciation and awareness of our environment — was Sunday, April 22.

However, if you missed it, don’t worry — there are still plenty of ways in which you can show your appreciation for the planet.

In fact, with the help of some groups, you can do it year-round, even in your own community — in many cases within 100 miles of where you live.

The following are just some of the many organizations dedicated to putting nature first, along with information on how you can get involved.

The American Hiking Society (AHS) is an organization dedicated to protecting America’s hiking trails and the …

April 19, 2007A few weeks ago, I was flying from Atlanta to Frankfurt, and had to check bags. Those of you who read or watch me regularly know I’ll do anything not to check bags… in fact, I WON’T check bags domestically — I courier them ahead of time.

But for overseas flights? I don’t have much of a choice.

To courier bags abroad is prohibitively expensive, so I check them. But what happens if something goes wrong overseas?

When my flight landed in Frankfurt, one of my bags was missing.

Uh-oh. That meant long lines at the airline bag office, filling out forms, and waiting for bag that might never …

The TSA’s ban on liquids left many wondering if and how to bring toiletries on board flights. Believe it or not, there’s a way to transport your toiletries with you, without getting hassled. A simple alternative to liquid toiletries is dry toiletries–you don’t have to bother with the allotted 3-ounce containers for liquids. So, can’t fly without toothpaste? Bring powdered toothpaste or a pre-pasted disposable toothbrush. There’s ToothFresh Dry Powdered Toothpaste, on Amazon for $8, or DentaKit’s pre-pasted toothbrush, just $6 for 10.

Need a facial cleanser to freshen up mid-flight? Take some cleansing cloths. There’s the Mustela cleansing cloths or Biore Cleansing Cloths, both $7. There are even shampoo sheets, like the ones from We Live Like This for $6, …

In this wired age, travelers want to be plugged in, whether it’s a computer, MP3 player, or simply their hair dryer.

And even if most Americans know they might need some type of adapter, converter or transformer in order to use their electric devices abroad, they might not know exactly when to use what.

Let’s start with terms.

There are two basic types of equipment you might need abroad in terms of electricity.

One is a plug adapter, and the other is a converter or transformer.

A plug adapter is usually small, inexpensive, and straightforward: it basically makes your American plug fit into the socket of the country you are visiting, the idea being that there is …