There is an old Taoist story of a farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit.

“Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.

“Maybe,” the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “What good luck,” the neighbors exclaimed.

“Maybe,” replied the old man.

If you’re a history buff who loves to travel, why not combine the two and take a drive along America’s historic byways?

The next stop on Matt Lauer’s around-the-world adventure is one that will be completely unfamiliar to many Americans: the small, landlocked Southeast Asian country of Laos.

Laos is wedged between an array of bigger and better-known countries that attract a lot more visitors: China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. Even Burma (aka- Myanmar) gets more press (though not the good, tourist-attracting kind).

So what brings Matt to Laos, the “Land of a Million Elephants?”

Find out by clicking “More Travel” …

Most travelers probably think of getting to the airport as a royal pain.

After all, there isn’t much of a “rush hour” for airports–they’re usually busy throughout the day, and sometimes well into the night.

But in a growing number of cities, there are fast, easy mass transit solutions that might save you time, money, and headaches on your next airport trip.

And with little relief in sight for gas prices, taking public transportation makes more sense than ever.

While many first-time cruisers pick larger ships, sailing on smaller vessels can often give you a more intimate experience in some truly off-the-beaten path destinations.

It’s time again for more “Where in the World Is Matt Lauer?”

So where is Matt today?

He’s in the land of bikes and dikes, windmills and wooden shoes.

That’s right– Matt’s in Amsterdam.

Join him as he explores the city and its extremely varied pleasures…

HOTELS GOING “GREEN”

On “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” last week we had a lot of fun talking about “Green Week.”

That’s right, they booked people whose last name started with Green. The actor Seth Green, Peter Greenberg … you get it.

Well, we had a lot of fun talking about hotels saying they’re being eco-friendly when in fact, they have a whole lot more work to do.

One of the best ways to get to know a destination is to see it with a local.

Here are some easy ways to arrange that experience.