smarter traveling, driving and spending
Feeling welcome is an important part of any vacation or business trip. A new survey of 140 countries lists the world’s most friendly destinations, and the least friendly. According to the World Economic Forum, Iceland, New Zealand, Morocco are the world’s top three most friendly destinations for tourists. I have visited all three over the
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With a starting price of $15,995, and styling, technology and performance shared with corporate sibling Alfa Romeo, you can’t beat the 2013 Dodge Dart. Even fully loaded, with the award-winning 1.4 liter MultiAir Turbo, this spirited compact is under $23,000. That engine, by the way, was developed by another Chrysler sibling, Fiat. The 2013 Dodge
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Because I travel a lot, I applied for the so-called “trusted traveler” pass, to get me through airport security and US Customs lines faster, on special security lines. With the impending sequestration budget cuts for federal employees, including TSA and Customs and warnings of up to 90 minute waits for TSA and Customs screenings, I’m
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The new Cadillac ATS performance sedan has been named “Best of the Year” 2013 car by MotorWeek, the longest running automotive series on television. This award includes only vehicles made in America, on assembly lines operated both by Detroit based manufacturers and foreign companies including Toyota/Lexus, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan/Infiniti, which have been building cars
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If you have a spare $70,000, you can get a special three-day package for two in a hotel suite overlooking the US Capitol building and the inauguration of President Obama. The deal is at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. More than just a room with a view, this Presidential Entourage package offers several
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If you own or are planning to buy a Suzuki vehicle in the United States, this is not good news — American Suzuki has filed for bankruptcy and will drive out of the car market in North America. Suzuki motorcycles will continue to be sold, but not cars. According to the New York Times, Suzuki
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Seattle’s iconic Space Needle is going green with a forest of trees on its roof. This is a virtual forest — a painted one, not a real one — so no trees will actually be growing on the ceiling. The forest design is in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Space Needle in 2012.
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There are more than 100 hotels in the United States where guests have checked in but never left. Just in time for Halloween, here are three historic hotels where something just might go bump in the night. The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado — One of America’s most haunted hotels, best known today for its
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The capture and death of dictator Mummar Qaddafi by Libyan rebels brings an end to the brutal 42-year regime of a true madman. The news had me remembering the last time I visited Libya, way back in the 1960s. Actually, it was the only time I visited Libya, just before Qaddafi led the military coup
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