Theme parks try new pricing

(AP) -- The most talked-about change at Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio isn't the new supersized swing that catapults thrill seekers 125 feet into the air.

Coney Island to get $1 billion makeover

NEW YORK (AP) -- It's springtime in Coney Island, with all the familiar signs of the coming tourist season: The beer flows at Ruby's on the boardwalk, a help-wanted sign rests outside Nathan's Famous, stuffed animals appear in the cramped arcades.

No need for wallet at Smithsonian

WASHINGTON (AP) -- To fee or not to fee?

Alaska expecting record summer tourism

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- High fuel prices won't keep tourists from visiting Alaska this summer, state tourism officials say.

Theme parks pack plenty of new wild rides

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- Boundary-bending roller coasters, a killer whale ballet and a toppling 65-foot tower that simulates splashing into a 5,000-square-foot pond below are among scores of new attractions opening this summer at theme parks around the country.

Town's tout: Visit Dollywood, get gas

PIGEON FORGE, Tennessee (AP) -- Who could stay away from Dolly Parton's Dollywood Theme Park?

Blue Hawaii: Gateways to tropical adventure

(Sunset) -- Hawaii's world-class waves, dazzling sea life and spectacular scenery make getting out on the water a goal for most visitors. Sunset magazine spoke with three islanders for an inside line on the best gateways to tropical adventure.

National park deals available for summer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- You can find good deals in the national parks this summer despite tight budgets, rising fees and a huge backlog of maintenance work.

Train snafu strands thousands

NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) -- A major power outage stranded thousands of rush-hour commuters Thursday between New York and Washington, stopping five trains inside tunnels and forcing many passengers to get out and walk to the nearest station.

Germany offers more than soccer for World Cup fans

BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- Next month in Germany, more than a million visitors will marvel at world-class play during the World Cup soccer championship. They can also admire great art, stroll medieval town squares and savor some of the world's best beer.

Romania to return Dracula castle

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) -- More than 60 years after it was seized by communists, the Romanian government is to hand back one of the country's most popular tourist sites, the fabled Dracula Castle, to its former owner, the culture minister said Tuesday.

View of Alcatraz better at night

ALCATRAZ ISLAND, California (AP) -- Cold rain falls and clouds obscure the San Francisco waterfront. Light fades from thin slots where prisoners once clamored for a glimpse of the outside world.

Dim sum, cover bands and 'junk trips'

HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Few places in the world pack so many contrasts in such a small space as Hong Kong.

Top 10 seafood markets

(Coastal Living) -- Many a traveler heading to the coast for a summer getaway has visions of heaping plates of fresh seafood. At these full-service fishmongers, sea creatures are on the brain all year long.

The fine print: Senior discounts

(Budget Travel Online) -- Yes, growing older does have a silver lining. But not every senior discount beats what young'uns pay. How can you tell a good deal from a crock of Geritol?

More U.S. airports to monitor traveler behavior

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The U.S. Transportation Security Administration will soon use more behavioral profiling at American airports to detect suspicious activity, a top official said on Thursday.

New Atlanta runway could cut delays across U.S.

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- As a business traveler who flies 100,000 miles a year on Delta Air Lines, Jay Spencer is used to flying through the world's busiest hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Southwest Airlines considering assigned seats

DALLAS, Texas (AP) -- The days of first-come, first-served seating on Southwest Airlines Co. planes could be nearing an end.

Government sets anti-terror measures for air cargo

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government Wednesday announced new security requirements for air cargo that include criminal background checks for more than 100,000 airline and freight workers and screeners to check packages delivered to airport ticket counters.

Shave a few bucks off summer travel costs

(AP) -- The cost of travel has been going up all year and that is making it difficult -- but not impossible -- to find summertime bargains.