AJC staff travel headlines

Members of the Blue Angels sign autographs as part of the Blue Angels Fan Experience at the National Naval Aviation Museum.

When summer ends, visitors find laid-back groove in Pensacola

PENSACOLA, FLA. – Travelers flock to Pensacola in the summer to play on sugar-white beaches lapped by emerald water, get acquainted with historic attractions, and visit the National Naval Aviation Museum, home of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron known as the Blue Angels. It’s ‘round-the-clock, action-packed fun all summer ...

American’s one-day sale a doozie

American Airline’s today-only sale is a doozie. Look at where you can visit for just $178 round-trip: Austin or San Antonio, TexasBostonDes Moines, IowaDetroit or Grand Rapids, MichganKansas City or St. Louis, Mo.Key West, Fla.Oklahoma City, Okla.Omaha, Neb.Other today-only sale rates include: $277 Seattle$348 San Francisco$358 Reno-Lake Tahoe, Nev.These sale ...

One-day sale on flights to Europe

A hot today-only airfare sale from partners United Airlines/Lufthansa is one not to ignore. This offer places destinations in Europe and N. Africa in the price category of $700-$750 for winter travel. Rates are $100 higher for more immediate departures. Here’s a list of destinations that fall into that $700-range ...

Marco Polo’s 13th century voyage to the Middle East and China, which lasted 24 years and opened new world trade routes, is the subject of the “Marco Polo: Man and Myth” exhibition, opening Friday at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

Marco Polo exhibit shows first adventure journalist

Marco Polo made a 24-year trip along the Silk Road, crossing by land through Persia, Mongolia and China, returning by sea, and cutting a path that was longer than any other trader before him. Or maybe he didn’t. The mythology that grew up around Polo’s 13th century journeys, some of ...

Zoo bans animal prints on visitors

A zoo in the United Kingdom is putting a stop to fashion plates from wearing popular animal print clothing. According to the newspaper The Telegraph, Chessington World of Adventures Resort has put forth a zero-tolerance police on animal prints and bouncers are keeping an eye out for those visitors who are ...

Flights to Europe for less than $1000

The $1,000-airfare ceiling has been broken to overseas destinations! Here are three of the best bargains: $636 Shannon, Ireland; $643 Cork or Dublin, Ireland: Valid on Oct. 27-Dec. 12 or Jan. 9-March 27, 2014 departures. Travel Sunday-Thursday east; Monday-Thursday west. Travel on other days of the week is $30 more, ...

Budget: The Delaware History Trail covers Delaware’s history from the 1400s-1600s when the Dutch settled the region, followed by statehood, through the world wars and up to the present day. One of the stops on the trail is Fort Delaware State Park, used in the 1860s as a prison for Confederate soldiers. CONTRIBUTED BY BRENDAN MACKIE

A weekend in … Delaware

Weekend in Delaware one of three ways: on a budget, spending a bit more, or when the getaway calls for a splurge. Trip tips: Delaware is 96 miles long and varies from 9 to 35 miles in width — bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay. Unique autumn events ...

In a Friday, June 1, 2012 file photo a drawing of a road sign being used to designate the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor in the Carolinas, Florida and Georgia is seen during a meeting of the corridor commission in Mount Pleasant, S.C. Commission Chairman Ron Daise said Tuesday that more than 50 such signs are now being distributed to counties in the corridor to point the way to sites of importance to the culture of slave descendants on the sea islands along the nation’s Southeast coast. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith, file)

Signs to direct visitors in Gullah Corridor

Signs will soon be going up directing visitors to sites important to the culture of slave descendants along the sea islands of the Southeast. The chairman of the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor Commission, Ron Daise, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that 54 highway directional signs are being distributed to ...

The American Queen paddlewheeler cruises the Mississippi River. Here, it’s docked in Vacherie, La., home of Oak Alley Plantation.

Rollin’ on the river

From a rocking chair on the front porch of the American Queen, the miles slip by like molasses. Things slow down on the Mississippi River, aboard the largest steam-powered paddlewheel boat in the world. The most pressing question at the moment? Whether to get off this rocker and attend a ...

Hartsfield locked down by ‘mechanical issues’

Twice on Monday, false security alarms were triggered at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as a result of what officials are calling an “unknown mechanical issue.” First, around 1 p.m., the alarm at the South Terminal security checkpoint led to a lockdown, halting the train system and shutting down three security gates, ...

E-devices on planes could soon be OK, even on takeoff

Don’t you hate that part of flying when you have to turn off your iPods, video games and everything else electronic? Well, as soon as next year, that might come to an end. The FAA is considering scaling back how many electronic devices are banned during the takeoff and landing ...

Delta-Virgin Atlantic deal gets final approval

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines on Monday received final approval for a deal with British carrier Virgin Atlantic Airways aimed at bolstering its competitive position in the crucial trans-Atlantic market for flights across the pond. The approval is the final piece needed for the full rollout of a partnership launched with ...

Private jet firm Jet Linx opens at PDK airport

Private jet provider Jet Linx has opened at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, specializing in jet cards that allow customers to prepay for flight time and offering access to a small network of private jet facilities around the country. Omaha-based Jet Linx partnered with former Days Inn chief executive John Snodgrass to open ...

Delta-Virgin Atlantic deal gets final approval

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines on Monday received final approval for a deal with British carrier Virgin Atlantic, aimed at bolstering its competitive position in the crucial trans-Atlantic market. The approval is the final piece needed for the full rollout of a partnership launched with Delta’s purchase of a 49 percent ...

Holiday travel calendar

Whether you’re looking for Halloween thrills or holiday cheer, we’ve got you covered with our list of seasonal festivals and attractions throughout the Southeast.GEORGIAMontrose — Haunted Montrose, Sept. 26-Nov. 31, features a haunted house and other scary attractions, a maze, food and a scare-free zone. 478-376-4559, www.hauntedmontrose.com.Flinstone — Forest of ...

Mississippi

The South is known for friendliness, but only one locale can claim the title of Hospitality State. From Gulf Coast beaches to the Natchez Trace, Mississippi invites you to partake of its history, music and food. 1. Mississippi Blues Trail More than a collection of roadside markers, the Mississippi Blues ...

South Carolina

Think of the Palmetto State as a lavish quilt of culture. Its rich history, world-class arts festival and towns like Myrtle Beach, hard-wired for family fun, make South Carolina a top destination. 1. Gullah culture Nestled in the marshy lowlands between the heart of Beaufort and the Atlantic beaches is ...

Visitors to Russell Cave National Monument in Bridgeport, Ala., learn about the prehistoric inhabitants of Russell Cave. Photo credit: Russell Cave National Monument

Alabama

Where can you find a space museum, a 26-course public golf trail, a reknowned Shakespeare festival, caving adventures and spectacular Gulf beaches? It’s all in the Heart of Dixie. 1. Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Highly regarded by golf gurus as one of the best collections of public courses in ...

Florida

With 825 miles of beaches, the Sunshine State has long been a top destination. The state’s many theme parks, including Walt Disney World, are a big draw, but visitors can take in rich cultural heritage, too. 1. Clearwater Beach Located on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the area has a reputation for ...

Georgia

Atlanta, with attractions like Stone Mountain, dominates tourism in the Peach State. But there’s much more to see and do outside the city. Rapid water adventures, stunning falls and Atlantic coastline await you.1.Georgia coastalislandsFrom northernmost Tybee, situated less than 20 miles east of Savannah, to Cumberland, a breath away from ...