AP Travel Columns

TIPPING ETIQUETTE: When it comes to traveling overseas on a business trip, adjusting to a foreign language and currency can be cumbersome on top of a demanding schedule. But for many, knowing what to tip the busboy or hotel concierge is the most stressful part of any international rendezvous.

This is the prime season for one of nature's great displays, but you might have to travel a ways to see it. The aurora borealis, aka the Northern Lights, is best seen at northern latitudes, and that means you'll have to pack your warm winter clothing — after you survey a few Web sites to survey the possibilities.

NEW YORK - Food from Maine, New Mexico, Salzburg and Montreal turned up on Saveur magazine's quirky list of 100 "favorite foods, restaurants, people, places and things."

NEW YORK - Ever have your stay in a hotel ruined by noise?

RICHMOND, Calif. - Fog drifts over the old shipyard, casting a veil over the shoulders of empty factories where thousands of women once thronged, welding and hammering and typing and filing as they put a lipsticked smile on the face of the war at home.

NEW YORK - Two of the most influential travel magazines - Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler - are out with their annual lists of best hotels.

Do you really want to spend your winter recreation time fishing through a hole in the ice on a frozen lake? Pack your bags and head to the Florida Keys, where the weather is warmer and the fish are bigger — and they don't freeze as soon as you land them.

PARIS - This 1957 photo shows entertainer Josephine Baker holding a rhinestone-studded microphone as she performs during her show "Paris, mes Amours" at the Olympia Music Hall in Paris, France.

Looking for a short getaway with a wildlife theme? Go watch a winter convention of bald eagles, the soaring national symbols that head south to spend the cold months along lakes and rivers where they're easier to see than usual.

Q: My frequent-flier accounts have been inactive for too long, and my miles are going to go down the drain. What's an inexpensive last-minute save?

If cold weather and snow-covered streets are not enough to get you to the Caribbean, tell yourself it's a cultural opportunity and go for one of the region's winter music festivals.

NEW YORK - The new year always starts with celebrations around the world, and Outside magazine's January issue offers a list of events to keep you partying through 2008. Here are a few of them.

NEW YORK - A glittering ball in Times Square is not the only thing that drops at midnight on New Year's Eve.

You haven't made your ski reservations yet? Whistler's Web site boasted that it already had a 47-inch base in the first week of December. And it's just one of the ski areas piling up snow in the mountains of British Columbia.

Slopes are opening and lifts are cranking up at ski areas all over. But if you're looking for variety, a broad selection of things to see and do when you've taken your skis off, consider the Lake Tahoe area.

WASHINGTON - If you're planning on traveling or studying abroad, check out Glimpse magazine - http://www.glimpse.org - which is geared to college students and young adults interested in international issues.

NEW YORK - Three new travel books offer interesting perspectives on destinations and their connections to theater and literature.

Looking for a quick getaway before or during the holidays, someplace with a Christmas theme but a change from your same old local observances? Take a few minutes and sample just a few of the affordable ideas that can be found on the Internet.

NEW YORK - Get warm, fish rich, travel cheap.

NEW YORK - It's time to start thinking about travel in 2008, and several new books are out to guide you around the world.

NEW YORK - In Maine, Santa arrives by lobster boat. In San Diego, they chuck fruitcakes for charity. And in Florida, Cinderella Castle is getting all dressed up for Christmas.

Everyone needs a road trip once in a while. And with a little travel research on the Internet, you can plot a course through places like the Illinois River Road Scenic Byway, a slice of scenery in the heart of the Midwest.

WASHINGTON - The government is offering carry-on luggage tips for air travelers in a 60-second video.

Looking for a quieter, smaller-scale alternative to Las Vegas during your winter trip to the sunny Southwest? Fire up your Web browser and take a look at Laughlin, Nev., where you can gamble with fewer distractions, take in a show, rent a boat on the Colorado River and head off on side trips to ghost towns.

NEW YORK - The U.S. dollar is weak against many foreign currencies, making it more expensive than ever to travel abroad. But the Nov. 15 issue of the TravelSmart newsletter - http://www.TravelSmartNewsletter.com or 800-327-3633 - has some tips for coping.

Looking for a road trip getaway? Consider heading for the far northern end of California and taking a scenic drive along the Trinity River, following a highway that connects volcano country in the east to the Pacific Coast in the west. You might want to plot your travels ahead of time because there are plenty of side trips and other distractions that will demand your attention.

RENO, Nev. - From Albert Bierstadt's 19th-century landscapes to Ansel Adams' famous photographs, the images of the Sierra's Yosemite Valley tell as much about the culture and history of the expansion of the American West as they do about the national park itself.

MENLO PARK, Calif. - Accommodations in San Francisco, Denver and other cities in the Western U.S. have made it onto a list of top 10 boutique city hotels compiled by editors of Sunset magazine.

BERKELEY, Calif. - A new book, "Wine Across America: A Photographic Road Trip," takes a look at wineries in all 50 states.

LOS ANGELES - A new magazine called Movies Rock debuts Nov. 1 with a feature on where to go in Los Angeles to check out the music scene.