Tribune Media Services - Taking The Kids, Apr 26, 2012 How quickly could you decode an iceberg warning? The kids at the Mystic Aquarium's new "Titanic, 12,450 Feet Below" permanent exhibit (www.mysticaquarium.org), the cornerstone of the newly renamed Ocean Exploration Center, aren't having any trouble. They're also busy and boisterously challenging each other at the touch-table electronic game that has adults like me stymied. Speed is essential. The first to answer the most questions correctly, wins. How long can someone...

Tribune Media Services - May 03, 2012 We're walking past groves of soaring redwood "families," some with their innards carved out as the result of forest fires. But we're not in a crowded national park. In fact, we've pretty much got the hiking trail to ourselves in Butano State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains, midway between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay and only a little more than an hour from San Francisco. Butano State Park -- one of...

(Lester Lefkowitz) Keep Your Valuables Secure When I recently asked my Twitter followers for examples of looted luggage, I didn’t expect the results would be quite so personal: an oil painting that an artist was carrying home to Chicago; a favorite Swiss Army knife that had traveled the world with its owner until it was stolen on a flight from Mexico to Panama; some fake pearls (and a box of condoms) from a bag at Newark-Liberty International. Beyond the anger...

Burlington, Vt. While there are many more cities that will enjoy fantastic weather this weekend, here are our five picks for the weekend ahead beginning with Burlington, Vt. (FORECAST: Sat | Sun) High pressure is large and in charge for this city located on Lake Champlain. With sunny skies and high temperatures rising well above average into the 80s Saturday and Sunday, it's an ideal weekend to visit the lake. Mornings will be refreshing with lows in the upper 40s...

Skip the elevator: these unique staircases take cool to new heights. (Davide Cazzola) It looks like any old roller coaster, with curves and heart-stopping loops. But instead of zooming by, people are walking—on inclines fitted with steps. This creation in Germany’s Rhine Valley is an interactive sculpture, but it’s also one of the world’s most unique staircases. While staircases are fundamentally a means to get from one point to another, they become cool—and worth seeking out—when the form is made...

Few things compare to staying in a beautiful Autumn-themed hotel room while traveling to view fall foliage. (Photo courtesy of Ashby Inn) Chebeague Island is a short ferry ride from the hipster scene in Portland, ME, but it still moves to a 19th-century tempo. So you can take your time walking among the brilliant fall colors and, when the evening turns cool, cozy up to the fireplace of the Chebeague Island Inn.That crispness in the air is a sure sign...

(Working Mother) You’ll soak up Native-American culture -- not to mention the ubiquitous Arizona sun -- in every corner of this family-friendly “GeoGreen” resort owned and corun with the Sheraton by the local Pima and Maricopa tribes. Tucked between two mountain ranges, the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa in Chandler, Ariz., features a splendid 17,500-square-foot spa, fine restaurants and world-class golf. Cool for kids Swimmers will delight in the 111-foot water slide at one of the resort’s four...

(Working Mother) Though it's famous as a winter wonderland for skiers and snowboarders, Utah's Park City also offers spectacular warm-weather opportunities. Enjoy mesmerizing mountain views from up to 8,000 feet during scenic gondola rides and 400 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. Stay in first-rate accommodations, like the AAA Four Diamond Grand Summit Hotel at the Canyons Resort, at off-season rates. Cool for kids Older kids can cruise at 50 mph on the world’s steepest zipline and steer a...

(Working Mother) The city of Hot Springs, Arkansas, features a small but gorgeous national park and is surrounded by a valley of 47 steamy thermal springs. The verdant, clear-water Diamond Lakes region of the Ouachita Mountains affords an array of water sports, fishing, hiking and more. You’ll also discover a 210-acre botanical garden, a combination theme/water park and lodgings to fit all budgets, including the stately Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa in the heart of historic downtown Hot Springs. Cool...

(Working Mother) An oasis awaits you just 20 minutes south of the Cancun airport. As you check into this elegant Mayan/Mexican-style resort, a champagne cocktail is placed in your hand -- a hint of what’s to come at the Ceiba del Mar Beach & Spa Resort in Puerto Morelos, Riviera Maya, Mexico. All rooms and suites have terraces overlooking a swim-up-bar plunge pool and private powder-sand Gulf of Mexico beach. With a holistic aromatherapy spa, tennis courts and myriad amenities,...

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are serious problems when the mercury starts to climb.It's easy to underestimate how dangerous heat sickness can be. A few common sense precautions can make the difference between life and death.Drink a lot of liquidsIt is easy to get dehydrated in hot climates, especially if you are not used to high temperatures. Always carry a water bottle and drink from it often. Just because you aren't thirsty doesn't mean your body doesn't want water; by...

(Cultura | Getty Images) America’s ‘Nanny State’ Laws A recent proposal by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg looks to ban the sale of sodas and other sugary drinks over 16 ounces at city food establishments. The proposal has many questioning whether New York has gone too far with so-called ‘Nanny State’ laws that are thought by some to be overprotective or interfere too much with individual choice. “Obesity is a nationwide problem, and all over the United States, public health...