Tighter security after Brussels attacks
Authorities in Europe and across the world tightened security at airports, railway stations, government buildings and other key sites after the deadly attacks Tuesday on the Brussels airport and its subway system. With Brussels on lockdown and the French prime minister saying that Europe is "at war," European leaders deployed more police, explosives experts, sniffer dogs and plainclothes officers, with some warning against travel to Belgium. The nervousness was felt far and wide. In New York City, authorities deployed additional counterterrorism units to crowded areas and transit locations.
Associated Press
Drive home from Florida with a deal
Spring is the time of year when car rental companies offer rock-bottom rates for one-way rentals out of Florida. After the busy winter vacation season ends, rental companies need to move their cars back to other states; these drive-out-of-Florida deals offer customers cheap rental rates to take the cars elsewhere. At press time, we saw deals from Alamo, Avis, Budget and Enterprise. The Alamo rates (alamo.com) are the cheapest, starting at $7.95 per day for economy through full-size cars, $17.95 for SUVs and $24.95 for minivans. Cars can be picked up at participating Florida locations from April 1 through May 31 and dropped off at participating locations across the U.S.; the maximum rental period is 21 days. Alamo also offers one-way specials out of Arizona. Enterprise's own one-way rates out of Florida are similar to Alamo's (enterprise.com).
Dallas Morning News
National parks hit the Omnitheater
A new Imax film, showing in the Omnitheater at the Science Museum of Minnesota, paints a grand portrait of our national parks. If it prompts new visitors, they can join the crowds already there. In 2015, a record 307 million people visited our national parks, new figures from the National Park Service show. A cross between a beautiful feature and a slick advertisement, the Robert Redford-narrated "A National Parks Adventure" shows the grandeur of national parks, mostly out West: predictable snow-capped mountain peaks, soaring music, a family of rock climbers standing atop tall red spires, a family visiting Old Faithful and so on ($7-$8 or with museum admission; smm.org.).
Detroit Free Press
A website for LGBT (or simply stylish) travelers
MrHudsonExplores.com is a stylish new travel website for discerning LGBT travelers. The website handpicks beautiful hotels and stunning destinations including Berlin, Tel Aviv, Palm Springs, Calif., London, Madrid and Panama City. Gay men seem to be referenced more than any other group, but the site really reads like a well-executed place for luxe travelers with a keen sense of design and style. Don't miss the "Places to Explore" section for a magazinelike guide to the city's best places to dine, drink, stay and shop. The site describes its namesake and inspiration, 17th-century British explorer Henry Hudson, as "a gentleman driven by a passion for adventure and discovery, who inspired thousands of people to follow in his footsteps."
Los Angeles Times
