If you are traveling through the Smokey Mountains make sure you go to Cherokee, North Carolina Museum of the Cherokee.

This very unimposing museum is very interesting and educational.

There is the story of the Cherokee, their very advanced civilization and dioramas that show the typical life of the Cherokee before the white man maliciously decimated nearly every aspect of their peaceful culture.

A movie will take you along on the aptly named “Trail of Tears.”

You will leave this museum with a new view of the Cherokee people and a new respect for their past.  You can visit this museum on the web at

http://www.cherokeemuseum.org

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Gatlinburg, TN has turned from a sleepy little ski town at the base of the Smokey Mountains to a thriving tourist stop.

Streets filled with souvenir shops and amusements abound.  There are several great “campy/kitschy” places to visit.

One that is a lot of fun is the “WORLD OF ILLUSION”.  Here is where you get to see the secrets of major illusions revealed.  Mostly, you get to see how little tricks work - like how Superman’s X-Ray vision permits him to see Lois Lane’s underwear.

Other illusions include one in which a person can be made to appear in a genie bottle and an illusion where you can walk away from your own shadow.

One thing I loved about this attraction is the mannequins were obviously acquired from some feature that included movie stars.

Have fun spotting some of your favorite stars in new roles!

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You have to admit that is a strange combination!  Think of it as getting two museums for the price of one.

Here you can experience the terror of the witch trials of 1692, now known by some as “the burning times” and share the daring exploits of intrepid seafarers as they brave the dangers of life on the high seas.

There are many hands on activities there for young and old alike.  You can make gravestone rubbings, (one would presume both of witches and sailors), learn how to tie knots, or create a plate of the famous “Blue Willow” pattern to take home.

288 Derby Street Salem, MA 01970

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If you happen to be tooling through Beemerville, New Jersey, stop in at Space Farms and Museum.

Space Farms was known as the home of Goliath, the World’s Largest Bear.  Goliath died in 1991 but he still does tourist duty, mounted standing erect at almost twelve feet tall!

One of the highlights of a stop here, besides Goliath, is the odd collections, and case after case of items found on their property:  dinosaur bones, the skulls of dead Indians (some with fragments of flesh still attached), the first two cents Fred Space ever earned, and of course the skull of Goliath.

One cabinet showcases a dead turtle on whose belly “great-grandfather Space” engraved his initials in 1897 - found still crawling around by Fred Space in 1942 and kept alive for 14 years after that.  Fred thoughtfully displays the turtle belly up for all to see.

Space Farms continues to be a popular destination, drawing an odd mix of petting zoo families and people who really like the name.  In the gift shop, we recommend the greenish postcard of the Indian doll collection and those of Fred Space holding aloft writhing timber rattlers.

Space Farms is located at 218 Beemerville Rd., Beemerville, NJ

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Does this sound familiar?  It is late in the evening and you are standing at the airline gate and find out your flight has been cancelled. On the other hand, maybe your first flight was late causing you to miss your connecting flight.

You are herded with the rest of the poor, stranded souls over to the counter where you may be given a small overnight pack with toiletries and sent to a hotel with a meal voucher and a flight the next day.  You can sometimes get some “extra’s” if you make enough noise.

You may be upgraded to first class, get credit towards another ticket or maybe an extra meal voucher or two.  If your final destination is not to far away from your stranded spot you may even get a rental car to drive instead of fly.

The secret is

1) find out who is in charge, be polite but firm, you only will speak with a supervisor

2) know what you want before you speak with someone, start out big and work your way down i.e.  you may start off with a free ticket and then “settle” for a first class flight the next day

3) If you fly a lot and are a frequent flyer card holder mention that.  If you are flying often with the same carrier you should expect the extra mile.

4) Don’t lose your temper; you catch more flies with sugar than vinegar.  The person you are dealing with is stressed out to the maximum.  If you act nice to them, while still standing your ground, you are more apt to get what you want.  Commiserate with them, tell them you are sure that this is no fun for them either, etc.

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When you travel, whether visiting a different town, state or country always try to include some time for the “local flavor”.

Ask where the locals eat and try that instead of the big touristy restaurant.

Don’t just walk the boardwalk, but if it is safe (always ask the locals or local authorities) walk some of the off the beaten path streets.

Read the local newspaper-This can be a lot of fun in small towns!

Don’t hit the malls, but visit the small downtown or corner merchants for a real feel of the area.

There is so much to learn about the areas we visit, not just the glossed over sights made for tourist but the “real people”.

You can learn much more sometimes by talking to the old men outside the local barbershop than a group tour of the tourist district.

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These tips can save you time and aggravation the next time you fly.

Keep in mind that a lot of bags look alike.  If you don’t mind looking a little loud in your baggage put some distinctive stickers on the outside. If you are using a cloth type bag get a fabric marker and put your name on it in LARGE letters.

Never put your home address and phone number on there as unsavory characters can take a look and know where you live and that you are away from home.  In the luggage ID tag holder put a business card or an “In case of emergency contact”.

Buy a small padlock and lock your suitcase shut to prevent any theft.

Have fun, but travel safely!

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Even if you are a seasoned globetrotter it never hurts to review some of the basic things you should do before you leave home, especially if you are going to be away for an extended time.

1) Stop the mail delivery or arrange for someone to bring it in for you.

2) If you have a newspaper or other daily type delivery either halt it or again, have someone bring it in for you.  Some newspapers have a program where your paper goes to local schools while you are on vacation.  This is a great way to painlessly do some community service.

3) Notify the police you will be out of town and ask for a patrol by your house, leave an emergency contact number with them.

4) Put your lights, TV or stereo on a timer so your house looks like someone is there.

5) If you know and trust your neighbors ask them to keep an eye on your house.  You may want to consider giving a trusted neighbor a key in case of an emergency.

6) Make sure your utility bills are paid.  More than one weary traveler has come back from an extended vacation to the odor of spoiling food in the refrigerator when the power has been shut off in their absence.

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Want to have a weekend getaway but don’t want to travel far?  Try a trip around your city or the nearest major city.

Find a hotel/motel room within your budget check in and pretend you are a tourist!

Grab some of those ever-present tourist brochures near the hotel desk and possibly discover places you never knew about or had forgotten about.  Most large cities have lots of museums, some which rarely get press, visit those, and look under museums in the phone book.

Wander the main streets of downtown (make sure the streets are well traveled and safe for wandering at the time of day) and visit some small bodega’s and shops.

Take the time to notice the architecture of buildings you may normally pass by.  Are there any gargoyles or other decorative pieces looking over the streets?  Street musicians may be found in many cities and some are very good.

You may find that you don’t know the city as well as you thought!

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If you are traveling and find you have bought to many souvenirs to bring back with in the luggage you have bought try stopping by a charity store such as Goodwill or a thrift shop.

You can often pick up a large suitcase there for just a few dollars.

Then donate it back to a charity once you get home for a tax deduction.

If you think you are going to do some serious shopping before hand look for a duffel bag that folds up into a small pouch that won’t take up too much room in your luggage and avoid the no where to put it problem all together!

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