Travel:

Juneau: America's Most Scenic State Capital - "If you encounter a bear, remain calm. Do not approach, chase, feed or run from a bear."

Alaskan Excursion Train Takes Visitors on a Trip to the Past - Today thousands of tourists aboard luxury cruise ships land each year in Skagway under crisp, blue skies if they're lucky. They may not be seeking gold, but they carry the same spirit of adventure held by the earlier fortune seekers, and many are fulfilling long-held dreams "to climb the Pass."

Music to the Ear -- From Classical to Rock in France - With much fanfare, music is played in astonishingly beautiful public and private venues all over France. Free organ and voice recitals are held in great 12th century Gothic cathedrals and rock and pop in first-century B.C. Roman coliseums, while classical and jazz are found from major cities to tiny medieval villages.

Out and About in New York's Central Park - My mom read her morning paper on a park bench that was "adopted" by the Madoff family (yes, that family). My own daily park route takes me past William Shakespeare and Sir Walter Scott on the Literary Walk.

Remembering JFK in Dallas - We may never really know who shot President John Kennedy. Was it Lee Harvey Oswald? Was he set up to take the fall? Was Jack Ruby involved? Or was there some unknown sharpshooter on that grassy knoll? In an effort to learn all we could, we took a tour in Dallas that was aptly named "The JFK Conspiracy Tour.

Don't Dismiss Detroit - For Michael Jackson devotees, the best place to pay homage to the late entertainer may be the site where the Jackson Five got their start professionally — in Detroit's Motown Museum. In the unassuming double building, visitors learn that Motown Record Corp. founder Berry Gordy worked his magic from 1959 to 1972 (the company was originally named Motortown).