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These top 10 popular vacation reads are just the thing to help you relax in between runs on the slopes. We’ve got romance, mystery, adventure, travel, humor, and grisly crimes. We’ve even got pirates! Nothing beats curling up with a good book, next to a roaring log fire, after a busy day’s skiing. Well written escapism is what’s needed, so here are a few suggestions.

1. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
   Published 2009

   Dan Brown has produced a third installment in the adventures of Robert Langdon, the Harvard expert on cracking codes. No doubt, a movie is in the pipeline. This time, Langdon has only twelve hours to solve the mystery of the Freemasons and their rituals. The story has moved from Europe to America and is set against landmark buildings in Washington DC. Expect another frenetic page turner.

2. The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America by Bill Bryson
   Published 1989

   Bryson, an American who has settled in the UK, is a travel writer with a terrific sense of humor. He has written best sellers about America, the UK, Europe, and Australia. This book is an account of the two separate trips that he took around the US in the 1980s, beginning in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. He traveled over 13,000 miles, mostly by car, and the point of the trips was to seek out small towns and overlooked features, rather than the usual tourist magnets.

3. The Associate by John Grisham
   Published 2009

   Fans of legal thrillers are devoted to Grisham and this is his 21st novel. Several of his previous stories have been filmed and an adaptation of this one is scheduled for release in 2012. Partly based on a true story, the main character is a legal student named Kyle who is being blackmailed with regard to a secret from the past. Instead of a money ransom, Kyle is told to join a legal firm in New York and pass secrets on about a high profile trial. This has been described as ‘vintage Grisham’.

4. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
   Published 2009

   Pirate stories don’t come along too often these days! This is a posthumous novel from Crichton, best known for Jurassic Park. Director Steven Spielberg has announced he is to adapt it for film. The plot involves Captain Hunter and his band of followers, who embark on a daring mission to steal a fortune in gold from a heavily guarded Spanish galleon. The action takes place in the Jamaica of 1665. It’s got all the ingredients for adventure lovers.

5. Cross Country by James Patterson
   Published 2008

   This is the 14th book in crime novelist, James Patterson’s Alex Cross series. Patterson has a loyal fan base for Alex Cross, the African American criminal psychologist. In this story, he is asked to assist in a murder investigation concerning the murder of an old friend. This takes him to the criminal underbelly of Washington DC and to the Niger Delta, and to the seedy world of the slave trade and drugs trafficking.

Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz
Published 2008

Koontz writes across the genres and this one is described as a suspenseful psychological novel. The story features a 34-year-old man named Ryan Perry who must receive a heart transplant to survive. Following a successful transplant, strange events happen as someone starts to torment him until his very life is threatened. Someone wants his new heart back. Bedtime reading for those without a nervous disposition.

Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwall
Published 2008

Forensic science is a staple of TV these days but Cornwall showed the way with her series of books featuring Italian American medical examiner, Kay Scarpetta. This is her 16th outing and it involves an assignment in New York City. The NYPD ask the pathologist to help them in the case of a woman who has been tortured and murdered. More murders follow, as Scarpetta, her forensic psychologist husband, Benton, and her niece, Lucy join forces to catch the killer.

Those Christmas Angels by Debbie Macomber
Published 2004

Fans of the romance writer, Debbie Macomber, will be familiar with the three angels, Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy. They visit Earth to help people with their problems and this book sees them answering the prayers of a mother who wants her son to stop being a workaholic and to settle down in marriage and give her a grandchild. The matchmaking doesn’t go to plan!

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding
Published 1999

This popular sequel followed Bridget Jones’ Diary’s enormous success. The story continues with Bridget in a relationship with Mark Darcy but she fears she has a love rival. Misunderstandings and humorous situations ensue including a scene at a ski resort where Bridget pretends that she can ski. Her posse of friends, Shazzer, Tom, and Jude are on hand once again to lend support.

To Hell in a Handbasket by Beth Groundwater
Published 2009

Beth Groundwater is a Colorado writer who has set her sequel to ‘A Real Basket Case’ at the Breckenridge, Colorado ski resort. The main protagonist is Claire Hanover, a gift basket designer from Colorado Springs. She takes a ski break with her family but the vacation is interrupted by a suspected murder. More deaths follow and Claire must protect her daughter in a mystery on the snow.

Don’t stay up too late reading your book. Remember, you want to be first in line for the ski lift in the morning! Have a favorite book that didn't make our list of top 10 popular vacation reads? Tell us about it in the comments section below!

Photo Credit: J. Stephen Conn

We've compiled a list of the 19 best guided tours in the US. Sometimes you need a little expertise and a guide with local knowledge will make a visit more enjoyable. The tours below, (with the exception of the self-driving tours), are all led by informative guides, whose experience will keep you safe and give you a fun time.

Walking Tours
The Wayfarers walking vacations include trips to Alaska, New Mexico, and the Coast of Maine. For stupendous canyon scenery, the 7-day Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion trip begins at the Grand Canyon and finishes in Springdale. Highlights offered are a visit to an old western movie town and a ghost town, and watching the sun go down over Grand Canyon.

Trek America organize walking / camping tours in National Parks and wilderness areas, including the famous Appalachian Trail Walk. The 10 day trip starts and finishes in New York City and goes through New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts.

Self-Driving Tours
The lure of the open road awaits and the Trail Ridge Road, Colorado offers glacier formed peaks and forest in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Peaks reach more than 12,000 feet above sea level. This 55-mile route can be driven between half a day to a day.

To see the changing colors of fall, the Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire from Lincoln to Conway, (34 miles) is a terrific drive with access to trails for scenic walkabouts. The route goes through the White Mountains National Forest where moose, black bears, and deer are quite common sights.

Both these routes are highly recommended by touring guides for driving.

Boating Tours
Airboat USA specialize in trips into the Florida Everglades on airboats and swamp buggies, with trips lasting between 1.5 hours and 9 hours. The longer the tour, the deeper into the everglades, passengers will go. Spotting alligators is on the itinerary, and perhaps otters and deer, and there is a stop at an Indian Village. The ‘Dining with the Gators’ trip allows passengers to bring a picnic.

The San Francisco Bay Cruise Adventure is a narrated 1-hour tour run by Blue and Gold Fleet. Passengers can choose between indoor or outdoor seating as they sail under the Golden Gate Bridge and learn about the historic waterfront.

Historical Tours
History America Tours offer the grandly named Revolution in the Southern Colonies: Wearing Down the British 9 day tour, which explores the battles against the British that involved Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The guides are historians and the tour price includes luxury coach travel, hotel accommodation, and meals. 

Stephen Ambrose Tours are also led by historians and they specialize in WWII excursions, such as Band of Brothers, (Ambrose wrote the book on which the TV series is based), and Operation Overlord. Other tours include the Civil War and Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery, which follows their path in Montana and Idaho.

Brewery Tours
The second oldest brewery in the United States is featured in the Minhas Craft Brewery tour in Monroe, Wisconsin. The tour includes a gift pack, a visit to the museum and gift shop, and a tasting session of the beer products.

The Stone Brewing tour at Escondido in California is in a garden setting and their brewery tours include a guided tasting and the in house bistro serves lunch following the tour.

Nature Tours
The beautiful native flora and fauna of Hawaii makes the Oahu Nature Tours a wonderful prospect. Glorious scenery is assured on these eco-tours that include the Diamond Head Crater Adventure, the Mountain Rainforest Adventure, and the Valley of the Rainbows Adventure.

Alaska is another destination with opportunities to see stunning landscapes and fascinating wildlife. Maple Leaf Adventures organize a 12-day tour called Alaska Adventures: Small Ship Cruise By Sail led by professional naturalists. Passengers travel by schooner to observe humpback whales, puffins, and bears.

Equestrian Tours
Short equestrian tours from 2 – 5 days are available from Hidden Trails in several states, including Colorado, Missouri, and New Mexico. Riders stay in lodges and inns, and are looked after by experienced rider/guides. The Grand Tetons Backcountry Rides in Idaho promise glacial lakes, mountain passes, and meadows. 

Equitours organise riding treks in Utah, California, Massachusetts, Alabama, Arizona, Vermont, Texas, and Wyoming.

Movies /TV Tours
The Big Apple has provided lots of locations for shows and movies and All New York Tours organise a guided tour by bus to over 40 sites in Manhattan. Passengers can get off the bus to photograph the highlights. The 3 hour tour features places associated with Friends, Will and Grace, The Devil Wears Prada, Ghostbusters, and many more.

Hollywood’s Universal Studios have been making movies since 1915 and Hollywood Tours take visitors behind the scenes and on to film sets and special effects stages. The 10 hour tour also includes a visit to the studio’s movie themed amusement park.

Ghost Tours
Prepare to be frightened on the Rochester Candlelight Ghost Walks, Ghost Hunts, and Ghost Dinners in New York as experts explain the history of haunted locations, such as the Mount Hope cemetery. There may be an encounter with the town’s notorious ghost, the Lady in White! 

Spellboundtours run the Vampire and Ghost Hunt Tour through the streets of Salem, Massachusetts where the graveyard and jail is said to be haunted. Guides will tell tales of the witch dungeon in 1692 and how vampires come to be.

America’s Most Haunted City Tours run a series of ghost hunting tours in Savannah, Georgia, a city with a reputation for ghostly sightings.

Whatever your interest or hobby, there’s a tour for you. The opportunity for trying something new is also there. So many tours! So little time! Have a favorite tour that didn't make our list of the 19 best guided tours? Tell us about it in the comments section below!

Photo Credit: nick.garrod

The American Association of Museums tells us that around 600 million visits to our museums are recorded every year. We've compiled a list of the top 10 museums in the US that is sure to rekindle your art appreciation. Families with young children, bored teenagers, and students doing research want different things from a museum and will have different expectations. A museum is there to entertain and educate, and they also serve as an historical record, reflecting our society.

Best Exhibits
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Washington, DC

This is subjective of course, so the choice has been determined by the latest recorded figures for the most visited museum in the US, (5.8 million in 2006), and this branch of the Smithsonian came in at number one. The collection is a staggering 125 million specimens and artifacts, from the smallest bug to the dinosaurs and all life in between. Mineral Sciences also features and the famous Hope Diamond is on display.

Most Interactive
Exploratorium
San Francisco, California

People of a certain age will remember the days of ‘look, don’t touch’ when visiting a museum. All the exhibits were behind glass cases and there was an atmosphere of hushed reverence. How different they are today! Exploratorium inspired other science museums to follow suit with hands on exhibits. Here, visitors can make a rainstick or play with optical illusions. The topics covered include Human Origins, Sports Science, and Earthquakes.

Most Controversial
The Creation Museum
Petersburg, Kentucky

This is one of several museums in America to address the ‘young Earth creationist’ theory but it is the largest one of its kind in the world. Genesis is interpreted literally in displays that include Adam and Eve sharing the Garden of Eden with dinosaurs. Controversy between evolutionists and creationists provokes heated debate and this museum has received criticism from educators, scientists, and Christian organizations in opposition to creationism.

Most Bizarre
International UFO Museum and Research Center
Roswell, New Mexico

The famous ‘Roswell Incident’ in 1947 makes this a fitting location for the world of flying saucers and alien abduction. The alleged alien landing is part of the exhibition along with how the movie industry treats the subject of aliens and the mystery of crop circles. There is a large library dedicated to the UFO phenomena and any visitor who wants to be the victim of an alien abduction can take home a mock up photograph.

Most Stomach Churning!
Mutter Museum
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Some of the displays here are not for the squeamish but the exhibits are a fascinating insight into medical history. The museum serves an educational purpose as part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Skulls and organs form part of the exhibition and there is a section on the medical issues surrounding American Presidents. President Grove Cleveland’s tumor takes pride of place.

Most Diverse
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Washington DC

The Smithsonian Institution is the umbrella for several museums and this particular one is striking in its diversity with its collection covering science, engineering, popular culture, art, sports, medicine, and so on. There are over 3 million artifacts, the largest one being a 1760s built timber-framed house. Other items include a 1923 ticket booth from Yankee Stadium, the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz, and other props from films and television shows.

Most Children Friendly
The New Children’s Museum
San Diego, California

‘Think, play, create’ is the museum slogan in this visual arts museum designed for fun and learning. There are things to do for toddlers up to teenagers and everyone is encouraged to interact with the artwork. The museum runs classes and summer camps and hosts birthday parties. Strollers are allowed and there is a quiet place for parents and young children. The café serves health conscious, organic meals and kids can let off steam in the museum park.

Most Chilling
Texas Prison Museum
Huntsville, Texas

The prison system in Texas is under scrutiny here, from 1848 to the present time, the most memorable display being the Capital Punishment Exhibit. The state’s method of execution was electrocution from 1924 – 1964, a period during which 361 prisoners were sent to the electric chair. Old Sparky, as the chair was nicknamed, is the chilling focus of the exhibition.

Most Unusual
The Lunchbox Museum
Columbus, Georgia

There are a number of contenders for this title and honorable mentions should be given to the Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota and the Barbed Wire Museum in Lacrosse, Kansas. This museum is a celebration of the metal lunchbox before plastic ones replaced them in 1986. Social history is reflected here in the TV shows, teenage pop stars, and sports stars.

Best Memorial Museum
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Washington, DC

This is America’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, its mission “to confront hatred, promote human dignity, and prevent genocide”. The collection contains eyewitness accounts, film footage, documents, and photographs. Temporary exhibitions have included the life of Anne Frank, Oskar Schindler, and the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. Recommended for 11 years of age and above.

America can be proud of its world-class museums and there is truly something for everyone, these top 10 museums in the US are only a sample. They continue to keep pace with technical innovations whilst maintaining their traditional core values. The most important message is – have fun!

Photo Credit: Michael Kappel

These 8 best train stations in the US will give you a reason to travel. The ‘Golden Age of Rail Travel’ may have come and gone but reports say that the economic downturn has resulted in an increased use of our railway system. Passengers are returning to use trains for commuting and long distance journeys. There is a romance about train travel but today’s public demands modern amenities. Many train stations have undergone renovations to meet this demand and 21st century train travel looks like an exciting prospect.

1. Most Efficient
   Grand Central Terminal
   New York City
   Revered as one of the most famous icons of the Big Apple, the beautifully designed building is also known for its efficiency. The station has to operate well, as it deals with 426,000 passengers every day. Located in Manhattan, it is the transportation hub for all the Metro North services, as far as New Haven, and subway services going to the northern suburbs. In terms of the number of platforms, (44), it is the world’s largest station. The percentage of trains running on time is an impressive 98%. There is an easily found information booth in the middle of the station, several restaurants, and a shopping mall. 
2. Best Architecture
   Union Station
   Chicago, Illinois

   The US has a number of architectural gems amongst its train stations and Union Station is perhaps, the most admired for its interior. Opened in 1925, construction took ten years at a cost of $75 million and the design is in the Neoclassical style. Almost entirely underground, the station is the terminal for all Amtrak trains to the city and also serves Metra commuter rail passengers. The focal point of the building is the waiting room, named The Great Hall and its Corinthian columns, pink marble floor, statues, and barrel-vaulted, skylight ceiling. Several TV shows and movies have used the space for filming.

3. Best Historic
   Eureka Springs Station and Museum
   Eureka Springs, Arkansas

   The world of steam comes alive at this historic train station where passengers can book a train ride on a steam locomotive through the Ozarks. Lunch and dinner excursions are available. The station is a treasure chest of vintage rolling stock, an original turntable, and assorted railroad memorabilia and is one of the town’s most visited tourist attractions. Rail passengers first came to Eureka Springs in 1883 and the museum traces the history of the development of the railway and its importance to the area. The station also has a snack car and gift shop.

4. Most Improved
   Union Station
   Los Angeles, California

   Already admired for its architecture, it was still felt that improvements were needed to the station and an ambitious program was undertaken in the 1990s to improve passenger services and to improve the station environment. The station operates an Amtrak service and a Metrolink service and both services expanded. The Gateway Center bus terminal on station property improved its connections between buses and trains and its park and ride facility. Landscaping and artwork projects were deemed a great success, particularly the elevated gardens and waterfalls that muffled the noise from trains and buses. The pedestrian plaza was designed to be closed off for events. The improvements received a vote of excellence from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

5. Most Clean
   Union Station
   New Haven, Connecticut

   The primary rail hub for Connecticut, with Amtrak and Metro-North Railroad services, is a relatively small station with just four platforms. Train stations are not generally known for their level of cleanliness but this station receives many reviews from satisfied customers with regard to the station environment. Descriptions include “airy and sunny” and “clean and organized”.  Passengers notice the clean floor, and the wooden benches kept clean etc. A shoeshine station is there to keep the grime of rail travel at bay. The restored building has many architecturally interesting features, including stainless steel ceilings in the tunnels.

Most Inexpensive
Union Station
Washington DC

The cost of traveling can soon add up and every aspect is important for those on a budget. This station operates Amtrak, commuter railroad, and subway services and passengers can buy competitively priced tickets. The Food Court has a wide variety of restaurants and fast food outlets and is known for its inexpensive meals for all the family. There is a pre-paid food voucher system in operation for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Shopping is varied too with 130 stores and some discount shopping coupons are available. Sometimes, parking is the scourge of the traveler but the parking rates here are very reasonable.

Most Eco-Friendly
ARTIC
Anaheim, California

The most environmentally sound train station hasn’t actually been built yet but the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center, (ARTIC) project promises to deliver the most eco-friendly and energy saving station to date. Construction is scheduled to start in the early part of 2010 and be completed in 2013 at a cost of $180 million. The station will be a hub for connecting lines to Disneyland theme parks and Disney’s monorail, and will service Amtrak trains and regional Metrolink trains. It will use as much natural light as possible and use hot water cells and solar energy panels. The Departure Roof will be covered with foil cushions for the purpose of insulation.

Best Location
Glenwood Springs Amtrak Station
Glenwood Springs, Colorado

The romance of rail travel cannot be beaten when it comes to traveling through the Rockies and Glenwood Springs is a popular stop, surrounded by awesome scenery. Known as ‘the scenic line of the world’, the famous California Zephyr comes through the station on the Chicago – San Francisco line. The dome car roof has windows to enable passengers to see the Glenwood Canyon. Greyhound bus travelers also use the station as a stop. It’s a great place to take in the mountain splendor and browse the station’s rail museum before heading off to the nearby hot springs or Aspen ski resort.

Train stations are where we do our waiting but they are also part of the experience of travel and so many are worthy of tourism in their own right. Make a point to visit one of these 8 best train stations and see for yourself what they have to offer. Have a favorite station that didn't make the list? Tell us about it in the comments section below!