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I don’t really geek out over anything, but Harry Potter…if there’s anything over which to geek out, it’s Harry! So when Chris asked me if I had anything I wanted to see in London, from museums to beautiful parks to famous London hotels, I somewhat sheepishly asked, “Can we go to King’s Cross station and go to Platform 9 3/4?” If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you know that Platform 9 3/4 leads you to the Hogwarts Express, which will take you straight to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So we got to King’s Cross Station…but after searching, we couldn’t find the platform.  We resigned ourselves to asking the information desk. “Excuse me,” I said apologetically to the stern-looking man behind the counter.  “Could you tell me how to get to…Platform 9 3/4?” “Well, that depends,” he said, and a hint of a smile flickered through his eyes.  “Are you a witch or are ...

Pai, Thailand, is a tiny mountain town about three hours from Chiang Mai.  Originally a hippie enclave, today Pai is now a resort town popular with both Thais and foreigners.  It’s still massively popular with the hippies as well. For me, going to Pai was all about seeing the northern Thai countryside.  The town is so small that it has no real sights.  You can go trekking, take a rafting trip, or rent a motorbike to explore the landscape on your own! Since it was the cheapest option by far, I chose the latter.  Let me add this:  I had never ridden a motorbike before.  Nor a motorcycle.  I hadn’t ridden a bike in years. This was a disaster waiting to happen. And it was.  I rented a motorbike costing 100 baht (about $3.33) for thirty hours, plus an extra 40 baht ($1.33) for insurance.  The attendant taught me again and again how to start, stop and go.  And then I peeled off way too fast, weaving wildly between cars, as he yelled, “Slow down!”  People stared.  ...

Some people think the only way to cruise is to hop a boat at Fort Lauderdale and head straight for the Bahamas. I beg to differ. There is far more to cruises than just relaxing on a deck as you’re transfered from one indistinguishable Caribbean beach to the next.  Whether you choose to visit a traditional or unusual destination, you can always find deals on discount cruises from providers like DiscountCruises.com. Here are five cruise destinations that will make you rethink what a cruise can be.  There’s far more to these five destinations than frosty cocktails served poolside! Svalbard Image: mike.thomson75 The enormous and remote island of Svalbard, part of Norway, is well above the Arctic Circle.  If you’re looking for an incredible wilderness, Svalbard will thrill you like few places can.  Consider this: even in the capital city of Longyearbyen, everyone walks around with a shotgun — to shoot attacking polar bears. Halong Bay Image: Stephen Chip...

After all our trips to Las Vegas, my friends and I have the arrival down to a science. Here’s how to arrive in Las Vegas in style: PART I: BEFOREHAND If you’re flying to Las Vegas from the East Coast, go to sleep as late as you can.  Sleep late if you can as well, but it’s most important that you go to bed late to get yourself used to the time change. Try to book a flight that arrives in the late afternoon or evening. However, if you arrive earlier, you can do this: Most people arrive on Friday, and my friends and I like to arrive on Thursday because it’s far less crowded and gives us a better pick of rooms. The day before you leave, make sure you’re confirmed on the guestlist at your club of choice for the night you arrive.  At least a week before, confirm a dining reservation for that night. Before leaving for the airport, shower and get ready as if you were going out for the night. PART II: THE FLIGHT Don’t check any luggage.  You don...