WILLEMSTAD, Curacao ― It looks like Amsterdam. Or a little bit like South Beach in Miami.With its waterfront and fairy tale-colored colonial buildings, Willemstad shares some similarities with the Dutch city and South Florida. But Willemstad is very Caribbean.It became a Dutch trading center in 1634 because of its natural harbor, one of the prettiest anywhere in the Caribbean.A long channel, Sint Sannabaai, divides the Punda (the point) area on the east bank and the Otrobanda (the other side) ne

CHICAGO (AP) ― Many people use smartphone apps to map their drive to dinner or find a less-congested route to work. But did you know that you can use them for public transit, too? You can even access some maps offline, when you have a spotty connection or are in the subway.Here’s a look at what leading free map apps can do for you, whatever mode of transportation you choose:Bumper to bumper Most major map apps show you current traffic conditions. The best guide you toward a little-known shortcut

The Chosun Hotel, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, holds a significant place in the modern history of Korea. It was one of the first modern buildings in Seoul, and served as a temporary residence for presidents, diplomats, businessmen and scholars, who created links between Korea and the outside world after the country opened up in the early 1900s. For Sandra Huet, the hotel has a personal meaning. It’s the place that keeps her memories of her father alive. Huet’s father George

Hundreds of Chinese tourists crammed in front of Korean cosmetics brand counters at Lotte Duty Free Shop in Eulji-ro, Seoul, on Tuesday, the last day of their “Golden Week” of holidays that marks China’s National Day. Leaving little room to walk between the counters, female tourists indulged in the last shopping spree of their vacation. The Chinese National Day holiday, which runs from Oct. 1-7, is a peak time for shops in popular tourist spots such as Myeong-dong, Dongdaemun and Insa-dong. Tens

UNESCO-designated sites make popular resort island open-air geology museum

LONDON (AP) ― They raced down the slide, one by one, like children at a playground. At the bottom, smartphone photos were snapped and high fives exchanged. The frequent fliers were all smiling and laughing ― and quietly hoping to never use an evacuation slide again. Doing so would mean their plane had just crashed. The slide demonstration was part of a half-day safety course that encourages passengers to be aware of their surroundings and familiarize themselves with what happens in an emergency.

CHAUMONT-SUR-LOIRE, France (AP) ― There are hundreds of kilometers of bike trails through the chateaux towns of the Loire Valley ― and that’s what tripped us up. We’d been trying to cycle the 27 kilometers from Chenonceaux to Chaumont, but kept getting lost. We even asked directions from a passing motorist who was certain she knew which way the bike route went, then sent us to the wrong town. Now we were at a Y-intersection on the outskirts of Chaumont, facing two green-and-white bike path signs

CHICAGO (AP) ― In a city famous for its deep-dish pizza tourists wouldn’t know that the locals more often eat a thinner-crust, tavern-style pie topped with homemade Italian sausage and cut into squares, not slices ― unless they went on a pizza tour. Chicago is one of a handful of cities across the country, like Boston, Milwaukee and New York, with companies that offer tours of the local pizza scene. Chicago Pizza Tours owner Jonathan Porter takes his customers on a bus ride around the city that