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SAN FRANCISCO Miniature golf and alcohol, together at last. New lights on the Ferry Building. Fire pits and picnickers on the Presidio鈥檚 parade lawn. Screaming scarlet walls on Nob Hill.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Arizona 鈥� Nearly five million people visit Grand Canyon National Park each year, but many do not get far below its limestone rim. Even fewer head to the bottom. Why? The simple answer is: It鈥檚 hard.

Stories by BETH J. HARPAZ The Associated Press HAVANA Travel experts and upscale magazines are urging travel to Cuba before it changes.

TIKEHAU, The Tuamotu Islands There鈥檚 nothing quite so blue 鈥� vibrantly, rivetingly, blindingly blue 鈥� as the blue of the lagoon on Tikehau, an hour鈥檚 flight from Tahiti, in French Polynesia. Unless you鈥檙e suspended above it, looking down.

PORTO, Portugal 鈥� Smoke hung heavily over this hilly city, broken by flickering flames, when I mustered my courage, plunged into the crowd and brought down my bright-green hammer on a stranger鈥檚 head. 鈥淏om Sao Joao!鈥� 鈥� 鈥淗appy St.

"I hope it rains soon so we can go in the pool.

NAPA, Calif. It was the second time in an hour I鈥檇 been asked a question I wasn鈥檛 expecting. 鈥淎re you celebrating anything special during your stay with us?鈥� I glanced at Mike, and then at my left hand. 鈥淣o, not particularly.