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Rick Steves has been travelling in Israel and Palestine to film a documentary about these complex and fascinating places. This is the first article in a four-part series about his impressions of the Holy Land.

Technology has made land and cruise travel much easier for all of us. We can find a hotel at the last minute at hotelstonight.com, check out prices at priceline.

A pop-up book and a smartphone prop. A pretty little poncho and a sturdy, stylish tripod. A comfy new pillow and a little lamb that lulls you to sleep.

When parents tell me they鈥檙e going to Europe and ask me where to take their kids, I鈥檓 sometimes tempted to answer: 鈥淭o Grandma and Grandpa鈥檚 on your way to the airport.鈥� It鈥檚 easy to make the case against taking the kids along.

What is it about awards that we love? Somewhere in your house, I bet you have a 鈥減erfect attendance鈥� award, a 鈥渕ost popular鈥� award, or 鈥渕ost improved鈥� award like mine, from when attending the late Dave Murray's summer ski camp at Whistler.

MONUMENT VALLEY, Utah It was 7 a.m. when the tour van got stuck in the sand. The temperature was 0聽degrees C and it was still dark outside.

The water taxi revved its outboard motors, spitting the scent of gasoline into the tropical air, and then took off, headed from Belize City to San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye, 56 kilometres away.

With each trip I take, I make it a point to bring home cultural souvenirs 鈥� gold nuggets of experiences I鈥檒l remember all my life.

For those of you who love to cruise and are not content floating from island to island or from country to country, Un-Cruise Adventures CEO and captain Dan Blanchard and executive vice-president Tim Jaycox have something completely different to offer

Over the next few months I鈥檓 going to feature five river cruise lines 鈥� one at a time. This week, the first one out of the hat is Avalon Waterways. Translating ocean-cruise speak into river-cruise speak can be difficult.