AP - Mike and Pam Mathe have taken their two kids skiing at Beaver Creek over Christmas break each of the past five years. It's their one big vacation for the year, a luxurious respite from Mike's traveling, the kids' classes.

AP - Stuck at home Thanksgiving weekend? You don't have to travel to New York's Rockefeller Center to enjoy ice skating or see the Rockettes. Holiday train rides, Christmas shows, lighting displays and outdoor winter fun like ice skating and skiing all begin in late November in many localities. Here are some details.

AP - Chicago's tourism Web site beckons visitors to "experience the city the Obamas enjoy." The Illinois Bureau of Tourism plans to launch a three-day getaway promotion featuring Barack Obama sites. And tour guides at the Old State Capitol in Springfield may get new scripts to stress two important speeches the president-elect made as a candidate.

AP - Far from the crowds and traffic snarl-ups on South Africa's much-vaunted coastal Garden Route is a stunning inland alternative that showcases some of the country's most fabulous scenery but passes unnoticed by most visitors.

AP - Home to the world's most famous soda and largest aquarium, Atlanta is also known for its rich Southern history. The sprawling city offers many attractions and museums, but the best of Atlanta is tucked away in neighborhoods that can be enjoyed for little to no cost.

AP - The enduring symbols of Wall Street's fabled, turbulent history are inescapable on this walk through the epicenter of American capitalism.