Best Western is at it again

Last August's rental car rally from New York City to Montreal was such as success that organizers have decided to do it again. This time, the race will run about 10 hours from San Francisco to Yuma, Ariz., starting June 10.* You can choose your own route as long as you visit particular checkpoints and take photos to prove they were there. "Each team is scored by a combination of odometer reading, team style, and hijinks," says the website, RentalCarRally.com. Sounds like fun! And the photos from last year's event prove it. THE FINE PRINT You don't have to have a rental car, though it's encouraged. Entry is $250, plus all of your expenses, such as fuel and a night's stay in Yuma. Winners receive prizes, such as Flip video cameras. Keeping with a silly spirit, prizes are awarded in multiple category, such as "most style" (which last year went to a team of four guys dressed up as if they were in a wedding party.) *Blog post was updated at 1:14 p.m. to include the event date.

We've been singing the praises of TripIt, a free online travel organizer, since it launched in September 2007. We love how the site makes it ridiculously easy to keep track of the millions of reservations (flight, car, hotel, restaurant, etc.) that go into even the smallest trips. Now there's something else to love (well, if you own an iPhone, at least): the new TripIt iPhone application. Tons of users were asking for it, so TripIt not only designed the app, but made it free—a nice touch. Instead of having to go to the website, you can just download the app and access your full travel itinerary right away. TripIt will be making a big announcement about it tomorrow, but it's already live on iTunes, so there's no need to wait. EARLIER See our earlier blog post on TripIt: "A neat trip-planning tool."

Three of the most visited museums in Washington, D.C., will stay open later in the evening this summer. While the museums don't charge admission, officials hope that visitors will use the extra hours to spend more money in gift shops and restaurants—helping to bring in revenue to the for-profit arm of the Smithsonian Institution. Every day through Labor Day, the National Air and Space Museum and National Museum of Natural History will stay open two hours later, until 7:30 p.m. The National Museum of American History, recently re-opened after an $85 million renovation, will stay open at least an hour later. The museums open at 10 a.m. daily. Meanwhile, after being closed for an 18-month renovation, Ford's Theater has reopened with improved seating, upgraded lighting and sound systems, and—best of all—a new timed-ticketing system that allows travelers to plan their visit in advance, rather than wait in line all morning. Details at Ford's Theater. Washington, D.C., is our pick of one of the top ten budget travel destinations of the year, especially for families. EARLIER The National Museum of American History re-opens after a multi-million dollar renovation