The Strange Rituals People Do to Beat the Fear of Flying

Studies show that travelers visit an average of 12 websites before booking a trip. Part of our job is to introduce you to new and interesting sites that can help make trip planning easier. But what are the travel sites that rank the highest? Curiosity got the better of me so I turned to Experian Hitwise, which lists the most visited websites by category. While they do update the list every month, it doesn't appear that the list changes much over time.   What came up in the travel category was interesting. Some of the big players you'd expect to find were there (Expedia, for example). I certainly was surprised, however, to see a single airline (Southwest) creep into the top five. Here's the list: 1. Google Maps: 169 billion visits per monthI'm not surprised in the least that Google Maps made the list. I personally don't ever book a hotel without Google Maps open in a tab on my browser so that I can see just how far my hotel is from the places I want to visit. 2. MapQuest: 88.6 billion visits per monthMapQuest can't even begin to approach the popularity of Google Maps, but it's holding steady as the number two maps provider. 3. Expedia: 36.3 billion visits per monthThe world's largest online travel agent is the only dedicated booking engine that made it into the top five. 4. TripAdvisor: 36.2 billion visits per monthSay what you will about TripAdvisor and the danger of false reviews—it's still one of the most popular destinations for travelers looking to plan a trip. 5. Southwest Airlines: 33.3 billion visits per monthThe only airline to make it in the top five is Southwest, one of the few budget airlines left in the business. Now that we know which sites everyone is using to book a trip, I'd like to know which sites you use—and in what order you use them?  

If you're planning a trip to South Florida anytime soon, especially the greater Miami, Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale areas, keep your eye on Destination Meals, a website that offers meal vouchers to help visitors cut down on dining expenses. The website targets out-of-towners with $15 vouchers good for $30 worth of food and drinks at select restaurants in 17 cities including Boca Raton, Coconut Creek, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Miramar, and Pembroke Pines. You can purchase the vouchers through the website or from your travel agent. What I like about it: You don't need to choose which restaurant you want to use the voucher for, since it will be accepted at any of the places listed on the Destination Meals website, so it's up to you where to cash it in. What I don't like about it: Certain restaurants tack on additional requirements like minimum spending amounts—Fort Lauderdale's upscale Catalina Restaurant says you must spend at least $60 at lunch and over $100 at dinner, for instance—or that vouchers may only be accepted along with a regular purchase—The Melting Pot says vouchers are valid with the purchase of a four-course fondue dinner for two. The fine print: In order to use the vouchers, you must live at least 100 miles outside the Greater Miami and Fort Lauderale area (and show ID at the restaurant to prove it). Meal vouchers last for six months and you can only use one per table. They are non-transferable and non-refundable. Like any typical meal voucher you may see on Groupon or Living Social, if the amount you spend exceeds the $30 voucher, you pay the difference, but don't expect to receive change if your bill is less than the $30 limit. Also note that they cannot be used towards taxes and tips—the website asks that you please tip your server on the entire bill amount—and it's always a good idea to make reservations first, as area restaurants can fill up quickly.

Museums aren't always just about the art. Case in point: the new museum that just opened in Italy devoted to all things gelato. We found five museums in the works around the world that hold artifacts from musical groups and historic battles. And ok, yes, there is one art museum in there as well. Carpigiani Gelato MuseumAnzola Emilia, Bologna, ItalyEating is probably the number one tourist activity in Italy. And rightfully so. The new Gelato Museum was created by a gelato machine company and looks at the history of the frozen treat (it's said to date back to the 1530s). The museum is free to visit, but reservations are required. Alas, no free tastings are offered, but there is a gelato shop on site serving gelato based on recipes that are more than 200 years old.  Jorge M. Pérez Art MuseumMiami, FloridaSet to open next year with a focus on Caribbean and Latin American art, this new museum in Miami will be housed in a 200,000 square-foot building designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Outside will be sculptures and gardens, plus views of Biscayne Bay. The museum will anchor a 29-acre museum complex that will include a science museum, set to open in 2014. Seminary Ridge Museum Gettysburg, PennsylvaniaNext year marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, and this new museum will open on July 1, 2013 as part of the commemoration events. Located in a grand brick building that served as a field hospital during the war, the 20,000-square-foot museum will be filled with exhibits on the soldiers and nurses and artifacts like letters, medicine containers, and even bullets. There will also be walking trails around the museum with historical markers. ABBA Museum Stockholm, SwedenThe quintessential 70s group is a national treasure in Sweden, and a museum devoted to the quartet will be part of the Swedish Music Hall of Fame when it opens next spring in Stockholm. Look for elaborate costumes, lyric sheets, and videos about the group. M/S Maritime Museum DenmarkElsinore, DenmarkThis museums isn't technically new-the original dates back to 1915 and is housed in the town's Kronborg Castle. But the extensive collection of maritime artifacts will be housed in new digs starting in June 2013. The bulk of the new building, fittingly, will be underground at Dock 1 in the Elsinore Shipyard and the exhibitions will spiral downward.