Although it?s known as a hotbed for social justice rallies (including a large-scale teachers?strike in 2006), the city?s infectious zeal goes far beyond the political, spilling into all its pursuits.

  For a train trip between New Orleans and Los Angeles, you happily pay more for it to take longer.

  Visitors get a taste of where food comes from; farmers find a source of business.

  When you?re in New York, why would you order a Coors Light or Corona when there are so many great in-state (and in-city) beers to choose from?

  The prototypical hip hotel gets a face-lift, but the Royalton can?t mask its age in a city of younger and prettier hotels.

  At Goumanyat &Son Royaume, the spice emporium where the star chefs Pierre Gagnaire and Alain Ducasse shop, saffron is the signature product.

  Aficionados can take advantage of the tequila package offered by the Presidente InterContinental Hotel Guadalajara.

  The confluence of good luck and better planning made for surprisingly smooth holiday travel at many airports across the country.

  Food markets offer colorful links to the economy, customs and even dialects of a city. They?re one of the few opportunities where visitors can glimpse locals going about one of their essential daily chores.

  Aquavit, made from potato spirits and aged in wood, is the country?s best-kept secret.

  On a Thanksgiving trip to Italy, Angela Paolantonio visited her ancestral village and ended up buying the home where her grandmother grew up.

  Despite increased efforts by the airlines, millions of travelers?bags still fail to reach the carousel.

  When I travel, I have learned to cope with airline security, check-ins and some inevitable questions. The first: ?Is that your real name??

  A culinary pilgrimage to Prince Edward Island, where nature has created a watery heaven on earth for shellfish.