Chicago Tribune: Travel

National Waffle Day — yes, there is such a thing — is Aug. 24. The date recognizes the first U.S. patent for a stove-top waffle iron, issued in 1869 to Cornelius Swartwout of Troy, N.Y.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share

Anyone who travels may need occasional foot pampering. My soles feel soothed just looking at the Moji Foot Pro massager. Six stainless steel spheres rotate in sockets embedded in a slip-resistant rubber base, penetrating and alleviating sore or tight muscles and tissues when you roll your foot...

This summer marks the 30th anniversary of a Chicago classic, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," and you can celebrate the milestone by playing hooky at some Chicago hotels. The Palmer House Hilton's "Bueller's Chicago" package invites people to make like Matthew Broderick and re-create Ferris' day of...

I recently booked two tickets to Scotland on American Airlines for this summer. A few weeks ago, I saw that the cost of the tickets had dropped considerably. I called American about this and said I felt I was being penalized for booking early.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share

Indonesia: A Russian tourist was killed late last month by a crocodile in the Raja Ampat islands of West Papua after he ventured out on a solo snorkeling trip. According to officials, the remote area of Minyaifun island where his body was recovered four days later is known for its dangers, including...

Picture a green city that's home to 1,400 urban gardens and a massive forest. A riverfront bike path connects with a transformed railway leading to the country's largest historic public market district.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share

Here are some of the more interesting deals, websites and other travel tidbits that have come across our desk recently: •Key Tours Vacations offers an eight-day/seven-night exploration of Rome, Florence and Venice that's priced from $995 per person, double occupancy.More | Talk | Read It Later | Share

The Kelvin multitool is more like a whole toolbox that begs to go on car trips, cycling, boating excursions and more. (If it wants to be on an airplane trip, best to pack in checked luggage.) Picture a carbon steel hammer, a multiposition screwdriver with 15 interchangeable drive heads, a 6-foot...

An expedited screening program called PreCheck was supposed to be the answer to maddeningly long security lines at the airport. But four years after its launch, the Transportation Security Administration is far short of enrolling enough travelers to make a difference, which could make for an especially...

— "I like to say that Buffalo is the most interesting city in the U.S. that no one talks about," said Chris Hawley, a local city planner and preservationist. "We still have a well-known brand with our sports teams and inclement weather," he added, "but there is a new story in Buffalo that folks...