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An expectant gorilla in New Orleans is being showered with gifts after the zoo she lives in set up an online baby registry. Tumani, a critically endangered western lowland gorilla who lives at the Audubon Zoo in the Big Easy, is pregnant with what will be her first baby and the zoo’s first gorilla birth in 24 years, according to the zoo. And the 13-year-old mother-to-be is reaping the rewards of her labor with a registry packed with everything from toys to necessities....

Let it be known that stylish orthopedic shoes exist! Need proof? Fine. Look no further than Oprah Winfrey on the cover of O, The Oprah Magazine wearing a sleek pair of Vionic sneakers that are as comfy as they are chic. Emma Watson and Kate Middleton Go Everywhere in These $65 Sneakers The shoe brand, known for its comfort technology, is a certified Oprah favorite — having made the Hollywood icon’s personal list of favorite things....

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has approved the first Royal Caribbean test cruise to set sail in a new step in a restart to cruising. The CDC set a June 20 return for Royal Caribbean sailings a few days after the cruise line submitted their initial test cruise plans to the agency. The CDC will require all cruises in the U.S. to complete test cruises unless 98% of crew and 95% of all passengers are fully vaccinated....

It’s time to start daydreaming about travel again. In fact, it may even be time to start plotting your next adventure. To help nudge you a bit, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is offering epic savings on river cruises around the world. Uniworld’s new Cruise Back Into Travel offer allows sailors to save up to 30% on select dates and itineraries booked now through March 31. And, as an added incentive, those who purchase flights through Uniworld will receive an additional $500 per person in savings and a private car transfer from the airport to the ship....

In one of the most meta moments of the pandemic-delayed 74th annual Tony Awards on Sunday night, Broadway sensation Freestyle Love Supreme closed out the show with an impressive improv hip-hop performance summarizing the event as it had just happened. Among the group were familiar faces, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Wayne Brady, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Christopher Jackson, and James Monroe Iglehart. And now, you can learn how to freestyle firsthand from the cast with Freestyle Love Supreme (FLS) Academy....

The CDC is quite sure holiday revelers have wonderful singing voices — they just don’t want to hear it at this year’s gathering. In recent guidelines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have suggestions for people attending or hosting holiday gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Top of the list is to hold off on the holiday carols. Although a singalong may be family tradition, the CDC recommends that this year, holiday revelers “avoid singing or shouting, especially indoors" and to “keep music levels down so people don’t have to shout or speak loudly to be heard....

How to Make Your Bed Feel Like It’s Straight Out of a Luxury Hotel Suite Since the Hotel Sheets Direct 100% Bamboo Sheets are made from viscose sourced from bamboo, they’re breathable and thermoregulating while remaining soft and cozy. Each set includes a flat sheet, fitted sheet, and two pillowcases. For added convenience, the fitted sheet comes with deep pockets that will fit on mattresses up to 15-inches (making your bed will never be easier)....

Even the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s own site warns that completing its 2,190-plus miles from Georgia to Maine in a one trip is a “mammoth undertaking,” revealing that only a quarter of the thousands who attempt the thru-hike each year actually finish it. But M.J. Eberhart has always been one to beat the odds — and on Sunday, he took the final stretch of his journey into Dalton, Massachusetts, making him the oldest, at 83, to complete the trek, The New York Times reported....

Air New Zealand edged out Australian flag carrier Qantas to earn the top spot on the airline safety review site AirlineRatings.com for World’s Safest Airlines for 2022. “Air New Zealand is a stand-out airline with a firm focus on safety and its customers and over the past 18 months, COVID-19 has brought another new dimension to the challenges the industry faces,” the site’s editor noted in revealing its coveted list. “Air New Zealand has excelled across the broad safety spectrum never losing sight of the smallest detail while caring for its flight crews who have worked under significant stress....

Destinations around the globe have gone digital. In an effort to keep people safe from the coronavirus pandemic, entire nations, cultural sites, national parks, museums, and more have taken to the internet to offer virtual tours to help people “travel” right from home. If you’ve been holding off on trying out virtual tours for yourself let us convince you with this enticing offer: Upgraded Points wants to pay you to take a virtual vacation....

A Japanese airline is using a vending machine to sell flights to mystery destinations — and it has become very popular. Peach Aviation first placed a machine in Osaka in mid-August as a marketing ploy, dispensing capsules with surprise trips inside, The Japan Times reported. Since then, the airline has sold more than 3,000 capsules, including as many as 150 in a day, and set up a second vending machine in a department store in Tokyo’s Shibuya district....

Heading out to the movies with friends may feel like a distant memory. But it doesn’t have to be. At least, it doesn’t have to be if you’re willing to rent out an entire Alamo Drafthouse theater. In August, the company announced its new “Your Own Private Alamo” program, which allows people to rent out an entire Alamo Drafthouse theater for just $150 for up to 30 people. There’s also a required minimum food purchase of $150 as well, but with 30 friends you’ll easily hit that price by digging into the theater’s famed pizzas, burgers, beers, and popcorn, all delivered right to your seat....

While traveling solo can be very rewarding, it can also feel a little scary. If you’re looking for a way to have added security and peace of mind on your trips, one flight attendant may have found the solution with door stop alarms. TikTok user @flywithmerm often shares with her 181,00 followers the tips and tricks she’s learned from traveling the world with her job. Recently she called these portable safety devices one of her “travel must-haves” because these clever gadgets give you an extra layer of protection anywhere you go....

After causing a commotion on a cross-country flight from Dulles International Airport to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport last Thursday, 14 passengers who defied mask-wearing mandates have been banned by Alaska Airlines. “A number of passengers on board Alaska Airlines flight 1085 from Washington Dulles to Seattle were non-mask compliant, rowdy, argumentative, and harassed our crew members,” the airline said in a statement provided to Travel + Leisure about the Jan. 7 incident....

There are few times in life where you can actually get something for free. Thankfully, this is one of those times. Two of the six free admission days planned by the National Park Service (NPS) this year are scheduled for August. Admission to any U.S. national park that typically charges a fee is free on Aug. 4 — a commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act — and Aug....

This year’s World’s Best Awards survey was open for voting January 11 through May 10, 2021, as destinations around the world were lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Survey rules have always allowed readers to reflect on their travel experiences over a three-year period. We hope that this year’s honorees will inspire your own travels as you get back out into the world. Though the past year has presented international airlines with numerous challenges, the high-flying brands that keep the world connected have persevered....

If you spent your holidays binging Disney+ in your pajamas, dreading the day you have to return back to the real world, you’re not alone. And while it seems almost impossible to put the next episode of Imagineering on hold, it doesn’t mean you can’t carry a little piece of Mickey magic with you on the go because Columbia just dropped a sweet collection of Disney gear. Disney gear Available for men, women, and children, Columbia’s special-edition Disney collection is totally simple, highly functional, and most importantly, as fun as the Disney brand itself....

In the midst of its second nationwide lockdown through Dec. 2, England has announced that it will be cutting its mandatory 14-day quarantine period for international visitors down to five days, if they test negative after that isolation period. The announcement was made on Tuesday by transport secretary Grant Shapps and will apply to travelers who arrive from countries outside its travel corridor, including the United States, starting on Dec. 15, 2020....

Even in quarantine, there are lots of ways to get crafty. And it’s even easier when you have Fiona the Hippo to be your muse. If You Were Here Now, a virtual community of artists and makers is teaming up with The Cincinnati Zoo to host a special online class in which participants will be taught how to make their own paper bag animal masks inspired by Fiona the Hippo herself....

We rose early, my daughter Liv and I, heading down to the beach every morning at 7:30 to swim before the Caribbean sun grew too strong, and before other guests snagged the glass bottom kayaks and paddleboards we were keen to use before breakfast. For three days in August, we stayed at The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, our first mother-daughter trip, and I hope one of many. For a family of three, traveling as two creates a new dynamic....