Las VegasI'm all for excess and losing myself in the glitz of the strip. But when I'm done with midnight buffets and tequila sunrises, I need deliverance from my sinful ways before boarding the plane home...

Bound for BeijingIf you're lucky enough to score tickets, you'll be treated to a completely transformed city - 3 new subway lines, a new airport terminal, newly laid highways throughout the city and much, much more. But buying tickets will be about as much fun as running through a thorny thicket in shorts.

Beijing TaxiBy the Olympics there will be 7 subway systems, improved roads and more taxis than ever, so give up the notion of driving - which isn't safe at the best of times.

Great Smoky MountainsForest-smart travel - What the Park Service is doing right and wrong. I spent two days hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park and they are my Eden. This mountain range has more varieties of plants...