Boston is the cradle of patriotism, the site of Paul Revere’s historic ride and home to the USS Constitution.  The combination of old and new, historic and trendy, gives Boston its personality - and provides limitless opportunities for a visit that doesn’t require help from one of the city’s leaders in venture capital.

For more information on Boston, check the Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, www.bostonusa.com.  If you plan to stay in Boston, there’s no need to rent a car. The city’s public transit - known locally as “the T”, is an easy to follow color-coded system that is safe and inexpensive, just $2 per ride, with children riding free.

In good weather, the most affordable and efficient way to navigate Boston is on foot. And the best way to see the most historic sites - for free - is along the Freedom Trail.

One of the newest ways to enjoy Boston is with a stroll along the Rose Kennedy Greenway (www.rosekennedygreenway.org), which was officially dedicated in October. This string of parks and fountains replaces a giant eyesore of an elevated highway, which was taken down and buried beneath the city in the nation’s largest public works project known as the Big Dig.

Grab an ice cream, burger or fried foods at Sullivan’s on Castle Island in South Boston. From there, you can watch the boats heading in and out of Boston Harbor, feel the rumble of planes flying remarkably close overhead, and allow the children to let off some steam running around the playground.

Next best thing to Broadway?  Get half-price sameday tickets to shows in Boston’s theater district at the BosTix booth at Copley Plaza or Faneuil Hall. The tickets also are listed online at www.artsboston.com.

Cheap Eats?  If you can’t decide between Italian, Chinese, seafood, steak or virtually anything else, take a walk through Faneuil Hall Marketplace, where nearly every food or drink craving can be sati9fied. To save some dough, grab your food-to-go at one of the more than 40 restaurants and enjoy some people-watching instead of eating at a sit-down restaurant. There is seating available inside the hall (www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com).

Visit Haunted Boston.  Some of the most intriguing figures in the nation are spending their eternal rest in the Boston area. Just one free visit to the Old Granary Burying

Ground provides a history lesson for the thousands who come each year to see the graves of noted patriots John Hancock, John Adams and Robert Treat Paine - who all signed the Declaration of Independence. Also buried here are Paul Revere and victims of the Boston Massacre. Established in 1660 in what used to be the southernmost portion of the city, the burial grounds are now in the heart of the downtown bustle, just steps from the Boston Common and the Park Street subway station. It’s one of three cemeteries on the Freedom Trail (www.thefreedomtrail.org).

Get a break on rising hotel prices this fall - courtesy of airline cutbacks and high gasoline prices.   Airlines’ service cuts and rising fuel costs are dampening travel demand to many destinations. Some hotels are offering deep discounts to temper rate increases and attract vacationers.   This is a reversal of the trend in recent years, which saw rapidly increasing and record room rates.

U.S. hotel room rates are still forecasted to rise modestly this year. That is partly because of continued strong demand in urban markets and the weak U.S. dollar, which has been attracting more travelers from overseas.   Average room rates are expected to rise about 2 percent this year.   But this is in stark contrast with what €™s been going on in resort areas.  Resort properties across the U.S. last month saw a half-percentage point decrease in daily rates from a year earlier, the first decline since 2003. Occupancy rates are lower also.

Bargain hunters traveling to popular vacation spots in Florida, Arizona or Hawaii should have good luck finding deals over the next few months, since leisure-travel destinations are expected to see flight-capacity cuts, and airfare increases.  Some hotels are cutting rates and throwing in extras (like a fourth night, or meals, free).  Other are deferring their typical annual rate increases for the first time in years.

In places like San Diego, an influx of new hotels is partly to blame for falling room rates, as are rising gas prices and weak housing markets in nearby cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas.

In the coming months, major airlines will be announcing a number of flight cuts, leaving some hotels and vacation destination’s worrying.   In Orlando, the local visitors bureau has formed a task force called Air Team Orlando that will meet with the airlines, partly to lobby against declines.

The travel slump has caused demand for flights to ease.   The Air Transport Association of America predicts a 6 percent decline in travel on U.S. airlines this Labor Day Weekend, the first drop since 2002.

So, if you €™re looking for travel deals and opportunities, keep an eye on resort-type properties.   These will likely be the first to drop their rates in response to the economy and travel trend changes.

There’s nothing more invigorating than a dip in a cool, blue spring on a sultry summer day.   And there’s no shortage of springs in north Florida, which has one of the highest concentrations of first-magnitude freshwater springs in the world.   Why not combine a trip to one of Florida’s natural springs with your stay in a Florida Hostel.

IchetuCknee Springs, just north of Fort White in Columbia County, is always a winner. Information: (386) 497-4690; www.floridastateparks.org/ichetuckneesprings/. But if you don’t like crowds or want to try something new, check out these hidden gems:

In the depths of Troy Springs just outside of Branford, you will find the remains of the Civil War-era steamboat Madison, which was scuttled in the spring run in 1863 to keep it from being captured. Swim, snorkel or scuba dive in the crystalline blue, 70-foot-deep spring waters, or paddle a canoe or kayak across the spring mouth to get a glimpse of the wreckage. The park has picnic tables, restrooms, a walkway and a riverside dock for canoeists and boaters on the Suwannee River.  Located off County Road 425, 1.3 miles north of U.S. Highway 27. 674 N.E. Troy Springs Road, Branford.   Information: (386) 935-4835, www.floridastateparks.org/troyspring.

Hart Springs outside of Bell in Gilchrist County is one of the largest spring-fed swimming areas in the state. The county-owned park features a half-mile boardwalk through the pristine cypress hammock, a volleyball court, boat rentals, RV and tent camping, covered picnic areas, and two air-conditioned pavilions for family gatherings. 4240 S.W. 86th Ave., Bell.   Information: (352) 463-3444, www.hartsprings.com

Juniper Springs, with its clear blue waters and generous swimming area, is one of the hidden gems of the Ocala National Forest. Visitors can camp, swim and canoe at the site, which also offers canoe rentals, restrooms, concessions, a visitor center, museum, picnic facilities and showers.  Juniper Springs is five miles west of the junction of State Roads 19 and 40 on the north side of State Road 40. Information: (352) 625-0546; www.floridaparks.com/floridafederalpark.

Rainbow Springs State Park, the state’s fourth largest spring, is southwest of Ocala and feeds into the scenic Rainbow River. You can swim or paddle in the cool spring waters, picnic in the park, take a hike or go birding along the nature trails.  Information: (352) 465-8555, www.floridastateparks.org/rainbowsprings.

Las Vegas is a feast of architectural curiosities, vintage neon, modern design, and street theater. Simply walking the Strip is an artsy experience, though you’ll also want to explore some of the city’s interesting museums and galleries.   Delve into Las Vegas’ quirky history at the Liberace Museum, which pays homage to the late, great showman and displays his costumes and pianos, including a rhinestone-encrusted Baldwin grand. The Neon Museum celebrates the city’s iconic signs, and while the facility is a work in progress, you can take a walking tour along Fremont Street to view restored gems like the 1966 Aladdin’s Lamp from the Aladdin Hotel.

For culture with an international flair, visit the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum in The Venetian, where masterworks from New York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the State Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg, Russia, are displayed

in special exhibits.  American Modernism is the focus of an engaging show at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (through October 15, 2008), which features works by 20th-century greats like Georgia O’Keeffe.

Contemporary artists strut their stuff during First Friday celebrations, a once-a-month art event in Las Vegas’ historic downtown neighborhood. Galleries, shops, and restaurants welcome visitors as street performers add a festive ambiance.

Beyond the glitz and glamour, while Las Vegas is renowned for its man-made wonders, the great outdoors is equally enthralling.  From desert terrain to deep canyons to resplendent lakes, the region is a haven for nature lovers.

Nearby Mt. Charleston (35 miles) is part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and is a splendid spot to hike, camp, ski, and go birding. Look for wild horses, burros, and hummingbirds while taking in the panoramic views.  Even closer to the city (13.2 miles) is Red Rock Canyon with its breathtaking, other-worldly sandstone formations. Try the 13-mile scenic drive or get your adrenaline pumping on a rock climbing excursion along one of the designated and rated routes.

To experience the mesmerizing desert up close, travel a little farther (60 miles) to the Mojave National Preserve, a 1.6 million-acre park that’s home to sweeping sand dunes, twisting Joshua trees, and mesas of spring wildflowers (when there’s adequate rain). Death Valley National Park (135 miles), another desert wonder, is the lowest point.

Visiting the United States?   Plan a trip to America’s tropical paradise:   Florida.   There are an endless array of exciting activities and places to visit in Florida.   Looking for some tips?   Here are the top 40 places to visit and things to do in Florida:

1. 1) Take a guided tour and explore Miami’s Art Deco  district
2. 2) Visit Aquatica, the new water park in Orlando
3. 3) Florida’s  oyster capital in Apalachicola  
4. 4) Thomas Edison and Henry Ford winter estates in Fort Meyers
5. 5) Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of America Art in Winter Park
6. 6) Antique stores in Mt. Dora and popular Renninger’s Antique Center
7. 7) Fort Lauderdale’s waterfront mansions and shopping at Las Olas Boulevard
8. 8 ) Take a surfing lesson at Cocoa Beach
9. 9) Ghost Tours in St. Augustine
10. 10) Visit the new Jungala, an interactive experience at Busch Gardens Africa
11. 11) Bike the Tallahassee - St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail
12. 12)  Fort Walton Beach’s annual Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival
13. 13) Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge off Melbourne Beach
14. 14) Universal Orlando Resort
15. 15) Explore the Everglades National Park and it’s 1.5 million acres of subtropical  landscape
16. 16) West Palm Beach’s Sunfest Music Festival in May
17. 17) John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota
18. 18) Silver Sands Factory Outlet Stores in Destin
19. 19) Enjoy stone crabs at Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami
20. 20) Victorian village of Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island
21. 21) Big Cypress Seminole Reservation in the Everglades
22. 22) Ybor City, Tampa’s Latin Quarter
23. 23) Jacksonville Museum of Contemporary Art
24. 24) Experience race driving at the Richard Petty Driving Experience, Daytona 500 Experience
25. 25) Caladesi Island State Park
26. 26) Collect shells at Sanibel and Captiva islands
27. 27) Enjoy interactive experiences at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola
28. 28) Swim with the dolphins at Dolphin World   in the Florida Keys
29. 29) Take a houseboat ride on the Suwanee River
30. 30) Try the Shuttle Launch Experience at the Kennedy Space Visitor Complex
31. 31) World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine
32. 32) Take a classic wooden roller coaster ride in Winter Haven’s Cypress Gardens Adventure Park
33. 33) Walt Disney World in Orlando
34. 34) Shop flea markets at the Big Cypress Market Place in Naples
35. 35) Enjoy a nightly outdoor celebration of sunset at Key West’s Mallory Square
36. 36) See manatees at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
37. 37) Kayak or canoe on Grayton Beach State Park in Western Lake
38. 38) Watch a sunset at Pier 60 in Clearwater Beach
39. 39) Re-live the golden age at Henry Morrison Flagler Museum in Palm Beach
40. 40) Learn about life as an early settler in Florida at Spanish Point in Osprey