Travelers

The design and decor of the Secrets Marquis Los Cabos exude high-end luxury. A dramatic open-air reception lobby, with an arc-shaped roof, frames an expansive view of the Sea of Cortez. Each of the 235 ocean-view suites and casitas has a balcony overlooking three infinity pools and the sandy beach. In addition to a 15,000-square-foot spa, the property boasts a museum-quality art collection of more than 400 pieces, with monumental bronze sculptures by leading Latin American artists in public spaces and original oil paintings in every guest room.

A substantial portion of the funding for Governor Deval Patrick's two second-term international trade missions has come from a handful of powerful executives and companies with significant financial interests before the state. Through a nonprofit established by his administration last year called Moving Massachusetts Forward, the Patrick administration collected $130,000 from five donors, according to ethics disclosure forms filed by the governor. Unlike campaign donations, contributions to the group have no limits and are tax-free.

DALLAS — Southwest Airlines is looking more and more like the big airlines it loves to needle. The once-quirky upstart flies to the big, busy airports it used to shun. It lets travelers cut in front of the boarding line — for a fee. Its revamped frequent-flier program is more complicated. Now comes Southwest’s boldest move, its $1 billion purchase of AirTran Airways, completed yesterday. All the changes are designed to help Southwest compete for high-fare business travelers. With AirTran, Southwest increases passenger traffic 25 percent.

PHILADELPHIA - Celtics guard Avery Bradley traveled with the team in preparation for Game 6, but his status for Wednesday night's contest has not been determined. Bradley, who has been dealing with a left shoulder injury, missed the Celtics' 101-85 win over the Sixers in Game 5 Monday night at TD Garden. Ray Allen regained his starting spot in place of Bradley. "He's an extraordinary defensive player," Allen said of Bradley, "but I just tried to stay in my lane and do what I'm capable of and be a part of the defensive unit.

MADRID — A rare advisory for US travelers to beware of potential terrorist threats in Europe drew shrugs yesterday from many Americans on the continent, but tourism officials worried that it could deter people from crossing the Atlantic. The State Department alert advised the hundreds of thousands of US citizens in Europe to take more safety precautions. Security officials say terrorists may be plotting attacks in Europe with assault weapons on public places, similar to the deadly 2008 shooting spree in Mumbai.

The first time the wineglasses clinked, Phil Kessel was prepared. The Bruins rookie knew it was time to make a speech for his teammates, extend an official greeting, and the speedy forward flew through the dinnertime salutation almost as if his pistonlike legs had taken charge of his vocal cords. "I'd like to say thanks to the dads for coming," blurted out the teenage emissary, some five dozen pairs of eyes trained to his perspiring forehead as he stood in the middle of a cozy dining room in a Tampa steakhouse.

DENVER -- Thousands of travelers who got stranded at Denver's airport trying to beat the Christmas rush experienced a second frustrating day yesterday, forging through a snowbound city to hotels or opting to bed down again in the terminal. The nation's fifth-busiest airport, which shut to all flights Wednesday, wasn't expected to reopen until noon today, creating a ripple effect that disrupted air travel around the country just as the holiday crush began to build. "We can't go home; the highway's closed.

Following are a few websites that connect hosts with travelers. Participation is free and rules are informal. Note that overnight stays are not always required. Sometimes people meet simply to share insider tips on a destination. The Couch Surfing Project www.couchsurfing.com Probably the most sophisticated of the bunch. Maps show locations of the fellow surfers who can vouch for the user and countries visited. Three levels of security, plus trackable locations of each person who logs onto the site.

It was a relatively quiet start to the Christmas travel season in Massachusetts. State Police Sergeant Michael Popovics said the worst traffic problem yesterday followed a car fire during the evening rush hour on Interstate 95 in Needham. He said traffic volume was routine on other state roads. Logan International Airport reported a busy day, but most flights were running on time or with minor delays. Airport spokesman Phil Orlandella said Logan typically gets about 80,000 travelers a day, but expected about 5,000 more yesterday and even more today,...

JUNE 23 DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine The Maine Whoopie Pie Festival: Derided by a legislator as a mere "frosting delivery vehicle," the humble whoopie pie nonetheless secured the title of "official state treat" and even has its own festival. About 30 whoopie pie bakers will be handing out samples and competing for honors. Festival judges select the best traditional and unique (think piña colada or peanut butter) pies, while visitors vote for the People's Choice.

A former BP engineer charged with deleting text messages about the company's response to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is asking for a federal judge's permission to travel freely throughout the U.S. while he is free on bond. Earlier this month, a magistrate in New Orleans ordered 50-year-old Kurt Mix, of Katy, Texas, to limit his travel to Louisiana, Texas, Massachusetts and New York after a prosecutor claimed he had intended to leave the country for a job in Australia and wouldn't return.

Many Americans will be taking shorter trips over the Memorial Day holiday weekend even as the number of travelers edges up slightly, AAA Southern New England said Wednesday. While gas prices have fallen over the last month, comparatively high prices during the spring prompted many people to cut their travel budgets, AAA Southern New England said. The organization projects 34.8 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, an increase of 1.2 percent from the 34.3 million people who traveled one year ago. According to AAA,...

Michael Wigge left Berlin without a penny and traveled 25,000 miles to Antarctica, hitchhiking, bartering and working his way by ship, plane, car and foot, from Europe to Canada and the U.S. and then through Latin America. A series about his project, "How to Travel the World for Free," is airing on some PBS channels throughout May and June, using video Wigge shot of his adventures. Here are some details on how he did the project and how it went. THE TRIP: Wigge, a travel journalist and videographer who speaks German, English and Spanish, left Berlin in June 2010 and...

Argentinean-born author Andrés Neuman has been racking up accolades in his adopted Spain since the tender age of 22, and "Traveler of the Century," the first of his novels to be translated into English, reveals why the late Roberto Bolaño described the young writer as being "touched by grace. " Set in the early 19th century, the story follows Hans, an itinerant philologist who stumbles into the German town of Wandernburg and finds it harder to leave than he expected. The streets of the little village have a peculiar, shifting quality that makes getting...

Learn more about Greater Boston during themed scavenger hunts run by Watson Adventures. Bring comfy shoes and sharp-minded team members who can help you track down answers to clever trivia questions. Uncover links between works at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Harry Potter-related characters, objects, and places (May 19), discover the secrets of Boston's most historic spots (July 7), eat your way through Cambridge (July 21), and learn about Salem's most haunted places (June 23 and August 11)

Travelers will see big changes this year when they fly on United. The airline, which merged with Continental in October 2010, said on Thursday that it's on track to combine computerized reservation systems and frequent-flier programs in early March. After that, it will move to a single website. The update came as United Continental Holdings Inc. posted a fourth-quarter loss, due mostly to merger costs. The combination of the two airlines into one carrier flying under the United name will speed up this year.

SO WHEN we go to the airport we need to take off our shoes and belts. Then we have to spread-eagle in the full body scanner. Now we have to tell Transportation Security Administration officers where we are going and how long we have been wherever we have been before coming to the airport ("Fliers face new queries at Logan," Page A1, Aug. 2). We have to answer these questions without sweating or avoiding eye contact or appearing nervous or not totally truthful. And of course we must never wear a warm coat in the middle of summer (that's a mistake that...