Seven National Parks you never heard of....

On November 7, Great Falls in Paterson, New Jersey, became the latest addition to the national park family. After a long fight by Paterson residents and officials to have the 77-foot waterfall recognized, their dreams were fulfilled -- partially -- by Monday's agreement. There remain years of work to mold Great Falls around National Park Service standards, but the will, and the funds, can now be brought fully to bear on the project.

When Ulysses S. Grant declared Yellowstone the country's first national park in 1872, early conservationists could have only dreamed of the vast network of protected areas that grace America's states and territories today. Less than 140 years after Yellowstone's induction, the National Park Service now operates 397 parks and monuments.
Great Falls might be years away from completion, but visitors have 396 other options to explore in the meantime. And there's no better time for a park jaunt than this Veterans Day weekend, when over 100 national parks will waive their entrance fees. From November 11-13, explorers can enjoy the beauty and history of national parks from Florida to Hawaii at no charge. (Many other national parks are free throughout the year.)

No doubt many visitors will take advantage of this largesse to visit Yellowstone, the Everglades and other crown jewels of the Park Service, but there are worlds of wonder beyond the well-trodden path. Why not take a chance on one of the Park Service's more unusual and lesser-visited locales? Check out the following:

Dry Tortugas, Florida. Hot and remote, the Dry Tortugas are one of the Park Service's most inaccessible destinations. One thing they aren't is dry; the seven islands lying seventy miles west of Key West received their name from their lack of terrestrial fresh water (and an abundance of turtles), but tropical storms inundate the little archipelago with some regularity. Visitors must take a ferry or seaplane to the park, but the reward is worth it: renowned for its marine life and snorkeling, the Dry Tortugas offer clean beaches and clear water, as well as an historic American fortress to explore. Best of all, you probably won't have to share it with many other people.

Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial, Philadelphia. The Park Service isn't exactly modest in its holdings: from the Grand Canyon, to California's Sequoia National Park, to Wrangell--St. Elias in Alaska (the reigning champ at over eight million acres), it has its share of massive parks. But these spaces contain enough to fill a lifetime, so they might not be the best choice for a weekend trip. If you're not up for getting lost in a vast wilderness, why not go to the opposite extreme and visit the smallest destination in the NPS? Commemorating the life of an American Revolutionary hero, this National Memorial includes exhibits and artifacts from Kosciuszko's military career in the new country he helped to liberate. Housed within Kosciuszko's small Philadelphia home and measuring in at only .02 acres, the memorial is perfect for a quick historical tour.

Aniakchak, Alaska. Only serious adventurers need apply for an expedition to Aniakchak, a swath of land in southwest Alaska encompassing the volcano that gives the park its name. Extreme weather, a rugged, remote landscape and various other inconveniences -- like bears -- have earned Aniakchak its place as the very bottom rung of the NPS popularity ladder, but the natural riches of wild Alaska are a pot of gold for the few willing to seek out the end of this rainbow. Sure, by the Park Service's own estimates only a few dozen people make it out to Aniakchak each year, but what an unforgettable experience those determined few must have.

African Burial Ground, New York. From frontier Alaska to the glittering streets of New York, the National Park Service spans all environs. On the opposite end of the spectrum from Aniakchak is the African Burial Ground, located in Lower Manhattan. The monument preserves the remains of several hundred free and enslaved Africans buried in the 17th and 18th centuries. The burial ground was forgotten and built over in subsequent centuries, only to resurface in 1991 as a result of construction excavations. A monument and visitor center now honor the memories of the interred. (The African Burial Ground does not charge admission, but will be closed on Veterans Day.)

Nicodemus National Historic Site, Kansas. Billed by the Park Service as "the oldest and only remaining all Black Town west of the Mississippi," Nicodemus was an important outpost for African Americans moving westward after the Civil War. The historical site in Kansas is comprised of several historic buildings within the still--living community of modern Nicodemus. The town also hosts historical festivals at points throughout the year.

Hamilton Grange, New York. Many of the Park Service's most popular monuments are dedicated to familiar figures of American history. Abraham Lincoln's three memorials alone attracted over six million visitors in 2010 -- a far cry from the New York City home of Alexander Hamilton, which received only around fifteen thousand visitors a year before closing for renovations in 2006. Hamilton Grange was reopened in September and is now accepting visitors -- and at no charge. If Hamilton holds no interest for you, try another of the lesser-visited memorials dedicated to important Americans: the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in Brookline, Massachusetts, celebrates the life of the renowned landscape architect; the Flat Rock, North Carolina Carl Sandburg Home remembers the storied career of the quintessentially American poet; and in Washington D.C., the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House stands in remembrance of the early, determined civil rights activist and educator.

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America's 10 worst airports

By Christine Sarkis

Individual airlines take a lot of the heat when it comes to flight delays, but the airports you fly into, out of, and connect through also have a significant impact on the likelihood you'll get to your destination on time.

Travel + Leisure profiled the most recent best and worst airports for flight delays in a photo gallery. Of note is that even at Seattle's Sea-Tac Airport, this year's best airport for on-time performance, 13.1 percent of flights were delayed. Still, that's better than the worst airport for delays, Chicago Midway, which weighed in with nearly 30 percent of its flights delayed.

The gallery also helpfully outlines the best and worst times of day to fly out of each airport. The theme that emerges reinforces the rule of thumb that flying early is better. Really early in some cases—at Chicago O'Hare, the best time to fly on time is before 7 a.m.

In a number of cases, cities have airports on both the worst and the best list. For instance, Washington, D.C.'s BWI airport is the second worst airport for delays in the country, but Dulles International and Reagan International were both in the top five best for on-time performance.

For full details, check out the story, but here's a snapshot of the airports that made the best and worst lists for flight delays.

Ten Worst Airports for Delays

1. Chicago Midway Airport
2. Baltimore/Washington International Airport
3. San Francisco International Airport
4. Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
5. John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City
6. Newark Liberty International Airport
7. Chicago O'Hare
8. Miami International Airport
9. Denver International Airport
10. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Ten Best Airports for Delays

1. Sea-Tac Airport, Seattle
2. Portland International Airport
3. Reagan National Airport, Washington, D.C.
4. Salt Lake City International Airport
5. Dulles international Airport, Washington, D.C.
6. Tampa International Airport
7. George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston
8. LaGuardia Airport, New York City
9. Charlotte Douglas International Airport
10. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

If your home airport—or an airport you fly out of regularly—is on the worst list, you might identify with the sentiment of frequent flyer quoted in the article:

"'If I came home via a connecting flight thorough Anchorage,' says the Dallas area native, 'and had to rent a husky team and race the Iditarod to get to my connecting flight, and when I got there they taped me up in a box and sent me to DFW via FedEx—that would all be better than having to go through Miami Airport.'"

Have you had a long wait at one of the most delay-prone airports?

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The New Boeing 787..Built to change the game!

Boeing's new 787 finally carried its first passengers, and the aviation industry has called the 787 a "game changer" aircraft. In many ways it is. It's the first big jet to be built substantially out of composites rather than aluminum. It uses the latest, most fuel-efficient engines, featuring less noise and fewer emissions than current engines. Although smaller than the 777, the 787 has (or will have) an extremely long range. And Boeing claims some important innovations in passenger comfort.

But what part of the "game" changes for you as a passenger? Presumably, the most important gain will be in the airlines' ability to fly economically on routes that will allow you to bypass major hubs and avoid connections—routes with less direct traffic than airlines can efficiently serve with the larger 747s, 777s, A340s, and A380s they now use for long-haul flights. The 787 is about the same sized as a 767, but it can fly much farther—and at much lower cost per passenger. That means nonstop services from second-level U.S. cities to major worldwide hubs, and from large U.S. cities to second-level cities in Europe and Asia. Typical routes might include Boston-Zurich, Portland-London, and Kansas City-Tokyo. Clearly, the ability to avoid one or even two connections on a long international flight could be a major advantage, shaving two to five hours off the best connecting schedules.

Boeing also claims some advantages in the cabin environment: The 787 is pressurized to a lower altitude (6,000 feet) than most other jets, so you won't have so much ear-popping. It will provide higher-humidity cabin air, which means less dry skin and fewer nasal problems. Windows are larger than on current jets, and dimming will be electronic rather than fabric shades. And Boeing makes extravagant claims about how its LED lighting system will be able to adjust to your mood—raising the question about just what sort of lighting is appropriate for a delayed flight.

As to the seating, that depends on how each individual airline decides to outfit its planes. ANA, the first airline to take delivery and fly the 787, has arranged economy seating at eight-across, in a 2-4-2 arrangement, similar to the way most airlines configure their A330/340s. Because the 787 cabin is 15 inches wider than those Airbus models, its economy seats should be roomier—and much better than you find on 747s. Some lines, however, will install seats at nine-across, which will be as narrow and undersized as current 737 and 747 seats and far too tight to accommodate American men comfortably.

Where will you be able to fly 787s? The 787s combination of size and range means you'll see it mainly on international routes, at least at the beginning. In fact, Boeing dropped an early design it had once offered for short-haul service. Currently, Boeing has just under 800 orders for the 787, mostly from overseas or from leasing companies. The deliveries scheduled for this year are to ANA (already flying) and JAL; North American airlines to order the 787 are Air Canada, Continental/United, and Delta, but none of these lines will take delivery until next year at the earliest.

If you've followed the industry reports at all, you know that the 787 is several years behind schedule. Also, the first models are a bit overweight, meaning Boeing still has some design tweaking to do. As a result, Boeing has lost much of the initial advantage it enjoyed over the rival A350, which also uses some of the same technology as the 787. The competitive battle will be fierce for years.

Will the 787s 20 percent reduction in operating cost translate to lower fares? Probably not, at least none that you might identify. But the lower costs should help avoid fare increases that will almost surely be the norm for several years.

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Norwegian Gem Rescues Five from Sailboat in North Atlantic

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Gem rescued five people from a sinking sailboat in the North Atlantic Ocean on Oct. 29. The cruise ship responded to a call from the U.S. Coast Guard, which had received a distress notification from Sanctuary, a 39-foot sailboat, stating that it had large breaking waves over the bow, had lost power and its life raft, and was taking on water. Sanctuary was located approximately 350 nautical miles from New York in the North Atlantic, two hours away from Norwegian Gem, the closest vessel in the area. Norwegian Gem Capt. Hakan Svedung immediately diverted course to rescue the four men and one woman aboard.

Upon reaching the Sanctuary, Norwegian Gem encountered extreme weather conditions with wind force up to 40 knots and large swells, making it challenging to launch the ship’s rescue boat. Once in the water, the rescue boat made contact with the sailboat and quickly transferred the five occupants, who are Canadians.

At approximately 2 p.m., the sailboat passengers and rescue team were all safely aboard Norwegian Gem. The ship, which was returning from Bermuda, continued on its route back to New York. “This rescue operation was conducted under extremely difficult circumstances,” Svedung said. “I am proud of our crew who braved their lives to rescue the five people in distress

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