Contracting experts think that the collapsed Interstate 5 Skagit River bridge can be fixed quickly. David D?Hondt, executive vice president of the Associated General Contractors of Washington, said some bridge builders already have been in touch with the state. One contractor, Dan Howell, director of business development for Skanska in Seattle, said he ?told [WSDOT] we?re ready, willing and able to help them in any way possible.? The Skagit River span is a steel-truss span. Built in?

An hour after the Skagit River bridge collapsed Thursday evening, the phone at Anacortes? Majestic Inn & Spa rang with the first of several cancellations for the Memorial Day weekend. Anna Holm, owner of the Majestic's Apothecary Spa, said both spa and hotel had immediate cancellations starting at 8:30 p.m. As of Friday morning, the hotel, which had all of its 21 rooms booked for the Memorial Day weekend, had five cancellations. The spa had three cancellations, ?This is definitely going to?

A ?Bailey Bridge,? mentioned by Gov. Jay Inslee Friday as a possible temporary fix for the collapsed I-5 bridge over the Skagit River north of Mt. Vernon, is a well-seasoned bridge technology first developed during World War II. The bridges are steel truss bridges, made of sections small enough to be carried by hand, which can be bolted together on site. During World War II, they were often erected under fire, and they were used heavily during the D-Day invasion of Europe in 1944. The U.S.?

No matter what the surveys say about the quality of its service, Chicago-based United Airlines is charging ahead with upgrades of its service in a variety of ways. Today, United bragged that it is now the only United States-based carrier to offer 180-degree flat-bed seats and personal on-demand entertainment systems in premium cabins on every long-haul international flight departing from New York area airports, including Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty. Altogether United (NYSE: UAL) has outfitted?

This week?s Birmingham Business Journal lists the area?s most notable tourist attractions, listed alphabetically. Click here to see a photo map of the Birmingham Tourist Attractions, or check out our slideshow below to see the entire List. Click the white arrow in each picture to collapse or expand the description of each attraction. One Birmingham outdoor adventure venue deserves special recognition. Red Mountain Park has been in operation since 2012 and is the largest urban park in the area.?

The hospitality industry in Vancouver, British Columbia, is closely watching the effects of the collapsed Interstate 5 bridge in Mount Vernon. Vancouver recorded 475,365 overnight visitors from Washington state in 2012, which accounted for a quarter of the city?s overnight visitors from the entire United States, according to data gathered by the Greater Vancouver Visitors and Convention Bureau. Bureau officials assume that essentially all of their Washington state visitors arrive by vehicle,?

LONDON - Europe?s busiest airport was disrupted for several hours Friday after a British Airways plane made an emergency landing at Heathrow with a fire in at least one engine.Thousands of travelers were delayed or diverted to other London airports following the incident, shortly after 8 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET).All 75 passengers were safely evacuated from the Airbus A319 using emergency chutes...

Baited mousetraps are landing in mailboxes around the country in the form of postcards and letters promising two round-trip airline tickets plus hotel room or a free cruise if you call a toll-free number right away.These ?award notices? often include the names of major airlines and well-known hotels. But the real companies have nothing to do with the notices.?These are invitations to a high-pressu...

Active duty military personnel and their families now have one more tradition to add to the Memorial Day holiday weekend: free admission at more than 2,000 arts, science and history museums around the country.The patriotic perk comes courtesy of the "Blue Star Museums" program and includes complimentary entrance to sites in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa f...

Tracy Lee, of Auberge Resorts, offers insight on a range of spa experiences, from simple day passes to hard-core programs.

Three sites in Chadds Ford, a small town near Philadelphia, reveal a mix of influences that animated the life and work of the artist Andrew Wyeth.

A chef?s book inspires a spring shopping-cooking-tasting tour of markets and restaurants along Turkey?s western coast.

Wind, rain, pounding surf and dazzling views on a five-day, less-than-waterproof, head-clearing trek on the Welsh coast.

Rugged terrain and moments of respite in southern Wales.

A weekly capsule of events across the globe curated by our writers and editors.

The historic town expects hundreds of thousands of visitors on this 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Summer is low season in many tropical locales and winter-sports meccas.

Everyone loves a beach vacation, but where you stay can make a big difference on just how fabulous your trip is.

The Bar-B-Q Shop has been here for a quarter century and its unique menu precedes that.

Website names best-rated domestic and international locales.

"In small amounts, (bacon) can make anything taste better," says author of 'Bacon Nation.'

DOT rules require airlines and ticket agents to disclose to consumers, before they book a flight, if the flight is operated under a code-sharing arrangement.

Spirit Airlines Lands at Bottom of the List with Poor Satisfaction Scores across the Board

This replaces the Travel Warning for Mauritania, issued November 30, 2012, to update information on security incidents and remind travelers of security concerns.

Missouri State Parks will open 16 designated swimming beaches on Friday, May 24 for the 2013 recreational season.

The MINI Navigation Portable XL is designed specifically for MINI models.

Company ordered to immediately cease transporting passengers in identified vehicles

But these resorts can help you squeeze every last flake from the snow season.

This spring, Englishman David Sharp was left to die on Everest. Why did no one come to his aid? Read our investigative report to find out.

In late 2004, a team attempted the north pillar of Cerro Murrallon, one of Patagonia's great unsolved rock climbing mysteries.Pata

Two Kiwis make a bid for Aconcagua's treacherous and seldom climbed South Face - a route notorious for decimating even the best of climbers.

In 2004, Sue Knott and Karen McNeill became the first women to successfully climb Cassin Ridge. We find out how they did it in brutal conditions.

Although known as the poor man's Himalayas, Peru offers many other, smaller, infrequently climbed peaks worth bagging.

Vacation rentals may have arrived late to the online travel party – but the industry has rapidly transformed into a vibrant online segment and investor favorite. Even as the housing meltdown and economic recession dealt a twin blow to the sector, online bookings surged, jumping from just 12% of the overall vacation rental market in 2007 to 24% in 2012, according to a new PhoCusWright report. The market's complexity and fragmentation bring lingering challenges, but strong online momentum will continue to drive rapid growth. By 2014, three in ten U.S. dollars spent on vacation rental will be booked online – an online travel penetration just a few points shy of the hotel and lodging segment. "Expanding online distribution among vacation rental management companies (VRMCs) and a new breed of highly motivated, online-savvy homeowners is fueling dramatic growth," said Douglas Quinby, principal analyst. "At the same time, a seemingly endless stream of online vacation...

Whether by leaps and bounds, stops and starts, or tiny incremental changes that over time add up to something big – technology and innovation are what keeps the travel industry moving forward. Each year, PhoCusWright weighs in on what we think are the year's most important technology trends. Read on for a sneak peak at three of the trends that made this year's top 10 list. For the complete list, purchase the report. Data, Anywhere: To consumers, the future involves the ability to access desired digital information regardless of device. To travel companies, this same future is a development and support nightmare. Businesses once had little to worry about in terms of client-facing applications – just choose between Java Script, Java and Flash with CSS. But in the wake of the proliferation of various mobile devices – the iPad, iPhone and the many devices running Android or Windows 8 – interfacing with clients has become much more difficult. The good news:...

Travel industry research authority PhoCusWright today unveiled the theme for its signature event, PhoCusWright Conference, to be held November 19-21, 2013 in Hollywood/Ft. Lauderdale, FL USA. The conference annually attracts over 1,400 senior executives, media and investors from 35+ countries worldwide to advance travel, tourism and hospitality. A potent force is gaining strength across the global travel industry, bringing with it a groundswell of consumer expectations that threaten to undermine the unprepared. Sellers of sameness beware: one-size never fit all, and the days of the generic are done for. A rising legion of travelers now demands to be recognized – one by one. "Cult of Context" adheres to a simple truth: success with many requires serving the wants of the one. Travelers have no tolerance for so-so search results and "personalized" deals that aren't so personal. As the Cult takes hold,...

Consumer spending may be on the rise, but when it comes to leisure travel, many Americans are still feeling frugal. According to a new PhoCusWright report, overall leisure travel incidence remained flat in the past year, and many of the U.S. adults who did manage to vacation took fewer and shorter trips. But while the average traveler may still not be feeling confident enough to splurge, there are signs that some vacationers are tentatively loosening the purse strings. According to PhoCusWright's U.S. Consumer Travel Report Fifth Edition, six in ten U.S. adults traveled for leisure in 2012, roughly even with the previous year. Travelers on average took 2.8 leisure trips, down slightly, and some travelers economized by shortening medium-length trips (4-6 nights) into quick weekend getaways. Not surprisingly, taking fewer and shorter trips also meant that travelers spent less – average annual travel spend dropped roughly $230 year over year. "Fewer trips may create the...

The Middle East travel industry is regaining momentum following the wave of protests and revolutions that swept the region in late 2011. After growing just 3% in 2011, the Middle East travel market jumped 12% in 2012 and will sustain double-digit growth through 2014, according to a new PhoCusWright report. Online bookings will nearly double between 2011 and 2014, when the region's online leisure/unmanaged business travel market will approach US$16 billion. "Efforts among Middle East governments and investors to boost inbound travel – coupled with a predominantly young and increasingly tech-savvy population – are driving substantial travel industry growth," said Mona Faraj, research analyst, Middle East. "While challenges to online booking adoption remain, including strong loyalty to traditional travel agents and discomfort with online payments in some parts of the region, online travel bookings are set for impressive growth over the next two years." The United Arab...

Japan's dominance as Asia Pacific's largest travel market has come to an end, marking a major milestone for the region as an emerging China assumes the top spot. Following over a decade of economic stagnation, Japan's recovery from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami has been sluggish, and the country's overall travel market growth will slow to 2% by 2015, according to a new PhoCusWright report. Yet Japan's online leisure/unmanaged business travel market, by far APAC's largest, will sustain double-digit growth through 2014. "Japan's travel industry has endured numerous challenges to growth for some time now, but the country's substantial online travel market should not be written off," said Douglas Quinby, senior director, research. "In fact, by 2015, the value of Japan's online travel gross bookings will still be more than double that of China." Air is Japan's fastest-growing travel segment, as the emergence of several low-cost airline carriers (LCCs), some backed by local...