One of the first places China tourists want to see and be seen through their camera lenses is Tiananmen Square. The world-famous plaza, located in Beijing, the nation's capital city is the largest public square in the world. It’s named for the sacred Tiananmen, translated as Gate of Heavenly Peace. This structure stands at one end of the Square as guardian doorway to the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City dates back to the early 1400s, and through the centuries has served as palace, religious site, government quarters and residences of Chinese royal dynasties. When the Communist regime took over the city in 1949, a new kind of dynasty was created to be honored on the Square.

We air travelers have become complacent in recent years, and we don’t often enough appreciate that the government regularly assigns plain-clothes policemen on flights. The U.S. Marshals are supposed to blend in with other passengers, so they can be on constant look-out for potential dangers.

Well, we’ve come up with sure-fire ways to identify these sentinels of the air. So, next time you fly, you’ll know you’re sitting next to a Sky Marshal if he:

1. Says airport security check-in is the O.K. Corral
2. Struts to his seat, sits down and adusts his gun belt, just as John Wayne would do it

Times are toooo sloooowwww in the Nevada gambling mecca, and you’ll find bargains galore all around town. Hotels and casinos are giving away lots of coupon books and tickets. When you first check into your hotel, ask the front desk clerk for any current free or discount offers for meals, rides, entertainment, casino games and other goodies. Also check in-flight and in-room magazines for similar deals.

A great all-season hotel, the Banff Rocky Mountain Resort is in a beautiful setting in the heart of Canada’s Banff National Park. It’s especially beautiful in autumn, when the mountainsides all around burst with red, orange and red leaves from the surrounding forests of elm, oak, aspen and birchwoods.