10 most-viewed Travel articles of 2008

9. Rediscover SoCal with these 5 weekend escapes
By Donna Wares

When you decide to vacation in a distant or exotic locale, if you’re anything like me, you investigate, you plan, you drive your spouse nuts with all the research.

But for getaways close to home, I’ve always tended to go for the easy and familiar. Over and over. It’s just so effortless to say, “Let’s go to Palm Springs,” which invariably means checking into the same Rancho Mirage resort my family always visits, with comfortable, airy rooms and a twisting water slide that keeps the kids entertained. Enjoyable, yes. But after the umpteenth trip, hardly exciting. Read more >>  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

8. No swimsuit? No problem at Deep Creek Hot Springs
By Hugo Martín

“Do you have a problem with public nudity?”

That’s what a buddy asked before giving me directions to Deep Creek Hot Springs near Apple Valley, a clothing-optional oasis about a two-hour drive from downtown Los Angeles.

Nudity? I was raised Catholic, I said. What do you think?

Natural hot springs are rare in Southern California, mainly because of the lack of searing underground volcanic rock to heat subterranean water. So, I was willing to overcome my hang-ups and insecurities to soak in one of SoCal’s few natural hot tubs. Read more >>  (Hugo Martin / Los Angeles Times)

7. Photos taken in airplane lead to interrogation
By Catharine Hamm

Question: Last fall, three friends and I flew from Lisbon to Los Angeles by way of Philadelphia. On the flight from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, I was showing them my new camera and took a few pictures of our surroundings. A flight attendant came to me and told me to show her the pictures, which I did. On our arrival, armed officers escorted us off the plane, separated us and made us wait for the authorities. They asked ridiculous questions (“What’s your eye color?”), and in the end they let us go with no apologies. Why would this happen? Did we do anything wrong?

-- Jose Silva, Lisbon

Answer: In taking photos, Silva and his friends didn’t violate any Federal Aviation Administration or Transportation Security Administration rules, their spokesmen told me. Read more >>  (Robert Neubecker / For The Times)

5. Athens overrated? Yes, and there are more such travel spots
By Leon Logothetis

Travel is a magical way to discover the sweet spots at the center of your soul. My many journeys help me leave behind life’s stresses and immerse myself in new cultures and the wonderful experiences that such adventures bring.

My journey to Nepal, for instance, and the blinding snows of the Himalayas taught me the essence of survival. I felt the same magic again in the Galápagos, where I swam with black fin sharks, and once more during a magnificent journey across the Sacred Valley to the famed Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru. Read more >>  (Alexander Kadobnov / AFP/Getty Images)

4. 15 places to visit to see the real California
By Los Angeles Times Travel staff

Yosemite & Disneyland? Sure. But you haven’t seen the real California until you’ve visited these places. Read more >>  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

3. Everything you need to know about U.S. passport rules
By Jane Engle

Confused about passports and visas? No wonder. Countries set their own policies, so you may face different rules at each border you cross. Adding to the complexity, the United States has been changing the requirements for travel to Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda.

Here’s what you need to know about these vital documents. The most complete information is at the State Department’s website, travel.state.gov in the “Passports for U.S. Citizens” section. Read more >>  (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

2. 20 cheap eats under $20 on Maui
By Rosemary McClure

Everyone wants to score a first-rate deal on the road. But deals can be difficult to come by in a tourist zone -- especially one like Maui, where the cost of dining can be as breathtaking as the landscape.

So we went to the people who know Maui best -- its residents -- and asked them for suggestions on how to eat well here on a budget. Read more >>  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)