Rick Steves will appear this weekend at the Los Angeles Times Travel Show to talk about -- what else? -- Europe. Steves wrote his first "Europe Through the Back Door" guidebook in 1980 and has churned out about 40 books since then.

A Valentine's Day idea for those who love to save a buck: museum-hopping. In San Diego, tickets to more than 40 museums will be half-price for the month of February.

If airfares seem a little higher than usual, it's not because the airlines have raised their prices. The Department of Transportation's long-awaited new rules on what airlines can advertise as posted ticket prices go into effect Thursday. I think of it as the "no surprises" rule.

In a speech last year at Tufts University in Massachusetts, TV reporter Lisa Ling shared one of her own personal FAQs: No, she was not in "Charlie's Angels." That would be Lucy Liu.

A cycling tour through Provence doesn't have to be all about the bike. France-based Cyclomundo offers a self-guided bicycling trip through the southern French countryside that's good for families with children or folks who want to travel at their own pace.

Sure, Arthur Frommer will be at the Los Angeles Times Travel Show this weekend, as well as popular travel show stalwart Rick Steves. Flying under the radar, so to speak, is TSA spokesman Nico Melendez, who will appear Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Times Pavilion (not stage), at the L.A. Convention Center.

Universal Orlando will debut the "Cinematic Spectacular" nighttime water show this spring as part of a new entertainment lineup at the Florida theme park that includes an upgrade to one ride, a re-theme of another attraction and the addition of a nightly parade.

Arthur Frommer has much to choose from when compiling a list of favorite travel destinations. The man who has been on the road and guiding travelers to bargains and hot spots since the 1950s (and will speak Saturday at the L.A. Times Travel Show) offered up a list of his 10 favorite travel destinations for 2012. Why? To inspire us to make travel plans, of course. Here are some of his recommendations.

Turning 100 years old might not mean much in Boston, where places such as the Old North Church date to 1723. Still, the grand Fairmont Copley Plaza in the Back Bay area marks its first century with a $20-million face-lift and newly renovated rooms starting at a nightly rate of $100 a person.

Snow-starved ski resorts in California and elsewhere in the West were doing a happy dance Tuesday after weekend storms brought the first real snow of the winter to eager skiers and boarders who have been waiting out a drier-than-usual December and January.

Mammoth Mountain reveled in its first real snowfall of more than 4 feet last weekend. Even though the resort set a record with 600-plus inches of snow last season, the white stuff has been in short supply this year. Here are some photos of the resort taken Tuesday after the weekend storm. --Mary Forgione

Disney Cruise Line will leave Los Angeles at the end of 2012 and reposition the Disney Wonder to Miami, marking the first time the company will sail from that Florida port. Disney rolled out its cruise itineraries for next year on Tuesday -- and L.A. trips weren't on the list.

SeaWorld San Diego will add a manta ray-themed family roller coaster on May 26 that marks the U.S. debut of a highly anticipated prototype ride.

This post has been corrected, as indicated below.

The Prague Astronomical Clock began maintenance earlier this month as four exterior wooden figures were removed for cleaning. Built in 1410, the apparatus is the world's oldest functioning astronomical clock. It adorns the facade of the Old Town Hall of Prague's Old Town Square.