New York springs for summer fallsThe Big...

New York springs for summer falls

The Big Apple is all abuzz about the 90- to 120-foot-tall mechanical waterfalls that will be going up around the city this summer. The $15-million “New York City Waterfalls” project is a Christo-scale public art installation that’s the brainchild of Scandinavian artist Olafur Eliasson.

The water will be flowing 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily from late June to early October at four spots: Pier 35 in Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge, between Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn and on the north shore of Governors Island.

Info: www.nycwaterfalls.org and nycvisit.com/ waterfalls.

-- Vani Rangachar

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Holiday plans

Where are Californians traveling this weekend?

According to a survey of AAA travel agents by the Automobile Club of Southern California, the top five destinations for SoCal travelers over the Memorial Day weekend are San Diego (above), Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon and other national parks, the Central California coast (Santa Barbara to Monterey) and Mexico (cruises, flights and driving trips). The survey reports that travel on this holiday weekend is expected to drop one-tenth of 1% this year.

-- Jen Leo

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Simply secure

It’s hard to maintain your dignity in an airport security line when you suddenly realize both your socks have holes in them. But one luggage manufacturer offers a solution for making your trip through security simpler.

Briggs & Riley’s 20-inch Baseline Carry-on Computer Upright eliminates the need to carry separate luggage and laptop cases. We tested this bag and found it simplified airport security checks. The bag, which comes in black and olive, has a pocket in the lid to store a laptop and a main compartment big enough to pack clothes for a two- to three-day trip.

Price: $325; available at many luggage retailers, or go to www.briggs-riley.com.

-- Rosemary McClure

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Airport jackpot

Who knew? Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport is the second-most-satisfying large airport in the nation. So says a J.D. Power and Associates study of North American airports released Tuesday. Philadelphia was No. 1 overall among large airports. LAX, holding steady, finished in the middle of the pack again.

The study is based on responses from 21,165 passengers who took round-trip flights between April of last year and March of this year.

*--* Here are the top 10 large airports (30 million passengers or more a year) that travelers liked: 1. Philadelphia International Airport 2. McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas) 3. Orlando International Airport (Florida) 4. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Houston) 5. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport 6. Miami International Airport 7. JFK Airport (New York) 8. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport 9. Newark Airport 10. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (N.C.) *--*

-- Chris Erskine