Frugal Traveler:  On a multistate drive with our mischief-prone Labrador, I shuffled back to our vehicle with two fresh cups of gourmet coffee. While my husband filled the gas tank, I opened the passenger door to set down my travel bag and organize our beverages. Having missed the perky poodle in the next vehicle, I was completely unaware of the looming dog drama.

Two visionaries: Preaching the power of thinking differently, Steve Jobs devised gadgets that transformed daily life. Johannes Kepler thought differently, about the heavens and transformed mankind’s grasp of the planets.

On Friday, as they do every year, the U.S. Coast Guard, the British and Canadian governments and the people of the Outer Banks will hold a ceremony at a cemetery to commemorate the four sailors from the HMS Bedfordshire buried there. And for just the second time, the son of one of the sailors, Sub-Lt. Thomas Cunningham, will be there.

Matt Oliver was fed up with online maps that sent him in the wrong direction and tired of waiting for someone else to make them right. So when Google came out with a program that lets users edit details on an online map, the WakeMed police officer from Raleigh jumped at the chance to become an amateur cartographer.

As the wife of an ambitious politician, Pat Nixon had her hands full. Besides keeping up with Richard Nixon’s various political incarnations, she had a household to run and two daughters to raise.

OK, you walked in the ocean and got sand in your picnic snacks. Now what? There is more than beach to see on the N.C. coast. Check out these one-of-a-kind attractions for a surfside side trip that is amazing, fun for the family – and inexpensive.

When it comes to family vacations, flying with children is likely one of the largest logistical dragons you’ll slay. From toddler tantrums and teen boredom to infant ear pain and stroller storage, the list of potential issues is long indeed. I talked to some of my favorite family travel gurus for inspiration. Here’s what they had for advice.

Cali Lewis hasn’t paid for a vacation in eight years. Last year, Lewis and her husband traveled to Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico and Colorado, all on rewards points they earned from their credit card.