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(CNN) – Easter Saturday: It’s that sweet calm amongst the weekend travel crowd. If you are celebrating, we wish you a happy holiday.
Now here are the biggest travel stories of the week.
Cruise Control
Most of us are no stranger to impulsive online purchases — but Santa Cruz resident Chris Wilson went even further when he bought a ramshackle cruise ship off Craigslist. Now he’s raising money for a $3 million restoration and lives on board the ship full time.
Then there are the people who want to spend the rest of their lives on cruise ships, like the Seattle couple’s Angela and Richard Burke, who have so far spent an entire year at sea. This is the second story in CNN’s new monthly travel series, which highlights some of the most fascinating topics in the world of travel. In April, we focus on the cruise industry.
chance encounters
Love can be found in the most curious of places, even on a Greyhound bus or a broken commuter train.
For Tiffany and Bridget Woods, their journey began with a chance meeting at the Sacramento bus stop and after 35 years, they embraced marriage, children, and Tiffany’s gender transition along the way.
Tourism boom
Covid has shaken the world’s top rankings of destinations. Now, a new batch of cities, mostly in Europe, are topping the list.
And while the pandemic meant China’s Guangzhou airport handled the most passengers in 2020, a bustling US hub last year reclaimed its title as the world’s busiest.
For the third week in a row, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not add a single new destination to its Tier 4 highest-risk category of travel. But while Asia and the Caribbean have seen a decline in Covid rates, much of Europe remains in the highest risk rating.
Airlines news
Other exotic items recently seized by the US Transportation Security Administration include a burrito filled with methamphetamine, a deodorant stick filled with lead, and a chainsaw.
The mandate for US federal transportation masks has been extended through May 3, which means face coverings are still required on planes, trains and public transportation.
It’s a suite thing
First, we taught you the fascinating history of evacuation slides. Now we bring you the wonderful world of ailerons.
Wings are the tiny chimneys scattered at the end of the wings of modern aircraft, and they help aircraft save thousands of gallons of fuel each year. Here’s how.
And if you prefer wings, you may also be interested in the latest blended wing concepts, such as the Airbus Zeroe zero emissions and the futuristic Flying-V.
Life on the road
A new book that recaps the people who have restored beautiful classic Airstreams inside and out.
In case you miss it yourself
You can catch up on the latest part of the “Parts Unknown” podcast here.
An unprecedented landmark in Venice has been opened to the public.
Today, April 16, is the start of U.S. National Parks Week 2022, and in celebration, NPS is offering free admission to all of its 423 sites.
Get ready, travel
Freddie Mercury put his best foot forward when he sang, “Mmm num ba de, dum bum ba be.” We’ve all felt our ears under pressure as we change altitude on a plane, but we don’t have to suffer in silence. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a guide to product reviews and recommendations owned by CNN, asked the experts about why ears pop and how earaches can be prevented.
