Yahoo has published an article saying which sites in the U.S. attract the most visitors. It was not surprising that DIsney has two sites on the list but I was surprised that San Francisco’s Fisherman’s wharf was on the list.

America’s top 10 tourist attractions

1. Times Square, New York City
2. The Las Vegas Strip, Nev.
3. National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, D.C.
4. Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston
5. Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
6. Disneyland Park, Anaheim, Calif.
7. Fisherman’s Wharf/Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco
8. Niagara Falls, N.Y.
9. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tenn./N.C.
10. Navy Pier, Chicago

And speaking of most visited, The Daily Green had an article listing the op 10 most trafficked U.S. National Parks.

The 10 Must-See National Parks

1. The Smokies
2. The Grand Canyon
3. Yosemite
4. Yellowstone
5. Olympic
6. The Colorado Rockies
7. Zion
8. The Grand Tetons
9. Cuyahoga Valley
10. Acadia

And yet another list from the UK Telegraph:

20 stupid questions asked by tourists

My favorites were:

“In what month is the May Day demonstration?”
“Why on earth did they build Windsor Castle on the flight path of Heathrow?”
“Can you tell me who performs at the circus in Piccadilly?”

And speaking of stupid people doing stupid things…

Tourist falls from St. Pete Beach hotel balcony

ST. PETE BEACH — He wanted to show a woman afraid of heights that it was safe to lean over a sixth-floor hotel balcony.

Instead, David Senior, 26, of Joliet, Ill., fell four stories onto a second-floor concrete ledge Tuesday night.

David survived and was flown to Bayfront Medical Center, where he was in fair condition Wednesday, a hospital spokeswoman said. The family asked that no other information be released.

And speaking of things you don’t want to happen on your vacation…

Jetliner’s tail slams into runway during takeoff

MELBOURNE, Australia - An Emirates jetliner carrying more than 225 people slammed its tail into the runway as it took off from Australia, sending smoke into the cabin and forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing, officials said Saturday.

No one was hurt, but passengers described being terrified after learning something was wrong soon after the Airbus A340 took off from the southern city of Melbourne about 10:30 p.m. Friday, bound for Dubai.

Other articles that caught my eye:

• Volunteer vacations on a budget
• How to Travel on a Budget - Hostels and Backpackers
• 17 Travel Tips to Make Your Trip More Enjoyable
• What’s a “back-to-back” airline ticket?

It might not make sense to you (it does not to me) that when it seems like the U.S. economy is melting down the dollar is getting stronger but that is just what has been happening. Since mid-Summer the dollar has risen against many other currencies including the British pond and the Euro.

Fans of the mouse can give themselves a birthday present in 2009 by getting free admission to one of the Disney parks.

Free Disney Admission on your Birthday

Start your birthday off right with the most magical birthday present of all: free admission on your birthday during 2009 to one of the Theme Parks of Walt Disney World&reg or Disneyland® Resort.

A 750 Mile Taxi Ride for a Beer

The 2008 Oktoberfest in Munich finished up over the weekend, and one English man was extremely glad to be there. We’re thinking he needs a few travel tips because to get to Munich from Portsmouth, England, he decided to catch a taxi.

To be fair, he did try to catch a plane first but missed his flight. Not wanting to miss the beer (and his buddy’s buck’s night), he persuaded a local cab driver to get him all the way to Munich for a fare of �1,700 (almost $3,000). And he paid in cash.

After flight delay, man accused of spraying powder in plane

A man whose original flight was delayed seven hours is facing disorderly conduct charges today because he allegedly sprayed fellow passengers with foot powder after landing in Boston.

Young people are very knowlegable about the internet right? So why is it that a new survey in England found young men were the least likely group to book their travel online?

Travel agents seem the safest bets

Contrary to expectations, 16- to 24-year-olds are more likely to book a holiday through a travel agent than any other age group, according to Abta’s 2008 British Holiday Survey.

Mexico tourism boom kills coral quicker than climate change

Dainty blue fish still dart around coral shaped like antlers near the Mexican resort of Cancun, but pollution is threatening one of the world’s largest reefs. Parts of the reef, nestled in turquoise waters, have died, and algae � which feed on sewage residues flowing out of the fast-growing hotels in the tourist city � has taken over.

Other news items:

Las Vegas has dog-friendly hotels? You bet
The Economy is Falling Apart, Should I Travel?
TSA proposes screening private jet passengers

Budget Travel reports a surprising development at Walt Disney World. Something free from Disney? Cool.

For the last few years, Walt Disney World has offered free dining plans in September to entice visitors during a notoriously slow month. Well, Disney announced yesterday that the Disney Dining Plan will once again be offered free with select vacation packages. If you stay at one of Disney’s “value” or “moderate” category resorts�or at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa�between Aug. 24 and Sept. 20, 2008, and you book a 5-night “Magic Your Way” package (at a starting price of about $1,300 for a family of four), then they’ll throw in the dining plan for free. The plan ordinarily costs $38 per day per adult.

According to Engadget Disneyland is doing an upgrade to their monorail system. The monorail system has had pretty much the same “futuristic look” for the last 50 years. The new cards will come in a variety of colors according to reports.

The first in line will feature blue glass and red stripes that “change color in the sunlight,” while the next two will be blue with purple glass and orange with blue glass.

Cool, sort of like a large mood ring on a track.

If you have ever been disappointed to driven up to Disneyland and been disappointed that they are welcoming the Shriners but not your family then the Disneyland Sign Generator is for you. You can send your family and friends photographic evidence that your name was up in lights. Of course… f you do lie about something like that don’t tell Jiminy Cricket.