By RIO YAMAT

If a U.S. government shutdown goes on long enough, it could throw a wrench in travel plans, potentially leading to longer airport wait times, flight delays and even cancellations.

The shutdown began Wednesday after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to reach a deal to continue funding government services and operations. That means a vast majority of employees who keep U.S. airports and air travel running are working without pay until the government reopens.

“The longer a shutdown drags on, the more likely we are to see longer TSA lines, flight delays and cancellations, national parks in disrepair and unnecessary delays in modernizing travel infrastructure,” Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, warned in a statement.

Here’s what to know about the shutdown and its potential impacts on your travel plans.

Flying during a shutdown

Travelers can still fly despite the lapse in funding, and early on in the shutdown, they might not even notice any issues at the airport.

Control towers and airport security checkpoints will still be staffed, with about 13,200 air traffic controllers and more than 61,000 Transportation Security Administration employees expected to remain on the job.

But as more time passes for the workers since their last paycheck, travelers could start to see longer lines at security and flight interruptions, said Jeffrey Price, professor of aviation at the Metropolitan State University of Denver.

“The system does become a little bit more brittle, the longer this goes, the more the traveler is going to notice it,” Price said.

That’s what happened in 2018 and 2019, when Trump led the country into its longest shutdown ever for 35 days during his first term.

About three weeks into that shutdown, some unpaid security screeners started calling in sick, and air traffic controllers sued the government in a bid to get their paychecks. Miami International Airport had to temporarily close one of its terminals because TSA officers were calling in sick at twice the airport’s usual rate.

The latest shutdown is unfolding at a time when both the TSA and the Federal Aviation Administration are already facing staffing shortages, including a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers.

If the system can’t handle the number of flights that are scheduled, the FAA will slow down landings and take offs and passengers will see more delays and cancellations. The agency has done that recently when it didn’t have enough controllers to handle all the flights coming in and out of Newark airport after technical problems there.

Traveler safety and security

Nick Daniels, president of the union that represents air traffic controllers, said a shutdown weakens the aviation safety system by adding stress on controllers and taking away many of the workers that support them and maintain the outdated system they rely on.

“They’re out there working right now with critical staffing — the lowest staffing we’ve had in decades of only 10,800, where there should be 14,633. And on top of that, they’re working with unreliable equipment,” Daniels said.

During the 35-day shutdown during Trump’s first term, controllers in the busiest U.S. air traffic facilities reported working as much as 60 hours per week, and an increasing number of TSA agents also quit their jobs.

“This is more than just an inconvenience to the traveler,” Price said of the shutdown. “This is definitely going to bring up safety and security issues, if it really starts to go into the long term.”

International travel into the U.S.

Ports of entry into the country are expected to stay open for international travelers, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s contingency plan.

The department estimated that about 63,000 workers at Customs and Border Protection would still report to work. They include employees who are responsible for protecting the country’s borders and monitoring traffic coming into the U.S. at official border crossings, like airports and land crossings from Canada and Mexico.

Passports and visas

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency responsible for overseeing the naturalization process, is primarily funded by application fees, meaning a lapse in funding at the federal government has minimal impacts on most passport and visa processing.

Agency spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said in a statement, however, that the shutdown does temporarily shutter the agency’s E-Verify program, a free online system that employers can use to confirm their new employees are authorized to work in the U.S.

Museums and national parks

Smithsonian museums, research centers and the National Zoo were scheduled to stay open to the public through at least Oct. 6. Further updates will be posted on the Smithsonian website.

The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum complex, with 17 museums and its zoo located in the Washington, D.C. area, as well as two museums in New York City.

National Parks will remain mostly open during the shutdown.

The National Park Service’s contingency plan says park roads, lookouts, trails and open-air memorials will “generally remain accessible to visitors.” But parks without ”accessible areas” will be closed, and additional sites could shutter if damage is done to park resources or garbage builds up during the shutdown.

The park service oversees 400 sites, including large national parks such as Yellowstone and Grand Canyon, national battlefields and national monuments like the Statue of Liberty.

Associated Press transportation reporter Josh Funk contributed from Omaha, Nebraska.

Our Golden State harbors many treasures, a few of which can be found on a trip north to the San Francisco Bay area where visitors can explore nature and history as they restore, refresh and reset perspectives.

Where is this possible? Three locations stand out as perfect sites for restorative journeys: Angel Island State Park, which lies a short ferry ride from Tiburon; China Camp State Park, a wild and historic space near San Rafael; and Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historic Park, situated in Richmond. Travel between the three, all located north of San Francisco, is just under 30 miles, making them an easy adventure that bypasses the urban congestion of the big city.

Angel Island: Solitude and history

A walk around Angel Island today combines an embrace of natural beauty with the physical remnants of our nation’s fraught history.

Great views and most points of interest are found along the island’s five-mile perimeter road, reached most quickly via the Northridge Trail, which climbs 140 steps, some of which require an extra push to bypass a missing tread. It’s slow work for a backpacker carrying 30-plus pounds, and though handrails are present, the way is narrow enough to preclude easy passage of slower hikers.

Once emerging on the paved road surface, views of the bay, of Oakland, the Bay Bridge and San Francisco begin to unfold as does the history of the land.

Dating from the Civil War, Angel Island has served as a defensive position, way station, detention center, and launch point for thousands. During the Civil War, fortifications at Camp Reynolds on the island’s southwest side were constructed to protect San Francisco against Confederate attack. The island also was used as a quarantine center and discharge station for troops returning from war; it housed a U.S. Immigration Station for some 30 years, and served as a launch point for troops headed to war in the Pacific.

Perhaps less known, but likely no less significant, some 700 Japanese Americans were briefly interned here during World War II. The government chose this location to hold a hearing in an attempt to deport union labor leader Harry Bridges, and, during the Cold War, Nike anti-aircraft missiles were here. The former missile site, along with U.S. Coast Guard stations now on the island, are closed to visitors.

But there’s still plenty to see and do, and numerous ways to get around. In addition to hiking, island visitors can rent mountain and electric bikes as well as arrange tram tours of the island sites.

Ferries from Tiburon and San Francisco deliver visitors to a terrace at Ayala Cove, where State Parks employees help direct traffic. A small cafe, bike rentals and tram service are nearby as well as a small gift shop and a kiosk where campers check in to confirm their reservations and campsites.

Upon arriving, to the right lies the trail up to the perimeter road, and the walk eastward to the U.S. Immigration Station, Fort McDowell and East Bay, Sunrise and the North Garrison Group campsites.

To the right is a picnic area, the visitors center, and a route to the Civil War installations, the western Kayak Group and Ridge campsites on the southwest side of the island.

Wind can be an issue for campers. The Ridge campsites are reported to have the best views of San Francisco, but also high winds. A recent visit found even the more protected East Bay sites windy, but the nighttime view of the lights from Oakland, the Bay Bridge and San Francisco is still stunning.

Campsites are a step above primitive, with nearby water, pit toilets, picnic tables and food lock-up boxes provided. Visitors in search of flush toilets and wash basins can find them at the visitors center and the immigration station; they’re also reported at other building installations on the island.

For school groups and first-time visitors, perhaps most attractive for exploration are the former U.S. Immigration Station and Fort McDowell, said to have the eerie feel of a ghost town.

Slipping in between groups of youngsters on school trips to the Detention Barracks Museum at the immigration station, it’s easy to get a feel for how challenging and sad life could be there.

Dormitories served as a stopping point on a journey to America for between 500,000 and 1 million would-be immigrants. As many as one in five were denied U.S. entry, and it’s estimated that more than 100,000 each of Japanese and Chinese immigrants were held here. Families were split between men’s and women’s dorms. Some were held for as little as two weeks; others were detained for months.

Wandering through the all-but-empty dormitories today, visitors see the spaces marked by the vertical support poles, which once housed nests of bunks. Carved into the wood walls, faint Chinese characters emerge with personal messages of grief, longing and anguish at their separation from loved ones.

On the second floor are spaces where the immigrant experience is recreated, with furnishings and personal belongings on display as if they were left by recently departed owners.

Below the detention center barracks, Angel Island’s original fog warning bell sits at the end of a landing pier where the immigrants made their first steps onto U.S. soil.

A little more than a half-mile farther down the perimeter road, visitors can explore the empty shells of Fort McDowell, the buildings of which served as detention camp, quarantine and recruit center before an World War II expansion as it became a major embarkation point for some 300,000 servicemen heading to war in the Pacific Theater.

Today, the buildings stand as mute witnesses to the mobilization of past war efforts. You can walk around and through some shells of structures that were used as hospitals and look over giant barracks, and a massive barrel roof building where cooks could serve more than 1,400 men in one sitting and 12,000 meals a day.

The building also housed a movie theater, a basketball court and had space for dances and entertainment on stage. Today, it’s a crumbling behemoth, closed off but still impressive.

Nearby are barracks, a guard house, the old Post Exchange building, officers’ quarters and a church.

The wall of a World War II hospital building on the right as one enters the site also still bears the imprint of the U.S. artillery symbol of crossed cannons indicating earlier uses of the building. A walk around the building gives ample opportunity for visitors to peek in and see external walkways and staircases that form an intricate connection for rooms and floors. Warning signs advise visitors not to venture inside.

Camping? The turn up to the East Bay campsites follows a road uphill between two service buildings between the immigration station and Fort McDowell. The walk takes campers past a side turn to a group site uphill past a roadside water spigot, after which a fork in the dirt road gives campers an option to head right to the East Bay sites or farther forward to the Sunrise sites.

Early and mid-week sites may be easier to secure, and don’t be surprised by wildlife. On a recent trip, a scat deposit near the picnic table gave evidence of a nocturnal visitor.

Also, when pitching a tent, take care to select the most level ground available or else your sleeping bag slides and awkward positions within the tent are likely. Igloo water coolers were provided at East Bay sites, and park workers were onsite checking conditions. A small camp stove and hiker’s rations were sufficient for the day.

San Francisco weather conditions can be variable, so it’s best to check temperature forecasts when packing to camp.

Getting there: Visit via ferry service out of Tiburon or Golden Gate; parks.ca.gov, 415-435-5390

China Camp State Park: Strange beauty

About 14 miles north of Tiburon, via State Route 131 and U.S. 101 north, is San Rafael; beyond are the wilds of the China Camp State Park. This strange and beautiful location is open from 8 a.m. to sunset for daytime visitors, with a hosted campsite for overnight stays. Note: Recent fires have affected travel in this area, so check travel advisories.

Where campsites on Angel Island offered extensive panoramic views of the East Bay, China Camp visitors sleep among tall trees that see evening mists pervade the night as turkeys and deer wander through the area.

In the 1880s, China Camp was home to a fishing village of some 500 who caught and dried shrimp for export to China, but the enterprise was all but shut down after a ban on shrimp exports, restrictive fishing laws and the Chinese Exclusion Act made the micro-economy unsustainable. In the years since, only one family held on, the Quons, who operated a general store, cafe at the pier and continued to shrimp using new, legal methods.

The resident shrimper of the Quon family died in 2016, but the pier, shrimp processing equipment, cafe and an old, idled boat on the beach are there to explore and enjoy.

Nearby, visitors heading northeast on the winding park road will find a turnoff to the campgrounds just south of the park’s eastern gate. With 30 closely configured campsites, full bathrooms, firepits, foodboxes and picnic tables, overnighters at China Camp will find a peaceful, comfortable landing to shake out their gear and enjoy the surroundings.

Campsites are a short distance from the parking lot, where live-in hosts will pop out of what looks to be a permanently parked Airstream to offer advice or assistance as needed. Visitors have to pack or carry in their gear some 50 to 300 yards, but wheeled bins are available for those with big loads.

Once settled, campers can follow the Shoreline Trail from camp to make a loop around Turtle Back Hill, a promontory that juts out into a brackish, intertidal salt marshlands. On a recent visit, native flowers were prominent along the shaded pathway, as were numerous growths of poison oak.

Getting there: 730 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael; parks.ca.gov, 415-456-0766

Rosie the Riveter: Honoring home front heroes

For those headed toward Angel Island and China Camp coming from the Sacramento area, it’s easy to take in the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historic Park in the morning and finish the day at China Camp. And if the goal is to explore national and California history, this site fits right in.

Pre-World War II Richmond is described as a small, working-class community with a combination of industrial and rural landscapes. A Pullman refurbishing factory was there, and railroads and Standard Oil, too. It provided access to shipping via a deep-water channel completed in the 1920s, and Richmond had shipping terminals and a Ford motor assembly plant.

In 1940, Richmond’s population was 23,600. With its already built infrastructure, the city was primed to become a powerhouse of the U.S. wartime production effort; it quickly exploded to a population of 93,700 with a complex of four Kaiser shipyards that produced 747 vessels, mostly Liberty and Victory ships, needed for the U.S. armed forces.

The park’s visitor center is located in the old Oil House, which supplied power to the adjacent historic Ford Motor Assembly Building that was used for Jeep and armored vehicle production during World War II.

Inside, visitors can learn about how pre-fab techniques helped modernize and speed shipbuilding techniques, and how vital women and minority workers were to the U.S. and Allied victories of World War II. Women weren’t just riveters, as the museum’s name might imply; they were welders, draftspersons, machinists, painters — and did any job a man could do.

Workers came from across the country. They were single women, mothers and wives, from across many racial and ethnic backgrounds. This is in part due to Executive Order 8802 that required fair hiring practices in the defense industry. Bolstering that order was the Double V campaign, a national effort promoting victory on two fronts: abroad against fascism and the Axis powers, and at home against systemic racism and discrimination.

Exhibits in the museum explore this history with dynamic displays and films recounting the efforts of those working on the home front.

Getting there: 1414 Harbour Way South, Suite 3000, Richmond; nps.gov/rori, 510-232-5050

Know before you go

ANGEL ISLAND STATE PARK

For more about the history of Angel Island and to plan a trip, visit the following websites — especially before booking a campsite and to confirm that ferry schedules are suitable for your travel plans.

California State Parks

Camp site reservations:

– Individual sites are $30 per night, with an $8.25 reservation fee.

Tiburon ferry service:

– Summer service runs daily; travel time roughly 15 minutes; adult ticket, $18. For campers, reasonable multiday parking is available at the lot near City Hall, about a half-mile from the ferry terminal.

Golden Gate ferry service to Angel Island:

– Daily service; travel time roughly 30 minutes; adult ticket, $15.50.

Angel Island Conservancy

Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation

National Trust for Historic Preservation, “Messages from Angel Island” 

By FRANCESCO SPORTELLI

FIUMICINO, Italy (AP) — Dog owners often face a dilemma before traveling: leave your beloved pet with a sitter or at a kennel? Both require quite some planning and logistics, which can be stressful and time-consuming for fur parents.

Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport has sought to streamline the process by opening one of the first on-site hotels at a major European airport, following a similar initiative in Frankfurt. Dog Relais’ workers even retrieve pups from the terminal so travelers can proceed straight to their flight.

“This project is fitting into a strategy to provide a very immersive experience to passengers,” said Marilena Blasi, chief commercial officer at Aeroporti di Roma, the company that manages Italian capital’s two airports. “In this case, we provide services to dogs and the owners of the dogs.”

Basic rooms at the dog hotel cost about €40 ($47) and feature temperature-controlled floors and private gardens. More timid or solitary dogs can be placed in kennels at the edge of the facility, where they interact with staff rather than other dogs in the common grass pens. At night, ambient music that has a frequency with a low, soft tone — 432 hertz — designed for relaxation is piped in through the rooms’ speakers.

There are optional extras that range from the usual grooming, bathing and cleaning teeth services, to the more indulgent, such as aromatherapy with lavender or peppermint scents to help induce calm, or arnica cream rubbed into aching muscles and joints.

Owners unsatisfied with standard-issue webcams for checking in on their canines from afar can spring for a €60 (about $70) premium room equipped with a screen for round-the-clock videocalls. They can even pamper their pet by tossing a treat via an application connected to a dispenser.

The facility not only provides its services to travelers, but also to dog owners who need daycare.

Working in human resources for Aeroporti di Roma, Alessandra Morelli regularly leaves her 2-year-old, chocolate-colored Labrador Retriever there.

“Since I’ve been able to bring Nina to this dog hotel, my life, and the balance between my personal and professional life have changed because it allows me to enjoy my working day and my personal travels in total peace and tranquility,” said Morelli, 47.

Dario Chiassarini, 32, said he started bringing his Rottweiler puppy, Athena, to Dog Relais for training, another service on offer, because it’s clean, well-organized and its location was easily accessible. And he said he plans to check his beloved pup into the hotel whenever he and his girlfriend need to travel.

“We will rely on them without hesitation and without doubt — both because we got to know the people who work here, which for us is essential, and because of the love they have for animals and the peace of mind of knowing who we are entrusting Athena to,” said Chiassarini, who works in car sales. “It is certainly a service that, if we should need it, we will make use of.”

The dog hotel has proved popular so far. All 40 rooms were occupied in August, when Italians take their customary summer vacation and millions of passengers come through Fiumicino. Occupancy averaged almost 2/3 since doors opened in May, said Blasi.

The same month the dog hotel opened, Italy’s commercial aviation authority changed rules to allow large dogs to fly inside plane cabins for domestic flights, provided they are inside secured crates. The first such flight will take off on Sept. 23, according to transport minister, Matteo Salvini.

Salvini admits that while many are happy with having their pups on the plane, others may feel annoyed. However, at a pet conference on Sept. 16, he said: “We always have to use judgment, but … for me it’s a source of pride, as well as a step forward from the point of view of civilization.”

Associated Press writer David Biller in Rome contributed to this report.

By Kevin Hardy, Stateline.org

NORTH CONWAY, N.H. — The conversations in French having given them away, the group of motorcyclists immediately stood out as foreigners over a Saturday breakfast in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

In the restaurant, the server was pleased, thanking them for coming. Because these days, tariffs and White House rhetoric have left Canadians a rare breed of visitors in New England, usually a hotspot vacation destination from the nearby province of Quebec.

“There’s a lot of people staying in Canada because of that,” said Dave Gingras, a 35-year-old biker from Saguenay, about two hours north of Quebec City.

While other Canadians are avoiding buying American products or traveling to the States, the group of 11 decided to leave politics behind on their road trip through New England.

“We are just keeping it neutral and trying to enjoy,” Gingras told Stateline.

After breakfast, they donned helmets and mounted an assortment of dusty Yamaha, BMW and Triumph bikes.

“We drive and when we’re tired, we stop and raise up a tent and relax with a beer,” Gingras said before pulling into a line of crawling traffic on the White Mountain Highway, the scenic byway dotted with quaint inns, old-timey stores and Colonial and Victorian homes.

Across Northeastern states, business owners and state officials have labored to maintain key economic connections with Canada despite the rhetoric coming out of the White House. President Donald Trump’s trade war, aggressive immigration enforcement and talk of making their country the 51st state has offended many Canadians. While concerns are acute in New England, tourism hubs from Hawaii to New York are reeling from a decrease in Canadian visitors.

To quell tensions, Maine leaders erected signs in French to welcome Canadian visitors and New Hampshire’s governor just returned from a Canadian trip she took to strengthen trade and tourism.

But hospitality businesses this summer reported a sharp decline in visitors from the North — Canadian travel to New Hampshire is down about 30% this year, according to state officials. Border crossings into Vermont hit their lowest levels since 2021, according to federal data, as the Canadian government reported a 34% drop in the number of August car visits into the U.S. compared with the same month last year.

New England businesses remain concerned as the region turns the page on the summer vacation season to its vibrant autumn, known for luring leaf-peeping travelers from across the globe.

Tourism is vital for White Mountain Valley communities like North Conway. While it’s home to only about 2,300 people, the village is a historic travel hotspot known for outdoor activities, tax-free shopping and family-friendly theme parks.

While many people think of the area as a winter ski destination, summers are actually the largest travel draw, said Chris Proulx, executive director of the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The drop in Canadian tourism has been especially evident during less popular travel times for Americans. For example, Canada’s Victoria Day, a late May holiday celebrating that queen’s birthday, has traditionally brought big crowds to the Northeast.

“Our retail outlets are a very, very popular destination for them during that time,” Proulx said. “And our retail outlets have reported that it was basically nonexistent this year.”

Proulx said local businesses have tried to lure travelers from close-by regions like the Boston area to help make up for the loss of Canadian tourists, “so it’s not an unrecoverable loss.” But the absence of visitors from parts North is hard to ignore.

“It almost feels like a birder might feel if they find a rare species,” he said. “If you see someone with a Canadian license plate, you notice it right away. It gives you a little bit of a smile.”

Aside from the economic loss, Proulx said he worries about longstanding relationships.

This scenic valley is nostalgic for many visitors from the U.S. and Canada alike. He said many people return again and again, sharing fond memories of their first camping trip along the Saco River, childhood trips to the Santa’s Village amusement park and picturesque rides on the Conway Scenic Railroad.

“So we just don’t want anybody thinking that they’re not welcomed here. That’s our biggest thing,” he said. “We want everybody to be able to call this their second home, to be able to visit and reconnect and feel welcomed.”

‘Towns are quieter’

In the heart of North Conway, tourists picnic on the grass in Schouler Park, look into the 1874-era train station and meander into shops selling hokey souvenirs and homemade fudge. Framing the village is the imposing Mount Washington, which at 6,288 feet boasts the tallest peak in the Northeast.

At one of the town’s busiest intersections, the crowds come in waves to the North Conway 5&10 Store. But even as families line up, employee Polly Howe said she hadn’t seen many Canadians this summer.

“It’s a shame,” she said, bouncing between the cash register, the candy counter and stocking staples like toys and hats.

In a building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the souvenir shop has been around for 86 years and features a false-front facade, the kind made famous in boomtowns of the Old West. Manager Terri Johnson said she had encountered a good number of Canadians inside the shop, but said she didn’t blame any who felt put off by the political climate.

“I’m thankful they still come after all that,” she said.

It’s not just international relations that have changed tourism here.

A rainy start to the summer season didn’t help, and business owners say anxiety over the domestic economy and inflation have pinched travel budgets.

Mark Lahood says family travel has dipped at the three hotels he operates in the area.

“Towns are quieter,” he said this summer. “They’re not quiet, but they’re much quieter than years’ past.”

Some summer weekends, which traditionally sell out entirely, the three hotels had 30% vacancies, he said. And travelers are more keen for weekend trips than their weeklong road trips of previous seasons.

“With a seven-day trip, by the time they were all in, it’s a lot of driving, it’s a lot of gas money, it’s a lot of meals, it’s a lot of hotels,” he said. “And I think it’s just too much.”

To help with rising costs, he ran a free breakfast promotion for kids earlier in the summer. And he increased an existing international discount for Canadian guests.

“Did it help anything? Probably not. But you know, when you view it from a Canadian traveler, at least you made an effort.”

The decline in Canadian visitors has allowed for more local, spontaneous travel, said Genn Anzaldi, who owns J-Town Deli & Country Store in Jackson, New Hampshire.

“More day trippers for sure,” she said. “So maybe not as many people spending the night or as many nights.”

The scent of sizzling bacon and toasting panini fills her shop, which offers hot meals along with handmade gifts and convenience store staples.

Anzaldi, who also runs a cooperative marketing effort for a group of independent restaurants, said the local restaurant business was down, but not significantly.

The reason?

“Canadians,” she said. “I wouldn’t say it’s the economy. That seems to be going well.”

About nine miles away from North Conway, things are a bit quieter in Jackson, home to a famed one-lane covered bridge. With its spas and boutique hotels, Anzaldi said the community is more known as a destination for weddings, romantic stays and outdoor getaways.

While Anzaldi said she hopes Canadian tensions settle soon, she noted that the matter lies in the political domain and there’s little business owners can do but carry on.

“We have to run, right?” she said. “We’re not personally going to go up and advertise.”

States try to ease federal tension

To maintain tourism and trade, Democratic and Republican politicians in the Northeast have made overtures to their counterparts in Canada.

Since Trump’s inauguration, Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has met with Maine businesses near the border, embarked on a diplomatic Canadian tour and even installed “Bienvenue Canadiens” welcome signs near border crossings. But on her trip this summer, she was reminded that it’s not just tariffs that have irked Canadians — many are also worried about the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement.

“Lots of people don’t feel safe in the U.S. right now and for good reason,” Susan Holt, the premier of the New Brunswick province, told Mills, according to local news accounts. Holt has encouraged her constituents to avoid traveling to the United States.

Last year, the state said some 800,000 Canadians visited Maine. On her June trip, Mills asked Canadians to remember those who rely on the tourism industry.

“To the extent people feel angst about coming to Maine, just remember that if they aren’t coming to Maine, the ones that they’re hurting are the small mom and pop businesses,” the governor told News Center Maine while in Halifax.

Mills’ office did not respond to Stateline’s requests for comment.

Similarly, New Hampshire Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte said ahead of a trade mission that she aimed to welcome Canadians to the Granite State, the New Hampshire Bulletin reported.

“That’s one of the things I’m going to just continue to promote on behalf of New Hampshire,” Ayotte said last month. “Not only that they’re welcome here — the Canadians — but we have open arms to them.”

Ayotte’s office did not respond to Stateline’s requests for comment about her trip.

René Sylvestre, the Quebec province’s delegate to New England, said those gestures are appreciated. He spends much of his time meeting with state and business leaders. Last month, he met numerous state lawmakers at the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures in Boston, where he is posted.

But he said calming federal tensions will be key to seeing a rebound in tourism.

“What we can see right now is people in Quebec are really sad with the whole situation,” he told Stateline. “But they’re saying, ‘Maybe we should stay and spend more time in Canada these days.’ So this is really the impact that we’ve seen, and we think that it’s going to take a while before it’s back to normal.”

A decline in international travel has hit border communities across the country — from New York state to Washington state. North Dakota estimated that Canadian visitors spent about $14.4 million less in the first half of the year compared with last year, as the number of personal vehicles crossing the border from Canada declined by 30%. Other hubs for international visitors, including Las Vegas and Hawaii, are also seeing significant declines.

“Right now, it’s hard to turn back federal policy,” Hawaii state Sen. Ron Kouchi told Stateline in August.

Kouchi, a Democrat and president of the state Senate, said Canada has traditionally been among Hawaii’s top five travel markets. The state has sent tourism officials to trade shows and is trying to show Canadians, like all visitors, the Aloha State’s iconic hospitality. But he said that message hasn’t been persuasive, even coming from leaders of the solidly liberal state.

“While we argue about Republicans or Democrats, in other nations they simply look at Americans and they don’t see it as an R or a D thing,” he said. “It’s an American thing.”

A stormy beach season

Old Orchard Beach in Maine is a favorite of New Englanders and Canadians alike.

Part of the Portland metropolitan area, the vacation town sports a seaside amusement park and seven miles of sandy beaches. But some Canadians started to cancel their summer reservations to the area early on in Trump’s term.

Sean Nickless, who co-owns the 30-room Crest Motel with his family, said Canadians began calling off trips in January and February,

Those cancellations and poor weather foretold a slower summer. “It’s not as steady,” Nickless said, noting business had been inconsistent with shorter stays.

Like many of the other beachfront properties here, the retro Crest Motel relies heavily on repeat customers, filled out by the occasional road tripper who ducks in from the angled carport to ask about an available room.

“The best you can do is let Canadians know they’re still welcome here,” he said from the motel’s small lobby scented with the aroma of a drip coffeemaker and a bright popcorn machine.

At the height of summer, rain ushered in what should have been a booming weekend along the Atlantic’s Saco Bay. Crest Motel guests swam, but only under the cover of the pool’s rolling roof.

Down the way, five teenagers stood listlessly inside a walkup Dairy Queen with no customers to serve. On the pier, arcade games, $1-per-visit restrooms and barstools sat idle. Few took up heavily advertised offers for pizza by the slice, $15 lobster rolls or fried clam cakes.

“I’ve never driven around Old Orchard Beach in the summer and seen ‘vacancy signs.’ I have this year,” said state Sen. Donna Bailey, who represents the community. “I mean, you just never see that in the middle of July — all you see is ‘no vacancy’ signs.” A Democrat, Bailey emphasized that Canada isn’t some far-off destination for Mainers. People routinely cross the border for health care and work. They have friends and family on both sides.

“I mean, there’s some places up in northern Maine that the nearest hospital is in Canada, as opposed to in the United States. You know, some people have their babies over in Canada.”

But aside from emphasizing existing bonds, Bailey said Maine residents and officials were largely at the mercy of the federal government’s actions.

“I think it’s helpful to remind the Canadians of our personal relationship and that we are Maine and we’re Mainers, and so we’re not necessarily the same as the federal government,” she said. “But, yeah, it does only go so far.”

Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at khardy@stateline.org.

©2025 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Jake McMahon, Lexington Herald-Leader

In a small building tucked in a quiet Fort Mitchell neighborhood, more than 1,200 retirees have found a home.

But they aren’t people — at least, not when they’re not on stage. They are dummies and dolls that serve as the largest collection of ventriloquism memorabilia in the world.

The Vent Haven museum in Northern Kentucky claims to be the only ventriloquism museum in the world. Open since 1973, it has grown from 500 dummies in founder William Shakespeare Berger’s collection to its current size of 1,242 dummies.

The museum was in Berger’s house until three years ago, when the collection was moved to a neighboring building. Lisa Sweasy, curator of the Vent Haven Museum, described the collection as the “Mecca of ventriloquism.”

“Every ventriloquist, whether they’re a hobbyist, amateur, paraprofessional or professional, has been here. This is their home,” Sweasy said. “There are lots of puppetry museums, but for ventriloquists, this is that narrow slice of the puppetry community where we focus strictly on ventriloquism.”

Sweasy said a common reason people visit the museum is the scare factor. She said guests are often made uneasy by the dolls’ uncanny valley effect — a phenomenon where objects become repulsive as they approach realistic, human-like features.

“When a face is static, like it is here, you perceive that you’re being stared at when you’re not,” Sweasy said.

That unease tends to dissipate, though, after the first exhibit, when the “brain becomes saturated of the normalcy of what you’re seeing,” Sweasy said.

The collection at Vent Haven stretches from the Civil War era to modern-day ventriloquism. Dummies used by popular modern ventriloquists like Jeff Dunham and Darci Lynne sit alongside dolls voiced by classic artists like Edgar Bergen and Paul Winchell.

Some of the older dummies in the museum, mostly in the vaudevillian era section spanning from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, portray racist stereotypes, which Sweasy said was common for ventriloquism acts of the time. Sweasy said ventriloquists often emphasized the stereotypes to showcase their “vocal gymnastics.”

The dolls take up spots in the exhibit and are viewable to guests in the museum. Sweasy said it was important for Vent Haven not to hide the history.

“Most museum guidelines are to tell the truth about the pieces and tell them within context,” Sweasy said. “Hiding it is worse.”

Sweasy said the museum draws people of all ages, and sees people visiting the museum for many reasons. Some groups come with no knowledge of ventriloquism, and some come to reminisce on memories of watching popular ventriloquists of the past.

Along with the collection, Vent Haven hosts the annual VentCon, the International ventriloquism convention, and the Vent Haven 5k “Dummy Run.” Both events have already been held this year.

Sweasy said Vent Haven is a must see attraction because of its “uniqueness.”

“I think a lot of people like one-off attractions. You can go to an art museum in any city that you visit,” she said. “There are places in our country that are just these great little niche museums … I think we’re in that crowd.”

If you go

Vent Haven Museum

Where: 33 West Maple Ave, Fort Mitchell, KY, 41011

When: May-September, tours by appointment only

Online: https://www.venthaven.org/

©2025 Lexington Herald-Leader. Visit kentucky.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Harlan Vaughn, Bankrate.com

Whether you travel often or would like to travel more, earning frequent flyer miles or points with an airline and its participating partners can help you get free flights. You can also enjoy perks such as airport lounge access, free checked bags and priority boarding.

You can typically collect frequent flyer miles through an airline loyalty program, but there are other easy ways to boost your stash of miles, such as through eligible credit card spending.

If you’ve never used a frequent flyer program before, you may wonder how they work and whether they can really benefit you. In this guide, we cover what you need to know about earning and redeeming frequent flyer miles and how travel credit cards can help you earn free flights.

How to earn frequent flyer miles

You can earn airline miles or points in many ways, such as by booking flights or spending money with a credit card through online shopping portals that allow you to earn airline miles on your purchases.

Earn miles through flights

To earn miles when you buy plane tickets, you’ll need to sign up for an airline’s loyalty program. Because most major airlines are part of a larger alliance, joining one frequent flyer program allows you to book award flights with a dozen or more airlines.

For example, United Airlines belongs to the Star Alliance, an airline network comprising over 20-plus airlines, including Air Canada, Air China and Lufthansa. When you become a member of United’s loyalty program, United MileagePlus, you’ll be able to earn rewards that can be used for Star Alliance airline partner flights booked through United.

Another airline network is SkyTeam, which includes Delta Air Lines, Air France and Aeromexico, among others. There’s also the Oneworld alliance, which counts American Airlines, British Airways and Qantas among its list of participating airlines.

After you complete enrollment for the loyalty program you want to join, you’ll get an email confirming your account with your new frequent flyer number. You’ll need to enter this number when you book flights to earn miles on those flights. Otherwise, you could miss out on earning rewards (though some programs allow you to add your number after booking).

You can often earn elite status if you join a program and meet specific requirements. For example, with the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, you can reach:

• MVP status after flying 20,000 miles in one year.
• MVP Gold status after flying 40,000 miles.
• MVP Gold 75K status after flying 75,000 miles.
• MVP Gold 100K status after flying 100,000 miles.

Once you have elite status, you unlock access to valuable perks that can make travel more enjoyable. Depending on your status level, you could earn waived baggage fees, early boarding, lounge access, priority upgrades and free seat selection. The higher the tier, the better the rewards.

Earn miles with an eligible credit card

Travel credit cards — including credit cards that earn travel rewards, airline credit cards and hotel credit cards — allow you to earn miles or points through eligible credit card spending.

Many general travel credit cards allow you to earn flexible travel rewards, meaning you can typically redeem travel rewards with numerous airline and hotel partners. However, airline and hotel credit cards only allow you to earn and redeem rewards with a specific airline or hotel brand.

Additionally, the type of spending that qualifies for earning miles or points and the number of miles or points you’ll earn vary by the card issuer and card you choose, as different cards have different rewards programs and rates.

Most cards give you at least 1X miles or points for every dollar you spend on them, allowing you to rack up rewards every time you make a purchase. With a tiered rewards card, you may also earn a higher rate for purchases in specific categories.

Co-branded credit cards

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is a co-branded airline credit card that allows you to earn frequent flyer miles with Delta Air Lines. It offers:

• Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.

You can redeem miles with partner airlines in the same alliance, but co-branded credit cards are generally best for travelers loyal to one network.

General travel rewards cards

Then there’s the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, a general travel rewards card that allows you to earn transferable rewards. It offers:

• Earn 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
• Earn 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.
• Earn 2x on all other travel purchases.
• Earn 1x on all other purchases.

Points can then be redeemed for 1:1 transfers to Chase airline and hotel loyalty program partners.

Another perk of travel rewards credit cards is that they often come with a welcome bonus for new cardholders, which you can use to jump start your stockpile of miles or points. In most cases, you’ll have to spend a specific dollar amount on a card within a set amount of time to earn a bonus. You may also qualify for elite status simply by holding the airline or hotel’s co-branded card.

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Delta SkyMiles Gold welcome bonus

The Chase Sapphire Preferred currently offers a welcome bonus of 75,000 points after you spend $5,000 within the first three months of account opening, which is worth $750 when redeemed for travel through Chase Travel℠ but can be worth up to $2,000 with the right transfer partner, according to Bankrate’s valuations.

For comparison, the Delta SkyMiles Gold card offers 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in the first six months from account opening, which is worth around $960 with the right transfer partner, based on Bankrate’s valuations.

Getting approved for a top travel rewards credit card can be more complicated than signing up for an airline loyalty program. You’ll generally need a good to excellent credit score and a low debt-to-income ratio to qualify for the best travel cards. If you’re new to travel cards, you may want to look at the best travel cards for beginners first to make the card-choosing process easier.

Earn by buying, transferring or pooling miles

Although the primary ways to earn airline miles or points are by joining a loyalty program or regularly spending money on a travel rewards card, you have other options for racking up rewards.

Many loyalty programs allow you to buy miles or points if you don’t have enough in your account to book your desired vacation. The process is usually easy and can be done through the rewards program portal.

Remember, though, that buying miles is often not worth it, as they tend to cost more than their redemption value. But if you’re just shy of having enough miles to book your flight, buying more may be cheaper than purchasing the ticket with cash. You may also want to buy points if they go on sale, and you can get a good deal.

Need to add points or miles to your frequent flyer account?

If you need a few more points or miles to book a flight, you’ll often have the option to transfer rewards. If you have an eligible general travel card, you can easily transfer your rewards to any of your credit card issuer’s partner airlines. Most transfers are instant, while others can take a few days to process. Transfers aren’t reversible, so be careful when entering the number of points or miles you want to move.

Lastly, some loyalty programs allow you to pool your points or miles with family and friends who are members of the same program. For example, the Frontier Miles program offers a family pooling feature that allows you to share miles with up to eight friends and family members.

Earn through shopping portals and dining programs

Many major airline loyalty programs — including Southwest Rapid Rewards and Delta SkyMiles — have shopping portals you can use to earn miles on purchases you’re already planning to make. To do this, you’ll typically head to the rewards program’s shopping portal first. Then, check out available retailers or promotions or search for items you want to buy. Clicking through the portal will track your activity so that when you complete your purchase, you’ll receive credit in the form of extra miles or points added to your rewards account.

The best part? You don’t need to hold a co-branded airline card to take advantage of these offers. For example, fans of American Airlines can join the AAdvantage program for free and use their frequent flyer number to create an account with its online eShopping portal. Plus, paying for eShopping purchases with a card that earns American AAdvantage miles lets you double-dip on rewards, getting you to that award flight more quickly.

Similar to online shopping portals, dining programs also earn you rewards for eating at select restaurants. You’ll have to enroll in these programs separately (as you do with a shopping portal). Once you have an account, you’ll have to use your linked debit or credit cards to pay for your meal at an eligible restaurant.

How to redeem frequent flyer miles

Building a portfolio of frequent flyer miles can feel exciting, but don’t forget the real purpose of doing so — redeeming your miles for travel. Having a plan for redeeming your rewards isn’t just an essential part of maximizing your effort. Airline and hotel loyalty programs regularly devalue their points and miles, so holding them long-term puts you at risk of losing value over time.

The rewards programs associated with general travel credit cards typically provide more flexible redemption options than airline frequent flyer programs. With a general travel credit card, you can often redeem rewards for all types of travel purchases, along with cash back, gift cards, merchandise, event tickets and more. You may also be able to transfer your points or miles to a travel partner, increasing the potential value of your redemptions.

Frequent flyer programs, however, are limited to travel redemptions only, such as booking airfare. Similarly, points and miles earned with co-branded travel credit cards may be limited to redemption with the card’s specific airline or hotel partner’s booking portal. Always check your desired program for the specific options available to you to ensure the redemption options align with what you’re looking for.

Redeem through an airline program

• Log in to your airline loyalty program account.
• Search for your desired flight. You can choose to see how much flights cost in either dollars or miles (or points).
• Choose miles or points as your form of payment when checking out.

Note that if you’re looking to redeem miles for a flight within an airline alliance, you might need to call the airline for assistance with the booking.

Redeem through a credit card program

• Log in to your credit card account.
• Locate the rewards portal. From there, you should be able to redeem your rewards for travel bookings, gift cards, charitable donations and more. To redeem for travel, you can redeem your rewards through your issuer’s travel portal or transfer your rewards to one of your issuer’s travel partners. Typically, your rewards go further when you transfer your points or miles to a high-value rewards program.
• Select the redemption option you’re interested in and follow the prompts.

Before using your points or miles, ensure you’re getting the best deal, especially if you’re booking travel. Because airlines calculate the rewards value of their flights differently, sometimes you can save thousands of points or miles just by booking your ticket through a partner airline. Start by checking out one of the many tools available to redeem rewards for flights.

The bottom line

You can earn airline miles or points on the purchases you’re already making by signing up for a travel rewards card or joining your preferred airline loyalty program.

If you join the right rewards program for your spending habits and choose the most valuable redemption options to maximize your rewards earnings, your next trip could be closer than you think.

Frequently asked questions about frequent flyer miles

What’s the fastest way to get airline miles? It greatly depends on the frequent flyer program you’re a part of. However, usually one of the fastest ways is to have a credit card that earns miles on everyday purchases, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, so you can rack up miles without much effort.If you have a co-branded card, then flying often with that airline and making eligible purchases may be your best bet.If you have neither, then stick to flying with the airline you prefer, and make sure to enter your frequent flyer number when making purchases to accumulate every mile you can.

How do I join a frequent flyer program for free? Most frequent flyer programs are free to join. The process to sign up has only a few steps:Head to the frequent flyer website you would like to join, such as the American AAdvantage program.Click on the “Join for free” button or a similar button that says “Sign up.”Follow the prompts to sign up for an account. You will likely need to enter your personal information, such as name, address and contact information.

How many miles are needed for a free flight? Different frequent flyer programs require different amounts of miles to earn a free flight. For example, Delta SkyMiles offers award deals for flights. Currently, a round-trip flight in the U.S. can go for as low as 5,000 miles, plus a small fee. Comparatively, United Airlines offers domestic round-trip flights starting at around around 7,0000 miles.

Key takeaways

• Join your preferred airline’s loyalty program for free to earn and redeem points and miles for your next flight.
• With a general travel rewards credit card or co-branded airline credit card, you can earn points and miles through eligible credit card spending.
• For more ways to earn points and miles, consider buying, transferring or pooling rewards or using airline shopping and dining portals.

©2025 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A streak of cooler days has us thinking about sweaters, pumpkins and leaves.

The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center expects above normal temperatures and normal chances of precipitation from September through November. So, the sweaters might have to stay tucked away for a bit longer.

What does the weather forecast mean for leaves? When will they change color? Since 2013, SmokyMountains.com has used historical temperature, precipitation and regional tree data and feedback from foliage fans around the United States to produce a map that shows a county-by-county view of the best times to visit for peak leaf-peeping.

In 2024, the concern was dry weather, which could impact the bright, fiery foliage across the region. Many factors, however, are involved in when and how leaves change color, according to The Morton Arboretum in Lisle.

The dates given below might not be hard and fast rules but more like guidelines on when to expect the leaves to appear in their full glory. Users are also encouraged to upload photos and details from their area to help improve the predictions.

Northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin could see peak leaf color in mid-October. Want to experience the red, yellow and orange tree canopy sooner? Travel farther north in late September or early October.

2025 fall foliage prediction map, by county

Click and drag on the button below to view the expected color change in leaves during the weeks ahead.

Source: SmokyMountains.com

Looking for a leafy location to visit in each of the 50 states? SmokyMountains.com has a guide for that too.

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