Articles by Amanda Woods
Visiting the Jersey Shore: Officials Encourage Tourists to Come to the Shore, Post-Hurricane Sandy
Nearly four months after the Jersey Shore suffered the brunt of Hurricane Sandy, tourism officials insisted that visitors return to the shore, saying it's "up for business."
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West: Airline Greeter Allowed Celebrity Couple to Bypass Security Checkpoint at JFK
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were allowed to bypass a security checkpoint at JFK Airport on Tuesday, a violation that contributed to a delay in the flight they were about to board to Los Angeles.
All-in-One Travel Outfit: Winter Sun Outfit Created by U.K. Company Appropriate for Winter and Summer
Travelers often ask the question, "What do I wear?" -- especially if they're jet-setting from a cold country to a hot one.
Teen Sues Parents: Judge Grants Restraining Order to Prevent Parents From Forcing Daughter's Abortion
A two-months-pregnant Texas teenager is suing her own parents, saying that they forced her to have an abortion, according to Fox News.
Black Widow Bites Golfer: Woman Saves Herself on Australian Golf Course After Suffering Potentially Fatal Spider Bite
Just before Daniela Holmqvist of Sweden began her day of competition at the ISPS Handa Australian Open in Yarralumla, Australia, she felt a sharp stab in her ankle, Golf Digest Woman reported.
Travel Terms that Don’t Exist But Should: From the Common to the Unexpected, New Words to Describe Our Travel Experiences
Sometimes trail confronts us with experiences that are difficult to describe in the words we know. But Lovely Planet came up with 30 words to describe such experiences, from situations we face at the airport, to the kinds of fellow travelers we encounter, to our own travel habits.
'Ape Woman' Buried After 150 Years: Remains of Woman Displayed as Freak at Worldwide Circuses Returned Home for Memorial
An indigenous Mexican woman once described as the "ugliest woman in the world" has returned home to Mexico for a Mass and burial 150 years after her death -- a memorial of her life spent at circuses around the world, displayed as a freak of nature.
Girl With IQ of 161: Essex, UK Teenager Lauren Marbe Smarter than Albert Einstein
When Lauren Marbe, 16, of Essex, UK, took an IQ test for fun with her classmates, she didn't expect the results -- she scored a 161, higher than Prof. Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates and Albert Einstein -- all of whom scored 160s, according to SWNS.com.
Warzone Tourism: Many Choosing to Vacation in War-Torn Nations
When Andrew Drury visited Uganda with his cousin Nigel Green, he unknowingly crossed the border into a war-torn nation, ending up at a Congolese banana plantation, where a knife-wielding farmer chased him.
Fat Tuesday: Rain Doesn’t Stop New Orleans Mardi Gras Festivities
Although rain was in the forecast in New Orleans on Tuesday, Mardi Gras revelers made the most of it, cheering on glitzy floats and participating in family-friendly activities in the city's annual bash the day before Lent begins.
Tokyo Dirt Menu: One Restaurant in Japan’s Capital Offers Meal Sprinkled with Dirt
One menu at a restaurant in Tokyo, at first glance, seems typical -- a truffle soup, followed by oysters and a main course of flounder with risotto and vegetables. The meal comes with a side of potatoes, and the dessert is a scoop of ice cream, CNN reported.
Sick, Skinny Sea Lions in California: More Than 90 Malnourished and Dehydrated Sea Lion Pups at San Pedro’s Marine Mammal Care Center
The Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro, Calif. has seen a surprisingly large number of malnourished, dehydrated sea lion pups coming into its shelter for care this year -- over 90 of them total.
Donald Byrd Dies: 1950s and ’60s Jazz Trumpeter Passes Away at 80
Donald Byrd, a leading jazz trumpeter from the 1950s and 1960s, died on Feb. 4 in Dover, Del. at 80 years old, The New York Times reported.
Sarai Sierra: Body of Staten Island Woman Slain in Turkey Returned to New York
The body of Sarai Sierra, the Staten Island mother killed in Turkey while on a solo vacation, returned to the U.S. on Thursday. Turkish Airlines provided the transportation for free, NBC News reported.
Ted Nugent State of the Union: Rocker, Gun Enthusiast, Second Amendment-Defender to Attend Obama’s Speech
Ted Nugent, known as a hero for many conservatives because of his staunch defense of Second Amendment rights and his incendiary Obama insults, will be present at the president's State of the Union address Tuesday night, The New York Times' Caucus blog reported.
Mall Evacuated: Smith Haven Mall in Suffolk County Evacuated After Roof Leaks From Piled-Up Snow, Followed by Heavy Rainfall
The Smith Haven Mall, one of the largest malls on Long Island, was evacuated Monday afternoon when its roof began to leak from a rainstorm only days after Winter Storm Nemo slammed the area with three feet of snow.
Winter Storm Nemo: Flights in Northeast Beginning to Return to Normal After Storm
After as many as 6,600 flights were cancelled between New York and New England since Thursday as Blizzard Nemo swept the region, near-normal operations began to return to area airports on Monday.
Amanda Knox Interview: Cleared of Murder by Italian Court, Knox to Speak Publicly About Trial for First Time
After Amanda Knox, the U.S. college student cleared of murdering her study-abroad roommate in Italy was released from prison after four years, she will finally be coming out about the details of her grisly murder case -- in an interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC News.
Courthouse Shooting: Three Dead, Including Gunman, Following Shooting at Delaware Courthouse
A man shot and killed two woman, as well as injured two Capitol police officers, at the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington, De. on Monday at 8 a.m., NBC reported.
Egypt Travel Alert: U.S. Department of State Urges Caution When Traveling to Egypt
The U.S. Department of State has issued an official travel alert for Egypt, citing "the continuing possibility of political and social unrest, incidents of which have led to recent violence" in the country, according to Travel Pulse. The alert warned travelers to "remain alert to local security developments and to be vigilant regarding their personal security."
Faith Hill Braces: Country Star Sports Braces at Grammy Awards [VIDEO]
Faith Hill showed up at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles Sunday night making an unexpected statement - she was wearing braces, Us Weekly reported. The country star, clad in a black J. Mendel gown, Lorraine Schwartz jewelry, Tom Ford shoes and a Bottega Veneta clutch, and standing beside her husband Tim McGraw, sported a metallic addition to her signature smile.
Visiting Las Vegas: Sin City Breaks Tourism Record in 2012, But Visitors Still Spend Cautiously
Las Vegas set record tourism levels in 2012, with 39.7 million people visiting the Sin City last year – about half-a-million more visitors than the record high set in 2007, with 39.2 million visitors. This record visitation generated more than $40 million for the local economy, according to a press release.
Blizzard Nemo and New York Fashion Week: Storm Slightly Slowed Down Fashion Week’s Start, But Didn’t Stop the Show
With reports of Blizzard Nemo headed for the Northeast, fashion designer Michael Kors arrived at New York Fashion Week making a statement, but not a flattering one: he wore Uggs.
5 Killed in Head-On: Alcohol Suspected in Tragic LaGrange, Ga. Crash
Two cars tragically crashed southwest of LaGrange, Ga. Friday night, killing five people and injuring two, Georgia State Patrol told the LaGrange Daily News. Alcohol is suspected in this incident, the paper reported.
Emma Watson Defends Kristen Stewart: Watson Says Media Bashed Stewart After Cheating on Robert Pattinson Because She’s a Celebrity
After the news came out that Kristen Stewart cheated on fellow Twilight star Robert Pattinson with 42-year-old "Snow White and the Huntsman" director Rupert Sanders, the actress faced a media firestorm of bashing. It seemed like almost everyone was against her, but Emma Watson said she's on Stewart's side, Us Weekly reported.
How to Avoid Getting Sick While Traveling: Some Practical Tips
Whether you're on the plane, in your hotel, on a cruise, or stopping for a meal, you're surrounded by many other travelers -- and, in turn, many germs.
Hillary Clinton Tops Obama in Poll: Former Secretary of State Gets 61 Percent Favorability Rating, President Only 51 Percent
A new Quinnipiac University national study indicates Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has even higher favorable poll ratings than President Barack Obama, CNN reported.
First Gay Cruise on Mekong River: LGBT Tour Operator to Offer October Cruise through Southeast Asia
The first Mekong River cruise aimed at gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender travelers is set to depart from southeast Asia in October, USA Today reported.
Condoleezza Rice Hits Spectator: Former Secretary of State’s Bad Golf Shot Injures Woman
When former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice played a round of golf at Pebble Beach on Thursday, the unexpected and unfortunate happened -- one of her bad shots smacked into a spectator's forehead.
Accused Witch Burned Alive: 20-Year-Old Kepari Leniata Tortured and Burned by Mob in Papua New Guinea for Sorcery Allegations
One Papua New Guinea woman was stripped, tortured, bound and burned alive on top of a pile of trash in front of a crowd on Thursday - because villagers claimed that she killed a 6-year-old boy through sorcery, The Global Post reported.
