We motored the Zodiac into Kealakekua Bay around noon, the sun shining off what I'd been looking for: The Captain Cook monument, its ivory surface and vertical shape sharply contrasting the green foliage background. ... (Today)

IN 2002, Doug Smith was bored. Korakia Pensione, his Mediterranean-style boutique hotel in Palm Springs, Calif., that attracted a celebrity crowd like Annie Leibovitz, Gore Vidal and Brice Marden, pretty much ran itself. Mr. Smith was looking for a new project -- a grand fixer-upper in an exotic locale -- where he could show off his well-honed style and settle into a life of rustic ease with his new wife, Josie. (Today)

McLEAN, Va. -- Winter Trails will celebrate its 15th year Jan. 9 at locations throughout the U.S. with free snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. ... (Today)

NASHVILLE isn't nicknamed Music City for nothing. Singers, songwriters and pickers -- not to mention their toe-tapping admirers -- have been pouring into the Tennessee capital for decades. Yes, the city's rhinestone-studded past still glimmers, especially downtown, where you'll find Hatch Show Print, the legendary poster shop, Ryman Auditorium, home to the original Grand Ole Opry stage, and a slew of honky-tonk joints. But there's more to Nashville than country music, especially in the once-sleepy neighborhoods that now beat to a different rhythm. Districts like East Nashville and 12 South thrive with lively bars, stylish restaurants and a young, eclectic crop of music makers, churning out everything from bluegrass to punkabilly. (Today)

FOR many Americans, the fear of swine flu has made everyday acts like going to work, going to school or getting on a plane feel fraught with danger -- even more so since President Obama recently declared swine flu a national emergency. (Today)