Travel | Breaking travel news

Likewise, gays may feel unwelcome at kid-friendly spots where they may encounter traditional family values proponents who might not value their nontraditional families.

The Norwegian Dawn set sail amid what had been a watershed year for gay civil rights and gay family awareness.

The July 2004 cruise followed a winter of progress, with Massachusetts legalizing gay marriage and San Francisco doing it anyway, and backlash — as President Bush declared that gay marriage was a threat to the American way of life and considered a constitutional amendment banning it.

These polarities become part of the cruise's itinerary: Passengers are cheered by Key West locals on Wednesday and on Thursday they are assailed by anti-gay Baptist church groups in Nassau.

Rosie described the passengers as "shellshocked" after the protectiv...

That's where humans can help.

Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center is looking for volunteers to carry the little creatures across street.

Patti Smith, a naturalist at the center, said there is a fear that if the salamanders don't make it to their pools to lay eggs and reproduce, they could become extinct at a local level.

There are 15 known sites around Windham County, and volunteers need light clothes, a bright flashlight, superb counting skills and most likely an umbrella.

When the ground is thawed and night temperatures reach above 40 degrees, it is then that the rain triggers their emergence.

This should happen Saturday, Smith said, and volunteers should be prepared for a phone call around that time.

...