Get Outta Here!

Associated Press News Director Peter Prengaman, newly relocated from South America to Phoenix, grabs his flashlight, black light and salad tongs — and indulges a longtime fascination with scorpions on a hunt in an Arizona state park. On My Favorite Trip, Bishop Briggs on Hong Kong.

It started with the diesel smell on the streets of Beth Gardiner’s adopted home city of London, and led the former Associated Press correspondent on a world tour that ended with her book, “Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution.” She’s on to talk about her travels — where things are bad, and where they have gotten better. And on My Favorite Trip, actress Rebecca Rittenhouse (Four Weddings and a Funeral) talks about living in London while filming the TV series. Spoiler Alert: she won’t be seeking hazardous duty pay.

Associated Press correspondent Brian Witte cruised to the Arctic Circle this spring, taking in breathtaking scenery, plus charming and historic towns along Norway’s rugged coast. Plus: on My Favorite Trip, TV star Bethany Joy Lenz tells us about what it’s like to take an eight-year old on a monthlong trip across Europe. (Spoiler Alert: they had a good time)

Presidential candidates go to a lot of trouble to court voters in the critical early primary states. But not everyone they encounter on the trail in New Hampshire or South Carolina is a New Hampshire or South Carolina voter. Visitors come from near and far to see the show in person, rather than on TV. For some, it’s the contemporary version of visiting the birth-of-the-Republic sites in Philadelphia. And on My Favorite Trip: Taking a 12-year old to the New Hampshire primary.

It started with a few zip lines and some plastic slides. Now a growing number of ski resorts are embracing attractions to bring in visitors in the summer. Coaster rides. Mountain bike races. Nature walks. Hilltop yoga. Associated Press writer John Marshall surveys the ski resort scene in what is looking less and less like the off-season. And on My Favorite Trip, writer and podcaster Scott Gurian (Far From Home) takes us back to his 2016 drive in the Mongol Rally, an improbable road trip from the UK to Mongolia, across 18 countries in an absurdly tiny car.

The April fire that melted the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral has wrought big changes in the center of the French capital's tourist industry. Visitors are being encouraged to see Sacre Coeur, the cathedral atop Montmartre, for instance. Plenty still want to see the wounded church for themselves, though of course, it’s mostly off limits. AP Paris correspondent Thomas Adamson updates us on what’s happening around Notre Dame, what the investigation of the fire looks like, and what has happened to those billion-dollar pledges of support for its restoration. Plus: My Favorite Trip: AP sportwriter John Marshall’s visit to golf nirvana.

Summer brings a wealth of outdoor opportunities to hear music. Some are just concerts. Some are the full camping festival experience. Some have a long history. Some are seeking to make a name for themselves. The AP’s Kristin Hall talks about who — and what — to watch for. And on My Favorite Trip, musician and photographer Julian Lennon talks about his very full itinerary.

Nearly a quarter century ago, the province of Quebec launched an ambitious effort to encourage bicycle touring. And from Montreal’s annual bike festival at the end of May to scenic country routes along the St. Lawrence River to the Blueberry Trail around Lac St. Jean, visitors -- riders and non-riders alike — have responded. AP correspondent Cal Woodward has been visiting Quebec by bicycle for the last seven years, and bringing his friends. He guides us through the touring scene. Plus: Actress and supermodel Olivia Culpo offers a peek at her favorite trip.

New York City opens Hudson Yards, in a once-neglected midtown Manhattan tract. The shopping mall and residences cater mainly to high-end consumers, the vertical playground to everyone with a ticket. Plus an innovative arts space, called The Shed, seeks to bring in everybody by mashing together the performing and visual arts, high culture and low. Plus: one more look at the real Green Book on My Favorite Trip.

Segregated resorts and legally enforced “sunset towns” were a real feature of the American landscape for black travelers. The Green Book, which gave its title to the Oscar-winning movie, was a real compilation — published between 1936 and 1967 — of restaurants, hotels, even gas stations and hair salons, where African-Americans could be assured of welcome. With the passage of public accommodations laws, many of those sites fell into disuse or faded away. Now a new generation of visitors is seeking them out, placing plaques and inspiring renovations. The AP's Russell Contreras and Jay Reeves report.

Segregated resorts and legally enforced “sunset towns” were a real feature of the American landscape for black travelers. The Green Book, which gave its title to the Oscar-winning movie, was a real compilation — published between 1936 and 1967 — of restaurants, hotels, even gas stations and hair salons, where African-Americans could be assured of welcome. With the passage of public accommodations laws, many of those sites fell into disuse or faded away. Now a new generation of visitors is seeking them out, placing plaques and inspiring renovations. The AP's Russell Contreras and Jay Reeves report.

Puerto Rico is still rebuilding from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria, but will welcome a record number of cruise ship visitors this year. The power still goes out sometimes, but the beaches are open, as are the historic sites, restaurants, hiking trails and the only tropical rain forest in the United States. AP San Juan correspondent talks about who’s going and why, and shares some of her island favorites. Plus a new “Get Outta Here!” feature: My Favorite Trip. Actress and singer Joanna Gleason (“Into the Woods,” “The Wedding Planner”) talks about a train trip she took in France as an undergraduate.

A reporter who spent two weeks traveling the U.S. by rail shares what it was like to live, eat and sleep on trains.Associated Press reporter Tamara Lush spent two weeks riding trains across the country as a writer in residence for Amtrak. In this episode of “Get Outta Here,” hosted by AP Travel Editor Beth Harpaz, we get all the details on what that was like, everything from sleeping and eating to just watching the world go by.

A new memorial to the victims of racial terror lynchings is attracting new visitors to Montgomery, Alabama. In this episode of the Associated Press Travel podcast "Get Outta Here," AP Travel editor Beth Harpaz visits the city to see the memorial and a new museum dedicated to the legacy of slavery and segregation. You'll hear from visitors who drove across the country to be there for the opening, and you'll hear what Ava DuVernay and others have to say about it. The podcast also explores some of Montgomery's other incredible civil rights history, including the arrest of Rosa Parks, the Montgomery bus boycott, the Freedom Rides and the parsonage where a young minister named Martin Luther King, Jr., became the leader of a movement, virtually overnight.

One of the most famous condiments in the world celebrated its 150th birthday last year: Tabasco. The famous hot pepper sauce was invented in 1868 by Edmund McIlhenny on Avery Island, Louisiana. Tabasco is still made there today, and the company is still run by McIlhenny's descendants. Visitors can tour the Tabasco museum and factory, dine on Cajun food and even have a bloody mary (spiked with Tabasco, of course). Avery Island is also home to Jungle Gardens, a nature preserve that tells the story of how McIlhenny's son helped save snowy egrets from being wiped out in the U.S.