Baseball fever is in the air and in just a few days Major League Baseball will be kicking off opening day in the City of Brotherly Love, where the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies will play against the Atlanta Braves.

And if there's one thing is for sure, die-hard baseball fans will be traveling miles away, braving the rainstorms, humidity, cold, or the extra long ball games (you know, the ones that goes into extra innings and neither team scores a run until the 12th inning) to cheer on their teams.

Last season, as a compromise with my significant other over baseball and shoe shopping, I accompanied him to three baseball games across the East Coast from Boston to Philadelphia to follow his New York Mets team and suprisingly, I had a wonderful time!

I get absolutely giddy with joy around spring time.  As an avid whale watcher, the spring season means that humpback and gray whales make their annual 12,000-mile journey from cold Alaska waters to breed in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean further south.

Starting now through early April, state parks, recreation departments, and beaches throughout the West Coast have set up a string of whale-watching sites for visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of a humpback or gray whale diving, jumping, or gliding over the top of the water.  Volunteers are usually on hand to guide visitors, too.  In Oregon, the parks and recreation department has volunteers stationed at 28 different locations to help curious seekers find good whale-watching spots.

With many of us scaling back on travel this year, what can we do with all of our unused frequent flier miles?

Well, you could consider donating your frequent flier miles to a charity of your choice.

Many airlines work with national and local charities to set up programs that allow travelers to donate their frequent flier miles to worthy causes from a list of organizations.  Your unused frequent flier miles can make a significant impact.

Last month in Chicago, United Airlines and The American Red Cross teamed up for the Teddy Bear Project that delivered a "May I Hug You Bear?" to all of the pediatric cancer patients at the Children's Memorial Hospital.  Most of the contributions that made the Teddy Bear Project possible came from United customers.

How can you donate?

The U.S. Department of State has issued a warning for American tourists planning to head south of the border, particularly college kids who are anxious to kick back for spring break.  Unfortunately, due to the escalating violence in Mexico, U.S. tourists traveling there need to be aware and take extra precautions.

The on-going conflict between the Mexican drug cartels and the Mexican government has devolved rapidly into drug-related violence and deaths on the streets and along the U.S. - Mexico border.

With spring break around the corner, upcoming travel plans can be the biggest threat to your waistline.  Even with your best intentions to be health conscious, your eating regime goes on vacation the minute you leave home.  The long wait times at the airport, delays, and solitude (if you're traveling alone) sometimes allows us to submit to the gauntlet of grease, cinnamon, sugar, and buttery goodness at the airport terminals or train stations.

I've learned several helpful tips to stay healthy and fight the battle of the buldge while traveling:

Keep Hydrated

Buy a bottle of water once you've cleared security.  Water will keep you hydrated while you're on the plane and help fight the high-calorie soda temptations.

Brown-Bag It

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

The Chinese New Year welcomes the Year of the Ox, and according to the Chinese zodiac, the ox represents economic prosperity (let's hope so).  Like all big holidays, celebrating Chinese New Year is right up there with Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah, honoring tradition with family, cultural ceremonies and, best of all, food.

It has been over two weeks since New York City took a front-row seat to the emergency splash landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the murky Hudson River.  Several days ago, the last part of the left engine was recovered for further investigation into the accident.  Meanwhile, veteran pilot, Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger received a hero's homecoming in Danville, California.

Passenger Josh Peltz of Charlotte, N.C., sat in the exit row on the flight and remained calm as he tugged and twisted open the exit door. Were his swift actions critical in helping to save 150 passengers and the five flight crew from the plane that was slowly sinking into the icy river?  Would you have done if you were one of the passengers on US Airways Flight 1549? Would you know the right thing to do?

I grew up with a dad who scheduled his work life around the fishing seasons, and so this winter, with the rainbow trout still biting along the Sacramento River, I wanted to tag along with my dad to squeeze in some quality father-daughter time and possibly learn how to bait fish.

Last time I visited home, I had been away too long and missed my mother’s cooking. So she insisted on packing my bags full of home-made pork buns, sweet bread, chocolate chip cookies, and chicken noodle soup so I could bring them back east (I didn‘t have the heart to tell her that I now get my cookie fixes from Rocco’s).

Many people heading back after the holidays have to figure out how to schlep their home-made goodies and gifts all the way back while trying to deal with the complex security restrictions on food. For this reason, it’s no surprise that according to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the number one question travelers have for the TSA Contact center is, “Can I take my pie with me on the plane?”

Just in time for this holiday travel season, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has expanded their new security program, the Black Diamond Self-Select Lanes, which are expected to keep long lines moving at security checkpoints in 50 airports across the nation.

The Black Diamond Self-Select Lanes were introduced back in February, 2008 as a way to reduce the security wait times. These lanes accommodate different types of travelers at the security checkpoints and the TSA says that the lanes have helped calm the checkpoint environment for both passengers and security officers.