Never mind being a bodyguard to Britney Spears or part of the burgeoning Jolie-Pitt clan, if you want a little attention when you’re out and about, try traveling with the Travelocity Roaming Gnome.

On my flight back to San Francisco yesterday, I had a very special companion in my hand luggage--an 18-inch garden gnome in a pointy red hat, who couldn’t have attracted more glances, stares, and chuckles if he’d tried. Normally, in the face of such blatant public scrutiny, I would have run straight to the restroom to check my teeth for spinach or my shoes for errant spools of toilet paper, wondering why everyone from kids in strollers to 89-year-old grandmothers had executed a double take as I passed. But with the Roaming Gnome tucked under my arm I quickly became accustomed to the attention. The little fellow’s a legend after all. He’s used to being recognized.

It’s that time of year when high school and college students are unleashed unto the world without their parents, to revel in freedom and foolishness, and to find within themselves their own limits and boundaries (or lack thereof).

While stations like MTV try to bank on this phenomena by broadcasting beachfront follies (and itsy bitsy bikinis) to the masses, the rest of us vacationers take note to stay as far from these scene-ster destinations as possible. But if you must venture into the heart of spring break territory during these peak partying months, I’ve got five travel tips to help you make it through.

Those who know that I once went bungee jumping off the summit of some sort of manmade pier in Mexico may not believe me when I say that heights give me the chills. (That adventure, btw, was definitely a one time thing!) Needless to say, the idea of walking across a glass bridge towering 4,000 feet above the earth doesn’t appeal to this aversion of mine, but people lined up today to be one of the first to experience the Grand Canyon Skywalk. At a whopping $75 per person, that’s one pricey stroll, but the attraction is expected to lure travelers who visit the Las Vegas area for its unparalleled view of the Canyon.

Peppermint or strawberry scrub? Rosemary or sage and lemon wrap? If you’ve ever indulged in a day at the spa, you know that the menu reads more like the bill of fare at a decadent sweet shop rather than a list of services at a health resort. Even better, these treats are a calorie-free, guilt-free way to give your body a boost.

With more travelers focusing on health and wellness in recent years, Spa Finder surveyed travel agents and discovered that spa vacations are on the rise. Being a traveler who doesn’t exactly like to “rough it” while on vacation, I, too, contribute to the growing numbers.

So the doctor says you need a little work done on your…And this procedure, whatever it is your eyes, your hip, your kidney, it requires bed rest and will force you out of commission for a week, maybe more. It turns out that if you leave the country for this procedure you can save your insurance company serious moolah and have excellent service and a pretty view. Though you might suffer alone, perhaps convalescing in the Caribbean or the South of France or even Bangkok or Singapore wouldn't be so bad? Who knows. And given the luxurious potential of the surroundings, who cares? But speaking of care – the big question is will it be as good as it is here in our home nation? Now we've arrived at the heart of the medical tourism.

I’m back from Las Vegas and am proud to say that I only lost $5. My Vegas experiences have varied widely, from the time my friends won big at the craps table and sprung for a hot tub suite, to the time I went with my parents to see Siegfried and Roy, to the time I was attending all-day work meetings. Through all these visits, though, one thing remains constant: this is a city that always outdoes itself, over and over again.

*Photo courtesy of Byron Lobos.

I’ve got one. You’ve probably got one. Pretty much every high schooler in the entire country has one, even if they’d rather their parents didn’t see the various party photos they regularly upload to it (I’m sure the feeling’s mutual.)

I’m talking about the MySpace profile, that reigning bastion of social networking that connects strangers with other strangers and then turns them into friends. With more than 100 million users, MySpace is currently the fifth most popular website in the world--third most popular in the U.S.--and a profile page on the site has long been a must-have accessory for any well-connected denizen of the Internet.

And now guess who else has got their own little space on MySpace? Why, Travelocity’s Roaming Gnome, of course.

You can set the clock back sooner but you can't fool me – I still feel that hum-drum feeling that I get every winter (albeit I usually get this in February) and thus I find myself desperate for a beach fix. So while I started looking for places to go I noticed something was up. The prices were down, surprisingly, to all kinds of beach destinations. I thought I should share my findings. Because really, what's better than a trip to the beach than a trip to the beach that's on sale?!

This March and April I'm seeing unanticipated deals to the Caribbean: as much as 25-50% off and great value deals like stay for 7 nights but pay for 5. Let me remind you that this is a year where you'll be hard pressed to find a hotel that's selling for less than it did last year. All around the globe hotel rates are higher than last year. With the exception perhaps in the Caribbean this spring. Now doesn't grabbing a bargain make you want to pack up and dip your toe in the turquoise blue waters?

This weekend, I’m heading to Vegas. Sin City, baby. Neon lights and desert sights. It’s been a few years since I went last and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s changed. One thing that I know is different is that the Stardust Hotel is no longer. One of the Vegas originals, it was imploded earlier this week, leaving only Stardust memories.

While I don’t discount the efficiency of the subway or the ease of hailing a cab, I’ve always thought the best way to discover a new city was by walking. I’ve hoofed it through Hanoi, sauntered around Shanghai, and pounded the pavement in Paris. And since I’m likely to be both on a budget and indulging in a host of new gastronomic delicacies when traveling, it certainly doesn’t hurt that walking is not only free but also excellent exercise.

My college campus stood just a few miles from Ameriquest Field in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers. “Dollar-dog night” was always a summer highlight, especially for a bunch of broke college kids looking for entertainment, food and beer -- all on the cheap. Just being at the stadium was always a treat as well. Aside from the ever-present energy that surges through stadiums during baseball season, many of America’s parks are architecturally stunning and historically riveting.

For me, baseball symbolizes a few things in particular: summer, college and friends. But, for many die-hard fans, it also represents a lofty travel goal: to visit each one of America’s stadiums.

Last time I stopped skiing long enough to type up some thoughts, I extolled the virtues of spring skiing, and gave four great reasons to get off the couch and hit the slopes in March and April this year: better weather, more snow, the choice of going where the best conditions are and lower prices.

But five is such a round number, and I realized I had left out another big advantage of spring in ski towns: it is when residents start to go stir crazy after a long winter and roll out the parties. In fact, almost all of the biggest festivals in ski country are held in the spring, often with big name entertainment, free activities, and general craziness that adds to the ski experience. It’s like après ski squared.

In a world where Al Sharpton might very well be a blood relative of Strom Thurmond, genealogical research never ceases to surprise. In reaction to the news of this familial possibility, Sharpton did exactly what I would’ve done, which is to travel to the South Carolina birth town where it all began and “learn who you are.”

I’ve learned that traveling to visit family can unearth many surprises, and very often sheds light on what makes you tick. From pierced ears to homemade health elixirs, my travels have revealed all sorts of delightful family rituals and traits.

Skiing is universally considered a “Winter Sport,” but when it comes to ski vacations, the smart money is on spring, as in spring skiing. If you can only take one big trip a year, it can be hard to hold off until March or April when you watch the Weather Channel and see blizzards pounding the country, but as they say, patience is a virtue, and there are good reasons to skip over December, January and February. In fact, I can give you four excellent reasons to spend the cold winter months working out indoors in anticipation of your big trip.

I wouldn’t exactly call myself a planner. Chance, curiosity and spontaneity drive my travels more often than not, and the word itinerary unleashes some sort of overt chemical reaction that makes my head hurt and my palms sweat. One thing I consistently rely on, however, is the Zagat Survey. After all, a good meal isn’t something one leaves to chance.

I grew up in a place no one visits. To be fair to the people who never go there, there’s not a lot of draw in Fargo, North Dakota. While a growing number of quality of life studies underscore plenty of things about Fargo that lure folks to live there, there’s not much average tourists (excluding Roger Maris fans) would go out of their way to see, as they might for, say, the Great Wall of China, or Machu Picchu. (Although, have you seen the Hjemkomst Center? Okay, so maybe it’s technically in Minnesota – but you can see it from Fargo if you stand in the right spot…I know, I’m grasping.)

Lots of events have conspired over the last few years to bring the fragility of the environment into the spotlight. As a self-proclaimed eco-geek, I couldn't be happier. About a month ago, President Bush announced his National Parks Centennial Initiative which, among other things, would fund $100 billion dollars over 10 years to prepare the parks for the National Park Service's 100th anniversary in 2016. I wouldn't even want to imagine our country without our Grand Canyons, Shenandoahs, and Yosemites--that would eliminate some of my fondest vacation memories.

In an overture towards homeland security, a new x-ray machine has been unveiled in the Phoenix airport which scans on such a high level that the screener is basically able to see through your clothes. For now, it’s being used on a voluntary basis, but that could change.