Lifestyle

USA TODAY If you are looking for a romantic getaway, these cities attract love birds of all ages. Each spot offers a AAA five-diamond hotel, a top-ranked restaurant, and a prime spot for an epic engagement.

We must have a loyalty to the cold weather in the Midwest to live among frozen icicles which could double as spears or to walk through 10-inch snowdrifts just to get to the doughnut shop. Either it’s love or we’re all idiots.

H. B. Warner is perhaps best known for playing the drinking druggist Mr. Gower in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but 19 years earlier he was cast by the legendary director Cecil B. DeMille to play Jesus in the silent film “King of Kings.” DeMille bound Warner to a contract that prohibited him from taking any roles for five years that might undermine his “holy” image in “King of Kings.” He wanted to avoid publicity that might negatively impact the film.

Beast-like ‘Carantoñas’ return to Spanish town ACEHUCHE, Spain – It’s hours before dawn in Acehuche, a small town in Spain’s western Extremadura region, and a group of youngsters is ending a parade by setting off fireworks and beating drums. The noise awakes residents for some of the biggest dates in the local calendar: the three-day celebration of the fur-covered characters known as “Carantoñas” that resemble wild beasts.

Looking for ways to glam up your pad without breaking the bank? Here are some affordable design hacks that will spruce up nearly any space and help stretch your design dollars. Look for portable design Look for decor items you can swap in and swap out, whether it means being able to move a decor item from room to room as a refresh or to change out with the seasons.

Jordyn Dallon and Brayden Nelson have been named as the Rotary Students of the Month at Fort Osage High School. Jordyn has been recognized for her achievements during her high school years with memberships in the National Honor Society and National Art Honor Society, having been named to the A honor roll, and having been selected as a Scholar Athlete for two years.

SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, Ecuador – “Work it. Work it.” h On a black volcanic rock formation in a remote part of the Galapagos Islands, a pair of resplendent blue-footed boobies need little coaxing from a fellow traveler who wants the marine birds to remain perched while we photograph them. h The boobies are more than happy to oblige. Like runway models, they’re not bashful about posing while our small group clicks away. h With few natural predators, there aren’t many places on Earth where the wildlife is as unafraid – and even welcoming – of human visitors than the Galapagos. The result is an unparalleled chance for nature lovers to see up close everything from 5-foot-long iguanas to pink flamingos to tortoises more than 100 years old. h If Charles Darwin were alive today, he would find this archipelago of tiny islands in the Pacific Ocean – 600 miles west of mainland South America – little changed from his historic journey here nearly 200 years ago. h It was the English naturalist’s exposure to the rich diversity of wildlife in the Galapagos that led to his revolutionary theory of natural selection. Today, visitors can experience the same access to birds, animals and marine life that Darwin documented during his five-week visit in 1835 on the HMS Beagle.