Walking the fields where so many died and standing where President Lincoln delivered his famous address impress upon visitors the significance of this small Pennsylvania town's place in American history.

California has current events and, despite our budgetary woes, a future. But the East Coast has history.

So when our family flies cross-country each summer to reunite with relatives, we try to work an educational excursion into the usual mix of cousins, water parks and overeating. Our sons, Nick, 10, and John, 7, love that.

If you go

Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitors Center, 1195 Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg, Pa.; www.nps.gov/gett Admission to the park is free. There is a fee for the Museum Experience, the film "A New Birth of Freedom," narrated by Morgan Freeman, and to view the Gettysburg Cyclorama: $10.50 for adults; $9.50 for seniors and active military (with ID); $6.50 for children 6 to 18. Children younger than 6 admitted free. Discounts are available online ($8.50 for adults, $5.50). For more information: www.gettysburgfoundation.org.

Last summer, we visited Charleston, S.C., and hopped on a boat to Ft. Sumter, where the Civil War began. So this summer, it was Washington, D.C., and I wanted to continue the Civil War theme. Only 90 minutes from the nation's capital is Gettysburg, Pa., which in 1863 was the site of the war's bloodiest battle and its turning point in the East.

We spent about six hours at the national military park, about 6,000 sprawling acres, but I could have easily stayed several days. A quick caveat: Although I'm not a Civil War reenactor, I'm sympathetic to the cause. I was a history major, and as a student at the University of North Carolina went on a four-day class field trip to major Civil War battlefields, including Chancellorsville, Va., Antietam, Md., and Gettysburg.

In many ways, not much had changed in the 25 years since I had roamed the hallowed ground of Gettysburg. But in other ways -- most notably an impressive new visitors center -- much had.

The $135-million center, opened last year, offers a dignified and moving introduction to the war's most famous battle. For those unfamiliar with Gettysburg's details, the 20-minute overview film, magnificently restored cyclorama and an artifact-rich museum provide a solid historical foundation for newcomers and Civil War buffs alike.

No longer the bargain they once were, it’s still showtime, baby!

If there’s one constant in Las Vegas, it’s change. Every year, the city bids farewell to one crop of performers to make way for another wave in the endless pursuit of giving visitors more reasons to come back.

Elton John and Celine Dion leave the $95 million building known as the Colosseum only to be replaced by spectacles from Bette Midler and Cher. Gone is the venerable ABBA hit “Mamma Mia!” from the Mandalay Bay, making way for Disney’s “The Lion King.” Ditto for “Stomp Out Loud” at Planet Hollywood, replaced by “Peepshow,” Toni Braxton at Flamingo, replaced by Donny & Marie, and impressionist Danny Gans at The Mirage, replaced by singing ventriloquist Terry Fator. (Gans, a Vegas institution for more than a decade, moved to Encore Las Vegas in early 2009 but died at age 51 two months later.)

Even Cirque du Soleil, the most enduring name in Vegas entertainment, doesn’t rest on its laurels, opening the magic show Criss Angel Believe at the Luxor in 2008 and debuting an Elvis-themed production at the Aria Resort-Casino, both of which open in winter of 2009.

And on it goes, perhaps even more so these days when the recession has put a kibosh on some of the biggest plans for new multi-billion-dollar resorts and hotel expansions. It leaves the stage as the one part of Vegas operations that can be varied with fresh spectacles for comparatively little extra money.

That’s not to say it’s inexpensive for visitors. Long gone are the days when Sin City’s bosses made most of their profits at the tables and shows were loss leaders for casino play. Whereas Sinatra, Elvis and the like were bargains—often free!—to guests in their day, today the Vegas show ticket can be a significant expense. An annual survey by the Las Vegas Advisor in 2009 found the 80 so-called “A-title shows” on the Strip cost an average of $76.18 per seat. Twenty-five shows have at least one ticket option that exceeds $100. Compare that to 2006, when only 12 shows had any $100-plus seats.

It’s more important than ever, then, to know which of these extravaganzas are worth your time and money. But, as with all things Las Vegas, which outing is right depends on your mood.

Say, for instance, you’re in the market for a headliner. The more things in Vegas change, the more they stay the same—at least in terms of serving up the grandest variety of only-in-Vegas legends. Dion and John may be gone, but Bette’s “The Showgirl Must Go On” is a witty and visual romp through the Divine Miss M’s greatest hits and bits, while her fellow headliner at the Colosseum, Cher, models no fewer than 20 of her outlandish Bob Mackie gowns.

Those may be the biggest names on Vegas’ biggest marquee, but plenty of others reside elsewhere. Barry Manilow’s “Ultimate Manilow: The Hits” at the Las Vegas Hilton has been a smash for four years now, kept fresh each year with Manilow reshuffling his lineup and even the name of the show. The most famous Osmonds offer up old-school nostalgia in their sibling act at the Flamingo, TV star Wayne Brady keeps cracking them up at the Venetian and “America’s Got Talent” winner Fator looms large with his singing turtle and uncanny Etta James impressions at the Mirage. Magic lovers can do no wrong by heading to the Monte Carlo for Lance Burton, another Vegas legend.

NORTHPORT, Wash. (AP) - State Fish and Wildlife officials say a 5-year-old Canadian boy was hurt when a cougar pounced on him while he and his family were hiking a remote trail in northeastern Washington.

Department spokeswoman Madonna Luers says the big cat jumped the boy while he was hiking Wednesday with his parents and sister on the Abercrombie Mountain trail in the Colville National Forest. She says his mother began beating the cougar with a water bottle and the cat ran off.

Luers says the parents, from Rossland, British Columbia, told wildlife agents the boy was treated and released at a hospital for head wounds and is expected to completely recover.

How to combat colds, avoid germs, and steer clear of swine flu

During a recent trip to East Africa, I spent a miserable week in a fan-cooled hotel room battling high fever, body aches, and severe sinus congestion. My only pain relief was an ineffective generic antihistamine from a local pharmacy.

Luckily, I bumped into two Toronto-based physicians traveling on a medical volunteer mission. They were able to allay my immediate concerns about malaria and swine flu, but for what ailed me, they were unable to prescribe anything more than sensible advice: “Get some rest and drink lots of fluids.”

After I finally recovered, it occurred to me that I had learned a valuable lesson about staying healthy on the road. With the current concerns over the H1N1 influenza (swine flu) pandemic, it’s more important than ever for travelers to be proactive about staying well.

Before heading overseas, visit your doctor for a checkup and then check the Centers for Disease Control travel health page for updates on infectious diseases—cholera, tuberculosis, yellow fever, influenza—that are particularly endemic in outlying destinations. Click the CDC’s Travel Safe podcasts for in-depth trip advisories. The World Health Organization also has detailed information on pandemic vaccines and international health issues.

It’s important to be aware of potential pitfalls not only when you arrive at a destination, but when you’re in transit. Wipe your hands often with antibacterial wipes or sanitizers. Use them to clean your environment, from your airplane seat to your hotel room. Don’t forget the taxi to the airport.

An airport terminal is where you are most likely to experience new regulatory precautions enacted to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic viruses. You may be asked to have your temperature checked by passing through a thermal scanning device, or with an oral or ear thermometer.