Couple died taking selfie
An India-born husband and wife who fell to their deaths from a popular overlook at Yosemite National Park in California were apparently taking a selfie, the man's brother said. Park rangers recovered the bodies of Vishnu Viswanath and Meenakshi Moorthy on Oct. 25 about 800 feet below Taft Point, where visitors can walk to the edge of a vertigo-inducing granite ledge. The 29-year-old Viswanath and 30-year-old Moorthy had set up their tripod near the ledge, Viswanath's brother told the Associated Press. Park visitors the next morning saw the camera and alerted rangers, who "used high-powered binoculars to find them and used helicopters to airlift the bodies," he said. In an eerie coincidence, a man who had hiked to the same spot with his girlfriend captured pictures of Moorthy prior to her fall, saying she accidentally appears in the background of two of their selfie photos.
Associated Press
7 Caribbean nights for 5
Petit St. Vincent, a luxury private resort island in the Caribbean, is celebrating its 50th season with a $50 daily credit that can be combined with its "7 Nights for 5" offer. Stay Nov. 1-Dec. 19 and May 1-31 for the lowest rates; a one-bedroom for two starts at $6,300, plus $1,323 taxes and resort fees — a savings of $3,049. Rate includes all meals and tips. The credit, which is valid through July 31, can be used on spa treatments and activities. Book by Dec. 15. (Info: 1-800-654-9326; petitstvincent.com.)
Washington Post
Downton Abbey meets Beatrix Potter
Imagine staying in a castle, a stately home, a gardener's cottage or a lighthouse in England. Welcome to the National Trust, which protects and maintains some of that country's historic residences and grounds for public use. We rented two of its cozy cottages, first at Polesden Lacy, a Downton Abbey-like Edwardian estate in Surrey, and then Cliveden, once the home of Waldorf and Nancy Astor and the social gathering place for the British elite for much of the 20th century. The National Trust (nationaltrust.org.uk) now has more than 400 cottages in all sizes and price ranges, as well as hotels, and even glamping and camping sites. Hill Top, the Lake District farmhouse where Beatrix Potter spent much of her adult life, is not available for rent, but the house is open to visitors and can be used as the starting point for a regional walking tour suggested by the National Trust as a way to explore the life and work of the Peter Rabbit author.
New York Times
What could go wrong?
The planned replica of the Titanic is once again aiming to set sail. Australian businessman Clive Palmer, the brainchild of the endeavor, shut down efforts in 2015 because of a financial dispute. Now a news release says that dispute has been resolved and Palmer is once again planning to put the ocean liner into service. "Blue Star Line will create an authentic Titanic experience, providing passengers with a ship that has the same interiors and cabin layout as the original vessel, while integrating modern safety procedures, navigation methods and 21st-century technology to produce the highest level of luxurious comfort," Palmer said in the release. Plans for the ship have it not only retracing the original Titanic's Southampton-to-New York route, but also doing global sailings. USA Today reported the ship's first sailing is aiming for 2022.
Orlando Sentinel
