8 Girls-Only Retreats

In the mood for an adventure? Here are a dozen places to begin your search

(NEWSER) - There are still some places in the world where X marks the spot. The Huffington Post lists a dozen locations ripe for real-life treasure hunting:

1. Superstition Mountains, Ariz.: The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine is supposedly hidden somewhere in these mountains ... and full of ancient Apache treasure.
2. Kaliningrad, Russia: The Amber Room was a chamber decorated completely in amber panels, gold leaf, and mirrors contained within a palace near St. Petersburg—but it was looted by the Nazis and last seen in Kaliningrad in 1943.
3. Cocos Island, Costa Rica: An estimated $60 million worth of church treasure from Lima, Peru, is supposedly buried here—and is rumored to be the inspiration for Treasure Island.

Venice gondola ride? Totally overrated

(NEWSER) - There's nothing like traveling halfway across the world to visit a spot that doesn't live up to the hype. SmarterTravel rounds up 10 destinations that you should scratch from your bucket list:

1. Blarney Stone: Funny how its initials are BS. The line is long, and what you're waiting for is the chance to kiss something that hundreds of people smooched right before you.
2. Venice gondola ride: Sure, it's romantic, but unless you're Brad and Angie, you might balk at the $100+ price tag for a 40-minute ride.

Forget your ID in Japan, and end up in the pokey

(NEWSER) - An African safari is likely to be a bit more exciting than a day at Disney Land, but there comes a point where enough is enough. Turner Wright, writing in Vagabondish , runs down seven travel ideas that'll get you killed—or at least some quality time in the local clink:

• Running drugs, southeast Asia: Getting caught can put you on the wrong end of a firing squad or noose in places like China, Laos, and Singapore.
• Forgetting ID, Japan: Foreign residents who fail to carry their gaijin card at all times can get 23 days in the pokey.

Successful 20-something shows how it's done

(NEWSER) - Matt Kepnes is a 28-year-old Bostonian who's turned his passion for travel into a blogging gig that earns him up to $8,000 a month. He explains how in a New York Times interview. (Good publicity helps: His site, NomadicMatt.com , is down temporarily because of a traffic surge from the interview.) Some highlights:

• Who pays him: "It’s a combination of Google AdSense, affiliate sales (insurance, backpacks, guidebooks), private advertising people coming to me. ('Hey, we want to put ads up on this site.')" The site itself earns about $3,000 a month, and he also now has a book for beginners.

(NEWSER) - With summer vacations increasing your chances of an extended stay at an airport, Travel + Leisure offers its annual list of airports likely to leave you grounded. The good news? Airports are getting better; even this year’s “winner” improved its delays by 3%. The list:

1. Newark: That 3% boost wasn't enough; it’s the only airport to delay 30% of its flights.