Hotel guests and area residents can get their morning jolt of java or ease into the  evening with a glass of wine at Stonehaus, which opened last week in Westlake Village.

The rustic venue, a blend of coffeehouse and wine bar, is set amid the vineyard and olive groves at the Westlake Village Inn, a 141-room boutique hotel near the 101 Freeway in the Conejo Valley.

For early risers, the gourmet coffeehouse serves private-label roasted coffee drinks, breakfast items and freshly baked pastries and breads. At lunch time, salads and paninis are available. As day turns into evening, the space takes on the character of a European wine bar and tasting room where patrons can either sit indoors or on a large patio warmed by an outdoor fireplace.

The inn’s private-label wines are available, as well as a selection of California and international varietals and 45 wines by the class.  Fine cheeses and charcuterie round out the offerings. Wine tastings are available by appointment.  

Info: Stonehau...

On that day, Estes Kefauver, a U.S. senator from Tennessee, brought his anti-racketeering road show to Las Vegas’ federal courthouse, turning the national spotlight on the organized crime tentacles that reached deep into the city’s casinos.

That infamous era is remembered at the Mob Museum, now inside the downtown Las Vegas building that once housed the court and the city’s post office.

To mark the anniversary of the event, Nevada residents will get free admission to the museum on Nov. 15, and two out-of-state visitors will get in for the price of one ($19.95).

Throughout the day, a new documentary by filmmaker Jon Rubin will be screened. “Crimebuster: Sen. Estes Kefauver, Politics, Television and Organized Crime” sums up an important element of the film: that television, which was then in its infancy,...

It's a presidential election year, which also means that 2013 will be an inauguration year for whomever emerges as the victor Tuesday. If you plant to go but haven't yet made hotel plans, well, that's a good thing.

"Most people making a visit to D.C. on average book three weeks in advance," says Kate E. Gibbs, media manager for the district's tourism agency Destination DC. "So this is still very early, even though it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." She says many hotels still haven't posted their rates and special packages yet.

But all that changes Wednesday after the results are in. There are inaugural balls and parades to be planned, and those who want in on the city's biggest party-time will be making plans too. In 2008, an estimated 1.8 million people came to the district's National Mall to celebrate.

This year the inauguration falls on Jan. 20, a Sunday, which means the president will be sworn in privately at noon and all the public hoopla will be pushed back a day to the  Monday...

The historic Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix is putting rooms on sale for the holidays -- but only this week. Stay for the holidays (Thanksgiving or Christmas) and pay just $89 a night.

Expect a 60-foot Christmas tree and a menorah to be in place and special Santa visits too. That's a lot of holiday dazzle for a little price.

The deal: The holiday rates are jaw-droppers at this hotel where rooms typically cost double that amount. It requires full payment in advance and allows no changes. There's no trick to getting this deal: You can find it online by popping in your dates or by calling the hotel.

Saving on the room means you could spring for holiday meals at the hotel. Thanksgiving dinners -- from a four-course meal at Wright's to a holiday buffet -- run from $48 to $95 for adults, $24 to $50 per child 12 and younger. Reservatons are required; call (602) 381-7632.

When: The offer is good until Friday. The deal rate applies to stays Nov. 18-Dec. 1 and Dec. 14-Jan. 1.

Tested: I found...

Question: Several readers have asked for information about what to do when a relative who plans to make an airline trip dies before the trip can be taken. Does nonrefundable mean nonrefundable?

Answer: When airlines say "nonrefundable fare," they usually mean it.

Except when they don't.

Don't get excited. This doesn't mean you'll get your money back if, say, you change your mind about going to (fill-in-the-blank place) because you're worried about (fill-in-the-blank anxiety-inducing issue). Keep in mind, too, that you can usually change your ticket — you'll pay as much as $150 for a change in a domestic ticket or $250 for an international ticket in most cases (Southwest doesn't charge), and you will also pay the difference between the new fare you're buying and the old one.

But in cases of death or an illness that grounds you by doctor's orders, "Most airlines do not want the PR nightmare," said Joe Brancatelli whose "Joe Sent Me" newsletter is the bible for business travelers.

That...

When in Florence, Italy, be sure to visit the small Opificio delle Pietre Dure, the Museum of Precious Stones, to see how artisans used semi-precious stones and marble to create beautiful artwork hundreds of years ago.

Opificio delle Pietre Dure, 78 Via Alfani, Florence; 011-39-055-26511, http://www.opificiodellepietredure.it. Closed Sundays and holidays. Admission about $5.

Cheryl Kohr

Palos Verdes Estates

During a trip to Paris in September, Mary Resnick and her husband, Lawrence, visited the Musee d’Dorsay. Inside the art museum, hosted within a rail station built for the 1900 World’s Fair, Resnick photographed this clock overlooking the Seine River.

“The setting was surreal and thrilling,” she said.

The West Los Angeles resident used an iPhone 4S.

To submit your photos, click the upload button below. When you upload your photos, tell us where they were taken and when. The more we know about a photo, the more likely it is that we'll feature it in "Your Scene," a weekly photo feature that appears online and in print.

NEW YORK -- The New York City Marathon has been canceled, but that hasn't alleviated transportation woes out of post-Sandy JFK airport.

Landing here on Friday, I found that gas shortages have resulted in major taxi shortages. Lines for limited taxi service are an hour long or more, and guests are being told to double- and triple-up with strangers if they hope to get into Manhattan.

Once in a cab, I learned the going rate is $57 with toll for a single stop, and it is taking about 90 minutes to get to Midtown.

Lines for the shuttles stretch can be as long as three hours, so desperate travelers are choosing cabs, which is complicating matters.

Cab driver Narinder Singh expressed frustration on Friday. The lines for gas are near-gridlock, and the wait to get to a pump is nearly three hours, so Singh paid two tolls to drive to Connecticut for fuel. He paid $4 a gallon, filling his tank cost nearly $60.

Getting away from the airport it just the beginning of the hurdles that travelers to the...

Thrill seekers will have to wait a little longer for a big new ride as Knott's Berry Farm unveiled plans for a trio of family attractions in 2013 aimed at bridging the gap in the Buena Park theme park’s collection of kiddie and extreme rides.

> Photos: A trio of family rides coming to Knott’s in 2013

Knott's plans to add a wild mouse coaster, a flying scooter and a classic scrambler ride in summer 2013 to the Boardwalk section of the park, reusing a man-made lake left over from a water ride removed to make room for the new additions.

The 52-foot-tall Coast Rider wild mouse coaster will feature a series of switchbacks traversed by individual four-person cars along a 1,339-foot-long track in a variation of an off-the-shelf ride found at many smaller amusement parks.

Similar wild mouse coasters built by Germany's Mack Rides can be found at Legoland theme parks around the world, including the Technic coasters at the Legoland locations in California and Florida.

The Coast Rider name...