Best U.S. spots to visit in 2015

Queens tops the list of Lonely Planet's best U.S. spots to visit in 2015. Travel the world simply by visiting this New York City borough, where nearly half of the population is foreign-born and more than 100 languages are spoken and delicious food is eaten. Then head to the beach --yes, the beach -- in the Rockaways. A longtime local hangout and summer surf spot, it's also getting known for a burgeoning food scene.

2. A stunning natural wonder where the buffalo roam, western South Dakota has much to celebrate in 2015. It's the 50th anniversary of the annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup and the 75th anniversary of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally -- the largest in the world -- where 500,000 motorcycle enthusiasts meet annually.

3. Marking the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in 2015, New Orleans is still a remarkable mix of cultures producing a unique culinary and musical culture. Enjoy Chef John Besh's take on the Big Easy, and head to Treme for a bite at Dooky Chase's Restaurant. Enjoy a Second Line or Mardi Gras parade in season, or simply walk St. Claude Avenue to enjoy whoever's playing that night.

4. The mighty Colorado River may be best known for cutting through the Arizona and the Grand Canyon, but it's worth the trip to Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park to see where it's born. In Utah, it can be spotted at Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park.

5. The quintessential New England town of North Conway, which celebrates its 250th anniversary next year, is perfect for leaf peeping, rock climbing and winter sports. (Check out the rugged White Mountains.) Never learned to rock climb? Visit International Mountain Equipment for lessons and summer camps.

6. The midsized, Midwestern town of Indianapolis may surprise outsiders, but residents know it has one of the best children's museums in the country, the new International Orangutan Center at the local zoo and the new Dallara IndyCar Factory.

7. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Greenville, South Carolina, offers a downtown arts scene that includes museums and public art (including the "Mice on Main" sculptures). Enjoy the town's bicycle sharing program to explore local trails or strap on hiking boots to trek the nearby mountains.

8. Cross the Bay Bridge during your visit to San Francisco to see why Oakland is a known haven for adventurous food and fun art (Art Murmur anyone?) to Bay Area residents. Better yet, land at Oakland's sunny airport and stay on this side of the Bay. Bicyclists can also ride the newly opened Bay Bridge trail to enjoy the views on the new span of the Bay Bridge.

9. There is so much nature to explore from your base in Duluth, Minnesota -- hometown to more than 150 Olympians. There's Lake Superior for the water enthusiasts, snowy mountains for the winter sports fans and the 296-mile Superior Hiking Trail going from Duluth to Canada.

10. California's Mount Shasta region is positively spiritual. Many Native Americans from the area see it as the center of creation. Naturalist John Muir was moved by his first sight of the snowy Mount Shasta volcano, saying famously that "all my blood turned to wine, and I have not been weary since." Climbing Mount Shasta's summit is only for experienced hikers but there are trails for every level.

• More than 100 languages are spoken in Lonely Planet's top U.S. spot for 2015


• South Dakota will celebrate milestones involving buffalo and motorcycles in 2015


• One California locale is a spiritual center for many, who visit to take in its natural beauty

(CNN) -- Think you need a passport to explore high art, exotic beaches and incredible natural wonders?

Not so.

In a country of nearly 4 million square miles, there are plenty of new adventures for travelers right here in the United States.

Lonely Planet's top 10 U.S. destinations for 2015 list includes cities marking important anniversaries, wide open natural spaces and hidden city gems that will soon be popular.

"I hope this list will excite travelers to explore places they hadn't thought about going, " said Regis St. Louis, author of Lonely Planet's USA guide and contributor to the "Best in the U.S." list. "We have both surprising places on the list and places people have heard buzz about."

Lonely Planet editors hope the list will encourage people to explore. "There are lots of great things happening all over the country, and you should really come out and see it for yourself," St. Louis said.

To compile the annual list, Lonely Planet asks its U.S. staff, authors and contributors to nominate urban and natural spots, popular and lesser known sites, and locations that have something significant happening in 2015. The staff whittles the list down to the final 10, and a natural order often emerges, editors say.

Americans don't get as much vacation as Europeans, and we also don't use all of our vacation. So why not put those days to good use and visit some of Lonely Planet's top destinations in the U.S.?

Here are the 10 spots that came out on top for 2015:

1. Queens, New York

2. Western South Dakota

3. New Orleans

4. Colorado River region

5. North Conway, New Hampshire

6. Indianapolis

7. Greenville, South Carolina

8. Oakland, California

9. Duluth, Minnesota

10. Mount Shasta region, California

18 most annoying airline passengers

Passengers who use their feet as weapons topped Expedia's list of onboard etiquette violators in its 2014 Airplane Etiquette Study. Some 67% of those surveyed find rear seat kickers very annoying.

Parents who seem to forget they are flying with children dependent on them for snacks and entertainment are a nuisance to 64% of those surveyed.

Stinky passengers are objectionable to 56% of fliers.

Passengers who talk, play games or listen to their favorite songs or shows at top volume aggravate about half of those surveyed.

If you can't remember your flight, you might be a boozer. Half of surveyed fliers think you're an unpleasant traveler.

You may be excited to meet new people on your flight, but 43% of fliers find in-flight chatterboxes annoying.

Carry-on baggage offenders delay everyone by trying to pass off their 40-pound duffel bags as "personal items." Nearly 40% of fliers object.

The armrest hog never learned to share, and that upsets 38% of fliers.

The seat-back guy, aka the seat recliner, doesn't care about the impact of his recline on the people behind him. That's why 37% of fliers are annoyed with you.

The queue jumper rushes to deplane, thinking those few extra minutes are more important for him than anyone else. And that is why 35% of fliers don't like you!

• Airline fliers are still chatting, drinking and judging parents in the air


• A new survey finds that those behaviors don't top the list of passenger aggravations


• Seat wars are causing the most trouble these days

(CNN) -- Hey, seat-kicker!

We get that you paid for an airline seat that already seems too tiny. And now someone has reclined their seat into your lunch.

Kicking them is probably not the solution. It could get your flight diverted and you removed from the aircraft, as several passengers discovered this year.

Rear seat-kickers top Expedia's list of onboard etiquette violators, according to the travel company's 2014 Airplane Etiquette Study, released Tuesday. The study, conducted by global research firm GfK, asked 1,000 Americans to rank the most annoying on-board behaviors of fellow passengers.

Airline executive resigns after flap over nuts

Seriously, who does this on a flight?!

Rear seat-kickers pushed last year's top offenders, the inattentive parents, into second place, followed by the aromatic passenger, the audio-insensitive passenger, the boozer and the chatty Cathy.

"Expedia's Airplane Etiquette Study is a lighthearted reminder that few places require more attention to etiquette than the inside of an airplane," said John Morrey, Expedia's vice president and general manager, in a statement.

"You're in a tight space at 30,000 feet with hundreds of fellow travelers, so even the small things -- helping your neighbor stow a bag or switching seats to put a mom next to her child -- can make a huge difference."

World's most famous Christmas tree

And someone might post pictures or video of your offending behavior online.

About 12% of those surveyed say they would record an incident, and 6% say they would use Twitter and other social media to shame passengers. Only 22% would be brave enough -- or foolish enough? -- to talk directly to the offending passenger.

Some 32% of men say they do not recline seats, while 38% of women do not recline. Nearly one-third of all surveyed passengers recline to sleep, and a quarter recline when the flight is longer than three hours. Just 12% recline immediately after takeoff or when the person in front of them does.

18 most annoying things people do in airports

And as for manners? Just 23% of American airline passengers ask permission of the passenger behind them before they recline. And 10% say they would recline their seat with a very pregnant passenger. (What is wrong with those people?)

As for chatty Cathys, sixth on the list of violators, 16% of Americans "use flights as an opportunity to talk to and meet new people," while 65% "dread" the experience of sitting next to those people.

Note to the chatties: If they are reading a book or tablet or are wearing earphones, the passengers squeezing into tiny seats around you may not want to chat with you. In fact, we know they don't.

Could air travel be like this again?

Given the tight quarters and conflict aboard flights these days, we're not sure how a few select people still manage to join the mile-high club.

And yet they do.

Five percent of fliers say they've "been intimate" with someone on a plane. Of that number, 3% say their partners in this in-flight liaison were their traveling companions. But 2% meet the other person on the flight. Guess the chatter works in a few situations?

Am I the jerk on your airplane?

The ranked list of onboard etiquette violators, with percentage cited by study respondents:

1. Rear seat-kicker (67%)

2. Inattentive parents (64%)

3. Aromatic passenger (56%)

4. Audio-insensitive (talking/music) (51%)

5. Boozer (50%)

6. Chatty Cathy (43%)

7. Carry-on baggage offenders (39%)

8. Armrest hog (38%)

9. Seat-back guy (aka seat recliner) (37%)

10. Queue jumper (35%)

11. Overhead bin inconsiderate (32%)

12. Pungent foodies (32%)

13. Back-of-seat grabber (31%)

14. Playboy (reads/watches adult content) (30%)

15. Amorous (inappropriate affection) (29%)

16. Mad bladder (28%)

17. Undresser (removes shoes or more) (26%)

18. Seat switcher (13%)

World's most awesome airport?

Singapore's Jewel Changi airport will have five stories of retail, gardens and restaurants, and a hotel with a five-story parking lot underground.

Scheduled for completion in 2018, the steel-and-glass donut complex could become a destination in itself.

Jewel's two centerpieces are Forest Valley, through which passengers will be able to hike, and Rain Vortex, a gigantic cascade of water from the roof.

Rain Vortex will be the world's tallest indoor waterfall when completed. At night it will be transformed by light and sound show.

The 13,000 square meters of the Canopy Park will include gardens, walking trails, playgrounds and restaurants.

More than 200 retailers from local and international brands will be housed in the Jewel. Local shopaholics may find themselves here for the weekend, even if they're not catching a flight.

Changi's new leisure complex will have 90 food and drink outlets, some with waterfall view patios.

Four different gateway gardens will feature unique landscape elements. The north, east and west gateway gardens will lead to terminals 1, 2 and 3 respectively.

Jewel will cater to passengers with a "multi-modal transport lounge" that will offer ticketing and boarding pass and baggage transfer services, as well as early check-in facilities.

• Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore is expected to be completed by the end of 2018


• The massive donut-like structure will be 10 stories, five above ground and five underground


• Its 40-meter-high Rain Vortex will be the world's tallest indoor waterfall

(CNN) -- Airport and paradise are two words destined never to sit next to each other in the same sentence, but looking at the plans for Singapore's new airport that could soon change.

Images showing how the city state's Jewel Changi Airport will look when it's finished were released as construction got underway this month.

They show impressive steel-and-glass biosphere-style structures filled with plants and a gigantic waterfall.

If the finished product -- scheduled for completion in 2018 -- matches the proposals, it's likely to cement Changi's reputation as one of the world's favorite airports and a destination in its own right.

The massive donut-like structure at its core will be 10 stories -- five above ground and five underground -- integrating airport facilities, with retail and leisure outlets.

There'll also be playgrounds and a hotel.

More than simply a new terminal, Jewel Changi Airport will be constructed on the site of the old parking lot fronting the existing Changi Airport's Terminal 1, and will be "seamlessly connected" to the existing terminals, according to the airport.

Bringing nature indoors ... really

Maintaining Singapore's reputation as the "garden city," Jewel Changi's centerpiece will be Forest Valley, a five-story garden with thousands of trees, ferns and shrubs.

Commuters will even be able to take a hike up the valley.

"We wanted to create a space where activities that were traditionally outdoors in nature are brought to an indoor environment," Robin Goh, Changi Airport Group spokesperson, tells CNN.

Overnighting at the airport? This should cheer you up.

Cascading through Jewel's donut hole, in the middle of the forest, will be the 40-meter-high Rain Vortex.

On completion, it'll be the world's tallest indoor waterfall, according to the airport.

At night, the Rain Vortex will transform into a light and sound show.

Four different gateway gardens will feature unique landscape elements.

The North Gateway Garden, for instance, will use the trunks of rain trees recycled from the airport's old open-air parking lot.

On the top level, Canopy Park will have gardens, walking trails, playgrounds and eateries spanning approximately 13,000 square meters.

"We envisaged an area that comes with big sprawling spaces and play activities," says Goh of Canopy Park.

"We wanted to create a place where visitors can simply relax and have fun with their families and friends."

Staying ahead of the field

Travelers will be able to stay at Jewel's own hotel -- approximately 130 rooms operated by international hotel brand YOTEL.

The complex will house an "integrated multi-modal transport lounge."

That means ticketing, boarding pass and baggage transfer service will be available for passengers.

Early check-in facilities at the complex will allow passengers to check-in and drop off luggage ahead of regular check-in times.

Looking like green-jelly doughnut, Jewel Changi Airport will be a destination in itself when completed.

There'll also be new subway links connecting all the airports terminals to the MRT network.

A winner of multiple best airport awards over the years, Changi served 53.7 million passengers in 2013.

The airport expects a new Terminal 4 opening in 2017 for Cathay Pacific and Jewel in 2018 to bring 85 million passengers a year.

"In order for Changi Airport to stay ahead amidst intensifying competition from other airports, it's important for continuous innovation to be introduced," says Goh.

Graffiti gang's Mideast art mission

"One of our missions is to help the local guys and to make people from the region understand that street art is not about degradation," says Thomas Perreaux-Forest, co-founder of Dubai's Street Art Gallery.

At any one time, Street Art Gallery shows around 100 pieces, with exhibitions changing at least once a month.

Miami's Hec One Love is currently showcasing more than 100 of his works in Dubai under the banner "Loveism." The show runs until December 10.

New Yorker Skott Marsi displayed his solo show "Pollock Like Banksy" at Street Art Gallery last month. Can you guess which two famous artists he took inspiration from?

Parisan artist, Nasty, brought signs and wall tiles from the French capital's metro, decorated in his inimitable style.

French street-art star OneMizer does everything from portraits to comic-style work. This piece was displayed as part of the "Be the Change" show.

Swiss-born, now Dubai-based, JustOne brought possibly the most controversial work, inspired by incendiary street protest. One such scene is permanently displayed at the gallery.

Geneva-based mural specialist Bandi comes from France but produces futuristic work inspired by Dubai.

Street Art Gallery's first show, "Wynwood goes Dubai," celebrated a Miami district where street artists are free to spray-paint without hassle from police.

It may look alarming, but this isn't about to be scrubbed off any time soon. Artists were invited to graffiti the villa that houses the gallery.

Street Art Gallery is plotting a busy 2015. Meanwhile, its own exterior white walls are gradually being replaced as visiting artists make their mark on Dubai's new art hotspot.

• Street Art Gallery is the first of its kind in the UAE


• The gallery is inviting street artists to spray their mark on the villa's white walls


• Co-founder Thomas Perreaux-Forest hopes to encourage the growth of Dubai street artists

(CNN) -- Mention of Dubai usually prompts images of tall buildings, pristine beaches and luxurious hotels.

Not graffiti, that's for sure.

So it seems an anomaly, perhaps, that the city should be host to the first gallery in the UAE, and possibly the Middle East, dedicated to the art of the spray can.

Not so says Thomas Perreaux-Forest, partner in the groundbreaking venture, Street Art Gallery, in one of Dubai's more salubrious suburbs.

The Frenchman -- smart, handsome, well educated -- is, in some ways, an unlikely champion of such a polarizing genre.

He's the kind of upstanding citizen you might expect to revile youths armed with spray cans.

He says the art form goes way beyond graffiti, however.

His gallery in Dubai's Jumeirah neighborhood appears to support his theory, offering spray-painted works an unlikely home in a country largely devoid of graffiti -- and attracting healthy prices.

Work at recent exhibitions has been fetching up to and upward of $10,000.

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Shared passion

At any one time there are about 100 pieces on show with exhibitions changing at least once a month.

Perreaux-Forest, 43, and fellow founder and curator Stephane Valici, 45, knew there would be demand after their shared passion for street art led them to a surprising discovery in the United States.

Thomas Perreaux-Forest: Street art aficionado.

"We realized when we were going to gallery openings here in Dubai that we couldn't really see what we enjoyed and when we found it, it was quite overpriced," says Perreaux-Forest.

"Then we were talking to galleries in Miami and New York and France and those guys were telling us that people from Dubai came over there to buy artworks.

"This made us think: 'Why not open a gallery ... people who are interested in this cross the Atlantic so it proves there is demand.'

"It was still a gamble because it is hard to do a market study, but the feedback as soon as we opened was absolutely amazing."

First show, "Wynwood Goes Dubai," celebrated a Miami district where street artists are free to spray-paint without hassle from police.

"It's a very creative place. There's a big street artist community there and during our last trip we met lots of artists and signed 10, male and female, from Miami, some from New York and LA. That exhibition was a sneak preview of their work."

The gallery's third exhibition, "Be The Change," was certainly a departure from what Dubai's healthy, but largely commercial art scene was used to.

It celebrated some of the more brash examples of street art and graffiti, with some work examining public protest. Again, not something the UAE experiences too often.

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Incendiary inspiration

Before long, big international names in the genre were getting involved.

Parisian veteran Nasty brought signs and wall tiles from the French capital's metro, decorated in his inimitable style.

"Nasty is very experienced and well known and began in the '80s by tagging trains," says Perreaux-Forest. "He has just had an exhibition in Hong Kong."

Fellow French street star OneMizer -- who does everything from portraits to comic-style work -- flew in, as did Geneva-based mural specialist Bandi, who also comes from France but has created futuristic work inspired by Dubai.

Street art on brick walls highlight the urban roots of graffiti.

Swiss-born, and now Dubai-based, JustOne brought possibly the most controversial work, inspired by incendiary street protest, in addition to a decorated chunk of wall that he has on permanent display in the gallery.

By contrast, the gallery recently curated a special exhibition to compliment the holy month of Ramadan.

"Calligraffiti" matched street art with Arabic writing, given a modern twist by local talent.

"We took the opportunity of Ramadan to do something about the art of writing," adds Perreaux-Forest. "Here in the region, Arab calligraphy is very important and is a real art form in itself. There is an evolution in this particular art.

"On the other side the graffiti started with lettering, guys signing or tagging streets or trains. So it was interesting to mix those arts of writing, the classical but modern calligraphy with the writing in graffiti, a mix of ancient and modern.

"And we managed to find some calligraphers that do much more modern pieces than we're used to seeing in galleries around the region. Some were very close to street art."

It proved an exciting glimpse into where Dubai could go with the genre and flushed out some indigenous potential.

"We would be very keen to display more local street artists," adds Perreaux-Forest, when asked whether he plans to showcase and nurture some of that native talent.

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Breaking down barriers

A few of those artists mingle and exchange ideas during the gallery's frequent and vibrant opening nights.

"For the moment we are focusing on established artists, but a bit of what we do is to help the local scene and raise the level," says Perreaux-Forest. "It's good to visit a gallery to meet experienced artists, to improve your style and work, and that's what I believe is needed here.

Spray can stylists: Street Art Gallery exhibits.

"Street art is not allowed anywhere (in the UAE), but it can be tolerated in western countries. Here it is not really the case and we don't want graffiti all over the place.

"But one of our missions is to help the local guys and to make local culture and people from the region understand that street art is not about degradation and that there are many different styles in street art."

For now, Street Art Gallery is opening its walls to the likes of Jenni Perez, Godzilla, Hep and One Love and is plotting a busy 2015 as its own exterior white walls are gradually replaced by visiting artists spraying what they think of Dubai's new art hotspot.

Street Art Gallery is currently hosting one of the first and most infamous graffiti writers of the South Florida movement.

Miami's Hec One Love is showcasing more than 100 of his works in Dubai under the banner "Loveism" until December 10.

The artist is known for his massive walls and post-graffitism abstracts and the Dubai show represents his biggest publicly displayed collection yet.

Street Art Gallery , Villa 23, 10th B St., Dubai; +971 55 88 88 247; 10 a.m.-7 p.m.