There hasn't been much good news on the financial front in the last few days, but some airlines must have been happy today. Airline shares were among the best performing stocks in the third quarter, with double-digit percentage increases for most major carriers, according to an Associated Press article.

So what accounts for the good news? Major airline carriers, most of which are still down for the year, attracted more investors by grounding planes with poor fuel efficiency and cutting capacity to support higher ticket prices. Plus, remember all those adorable fees they slapped on us passengers? They added millions to airlines' revenue.

On a related note, the only major airline whose stock is up for the year is good old Southwest, which has also hit the headlines due to it's unique business plan to keep fuel prices down.

We're glad investors are pleased with the airlines, because, honestly, we're not so sure. 

Jennifer Tung | Cookie Health & Beauty Director

Every time we visit my husband's family in Pittsburgh, we devote at least one day to the city's Children's Museum. It's one of my favorite places to take my son Alex, who's almost three years old, because as he runs around I can practically see his brain humming and expanding and swirling with bright colors. And I love it because it's spacious (read: never feels crowded), modern, and immaculate.

We start with a romp through Mister Roger's Neighborhood (Fred was a Pittsburgh native), then cruise down the incredibly long, wavy slide that juts out of a funhouse in a space called the Attic. Then it's straight up to the sun-filled, top floor Waterplay room, where Alex scampers to the raincoats and boots to get suited up. He can spend hours sending toy boats through the rapids and whirlpools in the 53-foot-long water table and jumping between the pipes that shoot water straight out of the floor. After changing him into dry clothes, we hit the cavernous Auto Garage, with its real Mini Cooper, nearly-life-size service station, and magnet area (where you can drag a magnetic rake through mountains of nails, screws, and bolts-toddler boy heaven). He also likes to get messy one more time with a big hunk of clay in the Art Studio (there's also paper making, printmaking, and painting).

This is how much I love this museum: I've told friends to take a weekend trip to Pittsburgh just to experience it (Jet Blue flies there cheap). Here are a few other spots in the 'Burgh that will make you as giddy as your kids:

- The Silver Clouds installation at the Andy Warhol Museum: A white room filled with huge, silver, pillow-shaped helium balloons; fans blow them up, down, and all around.

- The Water Steps in North Shore Riverfront Park: 500 blocks of sandstone with water flowing over and around them-perfect for a hot day. Catch a Pirates game at nearby PNC Park.

- The Blue Slide Playground at Frick Park in Squirrel Hill: A destination playground known for its luge track-like slide-kids sit on cardboard boxes to speed up the ride. 

Lisa Trottier | Cookie Reader, Kensington, California

If you've ever been to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, well, just forget about it. The old Academy was a pretty dusty affair. The new one, though, became a must-hit spot for families the moment it cracked its doors September 27.

A morning here winds you through a huge translucent orb holding a misty rainforest atwitter with neon birds, then out past Claude, the albino alligator basking on a rock, and on to the world's biggest indoor coral reef, swirling with Nemo and his Technicolor buddies. Go eye-to-eye with a second-grader-sized giant bass, look up into the jaws of a T-Rex frozen mid-stride, and touch a live sea anemone.

Unfortunately, when most visitors will miss when they stream out the doors and pile into their cars are some locally beloved kid magnets clustered a sippy cup's throw from the Academy. So, do your little ones a favor and take a couple of detours before you head back out into the city...

All this week we've been celebrating one of our favorite metropolitan oases, London. With the week winding down, we thought we'd give you one last look at this incredible city. The Royal Horseguards Hotel is one of the city's most stunning landmarks. In October, the 280-room hotel will reveal it's $30 million renovation. The five-star hotel may not be the place to hunker down for an all-out family vacation, but it may be just the perfect spot for you and the hubby to take a luxury getaway.

Courtney Adamo | Babyccino

(Adamo is a mom blogger living in London)

Remember the jolly carefree ending of Mary Poppins when the whole family, once stress-ridden and dull, skips merrily outside to fly their kites into the sky? The family is happy again, the grumpy father is smiling, and even the stodgy bankers are laughing. Kites are soaring and worries are blown away...

This happy outing isn't just for the movies -- it happens every day on the top of 'Kite Hill' in London's Hampstead Heath. London's largest historic parkland and arguably the most beautiful, Hampstead Heath's rambling hills and grassy un-manicured pastures make you feel like you've stepped out of central London and into the vast English countryside.  The tallest peak in Hampstead Heath is called Parliament Hill, and from there you can see excellent views of London's skyline, including St. Paul's cathedral and the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf. It is this peak, known to Londoners as "Kite Hill", where families gather on a windy weekend to fly their kites.  Here you'll see children skipping through the grass with wide grins on their faces, parents running just as quickly, and many onlookers pointing out their favorite kite...  It's just like the movie, but it's real, and it's one of our favorite activities in London.

Yolanda Edwards | Cookie Travel & Lifestyle Editor

Borough Market is the oldest food market in London (it's been in this location for 250 years) and it's probably the most exciting food court we've ever been in!  It is open as a market Thursday through Saturday, and even though we weren't there on a market day, we STILL loved it!  We started off with probably the best fish and chips ever at Fish!Kitchen and then we had a chorizo sandwich (3.50
pounds -- a bargain in this ridiculously overpriced town).

Next, we meandered into the Neal's Yard cheese shop, where they explained cheeses to us and gave us lots to taste. Finally, we finished up with a delicious coffee at Monmouth Coffee, where they drip each cup to order -- just like at Blue Bottle in San Francisco!

Helen Truzowski | Travel Writer

What's even better than London? FREE London, of course! Check out these 20-plus activities that will cost you absolutely nothing.

RUN FREE

- Coram's Fields: a unique seven-acre playground and park for children in the heart of central London.   
- The bronze statue of Peter Pan: Kensington Gardens (next to Hyde Park) The exact location was chosen by Peter Pan's author, J.M. Barrie.   
- Kew Gardens: The Gardens cover 300 acres. Climbers and Creepers is Kew's interactive play area for 3-9 year olds.
- City farms:
- Hackney City Farm - award-winning cafe, plus pigs, goats, sheep and more.
- Mudchute Park and Farm - the largest urban farm in the London area with 34 acres of open parkland plus horse riding, a tea shop, farm animals, and a shop.
- Kentish Town City Farm - a wide range of livestock, poultry, horses, plus weekend pony rides   
- Vauxhall City Farm - donkey rides, pony-care classes, milking demonstrations and lots of hands-on-work with the animals.

MARKETS

- Camden Lock: for quirky and fashion forward fashion.
- Portobello Road: sells everything from antiques & silverware, to fruit & veggies and funky clothes.
- Spitalfields: housed in a covered Victorian fruit and vegetable market selling everything from arts and crafts, clothes, furniture to organic foods.
- Borough Market: offers incredible sights and sounds. Its imported and organic products such as cheese, wines, fish and meat are sublime.
- Greenwich market: for classic antiques and wooden toys, designer clothes, model ships and retro clothes.

Yolanda Edwards | Cookie Travel & Lifestyle Editor

On a recent trip to London, we spent some time in the new Terminal 5. I had heard so many negative things about Terminal 5, which opened in late March, that I was a bit nervous...but it seems like all the kinks have been worked out. It's light and airy, and has so many amazing food and shopping options.  We loved the Japanese fast food at Itsu (edamame, udon, rolls), and there's also a huge Wagamama (noodle bar) and Gordon Ramsay's restaurant, Plane Food. Plus there's a Paul Smith shop, Smythson, and our favorite pharmacy, Boots.  The security line went so fast, everyone was so polite and efficient. There was also a really cool water fountain outside that made it seem more like a park than an airport...

During our time at Heathrow, we were lucky enough to experience the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Lounge in Terminal 3.  The lounge is so over-the-top that I wish we got to the airport six hours early so we could actually take advantage of everything it had. Think food made to order served at booths (yes, with waiter service)...a candy bar...a kids' playroom...a library...a spa with services like haircuts, massage, mani/pedi (all you have to do is pre-book -- everything's free once you are in the lounge). There's even a sauna and a hot tub, and they sell bathing suits for the unprepared! It was so insane...a buffet with the most delicious and healthy food--we were out of our minds! Even better, we were able to be in there because I found out about an amazing deal on Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class fares from one of my favorite travel websites, Joe Brancatelli's Joe Sent Me. The flights were at least a third of the price, in high season!

Planning a visit to Washington, D.C.? The kids will flip over the Smithsonian's new Ocean Hall, opening this Saturday. The $49 million project is the National Museum of Natural History's largest renovation since 1910. 

The hall will feature a 1,500 gallon aquarium, a 45-foot model of a right whale, and the preserved remains of both an adult coelacanth, a prehistoric fish thought to have gone extinct 65 million years ago.

Check out our other favorite children's museums.

Okay, well admit to it--some of us here at Going Places have become slightly Americana obsessed. So Time's state-by-state guide to the 50 most Authentic American Experiences was quite the crowd pleaser.

True, we may not be up for taking the kids to Kentucky's Bourbon Festival, but we're willing to bet a stop at Macon, Georgia's soul-satisfying H & H Restaurant will please whole family happy. And we'll definitely be adding a drive through Wyoming's winding Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop (complete with herds of wild horses1) to our next American road trip itinerary.

Check out more unique American must sees with our Road Trip guides.