Every once in a while, I run across someone obsessed with Jelly Belly jelly beans, that special kind of person with staunch opinions on the merits of the highly controversial popcorn flavor, someone who can discern a blueberry bean from the strikingly similarly-hued plum bean in a moment’s notice, someone who refers to their assortment of beans as a “collection.”

This post goes out to anyone for whom the above rings true. In addition to its first-come, first-served free walking tours that have long been popular among visitors to Northern California, Jelly Belly is now offering a VIP bean immersion experience called the Jelly Belly University Tour, which treats groups of six or fewer bean-curious visitors to a private tour of the working Fairfield, CA factory and elucidates such mysteries as why it can take up to 21 days to make a single bean. And of course, tour participants will be able to taste beans fresh off the production line. At the end of the one-hour jaunt through the factory, t-shirts heralding participants’ new Degree in Beanology are awarded. The $47 tours are available on weekdays only and to ages six and up.

Kinda of brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, bean there, done that…

Fancy a panini on Rome’s Spanish Steps? Through October, locals and residents alike who loiter on the iconic stairway with snacks and beverages will be targets for Italian police, who are under orders to fine anyone littering or otherwise destroying the beauty of the city’s famous landmark. The ban also applies at other tourist hotspots like the Trevi Fountain, this CNN story reports.

Major carriers are launching a new money-making scheme that I approve of: ads on boarding passes. As the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, Delta has already added promotional messages, coupons and destination-based travel information like weather reports to some boarding passes and at least four other airlines (Continental, United, Northwest, US Airways) have partnered with the company producing the ads and expect to roll out the new boarding passes within the year.

Sure, some people will probably decry the presence of yet more advertising images in their everyday lives, but the airlines clearly need to find new revenue streams - and this one arguably benefits some travelers - and it certainly doesn’t take anything away.

Since it opened earlier this year, I’ve been keeping an eye on Cavallo Point, a new lodge built at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge across from San Francisco. Mainly, I’ve been wondering how I can justify a vacation to a place that’s just a few miles from my house.

I may have found the answer: Cavallo Point’s Adventures & Learning Vacations. The ongoing series of adventure, well-being, arts and culinary programs let guests hole up in this idyllic setting for a few days while exploring those topics with Northern California experts - among them, the art of handcrafted cheese with Cowgirl Creamery cheesemakers, animation with artist Packard Jennings, bootcamp fitness for women with Joanie Greggains and wine country cooking with Joanne Weir.

Through the end of the year, the programs come with free lodging when you and another person share a room and participate in the program together. Solo travelers will receive one night of free lodging at the inn.

Commercial air travel being what it is today makes this 120-pound personal jet suit by daring Swiss pilot Yves Rossy look like an attractive - though somewhat scary - alternative to conventional puddle jumping. Too bad it only carries enough fuel to stay airborne for 12 minutes, a record Rossy hopes to break when he attempts to cross the English Channel while wearing this homemade contraption later this year.

• One serious half-dome. Boasting a rotunda that holds the distinction of being the largest half-dome in the Western Hemisphere, the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal draws just as many visitors with its impressive architecture and 75-year history as it does with its three museums (Cinergy Children’s Museum, the Cincinnati History Museum and the Museum of Natural History and Science) and IMAX Theater.

• Midwestern munchies. From the town’s famous Cincinnati chili (which residents will gleefully drizzle over anything from hot dogs to spaghetti) to Findlay Market (pictured above), a public market and foodie haven that’s been operating since 1855, this river city is known for good noshing.

• River recreation. Its location along the Ohio River - the Mississippi’s largest tributary - makes this a destination full of opportunities for outdoor fun. Riverboat cruises down the Ohio River, available from companies like River Escapes Cruises and BB Riverboats, are popular among tourists and a great way to see the cityscape from a new vantage point. The river is also a hub for land-based entertainment and outdoor festivals, the best example of which is Cincinnati Riverfest, a free event held annually on the Sunday before Labor Day. Each year, over 500,000 people descend upon the Sawyer Point waterfront to view one of the nation’s largest privately-funded fireworks displays.

• Players a plenty. For sports enthusiasts, Cincinnati offers year-round intrigue with the MLB’s Cincinnati Reds and the Great American Ballpark; the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals and Paul Brown Stadium; the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks and Cincinnati Gardens and numerous college teams.

• Park ‘n ride amusements. Adrenaline junkie teens, splashing tots and ‘coaster crazy adults will find a summer’s worthy of family entertainment at nearby amusement and water parks like CoCo Key Water Resort,  Coney Island, Kings Island and The Beach Waterpark.

For more on what to see and do in Cincinnati, check out the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati Visitors Bureau.

While the world’s top athletes are sweating it out during the Summer Olympics in Beijing (Aug. 8-24), China’s dog population has reason to breathe easy, now that Chinese authorities have reportedly removed dog meat from certain restaurant menus and asked other restaurants to limit or discourage customers from ordering dishes made with the animal considered in many other parts of the world to be man’s best friend.

The move follows a similar ban in South Korea during the 1988 Olympics, though it apparently has not been strictly enforced.

Other places travelers might encounter rover on the menu? Vietnam, the Philippines and Laos.

We all know a picture’s worth a thousand words, but in the case of Me No Speak pocket guidebooks, pictures may just be worth a whole lot more. After all, who needs a thousand words when the person on the other end of the conversation can’t understand them?

The guidebooks - available for China, Japan and Thailand - have been around a while, but I was reminded of them yesterday by Thrillist. Yes, you may feel silly accosting a stranger on a busy street corner and repeatedly pointing to a picture of a train, but you’d probably feel a whole lot worse after wandering aimlessly, missing your scheduled departure and spending the rest of the day pantomiming your way around town in search of food, shelter and distraction.

Along with transportation, the guides also tackle food, shopping, health topics and accommodations.

Well, it’s not like we didn’t see it coming. The days of the free first checked bag, at least on major airlines’ domestic U.S. flights, are numbered. Yesterday, Northwest Airlines announced that it will begin charging travelers $15 to check the first bag, a policy adopted earlier this summer by American Airlines and United Airlines. This morning, US Airways threw itself into the ring and announced the same $15 fee.

US Airways Baggage Policy

Northwest Airlines Baggage Policy

What’s more, the US Airways has also decided that, in addition to other recent changes like eliminating free in-flight beverages in economy class, it will beginning removing in-flight entertainment systems from its seats this fall, with no plans to replace them anytime soon. According to this AP story, the company estimates the change will save $10 million annually in fuel costs, thanks to the lighter load.

It seems that what many considered an unbelievable change in airline policies just a few months ago has quickly become the norm.

As for me, I think it’s time to drop some cash over at Minimus. Of course, isn’t that the irony? Paying more for new, tinier toiletries in order to avoid fees that will likely be less than the annual cost of my personal  products?

If you’re not already a member of Virgin America’s Elevate program, then here’s a reason to join. The airline is picking one Elevate member to join its group of VIPs for the first public viewing, scheduled for July 28, of the WhiteKnight aircraft that will launch Virgin Galactic’s commercial space ship, SpaceShipTwo, into sub-orbital space flight.

Wanna see this knight in shining, carbon composite armor? You’ll have to get creative and tell the powers that be about the first thing you’d do in a weightless environment in 50 words or less. Click the image above to get started….