Here is your latest round-up of features, news, deals, and blog posts related to USA travel.

Happy New Year from a Snowy Grand Canyon

New Year's Day in the Grand Canyon started with a fresh, beautiful blanket of snow. On January 1, 2015, the National Park Service posted this photo by Michael Quinn from the South Rim Historic District and it seemed like the perfect way to ring in a new year of news round-ups.


Focus on the photo for a moment....Ahhhh, don't you feel refreshed?

Now on to more news. This is a rather western-focused round-up this week.

California Is Finally Getting to Work on Its Bullet Train

It's bizarre that two of the USA's most popular cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco, are not connected by high speed rail. Many in California have been wanting a bullet train for years, but the project has had many economic, environmental, and political hurdles to overcome. At last, on Tuesday, the bullet train agency broke ground in Fresno on the first 29-mile segment of the project. Via the Los Angeles Times:

"High-speed rail brings attention and focus back to city centers," said Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin, who is among a handful of Republican officials supporting the project. "It is going to be easier for people to live in the middle of the state and do business elsewhere."

Of course, that means that it'll eventually be easier for travelers to move from city center to city center, too.

The project, which is not yet fully funded, is expected to last 14 years.

The People Who Game the Sharing Economy for Thousands of Dollars in Promo Codes

Somewhere between being budget conscious and criminal lies this segment of the traveling population that has figured out how to game Silicon Valley's most popular sharing economy businesses for thousands of dollars in promotional codes. We're not saying that you should follow in these footsteps of these clever quasi-con artists (they do get caught). But it is a fascinating look at the underbelly of these big name travel start-ups. Fusion reports:

"Lots of start-ups dangle the codes to incentivize users to spread the word about their products to family and friends, rewarding them with a virtual Jefferson for each member of their network that comes on board. Enterprising users, however, have made tens of thousands of dollars in credits by hustling, scamming, and spamming to get themselves free stays and free rides from start-ups desperate for new users."

The Four American Cities Vying for the 2024 Summer Olympics

Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, are all vying for the 2024 Olympic Games. The New York Times asked reporters in each of the four cities how their bids looked, painting a short, compelling picture of what each city has to offer now and in the future.

Hiking Trail to Hollywood Sign Reopens

The Beachwood Canyon Trail, which has been closed for months to allow rangers to install a new gate, has reopened to hikers. The trail is the best way for L.A. visitors to get a panoramic view of the famous Hollywood Sign.