Violent crime reports rose in America for the first time in 2006, according to FBI statistics.

However, the recent 1.2% increase belies a long-term trend: America is becoming a much safer country.

To find out which parts of America are the safest, we looked at the FBI's latest report on crime and found cities with violent crime rates substantially below the national average. 

We only included cities with populations of more than 200,000 to exclude suburban areas. Many of the cities are repeat winners from our 2011 report on America's safest cities.

Irvine, Calif. has been the safest city in the country for the 9th consecutive year. The city of just more than 200,000 has one of the country's top-ranked school systems, a median household income well above the national average, and a crime prevention method that includes keeping a thorough record of violence.

Nine of the 20 safest cities are located in the Southwest, with another six located in California. Conversely, on our list of the 25 most dangerous cities, there were no Southwestern cities and only two California cities.

Clearly there's a geographic trend here. It should be noted, however, that different crime reporting policies among police departments may make some cities appear safer or more dangerous than they really are.

Neighboring cities Virgina Beach and Chesapeake, VA, are the only two on the list with murder rates equal to or above the national average. However, rape and robbery rates substantially below the national average compensate for this difference.

El Paso, Texas, one of the safest cities, is located directly across the Mexico-U.S. border from Juarez, Mexico, one of the world's most violent cities. Officials there say that drug cartels keep their base of operations in Mexico to avoid encounters with U.S. law enforcement.

It also turns out safety has its trade-offs: four of the safest cities (Chula Vista, Calif., Hialeah, Fla., Chandler, Ariz., and Henderson, Nev.) also appear on Forbes's list of the 10 most boring cities in America. 

These were the safest cities in 2012:

1. Irvine, Calif. had a murder rate 80% below average; rape rate 86% below average; robbery rate 86% below average.

2. Fremont, Calif. had a murder rate 81% below average; rape rate 76% below average; robbery rate 47% below average.

3. Plano, Texas had a murder rate 92% below average; rape rate 28% below average; robbery rate 65% below average.

4. Madison, Wisc. had a murder rate 73% below average; unreported rape data; and robbery rate 11% below average.

5. Irving, Texas had a murder rate 72% below average; rape rate 55% below average; and robbery rate 47% below average.

6. Scottsdale, Ariz. has a murder rate 71% below average; rape rate 26% below average; and robbery rate 55% below average. 

7. Boise, Idaho has a murder rate 90% below average; rape rate 35% above average; and robbery rate 73% below average. 

8. Henderson, Nev. has a murder rate 68% below average, rape rate 13% below average; and robbery rate 43% below average. 

9. Chandler Ariz. has a murder rate 65% below average; rape rate 1% below average; and robbery rate 46% below average.

10. Chula Vista, Calif. has a murder rate 32% below average; rape rate 50% below average; and robbery rate 20% below average. 

11. Hialeah, Fla. has a murder rate 63% below average; rape rate 36% below average; and robbery rate 2% below average.

12. Virginia Beach, Va. has a murder rate equal to average; rape rate 52% below average; and robbery rate 36% below average.

13. Garland, Texas has a murder rate 37% below average; rape rate 25% below average; and robbery rate 12% below average. 

14. El Paso, Texas has a murder rate 28% below average; rape rate 2% above average; and robbery rate 39% below national average. 

15. Fontana, Calif. has a murder rate 47% below average, rape rate 42% below average; and robbery rate 27% above average. 

16. Oxnard, Calif. has a murder rate 5% below average; rape rate 85% below average; and robbery rate 32% above average. 

17. Reno, Nev. has a murder rate 35% below average; rape rate 46% below average; and robbery rate 25% above average. 

18. Chesapeake, Va. has a murder rate 12% above average; rape rate 41% below average; and robbery rate 22% below average. 

19. Laredo, Texas has a murder rate 31% below average; rape rate 24% above average; and robbery rate 34% below average. 

20. San Diego, Calif. has a murder rate 25% below average; rape rate 15% below average; and robbery rate 0.3% below average. 

SEE ALSO: The 25 Most Dangerous Cities In America

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Not everyone thrives in the morning.

If you cringe at the sunlight coming through your bedroom window in the early a.m., maybe you can learn something from the morning routines that help these successful people jump-start their day. 

Produced by Justin Gmoser

SEE ALSO: Food Hacks That Will Make Your Life Infinitely Easier

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A loophole in federal law keeps Americans from having access to information about the vast majority of crimes committed on cruise ships, according to a new report released by Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV).

Rockefeller chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and commissioned the report, titled "Cruise Ship Crime: Consumers Have Incomplete Access to Cruise Ship Data," which was published Wednesday.

It reveals a huge gap between the numbers of crimes committed on cruises and those that are publicly reported.

Under the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 (CVSSA), cruise lines are required to report "any allegation of crime" to the FBI as soon as possible. That covers only serious violations, including homicide, suspicious death, missing United States nationals, sexual assault, kidnapping, and theft of property in excess of $10,000.

The Coast Guard is responsible for posting and maintaining public crime statistics, based on information from the FBI.

But according to "Cruise Ship Crime," which used FBI records acquired through Freedom of Information requests, of 959 total crimes reported to the FBI since 2011, only 31 were then reported publicly. That's 3.2%.

The numbers are less skewed when only crimes that cruise lines must report — violations like homicide and sexual assault — are considered, but things are still largely hidden from the public eye. Just 31 out of 130 serious incidents were made public, 24%.

What's with the gap?

According to the report, it comes down to how the FBI reads the law: "The FBI interprets the CVSSA to require public reporting of only those incidents that are no longer under investigation by the FBI."

Those who want to know how much crime happens on cruise ships can see only statistics from the Coast Guard. For April 1 to June 30 of this year, those numbers include no homicides, suspicious deaths, missing US nationals, kidnappings, or thefts worth more than $10,000. They show two cases of serious assault, and five of sexual assault.

That figure — just seven noteworthy crimes among all cruises in a three month period — is reassuring.

But without filing a FOIA request, there's no way to know how much crime is actually reported by the cruise lines to the FBI. If the Bureau has not concluded its investigation, there's no public record of it. The upside is that the public is not given information that could distort how dangerous cruises are, because the alleged crimes have not yet been properly investigated.

But it also keeps people in the dark about open investigations, pending prosecutions, and reported matters that don't fall under the various serious crime categories — all of which can be valuable information.

Proposed Legislation

Rockefeller rightly notes that overall crime rates on cruise ships are very low. On its website, Carnival writes "the incidence of crime on board is very small given the large number of guests we carry" — on track for 4 million this year.

To give the public access to more complete records, Sen. Rockefeller has introduced the Cruise Passenger Protection Acts of 2013. The bill would "make all crimes alleged on cruise ships publicly available information," and require the Department of Transportation to establish a victim advocate to make cruise customers aware of their rights and get access to law enforcement if necessary.

SEE ALSO: A Photo History Of Carnival Cruise Ship Disasters

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It's a long way from your average flower show, with mock missiles bristling behind the begonias, and garden gnome-sized troops lobbing grenades over a bed of orchids.

But then, as the North Korean staff inside the cavernous bloom-decked exhibition hall in Pyongyang are quick to point out, these are far from average flowers.

The red begonias are actually Kimjongilia, named after late leader Kim Jong-Il, while the orchids are Kimilsungia -- after his father and the nation's founder Kim Il-Sung.

"They are both beautiful and rare flowers named after the most famous men in the world," one English-speaking guide to the exhibition, Kim Chun-Kyong, told AFP during a tour for invited foreign media on Friday.

Both flowers dominated the 70 large-scale displays taking up three floors of the hall in a special show to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War ceasefire.

The signing of the armistice is celebrated as "Victory Day" in North Korea and the martial theme was laid on with a large trowel.

Most of the floral displays utilised military statuary, many showing a proud soldier carrying the national flag into battle over the flowerpots.

Some went for actual battlefield action, with metre-high figurines of heavy machine gunners and grenade throwers embedded between the Kimjongilia, whose large blooms and thick stems provided better cover than the more delicate Kimilsungia.

Also prominent were scaled down models of the Unha-3 rocket with which North Korea successfully placed a satellite in orbit last December.

Most of the international community viewed the launch as a disguised ballistic missile test and the UN Security Council tightened sanctions on Pyongyang as a result.

Each floral display was put together by a different state institution, ministry or committee, and some chose to personalise their efforts to reflect their own work.

Instead of armed troops, one trade body decorated its flower beds with its products, including a CNC milling machine, some rolls of patterned textiles and bags of fertiliser.

The Committee For the Peaceful Reunification of Korea had its flowers arranged in the shape of a map of the entire Korean peninsula, with Pyongyang marked by a slightly taller, rotating flower pot.

The national flower of North Korea is the magnolia, and the blooms named after the two late leaders were both provided by outsiders.

Late Indonesian president Sukarno presented Kim Il-Sung with his orchid namesake, and the Kimjongilia was grown by a Japanese botanist.

Asked whether native Korean varieties would not have been more appropriate, the guide said the fact that they were presented by foreigners made them more significant.

"This shows our great leaders are praised all over the world, and not only by the Korean people," she said, adding that current leader Kim Jong-Un was likely to receive a similar honour in the future.

"I know that world people also praise him as the greatest person in the world, so maybe soon there will be a Kimjongunia," she said.

Factory worker Jiang Ok-Sil took time off work to visit the exhibition with her five-year-old daughter.

"Like other Korean people, whenever we see these flowers we always remember our great leaders, Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il," Jiang said.

Pressed to choose her favourite, Jiang hesitated before opting for the Kimilsungia which "looked more beautiful".

"But the Kimjongilia is very beautiful too," she added quickly.

SEE ALSO: AP Photographer's Instagram Pictures Show What Life Is Like In North Korea

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In light of gay marriage being legalized in the UK, the Oxford English Dictionary editors are changing the definition of marriage.

Currently, the prestigious dictionary defines marriage as the "formal union of a man and a woman, typically as recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife."

A secondary definition adds, "(in some jurisdictions) a union between partners of the same sex."

Now, the new definition will include both heterosexual and homosexual couples to reflect the changing times.

"We continually monitor the words in our dictionaries, paying particular to those words whose usage is shifting, so yes, this will happen with marriage," an Oxford University Press spokeswoman told Gay Star News, which broke the story.

There's no word yet on what the new definition will be, but the Oxford English Dictionary is not the first to get in on the trend. The French Larousse dictionary changed the definition of marriage to a "solemn act between two same-sex or different-sex persons, who decide to establish a union" before gay marriage became legal in France back in April.

And Canada defines marriage without gender: "The state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)."

SEE ALSO: Big, Beautiful Pictures Of The Jubilant Gay Pride Parade In New York City

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David George Gordon is a self-described naturalist who's made a career of writing about and eating bugs. His famed "Eat-A-Bug Cookbook" is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, and now Gordon has released a revised and updated version, complete with new recipes and beautiful photos of dishes that actually make bugs look delicious.

Gordon was working on his 1996 book "The Compleat Cockroach" when he first realized how truly edible cockroaches are — they're full of protein and, as most New Yorkers know, are especially crunchy, he said in an interview with Business Insider.

Gordon soon began working on a cookbook that would include recipes for all bugs, not just roaches. It was published two years later.

These days, Gordon spends much of his time traveling around the country cooking bugs for daring audiences of hundreds (you can check his schedule here). 

He's been featured in Time and The Wall Street Journal, and he's been a guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, ABC's Nightline and The View. But perhaps Gordon's most impressive feat is making insect dishes seem attractive and even appetizing.

The bees in his Three Bee Salad could almost be mistaken for beans. Of course, they're not, and most people wouldn't dream of topping their salad with insects, but Gordon is quick to point out just how silly that is.

"80% of the world eats bugs in some form," Gordon said. "We're really the weirdos because we don't eat bugs. Western ideas about taste are pretty narrowly-defined."

Besides being nutritious, bugs are a sustainable form of food. In May, the UN released a report urging people around the world to eat more bugs, as doing so might help to fight world hunger.

For beginner bug-eaters, Gordon recommended crickets, which he said are crunchy, light, and easy to find at pet stores. He himself buys them by the thousands from a supplier in Louisiana and then freezes them, "so they don't hop around in the saucepan."

Wax worms, his personal favorite, spend their lives eating honey and as a result they taste surprisingly sweet. You can buy them cheap at bait and tackle shops. When they're cooked into his white chocolate and wax worm cookies, he told me, they taste "a little bit like pistachio nuts." 

But what about the stuff that's harder for people to swallow (in more ways than one), like tarantulas? Gordon's solution: deep-fry them.

"I singe off the hairs, dip them in tempura batter and then deep-fry them," he laughed. "I always say I'll eat anything deep-fried!" 

Beneath the surface, the spiders have a unique texture. "Tarantulas have a body armor that's very pliable," Gordon explained. "Their legs are full of this long white muscle, and people are always surprised by how chewy they are."

When I brought up the hordes of cicadas that blanketed much of the East Coast during May and June, Gordon had a lot to say. 

"Cicadas are full of vitamins, minerals and proteins," he told me. "The best time to get one is just after it's emerged from the ground but before it's begun to grow a hard shell. Some people say they taste like soft-shell crab." His book includes a recipe for a cicada-and-artichoke-topped pizza that's called Piz-zz-zz-za.

As far-out as his recipes may be, Gordon himself is very down-to-earth, especially when it comes to his expectations for bugs as food.

"Do I expect the whole world to start eating bugs? No, but I want to make people question their ideas about what's acceptable to eat and where those ideas come from," he said. "We eat chicken eggs, and that's kind of weird when you really think about it."

He may be onto something.

Gordon shared three of his bug recipes with us. The rest are in his book, available on Amazon.

Three Bee Salad (yields 4 servings)

1/2 cup (about 40) frozen adult bees; 1/2 cup (about 60) frozen bee pupae; 1/2 cup (about 60) frozen bee larvae; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 6 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; 1 ounce bee pollen granules; Lettuce for serving; Nasturtium petals or other edible flowers for serving.

1. Bring two quarts of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the adult honeybees and return to boil for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bees from the water. Pat dry with paper towels and allow to cool.

2. To the same water, add the honeybee pupae. Repeat the procedure for cooking the adult bees (but watch how you pat these little guys with the paper towels!), also allowing the pupae to cool.

3. Repeat the same process with the honeybee larvae.

4. In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked adult bees, followed by the pupae, then the larvae.

5. Immediately before serving, add the bee pollen granules, stirring the mixture to ensure that the granules are evenly distributed.

6. Serve on a bed of lettuce, decorated with the nasturtium petals, a bee-utiful touch for this bee-atific dish.

Sheesh! Kabobs (yields 6 servings)

12 frozen katydids, grasshoppers, or other large-bodied Orthoptera, thawed; 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1¹/₂-inch chunks; 1 small yellow onion, cut into 8 wedges

Marinade

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon honey; 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint, thyme, and tarragon; 1/4 teaspoon salt; Pinch of freshly ground pepper.

1. Mix all ingredients for the marinade in a nonreactive baking dish. Add the katydids, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

2. When ready to cook, remove the katydids from the marinade and pat dry. Assemble the kabobs by alternately skewering the insects, bell pepper, and onion wedges to create a visually interesting lineup.

3. Brush the grill lightly with olive oil. Cook the kabobs 2 or 3 inches above the fire, turning them every two or three minutes and basting them with additional olive oil as required. The exact cooking time will vary, depending on your grill and the type of insects used. However, the kabobs should cook for no longer than 8 or 9 minutes.

Deep-Fried Tarantula Spider (yields 4 servings)

2 cups canola or vegetable oil; 2 frozen adult Texas brown, Chilean rose, or similar-sized tarantulas, thawed; 1 cup tempura batter (scroll down); 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. 

1.In a deep saucepan or deep-fat fryer, heat the oil to 350°F.

2.With a sharp knife, sever and discard the abdomens from the two tarantulas. Singe off any of the spider’s body hairs with a crème brûlée torch or butane cigarette lighter.

3.Dip each spider into the tempura batter to thoroughly coat. Use a slotted spoon or your hands to make sure each spider is spread-eagled (so to speak) and not clumped together before dropping it into the hot oil.

4.Deep-fry the spiders, one at a time, until the batter is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Remove each spider from the oil and place it on paper towels to drain.

5.Use a sharp knife to cut each spider in two lengthwise. Sprinkle with the paprika and serve. Encourage your guests to try the legs first and, if still hungry, to nibble on the meat-filled mesothorax, avoiding the spider’s paired fangs, which are tucked away in the head region.

Tempura Batter

1 medium egg; 1/2 cup cold water; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

1.To make the batter, beat the egg in a small mixing bowl until smooth. Slowly add the cold water, continuing to beat until evenly mixed. Add the flour and baking soda and beat gently until combined; the batter should be a bit lumpy.

2.Let the batter sit at room temperature while heating the oil. 

Recipes reprinted with permission from The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook, Revised by David George Gordon (Ten Speed Press, © 2013). Photo Credit: Chugrad McAndrews.

SEE ALSO: These Insect Dishes Could Help Solve World Hunger

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GREENPORT, N.Y. — I'm going to ignore my selfish instincts here and go ahead and share with you a summer secret I've been keeping for almost 20 years. 

If you're a New Yorker looking to escape the city and want to really revel in the nearby sun, sand and salt water of Long Island, then skip the Hamptons — that over-hyped, over-priced, traffic-choked string of hamlets on the South Fork.

Unless of course, you like to stand around at exorbitantly priced events where you can see and be seen with bold-face names. In that case, head east on the LIE and when you reach Riverhead, where the mass of glacial till that is Long Island splits in two, stay to the right.

But if you're like me and you'd prefer instead to drop all pretense and spend your time actively exploring the prodigious, serene and scenic terrain the East End has to offer, then get off at exit 71, hang a left and head north to the Anti-Hamptons — the North Fork of Long Island.

My husband Steven and I visited both forks on our honeymoon 19 years ago and we have been North Fork regulars ever since, returning to the South Fork only under duress to visit aging relatives.

We establish a home base in Greenport and bike, hike, swim and kayak by day. By night we enjoy local wines and beer, dine at low-key, highly rated restaurants and watch the sun tinge the clouds with Technicolor precision as it sinks into the Long Island Sound. The sleepy, historic fishing village, with the frayed blue-collar feel where we quickly became known as "the honeymoon couple" that first weekend in 1994, has matured gracefully into a more sophisticated but still friendly town from which we mount our daily fitness excursions.

At the risk of ruining the North Fork's hidden, off-the-beaten-path purity, DNAinfo New York offers this insider's take on three worthwhile outings and favorite haunts:

Where to Stay

► We stay at the friendly, family-owned (for three generations) Sunset Motel on Route 48 ($110-$365/night) because every room has a screened-in porch with a view of the Sound and most have kitchenettes. There's an oversized central lawn, tailor-made for Frisbee playing, and a private beach that Steve and I cherish.

► If you need fluffy towels, a tub or sleek decor, however, you'll be happier at The Greenporter ($189-$369) on Front Street, which has a pool and restaurant, but no water frontage.

► The  Harborfront Inn ($249-$759), also on Front Street, is the only luxury hotel on the North Fork. It has a heated pool and rooms with balconies and harbor views.

► There are also plenty of B&B's to choose from, starting from about $200 a night. The only B&B we've ever stayed at on the North Fork has closed, but The North Fork B&B Association maintains a list of excellent options.

Getting Started

On the drive out, stop along the way for tastings at a few of the scores of wineries that have been instrumental in bringing positive attention to the region in recent decades. On a weekend jaunt in early May, we stopped at Castello Di Borghese Vineyard and Winery, formerly Hargrave, which was the very first winery in the region. 

While I sipped and chatted with the assistant manager, Evie Kahn, she invited us to attend their 40th anniversary celebration the following night, featuring opera music from Belle Voci and light fare from Noah's. Politely declining, tongue in cheek, Steve said he hadn't brought his tux. "No tux necessary here," Kahn assured us. "You could wear one of those tuxedo T-shirts to this event. We like to keep it simple out here."   

If you aren't bringing your own bicycle, call Brian at Eagle's Neck Paddling as soon as you arrive and he'll drop off rental bikes to any location in the area, usually within the hour. Then head to town to stock up on supplies. After picking up breakfast staples at IGA, we always hit Bruce's Cheese Emporium for an assortment of cheeses from all over the world, to pair with the wine I chose on the way out and the beer Steve fills his growler with at the Greenport Harbor Brewing Company.

Once stocked up and ready to roll, head out to discover the natural beauty of the (formerly) best-kept summer secret in downstate New York. Enjoy your stay, but do me a favor and keep it to yourself, OK?

Bike and Hike — Greenport to Orient Point County Park

Start this trip with a bike ride to Orient. This 9.1 mile, easy-to-moderate ride will take about 45 minutes and will carry you along a stretch of Route 25 that is water bound on both sides, past farm stands, osprey nests, and breathtaking views of the bay to the south and inlets to the north. Birdwatchers will revel in the abundance of waterfowl.

Have lunch at Orient By The Sea. Bob Hasse and family have been serving fresh seafood from this super-friendly, prime location for 35 years. My favorite is the Orient Chowder ($8), New England style with a little kick, but everything on the menu is reasonably priced, simply prepared and delicious.

After lunch, cross the street and take a nature walk at Orient Point County Park, 48 acres at the tip of Southold Town, with a mile-long stretch of beach front. An easy 1/2-mile walk through woods will take you to the end of the island where the Long Island Sound meets Gardiners Bay (known as the Race). Scramble on the rocks, enjoy the scenic views surrounding the purportedly haunted Race Rock lighthouse and watch the Cross Sound ferries head out to Connecticut.

The ride back to Greenport is always harder than the ride there. Not only will you have a full belly, but you are also peddling against the wind. So when you get to Manhasset Avenue at the edge of Greenport turn left and reward yourself with a short detour to happy hour and live music at Billy's By The Bay. Billy's is a casual place in the Brewer Yacht Yard, known for its "Oyster-Mania," all day, every day. Appetizers are $3 to $15. Don't get carried away, though. You still have to ride back to wherever you are staying. After a shower, return to Manhasset Avenue for an elegant, delectable Italian dinner on Sterling Harbor at Porto Bello, owned and operated by Diana DiVello and her mother for 17 years.

Bike and Kayak — Greenport to Shelter Island 

For this excursion, you'll bike through the town of Greenport and take your bike on the North Ferry to Shelter Island ($5 round trip per person). From there, bike to the boat ramp at the end of Burns Road on Shelter Island and rent kayaks from Shelter Island Kayak Tours. Call ahead to reserve your kayak or book a guided tour. Shelter Island's hilly terrain will provide a much more challenging workout than biking out to Orient did. The ride from the ferry to the boat ramp will take about 30 minutes.

Once in your kayak, head to Taylor's Island and beyond to Mashomack Preserve. Home to a log cabin built around 1900, Taylor Island is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The grounds, open to the public, are the perfect spot for a picnic and a dip in the water.

After returning your kayak, on your way back to the ferry, stop at Whale's Tale for an ice cream cone and a game of miniature golf.

A nice spot for a casual lunch is The Dory ($8 to $25), just up the road from the North Ferry on Route 114. It's been there for 80 years and is the oldest and most famous watering hole on the island.

If you want to add a bonus hike to this excursion, check out Inlet Pond County Park on Route 48 when you get back to Greenport. The North Fork Audubon Society offers nature programs in this 55-acre preserve with 1.6 miles of groomed trails leading to the Long Island Sound.

Kayak-Hike — Orient Point State Park and Dam Pond Preserve

Drive or bike to Orient Point State Park. This is the same route that starts the first excursion above, but now you will go into the state park on the south side of the road when you reach the end, instead of the county park on the north side. From the entrance of the park, it's another couple of miles into the parking lot, beach and kayak launch. You may want to stop along the way as you head into the park and rest on one of the benches along the road, pausing to soak in the peaceful surroundings.

Leave the parking lot and hike west along the beach (an unmarked trail) at the edge of Gardiners Bay. When you reach the end make a U-turn to your right, heading back east on the other side of the peninsula along Long Beach Bay. Returning by the same route, you'll log a tad over 5 miles. Enjoy the solitude, since you probably won't pass more than a few fellow hikers. Dip in the water as needed to cool off.

After the hike, rent a kayak from the Eagle's Neck Paddling outpost near the parking lot. Then head east into Little Bay or west through Long Beach Bay toward Orient Harbor and Gardiners Bay.

Once back on shore enjoy a well-deserved meal and cocktail at Orient By The Sea, adjacent to the park entrance.

If you're still yearning for more nature and exercise, on your way back to Greenport stop at Dam Pond Maritime Preserve for a hike through 36 acres of woods along trails that lead to a protected bay, sound front and several distinct habitats. Even the locals are largely unfamiliar with this tranquil hideaway, frequented mostly by birdwatchers in the spring and fall.

SEE ALSO: 34 Things Every New Yorker Should Do This Summer

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When you're traveling, hospitable locals can make you feel welcome with a simple gesture like a home-cooked meal or some good advice.

Apartment rental site Airbnb found the 10 most hospitable cities in the U.S.

To compile this list, they looked at over a million user reviews, which evaluated hosts in different cities for cleanliness, check-in, communication, value, and accuracy.

Tampa, FL, took the number one spot on the list, proving that southern hospitality still reigns. Other southern cities made the list, including Nashville and Raleigh, but several cities in the American west also proved to be hospitable. Perhaps not surprisingly, no large cities in the northeast made the list.

#10 Lake Tahoe, California

#9 Tucson, Arizona

#8 Nashville, Tennessee

In a series of 55 dramatic black-and-white photographs, Japanese photographer Hiroyuki Suzuki offers a rare look at what it's like to work deep underground in his new series "The Next Level: East Side Access."

The Metropolitan Transit Authority's ongoing East Side Access project will allow Long Island Rail Road trains to enter Manhattan by way of a vast new station that will be built 18 stories below Grand Central Terminal. The $8.3 billion project has been in the works since the late 1960s, and the MTA expects it to be completed by 2019.

Grand Central Station is celebrating its centennial anniversary, and the New York Transit Museum will display Suzuki's photos from July 23 to Oct. 27, 2013. The images are visually astounding and show just what it takes to embark upon a massive construction project like this one.

The Chrysler Building glows in the night as Grand Central looms large.

The tunnels are vast enough to hold cranes and other large construction equipment.

Three men cast shadows and provide a frame of reference that shows just how enormous the tunnels are.

For foodies hoping to nab a reservation at El Celler de Can Roca, the Spanish restaurant that was named the best restaurant in the world for 2013, bad news — the waiting list for a table is 12 months.

According to Bloomberg Muse food critic Richard Vines, who recently reviewed the restaurant, El Celler's wait list since has grown from 10 months to a year since the award was announced in April, and there's a backlog of 3,000 requests.

El Celler employs three people just to turn away eager diners, one of the three brothers who own the restaurant told Vines.

The restaurant, in Girona, Spain, has been serving modern Spanish cuisine since it opened in 1986. The Roca brothers, who run the critically-acclaimed establishment, split their duties between the kitchen and front of house.

Flickr user Encantadisimo was lucky enough to dine at El Celler in 2011 and again in 2013. He shared pictures of his most recent experience with Business Insider, where he and a companion shared the "Menú Degustació de Classics," a seven-course tasting menu with the restaurant's most beloved dishes.

With the wine pairing, the meal cost $248 per person.

El Celler de Can Roca is in a suburban neighborhood in Girona, Spain.

Inside, the decor is airy and modern with glass walls and white table cloths.

The first round of appetizers was brought out under a paper globe advertised as "biting the world." It opens as a fan to reveal ...

Neiman Marcus has settled a suit brought by a high-end shopper who tried to return $1.4 million in goods her husband bought from a saleswoman who was allegedly his mistress, The Dallas Morning News reports.

Patricia Walker's suit tested Neiman's famously generous return policy and inspired a 12-page feature last year in the Morning News' luxury magazine.

The allegations are salacious.

Walker says her now-ex husband, Robert Tennison bought the merchandise while she recovered from a car accident and he slept with a Neiman Marcus sales associate. Neiman said it wasn't obligated to take back the goods, calling her suit "nothing more than the ventings of a woman scorned."

Walker's attorney Mark Ticer has said the case isn't about revenge, though.

"This is about accountability and getting them to step up and do the right thing," Ticer told the Associated Press in May.

During a 2012 hearing, Neiman's attorney told the judge overseeing the case that the store had no written return policy — a claim the judge called "incredible."

That claim prompted Ticer to present a printout from Neiman's website reading, "You may return for credit, at any time, merchandise with which you are not completely satisfied."

The lawsuit also named the saleswoman with whom Tennison allegedly had an affiar. She earned a large commission from the sales, Walker's lawyer told ABC News.

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NEW YORK, United States — Not long ago, the practice of wearing pajamas during the day was largely confined to college campuses or the exceptional lifestyles of Hugh Hefner and Julian Schnabel.

No longer. Whether it’s a piped silk top, roomy drawstring pants, or a combination of the two, “pajama dressing” has become an unlikely but enduring high fashion trend with half a decade’s worth of staying power now under its belt and little sign of waning.

Indeed, designer Marc Jacobs — whose three Fall 2013 shows (for his signature collection, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Louis Vuitton) were all replete with silk sleepwear sets — is so taken with look, that he himself wore a different pair of pajamas for each show’s runway bow. Meanwhile, looking forward to Resort 2014, several fashion houses, from Rochas to Gucci, have incorporated echoes of pajama pieces. And on the men’s side, the Spring 2014 offerings from Haider Ackermann, Dries van Noten and Stefano Pilati’s collection for Ermenegildo Zegna were populated with lounge-inspired, silk jacquard silhouettes.

Such is the continuing traction of the pajama trend that it has led to the launch of several labels largely dedicated to the pajama look, including Piamita, brainchild of W magazine’s Karla Martinez and designer Cecilia de Sola, and the recently-introduced Sleepy Jones, started by Andy Spade.

But where did the pajama fascination originate?

Some trace it to Olatz Schnabel, who introduced her namesake pajama collection, Olatz, more than a decade ago, with her now ex-husband — the perpetually pajama-wearing Julian Schnabel — serving as brand ambassador. Andy Spade credits Mr. Schnabel with planting the idea for Sleepy Jones, which debuted this spring. “I was at a party, and Julian Schnabel walked in wearing pajamas,” Spade recalls. “He looked so chic, I thought to myself, could this work? Could other people accept the idea? And I talked to other people, and they said, ‘Yeah.’”

Holli Rogers, fashion director of Net-a-Porter, pinpoints the trend’s runway debut at Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring 2009 show, held in September 2008, which featured womanly takes on classic men’s silk pajamas. “Back then it was subtle,” she says. By 2011, pajama dressing had picked up steam, appearing everywhere from Thakoon to Céline. “Women such as [stylist] Caroline Sieber and [Style.com market director] Marina Larroudé really started wearing it top-to-toe,” Rogers adds, “and it has since taken off.”

“The strength behind the pajama look is the versatility of the styles,” Tomoko Ogura, senior fashion director, Barneys New York, points out. “Customers aren’t exclusively buying tops and bottoms as matching sets.” The silhouette is “incredibly flattering and easy to wear for several body types,” Cecilia de Sola, co-founder of Piamita, notes, adding: “We are different things to different customers in a sense. We can either sell to someone that wants to wear the PJ top and bottom for bed, or someone that is a little more fashion-forward, who wants to wear it out. They can use our blouses as layering pieces in winter and as stand-alone pieces in the summer.” In essence, pajama-inspired styles “are easy and multi-functional” for the customer, Tom Mora, senior vice president of women’s design at J.Crew, says.

Plus, the look presents a stylish alternative to the usual closet staples. “The pajama look arrived in a moment when the silk button-down blouse was gaining great momentum,” Ogura notes. “The pajama top [became] a timely update to the silk blouse.” Spade, meanwhile, compares Sleepy Jones’s cotton poplin pajama tops to the “very classic, old-fashioned oxford button-down.”

Liz Giardina, vice president of design for 10 Crosby Derek Lam, which has been turning out sleepwear-inspired pieces since its launch in 2011, notes: “An easy pajama-inspired trouser is more interesting than a pair of jeans.” Rogers adds: “The relaxed silhouette feels so fresh and needed after many years of skinny jeans and pants.”

Comfort is key to the style’s runaway success. “Women want clothes they can put on and feel polished [in] without fuss,” Giardina says. “It gives the customer a different attitude to buy — a chic way to look relaxed and also dressed up.” And, as Mora puts it: “Who doesn’t feel relaxed in their PJs?”

Attention to detail and a tailored fit is also essential — to prevent the wearer “feeling like they rolled out of bed and onto the street,” de Sola notes. To that end, Sleepy Jones “made the buttons like a shirt button and the collar more like a shirt collar,” Spade says. As far as styling, “pair [the pajama look] with something more structured in order to still look put together,” Mora suggests. “For example, a PJ top with a tailored pant or PJ set with stilettos.”

Both retailers and customers seem to be responding best to special touches or exclusive prints. Barneys commissioned New York-based label Sea to design a few exclusive patterned pajama styles, Ogura confirms. Piamita worked with The Webster boutique in Miami on exclusive prints “which have been incredibly successful,” co-founder Karla Martinez de Salas noted. And for Sleepy Jones, “basic colors haven’t done as well for us as the special prints,” Spade says. “[Customers are] definitely looking for something more special.”

As pajama pieces continue to sell — “very well,” designer Thakoon Panichgul notes — the look has evolved. “It’s definitely moving on from the literal pajama style shapes we have seen previously to a little more structure and substance, making it more acceptable as daywear,” Rogers notes. “The shapes are relaxed yet smarter and more flattering than before. The tops are becoming jackets — soft and more fluid. The pants have either become slimmer and cropped just above the ankle or more traditional with a wide leg and pajama detail such as piping at the hemline.”

“It’s more about the ease of the silhouette, the nonchalant kind of slouch,” Panichgul notes. ”Just a nuance of pajama inspiration, not doing the look outright.” At 10 Crosby Derek Lam, “our pajama dressing has evolved from a classic men’s inspired pajama to a silk-printed track pant and matching sweatshirt,” Giardina says.

Needless to say, “the trend does not seem to be going away,” Giardina continues. Rogers agrees: “It’s showing no signs of fading just yet. Rather than waning, I would actually say it’s becoming more prominent.”

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With sites like AirBnB and Craigslist, it's easier than ever to turn your homesinto a full-fledged budget hostel – and line your pockets with extra cash in the meantime.

As with any side gig that brings in extra income, you can bet the IRS will mind if you fail to mention your new role as small-time innkeeper. 

AirBnB helps hosts by prompting them with proper tax forms each year, but the average joe renting out his basement on the side might not know when he's crossed into taxable territory.

Here's how H&R Block's Jenna Bromberg lays it out:

If you want to skirt around taxes:

"Rental income is usually taxable under the Federal tax laws. But there is an exception if you rent out a home that you use as a home and the home is rented less than 15 days during the year. The exception is that rental income and rental expenses are not reported on your return at all. This allows a person to rent out his or her home for a short period of time with no tax consequences."

If you're not renting out your prime residence: 

"In addition to renting the home 14 or fewer days during the year, you must use the home for personal purposes more than the greater of 14 days or 10% of the total days it is rented to others at a fair rental price. This is no problem if you are temporarily renting out one spare room in a home that you live in. But for second homes or vacation homes, you need to keep track of your days."

For an exhaustive guide to tax codes surrounding rentals, see this IRS page on residential rental and vacation property.

DON'T MISS: This couple built a treehouse village in the Costa Rican rainforest > 

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Make a list and stick to it. That's one of the best ways to be kind to a budget at the grocery store. You avoid impulse purchases because of hunger or tempting specialty items.

But even the most prudent listmaker might not be protected from paying too much at the grocery store.

That's because manufacturers know which favorite products can fetch higher prices -- and they don't shy away from marking them up tremendously.

To keep from paying more than you have to next time you’re shopping, think twice about tossing any of these five most marked-up items into your cart.

Bottled Water: 4,000% Average Markup

Gulp! Sure, it's handy, but the manufacturing costs of producing plastic for the convenient containers make bottled water one of the worst values at the supermarket, said Jackie Warrick, president and chief savings officer at online coupon site couponcabin.com.

You can save big bucks by investing in a filter for your home faucet (most are under $100) or a pitcher that filters water for around $30 -- as well as a reusable plastic water bottle. That way, you can have all the bottled-tasting H2O you can guzzle without your hard-earned cash going down the drain. (Also handy: Wash out wide-mouthed sports drink bottles, fill up with ice and add a little water. Within an hour, you'll have cold water on a hot summer day for the kids.)

Name-Brand Spices: 100% Markup

They're given a lot of real estate on the shelves and even have their own television commercials. But: "Essentially, you're paying for the brand name and nothing else," Warrick said. The flavor and potency of name-brand spices are the same as generic ones.

Save some cash and skip buying name-brand spices. Instead, pluck the generic store brands from the shelf. Or look to the bulk foods section for spices you use often, such as cinnamon, dried parsley, etc. If a recipe calls for a spice you don't use regularly, you can buy exactly the amount you need in the bulk section -- that way, you won't waste money or ingredients. Better yet, get your garden going -- or at least a few pots inside in your home -- to have access to your favorite fresh herbs.

Household Specialty Items: Up To 60% Markup

You might think it's easier to pick up light bulbs, school supplies or duct tape at the grocery store instead of making an extra stop at another store. But you're going to pay a hefty price for that convenience because items that aren't food and drinks are costly at the grocery store. 

Household items at grocery stores are marked up as much as 60% more than their price at office supply, home improvement and other similar specialty stores.

"You have to weigh the pros and cons of saving money by going to another store or the convenience factor of being able to pick it up in one spot," Warrick said.

A new product solves the annoying problem of getting peanut butter, jelly, salsa, and more out of half-empty jars. 

Foodbeast first alerted us to The Jar With A Twist. The jar twists up from the bottom, keeping product at the top, and eliminating the need to dig into a jar with a butter knife. 

The product should hit stores sometime next year. 

Check out how it works: 

SEE ALSO: 19 Fast Food Hacks That Will Change The Way You Order

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Here's a neat little trick that lets you hull a bunch of strawberries in seconds.

Produced by William Wei

SEE ALSO: How To Separate Egg Yolk With A Water Bottle

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The New York Post is reporting that Stefano Gabbana (of Dolce & Gabbana fame) is a new potential buyer for the penthouse on top of Manhattan's Mark Hotel.

He was seen taking a tour of the $60 million pad in the midst of Dolce & Gabbana's legal trouble in Italy: The fashion duo were recently sentenced to 20 months in jail and a fine of €343 million ($455 million) after being accused of tax evasion.

They are currently appealing the ruling, but if it stands the famous fashion powerhouse could be forced to close, Domenico Dolce told Forbes.

The $60 million, 9,800-square-foot penthouse, which has been on the market since March, is one of 10 co-ops inside the 150-room hotel. It has six bedrooms, several galleries, a skylit conservatory, and a wraparound terrace that adds another 2,400 square feet of space.

Plus, there are some perks to living in a hotel. Residents can order room service from The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges on the first floor, and a Frédéric Fekkai salon and gym operated by Punch are right downstairs, too.

The 16-story hotel, located on 77th St. and Madison Ave., was originally built in 1927.

The interior of the hotel and 10 co-ops were designed by award-winning French designer Jacques Grange.

The Mark is a popular hangout for celebrities, and residents are sure to catch sight of a few A-listers. Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake have partied at the hotel.

The Wall Street Journal published an article earlier this week claiming that men's growing interest in how they dress is somehow killing individual style.  

The opinion piece by Alexander Aciman points to #menswear, a popular tool for aggregating photos of men's style on the web, as the culprit. Aciman argues that the availability of photographs and style advice for men has turned us into sheep, following the latest fad or affectation.

As evidence, he points to the many men who have started paying attention to what they wear since the word "metrosexual" became popular.  

The most recent egregious examples, according to Aciman, including rolling jeans at the ankles and wearing wingtips without socks. These trends have "prevented men from knowing or learning what they actually want," he writes.

But what the article fails to do is tie the trends popularized by #menswear to the underlying shift that's happening in men's fashion, towards better cut and quality. Guys aren't just wearing selvedge jeans with rolled cuffs to look cool — it's also a high quality fabric and well-made product. And unbuttoned jacket cuffs aren't just stylish — they signify a well-made product, with working cuff buttons.

The most basic rule of clothing, especially for men, who have fewer options than women, is that it must fit properly. And fortunately, fit has become a bigger concern for companies that make and sell menswear, as well as for the people who buy it. 

Most of the men of participating in the #menswear discussion online are guys who work in clothing design, merchandising, etc. It makes perfect sense that they would be the ones experimenting with "the purposeful unbuckling of monkstrap shoes, mismatched cufflinks, button-down shirts with only one collar point fastened," as Aciman puts it. If no one experimented with fashion, how would we know what looks good? 

Some men will inevitably copy the stylemakers' looks verbatim, but they are the minority. Most look at street style photos and see how good clothing can look when they have the right fit, and be inspired to improve their own looks.

I'll admit that I was personally part of the #menswear obsession several years ago, but it required a lot of energy to keep up with the trends. At a certain point, I realized I could dress in a way that I liked, without bowing to every new development. I settled on a style that I know works for me, using my knowledge from my #menswear days to establish a baseline for my personal style. And I don't see a big issue with guys who are just figuring out their own style to occasionally poach from those whose style they admire, until they've reached a place where they feel comfortable with themselves. 

Women's fashion has always been a larger industry, and it finally feels like the men's sphere is playing catch-up. Women have copied styles from runway photos and fashionistas for decades, but no one accuses them of acting like sheep. If men feel like they need to fake it until they've made it when it comes to style, then good for them — it only means they're taking an active interest in how they look, which is better for everyone.

SEE ALSO: How To Pick The Right Color Shoes For Any Suit

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A 15-foot blue rooster was unveiled in central London's Trafalgar Square today.

Rising up amid the serious military monuments and statues of British heroes, the playful statue is by German artist Katharina Fritsch and is appropriately titled "Hahn/Cock."

The rooster currently perches on the vacant "Fourth Plinth" — which has been the location of a series of artworks lately— and should probably just stay there forever.

SEE ALSO: 10 Billionaires Who Spend A Ton Of Money On Art

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Having already stunned crowds at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show earlier this year, Icona’s V-12-powered Vulcano supercar concept will soon be on its way to the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance where its creators will be judging interest in the car and deciding whether production will go ahead.

The Vulcano is the creation of Shanghai-based design studio Icona and was built by coachbuilders in Italy. Its lines were penned by former Bertone designer Samuel Chuffart and its powertrain technology developed by former Scuderia Ferrari engineer Claudio Lombardi.

Icona is looking to build five examples for public sale and is currently booking test drives for the car. Those selected to test the Vulcano will need to travel to Italy next summer for a planned track session, where they will be able to get intimately familiar with its technology.

Two different versions of the Vulcano are envisaged: a 950-horsepower Vulcano H-Turismo packing a V-12 engine paired with an electric motor, and an 870-horsepower Vulcano H-Competizione packing a twin-turbocharged V-6 and two electric motors connected in a through-the-road hybrid setup.

Regardless of what drivetrain it's packing, the Vulcano should be able to hit 60 mph from rest in around 3.0 seconds and go on to reach a top speed of 217 mph.

Stay tuned for the Vulcano's Pebble Beach appearance on the weekend starting August 17. The Motor Authority team will once again be heading down for the event, so be sure to stay up to date on our extensive coverage via our dedicated page.

SEE ALSO: The 50 Sexiest Cars Of The Past 100 Years

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