Let's get a wee bit naughty with these photos from Bonaire, taken at the entrance to the national's park's  rest rooms for men and women. We bet you can tell which is which! (Photos by Richard P. Carpenter.)
 

From Harry to Hairy in Independence, Mo.
One of the many joys of travel is encountering an unexpected and unusual attraction. Take Independence, Mo., where many go to see the home of President Harry S Truman but leave talking about such eccentric attractions as these:

Leila’s Hair Museum, 1333 S. Noland Road, is perhaps the only such museum of its kind. Boasting over 2,500 hair wreaths, brooches, watch fobs, bracelets, earrings buttons, jewelry and artwork made partially or entirely out of human hair, the collection pays homage to the Victorian craft of hair work. Wreaths were created by women to illustrate family genealogy and were made from hair both of the living and the dead. Recent acquisitions include  framed hair from celebrities such as Elvis, Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe, and JFK.  The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $2.50 for seniors and children under 12. For more information, go to www.hairworks.com/leila or call 816-833-2955.

And then there is the Puppetry Arts Institute, 11025 E. Winner Road, a store frontfilled with hundreds of puppets and marionettes from all over the world. Rod puppets, hand puppets, shadow puppets and marionettes are displayed, as well as a special Punch and Judy display and puppets from the factory of Hazelle Rollins, world famous puppeteer, inventor and manufacturer of puppets. Her nearby Kansas City factory was the largest puppet factory in the world. When she died and the factory closed, its inventory was left to the institute. Visitors can choose a professionally made puppet head, paint and clothe it and put on an impromptu show on one of the institute’s stages. The institute is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and costs $3 for adults, $1.50 for ages 16 and under. There is an extra $5 charge to make a puppet. Visit www.hazelle.org or call 816-833-9777.

While in Independence you can also travel back to the Civil War era at the 1859 Jail, Marshal’s Home and Museum, 217 N. Main, as you step into the gloomy limestone cells with two-foot-thick walls and heavy metal gated doors. Imagine the stories of  residents like outlaw Frank James or Quantrill’s Raiders guerillas. Listen and watch for evidence of ghostly inhabitants who are rumored to haunt the premises. The jail is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. (closed during November, open from Thanksgiving weekend through Dec. 30 and then closed for the winter till April 1.) Visit  

www.jchs.org/jail/museum.html or call 816-252-1892.

For more information, lodging information, maps, discount tickets and a  list of events, go to www.visitindependence.com.

Trivial question

What is the most populous country in Central America? (Answer somewhere below.)

Travel products to go

Downy Wrinkle Release and Dryel Instant Stain Remover are two products that come in sizes small enough (under 3 ounces) that they are acceptable  as carry-on items for flights. Two non-liquid but handy products are the Bounce travel size Lint & Freshness Roller and the Tide Travel Laundry Bag, which eliminates odors and fits inside a suitcase.

Worth quoting

“Never stand when you can sit; never sit when you can lie down, and by God, if you find a clean toilet, use it!” -- Anonymous

A Native American view of historic Plymouth

Visitors to Plymouth, Mass., hear about the Mayflower and the Pilgrims. Native Plymouth Tours, however, gives those visitors a chance to learn more about the earlier settlers via walking tours of the city's historic downtown -- tours that tell about the shared history of the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims from a Native American perspective. The 1 1/2-hour tours are given April through November and cost $15 for adults, $10 for children and $12 for seniors 60 and older. Visit www.nativeplymouthtours.com.

Fascinating fact

The Kiliaen restaurant in Hasselt, Holland, is so small it seats but two guests. Check out a video here.

Visit Pittsburgh -- and leave a tree behind

Hey, there,  all you proponents of a cleaner, greener environment: Fairmont Pittsburgh’s Take a Trip, Leave a Tree package includes tickets to Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, a guided bike tour of the Three Rivers Heritage Trails, a picnic lunch and a tree donated to the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. The package is available Thursday-Sunday through Dec. 31, with rates starting at $370 per night. Call  888-270-6647 or visit www.fairmont.com/pittsburgh. 

Trivial answer

Guatemala, with 13,276,517 residents, give or take a few, is the most populous country in Central America.