Welcome to another week here at Gadling! We're in the final stretch in 2009 and ending a glorious (or maybe not so glorious for some of you) decade. This both Christmas and the New Year around the corner, it's time to get into gear and get the scoop on the latest travel stories from around the web.

• If you're still at a loss for something to by that special someone for Christmas, Journey, Etc. has a handy list of top holiday gifts for wanderers.
• I <3 Seattle. It's a family-friendly place, and this nice guide to Seattle for families shows us just how much the city has to offer. [via Peter Greenberg]
• Ever wonder what it was like to travel on the Orient Express. Based on this story, it must have been grand. [via NPR]
• Spice up your travel attitude by following these tips to being a more spirited -- or "badass" -- traveler. [via Brave New Traveler]
• Talk about tourism being an industry. These countries make billions of dollars from tourism every year. That's pretty astounding. [via Open Travel]

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